John the Baptist was a relative of Jesus. Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, were cousins. Mary and Elizabeth were quite close- when Mary was scared about being pregnant with Jesus, she went to see Elizabeth for counsel. Yet, John the Baptist claims that he did not know Jesus as the Son of God. Can you imagine that? John and Jesus probably knew who each other were, and may have even played together as children, but when it comes to recognizing Jesus for who He really is, John did not recognize Him right away.
The baptism, though, removed all doubt (or at least most doubt). In most of the Gospels, we witness the baptism of Jesus through the lens of the crowd- we see what they saw. But in John, we get the perspective from John the Baptist, who found the baptism of Jesus to be a most profound event. It changed his life and now he testifies that his little cousin is the Son of God.
I pray that you would have an experience of God through the Holy Spirit that will encourage you and draw you closer to the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
John 1:15-28
The voice crying out in a wilderness. That is how John the Baptist describes himself to a group of skeptical Jews from Jerusalem. He never failed to confess that Jesus is Lord, even though he didn't fully understand what would happen with Jesus.
What astounds me in this passage is the reference made in verses 15 and 27. In verse 15, John says that Jesus is greater than he because Jesus is before John. In verse 27, John is talking about how great Jesus is as Jesus comes after John. So which is it? Is Jesus before or after John?
In this subtle way, we get a glimpse of the divine Jesus who is both before and after us. Grasping the "Beginning and the End" has a way of humbling us. God has been at work before us, and God will continue to be at work long after we are gone. That's humbling and yet empowering.
God's work does not depend on you and I. We are graciously invited in, but not because God needs the help. Instead, God's work is a gift. So in whatever you do today, remember to proclaim the One who is full of grace and truth- Jesus Christ. And let God do the rest. Amen?
What astounds me in this passage is the reference made in verses 15 and 27. In verse 15, John says that Jesus is greater than he because Jesus is before John. In verse 27, John is talking about how great Jesus is as Jesus comes after John. So which is it? Is Jesus before or after John?
In this subtle way, we get a glimpse of the divine Jesus who is both before and after us. Grasping the "Beginning and the End" has a way of humbling us. God has been at work before us, and God will continue to be at work long after we are gone. That's humbling and yet empowering.
God's work does not depend on you and I. We are graciously invited in, but not because God needs the help. Instead, God's work is a gift. So in whatever you do today, remember to proclaim the One who is full of grace and truth- Jesus Christ. And let God do the rest. Amen?
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
John 1:1-14
We're embarking on a new book today, and we're going to start going through the book of John. While John is the most unlike any of the other Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke are strikingly similar), many Christians hand the book of John to people curious about the faith. It's simple language and profound images leave a lasting impact on the reader.
Here we are introduced to God. And we are given a second character- the mysterious Word. A man named John gives testimony to who the Word is, but is not the Word himself. No, the Word is beyond any human being. A creator, a sustainer, the source of life for all humanity. And so this Word coming into the world would be embraced, right?
Already, the stage is being set for tragedy. The darkness does not understand the light, and the Word is going to be rejected by the very people the Word came to save. Yet, the Word still succeeded and has created a family that exists even to this day!
But wait, the Word is a person??? The divine hero of the story is flesh and blood?
Consider for a moment what that means. Pretend for a moment that you have no history with Christianity, and consider what it means for your life that the hero, the Word, the light, is a flesh and blood person, and post here what that means for you.
Here we are introduced to God. And we are given a second character- the mysterious Word. A man named John gives testimony to who the Word is, but is not the Word himself. No, the Word is beyond any human being. A creator, a sustainer, the source of life for all humanity. And so this Word coming into the world would be embraced, right?
Already, the stage is being set for tragedy. The darkness does not understand the light, and the Word is going to be rejected by the very people the Word came to save. Yet, the Word still succeeded and has created a family that exists even to this day!
But wait, the Word is a person??? The divine hero of the story is flesh and blood?
