John 21:15-17

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.

Jesus repeated basically the same question three times. He surely intended this to remind Peter he had denied Him three times. Peter seems to focus his answers on his love for Jesus and to avoid any reference to the "more than these" part of the question.

The "more than these" part of the question probably reminded Peter of his own boasting as recorded in Matthew 26:35, Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the other disciples said the same.

This was also, no doubt, encouraging. Peter may have been thinking that because of his failure he must return to his life as a fisherman and would no longer be of use to Jesus. I'm sure it must have been encouraging for him to realize Jesus would still consider him as one of His apostles and one who could be sent on a mission.

This question is an invitation for Peter to consider who or what really is most important in his life. Earlier Peter had said, "We have left everything to follow you!" "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields-- and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life." Mark 10:28-30

This passage reminds us to consider several questions in our own lives.

Do we love Jesus "more than these?"

In the context of your own life what would the "these" be?

What things occupy the largest amount of time in your life?

What things occupy the largest amount of your financial funding?

Peter said he had left everything to follow Jesus. What have you left to follow Jesus?

Are there things in your life you have chosen to "give up" to have more time to serve Jesus?

John 21:15-17

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.

We can imagine Peter, there by the shore, sitting behind the other disciples, almost out of sight. The memory of his denial of Jesus is almost overpowering, and although he loves his Lord and was ecstatic when he realized the identity of the figure bending over a fire by the side of the sea (21:7), he fell uncharacteristically silent as the others ate. And then Jesus spoke to Peter.

After the meal Jesus turned to Peter and addressed him, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"

Note the three possibilities inherent in this question;

• More than these men do (13:36-38, Mark 14:29) Mark 14:29 Peter declared, "Even if all fall away, I will not."
• More than you love these (fishing) things
• More than you love these men

What is important for us to note here is simply that Jesus spoke first.

What a comfort to us, when we have failed God and ourselves.

We have no need to hang back, uncertain.

Christ still seeks us, eager to restore us to fellowship and empower us for service.

Listen carefully, and you can hear His voice speaking today.

THE PRACTICE OF PAYING ATTENTION

Exodus 3
"I must turn aside and look at this great site."

He had been in solitude for 40 years, so he had become pretty quiet on the inside. He had gotten real with himself and with God in some very profound ways, but still he hadn't made sense of it all. On this day, he was staying faithful to what he had been given to do; tending the flocks of his father-in-law, Jethro. But he ventured out a little further than usual and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

It was almost like God had been waiting for this moment; waiting for Moses to settle down and become quiet enough that He could address Moses directly. Up until now, God's presence in the story had been strongly implied, but no action or word had been directly attributed to Him. Now that God had a senior person to deal with, He could take a more direct approach!

It was an angel of the Lord that caused the initial promotion of the burning bush and when the Lord saw that Moses had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush. It seems that there was a cause and effect relationship between Moses willingness to pay attention and God's willingness to speak. At last, all other voices had quieted down and out so Moses could recognize a new voice calling to him from a burning bush in the middle of his own life. Finally, he was ready to receive a word from the Lord.

The practice of "turning aside to look" is a spiritual discipline, which, by its very nature sets us up for an encounter with God. In a profound way our intentionality is a key ingredient in determining whether we noticed God everywhere or only in church or only in suffering or nowhere. It all depends on how we choose to fashion our world.

These days there is so much vying for our attention; such a glut of information and stimulation; that it is often hard to know what to give attention to. Should I take that class, read this highly recommended book, attend that conference, subscribe to this magazine or newsletter, interact with this blog or website, watch this television program, read this research, search the Internet just a little more ?

When we do create a space where we can exercise some discretion about what we do with our time we might find we are literally spinning in circles from one worthy-of- attention thing to another, not knowing what to choose.

What space are you creating for God?

Do you regularly see God at work around you?

Specifically when was the last time you noticed God at work in your life?

Adapted from the article "The Practice of Paying Attention" by Ruth Haley Barton

John 21:12-14

Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Any question or any comment seemed out of place at that moment. They stood around in awed silence before this One who, as always, was doing the serving. Even the doubts of Thomas had been settled with the second appearance on the eighth day. As John had said, this was the Lord! He had died; He had risen; now He was here. There was no Temple or synagogue. There was no grand cathedral; there was only the lake, the shore, these men and the Lord.

This special meal with the risen Jesus had a deep effect on these seven disciples. Peter would later claim as a basis for his reliability that he was a witness of Jesus by saying, He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosenby us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead (Acts 10:41). John does not record that Jesus ate anything, but Luke 24:41-43 describes an appearance of Jesus where He did eat some fish.

Jesus had come to encourage these disciples, especially Peter, concerning their future work. The text seems to imply Jesus had come to remind them they were not to return to their old life of fishing. He had called them to be fishers of people (Luke 5:10) and to start the church (Matthew 16:19). Peter, the leader among them, needed to be ready for the responsibilities he soon would assume. He would lead and feed the flocknot with physical food (which Jesus would provide) but with spiritual food.

He is Lord of all  even the ordinary.

Jesus had come to encourage these disciples.

Jesus supplied their catch of fish and took take care of their nets.

Such attention to detail is characteristic of the Holy Spirits work in circumstances in every believer’s life.

John 21:8-11

The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught." Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn.

We can only guess what Peter did when he came out of the water, dripping wet, facing the One he had denied. This is the one and only time we see Peter at a loss for words. I am sure Peter appreciated the fire Jesus had burning; he stood there silently and began to dry off. He probably shuddered from the inward chill of remembering what he had done the last time he had stood by a fire warming himself. If any words were said, they were kept between Jesus and Peter, since the others were still too far away to hear. What a welcome experience for the senses to find a warm fire, a hot meal, and the greatest friend of all waiting after a frustrating night and an exhausting conclusion to their fishing expedition.

The miraculous catch of fish must have affected Peter profoundly. Peter apparently did not say a word as he dragged the heavy net full of 153 large fish to shore. This net could have easily weighed over 500 pounds because these were large fish and a three- pound-per- fish average plus the water gives us a weight of well over 500 pounds. No wonder the disciples did not try to pull the catch into the boat. The last time they had tried this after Jesus had given them instructions on their fishing the boat nearly sank. I am sure as they held the net they remembered this very clearly. The fish were brought to shore.

And then, with the other disciples, Peter ate the breakfast of bread and fish the Lord had prepared even before they caught the fish. It was the usual procedure for a group of fishermen to count the days catch and then divide it among themselves. Once again, John observed that when Christ takes action, the results bring overabundance.

Aren't you glad Jesus is concerned about our physical comfort as well as our spiritual condition!

Aren't you glad Jesus uses what we bring even though He could accomplish His purpose without our help!

John 21:8-14

The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught." Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. And this was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

After our mathematically challenging day yesterday let's return to a more reasonable approach of seeing what Scripture actually means and how it applies in our life. In today's paragraph we have the summary of Jesus appearance to these men on the shore. I would like to approach this paragraph and look at three ideas.

Provision
Let's begin by looking at the provision Christ made for these men. When they arrived on shore they saw a fire already burning with fish and bread being prepared. Jesus knew they would be hungry after a long night of working and had prepared a meal; much better and faster than any drive-through. He knew their needs and was more than willing to provide what they needed.

Command
Notice Jesus instructed them to bring some of the fish which they had caught. He did not wait for their arrival and use only the fish they supplied, but added what they brought to the supply to make it abundant. This was the second command Jesus had given this group; the first was to cast the net on the right side of the boat. By following His first instruction they were able to complete the second instruction.

Invitation
Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." I like to imagine myself sitting among this group listening to the conversation and sharing in the enjoyment of this meal. Imagine yourself in that situation; what would the conversation had been like, I wonder what they talked about. I can imagine them sharing how hard they worked all night and how amazed they were at the huge catch of fish. It does seem from the context they avoided any conversation about Jesus and the resurrection. I wonder if they were feeling a little guilty about going fishing, although I cannot imagine why anyone would feel guilty about fishing.

Discouraged Workers
 These discouraged disciples needed a lift.  Jesus was there
 They lacked direction  Jesus was there
 They were uncertain of the Lords presence and help -- Jesus came to them.
 He made his presence known, and gave them direction  He will do that for us

John 21:11

Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn.

I enjoy looking at the interpretations of scholars in other eras as they attempt to give meaning to seemingly insignificant details. Our verse today contains some of those details. So, for today, we will abandon our attempt at arriving at some coherent interpretation of this passage and we will look at what older scholars have written. By the Early Middle Ages it was prevalent to teach every passage of scripture had seven different levels of meaning and the closer to God you were the more of the seven levels of meaning you could reveal to others. Perhaps this type of thinking is something that gave rise to some of the opinions I am going to share with you today. I want us to examine the phrase, "it was full of large fish, 153."

One 20th century expositor says, In the Fourth Gospel everything is meaningful, and it is therefore hardly possible that John gives the definite number one hundred and fifty-three for the fishes without meaning something by it. It has indeed been suggested that the fishes were counted simply because the catch had to be shared out between the various partners and the crew of the boat, and that the number was recorded simply because it was so exceptionally large. But when we remember Johns way of putting hidden meanings in his gospel for those who have eyes to see, we must think that there is more to it than that.

Here are some ingenious suggestions have been made.
 Cyril of Alexandria said that the number 153 is made up of three things. First, there is 100; and that represents the fullness of the Gentiles. 100, he says, is the fullest number. The shepherds full flock is 100 (Matthew 18:12). The seeds full fertility is 100-fold. So the 100 stands for the fullness of the Gentiles who will be gathered in to Christ. Second, there is the 50; and the 50 stands for the remnant of Israel who will be gathered in. Third, there is the 3; and the 3 stands for the Trinity to whose glory all things are done.

 Augustine says that 10 is the number of the Law, for there are Ten Commandments; 7 is the number of grace, for the gifts of the Spirit are sevenfold. Then 7+10 makes 17; and 153 is the sum of all the figures, 1+2+3+4 up to 17. Thus 153 stands for all those who either by Law or by grace have come to Jesus Christ.

 One of the simplest of the explanations is given by Jerome. He said in the sea there are 153 different kinds of fishes; and the catch is includes every kind of fish; and therefore the number symbolizes the fact that someday all men of all nations will be gathered together to Jesus.

 John records the number of fish caught as 153, which has any number of symbolic interpretations. It can be seen as symbolic of the fullness of grace of all of those who partake of the Spirit (Augustine)

 As Peter brings the catch of the fullness of the Gentiles (100) and the elect of Israel (50) to Christ for the glory of the Trinity (3) (Ammomius).

 Or one might think also of this number as pertaining to the end of the world using an arithmetic triangle that utilizes the prime number 17 (Augustine).

 The unbroken nets symbolize a unified church unbroken by schism in the face of the stresses of the world (Augustine).

 Christ came in from the sea, which is the world tossed about, onto the solid shore (Gregory the Great).

 He committed the church then to Peter, since he is the one who brings the catch of fish safely to the shore (Gregory the Great).

 In this great catch of fish is, contrasted with the earlier catch at the beginning of his ministry, Jesus has taught the disciples to cast their net on the right side. The church also keeps those of the right-hand after death into sleep with these until it is brought safely to the shore in the life to come (Augustine).

 We may note a further point. This great catch of fishes was gathered into the net, and the net held them all and was not broken. The net stands for the Church; and there is room in the Church for all men of all nations. Even if they all come in, she is big enough to hold them all (Augustine).

 Here John is telling us in his own vivid yet subtle way of the universality of the Church. There is no kind of exclusiveness in her, no kind of color bar or selectiveness. The embrace of the Church is as universal as the love of God in Jesus Christ. It will lead us on the next great reason why this chapter was added to the gospel if we note that it was Peter who drew the net to land (John 21:11) (Calvin).

So what do I think all of this means? I think it means there were 153 fish and they took time to count them. I am glad we don't have the search for God in the details. I am not saying He is not in the details. But I am saying He does not hide Himself from us in such minutia!

I was taught long ago when interpreting Scripture to go by this rule; when the plain sense of the passage, makes good sense, seek no other sense.

What is the application of all of this? It is simple; God will supply abundantly beyond all that we ask or think.

John 21:4-9

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" "No," they answered. He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

There is something appropriate about Jesus revealing Himself at sunrise. The rising sun and the new light coincided with the self-revelation of the "Sun of righteousness" But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. (Malachi 4:2 NLT) and in the presence of their Lord the disciples found the promised "healing."

This entire episode is consistent with the earlier events recorded in this gospel. It was in keeping with the earlier chapters that the "beloved disciple" would be the first to recognize the risen Lord. It is not surprising this disciple and Peter were near one another, so near that this disciple could whisper to Peter. The reaction of Peter is also consistent with what we know about him elsewhere, a man of quick decisions and prompt, often impetuous action.

John's recognition of the figure on the beach as "the Lord" probably was associated with the miraculous catch of fish. The element of the miracle lies in the timing. It was immediately after the command to try again. Also it was now daybreak when fish usually go to deeper water. It was probably the catch of fish, as much as the appearance of Jesus, which led John to conclude Jesus was there on the shore. He reasoned from cause to effect. Nothing less than the presence of Jesus could account for such a catch of fish. He may have remembered the other times in which Jesus had demonstrated control of nature, including the time he stilled a storm at night (Mark 4:37-41), and when He joined them at the height of the storm (John 6:19-21) bringing calm. He probably remembered the other huge catch of fish under similar circumstances (Luke 5:5-9).

What does it take to get you recognize The Lord in the daily events of your life?

Into whose ear should you be whispering It is the Lord?

"But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.

When and how have you seen this verse apply in your life?

Where would you like to see this verse manifest in your life?

Ask the Lord to show Himself to you in these circumstances!

Your favor lasts a lifetime; I will give you thanks forever!

Psalm 30
I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me. O LORD, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit. Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. When I felt secure, I said, "I will never be shaken." O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed. To you, O LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: "What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help." You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.

There are many situations where the course of life makes us aware of the frailty of our human condition: when we lose a loved one, when we assist helplessly in the suffering of another or in painful separations. However, such experiences do not always bring our own happiness to an end.

But when we ourselves are distressed by a failure that calls us into question, by seemingly insurmountable oppositions, by a disease that robs us of possibilities of living, by broken relationships that reveal our limits to us, by a sadness that takes away our joy of living, we can be, sometimes understandably, scandalized and overwhelmed; we can have the impression we have fallen into a pit where life has no longer any meaning.

It is because of passing through just such a situation of despair that the psalmist gives thanks in the first verses. He had said "I will never be shaken," and then he had to realize how fragile his happiness was when God seemed absent, when He "hid his face."

But in his adversity, which he sees as linked to the absence of God, or even of being abandoned by Him, he does not stop calling out to Him, to ask Him for help. He has the courage to ask: "What do you gain at my death?" This is a revolt similar to that of Job (Job 10:8) before the incomprehensibility of a creator God who seems to allow His children to suffer and die.

Yet in his rebellion, he knows one thing: God, whose yes to our existence freely created us and keeps us in being, eagerly longs for our response and takes pleasure in our praise. So the psalmist asks Him: "Will the dust praise you? This is a theme that is found elsewhere: those undergoing trials remind God the dead do not praise Him any longer. (Psalm 6:6; 88:11-13; Is 38.18)

The Psalms often describe God as "slow to anger and abounding in love"; here, without taking anything away from the feeling of abandonment by God, the psalmist says that even though God may seem sometimes absent, "his anger lasts only a moment but his favor lasts a lifetime."

Healed, revived and lifted up by Gods help in this way, the psalmist finds himself dancing with joy and discovers he has reason to sing to God "and not be silent," to praise God "forever."

What makes you aware of the frailty of happiness and of life?

Have you ever had the experience of your mourning being turned into a dance?

What sustains your praise?

adapted from the Taize web site

John 21:1, 2

Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together.

This is a unique group of men! Seven of the remaining 11 disciples are together on the seashore of Galilee. Three of these men are named directly. I think we can determine the other four based on the context.

We begin by looking at the three men who are named. We know a great deal about Peter and his rash impetuous nature. It has been only a few days since Peter denied Jesus three times as he watched the trial in the courtyard of the high priest. Thomas on the other hand is best known for his doubts. He had a tendency to be despondent and see the gloomy side of everything. In John 11 he was a disciple that suggested, "let us also go that we may die with him." So we have two very interesting contrasts at the head of this group. Peter is the picture of act and react. He can barely see an inch beyond the end of his nose and is ready to act impulsively; even to the point of grabbing a sword and cutting off the soldiers ear. Thomas is the one who carefully weighs each decision and always is ready to ask the difficult question.

These two men certainly represent those who have chosen to follow Jesus and yet have had their moments of denial, doubt and lapse of faith. There is a lesson here for all of us. We should be willing to welcome back into our fellowship and support those who have been imperfect in their walk with Jesus.

The third person named by John in this passage is "Nathaniel of Cana in Galilee." The only words recorded in Scripture Jesus spoke to Nathaniel are recorded in John 1, when Jesus called him an honest man and a true son of Israel. Jesus also promised him on that occasion he would see greater things as he followed Him. Nathaniel is a believer marked by consistent, quiet unspectacular growth. He was apparently steady, faithful and very ordinary.

Why did John include the names of these three men? Perhaps to teach us confessing our sins will help us grow in our relationship to God. He also gives us an example of someone quiet, conscientious and non- spectacular was allowed to serve and see the risen Savior as well.

There is another interesting observation here. The people to whom Jesus chooses to manifest Himself were not immaculate saints, but fallen sinful men and women. Remember, after the resurrection Jesus chose to appear first to Mary Magdalene, "out of whom He had cast seven devils." The one common element each share is the element of repentance. They confessed their sins and continued to follow Jesus.

Do you see yourself as being similar to any of these three men?

Do you have a difficult time restoring a relationship with someone who has let you down?

Do you think you would have wanted to hang out with Thomas?

I wonder if Peter and the other disciples considered Nathaniel boring.

Which one of these men would you rather have as a friend?

Why?

John 21:1-9

Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. "I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" "No," they answered. He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

Today we will examine these three observations.
 Jesus cared about these men
 Jesus gave these men specific direction
 Obedience changed their failure into success

One thing this passage reveals very clearly is Jesus cared very deeply about these men. He had chosen them from hundreds of followers and He had literally "discipled" them for over two years. He knew their strong points; He knew their weak points. He knew Peter was impulsive and a natural leader. He knew Thomas and his need of proof. He knew they had been fishing all night long and would be hungry. He had prepared a breakfast large enough for all of them to enjoy. It is interesting to remember Jesus was considered a rabbi and a great teacher. This type of individual in Jewish society would never have prepared breakfast for someone else. This is as much a lesson in humility and service as it was when Jesus washed their feet the night before His crucifixion.

Jesus also cared enough about these men to give them direction. They had fished all night and caught nothing. They were on their way back to the western shore of the lake. The sun was at their back, which meant on the western shore of the lake the fish were beginning to move away from shore and into deeper water. So the command Jesus gave them as they neared the shore was very unusual. They would have been fishing on the Eastern shore because the sun came up in the East and the mountains shaded the shoreline for a longer time. It had been a long, hard, unproductive night. Now as they are returning someone tells them to cast their net on the right side of the boat. It was against all conventional fishing wisdom; yet they did what they were told. There was probably some grumbling and questioning; they were tired and probably grumpy. Yet their obedience produced an unbelievably good catch. What lessons are we to gain from these events?

God's directions do not always follow conventional wisdom.

Obedience does not require full understanding.

Obedience is rewarded.

Can you think of several examples in your life where these three observations have been true?

John 21:1-9

Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. "I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" "No," they answered. He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

Today we will examine this paragraph as a narrative and make some simple observations. Remember, this is an account of another resurrection appearance by Jesus to His disciples.

• Jesus showed Himself to these men deliberately
• Jesus showed Himself on their level
• Jesus cared about these men
• Jesus gave these men specific direction
• Obedience changed their failure into success

Now we will examine each one of these observations on an individual basis. First, Jesus showed Himself to these men deliberately. They had been told to go ahead and wait in the region of Galilee. Jesus kept His word and appeared to them. We know Jesus always keeps His word.

Secondly, Jesus showed Himself on their level. There was nothing unique in the place of His appearance. This was not a sacred location, it was not a prayer retreat; in fact it was just an everyday location fishermen often used. Tradition says these events took place southwest of Capernaum, where Peter lived. Ancient tradition tells us this appearance took place near what is today called Tabghah. At this location there is a rock platform 45 feet in length which slopes gently down to the sea shore. The rock platform today is called "Mensa Domini" (the Lord's Table). This name is derived from the idea that Jesus cooked fish and fed the disciples at this location.

Another observation I would like to make in regard to this point--there is nothing unique in the timing of Jesus appearance. The disciples had been fishing throughout the night and had caught nothing. As the day began to dawn, when fishing normally became much less successful they gave up their quest and began to head for shore. We are not told on what day of the week these events occurred. It was just a time when Jesus chose to meet them in the normal routine of their lives.

I would also like to make the observation that there is absolutely nothing unique in the activity taking place in this paragraph. Fishing was the livelihood of several of these men before they became followers of Jesus. Fishing was normally done at night with nets on this body of water. It was not unusual when the fishermen returned in the morning for someone to have kindled a fire and for them to have breakfast. So what I am saying is there is absolutely nothing in these events which would cause anyone to think something unusual or miraculous was going on.

Do we tend to expect Jesus to do something miraculous in our lives?

How does Jesus manifest Himself in the common events of your daily life?

Have you ever "missed Jesus" because you were looking for the extraordinary and not paying attention to the ordinary events of your life?

