Knowing Christ Requires a Pure Heart

Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 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” (John 12: 1-8).

The hour of Calvary was approaching. Jesus embarked on His journey to the cross by way of Bethany. The Teacher inspired the evangelist to take us with the disciples once again to the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. There is a great contrast between two of the disciples in the entourage that accompanied the Master. But this time, it is not the difference between Mary and Martha, for both served the Lord from the heart this night. On this occasion, the Spirit inspired John to note the difference between Mary and Judas Iscariot, the treasurer of the disciples. Both were part of the dinner that honored the Lord and each sought to show Him their devotion. But their behavior on this night revealed that they had vastly different perceptions of the Savior and of His impending mission. Today we are reminded that truly knowing Christ requires a pure heart.

Mary was moved to a public display of very personal devotion to Jesus as she… “Anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair”. This was a dinner of celebration. Lazarus sat at table with Jesus and the disciples as the undeniable confirmation that Jesus was the Christ and as the indisputable evidence that He had power over death. Yet Mary approached her Savior as if He was about to die. What she did was customarily done to corpses as part of the preparation for burial. The ointment she used for this anointing was very expensive. She had no concern about the piercing eyes of the bewildered onlookers. She did not care that they might misunderstand or judge her. Her heart was compelled by an unselfish devotion to her Lord. What did she know that no one else knew? How did she know Jesus was soon to die and that the circumstances of His death would prevent the customary preparation of His body for burial? Her unselfish devotion to Christ revealed that in her heart, Mary knew the Son of God better than anyone else in the room.

Judas rebuked Mary’s act of devotion. He claimed his disapproval was prompted by his concern for the poor, but the Spirit revealed that in his heart… “He was a thief”. The heart of a thief is consumed with selfishness. The thief covets what others have and takes what belongs to them without regard for anyone but self. The eyes of the thief are on the natural circumstances that surround them and the heart of the thief is incessantly plotting to manipulate people and things for their own selfish benefit. His devotion to himself revealed that in his corrupt heart, Judas did not know the Son of God at all.

Our Teacher reveals the truth that like Judas, even disciples are vulnerable to the subtle attack of selfishness in the heart. This is because the heart is the seat of our emotions and it is often difficult for us to fully understand our own feelings… “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). The Spirit uses Mary to show us that knowing Jesus requires a pure, unselfish heart…  “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). We cannot purify our heart on our own… “Who can say, ‘I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin?’” (Proverbs 20:9). But we can ask God… “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). And God promises He will give us a pure heart to see and know Christ better… “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit” (Ezekiel 36:26).

As we grow up into Christ we trust God to keep our hearts free from selfishness because…

Knowing Christ Requires a Pure Heart.

God's Prevenient Grace

Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples. Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him (John 11: 54-57).

Prompted by the threats of the chief priests and Pharisees, Jesus withdrew from the crowd that had gathered as a result of the resurrection of Lazarus in Bethany. He traveled to the wilderness town of Ephraim. Here we notice another difference between followers and disciples. When Jesus left town, followers remained behind while disciples accompanied Him. The Passover was coming, and back in Jerusalem there was more excitement than usual. Everyone was talking about Jesus and the miracle of Bethany. They were wondering if the Lord would make an appearance at the Passover celebration… “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” There was an unusually heavy presence of guards at the Temple. The city was thronged with pilgrims and priests. Just six days before the Passover, the elders were sure Jesus was coming to Jerusalem and they were preparing to arrest Him. They would not let Him disrupt the religious solemnity of this important feast. They were still bent on ending the life and ministry of the carpenter from Nazareth. But the Son of God knew with even more certainty that in just six days He would be stretched out on the cross to give his life for both those who loved and hated him. The timing was also going to be a perfect part of the divine plan. There was no doubt that this year’s Passover attracted large crowds and would climax with the crucifixion of the Lamb of God… “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). How ironic that among the many that went to Jerusalem before the Passover to “purify themselves” walked Jesus Christ, the only true hope of their purification. That God would use this feast to draw crowds to the revelation of the true Lamb of God is a marvelous reflection of God’s prevenient grace.

Times have changed but the hearts of people remain the same. Everyone has a sense that there is much more to life than this material, temporal existence because we are created in the image of God and He has placed a sense of eternity in our hearts… “He has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Everything in the created world around us also makes us aware of the sin that separates us from our holy Creator… “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.  For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (Romans 1:18-20). Many choose to suppress this truth that cries out in our hearts… “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21). But the longing for a resolution to the problem of sin and for a re-connection with our Creator is God’s prevenient grace. It cannot be fully denied. Just as it drove crowds on the way to the Passover feast to “purify themselves”, this divinely implanted craving is intended to drive us to Christ, the Lamb whose blood has purchased our salvation and restored us to fellowship with God… “You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,  but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19). If you know Christ as your Savior you should never cease thanking God for this grace that drove you… “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood” (Revelation 1:5).

