LookingtoJesus

He Shall Glorify Me

Bible Reading: John 16

John 16:14, “He shall glorify me.”

“Spirit of God, my teacher be, showing the things of Christ to me” (Hymn “More About Jesus”).

“He shall glorify me.” These four words speak to the primary purpose and intent of the person of the Holy Spirit in this age.  His ministry is to glorify Jesus Christ.  Charles Spurgeon put it this way: “It is the chief office of the Holy Spirit to glorify Christ.  He does many things, but this is what he aims at in all of them, to glorify Christ.”

The term translated “glorify” here is the Greek, “doxazo”, which means “to cause the dignity and worth of some person or thing to become manifest and acknowledged.”  His ministry, therefore, is to manifest the dignity and worth of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.  This is what He is ever endeavoring to do.

In his book, “Keeping in Step with the Spirit,” J. I. Packer speaks of what he called the “floodlight” ministry of the Spirit: “I remember walking to a church one winter evening to preach on the words ‘he shall glorify me,’ seeing the building floodlit as I turned a corner and realizing that this was exactly the illustration that my message needed.  When floodlighting is well done, the floodlights are so placed that you do not see them; you are not in fact supposed to see where the light is coming from; what you are meant to see is just the building on which the floodlights are trained.  The intended effect is to make it visible when otherwise it would not be seen for the darkness, and to maximize the dignity by throwing all its details into relief so that you see it properly.  This perfectly illustrates the Spirit’s new covenant role.  He is, so to speak, the hidden floodlight shining on the Savior.  Or think of it this way.  It is as if the Spirit stands behind us, throwing light over our shoulder, on Jesus, who stands facing us.  The Spirit’s message to us is never, ‘Look at me; listen to me; come to me; get to know me,’ but always, ‘Look at Him, and see His glory; listen to Him, and hear His Word; go to Him and Have His life; get to know Him, and taste of His gift of joy and peace’.”

The Spirit of God works in the lives of God’s children to accomplish this purpose.  He is ever working to open our eyes to the glory of Christ.  It was He who first unveiled to us the truth regarding the glory of Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:3-6).  He has ever since been working to make Him better known to us.  It is He who opens our eyes to “the hope to which he has called (us), “the riches of his glorious inheritance,” and “the immeasurable greatness of his power” (Ephesians 1:18-19).  Only by His working can we “comprehend… what is the breadth and length and height and depth and… know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge” (Ephesians 3:15, 18-19).  It is He who causes us, “in the beholding the glory of the Lord,” to be “transformed into the same image” (2 Corinthians 3:18).  Glorious Christ-like virtues are replicated in us by Him (Galatians 5:22-23).

For worship to be acceptable, it must be “in spirit and truth” (John 4:23).  Consistent to His Christ-exalting ministry, those who “worship by the Spirit of God” are those who “glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3).  This spiritual axiom is helpful in the practice of discernment.  If any work fails to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ, it cannot be a work of the Spirit of God!  Charles Spurgeon once spoke to this, “There are many ministries in the world, and they are very diverse from one another; but this truth will enable you to judge which is right out of them all.  That ministry which makes much of Christ, is of the Holy Spirit; and that ministry which decries him, ignores him, or puts him in the background in any degree, is not of the Spirit of God.  Any doctrine which magnifies man, but not man’s Redeemer, any doctrine which denies the depth of the Fall, and consequently derogates from the greatness of salvation, any doctrine which makes sinless, and therefore makes Christ’s work less, —away with it, away with it.  This shall be your infallible test as to whether it is of the Holy Ghost or not, for Jesus says, “He shall glorify me.”  IT WERE BETTER TO SPEAK FIVE WORDS TO the GLORY OF CHRIST, THAN TO BE the greatest orator who ever lived, and to neglect or dishonor the Lord Jesus Christ.”

“He shall glorify Me!”  Praise God for the Christ-revealing and Christ-exalting work of the person of the Holy Spirit!  If our endeavor is to behold the glory of Jesus, we find, in the Helper who indwells us, One who has been appointed to that very task!  We do well to look where He is pointing and to follow His lead if we are to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus!

MORE ABOUT JESUS

More about Jesus would I know,
More of His grace to others show;
More of His saving fullness see,
More of His love who died for me.

Refrain:
More, more about Jesus,
More, more about Jesus;
More of His saving fullness see,
More of His love who died for me.

More about Jesus let me learn,
More of His holy will discern;
Spirit of God, my teacher be,
Showing the things of Christ to me. [Refrain]

More about Jesus in His Word,
Holding communion with my Lord;
Hearing His voice in ev’ry line,
Making each faithful saying mine. [Refrain]

More about Jesus on His throne,
Riches in glory all His own;
More of His kingdom’s sure increase;
More of His coming, Prince of peace. [Refrain]

The True Vine

Bible Reading: John 15

John 15:16, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide.”

