LookingtoJesus

April 7

Bible Reading: John 2

John 2:11, “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory.  And his disciples believed in him.”

A song says, “little is much when God is in it.”  We read in the Bible of countless examples of where God works through little or ordinary things or people to accomplish extraordinary things.  We’ve an example of that in this chapter. The immediate transformation of the ordinary water into wine by Jesus at the wedding in Cana was a manifestation of His glory.  The miracle, literally an “attesting sign” (John 20:30-31), worked to generate faith in the heart of His disciples (John 2:11).

The setting of the miracle was a wedding celebration in Cana.  It happened only three days after the calling of Jesus’ first disciples (John 2:1).  Jesus’ mother was there, along with many others.  A Jewish wedding was foremost amongst the community events in that day.  The accompanying celebration would go on for days.  It was expected that sufficient wine would be made available for the guests.  But the wine ran out, a potential cause for much embarrassment for the bridegroom.

Mary was aware of the problem and brought it to Jesus’ attention (John 2:3).  It is noteworthy that she directed her concern to Jesus.  One can safely assume that she had had many opportunities, throughout His upbringing, to witness His ability to intervene and resolve troublesome situations.  His response to her was, “Woman, what does this have to do with me?  My hour has not yet come” (John 2:4).  The second part of His response includes a phrase which He would henceforth use frequently regarding His ministry and pending sufferings (John 4:23, 5:25, 7:30, 8:20, 12:23, 12:27, 17:1, etc.).  In the beginning His ministry was a public thing oriented around His teaching and miraculous works. His “hour” instead focused on His sacrificial work in His submitting Himself to fulfilling the Father’s will (John 4:34, 5:17).

The miracle was one that showed Jesus’ creative power (John 1:3).  The wine had run out.  He directed the servants to “fill the jars with water” (John 2:7).  They were filled to the brim, leaving no room to suggest that wine had been merely added to the jars.  Then Jesus commanded the servants to “draw some out and take it to the master of the feast” (John 2:8).  “When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then the poor wine.  But you have kept the good wine until now’ (John 2:9-10).

There is an entire field of education, called “viticulture,” devoted to the study of how to prepare the best wine.  Not long after this event, in about 65 AD, the Roman writer Columella produced a detailed work (a twelve-volume text) on Roman viticulture called De Re Rustica.  And even today, Viticulture is a field of study at major universities.  It takes a lot to prepare a superb wine—study, time, energy, etc.  Grape vines need approximately 1300–1500 hours of sunshine and about 27 inches of rainfall to develop.  The process, from beginning to end, takes many months.

Jesus did it all in an instant.  He took ordinary water and made extraordinary wine out of it.  He didn’t need soil, vines, grapes, rain, harvest, preparation, etc.  He skipped all the steps.  “All things were made through him” (John 1:3), good wine was created by Him instantaneously.  The question of the propriety of Jesus’ turning water into wine sometimes clouds the issue regarding what happened on that occasion.  He was a man, but no ordinary man—He was and is “the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:31)—His identity was revealed in His miraculous creation of the wine.  The disciples saw that affirmed by His power and believed (John 2:11).  They were ordinary men, but by His transforming and empowering influence, they would one day accomplish extraordinary things. 

He who “does all things well” (Mark 7:37) has the power, through His creative and transforming influence, to take ordinary men and women and make something extraordinary of their lives (Ephesians 2:10).

What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought
Since Jesus came into my heart;
I have light in my soul for which long I have sought,
Since Jesus came into my heart.

Since Jesus came into my heart,
Since Jesus came into my heart;
Floods of joy o’er my soul like the sea billows roll,
Since Jesus came into my heart.

April 6

Bible Reading: John 1

John 1:39, “He saith unto them, Come and see’.”

John 1:46, “Philip said to him, ‘Come and see’.”

Though she was advanced in her years, she had never read from the Bible. I got her a large print edition, but the print was still too small, so I found her a giant print version. I asked her to read through the gospel of John, considering two questions as she read: 1) who is Jesus; and 2) what does He want for you to do? She read through John and kept on reading through Acts and into the epistles. I was privileged to witness her put her faith in Jesus not too long before she died!

Let me take the liberty of borrowing this phrase, “come and see,” from its immediate context because it serves as a fitting introduction to this gospel and its first chapter.