As we grow up into Christ our witnessing becomes more effective as we yield to and cooperate with…

God’s Prevenient Grace.

Nothing Can Oppose the Cross

 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. So from that day on they made plans to put him to death (John 11: 46-53).

The resurrection of Lazarus was an undeniable testimony that confirmed the divinity of Jesus and identified Him as the Christ. It was not like a person whose vital signs terminated on an operating room table for a few minutes. This was the resurrection of a four-day old corpse. No one who witnessed this kind of sign could ignore it. Many of those following Christ believed Him and became disciples… “Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him” (John 11:45). Others were offended by Him... “But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done“. This latter group of followers was no longer content with efforts to discredit Jesus. Now they sought to end His ministry by ending His life. They were so consumed with hatred they were blind to the truth that Jesus had power over death. Jesus proved that ending His life would not end His ministry. He would return and His disciples would spread the gospel everywhere. The Jewish elders somehow believed the Romans would be immune to the testimony of Christ and would be provoked to destroy the Jewish nation. But in the midst of such blindness and confusion the Holy Spirit spoke through the high priest Caiaphas. He interrupted the Sanhedrin’s confusion with an involuntary word from heaven… “One man should die for the people”. The Spirit inspired John the evangelist to further define the truth that Caiaphas had uttered unconsciously… “He prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad”. The Spirit spoke of the atonement of Christ for sinners, but the hard-hearted elders heard a call to take matters into their own hands, so… “They made plans to put him to death”. How ironic! Those who sought to block the plan of salvation became an active part of God’s plan. The Spirit shows us today that when it comes to the divine plan of salvation, nothing can oppose the Cross.

Today’s scripture confirms an important Spiritual truth. God is sovereign over the plans and motives of people… “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand” (Proverbs 19:21). In today’s text, the Teacher reveals how God’s plan included the evil hearts of the chief priests and Pharisees. The Spirit teaches here the truth that God uses both good and evil, and even the things that do not make sense to us, to accomplish His good and perfect plan… “The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble” (Proverbs 16:4). God’s sovereignty extends over both good and evil people, over believers and unbelievers alike. Often the most visible evidence of His glory comes through His power over those whose rejection and rebellion of His gospel have sealed their eternal destruction… “What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction” (Romans 9:22). God’s sovereignty ensured Christ’s victory at the cross, and God’s sovereignty ensures that Christ’s disciples may continue to enjoy the blessings and the glory of His victory every day!

Think on this truth for a moment. Are you under attack for your faith? Is there an unrelenting opposition to the vision He’s given you to serve Him and to share His gospel? According to the truth about the sovereignty of God and the sure victory of the cross, you will be victorious in the end… ‘On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Our testimony cannot be silenced because we believe that even in the worst of times God is in control.

As we grow up into Christ our determination to share His gospel increases because we know…

Nothing Can Oppose the Cross.

Trial Tested Faith Leads Others to Christ

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.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go. Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him” (John 11: 38-45).

Jesus led the crowd of followers to the tomb of His dear friend Lazarus. He could have approached the tomb with lots of attention getting noise, pomp and circumstance. In light of what was about to happen, He could have approached the tomb with loud, prideful promises of the miracle that was soon to come. Instead He came humbly, “deeply moved” by the hurt of loved ones, the injured faith of disciples, and the opportunity to help a large number of followers become disciples through faith in Him. We all know Jesus was about to call His dear friend Lazarus back to the land of the living from the depths of the land of the dead. He knew it too. He told Martha she was about to see the “glory of God”. He knew His prayer was already heard in heaven. His ultimate concern was for “the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me”. In His very intentional, purposeful approach to the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus revealed just how disciples are to approach the deepest, darkest challenges of life. He showed us how we are different from the world and more like Him when we encounter the trials of this temporal world. In today’s scripture, the Holy Spirit reveals the truth and teaches disciples that as we become more like Christ, our trial tested faith leads others to Christ.

The Teacher invites us to do a little personal reflection today. How do we respond to life-interrupting and faith challenging trials? Can you recall the last time a serious illness, job loss, or the death of a loved one disrupted your life and challenged your faith? Maybe it was the death of a relationship, the closing of your business, or the moral failure of a church leader that shook your world and broke your heart? We know that nothing that happens to us is outside of the knowledge of our Savior… “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses” (Hebrews 4:15). We also know that nothing that happens to us is outside of the power of our Lord… “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20). Knowing and living in these two precious Biblical truths will transform the mind and shape the heart of true disciples. Embracing these truths will help disciples to approach and overcome life’s trials as Jesus would and empower us to reveal God’s glory to others who need to meet and believe in Christ… “I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me”.