My 91-year-old dad has a variety of fruit trees in his backyard, which he has been maintaining for many years.  He sprays them and prunes them and waits expectedly every year for harvest time.  This past fall, his fig tree was especially productive.  So much so that he invited neighbors to come pick from its branches and even set some fruit out by the sidewalk for those passing by to take.  His goal, of course, is to do everything necessary so that his trees will be as fruitful as possible.  God has the same goal for us in our Christian lives.  This passage holds the key to how that is made possible.

It’s good practice whenever we are studying our Bibles to look for repeated words and phrases, as they are helpful in unlocking the key to a passage of Scripture.  In this passage, the term “abide” appears 11 times; the term “fruit” appears 8 times; “branch(es) 6 times; and “vine” 3 times. The passage obviously has to do with fruit-bearing.  It speaks of bearing fruit (John 15:4), more fruit (John 15:2), much fruit (John 15:5), and lasting fruit (John 15:16).  So, this is the key.  God wants for us to bear fruit—the fruit of obedience (John 15:10), the fruit of showing love for one another (John 15:12), the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23); the fruit of doing good works to the glory of God (Colossians 1:10); the fruit which God causes when we use our gifts in ministry to others (1 Corinthians 3:6-9).

There is one simple thing that lies at the root of the matter when it comes to bearing much fruit and it is “abiding” in Christ. When my dad prunes his tree, he removes those branches that are unlikely to bear fruit and that get in the way of what he expects to be the more productive branches. Once disconnected from the tree, those branches are put in a debris pile never to bear fruit again. It would be impossible for them to henceforth bear anything, for they’ve been disconnected from their life-source. It’s the same when the Christian, as Jesus made clear, when he said, “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Put simply, it is the vitality of our connection to Jesus that makes all the difference when it comes to us doing those things that are pleasing to God.

The word “abide” is the simple word, “remain.” It speaks of remaining close to Jesus. It involves the practice of the spiritual disciplines, three of which are spoken of in this context. Abiding in Christ requires that we “abide in (his) word” (John 15:7). Abiding in Christ involves loving one another in the context of fellowship (John 15:12). And abiding in Christ necessitates prayer (John 15:16). The practice of these disciples do not equate to abiding in Christ, but are essential to the maintenance of an intimate and growing personal knowledge of Him, their practice engaged unto that virtuous goal.

Kenneth Wuest put it this way: “In John 15, the abiding of the Christian in Christ refers to his maintaining unbroken fellowship with Him. He makes his spiritual home in Christ. There is nothing between himself and his Savior, no sin unjudged and not put away. He depends upon Him for spiritual life and vigor as the branch is dependent upon the vine. The abiding of Christ in the Christian is His permanent residence in Him and His supplying that Christian with the necessary spiritual energy to produce fruit in his life through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

He is the vine.  We are the branches.  God wants for you to bear much lasting fruit in your Christian life.  The key is the maintenance of an intimate and healthy relationship with Christ! 

JUST A CLOSER WALK WITH THEE

I am weak but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Refrain:
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

Thro’ this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee. [Refrain]

When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore. [Refrain]

He is Our Peace

Bible Reading: John 14

John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Isaiah 26:3, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

Jesus warned His disciples of His imminent departure from them: “Little children, yet a little while I am with you” (John 13:33; John 14:28).  They had good reason to be troubled by the prospect.  They had abandoned all to follow Jesus.  He was their Master; they had devoted themselves to His cause.  They had been led and instructed and loved by Him and they couldn’t imagine life apart from Him.  He was aware of their anxiety and counseled them, “Let not your heart be troubled.  Believe in God; believe also in me” (John 14:1).  Then He repeated that same admonition (i.e., “let not your hearts be troubled”) once again (John 14:27).

We should note here, first of all, that Jesus is aware of our propensity to be troubled of heart.  Life in this sin-cursed world is filled with troubles of all different varieties.  Jesus would later warn His disciples, “In this world you have tribulation” (John 17:33).  How prone we are to be anxious amidst our troubles.  But it is good to know that “Jesus knows all about our struggles.”  In Him we have One who can “sympathize with our weaknesses,” having been “tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).  The disciples were troubled of heart, but He was well aware of their need.

Peace has always been elusive for those who dwell on this trouble-filled planet.  Man instinctively yearns for the tranquility of soul that was lost to him because of the fall.  St. Augustine once said, “Thou hast made us for Thyself and our hearts are restless until we find rest in Thee.”  But to this day, the world works and plans and negotiates for peace, to no avail.  There is a kind of peace that the world gives (John 14:27), but it is as elusive and transitory as a calm sea in a stormy region. 

