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I am sure you have heard the statement “bloom where you are planted” before. The thought is that we need to make the most of the situation in which we find ourselves. As I was reading 1 Corinthians this morning, I found a similar concept mentioned in 1 Cor. 7:17 which says,

“Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him.”

Two things stand out in this verse. The first is that the Lord has “assigned” each of us our life circumstances. The word “assigned” means, “to distribute, to give to each in turn” (Louw and Nida). In a sense, it is describing the “hand you were dealt.” Each of us has been given a unique set of circumstances in life. Paul is encouraging the readers and us today to accept our situation in life as though it were assigned to us by God.

The second thing that impressed me is the usage of the word “called.” The hand that we have been dealt is a calling from God. It is from this verse that the idea of a life vocation as a “calling” from God is found. Those who serve in the secular world are not second class Christians but are fulfilling the role to which God has called them as they live our their faith in that setting.

This encouragement from Paul does not mean that we cannot seek to improve our life circumstances because Paul does encourage slaves to get their freedom if that is an option. Therefore, it would seem that bettering our life setting is commendable and should be pursued. Paul is encouraging us though to accept what cannot be changed as an assignment and calling from God. We can learn contentment as we trust God with the things in our lives that cannot change and as we seek to live out life faithfully in that setting.

Father, thank you again for your wisdom. Knowing that my life setting is not some random act, but assigned by you is very encouraging. You loved me enough to give me an appointment in life. I need to do my best to fulfill your assigned task for me in a way that brings you pleasure. Even so, I would be wise to seek to improve my life setting when possible, but I should also trust you with what is out of my control rather than fight against it.

Following Jesus with you,

As we approach Easter, I have been impressed with my reading in John 19:18-22 which says,

“There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, ‘Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.’ Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’ ” Pilate answered, ‘What I have written I have written.’”

A couple of things stand out to me in this summary:

1) Pilate wrote “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” What an incredible statement! In the Roman times, the person being crucified had an inscription fixed on the cross indicating the crimes for which he was being executed. The official inscription for Jesus is that he IS THE King of the Jews. This inscription was an offense to the religious leaders because they understood the significance of that inscription. That is why they wanted it to read, “This man said, I am King of the Jews.”

What a great irony of history. God made sure the inscription on the cross of Jesus reflected his identity, not his crimes. He was guilty of nothing other than being God the Son, the King of the Jews. He was the promised anointed one of the Old Testament!

2) The inscription was also written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. The significance of this is that the whole world could read his inscription. The importance of this is well stated by Hendriksen and Kristemaker when they said,

“The king of the Jews crucified at the request of the Jews; let the whole world know this. By rejecting him they have rejected themselves. And that latter rejection means ‘the reconciliation of the world’ … Hence, the whole world must be able to read this title! Here is a Savior who has international significance.”

Father, your sovereignty in the execution of Jesus is clearly seen. Jesus, our innocent and voluntary sacrifice died for the sins of all the world. This is a message that must be proclaimed for all to respond. Thank you for allowing me to hear the Good News of salvation available in Christ because he died for me!

Following Jesus with you,

When I think of verses that talk about the preexistence of Christ, I normally think of John 1:1 where it says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word, was God.” This is a strong statement of the truth that Jesus existed before creation, was in fact relationally connected to the Father and is Himself God.

Reading today, I was also impressed with an equally strong statement of the preexistence of Christ in John 17:5 which says,

“And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.”

John could not have stated the prior existence of Jesus much clearer. Jesus was with the Father before anything was created! The ESV Study Bible has a great summary of this verse. It says,

“Jesus again claims that he existed before the world existed…This implies that the material universe is not eternal but was brought into being by God. Before that, nothing material existed. But God existed eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and here Jesus speaks of a sharing of glory between the Father and the Son prior to creation, implying that there was mutual giving of honor in the interpersonal relationships of the Trinity from all eternity.

It is hard to comprehend the triune God existing in fellowship and fully content with their relationship prior to creation. Then the world is created and man is made in His image so that we could have a relationship with this eternal God! Amazing!

Father, thank you for creating all things and for making us in a way that we reflect your image and in a way that allows us to know you. Help me to keep you the number one priority in my life.

Following Jesus with you,

Jeff

In John 13 we see the familiar story of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples at the Last Supper. It was common for a slave to wash the feet of the guests of their master because the roads we dusty and people wore sandals. Their feet were dirty and this practice normally took place prior to the meal. In this case, the washing was done by Jesus during the meal.