Just as Jesus’ humble, confident attitude impacted the crowd, the attitude of truth-embracing disciples toward trials will have a great impact on the faith of others. Just as Jesus invited followers to participate in the miracle by taking away the stone, our faith through trials invites others to participate when they see us trust God for a miracle… “Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him”. Just as Jesus prayed with confidence and thanks, we can point others toward heaven if our trial-prompted prayers are filled with faith and thanksgiving… “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). Just as Jesus commanded the crowd to “unbind him, and let him go”, our faith through trials can introduce others to the deliverance and abundant life found only in Christ… “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

As we grow up into Christ our approach to trust-threatening adversity is transformed and our…

Trial Tested Faith Leads Others to Christ.

When God Cries

When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” (John 11: 28-37).

Just after her declaration of faith in Jesus as the Christ, Martha ran to her sister Mary. Though John does not record the words of Jesus, Martha tells her that He was calling for her. Perhaps Martha’s heart was so comforted by the ministry of the Christ that she wanted her hurting sister to experience the same faith-transforming comfort. She knew this kind of comfort came only from the Christ, so she exhorted her sister to go to Him. It has become a common practice for disciples who have been comforted by the Master’s touch to lead others to Him that they might experience the same comfort… “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Mary echoed the same declaration of grief and frustration that her sister Martha met Jesus with… “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died”. This time it was as if Jesus did not hear her words. He was moved instead by Mary’s weeping. He was troubled by the crowd’s weeping too. He asked them to lead Him to the tomb, hoping they would follow and witness a miracle. Along the way and in front of the tomb, “Jesus wept”. Think on the significance for a moment. Meditate on the implication of the truth that the Son of God, God incarnate, on the road to a very dramatic Christ-confirming event, paused and wept. Every word that He spoke and every deed that He did were signs that confirmed His divinity. In the same way, through the tears of Christ, the heart of God is revealed when God cries.

Disciples are set apart from followers by a consuming desire to know Christ… “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). The Spirit inspired John to use the Greek word ginōskō for the word translated know here. The word means to understand, be sure of, and be resolved about. It’s the kind of knowledge a husband and wife should develop toward each other. The word implies that to know Christ is to know what makes Him happy, sad, angry, and more. How well do you Know Christ today? Are you sensitive to His laughter or His tears in the midst of all you are facing today? Are you willing to replace your temporal frustrations with His holy anger today? On the way to a miracle, the heart of God was revealed when Jesus wept.

Jesus wept over death. Death reminds God of the rebellion and rejection of mankind... “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). Jesus wept to connect with us. With His tears God showed us He truly shares our grief and He wants us to share each other’s sorrows… “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted” (Isaiah 53:4). Jesus wept because Lazarus had to suffer again to bring God glory. Lazarus was in paradise… “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). To be part of a miracle that would bring many to faith in Christ he had to return to this temporal world… “Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him” (John 11:45). Truly there is much revelation into the compassion of God for disciples who are sensitive to the heart Christ.

As we grow up into Christ we reflect His heart and compassion as we minister His comfort to others…

When God Cries.

A Resurrection of Faith

Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world” (John 11: 17-27).

Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many neighbors and friends came to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. But Jesus was not there for four days of their grieving. When Martha heard that Jesus was finally coming, she went out to meet him. She was pale, weary, and aching from grief. When she looked into His eyes she could not contain the grief that overflowed from her broken heart. The words sounded like a rebuke… “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died”. You see, there had been two deaths in Bethany. There was the death of Lazarus and there was the death of Martha’s faith. Perhaps her words pierced her own heart and accused her of doubting the Master, because her next sentence was self-correcting… “But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you”. Taken together, Martha’s words seemed to reveal that though she knew the Son of God could have saved her brother, she did not understand why He did not. Her focus was on the death of her dear brother and on the absence of her dear Lord Jesus. Her confrontation with Jesus revealed that her faith was dead and buried in frustration and despair. In His reply, Jesus gently but firmly redirected her focus beyond the painful present and toward the hopeful future. Without hesitating, Jesus drew Martha’s attention away from the darkness of her desperate circumstances and toward Himself, the light and light of men… “In him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). Then He invited Martha to make a fresh declaration of faith in Him… “I am the resurrection and the life… Do you believe this?” The effect was immediate. Out of the heart formerly consumed with grief and frustration poured an affirmation that Jesus is the Christ! Martha’s present hurt was instantly replaced with faith and hope. When she looked to Him in the midst of her trial, Jesus met Martha in her grief and revealed Himself as the Christ. She was reacquainted with the truth that in Christ there is truly life beyond death and she experienced a resurrection of faith.

Trials remind us that we are pilgrims on a journey through this inhospitable world on our way to our permanent home… “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). Trials also test and refine our faith in Christ… “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7). But trials can sometimes push us to the edge of the limits of our faith. There is a strong temptation to look away from Christ and get focused on the difficulties and darkness of the trials we are immersed in. Perhaps you’ve been there. Perhaps you are there today. Perhaps you are so immersed in a trial that you’ve given in to despair and you need a resurrection of your faith.