Jesus promised to His disciples a peace of supernatural origin.  The Greek word translated peace in this passage is “eirene”.  According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary, it speaks of “the harmonized relationships between God and man, accomplished through the gospel… (and) the sense of rest and contentment consequent thereon.”  The term is related to the Hebrew “shalom”, which refers to “a harmonious state of the soul.”  Distinct from its worldly counterpart, Jesus promised to His disciples a tranquility of soul that was firmly rooted in their relationship with Him.  It was His peace that He Himself would impart.

Later, in this same conversation with His disciples, Jesus said, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation.  But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).  In Him, we find peace.  If we look for it elsewhere, we will surely be disappointment, but “there is a place of quiet rest near to the heart of God,” near to the Savior who loves us and died for us.  He has overcome the world.  He has conquered our greatest foes.  No trouble can assail us that He has not already triumphed over.  He is able, by His presence, to set a garrison about our troubled-prone hearts and minds that we might experience “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).

The disciples were troubled by the news of Jesus’ pending departure.  They had been troubled before on other occasions.  One day at sea, a fierce gale arose and threatened to sink their boat.  Jesus was asleep in the stern.  “They woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing’” (Mark 4:38).  “And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace!  Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was great calm” (Mark 4:39).  He who rules the winds and the waves cares.  “He’s the Master of the sea, billows His will obey.”  If you’ve got “Jesus in your boat” you’ve no reason to fear.  He who brought a “great calm” to the storm-tossed seas can do the same in the hearts of those who trust look to Him for peace. “You can throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon him, for you are his personal concern” (1 Peter 5:7, JB Phillips).

PEACE, PERFECT PEACE

Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin?
The blood of Jesus whispers peace within.

Peace, perfect peace, by thronging duties pressed?
To do the will of Jesus, this is rest.

Peace, perfect peace, death shadowing us and ours?
Jesus has vanquished death and all its powers.

Peace, perfect peace, our future all unknown?
Jesus we know, and he is on the throne.

It is enough: earth’s struggles soon shall cease,
and Jesus, call us to heaven’s perfect peace.

The Master Servant

Bible Reading: John 13

John 13:12-14, “When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, ‘Do you understand what I have done to you?  You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet’.”

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

J. Vernon McGee, “We come now to a most unusual incident.  I wish I could shock you, startle you with it.  We hear it so often that we lose the wonder of it.  Jesus Christ leaves heaven’s glory and comes down to this earth and He takes the place of a slave and washes feet!”

The washing of feet was a common practice in Jesus’ day.  They wore only sandals, so it was the first act upon entering a house, both for cleansing and refreshing purposes.  In most cases, the host furnished the water, and the guests washed their own feet.  But amongst the richer folks, the washing was done by a slave and was amongst the lowliest of services (1 Samuel 25:41).

That’s what is so remarkable about this incident!  It is the eternal Son who purposed to take the place of a servant in washing the feet of the disciples.  He came to serve and would soon serve by giving His life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).  How radically different was the life of Jesus!  In his sinless and selfless perfection, His life was radically divergent from any life before or since. 

We can imagine the disciples wondering, “What are you doing, Jesus?” as He began.  They’d no doubt been a part of countless foot-washings before, but never like this one.  We see some of that in Peter’s response as Jesus’ began to wash his feet.  What was the Master doing taking the place of a servant?  But it was more than just that.  That He, being their Master, should wash their feet was surprising enough, but when you consider His knowledge of what they were soon to do — that makes the matter doubly so.

He washed their feet.  Including the feet of Judas, that were mere minutes away from walking away to sell Jesus out.  And the feet of the disciples, who were prone to argue amongst themselves as to who was the greatest, and who would do so again on that very occasion (Mark 9:31-34, 10:32-45; Luke 22:23-27).  With their feet, they’d flee from Jesus in abandonment upon His arrest.  He washed the feet of them all.  A motley crew.  Sinful, selfish, attention-seeking, hard-headed disciples.  People like us (Romans 5:8). 

He rose from supper.  Laid aside His garments.  Girded Himself about.  Poured water in the basin.  And began to wash the disciple’s feet.  Wiping them with the towel with which He was girded.  He did it all.  No one else had thought to do it.  No one intervened to replace Him or assist Him.

Why did He do it?  Unlike all of us, who are sinfully prone to pursue first our own self-interests, the “Son of man… came to serve” (Mark 10:45).  He was amongst them “as the one who serves” (Luke 22: 27).  He was always serving, and His capacity to do so knew no bounds.  The question “What are you doing there, Jesus, washing the feet of the disciples?” elicits another bigger one, “What are you doing there Jesus, hanging on a cross for sins not your own?” Symbolically, the foot-washing looked forward to that greater future act.  But there was another purpose behind Jesus’ actions.  He did what He did to set an example for us (John 13:15).

Jesus has called us to a radically different way of thinking and living, one that is according to His example.  We are at our best in Christ when we follow in His steps, putting the needs of others ahead of our own (Philippians 2:3-8).  By the Spirit—forsaking pride, pursuing love, setting aside our supposed rights, showing forgiveness, extending grace. 