Pay close attention today to the common events and see where you see Jesus express Himself.

John 21:1-8 

Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. "I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" "No," they answered. He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.

This chapter is totally unique in all the gospel accounts of the resurrection. Because of this fact and the fact that John seems very clearly to come to a conclusion at the end of chapter 20, many "modern scholars" have maintained this chapter is not part of the original gospel. But I feel it is very clearly part of the original text of the gospel. 

We must remember John wrote his gospel very late in the first century. The city of Jerusalem had been destroyed. The Jews had been scattered throughout the world. Many Gentiles had been added to the early church. And it seems this particular chapter gives an answer to questions which were probably very prominent in that time. One question was, "What happened to Simon Peter after the resurrection; after all he had denied Jesus? The second question John addresses in this chapter is the rumor that the disciple whom Jesus loved, John himself, would not die. This chapter puts to rest both of these questions and I am sure would have been greatly welcomed by churches throughout the Roman world.

Another interesting observation is that this type of writing was not uncommon in this era. According to the Inter-varsity Background Commentary; one of the most popular and widely read works of Greco-Roman antiquity, The Iliad, also contained such an ending. So readers and writers of this time period would be very familiar with this phenomenon and it would not cause any confusion whatsoever.

This is just another example where modern scholarship inserts its judgment into other eras of history assuming modern scholars know far more than those who have lived in a less scientific era. Sometimes our arrogance can be absolutely amazing.

While the above information is not exactly based on the biblical text lets think about it for a few moments.

Have you ever made an arrogant assumption based on the idea that you knew more than someone else?

How did you learn your assumption was incorrect? 

What were the results of your assumption?

I think this is a clear example of the very simple fact we need to take the biblical text that has been passed down to us through over 2000 years of use and history and let it examine us. 

We often analyze too much and obey too little!

John 20:31

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.

For the "signs" John is presenting there are only two possible reactions; the reaction of unbelief and the reaction of belief.

John has presented the signs for the purpose of creating belief in the reader. The entire Gospel of John is an attempt to move the reader from either ignorance or unbelief; which from John's point of view will produce the same result. To "believe" is to have a life. To continue in unbelief produces the eternal result of death. The word belief is used in John's Gospel over 98 times. On Friday of last week we reviewed various definitions of this term. We concluded John is using this word "pisteuo" as acknowledging a personal claim or personal commitment to Jesus Christ.

This "belief" is not demanded without a reason. John has furnished his readers with a narrative complete with seven signs showing Jesus Christ is master of all that He, the Holy Spirit and His Father created. The resurrection is the crowning sign supplied by the Gospel writer; not only did Jesus conquer all earthly opposition, He destroyed the final enemy; death. The resurrection proves Jesus still lives. He is willing and able to meet the needs of all current human emergencies.

The word "that" is a translation of a Greek grammatical construction which indicates purpose. "But these things are written in order that (for the purpose that, with the desired result that) you may believe." This particular construction indicates a means to an end.

What does John mean by the term "life"?
John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

We have discussed the definition of eternal life in an earlier DailyVIEW (August 10, 2009). I really don't expect any of you to remember that in great detail; I had to review how we dealt with John 17:3. I am going to reproduce some of what I wrote last August. Reviewing it reminded me of a great many things. Tomorrow will mark two weeks since I had back surgery. I am doing very well and am nearly pain-free in my hips and legs. Here is a portion from the DailyVIEW on August 10 of last year.

The past three weeks I have been having some issues with my right hip and right leg. Whatever is going on there is causing great pain and the doctors do not seem to be able to come up with a cause or a cure. One thing I have learned in the last three weeks is how much we take for granted the privileges God gives us on an everyday basis. Currently I am not able to just get up and walk around. I plan my trips upstairs and downstairs because of the pain and the effort.

Meanwhile back on subject; the definition of eternal life is a key element in today's passage, because Jesus differentiated it from the current concept of endless existence. "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."

The word know as it used in this passage suggests living contact rather than imparted information. Experience is the sum total of man's contact with his environment, and his highest experience is naturally the product of his highest contacts. The highest contacts of the world are at best temporal, for the world is bound in time; and so our earthly contacts give only a temporal life. However fully man lives in the world, he ultimately reaches the point where nothing is new because he has reached human limits.

Only the knowledge of God can give enduring satisfaction, because God alone is eternal. Contact with God will provide the fullest experience, and the experience of God's eternal being will be eternal life. The present tense of the verb know indicates also that eternal life lies not so much in the possession of a completed knowledge as in the striving after a growing knowledge.

Eternal life is growing and expanding, not static.

What does the last sentence mean to you?

What has God done in your life to allow you to know Him more?

Try to imagine connecting the thoughts on eternal life from this passage with what Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:20-21.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.

What Do You Want To See?

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-- think about such things.

Behavioral scientists have discovered we usually see things we are prepared to see. This is all centered in a network of nerve cells called the "Reticular Activating System." Everybody has this system. The "Reticular Activating System." works like this: Once something has been brought to our attention, and we have been prepared to see it, well see it virtually everywhere we go.

For example, you decide to buy a new car. You make up your mind you are going to buy a certain brand, a certain body style, and a certain color. Now, youll see those cars everywhere. Youll see them on the roads, in TV advertisements, in newspapers and magazines. Theyre everywhere. Now what has happened? They were always there, but the moment you were prepared to see them, your Reticular Activating System kicked in, and suddenly you saw them everywhere.

It happens in other areas of life, too. We see what we are prepared to see. If we are prepared to see doom & gloom this year, then thats what well see. If, on the other hand, we have prepared ourselves to see sunshine & opportunities, then thats what we are going to see.

Melvin Newland, "How Does It Look to You Now?"

What do you notice throughout your day?

Do you tend to look for the positive or the negative?

What positive things can you begin to notice?

See if you can find a positive in every situation!

ohn 20:30-31

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.

Notice these seven signs were all preformed in the presence of his disciples. He was continually molding their faith. Each one of these signs was designed to specifically develop their growing understanding and faith.

1) 2:1-11 Water into wine; Master of Quality
In this first miracle of His ministry, Jesus revealed Himself as master of quality by changing instantaneously what the vine produces over a period of months. His wine was pronounced the best.

2) 4:46-54 Healing of the noblemans son; Master of Distance or Space
By healing the boy who was more than 20 miles distant from him, Jesus showed himself the master of distance or space.

3) 5:1-9 Healing of the Impotent Man; Master of Time
The longer a disease afflicts a person, the more difficult it is to cure. Jesus, by curing instantly an affliction of 38 years, showed His mastery of time.

4) 6:1-14 Feeding of the 5000; Master of Quantity
By multiplying the five flat loaves and two small fishes of one boy's lunch into enough to feed 5000 men, besides women and children, Jesus revealed Himself as the master of quantity.

5) 6:16-21 - Walking on the Water; Master of Natural law
This miracle clearly demonstrates Jesus mastery over natural law.

6) 9:1-12 - Healing of the Man Born Blind; Master of Circumstance
The point of this miracle is not so much the fact that Jesus healed a difficult case as that He did so in answer to the question as to why this man was born blind. Thus Christ showed He is the master of circumstances.

7) 11:1-46 Raising of Lazarus; Master of Death
This miracle indicated Jesus was without any doubt the master of death.

These seven miracles, then, are preeminently signs because they point to those aspects of Jesus ministry in which He demonstrated His transcendent control over the factors of life with which man is unable to cope. Quality, space, time, quantity, natural law, misfortune, and death abound in humanity around the world. Jesus provides the necessary assets for our daily existence as we struggle against our limitations. Christs superiority over these difficulties is revealed by these events called "signs. John is appealing to these signs as proof of Jesus deity and a clue to understanding what the writer wanted to say about Him.

Please take a few moments to consider and answer these questions.

What signs has Jesus used to develop your faith?

Specifically, how did each of these signs guide your growth?

John 20:30-31

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.

Lets continue our thoughts about signs from yesterday. How many different types of signs can you think of?

There are:
Warning signs: designed to warn us about coming obstacles or dangers. An example of this type of sign would be; bridge out or construction ahead.
informational signs: designed to enable us to achieve our destination or purpose. An example of this type of sign would be;rest area ahead or Airport next right.
Directional signs: designed to direct us through a specific area. There are many examples of this type of sign; keep right or through traffic keep left.

Importance of signs The importance of signs in our everyday life is very obvious. We need warning information and direction as we travel and as we move through each day we live. We have all experienced the result of ignoring a warning sign; such as a speed limit or stop sign. This is exactly the idea John is trying to convey when he says these signs were recorded for a specific purpose.

There are seven signs included in Johns Gospel, exclusive of the resurrection and the miraculous catch of fish recorded in the 21st chapter. The resurrection differs from the other signs because the act itself did not take place in a public site and because it was not performed on someone or something apart from Jesus Himself. The miracle of the catch of fish is in the epilogue, which is not a part of the main body of the gospel.

The seven signs included by John in his Gospel are:

1. Water into wine - 2:1-11
2. Healing of the noblemans son - 4:46-54
3. Healing of the Impotent man - 5:1-9
4. Feeding of the 5000 - 6:1-14
5. Walking on the water - 6:16-21
6. Healing of the man born blind - 9:1-12
7. Raising of Lazarus  11:1-46

John has carefully selected each one of these seven signs to reveal some specific characteristic of Jesus power and person. John has included these signs to create belief, but we must also ask ourselves what are the consequences of ignoring the signs.

Can you think of specific signs in your life which you ignored?

What kind of difficulty did ignoring each sign cause in your life?

John 20:30-31

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.

It was three years ago, February 15, 2007 that we began the Gospel of John on a daily basis. I have tremendously enjoyed the opportunity to spend time in this book. It has been a wonderful experience to be able to approach God's Word with an open ended exploration. We are on the verge of beginning the last chapter of this extraordinary gospel. I have no idea how long it will take to complete the Gospel of John, but I know it has been a great experience for me and I hope it has been an enjoyable and challenging experience for you who have been with me for these three years.

We are going to begin to gather the material and make the full set of devotionals available at some point in the future. I have made no concrete plans about where to go with our next expositions and discussions. The book of Romans has been suggested; that would certainly be a challenging experience. I welcome suggestions; you may send them directly to me along with any comments you may wish to share at my personal e-mail address docsherman@aol.com.

I want to examine each one of the three key terms used in these two verses; Signs, Believe and Life. Today we will examine the term "Sign."

There are four Greek words which are sometimes translated "sign." These words are as follows:

• teras which emphasizes wonder
• dunamis which emphasizes power
• paradoxon which emphasizes an event contrary to nature
• seimon which emphasizes sign

The last of these words is the word that John characteristically uses. He is not concerned about something which is a wonder. He is not interested in conveying the power of the Messiah. He is not interested in presenting something that appears to be a paradox. He is specifically interested in giving his readers a sign in order to give them direction.

What is a sign? There are highway signs, there are informational signs, there are directional signs, there are signs relating to the weather and many other different types of signs. There are nearly as many definitions of sign as there are dictionaries. But if we approach this in a very simple manner a sign is something intended to alter our behavior. It may be a stop sign, a speed limit sign or a bridge out sign. The sign is intended to influence the way we behave.

What signs has Jesus put in your life?

How have these signs altered your behavior?

John 20:30-31

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.

JOHNS PURPOSE STATEMENT

John wrote this gospel to encourage belief in Jesus as the Messiah and as the Son of God. All of the signs in this gospel point to Jesus as both the Messiah and the Son of God. John tells us Jesus came to give life to those who believe. John wrote this gospel later in his life and he undoubtedly wrote it with a dual purpose of encouraging those who already believed and giving evidence for those who have not yet believed.

This book is unique in the Bible in that it has a specific stated purpose. These two verses give us the specific purpose with which John wrote the gospel. Notice that there are two very clear parts in the statement of his purpose.

• Jesus performed many signs which are not recorded in this book
• Those which are recorded are recorded for a specific purpose

Also notice there are three key terms in these verses which we must define in order to understand what John is doing as he writes this gospel. These three terms are:

1. Signs
2. Believe
3. Life

We hear a lot today about being "Purpose Driven." We are often exhorted to live our life on purpose. We are told to have priorities and to live our life according to those priorities. The purpose for our life is something like a map or a GPS device; keeping us from wandering around aimlessly. John was very careful to observe his purpose" as he wrote each chapter.

He placed signs throughout the book to point in the right direction and to lead us into belief. Our belief will lead us to life. This gospel is not just a narrative of the life of Christ. It is a purposeful statement designed to lead us into sharing eternity with Jesus Christ.

In the next few days we will examine each one of these terms and see how they contribute to John's purpose. My question for you at the beginning of this week is a very simple one;

Are you living your life on purpose?

What is the purpose of your life?

What signs have you placed in your life to remind yourself of that purpose?

WHAT DO YOU NOT WANT TO DO TODAY?

Romans 7:19
"For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do-- this I keep on doing."

Romans 7:22-25
I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

Legendary football coach Tom Landry said, "The job of a football coach is to make men do what they don't want to do, in order to achieve what they've always wanted to be." It's also said that successful people become successful by doing the little things that average people don't want to do.

In your work there are probably a few little things that you don't want to do: items that should be done, but don't have to be done -- at least not yet.

Though the items on my not-to-do list change from day-to-day, they all have one thing in common: none of them are impossible. They're all do-able with just a little bit of effort. They have another thing in common: by ignoring them, we short-change ourselves.

We don't like to call this type of delay by its proper name, but Solomon doesn't hesitate to: Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. Proverbs 10:4

For many of us, that's all that stands between us and the fulfillment of our goals. A little indolence. That's not a mountain in front of you. It's just a hill. A small, tedious, do-able hill.

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might,
Ecclesiastes 9:10

I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.
Philippians 3:14

Challenge yourself today to make a not-to-do list and tackle these items first, one by one.

See what happens.

You Do NOT Want To Forget Valentine's Day!

John 20:27-28

Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

Witnesses who handled the Word of life

Listen to the apostle John describe his experience with Jesus. These words were written many years after the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. John had been a young man when he followed and studied with the Lord. Now he is living in the later years of his life, many believe he was nearing the age of 90. As he looks back on his life experience and reflects on how the church has grown and how opposition has arisen to the truth of the Gospel he gave a very clear and effective testimony to what he had personally witnessed.

That which was from the beginning, which we have 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. I John 1:1-3

Thomas was not the only disciple to touch Jesus. Throughout the course of 3 1/2 years all of the 12 would have touched and spoken with Him. They would have eaten with Him. They would have slept as a group many times; perhaps in the open fields of Galilee or in a cave on the Mount of Olives.

They knew the events they were describing had actually occurred and they knew Jesus had become flesh and lived among mankind. There was an early heresy in the church originated by a man whose name was Marcion. He taught that Jesus was a phantom and possessed no real physical body. John is going out of his way to stress the reality of the incarnation. He was there! He saw Thomas examine the wounds in the hands of Jesus and perhaps even inspect the hole in His side. There was no doubt in the mind of these men about the reality of the incarnation or the reality of the resurrection.

We need to remember we are not dealing with fable or mythology when we are proclaiming the truth of the Gospel.

John, himself, reminds us, 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 things were written for us! They were written to motivate us to proclaim the truth of the Gospel.

Who have you told lately?

John 20:24-28

Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." A week later his disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

Recognize the limits of your senses to understand!

• Must you see to believe?
• Do you understand all you see?

In this account the Lord stoops to the level of our feeble understanding. He worked a miracle of His invisible power in order to satisfy the doubts of unbelieving minds.

The disciples were in a closed room. They had met and held their assembly in secret since the death of the Lord. Jesus presents Himself to strengthen the faith of Thomas by meeting his challenge. He gives him His body to feel, His wounds to handle. He was easily recognized because of the His wounds.

At what place in the walls of that closed house did the Lord enter bodily? The apostle has recorded the circumstances with careful precision; Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them.

Did He penetrate through stone and mortar or through the heavy framework of wood? These substances are erected in order to impede any entrance. Yet, there He stood in bodily presence; there was no suspicion of deceit.

Let minds eye follow His path as He enters. Let your imagination accompanying Him as He passes into the closed dwelling. There is no breach in the walls; no door has been unbarred. In fact this same room later kept Peter out. Acts 12:16, But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. Yet, see how Jesus stands in the middle of them; no barrier can resist His resurrection power.

Do you know someone who is skeptical and unbelieving? Can that person explain a visible event? All remains firm as it was. Nobody is capable of inserting self through the solidness of wood and stone. The body of the Lord is not suddenly transported into the room where it comes together again after a disappearance. Yet where did the One standing in there came from?

Your senses and words are powerless to account for it.

The fact is certain, but it lies beyond the realm of human explanation. If, as some say, our account of the divine birth is a lie, then let them prove this account of the Lord's entrance as fiction.

If we assume an event did not happen, because we cannot explain how it was done, we make the limits of our understanding into the limits of reality.

But the certainty of the evidence proves there is no contradiction of reality.

The Lord did stand in a closed house in the midst of the disciples; the Son was born of the Father.

Let no one deny He stood there, because their puny wit cannot ascertain how He did it!

John 20:24-28

Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." A week later his disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

A week later His disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them.

Why the delay? Why wait a week? What had the men and women who had been present at the first appearance of Jesus in this room been doing for a week? We really cannot supply any firm answers to these questions. But I think we can make some educated guesses.

They clearly had been talking to Thomas and had given him a vivid description of the resurrection appearance of Jesus. He knew about the nail marks and the wound in His side. It would have been interesting to listen to their discussion and description of the events which took place within that room. We need to remember that John, the writer of this Gospel, was present and a witness of all of these events.

We still must return to our question, why the delay? Why did Jesus wait a week to appear to Thomas? Chrysostom wrote in his homily on the Gospel of John, "And why does Jesus not appear to Thomas immediately, instead of after a week? He does so in order that, in the meantime, being continually instructed by the disciples and hearing the same thing repeated, he might be inflamed with more eager desire and be more ready to believe for the future."

Delay can certainly prepare us for belief and perhaps that is what Jesus was doing in the case of Thomas. So one week later Jesus again presents Himself to them and does not wait to be asked about anything or to allow any discussion of the events of the preceding week. Rather, before Thomas could even speak, Jesus presented Himself and offered to fulfill the desire of Thomas. In fact, he used the exact same words which John had recorded as being spoken by Thomas.

Jesus knows how best to prepare each of us for belief.

How did He prepare you to believe?

Why the delay? Why wait a week? Perhaps to firm up what would have been too easy for Thomas to consider seriously.

Do we try sometimes to hurry people into belief?

John 20:24-28

Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." A week later his disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

What is past is prologue!

During the last few days of study I have become fascinated with Thomas. We all know about doubting Thomas, but that really is about all we know. I included some supplementary material from the apocryphal book of Thomas. How accurate the material was is certainly open to question, however the character depicted seems to be very true to the character of this man. I think there is much more for us to learn from Thomas, so if you will suffer with me for a while longer I will continue to share some thoughts about this man.

Why did Thomas insist the wounds would be the only testimony to convince him? What if these wounds had been made to disappear? Was Jesus still wounded on His back and head? How would the disappearance of all evidence of the crucifixion have influenced his faith? Why did he need to put his finger where the nails were, and put his hand into his side? What moved him to make these demands? What kind of mind produced this request?

I believe the Holy Spirit used his natural desire and practicality to produce this request. His dedication demanded them so that in the future not even the most godless and skeptical person could doubt the Lord had risen.

So Thomas was securing not only the uncertainty of his own heart but also that of all human beings.

Could it be the only reason the Lord kept His wounds was to provide evidence of His resurrection?

Do you have seemingly negative personality characteristics God has used?

ENTHUSIASM MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

ECCLESIASTES 9:10

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might."

FedEx CEO and founder Fred Smith first developed the idea for an innovative air-freight company while he was a student at Yale University. His professor was less than impressed; the paper Smith submitted outlining the concept earned him a "C". Thirty years later, FedEx is the world's largest express transportation company, with 128,000 employees and more than $7 billion in capital.

This short-sighted professor didn't take a few things into consideration. One is Smith's persistencehe simply refuses to give up. Another is his resourcefulnesswhen plan 'A' doesn't work, there is always a plan 'B' to put in motion.

Most important, however, is Smith's ability to recruit others to his vision. People want to be part of what he is involved ineven to the point of sacrifice. In the early days, for example, his pilots often refueled company jets with their own money. Sometimes they sat on paychecks for months to help keep the company afloat.

How does he do it? How does he command such devotion from his employees?

Fred Smith's greatest asset is his enthusiastic determination to get the job done. It sounds like a cliché, but he believes in what he is doing. As a result, he inspires loyalty.

The Christians in Philippi offered Paul this same kind of loyalty. They supported him through prayer, hard work, and sacrificial giving. Why? Maybe they were inspired by the enthusiasm they observed in Paul when their church was first founded.

You remember the story: After being beaten in the town square, Paul and Silas were thrown in jail. They were singing hymns late into the night when an earthquake came and shook the foundations of their jail cell, freeing them from their chains. Paul could have escaped. He could have left Philippi and never came back, but instead he stayed, and took the opportunity to lead the jailer to Christ. Paul believed in what he was doing, and his enthusiastic determination to spread the gospel encouraged the Philippian believers. [Acts 16]

Your enthusiasm has a profound effect on others. When you approach anything with an upbeat commitment to get the job done, people begin to take notice. When they see that you believe in what you are doing, they become willing to join in the process.