The Spirit reminds us today that Jesus is aware of our trials and He wants us to trust Him through them… “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). When we look beyond the trial to Christ, He will meet us and restore our faith in Him… “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me” (John 14:1). When we trust Him, Christ brings life to even our most desperate trials… “Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).

As we grow up into Christ whenever life’s trials threaten to bury our trust in Him, He will grant us…  

A Resurrection of Faith.

Death is Not the End of Our Story

After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (John 11: 11-16).

 How blessed we are when we walk closely with Jesus. As we spend time with Him, listening to His voice through His word and sharing our heart with Him in prayer Jesus reveals Himself to us. The Holy Spirit attracts us to Him and we begin to think and feel like He does. We become more like Him… “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Jesus called those who had left the crowd of followers and had drawn close to Him disciples. They walked with Him from the crowds in Judea, across the Jordan River, and shared in His ministry among the Gentiles east of the river. They were with Him when He got the news that His good friend Lazarus was ill. They were encouraged when He told them that Lazarus was merely sleeping. They were shocked when He explained that Lazarus was dead and that He was glad He was not there when his friend died. He was sharing His perspective about death with these struggling disciples. Thomas’ hasty declaration, “Let us also go, that we may die with him”, showed that they did not get the message Jesus was trying to convey about death. His disciples believed that all that awaited them in Judea was death. They believed Lazarus was dead and that Jesus and themselves would soon join him in death at the hands of the angry Jewish elders. They believed that traveling to Judea would culminate in the end of Jesus’ ministry and the end of their relationship with Him. But the Christ was about to show His disciples that from His perspective, death was merely sleep. This journey to Judea would not end in death, but it would climax in a glorious victory of life over death that would confirm that Jesus is the Christ and would convince the disciples and many others that death is not the end of our story.

We all face death. We cannot escape it. From the moment we are born our natural bodies are progressing toward death. But the end of our physical life is only one form of death. There is the death of a relationship or a friendship that was caused purposely by some sin or unintentionally by some uncontrollable circumstance. Many of us have experienced the death of a career, a ministry, a vision, or a dream. In all these forms of death we can be fooled into believing that death had the final say. We are vulnerable to the lie that because death so abruptly interrupts and terminates our well planned lives, death always seems to win. But Jesus Christ does not see death from our perspective. Our eyes, minds, and hearts see from a perspective that is clouded by the limits of this natural world… “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). Jesus wants His disciples to see and live life as He does, from an eternal perspective. He wants us to see through and beyond the death-provoking trials of this temporary life… “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). From God’s heavenly perspective, death is a part of life. It is through death that broken, corrupt things receive new, glorious life… “What you sow does not come to life unless it dies” (1 Corinthians 15:36). Jesus used the same illustration to preview the glory of His own death and resurrection… “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:23-24). In Christ, death is often God’s way of changing our lives for the better. The disciples who willingly followed Jesus to the tomb of His friend Lazarus would soon witness this truth in action.

As we grow up into Christ we can live victoriously here because He has shown us that…

Death is Not the End of Our Story.

The Light of Life

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. Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” (John 11: 5-10).

 There is tension in this story. There is the love Jesus has for Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. There is His decision to wait for two days before traveling to be with them. Surely the tension that was obvious to the disciples was also disturbing the heart of the Son of God. But the tension He felt was between the human will to comfort and heal His hurting friends, and the divine will to further reveal His true identity as the Christ who is sovereign over death. Jesus surrendered to the will of His Father. Despite the menacing threat of the Jewish leaders and the concern of the disciples for His safety, the Son of Man set His heart to “go to Judea again”. What awaited Him there was a face to face confrontation with death. But He was not concerned about the threats to stone Him because He knew He was about to show that the Christ was sovereign over any threat of death. The disciples were afraid of the potential death of their Teacher as well as themselves, but they were about to witness the defeat of death itself. Putting aside any personal concerns, Jesus headed to Bethany in Judea because He was “the light of the world” and it was time for the Son of God to shine so that the power of darkness and death might be defeated in a public display of the power of Christ. A great crowd of Christ followers would once again be challenged to step in faith toward the Christ and become His disciples. They would be encouraged to fellowship with the Christ and learn to walk in His light. Jesus was about to call followers to leave the darkness of this world, become disciples, and to experience and share the light of life.