Why would Jesus, wash the feet of his disciples? A couple of things hit me as I read this and the first is found in verse three which says,

“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”

Jesus knew that his betrayal was at hand and that he would return to the Father and be restored to him with all glory. Instead of losing interest in the present and even be exalted in pride at his destiny, he humbled himself to wash the feet of his men.

What was he trying to show them? The answer is found in verses 14-16 which say,

“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.”

Jesus says that he was leaving them an example. He expects them to live with the same humility he showed by this act of washing. He was the Messiah, the Son of God and he served them. Greatness is found in service and not self-centered promotion.

Why would that be something Jesus wanted them to understand at this critical time? The time right before he is betrayed? I think the answer may be found in Luke 22:24 where Luke tells us of something that came up during this meal. Notice what it says,

“A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest.”

Jesus, the great teacher, had not stopped teaching his disciples. It was critical for them to learn about greatness and humility. The greatest among them will be the one who serves and does not seek a position.

Father, thank you for the practical and timely teaching of Jesus. He is always ready to show the way for his disciples. Thank you that you are a God who is humble. May you help me tp be humble so that I can better reflect your character to others. May I also not loose sight of true greatness in your eyes.

Following Jesus with you,

Jeff

The familiar story of Mary anointing the feet of Jesus with expensive perfume is found in John 12:1-8. Although there is much to be learned here, the section that stood out to me today are the last four verses which read,

“But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, ‘Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?’ He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.’”

Often when I think of Judas, I only remember him betraying Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Here though we see that Judas was placed in charge of the money for Jesus and his group of followers. It explicitly says that Judas had the habit of taking money from that bag for his selfish wants way before his betrayal of Jesus. How could Jesus put him in charge of the money?

I think there are a few things we can learn from this story:

First, Jesus put him in charge of the money probably because he was good at managing money.

Second, Jesus shows trust in Judas even though he knew of his temptation in this area. He may have tried to appeal to Judas’ sense of honor in his attempt to reach him with the Gospel.  He took the risk of believing the best in him with the hope he would step-up!

Third, we learn something about temptation here. As Westcott said, “Temptation commonly comes through that for which we are naturally fitted.” I need to be aware that I am vulnerable in my strengths, not just my weaknesses.

Fourth, we see that Judas’ whole perspective on the world is warped. He has missed the beauty of the act of Mary because he was consumed with personal greed.

Fifth, Barclay makes another profound observation when he notes,

“Some things we can do almost any time, but some things we will never do, unless we grasp the chance when it comes. We are seized with the desire to do something fine and generous and big-hearted. But we put it off—we will do it tomorrow; and the fine impulse goes, and the thing is never done. Life is an uncertain thing. We think to utter some word of thanks or praise or love but we put it off; and often the word is never spoken.”

Mary understood the importance of honoring Jesus when she had the opportunity. Judas missed his chance.

Father, since this story is so familiar, I often overlook the lessons to be learned. Help me to learn from this and seize the moments you provide and do what I know you want me too and not put it off. Some opportunities only present themselves briefly and may never have the chance again.  Help me to seize those moments with family, friends and in the ministry so that I do not live with regrets!

Following Jesus with you,

Jeff

I love challenging sections of scripture because it forces me to dig a little to try to figure out what the author intended. In John 10:34-36 we have one of those challenging sections. This passage reads,

“The Jews answered him, ‘It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.’ Jesus answered them, ‘Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?”

This certainly is a difficult passage for us today, but not so for the audience at that time since they attempted to arrest Jesus on the grounds of blasphemy because of his claims. They knew what he meant! So what does Jesus mean by saying the scripture teaches that men are gods?

First we need to notice that Jesus is quoting Ps. 82. 6 which says, “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you.”

Second, the context of this quote of Ps 82 is to challenge the unjust judges of Israel. It is specifically a reference to those in an authoritative role for God.

Third, a judge was someone who was commissioned by God to “be god to men” (Barclay). The authoritative role of the judge came from God’s commissioning, and it was as though they were gods to the people. This is not implying they were divine.

Fourth, the support for the authority role of these judges and the application of the term “god” to them is well stated by Barclay when he says,

“Exodus 21:1–6 tells how the Hebrew servant may go free in the seventh year. As the Authorized Version has it, verse 6 says ‘Then his master shall bring him unto the judges.’ But in the Hebrew, the word which is translated judges is actually elohim, which means gods. The same form of expression is used in Exodus 22:9, 28. Even scripture said of men who were specially commissioned to some task by God that they were gods. So Jesus said: ‘If scripture can speak like that about men, why should I not speak so about myself?’”