The secret, then, is to pour your life into something that captures your heart, and give it all you've got. Solomon said, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might." (Ecclesiastes 9:10) You will find that your zeal is contagious, and it will spread to the people around you

With apologies to Joe Lacobee

John 20:26

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"

Jesus greeted them in a friendly manner, as He had done before; He said, Peace be with you. This was not a simple repetitive greeting. But it was a reference to His promise previously given. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

It is significant because of the kind of peace He was giving them. He was going to continue His guidance and care for them in the person and the power of the Holy Spirit.

The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day. I say to myself, "The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!" Lam. 3:22

After John 14 the idea of peace is often spoken of; it seems always to be very near to an emphasis on the coming service the Holy Spirit will offer the followers of Jesus.

• John 16:33, I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
• John 20:19, On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"
• John 20:21, Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."
• John 20:26, A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"

In the OT the equivalent word shalom meant wholeness, soundness, hence health, well-being, prosperity; and more particularly, peace as opposed to war. Characteristic of the NT is the view of peace as the present possession of the believer. The NT concept of peace has nothing to do with the Stoic concept of peace as indifference or apathy, and the Epicurean peace which was a selfish non involvement. The peace which God gives is never to be identified with selfish unconcern (1 Cor. 7:15; Phil. 4:7; Col. 3:15). Gods peace is independent of outside conditions and is the fruit of an objective, real relationship with God.

The peace of Jesus is knowing nothing is going to happen today you and Jesus can’t handle.

John 20:24-29

Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Although Thomas openly proclaimed Jesus to be his Lord and God, Jesus gave him a small reminder because he had to see before he could believe. The blessed ones, the word used here is the theme word for the Sermon on the Mount; Blessed are , they who have not seen and yet have believed. Some people think they would believe in Jesus if they could see a definite sign or miracle. But Jesus says we are blessed if we can believe without seeing. We have all the proof we need in the words of the Bible and the testimony of believers.

Jesus wasnt hard on Thomas for his doubts. Despite his skepticism, Thomas was still loyal to the believers and to Jesus Himself. Some people need to doubt before they believe.

• If doubt leads to questions, questions lead to answers, and the answers are accepted, then doubt has done good work.
• It is when doubt becomes stubbornness and stubbornness becomes a life-style that doubt harms faith.
• When you doubt, dont stop there. Let your doubt deepen your faith as you continue to search for the answer.

Have you ever wished you could actually see Jesus, touch Him, and hear His words?

Are there times you want to sit down with Him and get His advice?

Thomas wanted Jesus physical presence. But Gods plan was wiser.

He has not limited Himself to one physical body; He wants to be present with you at all times. Even now He is with you in the form of the Holy Spirit.

We can talk to Him, and we can find His words in the pages of the Bible.

He can be as real to us as He was to Thomas.

John 20:24-28

Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."

We do not know what happened to Thomas in later days; but there is an apocryphal book called The Acts of Thomas which claims to give his history. It is mostly legend, but there may be some history beneath the legend; and certainly in it Thomas is true to character. Here is part of the story which it tells.

Taken from Christian Apocrypha & Essays: The Acts of Thomas located at http://skeptically.org/onreligion/id16.html

At that time we the apostles were all in Jerusalem--Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax-gatherer; James of Alphaeus and Simon the Cananaean; and Judas of James; --and we portioned out the regions of the world, in order that each one of us might go into the region that fell to him, and to the nation to which the Lord sent him. By lot, then, India fell to Judas Thomas, also called Didymus. And he did not wish to go, saying that he was not able to go on account of the weakness of the flesh; and how can I, being an Hebrew man, go among the Indians to proclaim the truth? And while he was thus reasoning and speaking, the Savior appeared to him through the night, and said to him: Fear not, Thomas; go away to India, and proclaim the word; for my grace shall be with thee. But he did not obey, saying: Wherever Thou wishest to send me, send me elsewhere; for to the Indians I am not going.

And as he was thus speaking and growing angry, there happened to be there a certain merchant come from India, by name Abbanes, sent from the king Gundaphoros, and having received an order froth him to buy a carpenter and bring him to him. And the Lord, having seen him walking about in the market at noon, said to him: Dost thou wish to buy a carpenter? And he said to Him: Yes. And the Lord said to him: I have a slave a carpenter, and I wish to sell him. And having said this, He showed him Thomas at a distance, and agreed with him for three pounds of uncoined silver; and He wrote a bill of sale, saying: I Jesus, the son of Joseph the carpenter, declare that I have sold my slave, Judas by name, to thee Abbanes, a merchant of Gundaphoros, the king of the Indians. And the purchase being completed, the Savior taking Judas, who also is Thomas, led him to Abbanes the merchant; and Abbanes seeing him, said to him: Is this thy master? And the apostle answered and said: Yes, He is my Lord. And he says: I have bought thee from him. And the apostle held his peace.

It is the same old Thomas, slow to be sure, slow to surrender; but once his surrender is made, it is complete.

The story goes on to tell how Gundaphorus commanded Thomas to build a palace, and Thomas said that he was able to do so. The king gave him money to buy materials and to hire workmen, but Thomas gave it all away to the poor. Always he told the king that the palace was rising steadily. The king was suspicious. In the end he sent for Thomas: Have you built me the palace? he demanded. Thomas answered: Yes. When, shall we go and see it? asked the king. Thomas answered: You cannot see it now, but when you leave this life, then you shall see it. At first the king was very angry and was going to execute Thomas; but in the end the king too was won for Christ, and so Thomas brought Christianity to India.

There is something very admirable about Thomas. Faith was never an easy thing for him; obedience never came readily to him. He was the man who had to be sure; he was the man who had to count the cost. But once he was sure, and once he had counted the cost, he was the man who went to the ultimate limit of faith and obedience.

A faith like that of Thomas is better than any easy profession.

Obedience like his is better than an easy submission which agrees to do a thing without counting the cost and then goes back upon its word.

John 20:24-25

Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."

For Thomas the cross was what he had expected.
When Jesus had proposed going to Bethany, after the news of Lazarus illness had come, Thomass reaction had been: Let us also go, that we may die with him (John 11:16). Thomas never lacked courage, but he was the natural pessimist. There can never be any doubt he loved Jesus. He loved Him enough to be willing to go to Jerusalem and die with Him when the other disciples were hesitant and afraid. What he had expected had happened, and when it came, even though he had expected it, he was broken-hearted, so broken- hearted he could not meet the eyes of men, but must be alone with his grief.

Thomas chose to face his suffering and his sorrow alone.
So when Jesus came back again, Thomas was not there. The news that He had come back seemed far too good to be true, and he refused to believe it. Challenging the others with his cynicism, he said he would never believe Jesus had risen from the dead until he had seen and touched the print of the nails in His hands and put his hand into the wound the spear had made in His side.

He withdrew from the Christian fellowship.
He chose isolation rather than community. Because of that choice he was not there with his fellow believers and he missed the first appearance of Jesus. We miss a great deal when we separate ourselves from our Christian fellowship and try to go it alone. Things can happen to us within the fellowship of believers which will not happen when we are alone. When sorrow comes and sadness surrounds us, we often tend to shut ourselves up and refuse to meet with people. That is the very time when, in spite of our sorrow, we should seek the fellowship of Christs people, for it is there we are most likely to meet Him face to face.

Do you have a tendency to isolate yourself when you are depressed?

Do you know someone who has this tendency?

How can you encourage others to avoid this isolation?

Can you make an agreement for mutual encouragement with someone?

The Empty Cell
Acts 12, 1-17

It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists. Then the angel said to him, "Put on your clothes and sandals." And Peter did so. "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me," the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating." When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, "Peter is at the door!" "You're out of your mind," they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, "It must be his angel." But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. "Tell James and the brothers about this," he said, and then he left for another place.

The King Herod mentioned here is Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great. He grew up in Rome with the future emperor Claudius. In 41, when Claudius became emperor, Agrippa was in Rome. The situation in Jerusalem was very tense. The emperor Caligula, poisoned to death in January 41, had wanted to put his own statue in The Temple of Jerusalem. This project nearly led to a major uprising. So Herod Agrippa went immediately to Jerusalem in order to deal with the situation.

He looked for support to groups faithful to the traditions of Israel, the Torah. For this reason he opposed the Christians. Perhaps in part for personal reasons: were the Christians not waiting for the coming of their Christ, also known as "King of the Jews" and therefore a potential rival? Acts says he turned against the Christians to enlist the support of influential circles in Jerusalem, hostile to the Christian movement.

This was the historical context in which Herod had James killed and Peter arrested. One or two sentences would have been enough to say that Peter found freedom in unclear circumstances. But Luke wanted to describe Peter's night in prison in order to describe it as an Easter night. While the Church in prayer was celebrating the days of Passover, Peter had, in his own body, the experience of the Passover mystery. Awaiting execution in the cell, he was already a dead man. And then, in the middle of the night, the chains fell from his hands and feet. He was free. His guards were stunned and Peter left his cell just like Jesus coming out of the tomb. He thought he was dreaming. Then he came to himself and confessed his faith in words that echo the liberation of Israel at the first Passover (Exodus 18:4, 9); "The Lord has rescued me from the hands of Herod."

It was a woman who first learned the good news of Peter's release. Rhoda recognized his voice at the door of the house where the Christians were meeting. But out of joy she forgot to open the door! Luke had a sense of humor: while people were discussing within, denying the possibility that Peter was free, Peter had to wait outside the door and knock harder!

At last he was let in. He explained what had happened to him. And once again, Luke gave a wink to his readers so that they would recall the resurrection of Jesus. Just as Jesus sent off the women who came to the tomb to announce His resurrection to the disciples and to Peter, Peter ordered them to go announce his release "to James and to the brothers." This refers to James, the brother of the Lord, who appears to have been, at least from that time on, the head of the Church of Jerusalem. Peter then left the Holy City and went "to another place."

What are the dungeons and chains in your life?

When in your life have you experienced the power of the resurrection?

When are we like the Christians in Jerusalem who were discussing what is or what is not possible, when all they had to do was open the door to see?

Out of the dungeon, Peter is ready for a new stage in his life. What are you willing to leave behind to set out again with new freedom?

John 20:22-23

And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

We have before us today a passage that has been used for years to teach the doctrine that "the church" has the authority to forgive sins.

I offer here two quotations which illustrate this error.

• Theodora Mopsuestia (350-428) in his Commentary on the Gospel of John;
  The prerogative to absolve and retain sins only belongs to God, and the Jews sometimes raised this objection with the Savior saying, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" The Lord generously gave this authority to those who honored Him.
• Ambrose (333-397) in Concerning Repentance;
  For this power has been entrusted to priests alone. It is only right, therefore, that the church, which has true priests, claimed. Heresy, which does not have the priests of God, cannot claim it. And by not claiming this power heresy pronounces its own sentence, that not possessing priests it cannot claim priestly power.

Instead of God ratifying the decisions of these men, these passages teach these men are to ratify and implement the decrees of God. In John 20:23 the perfect tense is used in both clauses.

According to the unanimous testimony of all Greek grammarians, the perfect tense pictures an action which is past in relation to the time of speaking and writing. In this case it means that before anyone treats someone as forgiven, he must be doing so on the basis that God has already forgiven that person. Or to paraphrase the thought, "forgive those that God has forgiven; refuse to forgive those that God has not forgiven."

So much for my commercial for the study of Greek; this information concerning the use of the perfect tense is readily available today in most commentaries. The writers I quoted above were relying on a Latin translation. But we see how the church used this passage to enhance its growing power.

My question for us to consider is this:
Do we use the Scriptures to support our preconceived beliefs or do we try to make our beliefs line up with what the Scripture teaches?

Are you willing to change a belief or practice you have been taught if you see it is not supported by Scripture?

Have you ever made such a change?

John 20:21-23

Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit."

As the father has sent me, I am sending you
Two different verbs meaning "send" are used here, both are equivalent. The first is in the perfect tense and emphasizes the completion of Jesus' mission on the earth and its continuing effects. The second verb is in the present tense and emphasizes the new and continuing commission which is now being given to the disciples, by the Son of God. John frequently used these two verbs in the same way. Both are used with reference to the Father's sending Christ (17:3, 8, 18, 21, 23, 25, apostellein; and 14:24, 15:21; 16:5, pempein). Likewise both were used for sending out the apostles (4:38; 17:18; 13:16, 20).

Just as Jesus was dependent upon and obedient to His Father and as the power of the Holy Spirit rested upon Him, so individual Christians need to be obedient to God and submissive to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. We are not only bearers of Christ's message but we are also effective witnesses of His transforming power.

This is the first record of the three commissions given by the risen Christ; another was given in Galilee (Matthew 28:16-20; I Corinthians 15:6) and another is given on the Mount of Olives (Luke 24:44-51; Acts 1:3- 11).

He breathed on them
Just as natural human life was imparted to a human body so here the conveying of the new, spiritual life is described. In chapter 16 John recorded what Jesus had taught about His sending of the Holy Spirit. He would always be with them to guide them into all truth and convict the world with respect to sin.

Receive the Holy Spirit
Here the disciples are commanded to welcome and receive into their hearts and lives the permanent presence and power of God. While Jesus was present with them they had God's guidance. Now He commits them to the watchful care and sovereignty of His successor, the Holy Spirit. The Spirit will guide them and shepherd them for the rest of their lives. The power of the Holy Spirit which came to them is still available to every Christian. Very likely more than the ten apostles were present that night when they received "the Holy Spirit which the Lord gave to those who obeyed him." (Acts 5:32).

The guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives is developed by constant, day by day obedience. The book of Acts shows us there were repeated fillings of the Holy Spirit in order to meet specific situations such as Pentecost, during persecution, on Gentiles in the whole of Cornelius, etc. (Acts 2:1-4; 4:31; 10:44- 47).

Are you on a mission for Jesus?

Write down your mission.

What are your goals for this year?

What are your goals for this month?

What are your goals for this week?

What are your goals today?

John 20:19-20

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

Luke's parallel account, 24:36-48
While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence. 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, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.

To assure they were not seeing an illusion or a ghost, Jesus offered them verification. He showed them His hands and side which had been pierced.

This is consistent with John's concern to show us two things:

• Faith is grounded on tangible, factual, historical evidence
• The truth is, while physical evidence is good and necessary, it is better not to be dependent upon it (see verse 29).

In I John 1:1-3 the basis for the author's own faith is said to have been his verifiable evidence; "what we have seen, heard and touched." Throughout the Scriptures faith is of great importance, yet God is always patient with those who are slow to believe. When people need to be "shown," an example or opportunity is given for faith to be verified. This is seen, for example, in the experience of Gideon and his fleece; with Thomas and his demand for tangible evidence (Judges 6:36- 40; John 20:25-29). The verb for "showed" means "to show, to point out, to present for viewing, to demonstrate, to declare, to prove." (John 2:18; 5:20; 10:32; 14:8, 9). This meaning "proof" is well illustrated by James 2:18; 3:13

But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
James 2:18

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
James 3:13


What has God shown you?

What have you shown others?

If God is willing to be patient with us when we are slow to believe; shouldn't we be patient with others?

Is there someone in your daily experiences with whom you have grown frustrated and need to "show" that person more of Jesus?

John 20:19-20

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

The doors were shut for fear of the Jews.
John notes this detail to underscore the element of the miracle in Jesus' entrance into the room. As He left the grave clothes and the tomb by a miracle, So He entered this room in the same manner. It was the same body in the sense that it belonged to no one else; but in another sense it was a different body; it was super-spiritual. But there is a deeper significance here.

The door was shut to protect the disciples from danger. They were all on the defensive, immobilized with fear. In this condition they were not ready to evangelize the world. They needed to be released from this paralyzing fear before they could be useful. The commission and the coming of the Spirit were designed to correct this. Today a church that is primarily concerned with self-defense is of no use to the kingdom; there needs to be the importation of the Spirit in power to overcome this paralyzing fear of personal peril; "perfect love casts out fear" (I John 4:18).

Jesus came and stood among them.
True to His name Immanuel; "God with us" Jesus was with His disciples again, to remain with them forever (Isaiah 7:14; 8:10; Matthew 1:23; Revelation 7:17; 21:3). What a joyful reunion this was as is reflected in verse 20. The greeting given by Jesus was repeated in verse 21; the giving of "peace" was first promised in the upper room (14:27). This was not an inert peace, but inner calm and composure even in the time of tumult. It may have sounded a bit unrealistic to the disciples, coming as it did in a situation of extreme danger and tension. But this is when this kind of peace is most needed and most welcome.

Does your church generally maintain a defensive posture toward non-members? Why do you think so many churches tend to be "defensive?"

What can you do to help your fellowship of believers achieve and maintain an aggressive attitude about sharing the Good News?

What can you do personally to avoid a defensive posture in your Christian walk?

John 20:19

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"

Let's begin this week by looking at the reaction of the disciples to the resurrection. Verse 18 told us they all went to the homes where they were staying. Later that evening we find this group to gather on the evening of that first day of the week with the doors locked for fear of the Jews. This bunch is not ready to evangelize the world! They are afraid. T o say they are in a defensive posture is an understatement.

The first day of the week, v.19
I believe John included this remark at this point in his narrative to establish the practice of meeting on Sunday. The early church had begun to meet on "The Lord's Day" as their way of remembering the resurrection of Christ. Most early Christians were Jewish and they were in the habit of worshiping on Saturday, the Sabbath. This simple remark helped John establish in their minds the reason for the practice of gathering on the first day of the week.

The doors were locked, v. 19
They were afraid of the Jews. They had no idea what to do now that Jesus was dead. The city was in an uproar; and the religious authorities were clearly on a power trip. They probably felt they would be singled out next and would be crucified or in prison very soon. Their understanding of a coming kingdom had been shattered; all they had was each other. Most of them were from Galilee and were somewhat uncomfortable in the city of Jerusalem. They were away from home, in a very scary and unsettled environment and totally confused.

Jesus' arrival, v. 19
Jesus suddenly appeared among them. Imagine what this did to settle their nerves and fears. He immediately said to them, "Peace be with you!" I am sure this was a very well-timed statement. It is easy to imagine the appearance of Jesus under these conditions could very well have caused even the toughest minded of these people to "jump out of their skin." This is more than just any, "settle down," remark. Jesus had risen from the grave, just as He had promised, even though none of them really grasped the meaning of the events of the last week. The appearance of Jesus was about to change their lives forever.

Aren't you glad Jesus cares enough to do what is necessary to change our lives?

They were hiding because they were afraid; Jesus did not rebuke them for hiding, He came to take away their fear.

What fears in your life would you like Jesus to remove?

About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.
Luke 9:28-31

Jesus and the Exodus Experience
John shows the parallels between events in Exodus and the life of Jesus. God filled the wilderness experience of His people with illustrations of His eternal plan to save the world. The rescue of a people from captivity itself became a prophetic clue that God would offer a way of escape to the world through Jesus Christ.

John indicated:

• As God temporarily took up residence in a tent among the people, Jesus is the living tabernacle of God. (John 1)
• As Moses lifted the serpent in the wilderness, Jesus is the perfect bronze serpent. (John 3)
• As God provided bread from heaven to feed the people, Jesus is the real manna. (John 6)
• As God provided water from the rock, Jesus is both source and substance of living water from the rock. (John 7)
• As God's presence was seen in the column of fire in the wilderness, Jesus is the Light of the World. (John 8)
• As God instituted the memorial of the sacrificed lamb and the blood of Passover, Jesus is the perfect Passover Lamb. (John 1:29; 18:28; 19:14, 36)

They were talking about His exodus (departure from earth to heaven) very much like our English word "decease" (Latin decessus, a going away). The bright light awakened the disciples and revealed Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus about the very subject which Peter had rebuked Jesus for mentioning (Mark 8:32; Matthew 16:22). This same word exodus (way out) in the sense of death occurs in 2 Peter 1:15 and is followed by a brief description of the Transfiguration glory.

Moses had led the Exodus from Egypt. Jesus was going to accomplish the exodus of God's people into the Promised Land on high. The purpose of the Transfiguration was to strengthen the heart of Jesus as He was praying about His approaching death and to give these chosen three disciples a glimpse of His glory for the hour of darkness which was coming. No one on earth understood the heart of Jesus and so Moses and Elijah came.

Be encouraged; we are surrounded by so many more witnesses than the disciples.

We have the presence of the Holy Spirit to explain to us all of God's daily encouragements.

Watch carefully this weekend and see what God does to encourage you.

John 20:10-18

Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" "They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Let's examine this paragraph and look at the effect of the resurrection on Mary. First John narrates her return to the tomb. Overcome with grief she sits there in the garden near the tomb and sobs. Her love is deep and her emotion is heartfelt. She is not a casual disciple or what we might today call "a groupie." She has been very much involved in the ministry of Jesus and the crucifixion has literally torn her heart out.

Her reward is narrated in verses 12-14. She saw the angels; remember angels are messengers of God. We sometimes forget the word our Bibles translate "Angels" means simply messenger. God the Father sent messengers to comfort this woman who loved and trusted His Son so very deeply. She implies a question in her statement to these messengers, "where have they taken him?"

The answer to her question is not a location but a person: the person. At first she did not recognize Him probably because of her grief and the fact she was trying to avoid eye contact. There is a commercial that is revived every few years for Hallmark Cards which has a line in it, "When you care enough to send the very best." God so loved the world that He sent the very best!

When Mary recognized the voice of Jesus she turned to Him and exclaimed, "Rabbi!" She was absolutely overjoyed and reached out to hold Him, to hug Him; a perfectly normal human reaction to the arrival of a long-lost or departed friend. There is an unfortunate translation of this encounter that gives these words as, "do not touch me." In reality the translation we are using is correct. Jesus is saying to her don't keep hanging on to me. He must still return to the Father and He will send "another comforter."