Once again our Teacher, the Holy Spirit calls us to consider whether we are a Christ follower or disciple. Followers are concerned about the things of the world. They always notice the threats and worry about what others are thinking. They see the challenges and obstacles in every dark trial. When a vision, ministry, relationship, or even a person dies, mere followers believe it’s the end of the story. But genuine disciples who walk closely with the Lord seem to see through and beyond the darkness that surrounds the trials of this life. Disciples see the possibilities that every trial presents. The darkness and despair of earthly trials are opportunities for the light and hope of Christ to shine through His disciples. When every natural remedy fails there is increased receptivity to the supernatural power of God and He gets glory. Christ’s disciples know that death is never the end of the story, for Jesus is the ultimate illustration of the victory of life over death!

The Spirit inspired John to teach that the Son of God was the incarnation of both light and life… “In him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). He teaches further that the light of Christ is more powerful that the darkness of this temporal world… “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). Jesus promised that one of the blessings of walking closely with Him as His disciple was that we can receive His light of life… “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). He exhorted His disciples to maintain a close, intimate walk with Him. He promised that if we walk in His light and trust Him to light our way in this dark world, we will become His sons of light… “Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light” (John 12:35-36). Finally, as His disciples, we are commissioned to glorify God by sharing the light and life of Christ with the world around us… “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

As we grow up into Christ we overcome the world’s darkness as we are filled with and sharing…

The Light of Life.

For God's Glory

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (John 11: 1-4).

 After a final confrontation with the Jewish elders in the temple, Jesus crossed the Jordan River and went to the wilderness of the Gentiles. His ministry there was fruitful… “And many believed in him there” (John 10:42). But while he was there, a personal emergency arose back in Bethany. The emergency involved a family of two sisters and their brother. Mary loved to sit at our Lord's feet and listen to His teachings while her sister Martha was a busy soul who had the gift of service… “Mary… sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving” (Luke 10:39-40). Their home was often a welcome respite for the Lord and His disciples where they could relax and be themselves. We know little about Lazarus beside the precious fact that Jesus loved him. Today we learn that Lazarus was ill. He was sick enough to prompt his sisters to send word to Jesus. The Son of God revealed His divinity once again with His reply… “This illness does not lead to death”. No one but God could have known whether or not Lazarus was about to die. In fact, right before their eyes Mary, Martha, and the entire village of Bethany would see this illness end in the death of poor Lazarus. But the Son of God saw the bigger picture and was about to confirm His words with a marvelous demonstration of the Christ’s power over death. The Son of God was about to show that the illness and death of His dear friend and disciple was not the end of the story, rather it was to be for God’s glory!

The Holy Spirit teaches through God’s word the truth that the length of our life and the day of our death are determined by God alone… “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them” (Psalm 139:16). Disciples who embrace this truth receive and live every day as a gift from God. We set our goals and we make our plans, but we trust the Lord’s sovereignty and let Him direct our steps… “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). As we grow as Christ’s disciples, we learn to pursue God’s will above our own… “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that’” (James 4:13-15). When we live this kind of surrendered life, seeking to know and pursue God’s purpose out of love for Christ, everything that comes our way, whether blessing or trial, victory or defeat, will be used by the Lord for our good… “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28), and for His glory… “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:36).

In today’s scripture Jesus revealed that even sickness and death may be used for the glory of God. There are two reasons for this. First, Christ is sovereign over everything, including death… “Which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10). Second, because of His sovereignty and victory, death is never terminal. Death is never the end of the story. The death of a relationship, vision, ministry, business, job, or a loved one is never meant to be the end of the story because Christ has conquered death and God receives glory when Christ shares the victory over death with His disciples… “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:56-57).

As we grow up into Christ we know death is not the end of our story, and in Christ we live every day…

For God’s Glory.

A Worldview of Faith

The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 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’  If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.

He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. And many came to him. And they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” And many believed in him there (John 10: 31-42).

 The Jewish leaders challenged Jesus to identify Himself again. Jesus declared Himself God. For the Jews, this claim was blasphemy. They responded by preparing to stone Him for the second time. The law required that anyone who claims to be God must be stoned to death. To these first-century Jews, God did not dwell in human bodies or in idol forms. You could not get close to Him or you would die. From a purely legal, religious perspective Jesus, who is human and bound to this earth, could not be God. But seeing and believing who Jesus really was requires a different frame of reference. Knowing and trusting that Jesus is the Christ requires a worldview of faith.

When the Jews threatened to stone Jesus previously He disappeared… “So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple” (John 8:59). This time He remained and asked these skeptical followers a question that directed their attention to the testimony of God’s works through His life… “But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me” (John 5:36). Jesus had manifested the works of God on earth as the Holy Spirit had inspired Isaiah to prophecy of the Messiah… “Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;  then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy” (Isaiah 35:4-6). If they had simply let God’s word speak without clinging so dearly to their religious traditions, the Jews would have recognized Jesus was the Son of God by the testimony of His works… “Even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father”. But such acknowledgement required a step away from the skeptical religion of the crowd and a step of faith toward becoming a disciple of the Son of God.

