What Did Jesus Do?
“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
John 1.46
I don't know about you, but I have always held this rather idyllic image of the Nazareth where Jesus grew up. It's pretty silly, isn't it, but I've always thought of Nazareth during Christ's childhood as kind of the Mayberry of Israel. Innocent, safe, full of likable, if simple and down to earth, folks. But, as I read again the comment of Nathaniel, I wonder what kind of run down, corrupt, no good place must Nazareth have been for someone to be skeptical of anything good ever coming from the town? The Nazareth Chamber of Commerce must have had a real P.R. problem! Let's face it, bad reps are hard to overcome, and skeptics are difficult to convert. But that's what Jesus did.
There is not a lot that we know from the New Testament about Nathaniel the Apostle beyond his skepticism. Mentioned a scant two times in John (though many biblical scholars identify Nathaniel with Bartholomew of the Synoptic gospels), Nathaniel's only other appearance in Scripture is as a member of the fishing party of apostles who, in John 21, encounter the risen Lord after a frustrating night on the Sea of Tiberias (Galilee). So, there is not much to say about Nathaniel beyond his low opinion of Nazareth and its citizens.
While for Thomas seeing was believing (see John 20.24-29), for Nathaniel it was being seen that led to his believing. I would suggest that Nathaniel experienced something akin to the thoughts and feelings of the woman who Jesus encountered at the well in Samaria (John 4). Both were moved by examples of the omniscience the Son shared with the Father. Consider the woman's exhortation to her neighbors, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” (John 4.29), and Nathaniel's declaration, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” (John 1.49). In both cases Jesus overcame considerable skepticism. In the case of the woman, the Lord overcame her less than exemplary history of five husbands and a sixth man who was not her husband, which, combined with the tension between Samaritans and Jews, caused the woman to have very low expectations of Israel's Messiah. For Nathaniel, who apparently held high Messianic hopes, it was his abysmally low opinion of Nazareth and Nazarenes in general which Jesus had to be surmounted. Both times, it was the Lord's insight into people who were complete strangers, who they were and what they did, that convinced the Samaritan woman and Nathaniel that they were in the presence of God's Anointed One.
You see, the truth is, the Son knows us better than we know ourselves, just as the Father does. God has a complete and perfect view of not only our actions, but of our every thought and feeling. And I believe that what converts most skeptics to this day is not God's omniscience, but that, knowing us so well, including the full record of our iniquities and our transgressions, the Father yet loved us so much that he sent the Son to die for us. It's not omniscience so much as God's caring and compassion, his grace and forgiveness, his mercy and love that overcome the doubters and the skeptics.
God invites us, as Michael Card wrote in his song God's Own Fool, to let go of the skepticism that is in all of us and “believe the unbelievable,” and follow Jesus. There is nothing more unbelievable than this: while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. (Romans 5.8) The love of the Father for us in and through the Son is the most powerful force in the cosmos. It is the power of the Lord to convert skeptical sinners like us into believing disciples like Nathaniel. That's what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Jesus Went Against the Current
What Did Jesus Do?
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace...whoever does not
take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
Matthew 10.34, 38-39
It is a good thing Jesus is not a college football recruiter. I don't believe his “pitch” would inspire many moms and dads to send their sons to play for him. Let's face, at times Jesus is just so—contrary. Going with the flow is definitely not in Christ's “playbook.” Fulfilling the calling to be the salt and light of the world is about arresting and redirecting the currents at work in the world, not merely merging with the stream and heading where everyone else is headed. Jesus went against the current, and so should we. We are called to be the most radical non-conformists on the earth (Romans 12.1-2)
Now, this is not to say we can be salt and light if we try to ignore what Fritz Kling calls “global currents” or trends. We definitely must be in the world. But we must also vigilantly guard against becoming of the world. The high priestly prayer of Jesus is all about his Church remaining in the world, being sent into the world in the power of the Holy Spirit, while being protected from the world by the Father (See John 17).
Christians can hardly make a difference where a difference is definitely needed if we totally disengage from the world and the lives of people. If we don't start where the people are, wade out into the current, as it were, how can we ever reach them? But only a fool would wade out into an unknown current, for currents can be deadly. We need to know the currents, study them, understand them, so we can operate in them, while not being swept away by them.
And, lest we deny the sovereignty and power of God, we must understand that the Holy Spirit is always present in the world, moving and establishing currents that manifest the will of God. Where currents, or “waters” mix, we must not refuse to enter, but rather head out into the stream in the power of the Holy Spirit. Cross bearing requires intentionally and persistently entering yet resisting the powerful, sometimes quite irresistible and seductive currents of the world, and struggling to arrest, change, or redirect them. It is a hard and dangerous calling, but it is the way of discipleship, and it is the Church's vocation.