John chapter 1 introduces major themes that are reiterated and expanded upon in subsequent chapters.  These themes are commonly bound to John’s purpose in writing his inspired account.  His purpose is stated in John 20:30-31, “May other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”  It would be fair to say that John’s gospel is an invitation to us to “come and see” that which the Apostle John himself witnessed regarding Jesus Christ.

John’s first chapter is replete with words having to do with this “come and see” matter.  The word “Word” (Jesus as the self-revelation of God) is used 4X.  The word “light” (Jesus as the source of spiritual enlightenment) is used 6X.  The word “see” is found 5X.  The words “behold” or “beheld” occur 6X.  The word “witness,” which means “to bear testimony” of something seen, is found 7X.

Correlating to this great theme is the precious declaration made by the Apostle John in verse 14, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the father, full of grace and truth.”  The word “glory” speaks of “the nature of God in self-manifestation” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary).  John’s testimony was that he beheld the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.  What did he see in Jesus?  John spoke of Him as the Word and thus identified Him to be the divine Son of God.  Certain related truths regarding Jesus are affirmed from the very beginning of John’s gospel: 1) He is eternal (1:1); 2) He was with God (1:1); 3) He is God (1:1); 4) He is the creator of all things (1:3); 5) He is the source of life (1:4); He is the source of light (1:4-5).  His identity as the “only begotten from the father” was confirmed by His many miracles (lit. “attesting signs”).  John highlights seven of them in His gospel account, though no book could ever hope to record the “many other things which Jesus did” (John 21:25). 

The Word became flesh.  Jesus “emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7).  He dwelt among men.  John was a witness to the truth regarding Jesus.  He saw Him, heard Him, and touched Him (1 John 1:1).  What did he see and hear?  He heard a man who spoke as no other man and saw Him do things that no man had ever done before.  He saw the glory of His divine nature, for He was “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14; John 1:17). 

The Apostle John was a witness to the truth concerning Jesus.  He beheld the beauty of His godly and sinless character.  He saw Him lovingly minister to the needs of others.  He saw Him healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, feeding the multitudes, and walking on water and calming the storm.  He was there, when with a word, Jesus called Lazarus forth from the tomb.  He was a witness to the death and resurrection of Jesus.  He was one who saw and then pleaded with others to “come and see.”  He faithfully devoted his life to that cause (1 John 1:2-3).  He “could not help but speak of what (he had) seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).  He willingly suffered persecution for “the testimony of Jesus” (Revelation 1:9).

The Apostle John wrote His gospel that we might “come and see” what he saw, and in seeing, believe in Jesus Christ unto eternal life (John 20:30-31).  Indeed, all the Scriptures were written that they might “bear witness” to Him (John 5:39).  The Holy Spirit has that same ministry (John 15:26; 16:14) and He invites us to behold the glory of the person and work of Jesus as we read through this precious gospel account.  Look for it—yearn to behold it—as you read!

The gospel of John invites us to “come and see” the glory of the Lord Jesus!  Read and study it with this grand purpose in mind!

Open my eyes that I may see
glimpses of truth thou hast for me.
Place in my hands the wonderful key
that shall unclasp and set me free.

Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my eyes, illumine me,
Spirit divine!

April 5

Bible Reading: Luke 24

Luke 24:21, “We had hoped!”

Who hasn’t shared in the experience of those disciples?  They had hoped for something, a noble thing, and suffered bitter disappointment in the death of their dream.  “We had hoped” is a common human sentiment.  Sin and death and their associated trials work to diminish and destroy all ill-founded human dreams, but in Jesus there is good reason for a living and lasting hope.

The disciples on the road to Emmaus were talking with each other about the things that had recently transpired in the city of Jerusalem.  “Jesus himself drew near and went with them.  But their eyes were kept from recognizing him” (Luke 24:16-17).  In their conversation with their unrecognized friend the two disciples spoke of how Jesus, “a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,” was delivered up by the “chief priests and rulers… to be condemned to death and crucified” (Luke 24:20).  “But we had hoped,” they said, “that he was the one to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:21). 

The disciples had hoped for a thing, but God was doing something far greater than that which they had hoped for.  Their hope was invested in the redemption of Israel.  They had thought that Jesus was working to accomplish that goal.  They believed Him to be the promised Messiah.  They hoped He had come to deliver His oppressed people from the Romans and to reign as King.  They had invested their lives in their ministry with Him.  But His death worked to vanquish their hope.  They could not envision the greater work that God had purposed to accomplish.  Jesus will one day redeem Israel (as they had hoped), but He came “to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).  Through His redemptive work, “a living hope” has been availed to all, Jew and Gentile alike.