Chuck Swindoll put it this way, “To serve. To give. That’s at the heart of it all.  We are to be engaged in a lifestyle that is characterized by authentic selflessness—one in which being preoccupied with the other person’s needs and welfare leads us to experience genuine happiness and fulfillment.  This was the lifestyle of our Lord and Master, who is the supreme model of the unselfish life.”

MEEKNESS AND MAJESTY

Meekness and majesty manhood and deity
In perfect harmony the Man who is God
Lord of eternity dwells in humanity
Kneels in humility and washes our feet

Chorus:
O what a mystery meekness and majesty
Bow down and worship for this is your God

Father’s pure radiance perfect in innocence
Yet learns obedience to death on a cross
Suffering to give us life
Conquering through sacrifice
And as they crucify prays Father forgive [Chorus]

Wisdom unsearchable God the invisible
Love indestructible in frailty appears
Lord of infinity stooping so tenderly
Lifts our humanity to the heights of His throne [Chorus]

Songwriters: Graham Kendrick
Meekness and Majesty lyrics © Thank You Music Ltd.

He Came to Save

Bible Reading: John 12

John 12:44-47, “And Jesus cried out and said, ‘Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world’.”

Martin Luther once said, “The mystery of the humanity of Christ, that He sunk Himself into our flesh, is beyond all human understanding.”  And so, it is!  The intricacies of why the eternal Son would stoop so low to save poor sinners like us is a transcendent truth.  And yet, this much we know—He came to save! We can’t rightly understand the true message of Christmas apart from a full appreciation of the purpose for which he came.  The truth of why the CREATOR was once laid in the CRADLE can only be apprehended if we have come to appreciate the reason for why he died on a CROSS.

It’s amazing to consider the extent of what He left behind and sacrificed in His divine rescue mission.  “Though He was rich, yet for (our) sake He became poor,” when “he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant” (2 Corinthians 9:6; Philippians 2:7).  It is as J. Vernon McGee has said: He came from the atmosphere of Heaven to the smelly air of a stall. He departed the presence of angels and arrived in the presence of animals.  He came from the light of the Father’s house to the darkness of a barn.  He gave up the halls of eternity to enter the stable of maternity.  He came a long way from the joy of Heaven to the sorrow of earth.”

Jesus did that to save us.  That’s the purpose for which he came, even as 1 Timothy 1:15 explains: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”  “For all have sinned” and the “wages of sin is death” (Romans 3:23, 6:23).  He came to rescue us from the judgement we deserve. 

John MacArthur put the matter this way, “But the Bible says that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. That’s the reason for His coming. Sin is the ugliness of Christmas. It is the degenerative power in the human stream that makes man susceptible to disease, disaster, illness, death and hell. And it is the reason for Christmas. Every broken marriage, every disrupted home, every shattered friendship, every argument, every disagreement, every evil thought, evil word, evil deed, every good deed undone, good thought un-thought, good word unsaid can be attributed to sin… So, you cannot look at Christmas and celebrate its peripheral elements, you must understand that the heart of it is the ugliness of sin.”

The good news is what the hymn speaks of, for He came (and died), “for poor, or’nry people like you and I.”  Poor, ordinary, rebel sinners. Poor sin-dead, lost, sin-weary souls. Poor people without God and without hope in the world.  He came and, by way of his “once for all” sacrifice for sins, opened the door whereby lost sinners could be saved from sin’s penalty, power, and, one day, its presence.  Indeed, He has provided a “salvation to the uttermost” (Hebrews 7:25) for all who place their trust in Him!

The True Meaning of Christmas is that God has provided for us a Savior, His Son Jesus Christ!  In that, there is a gift for all to receive and rejoice in.  Have you received God’s gift of salvation? 2 Corinthians 9:15, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”  And for those who know Him, a message to be shared.  Even as the hymn says: “Down in a lowly manger, the humble Christ was born; And God sent us salvation that blessed Christmas morn—Go tell it on the mountain!”

GO, TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN

Refrain:
Go tell it on the mountain,
over the hills, and ev’rywhere;
go, tell it on the mountain
that Jesus Christ is born.

While shepherds kept their watching
o’er silent flocks by night,
behold, throughout the heavens
there shone a holy light. [Refrain]

The shepherds feared and trembled
when lo, above the earth
rang out the angel chorus
that hailed our Savior’s birth. [Refrain]
Down in a lowly manger
the humble Christ was born,
and God sent us salvation
that blessed Christmas morn. [Refrain]

Power to Enliven

Bible Reading: John 11

John 11:43, “He cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, COME OUT!’”

John 11:44, “The man who had died CAME OUT.”