Jesus was persistent in His effort to reach the cold hearts of His accusers, so He asked another question… “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’?” This question directed their attention away from the religious interpretation of blasphemy and into the precious truth of God’s word. In this quote from Psalm 82 God called out to the rulers of men that He had appointed. The title gods, in this context, implied authorities or rulers. He called His representatives on earth gods and He called them sons of God. Jesus made an argument from the lesser to the greater, saying if these human authorities could be called sons of God without performing any great works of God, could He not rightly be called the Son of God, having manifested God’s works? The Father was at work through His Son not to confirm religious tradition, but to provoke personal faith… “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves” (John 14:11). The transition from skeptical follower to intimate disciple required faith in Jesus as the miracle working, only true Son of God.

As we grow up into Christ we grow as His disciples by abiding in His word and building…

A Worldview of Faith.

Among His Sheep

At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one” (John 10: 22-30).

 “The Feast of Dedication” is called Hanukkah today. It came to be celebrated later in Israel’s history during the four hundred-year intertestamental period. In 167 BC, the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanies overran Jerusalem and polluted the temple, setting up a pagan altar in place of the altar of Israel’s God. Judas Maccabeus led the Jews in guerilla warfare against the Syrians. They recaptured the temple and spent eight days rededicating it to God with the help of God’s supernatural provision of oil for the temple’s lampstand. It was during this feast that the Jews asked Jesus to reveal once and for all if He was the Christ. His reply implied that they already knew the answer to that question. His words and works testified clearly that He was the Christ… “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works” (John 14:10). They heard the same words and saw the same works that all followers of Jesus had witnessed. Many had come forward out of the crowd of followers to step closer to Christ in order to become His disciples. But many still lingered in the crowd. To be sure, they were earnest followers for many different reasons, but they were unwilling to take the step of faith to believe and embrace the truth of His word and become His disciple… “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples’” (John 8:31). Jesus explained that the reason many followers could not become disciples was because they were not among His sheep.

Jesus plainly taught that only followers who are “among my sheep” can become His disciples through faith. In His divinity, He knew who among the crowd could and who could not believe in Him. This truth has caused many to stumble because it implies that only certain pre-selected or chosen people can come to faith in Christ. The Spirit teaches this truth elsewhere in scripture… “He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will” (Ephesians 1:4-5). The Holy Spirit-inspired words of the apostle Paul and the words of Jesus Christ Himself clearly teach that God has chosen and predestined those whom He will adopt as sons. He made this choice before the creation of the world, so it may be implied that He planned for everyone He created in His image to be adopted as His children… “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). The debate over election and predestination will undoubtedly go on until Christ returns, but it should never become a reason for doubt in the heart of true disciples because Jesus made it clear in today’s text that we can know with certainty that we are among His sheep.

Jesus said “my sheep hear my voice”. The undeniable fact that we have heard and responded in faith to His word reveals the truth that we are among His sheep… “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction… for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 1:4-6). God gives the gift of faith to those He has chosen so they can hear and believe His word… “And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48).

As we grow up into Christ increased understanding of His word and maturing faith assure us we are…

Among His Sheep.

The Authority of the Great Shepherd

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”  (John 10: 14-21).

Jesus cared for His disciples in such a way that He gave His all. To describe His love for them, He said they were His sheep and He was their Good Shepherd. He wanted them to know that as their Good shepherd He was willing to die for them. The sheep received the blessings of the Good Shepherd through faith in Him. That is the depth of the relationship Jesus wanted between Himself and His sheep. Jesus made it clear that His death was not something He was forced to do… “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord”. His sacrifice of love would be no sacrifice at all if it was forced in any way. It was not something that the authorities, Jewish or Roman forced upon Him. It was not something Satan did to Him. Surrendering His life was something that Jesus did entirely on His own initiative because only the Son of God had the authority to do it… “I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again”. It was love that moved Christ to lay down His life for the sheep, but it was the power and authority granted by His Father that enabled Jesus to give His life. It was the very same authority of God that empowered Christ to rise from the dead. In these ultimate acts of caring for His disciples as His sheep we see the authority of the Great Shepherd.

Jesus taught that everything He said and did during His brief time on earth was to reveal the Father’s authority and confirm the Son’s divinity… “So Jesus said to them, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me’” (John 8:28). He revealed His authority in order to compel followers to become disciples through faith in Him as the Christ… “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves” (John 14:10-11). Based upon His authority, Christ commissioned His disciples to share His gospel with the whole world… “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:18-19). And Jesus shared His authority with His disciples to empower them and ensure their success in fulfilling this great commission…  “And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal” (Luke 9:1-2).

The Holy Spirit, prompts us today to consider whether we are Christ’s followers or disciples. Followers are aware of and amazed by the authority of Christ… “And they were all amazed and said to one another, ‘What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!’” (Luke 4:36). But disciples trust and execute Christ’s authority every day as they share His gospel with the world… “The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!’” (Luke 10:17). When His authority is released through His disciples, the kingdom of God advances and Christ is glorified… “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:20-21).