The disciples were lacking hope because they were unaware of Jesus’ presence.  “Their eyes were kept from recognizing him” (Luke 24:16).  Sin is the ultimate cause for diminished hope.  The evils that beset us in this life can be traced back to that fateful day when Adam and Eve fell in the garden.  Adam’s kin are all born to a hopeless existence (Ephesians 2:12).  The “shadow of death” works to vanquish even the most vibrant of earthbound hopes.  But the two disciples had good reason to hope because they were walking with the One who had conquered both sin and death.  In Adam, all sinned (Romans 5:12), but the One who came to pay for sin, declaring “It is finished,” was present with them (John 19:30).  In Adam, all die (1 Corinthians 15:21), but the “living One,” who rose from the dead, was in their midst (Revelation 1:18).  Sin and death, the great adversaries of hope, had been vanquished by the One with whom they conversed!  It is possible for us to walk unaware of Jesus’ presence.  But He doesn’t just walk with the believer in Christ, He dwells within (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3-4).  He imparts hope by His presence (Romans 15:13).

The disciples were lacking hope because they were ignorant as to the promises of Scripture.  The two disciples had heard of the mysterious events that occurred following Jesus’ death.  “Women of (their) company amazed” them (Luke 24:22).  The women had found the tomb empty.  They “had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive” (Luke 24:23).  Some went “to the tomb and found it just as the woman had said” (Luke 24:24).  They had heard of these events but failed to put things together.  Then Jesus said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!  Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?  And beginning with Moses and the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:25).  The Scriptures, inasmuch as they collectively speak of the Savior and God’s associated promises, are a sure and overflowing reservoir of hope and encouragement to hope-thirsty souls (Romans 15:4).

The disciples were lacking hope until their eyes were opened.  Jesus shared a meal with them.  “When he was at the table with them, he took the bread and blessed it and broke it and gave it to them.  And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him” (Luke 24:30-31).  Their eyes were opened to the truth of His resurrection and in Him well-founded hope was secured.  None of us have seen Jesus (1 Peter 1:8-9), but in Christ the believer has good reason for hope even amidst his trials (1 Peter 1:6), for he has been “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).  In this world there is tribulation, but be of good cheer, believer, you serve a Risen, Reigning, and Returning Savior.  The words, “we had hoped,” will never again be uttered by His own after they one day enter into His presence (2 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)!

The only sure way to avoid dashed hopes is to base one’s hopes exclusively on what God has promised in His Word. He is faithful to always fulfill His promises.

My hope is in the Lord
Who gave Himself for me
And paid the price
Of all my sin at Calvary.

For me He died;
For me He lives,
And everlasting life
And light He freely gives.

April 4

Bible Reading: Luke 23

Luke 23:38, “There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews’.”

The sign declared the truth about Jesus.  It was posted on the cross above Jesus’ head and was written in three languages—Hebrew, Latin and Greek.  “Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city” (John 19:20).  The religious leaders had argued that Pilate should write instead, “This man said, I am King of the Jews,” but Pilate refused to alter what he had written (John 19:21-22).  The sign thus bore testimony to the truth.

The two thieves saw the sign.  They were crucified with Jesus, “one on his right and one on his left” (Luke 22:33).  It was not by accident that they shared in His plight.  It was prophesied of Jesus that “he was numbered with the transgressors” (Luke 22:37).  Jesus, the Divine and sinless Son of God, was crucified “in between” two common criminals (John 19:18).  They would both serve, by way of their varied responses, to illustrate the two disparaged destinies of the believing and unbelieving.

They were both mocking Jesus.  They enjoined themselves to the religious leaders, soldiers, and ‘passersby’ in their blasphemous choir of insults (Matthew 27:29, 39).  The religious leaders were saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself.  He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross, and we will believe in him.  He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him.  For he said, ‘I am the Son of God’.  And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way” (Matthew 27:42-44).

Both robbers saw the same things.  They both saw the bitter abuse directed at Jesus.  Both heard Him utter those surprising words, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 22:34).  Both saw the sign above His head which testified to the truth regarding Jesus’ identity.  Both were privileged to behold the Savior fulfilling the redemptive work that He had come to do.