Lazarus died.  They wrapped him in grave clothes and laid him in a cave.  A stone, lying against the entrance, prevented the stench of his rotting corpse from reaching the nostrils of the living (John 11:39).  Many had come to console his sisters (John 11:19).  They all gathered and wept.  Jesus arrived—too late, they thought, to be of any help.  “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died,” Mary said (John 11:32).  Jesus saw Mary weeping and the others weeping with her.  “He was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled” (John 11:33).  “Jesus wept” (John 11:34).

Jesus came to the tomb.  His surprising command, “Take away the stone,” was met with reluctant concern: “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days” (John 11:39).  Lazarus was dead and gone, buried, and rotting away when Jesus called him forth.  But the stone was removed (John 11:41).  Jesus offered a prayer of thanks to God (John 11:42).  Then “He cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out’ (John 11:43) and Lazarus “came out” (John 11:44).  At His command, life was imparted.  At His command, Lazarus came forth. 

The lost sinner is dead in his trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1).  Physically speaking, he may walk, and he may breathe, but spiritually speaking, he is as dead and lifeless as Lazarus lying in that grave.  And is as utterly helpless to do anything to rectify his lost condition (Romans 5:6), as Lazarus was to revive himself.  There is no one on earth who can do anything to bring life to a dead soul.

“In Him was life” (John 1:4).  He has “life in Himself” (John 5:26).  He is “the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25).  He came to die for sins and “destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14).  It was “impossible” for Him to be held in death’s power (Acts 2:24).  He is the “living One, (who was) dead… and (is) alive forevermore” (Revelation 1:18).  Those who trust in Him instantaneously pass “from death to life” (John 5:24).

How wonderful the day, believer, when life was imparted to your sin-dead soul by the Lord Jesus Christ!  Your first birth anticipated future death; re-birth brought eternal life.  Identified with Christ in His death, you were raised with Him to “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).  You were “made alive together” with Him (Ephesians 2:5).  Jesus is now your life (Colossians 3:4).  You were dead!  Now you are alive in Him (Galatians 2:20)!  How did it happen?  Solely by the grace of God (Ephesians 2:1-10)!

“Death and the grave are never satisfied” (Proverbs 27:20, CEV), but they will gain no satisfaction in the death of one of His redeemed.  He who called Lazarus from his tomb and rose triumphantly from His will call us forth from ours.  “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22).  Lazarus came forth from his tomb in earthly garb, but in Jesus’ return, the believer will experience a more glorious exodus in which He “will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:21).

Loved ones in Christ have departed us.  But the Day of Christ’s return draws near.  He will “descend from heaven with a cry of command… and the dead in Christ shall rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16).  He cried out to Lazarus and Lazarus came forth.  He will come from heaven with a shout and the dead in Christ will rise up to meet Him.  Jesus, the Life-Giver, has the power to do that.  He emptied Lazarus’ tomb and will empty countless others in His return.  He says, “come forth” and they do.

I WILL SING OF MY REDEEMBER

I will sing of my Redeemer
and his wondrous love to me;
on the cruel cross he suffered,
from the curse to set me free.
Sing, O sing of my Redeemer!
With his blood he purchased me;
on the cross he sealed my pardon,
paid the debt, and made me free.

I will tell the wondrous story,
how my lost estate to save,
in his boundless love and mercy,
he the ransom freely gave.
I will praise my dear Redeemer,
his triumphant power I’ll tell:
how the victory he gives me
over sin and death and hell.

I will sing of my Redeemer
and his heavenly love for me;
he from death to life has brought me,
Son of God, with him to be.
Sing, O sing of my Redeemer!
With his blood he purchased me;
on the cross he sealed my pardon,
paid the debt, and made me free.

The Good Shepherd

Bible Reading: John 10

Years ago, while driving down a county road near Roseburg, a strange sight caught my attention.  A sheep in the adjacent field had caught its head in a wire fence.  I pulled over to the side of the road.  The sheep, stuck and confused, was crying out, “Baa, Baa,” but there were no other sheep around and no shepherd nearby to hear.  I supposed that it might have eventually freed itself, but decided to go to the nearby home and tell the owner. 

We humans are like sheep.  The Bible frequently uses this apt description.  The English dictionary does too.  Amongst the various definitions given is “a person who is too easily influenced or led.”  — “vulnerable in their stupidity.”  Why would a sheep stick its head in the fence?  Didn’t it know any better?  Being stuck there, how would it then be delivered from its predicament? 

Isaiah 53:6 speaks to our need: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way.”  We’ve all gone astray.  We’ve all, in sin, made stupid choices.  We’ve wandered down dubious pathways and gotten our heads stuck in places where they didn’t belong.  The Apostle Peter likewise spoke of this human tendency to waywardness: “For you were continually straying like sheep” (1 Peter 2:25).