Consider for a moment what that means. Pretend for a moment that you have no history with Christianity, and consider what it means for your life that the hero, the Word, the light, is a flesh and blood person, and post here what that means for you.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
3 John
If 2 John is a calling to be vigilant, then 3 John is a warning that hyper-vigilance is equally scary. It seems that Gaius, a head elder or pastor, moved into a community and was doing a bunch of good work (verses 3-6).
However, the thorn in his side was Diotrephes, a leader who was pretty strict about who was allowed "in" and who was kept "out." He was so vigilant, in fact, that he kept some of John's people on the outside. John suggests some more well-balanced leadership.
The problem is tribalism. Consider for a moment the books you read. One thing the publishing industry doesn't hide very well is that there are very tight circles of approval that exist. You can prove this just by looking at the books you read. Are they all endorsed by the same group of people? That may be a sign of tribalism. Do you tend to only read/watch/listen to programming that already lines up with your belief system? That is also a sign of tribalism- and it can be dangerous.
In our vigilance to "protect ourselves," sometimes we take good perspectives that need to shake us up and refuse to listen to them. After all, God is bigger than our best perspective, and so God's Word often shakes us up a little bit (at least). If we are unable to process anything that we don't already believe, transformation will be impossible. So open yourself up today to be shaken up, expanded, transformed. And I will too.
However, the thorn in his side was Diotrephes, a leader who was pretty strict about who was allowed "in" and who was kept "out." He was so vigilant, in fact, that he kept some of John's people on the outside. John suggests some more well-balanced leadership.
The problem is tribalism. Consider for a moment the books you read. One thing the publishing industry doesn't hide very well is that there are very tight circles of approval that exist. You can prove this just by looking at the books you read. Are they all endorsed by the same group of people? That may be a sign of tribalism. Do you tend to only read/watch/listen to programming that already lines up with your belief system? That is also a sign of tribalism- and it can be dangerous.
In our vigilance to "protect ourselves," sometimes we take good perspectives that need to shake us up and refuse to listen to them. After all, God is bigger than our best perspective, and so God's Word often shakes us up a little bit (at least). If we are unable to process anything that we don't already believe, transformation will be impossible. So open yourself up today to be shaken up, expanded, transformed. And I will too.
Friday, July 1, 2011
2 John
2 John, written in a fairly transparent code, highlights one of the central problems that the Church faces- deception. There weren't very many "pastors" for churches right off the bat, and so there were many traveling figures (like Paul) who would come and teach. It wasn't until later NT times that people like Timothy were raised up to stay in an area and fulfill a function similar to the modern-day pastor (in teaching respects).
The church John is writing to in 2 John is one of these churches. It is a church making disciples (raising children) and rockin' along in the mission of God. However, there are issues, too. And there are love issues.
The big issue of the day is incarnation- did Jesus really come in the flesh? This is far from an academic debate- it has consequences on the way we live. As long as Jesus wasn't really human, as long as Jesus didn't really have human skin and the power to make human decisions, God is still distant. Which means we can be distant- we don't need the kind of face-to-face love that God has instilled in us since the beginning.
But Jesus did come in the flesh, God is not distant, God's love that we reflect onto others is meant to be in our very steps (walk in love). And so let's carry that love with us today.
The church John is writing to in 2 John is one of these churches. It is a church making disciples (raising children) and rockin' along in the mission of God. However, there are issues, too. And there are love issues.
The big issue of the day is incarnation- did Jesus really come in the flesh? This is far from an academic debate- it has consequences on the way we live. As long as Jesus wasn't really human, as long as Jesus didn't really have human skin and the power to make human decisions, God is still distant. Which means we can be distant- we don't need the kind of face-to-face love that God has instilled in us since the beginning.
But Jesus did come in the flesh, God is not distant, God's love that we reflect onto others is meant to be in our very steps (walk in love). And so let's carry that love with us today.
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