At this point let me offer a quick word about what we would probably call "her testimony." She made several errors of judgment and evaluation.

Through Mary John is teaching us a lesson as old as the Bible itself. Things that first appear to be negative can turn out to be very positive. How many times have you misjudged circumstances and come to wrong conclusions? How many times have you experienced this in your own lifetime? Aren't you glad God is greater than our circumstances?

• She thought the body had been stolen - wrong
• She thought Jesus was the gardener - wrong
• She thought Jesus would die again - wrong

Through Mary John is teaching us a lesson as old as the Bible itself. Things that first appear to be negative can turn out to be very positive.

How many times have you misjudged circumstances and come to wrong conclusions?

How many times have you experienced this in your own lifetime?

Aren't you glad God is greater than our circumstances?

John 20:10-18

Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" "They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.

To Mary belongs the glory of being the first person to see the risen Christ. The whole story is characterized by pictures of her love. She had come back to the tomb; she had taken her message to Peter and John, and then must have been left behind in their race to the tomb so that by the time she got there, they were gone. So she stood there weeping.

Her whole conversation with the person she thought to be the gardener shows her love. "If you are the man who has removed him, tell me where you have laid him." She never mentioned the name of Jesus; she thought everyone must know who she was talking about; her mind was so full of Jesus there was not anyone else for her in the world. As soon as she had answered the person she thought was the gardener, she must have turned again to the tomb and so turned her back on Jesus. Then came His single word, "Mary!" and her single answer, "Master!"

There were two reasons why Mary did not recognize Jesus.

• · She could not recognize Him because of her tears. They blinded her eyes so she could not see. When we lose a loved one, there is always sorrow in our hearts and tears shed or unshed in our eyes. But one thing we must always remember; at such a time our sorrow is in essence selfish. It is of our loneliness, our loss, our desolation, of which we are thinking. We cannot be weeping for one who has gone to be the guest of God; it is for ourselves we weep. That is natural and inevitable. At the same time, we must never allow our tears to blind us to the glory of heaven.
• · She could not recognize Jesus because she insisted on facing in the wrong direction. She could not take her eyes off the tomb and so had her back to Him. At such a time our eyes are upon the cold earth of the grave; but we must pull our eyes away. That is not where our loved ones are; their bodies may be there; but the real person is in the heavenly places in the fellowship of Jesus face to face, and in the glory of God.

When sorrow comes, we must not let tears blind our eyes to glory; and we must not lock our eyes on the grave and forget the heavens.

John 20:10-18

Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" "They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.

There are, then, three types of proof you can rest upon when it comes to spiritual matters:
1) The evidence God gives in this world
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.<br> John 1:14

2) The Word of God
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"<br> Luke 24:27, 32
You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me,
John 5:39

3) Personal experience
Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).
20:16

How can a man know Christ is genuine?
· He can see the evidence in the lives of others;
· He can read the Word; and when he trusts Christ,
· He will experience it personally.

Notice that in v. 10 they go back home without proclaiming the message of the risen Christ. Mere intellectual evidence alone will not change people. We must meet Christ personally. That is what happened to Mary: she lingered and met Christ. How many times it pays to wait?

I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.
Proverbs 8:17

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

John 20:1-10

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to their homes,

To someone reading this material today the story is much more convincing when we realize the resurrection faith came slowly and with difficulty. It rules out the likelihood of hallucination because hallucinations come to those with a prior mental tendency in that direction. A fabricated story would likely present the disciples as leaping to a complete faith almost instantly.

The disciples did not relate the empty tomb and the intact grave cloths to Jesus' prediction of His resurrection or to the Old Testament predictions of this event. They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead. The Holy Spirit had not yet been "given" and hence there was no one to take the things of Christ and re¬veal them to the disciples. So they went back home baffled.

Why is Jesus' resurrection the key to the Christian faith? Jesus rose from the dead, just as He said. We can be confident Jesus will accomplish all He has promised. Jesus' bodily resurrection shows us the living Christ is ruler of God's eternal kingdom.

Because Jesus was resurrected, we can be certain of our own resurrection. Death is not the end; there is future life. The same resurrection power which brought Jesus back to life is now available to us. The Resurrection is the basis for the church's witness to the world.

Then the disciples went back to their homes. Perplexed, John and Peter left and went back home. They "believed" in something miraculous; that is, they did not think Jesus' body had been stolen but they did not know for sure what they believed or what they should do next. So they just went home. Later they joined with the other disciples behind locked doors.

There is no immediate, instant change here.

Facts may convince, make possible, support or illustrate but conversion faith is based on trust in a person.

They would soon understand and trust the resurrected Christ.

John 20:1-10

He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to their homes,

When they came to the tomb, John looked in but went no farther. Peter with typical impulsiveness not only looked in, but went in. For the moment Peter was only amazed at the empty tomb; but things began to happen in John's mind. If someone had removed Jesus' body, if tomb-robbers had been at work, why should they leave the grave clothes?

Then something else struck him; the grave clothes were not messy and disarranged. They were lying there still in their folds, that is what the Greek means, the clothes for the body where exactly where the body had been; the napkin was where the head had lain. The whole point of the description is the grave- clothes did not look as if they had been put off or taken off; they were lying there in their regular folds as if the body of Jesus had simply evaporated out of them.

The sight began to penetrate John's mind; he began to realize what had happened and he believed. It was not what he had read in scripture which convinced him Jesus had risen; it was what he saw with his own eyes.

The part love plays in this story is extraordinary. It was Mary, who loved Jesus so much, who was first at the tomb. It was John, the disciple whom Jesus loved and who loved Jesus, who was first to believe in the resurrection. He was the first man to understand and to believe. Love gave him eyes to read the signs and a mind to understand.

In any kind of situation it is true we cannot really interpret the thoughts of another person, unless there is a background of experience between is. We can neither understand Jesus nor help others to understand Him; unless we share this background of experience. It does not say he just believed: it says he saw and believed. At this point his faith had little content or definition, but it was a real resurrection faith in its early stages of development.

What have you seen of Jesus?

Have you believed more strongly because of what you have seen?

TODAY'S THE DAY

"If you look for it as silver, and search for it as hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God."
Proverbs 2:4-5

Mel Fisher has spent his life diving for buried treasure. In the late 1960s he began a quest for the priceless treasure cargo of the fabled lost Spanish galleon Atocha. Every day, for more than 16 years, Mel, his wife, his children, and his band of "Treasure Salvors" explored the waters off the coast of Florida, in search of riches.

He motivated his team and kept the dream alive by beginning each day's hunt with the cry: "Today's the day!" Finally, after more than 16 years of searching, that day arrived. On July 20, 1985 Mel Fisher's team discovered the Atocha, containing a treasure worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The days of sporadic paychecks and living hand-to-mouth were over for Mel and his team.

Solomon tells us that if we'll search for wisdom the same way Mel searched for riches, we'll find an even greater reward: the knowledge of God.

The Bible makes the bold promise that within its pages you can discover foundational truths upon which you can build your marriage, your career, your family, your finances, your friendships, your relationship to God, every aspect of your life.

And the best part: these truths aren't elusive. It doesn't take 16 years to find treasure. When you search the Bible for God's direction for your life, you can make a new discovery every day. On one day you'll be reminded of someone you need to forgive; on another day you'll get insight in how to deal with a problem at work; on another day you'll become aware of a sin you need to confess, and on and on.

When you open the pages of your Bible, you can truly say, "Today's the Day!" We haven't been put on earth to stumble in the dark. God's light is available to us. He speaks to us each day, giving us the direction we need, if we will only search for it.

In speaking of wisdom for daily living, Solomon said, "If you look for it as silver, and search for it as hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." (Proverbs 2:4-5)

John 20:1-10

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to their homes,

People occasionally ask where I get my ideas for the DailyVIEW. I thought you might be interested in seeing a portion from one of the reference works I use on a regular basis. The following is an "Overview" included at the introduction of each section for the Gospel of John in a commentary I use. The reference material is included at the end of today's devotional. The section on these 10 verses extends eight double column pages. The comments of each individual listed below are given in a few paragraphs.

I hope you enjoy reading these thoughts; written approximately 1500 years ago.

Our Lord was delivered from the womb of the tomb early on the first day of the week on what is now known as the Lord 's Day (AUGUSTINE, CHRYSOSTOM), a day of victory and triumph over death (HESYCHIUS). The exact time of when the resurrection occurred is not given (DIONYSIUS), although "early dawn" and "late night" would seem to indicate around the same time, albeit from different starting points (THEODORE, CYRIL). The text says "it was dark," which is also an apt description of Mary's faith when she first came to the tomb, ignorant of Jesus' resurrection (GREGORY THE GREAT).

The women, who demonstrate more faith than the disciples, perhaps send Mary to the tomb on their behalf (ROMANUS), Mary comes looking for consolation (CHRYSOSTOM) and may have also been accompanied later by the other women, although these women are not included in John's account (AUGUSTINE).

John records that Mary is the first witness, showing his high regard for her and for women (CHRYSOSTOM) as he captures the ardor of her faith (AUGUSTINE, CYRIL). He tells us that Mary reported what she had witnessed only to the chief apostles, who believed, while Luke records the initial skepticism of the other disciples (EUSEBIUS). The Gospel next records how Peter and John came to the tomb in broad daylight so that no one could suspect them of having stolen the body of Jesus, as the chief priests had alleged (EUSEBIUS).

We too should hurry to the tomb as they did (GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS). The disciples looked in the tomb, noting the neatness of the folded linens, which would not have been the case had someone stolen the body (CHRYSOSTOM, EUSEBIUS). When John looked into the tomb, it is said that he believed. It is unclear from the text what it is John believed, however. Did he simply believe Mary's words, that is, that they had taken the body away (AUGUSTINE). Or, did John infer from the neatly folded linen cloths and the prophecies he knew, that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead. (CYRIL)

Here is the data on each one of the writers mentioned taken from a table included at the conclusion of the volume.

• AUGUSTINE (354- 430)
• CHRYSOSTOM (c. 347- 407)
• HESYCHIUS (c. 412-450)
• DIONYSIUS (Died c. 264)
• THEODORE (c. 350-427)
• CYRIL (370- 444)
• GREGORY THE GREAT (c. 540- 604)
• GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS (329--389)
• ROMANUS (c. 536- 556)
• EUSEBIUS (c. 260-c. 340)

Taken from Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture; New Testament, IV b Edited by J. C. Elowsky General Editor Thomas C. Oden Inter-Varsity Press, 2007

I would be interested in any thoughts you might like to share after reading this material.

John 20:1-10

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw (blepo) that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in (parakypto blepo) at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw (theoreo) the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw (eiden) and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to their homes,

There is significance in the different verbs for "seeing" used here. The "single look" of Mary (v. 1) and of John (v. 5) is indicated by (blepo). The more concentrated gaze of Peter (theoreo) inside the tomb took in the arrangement of the cloths, a careful, studied inspection (v. 6).

When John entered and looked at the same cloths Peter was scrutinizing he saw and believed. The verb form here is (eiden) and means "perception, insight, hence to know." It is vision plus a comprehension of the significance of the vision. This verb combines the qualities of sight (horao, "to see") and knowledge (oida, "to know")" The verb used of what Peter saw (theoreo) means to see with the bodily eye while the verb used of John's seeing means "to see with spirituality." Theoreo is usually associated with uncomprehending vision of externals. (2:23; 4:19; 6:2,19). On the other hand, eiden and horao usually designate spiritual insight, as in 1:39, 1:50 (you shall see greater things than these) ; 11:40 ("you shall see the glory of God"); cf. 16:16.

John uses four verb forms to present the resurrection faith in four stages:

• Mary Magdalene noticed (blepo) the opened grave and John noticed the cloths before entering (vv. 1, 5).
• Later both John (v. 5) and Mary (v.11) stooped down so as to peer (parakypto) into the tomb (cf. Prov. 7:6; Jas. 1:25; I Pet. 1:12)
• Peter now entered and thoroughly scrutinized (theoreo) the interior but without faith, in the same sense that Mary later "saw" Jesus physically but not spirit¬ually v. 14).
• John entered the tomb and saw all that Peter did but caught its significance (eiden) and believed in the same sense that Mary did after she recognized Jesus (v. 18).

The importance of the relationship of sight to faith is one of John's favorite themes. It appears in the conversation with Thomas - "because you have seen (horao) me, you have believed" (v. 29). It appears in I John 1:1 - "we have seen (horao) it with our own eyes; we looked (theoreo) upon it . . . the word of life."

Faith, to John, was not something self- generated or originated apart from "the event of Christ." To John, faith is presumption unless it is grounded in actual data.

Can you see growth in your faith?

What is the basis of your faith?

John 20:1-10

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to their homes,

I want to examine this section in some detail; after all it is the basis for our faith in Christ. The apostle Paul has said if Jesus has not risen from the dead we are all men most miserable. What he meant was without the resurrection we are "losers" without any hope or purpose in our lives.

We will examine these verses in some detail through the next few days. Today I want us to look at the overall picture and see what is going on. We need to reread this passage as if we have never looked at it before.

Mary Magdalene arrived at the tomb very early; perhaps at the very moment of sunrise. She discovered all was not as she anticipated! The stone was no longer in place; the verb used to describe the stone could very easily mean it was picked up and cast aside. That is, the tomb was not only open but the stone was totally removed from the small track in which it was supposed to roll. This is an amazing shock to anyone, who would arrive at the grave of a loved one expecting to anoint the body or in our case leave flowers. Totally shocked and surprised Mary ran to tell the disciples.

When they heard her excited and probably somewhat confusing description of the condition of the tomb Peter and John ran to the tomb. We should remember as we read this account that one of these men, John, is the writer of this account. He is able to describe not only what they saw in detail; but he is able to describe their feelings as well. When they arrived at the tomb John waited on the outside for Peter's arrival. Peter first and then John went in and examined the empty tomb.

John writes," finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still do not understand from the Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Here is the point that I want us to focus on today. He believed! The point is not what he believed: the point is belief! John concludes his writing in this chapter with these words; 20:30, 31 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.

For years there was a show on television called, "Dragnet." In that television production Sergeant Friday often repeated the lines, "just the facts." He only wanted the facts in order to determine the guilt or innocence of a person.

John did not understand all the facts at this point. He and the other apostles and followers of Jesus did not comprehend the truth of all the Old Testament prophecies about the resurrection. What John believed in very simple faith was that Jesus was not there; He was risen. But John had absolutely no idea what that meant. He knew Jesus was not there - He had risen!

Today we often want to make our converts take a class in theology before we ask them to believe.

Jesus said if you do not you have faith like the faith of a little child you cannot enter the kingdom of God.

At this point John's faith was that of a small child.

Child-like faith is something we all need.

We need to grow beyond being children in our understanding and practice of Christianity, but we need to maintain our child-like faith.

John 20:1

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the basic doctrine of the New Testa¬ment. The Incarnation of the Son of God and the death- resurrection of Jesus Christ are the two great focus points which all other Christian doctrines center. The account of the resurrection of Jesus is told, in John's Gospel, with superb insight and conviction.

In Matthew's Gospel the emphasis is upon the spectacular accompaniments of the resur¬rection event, the earthquake, the dazzling light and the raising of the bodies of the "saints." Mark's account is characterized by terseness; Luke's is invaluable chiefly for the description of the walk to Em¬maus. In John the spiritual and the physical both come in for special empha¬sis and synthesis.

In this account the emphasis is placed on Mary Magdalene, but this does not mean she was the only woman present. Matthew mentions two Marys; Luke's use of the plural indicates more than one woman while Mark names three. Here more than one is implied in the plural of Mary's report to Peter and the "other disciple;" "we don't know where they have put him!" (v. 2).

John's is probably the most beautiful ac¬count of the resurrection. John gives us details which show a first-hand acquaintance with the events. The story is told simply and clearly and yet with persuasive power. There is nothing sensational or superficial added: the event itself is eloquent and convincing. Mary Magdalene and the others, their spices prepared, quietly come to the garden before dawn.

Love and loyalty overcame the natural timidity of these women and brought them to the tomb to pay their last mark of respect to the body of Jesus. They wondered how they would remove the stone; we wonder where the men were who might have helped.

Only when someone has lived in a non- Christian land can he appreciate what Christianity has done to the status of women.

In the 0. T. a list of heroic characters must include the names of Deborah, Hannah, Esther and Ruth. In the N. T. we read of the Marys, Dorcas, Eunice, Priscilla, Lydia, and "not a few prominent women." (Acts 17:4).

There were women who wept when He was going to the cross, and women who followed Him from the cross, and women who sat by His sepulcher when He was buried.

There were women who were first with Him at the resurrection morning and women who brought the good news first to His disciples; He was raised from the dead.

Do we tend to overlook the role women have played in Christianity?

Thank God for the special women who have helped build your faith!

John 20:1

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the basic doctrine of the New Testament. The Incarnation of the Son of God and the death- resurrection of Jesus Christ are the two great focus points which all other Christian doctrines center. The account of the resurrection of Jesus is told, in John's Gospel, with superb insight and conviction.

In Matthew's Gospel the emphasis is upon the spectacular accompaniments of the resurrection event, the earthquake, the dazzling light and the raising of the bodies of the "saints." Mark's account is characterized by terseness; Luke's is invaluable chiefly for the description of the walk to Emmaus. In John the spiritual and the physical both come in for special emphasis and synthesis.

In this account the emphasis is placed on Mary Magdalene, but this does not mean she was the only woman present. Matthew mentions two Marys; Luke's use of the plural indicates more than one woman while Mark names three. Here more than one is implied in the plural of Mary's report to Peter and the "other disciple;" "we don't know where they have put him!" (v. 2).

John's is probably the most beautiful account of the resurrection. John gives us details which show a first-hand acquaintance with the events. The story is told simply and clearly and yet with persuasive power. There is nothing sensational or superficial added: the event itself is eloquent and convincing. Mary Magdalene and the others, their spices prepared, quietly come to the garden before dawn.

Love and loyalty overcame the natural timidity of these women and brought them to the tomb to pay their last mark of respect to the body of Jesus. They wondered how they would remove the stone; we wonder where the men were who might have helped.

Only when someone has lived in a non- Christian land can he appreciate what Christianity has done to the status of women.

In the 0. T. a list of heroic characters must include the names of Deborah, Hannah, Esther and Ruth. In the N. T. we read of the Marys, Dorcas, Eunice, Priscilla, Lydia, and "not a few prominent women." (Acts 17:4).

There were women who wept when He was going to the cross, and women who followed Him from the cross, and women who sat by His sepulcher when He was buried.

There were women who were first with Him at the resurrection morning and women who brought the good news first to His disciples; He was raised from the dead.

Do we tend to overlook the role women have played in Christianity?

Thank God for the special women who have helped build your faith!

WHAT A LEGEND LOOKS LIKE

"So why do you condemn another Christian? Why do you look down on another Christian? Remember, each of us will stand personally before the judgment seat of God."
Romans 14:10

Former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, who turned 99 in 2009, was once asked his opinion of former Indiana coach Bobby Knight. Wooden would only respond, "I think Bob Knight is an outstanding teacher of the game of basketball. I don't approve of his methods, but I'm not a judge, and I'm not judging Bob Knight. There is so much bad in the best of us and so much good in the worst of us, it hardly behooves me to talk about the rest of us."

I think he understands what Henry Kaiser once said, "When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt."

Wooden has shown us what a legend looks like. He not only was a gentleman on the court, he holds records that may never be broken. His 10 national championships, his 88 game winning streak, his phenomenal winning percentage, the players he groomed for stardom in the NBA; this is his legacy; he has no reason to add the title of "outspoken critic" to the list.

In your life and mine, in your work and mine, there are a number of potential (even "worthy") targets of our own outspoken criticism. If we're not careful, they can take up all of our time. If we're not careful, we can be sidetracked into thinking our opinions are more important than our actions.

It's what you do that ultimately makes a difference. Talk isn't enough. Opinions aren't enough. Criticism, no matter how on-target or well-articulated it might be, isn't enough. You prove who you are by the way you live.

Paul asked, "So why do you condemn another Christian? Why do you look down on another Christian? Remember, each of us will stand personally before the judgment seat of God." (Romans 14:10)

Let's strive toward leaving a legacy built, not upon our estimation of others, but upon our own measurable accomplishments.

Criticize less, do more.

That's what a legend looks like.

John 19:40-42

Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

Jesus' body was placed in a new tomb in a private garden, not in a cemetery. Matthew tells us this was Joseph's "own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock" (Matt. 27:60). Isaiah prophesied the Messiah even though he was despised and rejected by men, would be with the rich in His death (Isa. 53:9). The burial of Jesus is part of the gospel ("He was buried," 1 Cor. 15:4). Its significance lies in the fact it was the completion of His suffering and humiliation. It is part of the experience of all men. It also pointed to the reality of His death and set the stage for His coming bodily resurrection.

The respect these two men showed for the body of Jesus was dangerous, costly, and without any personal gain.

Our service should be equally courageous and sacrificial, for our labor is not in vain; "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."
1 Cor. 15:58.

• The death of Jesus made immediate and dramatic changes in the lives of four people. The criminal dying on the cross beside Jesus asked Jesus to include him in his kingdom (Luke 23:39-43).
• The Roman centurion proclaimed Jesus was the Son of God (Mark 15:39).
• Joseph and Nicodemus, members of the Jewish council and secret followers of Jesus (John 7:50-51), came out of hiding.