What worldly currents are flowing around us in our neighborhoods, our schools, our offices, even our homes? Have we studied them so that we can effectively enter in and make a difference, oppose the flow, and change it? That's what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace...whoever does not
take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
Matthew 10.34, 38-39
It is a good thing Jesus is not a college football recruiter. I don't believe his “pitch” would inspire many moms and dads to send their sons to play for him. Let's face, at times Jesus is just so—contrary. Going with the flow is definitely not in Christ's “playbook.” Fulfilling the calling to be the salt and light of the world is about arresting and redirecting the currents at work in the world, not merely merging with the stream and heading where everyone else is headed. Jesus went against the current, and so should we. We are called to be the most radical non-conformists on the earth (Romans 12.1-2)
Now, this is not to say we can be salt and light if we try to ignore what Fritz Kling calls “global currents” or trends. We definitely must be in the world. But we must also vigilantly guard against becoming of the world. The high priestly prayer of Jesus is all about his Church remaining in the world, being sent into the world in the power of the Holy Spirit, while being protected from the world by the Father (See John 17).
Christians can hardly make a difference where a difference is definitely needed if we totally disengage from the world and the lives of people. If we don't start where the people are, wade out into the current, as it were, how can we ever reach them? But only a fool would wade out into an unknown current, for currents can be deadly. We need to know the currents, study them, understand them, so we can operate in them, while not being swept away by them.
And, lest we deny the sovereignty and power of God, we must understand that the Holy Spirit is always present in the world, moving and establishing currents that manifest the will of God. Where currents, or “waters” mix, we must not refuse to enter, but rather head out into the stream in the power of the Holy Spirit. Cross bearing requires intentionally and persistently entering yet resisting the powerful, sometimes quite irresistible and seductive currents of the world, and struggling to arrest, change, or redirect them. It is a hard and dangerous calling, but it is the way of discipleship, and it is the Church's vocation.
What worldly currents are flowing around us in our neighborhoods, our schools, our offices, even our homes? Have we studied them so that we can effectively enter in and make a difference, oppose the flow, and change it? That's what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Jesus Did Justice, Loved Kindness, and Wallked Humbly
What Did Jesus Do?
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you but
to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6.8
When the time comes that I stand before God, and that time will come for all of us, I will be totally without excuse. Knowing this is important for us because for some people making excuses is a way of life. That people do so is not surprising because we live in a culture that encourages excuse making, avoiding personal responsibility, and not being accountable for one's self. While it might be possible to go through life this way, this life, and getting away with excuses, will come to an end. When we stand before God, quite simply, the Father will not accept any excuses. Why? Because, he has shown us how we are to live. He did so in his Word, and most especially when his Word became flesh and he sent the Son, who did all that the LORD required. Jesus did justice, loved kindness, and walked humbly with his God and Father.
If we would just follow Christ's example in doing justice, loving kindness and mercy, and walking humbly with God we would not ever have to worry about making excuses. Of course, all of us have come up with excuses why we don't, or can't do what the LORD requires of us; somehow fault almost always seems to lie with some one or some thing other than ourselves. We may get away with it in this life, but that time is coming for all of us when excuses just won't cut it anymore. Fortunately, Jesus had done for us all that the LORD requires.
But here is a place to be careful, for some, mistakenly believing they are free to do whatever they please in this life because all they have to do when they stand before God is to plead the blood of Jesus, are really banking on making an excuse. Their excuse when the Father asks them why they lived like they did will be, “Because (“Because” is almost always the first word in an excuse) your Son died to set me free. So I could do anything I wanted to. He covered all my sins.” And the Father will say, “No, my Son died to free you from sin, not to sin, so that you could live according to what I require—justice, mercy, humility.” Then, turning to Jesus, the Father will ask, “Son, this one claims that you have been Lord of their life.” And Jesus, with great sadness, will answer, “Father, I never knew this one.”
I'm thinking I might want to adopt a new motto as a corollary to the Scout motto I've tried to follow for most of my life. “Excusatione” is Latin for “no excuses.” The truth is, if we want to truly be prepared for the day when we will stand before God, we would do well to live now with no excuses. I do not mean without apology. There will always be a need for sinners like us to say “I'm sorry” when we err, or hurt another. But we have to make sure we don't append an excuse to our apology, because an apology with an excuse is really no apology at all.
Personally, I plan to say something like this when I stand before the Father (after, of course, Jesus lifts me up and supports me, because I'm certain I will fall on my face): “I am sorry. Though your Son and your Word showed me exactly how I should have lived, and even though you sent me the Holy Spirit to help me, I failed. As hard as I tried, I always came up short. And for most of my life I never really tired all that hard. I have no excuse. Though undeserving, all I can do is ask for mercy for the sake of Jesus, who died for me, a sinner.”