Although not all translations have the word “judge” for elohim in Ex. 21:6, some do. The NET translation note says, “the phrase means to God.” They also state that although there is not complete agreement that the word is a reference to judges, they go on to say, “Others have made a stronger case… that it refers to judges who acted on behalf of God.”

Fifth, Jesus goes on to say that those who ruled for God did so as his word was given to them. Jesus is far superior since he was set apart (consecrated by God) and sent to the world as the Word.

Since Jesus is far superior to the imperfect human judges of the Old Testament, who were referred to as “gods,” he is right to refer to himself as the Son of God due to his far superior position and commissioning. He is not a mere man, but in reality, he is part of the triune God!

Father, thank you for the insightful teaching of Jesus. His brilliant analysis of your Word and his clarity for us who follow him. I thank you that he is the set apart one commissioned to save us from our sin. There is no one like him. If anyone on earth qualifies to have the term “God” applied to him it is Jesus. In fact, he is God, the Son!

Following Jesus with you,

Jeff

Today I was impressed once again by the life of Jesus. He models something for us that really is amazing. He models the need to pray. Of all people who have ever lived, he would be the only one we could argue did not need to pray. And yet he did, and he did so frequently.

Notice how D. M McIntyre discusses the reality of Jesus habit of withdrawing to pray as mentioned in Luke 6:15. He says this,

“It was our Lord’s habit to seek retirement for prayer. When He withdrew Himself from men, He was accustomed to press far into the uninhabited country—He was in the deserts. The surprise of the onlookers lay in this, that one so mighty, so richly endowed with spiritual power, should find it necessary for Himself to repair to the source of strength, that there He might refresh His weary spirit. To us, the wonder is still greater, that He, the prince of Life, the Eternal Word, the Only-begotten of the Father, should prostrate Himself in meekness before the throne of God, making entreaty for grace to help in time of need.”

These words are a reminder to me that I need to rededicate myself to prayer. If Jesus was not too busy to pray, neither am I. Over the years I have been impressed with four reasons for prayer that still motivate me. They are

1) Prayer is where my intimacy with God can flourish
2) Prayer allows me to see God work through his answers
3) Prayer accomplishes things that would not happen without it
4) Prayer allows me to conform my will to his so that I can say, “not my will but your will be done.”

Father, thank you for the challenge to refresh my efforts to pray more intentionally. Help me to redevelop this holy habit. Thank you for the privilege of prayer!

Following Jesus with you,

Jesus made one of his seven “I am” statements in John 9:5 where he said, “I am the light of the world.” All of these “I am” statements are claims to his deity.  After making this proclamation, there is the curious story of his healing of the blind man. Notice how this is described in the next two verses,

“Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. lThen he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.”

What is the point of this unusual healing? Why would Jesus spit in the dirt and make a paste he applied to the eyes of the blind man and then have him go to a specific pool called “Siloam” to wash before he is healed?

There have been many proposed explanations for this story, but I think there are a couple of observations that have helped me to understand this miracle better. The first observation is that this healing seems to illustrate a statement Jesus made in verse four where he says, “We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work.” Jesus identifies himself as a “sent one” from the Father. He was sent on a mission to be the light while he was in the world.

A second observation is mentioned by Gerald Borchert who said,

“In the present case the mixing of Jesus’ spittle (ptysma) with dirt is somewhat reminiscent of God’s breath mixing with dirt of the earth in the miracle of human creation (Gen 2:7).”

If this is the case, it is a reference back to the divine creation itself where God made man out of the dust. Here Jesus is showing his divine authority because of his modeling the creation of man in this healing.

A third observation is that the meaning of the word “Siloam” is “sent one.” As Lenski observes,

“We cannot assume that Jesus selected this pool for the beggar’s washing without himself being conscious of the meaning of its name. Too often he speaks of his Sender and thus designates himself as the One Sent. He never acts without the most comprehensive insight. In this instance even the disciples may well have caught the connection: “Wash in the pool of Siloam—of the One sent.”

The Greek allows for the translation of this term to be “of the sent one.” In other words, the blind man is told to go to the pool of the Sent One–Jesus.