Both saw the same things, but the heart of one of the criminals was miraculously changed.  “One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, ‘Are you not the Christ?  Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?  And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong” (Luke 23:39-41).  The one robber came to understand the truth about Jesus and himself. As with the prodigal son, “He came to his senses.” As with Saul, on the road to Damascus, his heart and destiny were radically and miraculously redirected.  The penitent thief perceived himself to be a sinner.  He saw something different in Jesus and understood Him to be an innocent man.  How precious is the Spirit of God’s conviction whereby he opens eyes to truth!  He works to both reveal our need and the God-provided remedy in Jesus whereby we can be delivered from it (John 16:8-11).

With believing eyes, the one robber said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42).  Simply put, the robber believed the truth declared by the sign above Jesus’ head.  He is the King of the Jews.  He is the Son of God.  Skeptics see no beauty in the cross.  They cannot comprehend the wondrous truth of which it speaks.  The Son of God purposed to die for lost sinners.  The King stepped down from heaven’s glory to mediate our salvation!  The cross is “a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,” but to those who are called it speaks to “the power of God and wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:23; Galatians 6:14).

Salvation was promised to the believing thief (Luke 23:43).  He was granted mercy and forgiveness through no meritorious act of his own.  Having done no good works, he was saved by grace, through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).  The same manner by which any person, religious or not, must be saved. The crosses and the sign at Calvary have long since rotted away, but the truth revealed on that day still stands.  “Christ Jesus came into the world save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).  He alone can save (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).  All men have no choice but to fall in behind one thief or another.  “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36).  The sign cries out ‘believe!’ Some do and some don’t.  On which side of the cross do you stand (1 John 5:11-12; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-10)?

“My dear friends, there never can be a more important question than this: what does this cross do to you? Where do you find yourself as you think of it and face it? It is one of these two, it is either an offence or else you glory in it.” – Martyn Lloyd-Jones

The cross upon which Jesus died
Is a shelter in which we can hide
And its grace so free is sufficient for me
And deep is its fountain as wide as the sea.

There’s room at the cross for you
There’s room at the cross for you
Though millions have come, there’s still room for one
Yes there’s room at the cross for you.

Luke 22:27b, “But I am among you as the one who serves.”

Jesus had just shared the last supper with His disciples, speaking to them of his pending sacrifice in terms of his own body and blood (Luke 22:14-23).  He was soon to fulfill the ultimate act of loving service the world has ever witnessed.  It was the work He had come to do: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).  Think of it… the eternal Son of God stepped down from the glory of heaven, put aside his glorious array, and dressed down to the occasion.  From His lowly birth to His loving sacrifice on the cross, He lived the life of a servant, always putting the needs of others first.  Never a self-centered thought, word, or deed. 

Jesus and His disciples finished their meal, and “a dispute also arose among (his disciples), as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest” (Luke 22:24).  There had been other such disputes on prior occasions, but in this context, the disciples’ childish behavior appears extraordinarily despicable.  The juxtaposition between the attitude of Jesus and that of His disciples is telling.  At the heart of sin is pride, and pride shows itself in a self-interest that is devoid of loving concern for others.  As Jesus was making His way to the cross to die for our sins, the disciples were fighting the “King of the Hill” kid’s game.  But we are not unlike them.

In response, Jesus spoke to them, as He had on previous occasions, of the difference between God’s way and man’s way regarding what defines greatness (Mark 10:42-45; Luke 22:24-27).  In concluding His instruction, Jesus said, “But I among you as the one who serves.”  What a beautiful statement!  How glorious is the Lord Jesus in His holy and sinless ways!  The world has its own ideas about what constitutes greatness—power, wealth, athletic prowess, notoriety, fame, etc.  But God defines greatness in terms of servanthood, and Jesus has set forth the preeminent example.

Would it be that we would look at life as Jesus did (Philippians 2:3)!  That we’d measure our lives according to His attitude: “I am among you as one who serves.”  In our marriages and families.  In our church and in our community.  At the job or in the school.  That we would deliberately choose the less traveled path of a humble servant, according to Jesus’ example (Philippians 2:3-8).  To do so, whether or not anyone notices, our chief concern being to please Jesus.  Serving Jesus by putting the needs of others ahead of our own.  “Make me a servant,” the song says, “Humble and meek.  Lord, let me lift up, those who are weak.  And may the prayer of my heart always be: Make me a servant, make me a servant, make me a servant.  Today.” 

Lord grant me the strength and wisdom, by the Spirit and your grace, to follow in your steps to be a servant of others—just like You!