As we grow up into Christ we will experience victory as we pursue His will and learn to trust…

The Authority of the Great Shepherd.

The Heart of the Good Shepherd

So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep” (John 10: 7-13).

Like sheep blindly following a shepherd, many in the crowd were blindly following Jesus. They knew little about who He really was or about the challenging and exciting life of discipleship He was calling them to. As we have noted before, the crowd followed Jesus for many reasons. Some recognized and responded to His words and His signs by stepping away from the crowd of followers and into a closer, more intimate walk with Christ as His disciple. But unless those who followed Him were earnest truth seekers, they were vulnerable to being led astray by others who wanted to steal them away from Christ to build a following of their own. Those whose motives were impure, who were driven by selfishness, and who were blinded by self-righteousness were false shepherds whom Jesus described as “thieves and robbers” that came “only to steal and kill and destroy”. Because He cared for His followers so much and because He so earnestly wanted them to enjoy the blessed life of being His disciples, Jesus used a parable here to reveal the heart of the Good Shepherd.

God knows that we are followers. Even after becoming a disciple of Christ we need someone to lead us. That’s why His Spirit has appointed some to be overseers for local churches within His greater Church… “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood” (Acts 20:28). We call these overseers pastors or elders… “And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed” (Acts 14:23). The Spirit inspired the apostle Paul to admonish elders to imitate Christ by leading the local church as a good shepherd… “So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:1-3). But how do we know if we are following the right shepherd? How might we discern if our shepherd is a true or a false shepherd?

In His teaching Jesus identified Himself as “the door of the sheep” and “the good shepherd”. He described His primary work as making and growing disciples… “If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture”. With these words He described His mission as leading people to His father… “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6) and caring for and nurturing disciples in their spiritual walk… “I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel” (Ezekiel 34:14). Pastors and elders that imitate Christ, the Good Shepherd, are consumed with a burden for the lost. In word and deed they are always inviting others to Christ and challenging their flock to do the same. A sign that you are following the right shepherd is a community that engages the world with the gospel and the presence of invitations to Christ in most every gathering of the flock. The Christ-like pastor will exhort the flock to grow in Christ by feeding them the precious word of God and equipping them to use their spiritual gifts in building each other up and fulfilling the great commission.

As we grow up into Christ we are blessed if we are following a local shepherd who is a reflection of…

The Heart of the Good Shepherd.

The Voice of the True Shepherd

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them (John 10: 1-6).

Jesus answered the question that was asked by the Pharisees… “Are we also blind?” (Jn 9:40). Because they were blind to the truth presented by the Christ who stood before them, Jesus said they are not the true leaders of Israel. He echoed the spiritual truth that all people are like sheep that blindly follow anyone… “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). Jesus used the illustration of a shepherd to show the crowd that the Pharisees were false shepherds. They were supposed to lead the children of Israel to the Messiah through pastoral care, preaching, and teaching… “Thus says the Lord GOD: Ah, shepherds of Israel… The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them” (Ezekiel 34:2-4). The Pharisees had become false shepherds that harm the sheep by leading them deeper into the legalism and tradition of men and farther from the truth that pointed toward the Christ. But today they were confronted with the fulfillment of God’s promise to replace the false shepherds of Israel. The Holy Spirit moved the prophet Ezekiel to declare that God Himself would come and shepherd His people… “I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice” (Ezekiel 34:15-16). The only way earnest Christ followers could become and remain true disciples was by rejecting the words of these false shepherds and listening to the voice of the True Shepherd.

The first step toward becoming a disciple of Christ is trusting Him as the Good Shepherd… “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). The key to growing as a disciple of Christ is hearing and embracing His word so we become familiar with and eager to follow His voice… “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). To avoid being led astray by a false shepherd we must know the voice of the True Shepherd by spending much time listening to and studying the word of God… “Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God” (John 8:47). Abiding in God’s word produces knowledge of truth… “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). Regular immersion in truth makes us familiar with and responsive to the voice of Christ… “For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice” (John 18:37). Those who are following Christ but not loving and embracing His truth leave themselves vulnerable to the deception of false shepherds… “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10).

The blindness of the Pharisees was so infectious that they and the crowd of followers did not recognize the True Shepherd that stood before them. He earnestly wanted His followers to see and grasp the truth about who He was. Once again Jesus challenged His followers to become His disciples by hearing His voice and embracing His teaching… “Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son” (2 John 1:9).

As we grow up into Christ abiding in His word and loving His truth, we become more familiar with…

The Voice of the True Shepherd.

Seeing is Believing

Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” 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” (John 9:35-41).