Each of these men was changed more by Jesus' death than by His life. As a result of realizing who Jesus was, they believed and put their faith into words and actions. When confronted with Jesus and His death we should also be changed.

How have you been changed and challenged by Jesus?

• to believe
• to proclaim
• to act

John 19:40-42

Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

Because it was almost the Sabbath, which began at sundown, the burial had to take place quickly. Jewish burial customs did not involve mummification or embalming. Their normal process was to wash a body and cover it with cloth and aromatic oils or spices. The NIV translation of othoniois as strips of linen has support ( William F. Arndt and F. Wilbur Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Chicago: University of Chicago Press). However, many Roman Catholic scholars argue for the translation "cloth wrappings" since Matthew refers to a linen cloth in which Jesus' body was wrapped (Matt. 27:59, sindōn).

Recent discussions on the Shroud of Turin have raised considerable controversy. The translation "strips of linen" would argue against the authenticity of the shroud. But at this time, because of the uncertainties of Jewish burial practices, the meaning of othoniois, and the Shroud of Turin, dogmatism should be avoided.

The subject of Shroud of Turin is interesting; however it is of little relevance to the discussion of the meaning of Scripture. Thousands of pages have been written discussing this artifact and whether or not it is actually a burial shroud of Jesus Christ. The basic reality of the fact is, whether it is the actual shroud or not makes no difference. This is an example of how we often get sidetracked as we study the Scripture. We do not need external proofs of the Scripture to make it a reality!

Many times we seek an external proof to confirm the Scriptures; many think if we can find Noah's Ark people will believe or if we can find archaeological proof of Sodom and Gomorrah people will believe. Time after time science and archaeology have confirmed the Bible and yet we see no major surge of belief.

John is writing this gospel in order that his readers might believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

Belief is a head attitude and a personal choice as we accept the reality of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ; we choose to believe the reality of His deity.

John 19:38-40

Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.

Two secret disciples of Jesus came forward to take care of Jesus' burial. They both feared persecution from the Jewish religious leaders, so they had not openly declared their faith in Jesus as the Messiah (12:42).

Secrecy and true belief are only temporary allies. Those who try to be permanent, secret disciples have no way of knowing if their faith is real. God creates moments along the way when those who are secret disciples must declare themselves or be forced to admit they are not disciples after all. In the case of Joseph and Nicodemus, late was certainly better than never!

The first man: Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away. Joseph was from Arimathea, a town considered to have been about twenty miles northwest of Jerusalem. Matthew's Gospel says Joseph was "a rich man" (Matthew 27:57); Mark describes him as "a prominent member of the council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God" (Mark 15:43); and Luke adds further that he was "a good and upright man, who had not consented to [the council's] decision and action" (Luke 23:50-51).

Joseph would not have been able to stop the council's planned murder of Jesus, but he did what he could afterwards by going to Pilate to ask for Jesus' body so he could give it a proper burial. He had to ask for permission because the Romans usually left the bodies exposed without burial, both as a lesson to anyone passing by, and as a final humiliation for those executed. So Joseph went to ask Pilate, and Pilate agreed to let him take and bury the body.

Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night, came also. Jesus had talked at length with Nicodemus about being born again (3:1ff.), and Nicodemus had stood up for Jesus among the chief priests and Pharisees (7:50- 52). Nicodemus joined Joseph in embalming and wrapping Jesus' body in regal style. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. This was an extraordinarily large amount of embalming spices and must have been extremely expensive.

Joseph and Nicodemus were secret believers, but after seeing the treatment of Jesus, they decided to show their loyalty, and take care of Jesus' body for burial.

We fear men so much, because we fear God so little.

Perhaps the action of Joseph and Nicodemus points to a lesson in teamwork.

Both men were naturally cautious. Perhaps they had been reprimanded for not openly rejecting Jesus. But when the moment for boldness came, they worked together.

When we join with other believers we can often accomplish what we would not dare to try alone.

Obedience will often require us to act in spite of our fears.

John 19:35-35

The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe.

In these verses John makes a major point of the fact he was an eyewitness to the crucifixion. He knows these facts are true because he was there. This was not hearsay, it was not conjecture; it was an eyewitness account. He faithfully recorded all of these events.

His purpose in recording them was so his readers would know and believe. For those who had already believed he was trying to strengthen their faith. For those who have not yet believed he is carefully laying out the evidence of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

He calls attention to the information given in Exodus 12:46 and Numbers 9:12. These passages state very clearly the "Passover lamb" was to have no bones broken. There is also the passage in Psalm 34:20, which states none of His bones will be broken. John points out these soldiers chose to pierce the side of Jesus rather than breaking His legs unknowingly fulfilled these Old Testament prophecies.

John himself introduced Jesus as the Lamb. John 1:36, When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"

John also refers to Zachariah 12:10 as being fulfilled when the side of Jesus was pierced. "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son."

Here once again we see God in total control. He uses the impulse of man to accomplish His own purpose.

What an encouragement! God is in charge no matter how badly we mess up!

John 19:32-35

The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe.

When the soldiers saw Jesus was already dead they did not break His legs with the mallet; but one of them; it to be sure Jesus was dead thrust a spear into His side. And from the wound came water and blood. John attaches special importance to this event. He sees in it a fulfillment of the prophecy in Zechariah 12:10: "They look on him whom they have pierced." And he goes out of his way to say he is an eye-witness of what actually happened, and he personally guarantees it is true.

What happened here physically we cannot be sure. It may well be that Jesus literally died of a broken heart. Normally the body of a dead man will not bleed very much. It has been suggested Jesus' experiences, both the physical and the emotional, were so terrible His heart was ruptured. When this occurs the blood of the heart is mingled with the fluid of the pericardium which surrounds the heart. The spear of the soldier pierced the pericardium and the mingled fluid and blood came forth. It would be touching to believe Jesus, in the literal sense of the term, died of a broken heart.

Why does John stress this so much?

To him it was the final, unanswerable proof Jesus was a real man with a real body. This was his answer to the Gnostics with their ideas of phantoms and spirits and an unreal manhood. Here was proof Jesus was bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. Consider these events in the light of the following verses. So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. John 1:14

He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. Philippians 2:7

This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. Hebrews 4:15

We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19

HOPE FOR THE NEW YEAR

In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
Titus 1:2

"Christian hope is fundamentally different from optimism. Christian hope locks its steely eyes on the devastation of the world around it, and readily acknowledges that things may not get better. Christian hope does not bury its head in Yule-tide cheer and artificial lights, but like an Advent wreath glowing stronger and brighter each week, this hope pushes its way into the brokenness of the world clearing a path in the wilderness so the true light might burst into the darkness."

Paul said, "These three remain: faith hope and love." Most people have a handle on faith and love, at least so far as being able to define the terms. It's not the same with hope. Many people aren't clear about what it really means. In English we tend to use it as a synonym for wishful thinking, like saying, "I hope it doesn't rain," when the sky is dark with clouds and thunder is rumbling in the distance.

In Spanish the word for hope is the same as the word for wait or, in some contexts, expect. There's an implied hopefulness in the word. It refers to probability, not futility.

This is more along the lines of the Biblical idea of hope. It's believing the best about the future, not because we believe in the future itself, but because we believe in the One who holds tomorrow.

For this reason, we have every right to hope. We can expect the best because that's what God has promised. Our hope isn't wishful thinking, its confidence that He will see us through every situation.

So that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
Titus 3:7

If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.
1 Corinthians 15:19

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
Proverbs 13:12

He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon!" Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
Revelation 22:20

There's nothing special about January 1, of course, but there is something special about the decision to break away from old habits and develop new ones. It can be done any day; January 1 is as good a day as any.

In the year 2010 there will be 31,536,000 seconds.
Have you ever thought how many seconds in 2010 you'll be happy?
Have you ever thought how many seconds in 2010 you'll be unhappy?
Have you ever thought how much can happen in a second?

When you say, "Happy New Year!" you're saying a remarkable thing. It only takes a second for your life to be totally changed or totally ended. In a year full of seconds, anything can happen at any second.

Will you choose to be "happy" or will you choose to be "unhappy?"

We're not always sure what happiness is. For a lot of people, happiness depends on their happenings. If their happenings don't happen to happen the way they happen to want their happenings to happen, they're unhappy!

Some people spend their time organizing their happenings to make sure everything happens the way they want it to happen. The assumption is this: if they can make everything happen the way they want their happenings to happen, they'll be happy. There are two problems with that: you can't do it, and even if you could, you'd probably be bored.

The Greeks had a word for happiness: makarios. This word describes what they perceived as being the experience of the gods. The Greeks had lots of gods, and the gods were sort of magnified human beings. They had all the failings of human beings and all the strengths. For Greeks, the idea of the gods was that they had everything made. The word makarios found its way into the New Testament, and it's translated "blessed" or "happy."

Jesus picked up on this word, and said: "Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those who mourn. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed are the peacemakers. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness."

Jesus is saying happiness, or fulfillment, or makarios, having everything just wonderful does not come from having everything. It can come through being poor, through mourning, through hungering, through thirsting. It can come through being persecuted for righteousness' sake. That's exactly the opposite of what we think is the road to happiness.

Will you choose to serve God or will you choose to serve yourself?"

It was said of Hezekiah: "In everything he undertook in the service of God's temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered." (2 Chronicles 31:21)

Remember two things.
1. Define happiness correctly. Happiness is not just getting all your happenings to happen the way you happen to want your happenings to happen.

2. Make certain you're thinking through all the possibilities of this year. You've got to remember you may not always be able to control them.

So, Happy New Year!

More questions to ask this New Year

In addition to yesterday's questions, here are 11 more to help you "consider your ways."

Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways.
Haggai 1:5

11. What is the most important decision you need to make this year?

12. What area of your life most needs simplifying, and what's one way you could simplify in that area?

13. What is the most important need you feel burdened to meet this year?

14. What habit would you most like to establish this year?

15. Who do you most want to encourage this year?

16. What is your most important financial goal this year, and what is the most important step you can take toward achieving it?

17. What is the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your work life this year?

18. What is one new way you could be a blessing to your pastor (or to another who ministers to you) this year?

19. What is one thing you could do this year to enrich the spiritual legacy you will leave to your children and grandchildren?

20. What book, in addition to the Bible, do you most want to read this year?

21. In what area of your life do you most need change, and what will you do about it this year?

The value of many of these questions is not in their depth, but in the fact they bring an issue or commitment into focus.

If you've found these questions helpful, you might want to put them someplace -- in a day planner, PDA, calendar, bulletin board, etc. -- where you can review them more frequently than once a year.

But in all things let's remember our dependence on Jesus who said, "Apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).

Resolutions Worth Keeping

Like many other Christian festivals, the celebration of New Year's Day in the West started before the church came into existence. The Romans celebrated the start of the New Year on March 1, not January 1. Julius Caesar instituted New Year's Day on January 1 to honor Janus, the two-faced god who looks backward into the old year and forward into the new. The custom of "New Year's resolutions" began in this early period, as the Romans made resolutions with a moral flavor, mostly to be good to others.

When Rome took on Christianity as its faith, Christians kept New Year's Day. They traded the vaguely moral emphasis for a practice of fasting and prayer aimed at living the New Year in the New Life of Christ. Soon, the New Year celebration reverted to March 1, and this early emphasis on spiritual things dissolved. Beginning in the middle of the sixth century, parts of the church began to set aside January 1 as the Feast of the Circumcision, commemorating Jesus' circumcision. As with other Jewish boy babies, Jesus was circumcised eight days after His birth (Luke 2:21, "when eight days were accomplished").

It was in 1752, when Britain and its possessions adopted the Gregorian calendar, January 1 again came to be recognized and celebrated as the first day of the year. Some Christians, however, still hesitated to celebrate the day. The Puritans, for example, were distrustful of the associations of January 1 with the pagan god Janus. They preferred to not even say the name of the month, referring to it rather as "First Month." And of course they stood against the dissipations usually indulged during the celebration.

Instead, the Puritans urged especially their young people to skip the revelry and meditate on the year past and the year to come. They vowed to take more care against their sins, to make better use of their talents and to treat others with Christian charity.

Today, some Christians may be inclined to follow the Puritans' lead, at least absenting themselves from the festivities: January 1st has clearly continued to be a day dedicated more to the godless of indulgence than to meditative fasting. But many also see a divine opportunity in the longstanding practice of making resolutions.

In fact, this practice even harmonizes with the Feast Day: circumcision is a symbol of sanctification-that is, the "setting aside" of persons and things for God's purposes. With or without such historical understandings, many of us may have taken New Year's Eve and New Year's Day as God-given opportunities. We have taken at least a few minutes to reflect, pray, and dedicate ourselves anew to our Lord.

What resolutions will you make this year?

Based on The Origins of New Years' Resolutions, and One Famous List by Chris Armstrong. The historical information in this article has been adapted from Sue Ellen Thompson's Holiday Symbols (Omnigraphics, 2000) and the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (3rd edition).

Christians truly were/are "extraordinary people."

From an anonymous Letter to Diognetus, possibly dating from the second century, quoted in Erdmann's Handbook to the History of Christianity, p.69.

Christians are not differentiated from other people by country, language or customs; you see, they do not live in cities of their own, or speak some strange dialect, or have some peculiar lifestyle.

This teaching of theirs has not been contrived by the invention and speculation of inquisitive men; nor are they propagating mere human teaching as some people do. They live in both Greek and foreign cities, wherever chance has put them. They follow local customs in clothing, food and the other aspects of life. But at the same time, they demonstrate to us the wonderful and certainly unusual form of their own citizenship.

They live in their own native lands, but as aliens; as citizens, they share all things with others; but like aliens, suffer all things. Every foreign country is to them as their native country, and every native land as a foreign country.

They marry and have children just like everyone else; but they do not kill unwanted babies. They offer a shared table, but not a shared bed. They are at present 'in the flesh' but they do not live 'according to the flesh". They are passing their days on earth, but are citizens of heaven. They obey the appointed laws, and go beyond the laws in their own lives.

They love everyone, but are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death and gain life. They are poor and yet make many rich. They are short of everything and yet have plenty of all things. They are dishonored and yet gain glory through dishonor.

Their names are blackened and yet they are cleared. They are mocked and bless in return. They are treated outrageously and behave respectfully to others. When they do good they are punished as evildoers; when punished, they rejoice as if being given new life. They are attacked by Jews as aliens, and are persecuted by Greeks; yet those who hate them cannot give any reason for their hostility.

To put it simply, the soul is to the body as Christians are to the world. The soul is spread through all parts of the body and Christians through all the cities of the world. The soul is in the body but is not of the body; Christians are in the world but not of the world.

Does this describe your type of "Christianity?"

God is on time and on target

Galatians 4:4-5 says, "But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law."

The first Christmas was perfectly timed. What was "when the time had fully come"? God's sovereign timing. He ordered world events so everything was ready for Christ's coming and the subsequent outreach of the apostles.

Looking back at the early church, we are amazed at how quickly the gospel spread in less than a century. The sovereign hand of God is clearly evident. Christ's advent could not have been timed more propitiously.

Politically, the Roman Empire was at its height. Rome had given the world good roads, a relatively fair system of government, and most important, peace. For the first time in history, people could travel with relative ease almost anywhere in the empire-and the apostles could carry the gospel message to the uttermost parts of the world.

Culturally, - the world was becoming more unified. More people than ever were being educated and most of them knew Greek or Latin. Even the common people usually spoke Koine Greek, the dialect in which the New Testament was written.

Spiritually, the world was diverse, but open. Greek and Roman polytheism were gradually being replaced by rational and secular philosophies, or by emperor wor­ship. Among the Jews, a renewed interest in the Scriptures was leading to revival on the one hand, typified by the ministry of John the Baptist, and a strong Pharisaic movement on the other. Christ could not have arrived on the scene at a more opportune time. It was the perfect time, sovereignly determined by God-"the fullness of the time."

Does this description sound similar to today?

Do you think we are near the time "when the time had fully come" a second time?

"When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
Luke 21:28

He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Revelation 22:20

Merry Christmas

John 19:32-33
The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.

Pilate was still giving in to the Jews, and gave orders as they asked; the soldiers went and broke the legs of the two thieves, which, no doubt, forced from them horrible cries of pain and agony. One of these thieves was a penitent, and had received assurance from Christ he would shortly be with Him in paradise. Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." Luke 23:42, 43

Yet he died in the same pain and misery as the other thief; Hebrews 9:27, "Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment."br>
Many go to heaven that have agony in their death, and die in bitterness of their soul. The extreme nature of death is no barrier to the living comfort waiting those who have made peace with God. Christ died, and went to paradise and the thief went with Him.

The soldiers were experts at determining death; it was part of their job. They had nothing to gain by lying about Jesus' death. Their testimony, and that of their commander (Mark 15:44-45), is irrefutable proof Jesus was in fact dead. He did not, as some skeptics who deny the resurrection maintain, merely go into a coma and then revive in the coolness of the tomb.

Four Observations:

1. All men must die
2. Jesus died
3. Jesus forgave
4. Judgment waits

From Romans 5 (NLT) When Adam sinned, sin entered the entire human race. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Yes, Adam's one sin brought condemnation upon everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness makes all people right in God's sight and gives them life. Because one person disobeyed God, many people became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many people will be made right in God's sight.
So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God's wonderful kindness rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 1 Corinthians 15:26

John 19:31
Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down.

The Jewish leaders were concerned the dead bodies would remain on the crosses during the Sabbath. The Sabbath began on Friday evening and this was a very special Sabbath because it coincided with the Passover celebration. The Jews did not want to violate their Sabbath. Thus, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down.

When the soldiers needed to speed death, they would break the legs of the victims with iron clubs so they could no longer push themselves up. A person being crucified could use his legs to lift up his body in an attempt to take more oxygen into collapsing lungs. To break the legs of one being crucified would, therefore, speed up the death. The skeleton of a crucified Jewish man recovered in 1968 confirms this practice. Romans would have allowed the bodies to rot on the cross, but Deuteronomy 21:23 and Jewish sensitivities about the Sabbath require these executions be speeded up, and Romans accommodated Jewish wishes particularly during the crowded festivals.

Notice three things in his short passage:

First, this was a very special Sabbath. It was the Sabbath preceding the days of unleavened bread and was considered a High Holy Day. It was a day requiring a great deal more preparation than the normal weekly Sabbath.

Second, see how carefully the Jewish authorities observed the letter of the Sabbath. It would have been an offense to God to leave the bodies on the cross after sundown.

Third, notice how carefully the Jews observed the line of authority. They made their petition to Pilate in proper form and procedure and he granted their request to have the bodies removed and disposed of before sundown.

The thing that stands out to me more than anything else in this passage is how very much these Jewish leaders valued the letter of the law and how little concern they had for people. They went to extreme detail and effort to keep the very letter of the law in ceremonial procedures, but they were willing to lie and stretch every judicial procedure to be sure Christ was executed.

This reminds me of the passage repeated over and over in Matthew on the Sermon on the Mount; "Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees you will in no way come into the kingdom of God." They were guilty of exactly what Jesus had condemned them about; they were whitewashed sepulchers full of dead men's bones. The external was clean, but the internal exceedingly rotten.

We see in these events at the crucifixion of Christ things aren't always what they seem.

When Christ was born things were not as they appeared to the casual observer.

How often are we more concerned with external appearances than with inner reality?

Geese and the meaning of Christmas

I have no idea where this story originated; but I want to share it because it is a powerful illustration of the meaning of Christmas.

There was once a man who didn't believe in the incarnation or the spiritual meaning of Christmas, and was skeptical about God. He and his family lived in a farm community. His wife was a devout believer and diligently raised her children in her faith. He sometimes gave her a hard time about her faith and mocked her religious observance of Christmas.

One snowy Christmas eve she was taking the kids to the Christmas Eve service at church. She pleaded with him to come, but he firmly refused. He ridiculed the idea of the incarnation of Christ and dismissed it as nonsense."Why would God lower Himself and become a human like us? It's such a ridiculous story!" he said.

So she and the children left for church while he stayed home. After they left, the winds grew stronger and the snow turned into a blizzard. As he looked out the window, all he saw was a blinding snowstorm. He sat down to relax before the fire for the evening. Then he heard a loud thump, something hitting against the window. And another thump. He looked outside but couldn't see. So he ventured outside to see. In the field near his house he saw, of all the strangest things, a flock of geese! They were apparently flying to look for a warmer area down south, but got caught in the snow storm.

The snow had become too blinding and violent for the geese to fly or see their way. They were lost and stranded on his farm, with no food or shelter. They just fluttered their wings and flew around in circles around the field blindly and aimlessly. He had compassion for them and wanted to help them. He thought to himself, "The barn would be a great place for them to stay! It's warm and safe; surely they could spend the night and wait out the storm." So he walked over to the barn and opened the barn doors for them. He waited, watching them, hoping they would notice the open barn and go inside. But they just fluttered around aimlessly and didn't notice the barn or realize what it could mean for them. He moved closer toward them to get their attention, but they just moved away from him out of fear. He went into the house and came back out with some bread, broke it up, and made a bread trail leading to the barn. They still didn't catch on. Starting to get frustrated, he went over and tried to shoo them, run after them, and chase them toward the barn. They only got scared and scattered into every direction except toward the barn. Nothing he did could get them to go into the barn where there was warmth, safety, and shelter.

Feeling totally frustrated, he exclaimed, "Why don't they follow me! Can't they see this is the only place where they can survive the storm! How can I possibly get them into the one place to save them?"