Jesus declared Himself to be the “Good Shepherd” (John 10:11, 14).  In contrast to others who were “not concerned about the sheep,” He cares (John 10:13).  “And seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).  We are, in sin, “distressed and downcast,” the good news is that there is One who is sympathetic to our need.  The good shepherd came “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).  “The tax-gatherers and sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him” (Luke 15:1).  They were wayward sheep in need of a shepherd who would care for them.  “Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them’.”  And He told them a parable saying, ‘What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it?  And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ (Luke 15:2-6).”  He has sought us out and heaven itself rejoices once we are found (Luke 15:7).

He is the good shepherd.  He is good by nature and good in all that He does (Psalm 119:68).  He’s proven His loving concern through His loving sacrifice.  King David was a shepherd and a good one.  “When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock (he) went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth” (1 Samuel 17:35).  Jesus, the good shepherd, demonstrated His love in “laying down His life” that he might conquer our greatest enemies—sin and death.  Four times in eight verses, this expression, “laying down His life,” appears (John 10:11-18).  His essential goodness, as a loving and well-qualified shepherd, has been demonstrated in that He willingly gave His life for us.  No one took it from Him. He laid it down on His own initiative (John 10:17-18).  He cared that much for His wandering sheep.

In the laying down of His life, He bore our sins.  Isaiah 53:6, “All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.”  “He gave His life. What more could He give?”  The Good Shepherd “bore our sins in His body on the cross that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.  For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian for your souls” (1 Peter 2:24-25).

How good it is to have a Good Shepherd who loves and cares and watches over us!  From time to time, we might find ourselves, like that stupid sheep, in some pretty strange and troublesome predicaments.  It’s good to know that we have in Jesus a Guardian for our souls, a Good Shepherd who always cares (1 Peter 5:7).  “Savior, like a shepherd lead us, much we need Thy tender care!”

SAVIOR, LIKE A SHEPHERD LEAD US

Savior, like a shepherd lead us,
Much we need Thy tender care;
In Thy pleasant pastures feed us,
For our use Thy folds prepare:
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are;
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.

We are Thine, do Thou befriend us,
Be the guardian of our way;
Keep Thy flock, from sin defend us,
Seek us when we go astray:
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Hear, O hear us when we pray;
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Hear, O hear us when we pray.

Thou hast promised to receive us,
Poor and sinful though we be;
Thou hast mercy to relieve us,
Grace to cleanse, and pow’r to free:
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Early let us turn to Thee;
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Early let us turn to Thee.

Early let us seek Thy favor,
Early let us do Thy will;
Blessed Lord and only Savior,
With Thy love our bosoms fill:
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Thou hast loved us, love us still;
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Thou hast loved us, love us still.

Power to Enlighten

Bible Reading: John 9

John 9:40-41, “Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things and said to him, ‘Are we also blind?’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.”

It was an unprecedented miracle that clearly testified to the truth regarding Jesus.  When Jesus healed the man born blind, “the works of God (were) displayed in him” (John 9:3).  The blind man, his sight having been restored, testified to the unprecedented nature of the miracle: “Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind” (John 9:32).  John the Baptist had previously sent messengers to Jesus, asking, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another” (Matthew 11:3)?  First mentioned in His response to John was the fact that “the blind receive their sight” (Matthew 11:5).  Isaiah had prophesied of the ministry of the coming Messiah, “The eyes of the blind shall be opened” (Isaiah 35:5).  Jesus fulfilled prophesy in opening the eyes of the man born blind.  It was an “attesting sign” revealing Jesus to be “the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:31).

In Jesus, “the true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:9).  There are but two responses to the Light—reject Him or receive Him (John 1:11-12), love the light, or hate it (John 3:19-21; 7:7).  Both responses were clearly evident in the aftermath of the blind man’s healing.  He was healed of both physical and spiritual blindness, but the religious leaders were and remained blind to their blindness.

The man born blind had been a beggar (John 9:8).  The neighbors recognized him, saw him seeing, and didn’t know what to think.  Some said that it was him, others suggested that it was merely someone who looked like him.  He kept saying, “I am the man” (John 9:10).  So, they asked him how his eyes were opened.  He attributed the work to Jesus.  They brought the man to the Pharisees (John 9:13).

The Pharisees interrogated the man born blind, but not to find out the truth.  It was a Sabbath day when “Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes” (John 9:14), so the Pharisees had already therefore concluded that Jesus could not be the Messiah.  In fact, His previous healing on the Sabbath had given rise to their hatred of Him (John 5:16, 18).  It should be noted that the Pharisees were involved in a great hypocritical cover-up.  They had invented hundreds of petty religious laws that governed nearly every aspect of their lives.  Many of these laws had to do with what could and could not be done on the Sabbath.  They thought that in the keeping of such rules, they were made righteous, but they were not righteous.  They were instead “whitewashed tombs… full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness” (Matthew 23:27).  They were “blind guides” (Matthew 23:16) lost in sin and oblivious to their need.  They hated Jesus because He stripped away the whitewash to reveal the truth of that which lay within their hearts (John 7:7).