The man who received his sight answered the Jews’ attacks with a simple declaration of truth… “One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see” (John 9:25). His testimony was met with contempt and the elders cast him out of the synagogue… “’You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?’ And they cast him out” (John 9:34). But the Savior knew this man had a longing to know the Christ, so the Shepherd sought him out and revealed Himself to him. Just the day before, both the blind man and the Pharisees were among the crowd of Christ followers. But the man who was born blind could now see and worship the Son of Man, even without going into the synagogue. In the light of this great sign, some of the Pharisees realized they missed something. They could not see who Jesus was even through the miracles, signs, and words that demonstrated the truth that He was the Christ. They admitted that they could see the miracle He performed… “They said to him, ‘What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?’” (John 9:26). But they could not see past the fact that Jesus did this work on the Sabbath. They could not embrace the truth that Jesus was Lord of the Sabbath… “And he said to them, ‘The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath’” (Luke 6:5). Because they had seen and rejected the sign that revealed Him as the Christ, the Pharisees who followed Jesus remained enslaved in blindness and guilt. The man born blind was healed and delivered from blindness and sin because he believed the sign that revealed Jesus as the Son of Man. After receiving both physical and spiritual sight, he left the crowd of Christ followers to become a disciple because for truth seekers like him, seeing is believing.

Out Teacher, the Holy Spirit asks the familiar question today, are we Christ followers or disciples? Both followers and disciples are truth seekers. We go to church, Bible studies, and small groups because we love to hear the word of God. We spend time reading the scriptures and in prayer because we are encouraged by God’s truth. But every time we hear or read God’s word He is speaking truth to our ears and into our hearts… “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever” (Psalm 119:160). God’s truth is precious and powerful. He so earnestly wants us to see His truth that through the Holy Spirit, He promises to accompany us and to reveal His truth to us as we listen to or read His word… “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth… He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16:13-14). Jesus taught that the truth revealed in God’s word can separate us from the crowd of followers and empower us to live above the sin of this world… “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17).

The difference between Christ followers and disciples is a willingness to embrace the truth revealed by the Holy Spirit when we hear or read God’s word. Mere followers are like the Pharisees who have read the word many times and don’t think they can learn anything new from it. Their eyes are closed to the very personal and powerful truth the Teacher might want to reveal today and they will not grow in their knowledge of the Lord… “Seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand” (Matthew 13:13). Disciples are hungry for and anticipating a revelation of truth every time they approach God’s word… “For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me” (John 17:8). Disciples, like the man who received his sight, are set apart from followers as they seek and embrace Christ’s revealed truth.

As we grow up into Christ we are set apart from the crowd of followers and grow as His disciples because when it comes to His truth, we know…

Seeing is Believing.

Christ's Unquestionable Truth

So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out (John 9:24-34).

The skeptical elders followed the advice of the healed man’s parents and sent for him. But they dared not ask him what he thought of the man who healed his eyes that had been blind from birth. He had already answered them with all the simple truth he knew… “So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, ‘He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see’” (John 9:15). This time, in their attempt to discredit the Son of God, they challenged the man to consider the event from a theological perspective. Jesus could not possibly be the Messiah because he did this miracle on the Sabbath. That made Him a sinner, and the Messiah cannot be a sinner. The blessed man did not know much about theology. He replied with another declaration of undeniable truth…  “I was blind, now I see”. The man wondered if they were seeking the truth about Jesus too. He recognized them as being regulars among the crowd that followed Jesus. Could it be they wanted to “become His disciples?” He confronted them with truth in the words of his testimony and their response showed the unreceptive condition of their hearts… “Would you teach us?” They were skeptical, critical followers of Jesus. To become disciples they would have to renounce their faulty interpretation of the Law of Moses and embrace the truth presented so clearly in the testimony of this healed man. To be transformed from wondering followers into earnest disciples of Christ skeptics have to surrender their preconceptions and embrace the undeniable truth presented in the words of those who have been touched by Christ because followers question but His disciples embrace Christ’s unquestionable truth.

Every disciple has a testimony about what God has done in their life. Our testimony is a clear presentation of God’s truth. Because it happened, it is undeniable truth. That’s why Jesus called His first disciples not to be preachers and teachers, but to be witnesses “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Jesus taught that He came to witness to God’s truth… “For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice” (John 18:37). Earnest disciples embrace God’s truth and imitate Christ by witnessing to His truth through their words and deeds… “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him” (1 John 3:18-19). The elders remind us that not every follower of Jesus has a love for the truth… “If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God” (John 8:45-47). Those who love God’s truth recognize and respond to Christ’s voice… “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). Only those followers who embrace His truth become Christ’s disciples and enjoy the freedom He promised… “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’” (John 8:31-32).

As we grow up into Christ we mature as His disciples and become more like Him as we embrace…

Christ’s Unquestionable Truth.