April 3

Bible Reading: Luke 22

Luke 22:21-23, “’But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!’ And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.”

An art forger made millions of dollars by painting and selling fake duplicates of expensive works of art.  His forgeries were so authentic looking that no one could tell that they were frauds.  He was finally “found out” by a forensic art detective when he mistakenly used a paint that was not available in the time of the painting he had forged.  His paintings were near perfect but were faux representations.  Judas reminds us that it is possible to play the part of a disciple of Jesus, without actually being one.

Judas was a faux disciple, though he was a privileged recipient of unique spiritual advantages.  Judas walked with Jesus.  Judas saw Jesus do things that no man had ever done.  He heard Him speak as no man had ever spoken.  Jesus’ words worked to calm storms and raise the dead, but they did not work to move Judas’ heart.  Never had any man had a better set of friends.  Judas enjoyed the blessings associated with union to a unique company of God-chosen men partnered together in a glorious enterprise.  Despite these special privileges, Judas was not and was never a true disciple.  He serves as a reminder to all of the hazards associated with mere external religion.  Jesus warned, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of the Father who is in heaven.  On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’ (Matthew 7:21-23).”  Religious profession and practice are of no value if unaccompanied by religious possession.  Judas had religion, but he did not possess salvation in Christ.

Judas was a faux disciple, and the rest of the disciples were unaware of it.  Judas played the part of a true disciple.  He spoke “disciple words” and did “disciple things.”  He accompanied Jesus and the others and was with them day and night and day-after-day.  They were with him and saw in him nothing that would set him apart as a phony.  He was a chameleon.  He blended in.  He feigned interest.  He mimicked what the others were doing.  Jesus warned of His betrayal, the disciples questioned one another as to whom it would be.  Satan had already entered Judas’ heart.  He had already met with the chief priests and officers (Luke 22:3-6).  The disciples didn’t know the identity of the betrayer, but Jesus did.

Jesus knew the truth about Judas.  He who knows what is in a man, knew what was in Judas’ heart (John 2:25).  Judas betrayed his Master just as Jesus had warned.  After Jesus’ arrest, he felt remorse and sought to return the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.  Then he went and hung himself (Matthew 27:3-5).  Jesus had said of Judas, “It would have been better for that man if he had not been born” (Matthew 26:24).  It’s hard to imagine a more horrible epitaph!

Judas’ example serves to remind us of an important truth—religious profession and practice alone are no guarantee regarding a person’s salvation.  A person can grow up in a Christian home, attend church, hear Christian teaching, and do Christian things.  They can be baptized and even share with others in communion.  They can do all these things and yet remain unsaved.  A person must be born again as a result of receiving Jesus by faith (John 1:12).  Anything else or less is to no avail.  The question is not whether a person has associated himself with Christians or heard or done Christian things.  The question is, does that person possess a personal relationship with Jesus (2 Corinthians 13:5; 1 John 5:11-12).  The other disciples were far from perfect.  All fled as Jesus’ arrest.  Peter denied Jesus three times.  But they belonged to Jesus and were kept by Him, “none of them (was) lost except the son of destruction” (John 17:12).  How blessed are those who have entered into an authentic relationship with Him by faith!

It is not enough to know of Jesus or know about him or associate with those who do.  The urgent call to every soul is to enter into an eternal and abiding relationship with Him by faith.

Search me, O God, and know my heart today;
Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray.
See if there be some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from ev’ry sin and set me free.

Lord, take my life and make it wholly thine;
Fill my poor heart with thy great love divine.
Take all my will, my passion, self, and pride;
I now surrender; Lord, in me abide.

March 31

Bible Reading: Luke 21

Luke 21:1-4, “Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, ‘Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.’”

The scribes loved “the places of honor” and before the naïve they possessed them (Luke 20:46).  They were the distinguished religious elite and wore long robes to prove it.  They were well received and greeted in the marketplace. The best seats in the synagogue and at the feasts were reserved for them.  Their lengthy prayers served to draw attention to their supposed religious superiority.  But it was all for show, as there was no heart to their religion.  They were hypocrites—white-washed tombs filled with dead-men’s bones.  Their lack of any genuine love for God was made clear in their callous disregard for others.  “They devoured widow’s houses” (Luke 20:47).  Others might have been deceived by their religious pretense, but Jesus knew what was in their hearts.  He warned the people to beware (Luke 20:45-46).  The scribes were honored amongst men, but not before God.

“Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small coins” (Luke 21:1-2).  The rich gave gifts “out of their abundance, but “out her poverty (the poor widow) put in all she had to live on” (Luke 21:4).

From a human perspective, the poor widow’s gift didn’t amount to much.  Each of her two small coins were worth about 1/128^th of a denarius (a denarius was the equivalent of a day’s wage for a laborer).  A paltry sum compared to the others.  The religious hypocrites of that day would sound a trumpet to draw attention to their giving of an offering (Matthew 6:2).  Trumpets might have sounded for other gifts that day, but not for hers.  The size of her gift was not noteworthy, but the spirit in which she gave it was.  She did not give to be noticed by men; she gave because she loved God.  No sacrifice was too great for the God whom she loved, even if demanded of her all that she had to give.  She was a woman of faith; she knew that He “who owns the cattle on a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10) would provide again for her needs as He had done before for her in the past.  She gave all that she had as an act of worship.  Jesus commended her for it.

She gave in the same spirit as Jesus gave.  He did not come to be noticed by men; He came to do the bidding of His Father.  He did not give to be honored by men; His desire was to please the One who sent Him.  He did not give out of His riches, He gave and gave and when He had given all that He had in this life, He gave that up too.  “For you know the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).  When it comes to the matter of giving, His example reigns supreme.

The believers in Macedonia were commended by the Apostle Paul for the spirit in which they had given (2 Corinthians 8:1-5).  They gave in a “poor widow like” manner.  They gave sacrificially (i.e., out of their poverty); joyously; generously; willingly; ‘beggingly’ (i.e., they begged for the privilege of giving); lovingly; and unexpectedly.  Why did they give as they did?  Paul explained, “They gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us” (2 Corinthians 8:5).  As with the poor widow, they gave as an act of worship.  Their hearts and lives and love already belonged to God (2 Corinthians 5:15).  They were Spirit-led to give in Christ-like manner that they might assist their Christian brethren in Jerusalem.

The scribes were honored by the naïve, but not by God.  They gave, but the hypocrisy of their religious efforts was evidenced in their harsh treatment of the most vulnerable (i.e., widows).  The poor widow, on the other hand, was a woman of genuine faith.  No trumpet blew when she gave her gift, but God was well aware of her sacrifice.  With such sacrifices, God is well-pleased. Those who give them sit in true places of honor (Hebrews 13:16).

We lose the approval of God when we seek the applause of men!

Savior, Thy dying love
Thou gavest me,
Nor should I aught withhold,
Dear Lord, from Thee:
In love my soul would bow,
My heart fulfill its vow,
Some off’ring bring Thee now,
Something for Thee.

Give me a faithful heart,
Likeness to Thee,
That each departing day
Henceforth may see
Some work of love begun,
Some deed of kindness done,
Some wand’rer sought and won,
Something for Thee.

March 30

Bible Reading: Luke 20

Luke 20:26, “And they were unable to catch Him in a saying in the presence of the people, and marveling at His answer, they became silent.”

They were looking for a way to get rid of Jesus, having even sent spies who pretended to be His disciples (Luke 20:20).  They were trying to find something, anything, in which to accuse Him.  Their plan was to “catch Him in some statement” that could be used against Him, that they might deliver Him up to the Roman authorities (Luke 20:19).

Someone came up with an idea. “Ask Him about paying taxes,” they suggested. So, they first flattered him to be a true and impartial teacher (Luke 20:21), then they laid the big question on Him, “Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” One can imagine their smugness and delight in putting the question forth. Like spiders spinning a web, they worked to draw Him into their trap. They would have Him at last, they thought. There was no way He could wiggle His way out of this one. If he answered “yes,” the people would be upset with Him—because the people deemed the tax illegal. The people had stood in the way of their conspiracy before, but a “yes” answer would alienate Him from them. The religious leaders would then be free to do with Him as they pleased. A “no” answer would be likewise beneficial. The tax was the law. To speak against the tax was to speak against the authorities. If he answered “no,” they would have cause to deliver Him up to the Roman authorities as a seditious enemy of the state. He was caught in a trap, either answer would serve them well—so they thought.

“But He detected their trickery and said to them, ‘Show Me a denarius.  Whose likeness and inscription does it have?’  And they said, ‘Caesar’s.’  And He said to them, ‘Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Luke 20:24-25).  He didn’t answer “no”, and He didn’t answer “yes.”  He wisely gave an alternative that they had not considered.