He thought for a moment and realized that they just won't follow a human. He said to himself, "How can I possibly save them? The only way would be for me to become like those geese. If only I could become like one of them! Then I could save them! They would follow me and I would lead them to safety."

He stood silently for a moment as the words that he just said reverberated back to himself in his mind: "If only I could become like one of them -- then I could save them." He thought about his words, and remembered what he said to his wife: "Why would God want to be like us? That's so ridiculous!" Something clicked in his mind as he put these two together. It was like a revelation, and he began to understand the incarnation.

We were like the geese -- blind, gone astray, perishing. God became one of us so He could show us the way.

John 19:30
When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

It is finished, that is, His sufferings were now complete, both those of His soul and those of His body. The storm is over, the worst is past; all pains and agonies are at an end, and He is going to paradise, entering upon the joy set before Him.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2

We can suffer for Christ, and with Christ, and comfort ourselves with this, in a little while we also will say, "It is finished."

It is finished, that is, His life was now finished, He was just ready to breathe His last, and now He is no more in this world. He had looked ahead to this moment and He had prayed for the men who would soon feel lost and confused by His death.
"I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name-- the name you gave me-- so that they may be one as we are one."
John 17:11

Have you ever felt lost, confused and abandoned when unexpected circumstances overwhelmed you? Remember Jesus prayed for all of His followers who ever experienced these feelings.

Paul was able to say, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7

It was said of the Babylonian king, "You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting." Daniel 5:27

It is destined that each person dies only once and after that comes judgment, Hebrews 9:27 To this moment we must all come. But Jesus has already come in our place.

It is finished, that is, the work of man's redemption and salvation is now complete, at least the hardest part of the undertaking is over; a full satisfaction is made to the justice of God, a fatal blow given to the power of Satan, a fountain of grace opened, a foundation of peace and happiness has been laid. Christ had now gone all the way through with His work, and finished it,

I have brought you (the Father) glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. John 17:4

And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again.
Philippians 1:6

JOY TO THE WORLD THE LORD HAS WON!

John 19:30
When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

I want to share some thoughts from Matthew Henry's commentary on this passage in John.

It is finished, a comprehensive word with multiple levels of meaning:

1) It is finished, that is, the malice and hostility of His persecutors had now done all that could be done: when he had received the last humiliation in the drink they gave him, he said, "This is the last; I am now going out of their reach."

How many times have you wanted to arrive at this position in your life?

What has happened to cause you to want to be "beyond the reach" of Satan's persecution?

How did you survive this time of persecution and trial?

2) It is finished, that is, the direction of His Father concerning His sufferings was now complete; it was the determinate counsel, and He was very careful to see every aspect was exactly completed, Acts 2:23. "This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross."

He had said, when He began His journey earlier that same day, Father, your will be done; and now He said with pleasure, It is done. It was His plan throughout His ministry. My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.( 4:34),

Are we willing to be as obedient to the plan of our heavenly Father as the Son was?

How can we begin to move in the direction of obedience to fulfill God's plan for our lives?

HENRY, MATTHEW (1662-1714)
English non-conformist minister and Bible commentator Matthew Henry was the son of Philip Henry, a clergyman ejected from the Church of England under the Act of Uniformity of 1662. Henry at first thought of entering a legal career but soon decided on Christian ministry. He prepared for it with two years of study (1680-1682) at the Islington Academy under Thomas Dolittle. Ordained a Presbyterian, he served two parishes, first at Chester from 1687-1712, and then at Hackney from 1712 until his death two years later. He is best remembered for his Exposition of the Old and New Testament begun in 1704. This work was completed, and he was well into the New Testament at the time of his sudden and premature death. His Bible commentaries, though long superseded from a critical and academic viewpoint, have always enjoyed much popularity for "their penetrating insight, their exhilarating freshness, and their ingenuity of thought and expression."

A SEVEN WORD SUMMARY

"He must increase, but I must decrease."
John 3:30

Windows 7 is now available. I haven't quite figured out their numbering system, because my machine used to run on Windows 98. Does this mean they've taken 91 steps backward? Regardless, Microsoft is aggressively marketing Windows 7 these days.

One campaign seen in NFL games involves summarizing each game in seven words. (Because it's Windows 7) Near the end of each game, the announcers make a seven-word summary, something along the lines of: Seattle led early. Cardinals ruled second half.

Or: Ravens' defense shuts out struggling Browns offense.

Or: Bill Belicheck must have lost his mind.

It's amazing how accurately you can summarize a game in seven words.

Do you want to sum up the life of a Christian disciple in seven words? Here it is.

"He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30)

John the Baptist captured the essence of what it means to be a follower of Christ: He is to become greater; I am to become less. John's purpose was to pave the way for the coming of the Messiah. There is a sense in which your job and your purpose is to do the same thing. Especially at Christmastime.

This is such a wonderful time of the year, but it's hectic. It's easy for some to get lost in the pace to the extent that they miss the beauty and simplicity of the Christmas message.

Our job is like John the Baptist's. We have the opportunity to prepare the way for the Lord, to make a straight path for Him so that others can experience His presence.

Maybe the Christmas season could be summarized with the words: "It's not about me. It's about Jesus."

In the coming weeks, I encourage you to look for opportunities in which you can step aside and let the message of Jesus take the spotlight in your life.

IDEALISTS AND THE FIRE

"Many will be purified, cleansed and refined by these trials. But the wicked will continue in their wickedness, and none of them will understand. Only those who are wise will know what it means."
Daniel 12:10

Daniel and his friends came through the fire, literally. As we study Daniel's book we see trial after trial these young Hebrews passed through. In fact, Daniel remained in his position of government service for over 50 years. And maintained a consistent testimony; always being sure to give God all the credit. Let me share an outline with you we recently used in our "Read the Bible through in 90 days" program.

Each of these points is designed to answer the question, "How can we positively influence the perception other people have of our God?"

Stand alone if you have to, Daniel 1:6-21
Daniel and his three friends were willing to stand alone and refused to eat food that was "unclean" according to the regulations of their God. They were not obnoxious in their request and they allowed their supervisor to judge the results they trusted God to provide.

State what God has done, Daniel 2:24-49
When Daniel interpreted the dream of the King he gave all the credit to God and refused to take any of the glory for himself. He clearly told the king it was God who had performed the miracle and given him the interpretation of the lost dream. He was not serving God for his own personal glory.

Stay faithful when threatened, Daniel 6
A law was passed Daniel could no longer pray to his God; he must pray only to the Babylonian king. Daniel had persistently throughout his lifetime prayed to Jehovah God on a regular basis, openly. When faced with this threat he stayed faithful and trusted God for positive results. Of course, we know he ended up in the Lion's Den! But we also know he came out unharmed.

Warren Wiersbe said, "A realist is an idealist who has gone through the fire and been purified. A skeptic is an idealist who has gone through the fire and been burned."

Do you know what the difference is? It's not the fire, or the heat or the duration. It's the attitude you bring into it and out of it.

When you look back on life's unpleasant events, you can choose to see what you learned from the ordeal, or you can choose to just see it as a bad experience.

John 19:25
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

His mother's sister, (Salome)
This unnamed woman seems to be the wife of Zebedee, as she appears in a comparison of Matthew 27:56 with Mark 15:40. It is she, therefore, whose ambitious request for her sons James and John is recorded in Mt 20:20-24; Mk 10:35-40.

She was one of the women who accompanied Jesus and His disciples in Galilee, and ministered to Him (Mk 15:40, 41). She was present at the crucifixion (Mk 15:40), and was among those who came to the tomb of Jesus on resurrection morning (Mk 16:1, 2).

The only events recorded of Salome are:
· she made a request on behalf of her two sons for seats of honor in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 20:20),
· she attended the crucifixion of Jesus (Mark 15:40),
· she visited His sepulcher (16:1).
She is mentioned by name on only the two latter occasions.

Her Devotion

She was one of the women who followed Jesus in Galilee. She must have been one of His disciples from the outset of His public ministry (Mark 15:40, 41; Matthew 20:20-28). She seems to have had no doubt whatever as to His Messiahship. Her sons, James and John, were selected from the disciples and became apostles. They were part of Christ's inner circle.

Both Zebedee and Salome prepared their children by their life and teaching to follow Jesus. James was the first apostle martyred (Acts 12:2). John became known as "the disciple Jesus loved." He went on to write the gospel we are studying, three epistles and the book of Revelation.

Salome was ambitious for her sons. Ambition is very good when it is in agreement with the mind and purpose of God. Ambition, when divinely directed, can lead to God's glory but when selfishly pursued it can create chaos and despair. Salome knew Christ was the Messiah, but she could not separate Him from Israel's temporal glory. Feeling the kingdom would soon be established, she asked that her sons be placed one on Christ's right hand and the other on His left when He unveiled His kingdom.

In His reply to Salome for her unwise ambition Christ did not reject the request of the mother, but corrected it, and accepted it in a way mother and sons did not anticipate. To be intimately near Him on His throne meant fellowship with Him in His sufferings. Jesus asked if her sons were prepared to drink the cup of suffering and implied James and John would share His throne of suffering. This they did, for James was the first apostolic martyr and John, the last.

Salome's dreams of the kingship of Christ with her sons sharing His rule were rudely shattered as she saw her much-loved Messiah dying as a criminal. Along with others she thought it would have been "He who would have redeemed Israel," but there He was, hanging on a cross in agony and shame.

Salome learned the only way to sovereignty is through sacrificial service.

"Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave." (Mat¬thew 20:26, 27).

There is no more potent preventative to sin than faith in God generated by the life and teaching of godly parents.

John 19:25
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

From the passages we introduced earlier; Matthew 27, Mark 15, Mark 16, and several passages in Luke we have concluded that the Mary mentioned in our text as the wife of Clopas is identical to Mary the mother of James the less and Joses.

We do know she was one of the women who followed Jesus and, having sufficient wealth, supplied He and His disciples in material things assisting them in their work (Luke 8:2,3). The narrative suggests her two sons also followed her from Galilee to Jerusalem. It is interesting to note two mothers with their sons joined the company of the disciples and three out of the four became members of the apostolic group.

She was among the first to bear spices to anoint the body of Jesus. She was the mother of a son who became an apostle, known as "James the Less," or "James the Little" to distinguish him from the more conspicuous apostle of the same name.

She sacrificed both her material wealth and her son for the service of the Master. Motivated by the inner urge of gratitude to Him for all He had done for her, she became generous, faithful, loving and true. Hers was a simple faith and a trusting love.

Abraham Kuyper, comparing this Mary with Mary Magdalene by an analogy of our two types of letters, calls Mary Magdalene "a vowel" and Mary, the mother of the apostle, "a consonant."

The same analogy holds if we compare Peter with James the Less. Peter, who always took the initiative, was the vowel, and James, who always remained in the background, the consonant. This Mary and those other quiet women were very much like James. They were consonants, they quietly joined.

Then applying this analogy and pointing out that the world generally deems quiet, unobtrusive and ordinary service somewhat tame and non-ambitious, Kuyper goes on to remark; "But God's scale of values weighs differently than ours does. In our alphabet, God gave us five vowels and twenty-one consonants. And He has given the human race very few people to assume the solo parts. To the many others He has granted only the capacity to harmonize when others lead in creation's hymn of love and praise. That situation is quite appropriate, Only in that way can a supreme harmony be attained. A company of successive soloists would be repulsive to our aesthetic taste."

The question is, are you content to be a consonant?

John 19:25
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

Mary in the Christian Community

The final passage we need to consider Acts 1:14, "They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers."

This passage is particularly significant because in it we discover Mary and her household very involved in the Christian community, engaged with them in prayer.

It is also clear Mary herself and the family, whatever may have been their earlier misgivings, never broke with the circle of disciples. They were persistently involved in the experiences of the early disciples which led to the growing faith of the early church. James and Jude were also, like Jesus, children of Mary (half brothers of Jesus). So,it is clear the family never shared the feelings of the official class among the Jews. The family of Jesus, led no doubt by Mary, passed through the same cycle of experiences which marked the lives of the entire body of disciples on the way to faith.

The mother of Jesus was a typical Jewish believer of the best sort. She was a deeply meditative, but by no means a daring or original thinker. Her inherited Messianic beliefs did not and perhaps could not prepare her for the method of Jesus which involved so much that was new and unexpected.

But her heart was faithful, and from the annunciation to the day of Pentecost, she pondered in her heart the meaning of her many mystifying experiences until the Holy Spirit came. The story of her life and of her relationship to Jesus is consistent throughout and touched with many unconscious qualities of truth.

Mary was true to her commitment.
"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her."
Luke 1:38

Mary was a quiet, consistent leader.

Mary models the virtues of submission and consistency.

Is it hard for you to willingly accept what seems to be a "secondary" role?

John 19:25
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

The other three women at the cross.
The gospels take notice of three other women at the cross. This creates some confusion because these women are not named in the same order or given the same designation in the Gospels. I think it is important for us to understand who these women were and the relationship they have with one another, with Jesus and with the early church.

One of these women is very easy to identify because she is very well known. She is, of course, is Mary Magdalene. The identity of the other two women mentioned is somewhat confusing, but I think the details can be sorted out with a little bit of observation and research.

What I see as very interesting in compiling this material is the extended family relationship that seems to be present among Jesus and His followers. Salome is apparently Mary's sister, the wife of Zebedee and the mother of James and John. The other Mary mentioned is the mother of James the younger who may very well be a disciple called "James the less" in the list of the apostles. So what we are seeing in the crowd around the cross is those followers of Jesus who were closest and most dependable had formed a bond something like an extended family.

As we read the history of the early church it is almost always characterized as a family. Jesus taught that His family was those who listened to His teaching and did His will. This seems to be graphically portrayed in this scene at the cross and the events that follow the burial and resurrection.

You will notice if you read the other Gospels that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary observed the burial of Jesus. But Mary the mother of Jesus is not mentioned as observing the burial; also missing is Salome. Perhaps she had taken her sister, the mother of Jesus, away to a place of comfort.

Does your community of believers seem like an extended family?

What can you do in that community to strengthen the family ties?

John 19:25
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

This verse first gives us a remarkable amount of information about Jesus. Remember John was present at the Cross. He tells us there were four women who were followers of Jesus in the crowd near the cross. Who were these women and why were they present at such a gruesome event? These four women were:

• His mother
• His mother's sister
• Mary the wife of Clopas
• Mary Magdalene

Their presence tells us much about Jesus and His ministry not mentioned elsewhere in the Gospels. It appears there were a significant number of women who took part in Jesus' ministry and in various ways supported His ministry.

I want to take a few days to look at each one of these women. Two of these women are well-known. Two are much lesser known figures. Each one has something to teach us about those who follow Jesus. We will examine the women in the order they are mentioned in the Scripture.

We pay a great deal more attention to Mary during the Christmas season than we do at any other time of the year. Obviously this is because so much of the Christmas narrative centers on Mary as the mother of the newborn Messiah. I do not wish to minimize the importance of that point of view, but I would like to take a longer range view. From the cross let's look back through the ministry of Jesus and the life of Mary toward the birth of Christ.

We can hardly fail to be impressed in studying Mary's character with her quietness of spirit; her meditative inwardness of disposition; her admirable self-control; her devout and gracious gift of sacred silence. The song of Luke 1:46-55, indicates that she is not accustomed to dwelling much upon herself, only four lines call particular attention to herself and it is obvious her mind was saturated with the spirit and phraseology of the Old Testament. The intensely Jewish quality of her piety accounts for much that appears in her life as depicted in the Gospels.

An often overlooked narrative in Luke 2 tells us of the presentation of the baby in the Temple in Jerusalem on the eighth day for His circumcision. Two very special people are mentioned; Simeon and Anna. Luke records, " Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, His mother: 'This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.'" (34, 35)

Can we even begin to imagine what it must have been like for a mother to raise the Messiah? At the age of 12 He was lost in the Temple. Shortly after He began His ministry he seemed to be offending everyone with any authority. Mark records in Chapter 3 that many people thought He was crazy. Yet Mary kept these things in her heart, pondered them and remained faithful to the announcement of the angel and to her Son.

I wonder what thoughts were going through her mind as she watched Him die. As Protestants, I sometimes think we downplay the faithfulness and consistency of this woman.

Truly, a sword did pierce her soul that day!

It must have taken great courage and stamina to even be at the crucifixion.

Francine Rivers has written a wonderful novella on Mary (Unafraid). It is part of a five-part series on the five women mentioned in the genealogy of Matthew. I highly recommend it for your reading.

ALLOW YOURSELF TO DREAM

"Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more."
Genesis 37:5

Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen," he said, "I had another dream, Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen," he said, "I had another dream,
Genesis 37:9

In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
Acts 2:17

MATTHEW 17:20
I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.

Albert Einstein said, "Once a day, allow yourself the freedom to dream."

I don't know what Einstein dreamed about; I would guess his life's work and the contributions he made to physics give us a clue.

If you were to devote time each day to the task of dreaming, what would you dream about? A better family life? A closer walk with God? A more secure financial situation? What are your dreams?

When we dream, we allow ourselves to see beyond the ugliness of now. When we dream, we allow ourselves to explore the possibilities of what could happen, how things could become.

Mustard-seed faith -- which is actually mountain- moving faith -- starts with a dream, an idea of what could be. You don't have to stay stuck in a rut forever. The first step to changing your situation is to allow yourself to dream.

Try it. Once a day (at least once a day), take some time to get alone with God, think about your life, your ministry, your family, your health, your happiness, and allow yourself to imagine how things could be.

Do you have a dream?

Is your dream from God?

With whom have you shared your dream?

Have you taken steps to allow God to begin the fulfillment of your dream?

Black Friday
Eat, Drink, and Relax
Think the Pilgrims would frown on today's football- tossing, turkey-gobbling Thanksgiving festivities? Maybe not. By Elesha Coffman

I'm sure Thanksgiving Day church services are lovely, but I have to admit that I've never been to one. In my family, Thanksgiving means watching parades and football games, cooking, eating, and maybe playing a few games of pinochle. Aside from the pre-dinner prayer, it's not an overtly religious celebration. Neither was the so-called "First Thanksgiving" in 1621.

The Separatists (only much later known as "Pilgrims") who founded Plymouth Colony in 1620 disdained most holidays. In fact, they recognized only three: the weekly Sabbath, the Day of Humiliation and Fasting, and the Day of Thanksgiving and Praise. The latter two were not set on the calendar but could be proclaimed in response to God's perceived disfavor or favor. Because colonial life was so bound to the growing cycle, though, fast days were most often called in the spring, when there wasn't much to eat anyway, while feast days often accompanied the fall harvest. Both observances occurred on weekdays-usually the day of special sermons known as Lecture Day, which was Thursday in Massachusetts.

But the famous feast shared by about 50 colonists and 90 Wampanoag Indians was not an official Day of Thanksgiving. In the only surviving firsthand account of the meal, Edward Winslow describes it this way: "Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, among other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed upon our governor, and upon the captain, and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty."

Such entertainments as hunting and arms exercises had no place in a religious Thanksgiving observance. They did belong, however, in the long tradition of harvest festivals, with which the Separatists would have been quite familiar. In their native England, days of feasting and leisure commonly followed the harvest. Earlier harvest festivals include ancient Greek Thesmophoria, ancient Roman Cerealia, and Jewish Sukkot.

This is not to say that the Separatists' 1621 feast had more in common with pagan Thesmophoria than with their first Christian Thanksgiving, which they observed in 1623 to celebrate a crop-saving rainfall. In the Separatist worldview, shared in almost all particulars by the wider Puritan community, nothing fell outside the experience of faith. As Leland Ryken wrote in Worldly Saints: The Puritans As They Really Were (Zondervan, 1986): "Puritanism was impelled by the insight that all of life is God's. The Puritans lived simultaneously in two worlds-the invisible spiritual world and the physical world of earthly existence. For the Puritans, both worlds were equally real, and there was no cleavage of life into sacred and secular. All of life was sacred."

In other words, whether you go to church on Thanksgiving or not, the day can be seasoned with what Puritan divine Richard Baxter called "a drop of glory." As Paul and David said, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it" (Psalm 24:1, 1 Cor. 10:26).

Copyright © 2001 by the author or Christianity Today International/Christian History magazine.

Thanksgiving Historical tidbit.
Excerpt from " Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" a biography of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin.
Chapter: "STILL IN WILD WATER" Page 557

This book is full of little insights. This exchange between Lincoln and his Secretary of State, Thomas Seward is typical. It is recounted in a quote from Fred Seward, the son of the secretary of State.

"As they sat together by the fireside, or in the carriage," Seward's son continued, "the conversation between them, however it began, always drifted back into the same channel-the-progress of the great national struggle. Both loved humor, and however trite the theme, Lincoln always found some quaint illustration from his western life, and Seward some case in point, in his long public career, that gave it new light."

Fred Seward recounted the events of one morning in October 1863 when his father called on Lincoln. "They say, Mr. President, that we are stealing away the rights of the States. So I have come today to advise you, that there is another State right I think we ought to steal." Raising his head from his pile of papers, Lincoln asked, "Well, Governor, what do you want to steal now?" Seward replied, "The right to name Thanksgiving Day!" He explained that at present, Thanksgiving was celebrated on different days at the discretion of each state's governor. Why not make it a national holiday?

Lincoln immediately responded that he supposed a president "had as good a right to thank God as a Governor."

Seward then presented Lincoln with a proclamation that invited citizens "in every part of the United States," at sea, or abroad, "to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November" to give thanks to "our beneficent Father." The proclamation also commended to God's care "all those who had become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers," and called on Him "to heal the wounds of the nation" and restore it to "peace, harmony, tranquility and Union."