The religious leaders did not believe that the blind man had been healed, so they called and interrogated his parents.  To suppress the truth, the Jews had already worked to threaten, with expulsion from the synagogue, anyone confessing Jesus to be the Christ (John 9:22).  So, the parents refused to say how their son’s eyes were opened (John 9:20-21).  So, for a second time, the Pharisees interrogated the healed man.  He did not waver and spoke the truth regarding what he had experienced (John 9:23-24).  “If this man were not from God, he could do nothing,” he said (John 9:33).  The infuriated Pharisees cast him out, but Jesus found him and opened his spiritual eyes to the truth about Himself (John 9:35-41).

The blind man was twice healed of blindness (physically and spiritually). The religious leaders were doubly blind to truth.  They were blind to their blindness and blind to the truth regarding Jesus.  And so are we all until the Spirit of God works to open blind eyes as He convicts of sin and witnesses to the glory of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4; John 16:8-11, 14).  “I once was lost, but now am found; was blind but now I see” is the wonderful testimony of those who have had their eyes opened to the glory of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6)!

AMAZING GRACE

Amazing grace (how sweet the sound)
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
was blind, but now I see.

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved;
how precious did that grace appear
the hour I first believed!

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come:
‘tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,
his word my hope secures;
he will my shield and portion be
as long as life endures.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
the sun forbear to shine;
but God, who called me here below,
will be forever mine.

Sin’s Sole Remedy

Bible Reading: John 8

John 8:24, “Unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”

Set before us is a clear and succinct statement of warning and remedy.  The warning is to all since “all have sinned” (Romans 3:23).  Sin demands and deserves punishment (Romans 6:23).  God is holy and just.  A day of judgment looms in which “the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 4:6).  They will “suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might” (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

To die in one sins is to die and then stand before God with no remedy in hand.  No defense or excuse will work to deflect His wrath.  No amount of self-righteousness will stay His fury.  To die in one’s sins is to depart this life, troubled as it may be, to an existence of eternal woe.  One can only imagine the pain and suffering of such a place, where there is eternal weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:42).  There is a great chasm fixed between heaven and hell—there will be no future escape from pain or sorrow for the one who dies in his sins.

The broad path that leads to destruction is well-traveled (Matthew 7:13).  It seems right to men but ends in death (Proverbs 14:12).  We are all broad-path travelers by nature.  We are delivered from that doomed pathway only by God’s intervention.

The “unless” at the beginning of our text speaks to God’s remedy.  There is a way, one way, by which certain doom can be averted.  The remedy lies in a person and is bound up in our response to Him.  The Gospel of John was written to proclaim the truth that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:30).  Seven recorded miracles testify to His deity.  Likewise, He Himself made seven “I Am” statements that affirmed His identity.  Two of these statements are in this context of our text.  In the first Jesus declared, “I AM the light of the world” (John 8:12).  In the second He said, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”  In response to His statement the Jews “picked up stones to throw at him,” having clearly understood that which He was declaring concerning Himself (John 8:59; 10:31-33).

It is in this One—the divine Son of God who died for sins—that a sure remedy for sin can be found.  That He has done all that is needful to save us is without question.  The resurrection was proof-positive that God had accepted His once-for-all payment for sins (Romans 1:4, 4:25; 1 Peter 3:18).

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).  Some years ago, I read of a man who drowned in saving his son.  His two-year-old son had fallen overboard.  He dove into the fast-moving water and handed his son to his father-in-law, but then he slipped underwater and did not resurface.  He gave his life for his son whom he loved.  God, in love, gave His son for rebellious sinners like us—so that we might not die in our sins (John 3:16).  “Amazing love, how can it be that Thou My God shouldst die for me?”

The remedy for sin is appropriated by faith: “Unless you believe that I am He.” John’s gospel purposes to declare the truth about Jesus that “by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31).  Salvation is appropriated by faith and only by faith.  90+ times the word “believe” appears in John’s gospel.  The message, from beginning to end of the gospel account, is that salvation is by faith in Him (John 1:12-13, 3:16, 3:36, 8:24, etc.).  This message—salvation by faith alone in Christ alone—is reiterated in numerous other Scripture texts (Acts 16:31; Romans 1:16, 10:9; Ephesians 2:8-9, etc.).

What is faith but trust?  To believe in Him is to trust in Him.  He proclaimed the truth about Himself.  Some picked up stones to throw at Him… to their doom (John 8:59).  Others believed in Him and were saved (John 8:30).  100+ years ago, the “unsinkable” Titanic hit an iceberg and began to sink.  People donned lifejackets.  Some were fortunate enough to find a seat in a lifeboat.  Those lifeboats proved lifesavers for those who got on board.  They were saved, others perished in the cold North Atlantic.  Jesus is a lifeboat to those “sinking deep in sin.”  To trust in anything else is to remain in one’s sins.  “You can’t get to heaven in a leady old boat, ‘cause a leaky old boat it just won’t float.”  To refuse to “obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus’ is to face certain and inescapable doom (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9.  To believe in Him is to receive God’s remedy and the abundant and eternal life He alone can impart.  Have you trusted in Him?  He offers the sole remedy for sin!