All of these observations seem to be connected and show that if a person is to emerge from his spiritual blindness, he must go to the Sent One, Jesus, to receive sight. Jesus uses the pool of Siloam to illustrate the need for coming to him and him alone for healing.  He is the Sent One. He is the only one who can deal with our sin and lead us to God.

Father, thank you for another example of the intentional ministry of Jesus. He took advantage of a situation to further clarify the truth of his uniqueness. He is the only one sent by you to address our sin debt. Only through faith in him and his atoning work on our behalf can we see!

Following Jesus with you,

Most of us do not like being evaluated. In school, I recall cramming to get through an exam with little fruit in my life to show for it!

Did you realize that there are clear expectations for a believer? Specific conduct that reveals whether or not a person is a true disciple of Jesus. One of these tests is mentioned in John 8:31-32 which says,

“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Jesus is explicitly teaching the expectation for one of his disciples to be in his Word and living a life of obedience from day one. There is not a two stage discipleship process. Some think a person can believe, and then later choose to be an obedient disciple. That is not what Jesus taught. Everyone who believes in him is one of his disciples, and the expectation of conduct applies universally to all disciples and begins immediately at salvation.

Eternal Security is a theological truth that teaches once a person is saved he is always saved. That is true. Assurance, though, is dependent on my believing the truth of eternal security and comes from a life of obedience. Assurance of salvation is always related to compliance. In our passage, Jesus clearly says that only those who continue in his teaching are in reality or are in fact his disciples. Obedience is visible evidence of salvation and is expected of all who are followers of Jesus. Obedience does not earn salvation but shows that a person is saved.

When we see someone who claims to be a disciple of Jesus and yet is not following his teaching, we should not give that person assurance of salvation. We should show them the clear expectation of following Jesus and his teaching. A sinning disciple should repent of their sin and ask for forgiveness, or they may not be a believer at all. We should not be afraid to proclaim the same expectations of discipleship that Jesus did!

Father, I thank you that you have made not only salvation possible, but you have also made the path of discipleship to Jesus very clear. One of the evidences of my salvation is my obedience to the Word. This certainly does not mean I will be perfect, but that my normal way of life is obedience, and when I sin I address it the way you tell me to in your Word. Help me to remain faithful to you and your desire for my life.

Following Jesus with you,

Jeff

The story of Lazarus is very moving. We find this story in John 11. Notice the introduction of this event in verses 5 and 6,

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.”

The first thing that stands out here is that Jesus waited two days before he went to the aid of Lazarus and to be with those he loved, Martha and Mary. This truth is one of the teachings of scripture that makes you scratch your head, doesn’t it? If one of my loved ones needed me and I could help, I would have gone right away.

The fact that Jesus did not do this implies we do not fully understand the details or God’s plan. One potential hint that could explain the delay of Jesus is found in verses 38-39 which says,

“Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, ‘Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.’”

What stands out in this section is that Lazarus had been dead four days! Why is that mentioned? If Jesus had not delayed two days and left to see Lazarus as soon as he heard of his illness, Lazarus would have still been dead for two days. Why did he wait until he was in the tomb for four days?

The ESV Study Bible gives great insight that is very helpful, “Though burial usually followed soon after death (see Acts 5:6, 10), some later Jewish sources indicate a belief that the soul hovered over the body for three days, hoping to reenter it, but then gave up and departed.”

One possible explanation then for Jesus waiting two days was to show beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had the power, authority and ability to raise a dead person to life. Lazarus had passed the 3-day waiting period that some believed was the time for the spirit to re-enter the body. He was dead, no matter how you looked at it.

Jesus intentionally delayed his arrival to perform one of his greatest miracles, the raising of Lazarus! Even his love for others fell under the leadership of God and his timing. His mission was to show to the world that he was the Messiah. This required the death and resurrection of Lazarus. It was all part of God’s plan.

Father, it is hard to understand how, why and when you do certain things. In the case of Lazarus, it was part of your plan to allow him to die. That did not mean you did not love him. The mission of the Gospel took precedence. Lazarus was blessed to experience a supernatural intervention in his life by Jesus raising him from the dead. In this case, it all seems to have worked out well. And yet, there will be times in my life when I do not understand and things may not work out like they did for Lazarus. Help me to respond in faith like Mary, who even though she did not understand and was crushed by the death of her brother, it did not stop her from believing in Jesus. This is clearly seen in verse 27 which takes place before the resurrection of Lazarus when she said,

“She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.’”

Help me to live a life of faithfulness in spite of my circumstances like Mary.

Following Jesus with you,

Jeff