These sentiments would reappear in Lincoln's second inaugural, where once again, as with Seward's "mystic chords" in his First Inaugural Address, Lincoln would transform Seward's language into a powerfully resonant poetry.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34

Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Psalm 105:1

Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 106:1

Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD; I will sing praises to your name. Psalm 18:49

Psalm 106:1

Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

One of my most favorite parts about Thanksgiving is the green olives. Not sad-excuse-for-a-side-dish variety with seeds, but the large Spanish one with the seed removed and pimento stuffed in its place. For me, Thanksgiving just isn't the same without these.

Now I'm sure you're probably thinking, "It's green olives, what are you, nuts! Get over it." True, this isn't a big deal in the cosmic scheme of things, but it's one of those things for which I like to thank God. It's a reminder of the thousands, even millions, of small blessings God gives me every day.

I think we as Christians have a tendency to think about all the big blessings God gives us -- a car, a new house, a steady job -- but we forget about all the little blessings that are also a part of our lives; a co-worker receptive to the gospel for the first time; getting through the winter without the flu, or even green olives.

The important thing about small blessings is just that - - they're small. They fill up our daily lives while we're waiting and praying for the big blessings. In a way, they're a constant reminder from God that He is the God of daily life, of the mundane as well as the spectacular. But most of all, I think they show God loves us enough to give us those daily reminders that there isn't anything He won't do to show us we're His beloved children.

Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD.
Psalm 117:1-2

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Psalm 118:1

With apologies to Matt Donnelly, from ChristianityToday.com staff; I adapted his article

John 19:23-24

When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. "Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did.

Here John begins a strong contrast between the two groups near the Cross; the emotionless soldiers and the agonizing friends.

The four soldiers went through their work as a very ordinary part of military duty. They were accustomed to crucifying rebel Jews, and saw no difference between these three and former prisoners. They divided the victim's clothes among themselves. Clothing was not a cheap commodity in those days as it is today. Thus this was part of the "pay" the executioners received for performing their gruesome duties. But one part of Jesus' clothing was not divided. The tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. The soldiers decided to cast lots (somewhat like rolling dice) for it. In so doing they fulfilled the Scripture: "They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots" (Psalm 22:18).

They watched the pain without a touch of pity, and only wished death would come soon, and let them get back to their barracks. How blind we can be to what is going on in our lives. The Savior's clothes were their perk, and their division was conducted on cool business principles, and with utter disregard of the nearness of death. Could uncaring indifference go further than to cast lots for the robe at the very foot of the Cross?

Jesus submitted to the shame and humiliation for our sin, and hung there naked for all these hours, gazed on by a mocking crowd.

He set the perfect pattern of lowly self-denial when He was with the disciples in the upper room.

He had laid aside His garments, but now He humbles Himself yet more, being clothed only with the shame of our sin.

We have so much for which to be thankful.

John 19:23-24

When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. "Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did.

In many ways John's account adds much to the narrative of the crucifixion.

• He alone tells of the attempt to have the title on the Cross altered.
• He alone tells of the tender entrusting of Mary to his care.
• He alone tells of the two words "I thirst" and "It is finished."

He gives details which had been burned into his memory, such as Christ's position 'in the midst' of the two robbers, and the jar of 'vinegar' standing by the crosses. He says little about the act of fixing Jesus to the Cross, but enlarges what the other Gospel writers tell about the soldiers 'casting lots.'

He had heard what they said to each other.

Tragic Fate or God's Plan

Contrary to the paintings depicting the Crucifixion, Jesus died naked, another horrible part of His humiliation; a miscarriage of justice, a jaded political figure, and now soldiers gambling over His torn clothing. On the surface it appeared Jesus' life was as wasted as a treasure lost in a game of chance. Little did the Jews or Romans know that God's divine plan was being worked. In this dark and terrible humiliating moment, God was completely in control. Out of the greatest evil people could commit, God brought immeasurable good.

No matter how bleak our outlook may be or how terrible our circumstances, we must remember the results of Jesus' suffering.

He suffered beyond anything we could ever endure, yet triumphed through it.

His courage should motivate us and His power enable us to persevere.

What eyewitness accounts do you have burned into your memory?

Are there tragedies in your life that have emerged in time as God's plan?

John 19:19-21

Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews."

The Jewish leaders repeatedly asked him to remove it; and Pilate refused. "What I have written," he said, "I have written." Here is Pilate the inflexible, the man who will not yield an inch. So very short a time before, this same man had been weakly vacillating as to whether to crucify Jesus or to let Him go; and in the end had allowed himself to be bullied and blackmailed into giving the Jews their will. Adamant about the inscription, he had been weak about the crucifixion.

If Pilate had only withstood the blackmailing tactics of the Jews and had refused to be coerced into giving them their will with Jesus, he might have gone down in history as one of its great, strong men. But because he yielded on the important thing and stood firm on the unimportant, his name is a name of shame. Pilate was the man who took a stand on the wrong things and too late.

It is one of the paradoxical things in life that we can be stubborn about things which do not matter and weak about things of supreme importance.

Have you found this to be true in your life?

John 19:16, 17

Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). Here they crucified him, and with him two others-- one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

There was no more terrible death than death by crucifixion. Even the Romans themselves regarded it with horror. Cicero declared it was "the most cruel and horrifying death." Tacitus said it was a "despicable death." It was originally a Persian method of execution. It may have been used because, to the Persians, the earth was sacred, and they wished to avoid defiling it with the body of an evil-doer. So the body was nailed to a cross and left to die there, waiting for the vultures to complete the work. The Carthaginians took over crucifixion from the Persians; and the Romans learned it from the Carthaginians.

Crucifixion was never used as a method of execution in Rome, but only in the provinces. It was unthinkable that a Roman citizen should die such a death. It was that death, the most dreaded in the ancient world, the death of slaves and criminals, which Jesus died.

The routine of crucifixion was always the same. When the case had been heard and the criminal condemned, the judge made the sentence. The verdict was carried out immediately. The condemned man was placed in the center of a company of four Roman soldiers. His own cross was placed upon his shoulders. Often the criminal had to be lashed and goaded along the road, to keep him on his feet, as he staggered to the place of crucifixion. Before him walked an officer with a placard on which was written the crime for which he was to die. He was led through as many streets as possible on the way to execution. There was a double reason for that. There was the use of the condemned as a deterrent. But there was also a merciful reason. The placard was carried before the condemned man and the long route was chosen, so that if anyone could give witness for him, that one might come forward and do so. In such a case, the procession was halted and the case retried.

No citizen of the 21st century can comprehend the symbol the cross as it seen was in the 1st century.

No citizen of Rome could imagine what the symbol of the cross has come to mean in the 21st century.

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! Philippians 2:6-8

He did this for you and for me!

John 19:17, 18

Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). Here they crucified him, and with him two others-- one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

Luke 23:39-43
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

Who selected the two robbers to be crucified at the same time? Not the Jewish rulers, who had no such power but undoubtedly Pilate, as one more arrow of sarcasm which was all the sharper because it seemed to put Jesus in the same class as these men. Perhaps the center cross had been reserved for Barabbas, and possibly these were two of his gang.

THE THREE CROSSES

· ONE WAS DYING FOR SIN to provide redemption

· ONE WAS DYING IN SIN going to perdition

· ONE WAS DYING FROM SIN experiencing salvation

THERE WERE THREE HANGING ON THE THREE CROSSES.

The pain of all three was one; but the cause and result diverse. All were condemned in a Roman court; all would die that day; all were judged as the off-scouring of the earth: but they were very different.

· One was the Savior

· One was to be saved

· One was to be damned

Pain produces different results in different people.

Current circumstances don't reveal eternal truth.

John 19:16, 17

Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). Here they crucified him, and with him two others-- one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

Jesus carried the cross (usually the horizontal cross beam) at first, but became weak because of the flogging and Simon was commanded to take over (see Matthew 27:32; Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26). In Jerusalem the place of execution was called The Place of a Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha. (Calvary is Latin for the Place of a Skull.) It must have been outside the city walls, for it was not lawful to crucify a man within the boundaries of the city. Where it was we are not certain.

More than one reason has been put forward for the strange, grim name, The Place of a Skull. There is a legend that it was so called because the skull of Adam was buried there. There is a suggestion that it was littered with the skulls of crucified criminals. That is not likely. By Roman law a criminal must hang upon his cross until he died from hunger and thirst and exposure, a torture which sometimes lasted for days; but by Jewish law the body must be taken down and buried by nightfall. In Roman law the criminal's body was not buried but simply thrown away for the vultures and the crows and the pariah dogs to dispose of; but that would have been quite illegal under Jewish law and no Jewish place would be littered with skulls. It is more likely the place received its name because it was on a hill shaped like a skull. In any event it was a grim name for a place where grim things were done.

As the drama of the cross unfolds, John's writing captures the irony of the scene.

• The soldiers who escorted Jesus to Calvary didn't know who He was; they were just doing their duty.
• Pilate knew Jesus wasn't guilty of death, but he still didn't understand who Jesus was.
• The people, stirred to a fever pitch by the religious leaders, didn't take the time to care about who Jesus was.
• The chief priests perhaps were the most blind of all, for they had totally lost sight of everything they stood for, seeking Jesus' death only to hold onto their precious positions and to stop the teachings which threatened their status quo.

So in all this mass of confusion, with people doing certain things for a virtuous or a corrupt reason, for a petty or a grand reason, for their own benefit or just in the doing of their duty: in all of this, God's will was carried out!

Joseph's life is a great example of God accomplishing His purposes in spite of all Satan did to try to prevent God's plan.

There has never been any suggestion God's will varies because of circumstances or the selfish ideas and purposes of men.

God always carries out His purposes; and all of us share in that with Him, if we will only trust Him.

When have you experienced God's triumph over circumstances and Satanic opposition?

John 18:28-19:16

With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him. But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release 'the king of the Jews'?" They shouted back, "No, not him! Give us Barabbas!" Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion.

The other gospels to some extent complete John's brief picture and when we put all our information together we find Barabbas was a notable prisoner, a thug, who had taken part in an insurrection in the city and had committed murder (Matthew 27:15-26; Mark 15:6-15; Luke 23:17-25; Acts 3:14).

The name Barabbas is interesting. There are two possibilities; it may be compounded of Bar Abba which would mean "son of the father," or it may be compounded of Bar Rabban, which would mean "son of the Rabbi." It is possible Barabbas was the son of a Rabbi, possibly a noble family whose son had gone wrong; and it may well be he was popular with the people as a kind of Robin Hood character. He was a lēstēs, which means a brigand. Either he was one of the warrior brigands who infested the Jericho road, the kind of man into whose hands the traveler in the parable fell; or, perhaps, he was one of the Zealots who had sworn to rid Palestine of the Romans, even if it meant a career of murder, robbery, assassination and crime. Barabbas was no petty criminal. He was a man of violence, but his violence was the kind which had a romance to it.

There is another interesting idea about this man. Barabbas is a second name; there must have been a first name, just as, Peter had been Simon bar-Jonah, Simon the son of Jonah. There are some ancient Greek manuscripts, and a few Syrian and Armenian translations of the New Testament which give the name of Barabbas as Jesus. That is very possible, because Jesus was a common name--it was the Greek form of Joshua. If this is the case, the choice of the crowd was even more dramatic, for they were shouting: "Not Jesus the Nazarene, but Jesus Barabbas."

The choice of the mob has echoed through the ages. Barabbas was the man of force and blood, the man who chose to advance his goals by violent means. Jesus was the man of love and gentleness, whose kingdom was in the hearts of men. It is the tragic fact of history that men have chosen the way of Barabbas and refused the way of Jesus.

We also have a commonality with Barabbas.
We were (or are) rebellious. (The essential element in sin is rebellion.)
We were (or are) robbers; robbing God of time, treasure, talent. Every self-centered person is a "robber."

Barabbas, the guilty one, was released: the innocent One died! Here is substitution! The first clear glimpse of this was caught in Isaiah 50 3:5, "wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him: and with his stripes we are healed."

In a literal and historical sense, Barabbas was the first one for whom (in whose place) Christ died.

Has anyone ever been a substitute for you?

What were the circumstances?

John 18:28-19:16

The Jews insisted, "We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God." When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, and he went back inside the palace. "Where do you come from?" he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. "Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?"

During the trial we see the situation between Pilate and Jews escalating to a point where all control would be lost. The riot Pilate was trying to avoid would soon be reality. Yet we also see vividly the supreme control of God.

Pilate warned Jesus that he had power to release Him or to crucify Him. Jesus answered that Pilate had no power at all, except what had been given him by God. The crucifixion of Jesus never, from beginning to end, reads like the story of a man caught up in an unstoppable web of circumstances over which He had no control; it never reads like the story of a man who was harassed to his death; it is the story of a man whose last days were a triumphant procession toward the goal of the Cross.

And here also is the intense picture of the silence of Jesus.

This was a time when He had no answer to give to Pilate.

Other times when Jesus was silent:
· He was silent before the High Priest (Matthew 26:63; Mark 14:61).
· He was silent before Herod (Luke 23:9).
· He was silent when the charges against Him were made to Pilate by the Jewish authorities (Matthew 27:14; Mark 15:5).

We sometimes have the experience, when talking to other people, of finding that argument and discussion are no longer possible, because there is no common ground. It is almost as if we spoke another language. That happens when men do in fact speak another mental or spiritual language.

Have you ever experienced a conversation like that?

It is a dreadful day when Jesus is silent to a man. There can be nothing more terrible than for a man's mind to be so shut by his pride and his self-will, that there is nothing Jesus can say to him that will make any difference.

Even God's patience can be exhausted.

Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone. Hosea 4:17

John 18:28-19:16

Jesus tells us why he came into the world.

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
Matthew 16:21

Jesus took the twelve aside and told them, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.
Luke 18:31

He came to witness to the truth; He came to tell men the truth:

· About God,
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

Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
John 14:9

· About themselves
"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good-- except God alone.
Luke 18:19

· About life.
The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
John 12:25

Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
John 17:3

The days of guessing and hypothesizing and half- truths were gone. He came to tell men the truth.
That is one of the great reasons why we must either accept or refuse Christ. There is no half- way house about the truth. A man either accepts it, or rejects it; and Christ is the truth.

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6

In this age of relativity this statement stands out! There are not many ways to God! Jesus is the only way!

John 18:28-19:16

This week I will again post the entire text of this passage so you may review and refresh your memory. If you wish to move on past the text feel free to continue on to the application.

Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and asked, "What charges are you bringing against this man?"
"If he were not a criminal," they replied, "we would not have handed him over to you."
Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law."
"But we have no right to execute anyone," the Jews objected.
This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken indicating the kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled.
Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "Is that your own idea," Jesus asked, "or did others talk to you about me?"
"Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?"
Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."
"You are a king, then!" said Pilate.
Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."
"What is truth?" Pilate asked.
With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him. But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release 'the king of the Jews'?"
They shouted back, "No, not him! Give us Barabbas!" Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion.
Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head.
They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face.
Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, "Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him." When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!"
As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, "Crucify! Crucify!"
But Pilate answered, "You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him."
The Jews insisted, "We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God."
When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, and he went back inside the palace. "Where do you come from?" he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. "Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?"
Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."
From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free,
But the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar."
When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge's seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour. "Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews.
But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!"
"Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked.
"We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered.
Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.

First and foremost, no one can read this story without seeing the sheer majesty of Jesus.

There is no sense that He is on trial. When a man faces Him, it is not Jesus who is on trial; it is the man. Pilate may have treated many Jewish things with arrogant contempt, but he did not treat Jesus in that manner. The reader cannot help feeling it is Jesus who is in control and Pilate who is confused and struggling in a situation which he cannot begin to comprehend. The majesty of Jesus is never seen more intensely than in this hour when He was on trial before this Roman.

Jesus speaks with absolute clarity to us about his kingdom.

His kingdom is not, he says, of this earth. The atmosphere in Jerusalem was always explosive; during the Passover it was sheer dynamite. The Romans well knew that, and during the Passover time they always drafted extra troops into Jerusalem. But Pilate never at any time had more than three thousand men under his command. Some would be in Caesarea, his headquarters; some would be on garrison duty in Samaria; there cannot really have been more than a few hundred on duty in Jerusalem. If Jesus had wished to raise the standard of rebellion and to fight it out, He could have done it easily enough. He makes it quite clear He claims to be a king and equally clear His kingdom is not based on force but is a kingdom in the hearts of men. He would never deny He aimed at conquest, but it was the conquest of love.

Pilate could not comprehend this idea! The world still fails to understand the idea of a spiritual kingdom.

The world we live in is dominated by force, influence and greed. Is it any wonder people have as much trouble understanding the kingdom of Jesus today as they did in the first century?

Does this passage give you a better idea of a kingdom based on love?

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son."

"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."
1 John 4:10

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 8:38-39.

THE SINGING GRANNY - OR - RULES ARE RULES

"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."
James 4:17

Stores, restaurants and offices that play music -- i.e. the radio -- for customers are subject to paying a licensing fee to any of the performance rights organizations, such as ASCAP or BMI. The idea is that this music is being performed for your benefit in pursuit of a profit, it's helping you make money, so you should pay something to the artists whose music is being performed. It's this way in the US and it's this way in the UK, but the British Performing Rights Society tried to take it a step further.

A grocery store in Clackmaanshire received notice from the PRS that it needed to purchase a performance license in order to continue playing the radio for its customers. Management responded by turning the radio off. Customers could shop and employees could work without music, they decided.

56 year-old shop assistant Sandra Burk couldn't stand the silence, so she began to sing to herself as she stocked the shelves. The PRS got wind of the singing granny and soon began their pursuit, informing her that she could be fined thousands of pounds if she didn't stop. Of course, the PRS was being ridiculous and they finally admitted and backed off. They eventually apologized, and even sent Ms. Burt some flowers.

Musicians spend their entire lives trying to make music that is memorable, the kind of music that people will sing to themselves while they're at work. And when they succeed, the one organization that's supposed to be looking out for them is actually ensuring their music is heard less, not more.

This is the problem with legalism. It causes people to miss the point. Legalism isn't driven by love; it's driven by greed and selfishness. Legalism doesn't look out for others; it looks out only for itself.

According to the letter of the law, the PRS was right. There's a time, however, when wisdom calls us to move beyond the letter, beyond the legalism, and into grace.

The Pharisees could make a strong case against working on the Sabbath; there was plenty of Scripture to support their point. And healing is work. Therefore, they reasoned, Jesus was wrong to heal on the Sabbath.

But Jesus pointed the Pharisees to a higher principle, the principle of compassion. He asked his critics, "What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?" (Mark 3:4 The Message)

The Bible says no one responded to Jesus' question; His accusers remained silent. He was, in the words of Mark, angered and saddened by the stubbornness of their hearts. And then Jesus broke the letter of the law by doing what anyone but a legalistic fool would have known from the very beginning was the right thing to do: He healed the man.

Legalists can always make their case, whether they're Pharisees or collectors for the Performing Rights Society. You'll have a hard time proving them wrong. But there's a principle that always trumps their case: the opportunity to do good, by showing mercy and compassion, should always be taken.

Don't let legalism get in the way of serving those whom you've been called to serve.

Here is the link to the BBC story.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/tayside_a nd_central/8317952.stm

John 18:28-19:16

Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law."
Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "Is that your own idea," Jesus asked, "or did others talk to you about me?"
"Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?"
"You are a king, then!" said Pilate.
Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."
"What is truth?" Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him. But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release 'the king of the Jews'?"

There is a hint of Pilate's ingrained attitude of contempt. He asked Jesus if He were a king. Jesus asked whether he asked this on the basis of what he had discovered, or on the basis of information indirectly received. Pilate's answer was: "Am I a Jew? How do you expect me to know anything about Jewish affairs?" He was too proud to involve himself in what he regarded as Jewish squabbles and superstitions. And that pride was exactly what made him a bad governor. No one can govern a people if he makes no attempt to understand or to enter into their thoughts and minds.

There is a kind of superstitious curiosity present in Pilate. He wanted to know where Jesus came from and it was more than Jesus' native place he was thinking of. When he heard Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, he was still more disturbed. Pilate was superstitious rather than religious, fearing there might be something in it. He was afraid to come to a decision in Jesus' favor because of the Jews; he was equally afraid to come to a decision against Him, because he had the lurking suspicion God might be in this.

In the heart of Pilate was a reflective longing. When Jesus said He had come to witness to the truth, Pilate's answer was: "What is truth?" There are many ways in which a man might ask that question. He might ask it in a cynical and mocking manner. Bacon immortalized Pilate's answer, when he wrote: "What is truth? Said jesting Pilate; and would not stay for an answer." But it was not in cynical humor Pilate asked this question; nor was it the question of a man who did not care. Here was the chink in his armor. He asked the question wistfully and wearily.

Pilate by this world's standards was a successful man. He had come almost to the top of the Roman civil service; he was governor-general of a Roman province; but there was something missing. Here in the presence of this simple, disturbing hated Galilean, Pilate felt truth was still a mystery and now he found himself in a situation where there was no chance to learn it.

That day he could have found all he had missed; but he did not have the courage to defy the world in spite of his past, and to take his stand with Christ.

We see the power of pride in a man's life. Pilate's pride prevented him from hearing what Jesus was saying. Is pride an obstacle in your life?

We also see the fear of man in Pilate's life. Pilate was afraid of the crowd and even more afraid of the Jewish leaders; their actions could ruin all he had worked for his entire life.

Does the fear of man keep you from acting correctly in relationship to God?