“And they were unable to catch Him in a saying in the presence of the people, and marveling at His answer, they became silent” (Luke 20:36).  We might say, “He silenced His critics.”  This is not the only example of Jesus silencing His critics in this chapter.  The Sadducees concocted a foolish conundrum to likewise challenge His teaching and authority (Luke 20:27-38).  They were silenced too: “For they did not have courage to question Him any longer about anything” (Luke 20:40).

Skeptical foes bombarded Him with questions, as skeptics do to this day. But in Him “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). The religious skeptics of His day “searched the Scriptures” but had no heart for the truth (John 5:39). The foolishness of their supposed intelligence was readily exposed in the light of His great wisdom. They marveled at His answer, but not so as to believe in Him. Let us marvel in belief. He is all-wise. His wisdom is imparted to us by the Spirit through His word. Skeptics remain. They love to antagonize and instigate His followers. J. C. Ryle, “Blessed be God, He who silenced the chief priests and scribes by His wise answers, still lives to help His people and has all power to help them. But He loves to be entreated.” He is glad to impart wisdom to those who ask (James 1:5).

We don’t always know what to say when others are critical of our beliefs, but we know the One who does.  And the Spirit can give us the words to speak when we need them (Luke 12:12).

Simply trusting every day,
Trusting through a stormy way;
Even when my faith is small,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Refrain:
Trusting as the moments fly,
Trusting as the days go by;
Trusting Him whate’er befall,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Brightly doth His Spirit shine
Into this poor heart of mine;
While He leads I cannot fall;
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

March 29

Bible Reading: Luke 19

“Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he.  He climbed up on a Sycamore tree the Lord he wanted to see.”  Zacchaeus “was seeking to see who Jesus was,” but since he was “small of stature” he sought to gain a better vantage point and “climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him” (Luke 19:3-4).

Zacchaeus was engaged in a noble pursuit. He wanted to see who Jesus was.  He had undoubtedly heard the news about Jesus—how He spoke as no man ever spoke and did things that no man had ever done before.  But secondhand information could not satisfy the need that he had in his heart to see Jesus.  He was a chief tax-collector, despised by the Pharisees (Luke 18:11; 19:7), and feared and avoided by everybody else.  He had riches and power, but they came at a cost.  His prosperity was ill-gotten (Luke 19:8).  He was a lost and lonely man.

Jesus, the “friend of sinners” came to save people like Zacchaeus (Luke 19:10) — lost and lonely sinners weighed down by heavy burdens; people dissatisfied in the vanity which is life without God.  Jesus came looking for sinners. Zacchaeus climbed a tree looking for the sinner’s friend.  It was a divinely orchestrated meeting which ended in a joyous result (Luke 19:6-10).

Zacchaeus’ endeavor was met with obstacles.  He was small of stature.  Jesus was surrounded by a crowd.  But faith finds a way when there isn’t any apparent.  He climbed a tree.  Certainly out-of-character for a chief tax collector.  One can imagine what others must have thought!  But by faith, he was undeterred.  Don’t suppose that Jesus can be seen apart from effort.  There is the need to gain a better vantage point if we are to behold Him.  In sin, we are small of stature, falling short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  The Spirit alone can work to open our eyes to our lowly place and lift us up to see the glory of the Savior (John 16:8,14; 2 Corinthians 4:6).

Zacchaeus’ faith was richly rewarded.  Jesus saw him in the tree and called on him to come down.  Jesus was to be Zacchaeus’ guest!  The Pharisees saw what happened and grumbled, “He has gone in to be a guest of a man who is a sinner” (Luke 19:7).  Oh, happy day when a sinner receives Jesus (John 1:12)!  There can be no more loving friend than He!  He is a forever and faithful companion to those who trust in Him (Hebrews 13:5). 

Zacchaeus “was seeking to see who Jesus was,” and we should joyfully follow in his steps.  Men have labored through many an obstacle and hardship to behold lesser things.  History tells of men who have crisscrossed the earth and even ventured forth into space.  But no sight in God’s creation can compare with beholding the glory of the One who created all things!  By a work of the Spirit believing eyes are opened to the glory of Jesus, but only by way of introduction (2 Corinthians 4:6; 1 Corinthians 13:12).  By an ongoing work of the Spirit, greater clarity of vision is attained (2 Corinthians 3:18).  The time is coming when His own will “see him as he is” (1 John 3:2), “when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed” (2 Thessalonians 1:10).  What a glorious day that will be!