NO, NOT ONE!

There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus–
No, not one! no, not one!
None else could heal all our soul’s diseases–
No, not one! no, not one!

Refrain:
Jesus knows all about our struggles,
He will guide till the day is done;
There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus–
No, not one! no, not one!

No friend like Him is so high and holy–
No, not one! no, not one!
And yet no friend is so meek and lowly–
No, not one! no, not one! [Refrain]

There’s not an hour that He is not near us –
No, not one! no, not one!
No night so dark but His love can cheer us–
No, not one! no, not one! [Refrain]

Was e’er a gift like the Savior given?
No, not one! no, not one!
Will He refuse us a home in heaven?
No, not one! no, not one! [Refrain]

Rivers of Living Water

Bible Reading: John 7

John 7:37-39, “On the last day of the great feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’  Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

From my childhood, I’ve loved rivers and streams. I’ve loved to see them and hike along them and fish in them or even just to sit beside one. They’ve an inherent beauty as they cascade along, their waters teeming with the living creatures who call them home. It may surprise you to know that as a child of God, you’ve got a river running through you. And its beauty is sourced in God Himself!

Sacrifices took place on each day of the Feast of Tabernacles.  On the great day, the last day, a procession of worshippers made their way to the temple.  When they reached the Pool of Siloam, a priest filled his golden pitcher with water.  We should note that the name “Siloam” is “Shiloh” in the Hebrew (meaning “one sent”) and was a name that spoke prophetically of the coming Messiah.  The procession then made its way to the temple and just as the priest passed through the water-gate (so named for this particular ceremony) he was welcomed by a three-fold blast of the Priests’ trumpets.  The priest was then joined by another, who carried the wine for the drink offering.  Both ascended the rise of the altar together and then together simultaneously poured out the water and the wine into funnels, which then led down to the base of the altar.  Immediately after ‘the pouring of water,’ the “Hallel” Psalms (113-118) were chanted by all the people.  Every aspect of the Feast anticipated the coming Messiah (Zechariah 14:16, 8).  Year after year, for centuries, it had been observed in the hope of its ultimate future fulfillment.

Everything in the feast pointed to the promised Messiah—the sacrifices made, water taken from the pool of Siloam, the entrance through the water-gate, the Psalms sung, etc.—but, for the most part, the multitude of thirsty souls present did not recognize that fulfillment of the promise stood in their midst.  Many in today’s world struggle to find clean, drinkable water, but even more live day-after day thirsty of soul for God. 

On the last day of that great feast as the priest poured out the water—an act which anticipated the pouring out of a living water through the coming Messiah — “Jesus (the Messiah) stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink’ (John 7:37).  His reference to “living water” was to the ministry of the Spirit who was to come (John 7:39).  The Spirit did come at Pentecost.  He has ever since provided an inexhaustible torrent of “life” that works to enliven from within those who are born again.

During a particularly difficult time in his missionary work in China, Hudson Taylor was blessed by the truth of this passage.  He wrote to a friend, “And now I have the very passage for you, and God has so blessed it to my own soul? John 7: 37-39: ‘If any man thirst, let him come unto ME and drink.’ Who does not thirst? Who has not mind thirst, heart-thirsts, soul-thirsts, or body-thirsts? Well, no matter which, or whether I have them all— “Come unto me and’ remain thirsty? Ah no! ‘Come unto me and drink.’  What, can Jesus meet my need? Yes, and more than meet it. No matter how intricate my path, how difficult my service; no matter how sad my bereavement, how far away my loved ones; no matter how helpless I am, how deep are my soul-yearnings—Jesus can meet all, all, and more than meet … Can it be? Can the dry and thirsty one not only be refreshed—the parched soul moistened, the arid places cooled—but the land be so saturated that springs well up and streams flow down from it? Even so! And not mere mountain-torrents, full while the rain lasts, then dry again…but ‘from within him shall flow rivers’—rivers like the mighty Yangtze, ever deep, ever full. In times of drought brooks may fail, often do, canals may be pumped dry, often are, but the Yangtze never. Always a mighty stream, always flowing deep and irresistible!” (J. Hudson Tayler, “J. Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret”). 

SPRING UP, O WELL

I’ve got a river of life flowing out of me!
Makes the lame to walk, and the blind to see.
Opens prison doors, sets the captives free!
I’ve got a river of life flowing out of me!

Spring up, O well, within my soul!
Spring up, O well, and make me whole!
Spring up, O well, and give to me
That life abundantly.