John 19:1-4
"Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face. Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, "Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him."

Pilate ordered Jesus to be scourged. It was probably in Pilate's mind that a scourging might satisfy, or at least blunt the edge of, Jewish hostility. He felt he might avoid having to give the verdict of the cross by giving the verdict of scourging; severe scourging often preceded crucifixion. Beatings were a regular punishment, but flogging and scourging, much more severe, were part of the death sentence. Because Pilate had not yet pronounced sentence, the beating Jesus received was a lesser one. Pilate hoped the blood it drew would satisfy Jesus' accusers (19:5) but this was not a reasonable supposition (18:31). In the provinces, soldiers normally administered this punishment. Free Romans were beaten with rods, soldiers with sticks, but slaves and probably despised non-Romans with whips whose leather thongs enclosed sharp pieces of metal or bone. Jewish law allowed only thirty-nine lashes; Roman law allowed scourging till the soldier grew tired, and texts report that bones or entrails were sometimes bared.

One of the most interesting extra-biblical accounts of Christ's death was supposedly written by Josephus, shortly after the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The Greek manuscripts of Josephus' The Jewish War lack this extended passage, most scholars suppose it is a later addition. However, it contains an interesting, although unlikely, explanation of Pilate's uncharacteristic surrender to Jewish wishes in the matter of Jesus' crucifixion. The following is from a translation of Josephus' The Jewish War appearing in the Loeb Classical Library.

At that time there appeared a man. . . Some said of him, "Our first lawgiver is risen from the dead and hath performed many healings and arts," while others thought that he was sent from God. Howbeit in many things he disobeyed the Law and kept not the Sabbath according to [our] fathers' customs. Yet, on the other hand, he did nothing shameful; nor [did he do anything] with the aid of hands, but by word alone did he provide everything. And many of the multitude followed after him and hearkened to his teachings; and many souls were in commotion, thinking that thereby the Jewish tribes might free themselves from Roman hands. Now it was his custom in general to sojourn over against the city upon the Mount of Olives; and there, too, he bestowed his healings upon the people. And there assembled unto him of ministers one hundred and fifty, and a multitude of the people. Now when they saw his power, that he accomplished whatsoever he would by [a] word, and when they had made known to him their will, that he should enter into the city and cut down the Roman troops and Pilate and rule over us. And when thereafter knowledge of it came to the Jewish leaders, they assembled together with the high-priest and spake: "We are powerless and [too] weak to withstand the Romans. Seeing, moreover, that the bow is bent, we will go and communicate to Pilate what we have heard, and we shall be clear of trouble, lest he hear [it] from others, and we be robbed of our substance and ourselves scattered and our children scattered. And they went and communicated it to Pilate. And he sent and had many of the multitude slain. And he had that Wonder- worker brought up, and after instituting an inquiry concerning him, he pronounced judgment: "He is a benefactor, not a malefactor, nor a rebel, nor covetous of kingship." And he let him go; for he had healed his dying wife. And he went to his wonted place and did his wonted works. And when more people again assembled around him, he glorified himself through his actions more than all. The teachers of the Law were overcome with envy, and gave thirty talents to Pilate, in order that he should put him to death. And he took [it] and gave them liberty to execute their will themselves. And they laid hands on him and crucified him contrary to the law of their fathers.

No man can compromise with Jesus; no man can serve two masters. We are either for Jesus or against Him.

Is Pilate's attempt to avoid personal responsibility an example of the lack of personal responsibility in our society today?

How far are some men willing to go to escape personal responsibility?

John 18:28-19:16

"With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him. But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release 'the king of the Jews'? ."

Pilate went on to try to find a way of escape from the entanglement in which he found himself. V. 39

The fact that Herod found nothing worthy of death in Jesus encouraged Pilate to confront the Jewish leaders and try to release the prisoner. He summoned the chief priests and rulers and told them that he found no guilt in Jesus, that Herod had found no guilt in Jesus, and the next step would be to punish Jesus and release Him. The Jews had already made it clear they wanted Jesus to die (John 18:31), but Pilate was feebly trying to do the right thing. Hoping to strengthen this suggestion, Pilate offered a bargain.

It was a custom at Passover for the governor to release a prisoner and please the Jews; so, why not release Jesus? Or, he could release Barabbas; but why would the Jews want Barabbas set free? After all, he was a robber (John 18:40), a notorious prisoner (Matt. 27:16), an insurrectionist and a murderer (Luke 23:19). Who would want that kind of a prisoner turned loose?

So he proposed a maneuver for his own benefit (v. 39). He proposed this, not to the chief priests, because he knew they would never agree to it, but to the multitude. It was an appeal to the people, as Matthew. 27:15 makes clear. Probably he had heard how this Jesus had been met only a few days earlier with the hosannas from the common people; he thought He was a "crowd favorite" and the object of envy from the rulers. He had no doubt the crowd would demand the release of Jesus. This would stop the prosecutors, and all would be well. In spite of this judgment, the people, led by those unmoved by the truth, continued to demand the death of Jesus. Although this political establishment was not a democracy, Pilate could not, with his record, ignore the will of the people.

The easy way out often leads to disaster; Pilate tried the easy way out.

Do you have the habit of seeking the easy way out?

Has this ever created a problem for you?

What else could Pilate have done?

Is there a lesson here for application in your life?

John 18:28-19:16

Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law."

He tried to refuse to deal with the case, v. 31

Some think Pilate was complimenting the Jews; trying to "throw them a bone." He was acknowledging what remained of their power; urging them to exert it. They had full rights of corporal punishment. They were free to inflict scourging in any of their synagogues. "But," Pilate was saying, "Go as far as your law will allow you, and, if you go further, it shall be properly dealt with." He said this, willing to do the Jews a favor, but unwilling to do for them the execution they were seeking.

Some think Pilate was mocking the Jews, and reproaching them in their condition of weakness and subjection. They would be the judges of innocence or guilt. Matthew Henry puts these words into Pilate's mouth, "Pray, if you will be so, go on as you have begun; you have found him guilty by your own law, condemn him, if you dare, by your own law, to carry on the absurdity." Nothing is more bizarre, nothing deserves to be exposed more than those who profess to dictate, and boast of their wisdom, yet are weak and inferior in position. They do not dictate; they are dictated to. Some think Pilate was ridiculing the Law of Moses, as if it gave them the right which the Roman law denied. Allowing them to judge a man unheard. "It may be your law will allow such a thing, but ours will not." So through their pride and corruption, the law of God was blasphemed; and so was the gospel.

Both are interesting conjectures; however I think they miss the point of what John is telling us. Pilate certainly could have been trying to ingratiate himself to the Jews; however this does not seem to fit his previous and ensuing behavior as we described yesterday. It is more likely he was mocking them. He was "lording" his authority over them and belittling their position.

But the fact remains, he wanted to make this someone else's problem! Pilate didn't want the responsibility of dealing with Jesus. No one can deal with Jesus for us; we must deal with Him ourselves.

The response most people have when first confronted with Jesus is very similar to the response of Pilate. They would prefer to ignore Him altogether and if that does not work they would prefer to pass the responsibility on to someone else.

Just as this did not work for Pilate it does not work for anyone who is part of the human race.

Each one must make a decision in relationship to the claims of Jesus Christ.

As C. S. Lewis has said, "He is a lunatic, liar or Lord."

It is our decision and the decision of all with whom we come into contact.

John 18:28-19:16

Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "Is that your own idea," Jesus asked, "or did others talk to you about me?" "Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and

This week we will look at Pilate. To understand Pilate's part in this drama we must review his history with the Jews.

In 4 B.C. Herod the Great died. He had been king of the whole of Palestine. For all his faults he was, in many ways, a good king. He had been very friendly with the Romans. In his will he divided up his kingdom between three of his sons. The Romans approved this distribution of the kingdom and ratified it.

Archelaus, Herod's youngest son, governed with such extortion and tyranny the Jews themselves requested the Romans to remove him, and to appoint a governor. They perhaps expected to be incorporated into the large province of Syria; had that been so, the province was so large they would have been left pretty much to carry on the way they were. All Roman provinces were divided into two classes. Those which required troops stationed in them were in the direct control of the Emperor and were imperial provinces; those which did not require troops but were peaceful and trouble-free, were in the direct control of the senate and were senatorial provinces.

Palestine was obviously a troubled land; it needed troops and therefore it was in the control of the Emperor. Really great provinces were governed either by a proconsul or a legate; Syria was like that. Smaller provinces of the second class were governed by a procurator. He was in full control of the military and judicial administration of the province. He visited every part of the province at least once a year and heard cases and complaints. He superintended the collection of taxes but had no authority to increase them. He was paid a salary from the treasury and was strictly forbidden to accept either presents or bribes; if he exceeded his duties, the people of his province had power to report him to the Emperor.

It was a procurator Augustus appointed to control the affairs of Palestine, and the first one took over in A.D. 6. Pilate took over in A.D. 26 and remained in office until A.D. 35. Palestine was a province bristling with problems, one which required a firm, a strong and a wise hand. We do not know Pilate's previous history, but we do know that he must have had the reputation of being a good administrator or he would never have been given the responsible position of governing Palestine.

But as governor Pilate was a failure. He seemed to begin with a complete contempt and a complete lack of sympathy for the Jews. Three famous, or infamous, incidents marked his career.

The first occurred on his first visit to Jerusalem. Jerusalem was not the capital of the province; the capital was Caesarea. The procurator paid many visits to Jerusalem, and stayed in the old palace of the Herods in the west part of the city. He always came with a detachment of soldiers. The soldiers had their regimental standards; and on the top of the standard was a small bust in metal of the reigning Emperor. The Emperor was regarded as a god, and to the Jew that little bust on the standards was a graven image.

All previous Roman governors, in deference to the religious beliefs of the Jews, had removed the image before they entered the city. Pilate refused to do so. The Jews asked him to do so. Pilate was unbending; he would not give in to the superstitions of the Jews. He went back to Caesarea. The Jews followed him. They followed him daily for five days. They were humble; but determined in their requests. Finally he told them to meet him in the amphitheatre. He surrounded them with armed soldiers, and informed them if they did not stop their requests they would be killed. The Jews bared their necks and told the soldiers to strike. Not even Pilate could massacre these defenseless men. He was beaten and compelled to agree that the images should be removed from the standards. That was how Pilate began; it was a bad beginning.

The second incident was this. The Jerusalem water supply was inadequate. Pilate determined to build a new aqueduct. Where was the money to come from? He raided the Temple treasury which contained millions. It is very unlikely Pilate took money which was deposited for the sacrifices and the Temple service. Much more likely, he took money which was entitled Korban, and which came from sources which made it impossible to use for sacred purposes. His aqueduct was much needed; the water supply would be of great benefit to the Temple which needed the water for cleansing of its continual sacrifices. But the people resented it; they rioted and flowed into the streets. Pilate had his soldiers mix with them in plain clothes, with hidden weapons. At a given signal they attacked and many Jews were clubbed or stabbed to death. Pilate was more detested and even more apt to be reported to the Emperor.

The third incident turned out even worse for Pilate. When he was in Jerusalem, he stayed in the ancient palace of the Herods, adjacent to the Temple. He had shields made for his soldiers; he had them inscribed with the name of Tiberius the Emperor. These shields known as votive shields; they were devoted to the honor of the Emperor. The Emperor was regarded as a god; so here was the name of a strange god inscribed and displayed in the holy city. The Jews were enraged; even his closest supporters begged Pilate to remove them. He refused. The Jews reported the matter to Tiberius the Emperor, and he ordered Pilate to remove them.

It is relevant to note how Pilate's career ended. Another incident happened after Jesus had been crucified, in the year A.D. 35. There was a revolt in Samaria. It was not very serious but Pilate crushed it with sadistic cruelty and many executions. The Samaritans had always been regarded as loyal citizens of Rome and the legate of Syria intervened. Tiberius ordered Pilate back to Rome. When he was on the way, Tiberius died; so far as we know, Pilate never came to judgment; and from that moment he vanishes from history.

It is clear why Pilate acted as he did. The Jews blackmailed him into crucifying Jesus. They said: "If you let this man go, you are not Caesar's friend." This was saying, in effect: "Your record is not too good; you were reported once before; if you do not give us our way, we will report you again to the Emperor, and you will be dismissed." On that day in Jerusalem, Pilate's past rose up and haunted him. He was blackmailed into assenting to the death of Christ, because his previous mistakes had made it impossible for him both to defy the Jews and to keep his post. He wanted to do the right thing, but he had not the courage to defy the Jews and do it. He crucified Jesus in order to keep his job.

Our past actions can help or hinder.

He wanted to do the right thing; but . . .

Have you ever been in a situation similar to this?

How did you react?

HUMILITY AND HOW TO ATTAIN IT

"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men-- robbers, evildoers, adulterers-- or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Luke 18:10-14

Notice the difference in the prayers. ·
"O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity-- greedy, dishonest, adulterous-- or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income."
· "O God, be merciful to me a sinner."

Paul tells us we should have the same mindset as Christ.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus Philippians 2:3-5

He reminds us of how Christ let go of all that was rightfully His in order to become a servant and live a life of obedience -- even to the point of death. The result is that God exalts Christ to the highest position in creation, to whom every knee will bow.

The process is the same--to an obviously lesser extent--for the followers of Christ. When we humble ourselves in imitation of Christ, God is able to exalt us in honor of Christ.

I've heard this verse described this way: Your job is to humble yourself, God's job is to exalt you. If you try to do His job, He's forced to do your job.

God wants to bless us. He even wants to exalt us, according to Jesus. But He can't and He won't as long as we're bent on exalting ourselves.

The Word actually says. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 1 Peter 5:6

The fact is you don't have to convince me you are humble, and I don't have to convince you. We are to humble ourselves before God; He knows when we are doing it right and He knows when we are just playing a game. And when we are doing it right, He stands ready to bless -- exalt us, even -- at the proper time.

How do you define humility?

John 18:28-19:16

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face.

There were the soldiers.
When Jesus was handed over to be scourged, the soldiers amused themselves by taking part in a common game usually referred to as "The King's Game." It was played with a grid similar to today's board games; pieces were moved according to the roll of the dice. The winner was allowed to kill the prisoner. A form of this game has been located scribed in the stone floor of the area believed to be where Jesus was held, the Praetorium. The claim of kingship was used as incentive to mock and beat Jesus. He was a king? Well then, let Him have a robe and crown. So they put a purple robe on Him and a crown of thorns on His head; they slapped Him on the face. They were playing a game. Philo in his work On Flaccus tells of a very similar thing the mob at Alexandria did.

There was a madman named Carabas, afflicted not with the savage and beastlike sort of madness. He used to spend his days and nights naked in the streets, sheltering from neither heat nor frost, a plaything of children and idle lads. They joined in driving the wretch to the gymnasium, and, setting him aloft so that he could be seen by everyone, they flattened a strip of bark for a fillet and put it on his head, and wrapped a floor-rug round his body for a mantle, and for scepter someone catching sight of a small piece of the native papyrus that had been thrown on the road handed it to him. And when he had assumed the insignia of kingship as in theatrical mimes, and had been arrayed in the character of king, young men bearing staffs on their shoulders took their stance on either side in place of spearmen, mimic lancers. Then others approached some as if to greet him, others as though to plead their causes, others as though to petition him about public matters. Then from the surrounding multitudes rang forth an outlandish shout of 'Marin,' the name by which it is said that kings are called in Syria.

It is moving that the soldiers treated Jesus as a ribald crowd might treat an idiot boy.

Of all the people involved in the trial of Jesus, the soldiers were least to blame, for they did not know what they were doing. Most likely they had come from Caesarea and did not know what this was all about. Jesus to them was only a petty criminal.

John uses this event to show the contempt and disrespect Jesus willingly endured to secure the completion of His Father's plan; "Not my will, but yours be done." The depth of His love is on full display. He was enduring this for all of mankind, even for the men who were mocking Him. This is another example of the dramatic irony of John. The soldiers made a caricature of Jesus as king, while in actual fact He was the only king. Beneath the joke there was eternal truth.

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 1 John 3:16

Does the world treat Jesus the same way today?

Should it surprise us when Christ is ignored or mocked today?

John 18:28-19:16

Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and asked, "What charges are you bringing against this man?" But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!" "Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked. "We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered.

The Jews did not hesitate to twist their charge against Jesus.
In their own private examination the charge they had formulated was one of blasphemy (Matthew 26:65). They knew Pilate would not proceed on such a charge. He would have said it was their own private religious quarrel and they could settle is as they liked without coming to him. In the end the Jews produced a charge of rebellion and political insurrection. They accused Jesus of claiming to be a king, although they knew their accusation was a lie. Hatred is a terrible thing and does not hesitate to twist the truth.

In order to accomplish the death of Jesus the Jews denied every principle of the Law they claimed to observe.
The most astonishing thing they said that day was: "We have no king but Caesar." Samuel's word to the people was that God alone was their king (1 Samuel 12:12). When the crown was offered to Gideon, his answer was: "I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you."" (Judges 8:23) When the Romans had first come into Palestine, they had taken a census in order to arrange the normal taxation to which subject people were liable. And there had been one of the bloodiest rebellions the Romans had ever encountered, because the Jews insisted God alone was their king, and to Him alone they would pay tribute. When the Jewish leaders said: "We have no king but Caesar," it was the most astonishing about face in history. The very statement must have taken Pilate's breath away, and he must have looked at them in half-bewildered, half-cynical amusement. The Jews were prepared to abandon every principle they had in order to eliminate Jesus.

They began by hating Jesus.
They lost all sense of relative value.
They twisted their charge against Jesus.
They denied every principle of the Law they claimed to observe.

It is a terrible picture. The hatred of the Jews turned them into a enraged mob of screaming, hysterical fanatics. In their hatred they forgot all mercy, all sense of proportion, all justice, and all their principles. They completely forgot all allegiance to the principles of their God. Never in history was the insanity hatred produces so vividly shown.

Is this an example of the tyranny of the urgent in life?

"More tortuous than all else is the human heart, beyond remedy; who can understand it?" Jeremiah

17:9 (NAB) Is this an example of how dangerous it is to let feelings and emotions rule our lives?

John 18:28-19:16

Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and asked, "What charges are you bringing against this man?" But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!" "Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked. "We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered.

"The Jews"
The leaders and others present, probably those involved in the arrest.

They began by hating Jesus.
They finished in a fit of hysteria and hatred, howling like wolves, with faces twisted in bitterness: "Crucify him! Crucify him!" In the end they reached such an insanity of hatred they were beyond reason, beyond mercy and even beyond the claims of common humanity. Nothing in this world warps a man's judgment like hatred. Once a man allows himself to hate, he can neither think nor see straight, nor listen without distortion. Hatred is a terrible thing because it takes a man's senses away.

The hatred of the Jews made them lose all sense of proportion.
They were so concerned with ceremonial and sacramental cleanness they would not enter Pilate's headquarters. Yet they were busy doing everything possible to crucify a man they knew had committed no crime. Oh yes, by the way, the accused was also the Son of God. To observe the Passover, a Jew had to be absolutely ceremonially clean. If they had gone into Pilate's headquarters, they would have brought upon themselves uncleanness in a double way. First, the scribal law said: "The dwelling-places of Gentiles are unclean." Second, the Passover was the Feast of Unleavened Bread; which part of the preparation was a ceremonial search for leaven, and the banishing of every particle of leaven from every house because it was the symbol of evil. To go into Pilate's headquarters would have been to go into a place where leaven might be found; and to go into such a place when the Passover was being prepared was to make one unclean. But even if the Jews had entered a Gentile house which contained leaven, they would have been unclean only until evening. Then they would have had to undergo ceremonial bathing after which they would have been clean.

Have you ever felt the sting of hatred?

Has hatred ever been a problem for you?

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." Luke 6:37

"Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment." John 7:24

"Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man." Luke 6:22

What can cause you to lose your sense of balance proportion in life.

What do you do to maintain a proper sense of balance in your life?

John 18:28-19:16

Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and asked, "What charges are you bringing against this man?"

We begin by looking at the Jews. In the time of Jesus the Jews were subject to the Romans. The Romans allowed them a good deal of self- government, but they were not allowed to carry out the death penalty. The Talmud records: "Forty years before the destruction of the Temple, judgment in matters of life and death was taken away from Israel." It is true that sometimes, as, for instance, in the case of Stephen, the Jews did take the law into their own hands; but legally they had no right to inflict the death penalty on anyone. That was why they had to bring Jesus to Pilate before He could be crucified.

If the Jews had been able to carry out the death penalty, it would have been by stoning. The Law says, "Anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD must be put to death. The entire assembly must stone him." (Lev 24:16). In such a case the witnesses whose word proved the crime had to be the first to throw the stones. "The hands of the witnesses must be the first in putting him to death, and then the hands of all the people." (Deut 17:7). That is the point of verse 32, "This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken indicating the kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled." He had said that when he was lifted up, that is, when He was crucified, He would draw all men to Him (John 12:32). If that prophecy of Jesus was to be fulfilled, He must be crucified, not stoned; and therefore, even apart from the fact that Roman law would not allow the Jews to carry out the death penalty, Jesus had to die a Roman death, because He had to be lifted up.

The Jews from start to finish were seeking to use Pilate for their purposes. They could not kill Jesus themselves, so they were determined that the Romans would kill Him for them.

Have you ever tried to use others to obtain your purposes?

What do you think causes this behavior?

Can you see God's control of history in this Biblical account?

Are there specific instances when you think God has been in control of the events in your life?

Notice in your reading how often t