John Owen once wrote, “The beholding of the glory of Christ is one of the greatest privileges and advancements that believers are capable of in this world, or in that which is to come.  By this they are first gradually conformed to it and then fixed in eternal enjoyment of it… this is the life and reward of our souls” (John Owen, “The Glory of Christ).  The glory of Jesus will be a sight to behold!

Short Zacchaeus went to great lengths to behold Jesus!  We do well to set our hearts on a similar course, in eager anticipation of the day when we shall see Him face to face!

Face to face with Christ, my Savior,
Face to face—what will it be,
When with rapture I behold Him,
Jesus Christ who died for me?

Face to face shall I behold Him,
Far beyond the starry sky;
Face to face in all His glory,
I shall see Him by and by!

March 28

Bible Reading: Luke 18

Luke 18:9, “And He told this parable to certain ones who trusted in themselves…”

Jesus’ parable speaks of two very different men offering two very different kinds of prayers leading to two very different kinds of results.  The Pharisee was self-righteous, the tax-gatherer was not.  The Pharisee prayed to himself and asked for nothing because he supposed he needed nothing.  The tax-gathered prayed to God and cried out for mercy because he was well aware of his shortcomings.  The Pharisee’s prayer was unacceptable to God.  The tax-gatherer’s prayer met with God’s approval: “this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other” (Luke 18:14).

God hates pride.  Pride was at the heart of the Devil’s sinful rebellion (Isaiah 14:12-14).  It was to pride that Adam and Eve were tempted and then fell (Genesis 3:5, “You will be like God.”).  It was with pride that they foolishly presumed to compensate for their loss by sewing “fig leaves together” to cover their nakedness (Genesis 3:7).  False religions, like Pharisaic Judaism, operate according to that ill-advised endeavor.  Religions wrongly assume that there is something man himself can do, in his own wisdom and strength, to make up for that which was lost in the fall.  But pride is an abomination to God (Proverbs 6:16).  God is opposed to the proud (Proverbs 3:34, 1 Peter 5:5, James 4:6).  “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength” (Jeremiah 17:5).  Pride is at the root of all that ails man and works to cloud a person’s vision regarding his need for mercy and forgiveness.

The Pharisee measured spirituality on a horizontal plane and thereby deemed himself better than others.  Religion works according to the false premise that a person is doing well as long as they can find some poor fool that’s worse off than they are (Luke 18:11). It is easy for any of us to get caught up in this system of thinking about things.  The church in Corinth, beset with pride-related issues, was likewise misled: “For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding” (2 Corinthians 10:12).

Humility can be defined as rightly esteeming oneself, before God and others, in view of God’s holiness and one’s own sinfulness.  Humility is a Spirit-imparted virtue.  J. C. Ryle, “The true cure for self-righteousness is self-knowledge. Once let the eyes of our understanding be opened by the Spirit, and we shall talk no more of our own goodness.”  The Spirit alone can work to open our eyes to the glory of the Lord (John 16:14) and gravity and depth of our need (John 16:8).  Stripped of ill-founded and deceptive notions regarding human merit, the humble person cries out to God for mercy: In humility the tax-collector cried out to God for mercy, God was well-pleased to grant it (Luke 18:13-14).

Humility is not deemed virtuous by the worldly (Romans 1:30; 2 Timothy 3:2).  And it is possible for professing Christians to be so deceived (Revelation 3:17).  The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector serves to instruct and remind us as to the importance of seeing things from God’s perspective.  Preoccupation with self is the spirit of our day.  Self-esteem, self-confidence, self-assertion, etc. are all attitudes deemed by many to be both noble and essential (2 Timothy 3:1-5).  But salvation comes to the “bankrupt of spirit” (Matthew 5:3).  The Apostle Paul was a proud and self-righteous Pharisee when he first met Jesus (Philippians 3:4-6).  Jesus worked to save him, changing both his perspective and his heart.  His testimony speaks to the problem with pride: “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ… For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:7-8).  Pride esteems religious self-righteousness as virtuous, but humility rightly deems it as rubbish. God is well-pleased to grant mercy to those with humility enough to ask (Luke 18:35-43).

The problem with pride is that it erroneously assumes that we can somehow live and function okay apart from a personal relationship with the One who created us.  Humility works to open the door to God’s merciful intervention!

Nothing in my hands I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die!