But that will be then, this is now, and it is high time for you and me to start living without making excuses. After the example of how Jesus lived, and did what the LORD required, we should be praying for and acting upon a burning desire for justice, God's justice, not man's. We should be practicing a persistent compassion that will not rest in the face of suffering and want anywhere in the world. We should be exalting the Father in all things, and not ourselves. That is what Jesus did. I believe it is time for us, individually, and corporately as the Body of Christ, to drop the excuses, and do what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you but
to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6.8
When the time comes that I stand before God, and that time will come for all of us, I will be totally without excuse. Knowing this is important for us because for some people making excuses is a way of life. That people do so is not surprising because we live in a culture that encourages excuse making, avoiding personal responsibility, and not being accountable for one's self. While it might be possible to go through life this way, this life, and getting away with excuses, will come to an end. When we stand before God, quite simply, the Father will not accept any excuses. Why? Because, he has shown us how we are to live. He did so in his Word, and most especially when his Word became flesh and he sent the Son, who did all that the LORD required. Jesus did justice, loved kindness, and walked humbly with his God and Father.
If we would just follow Christ's example in doing justice, loving kindness and mercy, and walking humbly with God we would not ever have to worry about making excuses. Of course, all of us have come up with excuses why we don't, or can't do what the LORD requires of us; somehow fault almost always seems to lie with some one or some thing other than ourselves. We may get away with it in this life, but that time is coming for all of us when excuses just won't cut it anymore. Fortunately, Jesus had done for us all that the LORD requires.
But here is a place to be careful, for some, mistakenly believing they are free to do whatever they please in this life because all they have to do when they stand before God is to plead the blood of Jesus, are really banking on making an excuse. Their excuse when the Father asks them why they lived like they did will be, “Because (“Because” is almost always the first word in an excuse) your Son died to set me free. So I could do anything I wanted to. He covered all my sins.” And the Father will say, “No, my Son died to free you from sin, not to sin, so that you could live according to what I require—justice, mercy, humility.” Then, turning to Jesus, the Father will ask, “Son, this one claims that you have been Lord of their life.” And Jesus, with great sadness, will answer, “Father, I never knew this one.”
I'm thinking I might want to adopt a new motto as a corollary to the Scout motto I've tried to follow for most of my life. “Excusatione” is Latin for “no excuses.” The truth is, if we want to truly be prepared for the day when we will stand before God, we would do well to live now with no excuses. I do not mean without apology. There will always be a need for sinners like us to say “I'm sorry” when we err, or hurt another. But we have to make sure we don't append an excuse to our apology, because an apology with an excuse is really no apology at all.
Personally, I plan to say something like this when I stand before the Father (after, of course, Jesus lifts me up and supports me, because I'm certain I will fall on my face): “I am sorry. Though your Son and your Word showed me exactly how I should have lived, and even though you sent me the Holy Spirit to help me, I failed. As hard as I tried, I always came up short. And for most of my life I never really tired all that hard. I have no excuse. Though undeserving, all I can do is ask for mercy for the sake of Jesus, who died for me, a sinner.”
But that will be then, this is now, and it is high time for you and me to start living without making excuses. After the example of how Jesus lived, and did what the LORD required, we should be praying for and acting upon a burning desire for justice, God's justice, not man's. We should be practicing a persistent compassion that will not rest in the face of suffering and want anywhere in the world. We should be exalting the Father in all things, and not ourselves. That is what Jesus did. I believe it is time for us, individually, and corporately as the Body of Christ, to drop the excuses, and do what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Jesus Championed the Father's Values
What Did Jesus Do?
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets,
I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
Matthew 5.17
When we hear “totalitarian state” we think “dictatorship; evil; oppression,” these thoughts sum up very well the totalitarian regimes which have plagued the world since ancient times. It is necessarily so, for the pervasive effects of the Fall extend to governments and political systems along with everything else in the world in its present state. It simply is not possible for the world to achieve holiness, perfection, and purity in anything, and to consistently, with absolutely no exceptions, compromise, corrupt, and debase all that is holy, perfect, and pure. In truth, the world not only resists holiness, perfection, and purity, it resents them because they make the world so conscious of its unholiness, imperfection, and impurity.
But, here's the thing about totalitarianism, it is the form of government in a theocracy; which means the kingdom of God is—a totalitarian state. God is not the president of a democracy. There are no plebiscites, no constitutional conventions, no elections (other than the Father's election of those who will be saved, and that was concluded long before the earth was created), and not one single vote. God reigns, absolutely, totally. His reign is also, beneficent, holy, just, and eternally and perfectly so. It is both foolish and wicked to oppose or resist God's rule, yet that is what the world does, that is what people do because they are fallen, which is to say in a state of rebellion and sin against God and his government of all things, the world, and every life of every man, woman, and child in the world.
“Law” in the totalitarian states of this world are habitually oppressive, ruthless, and vicious. We rightly abhor and withdraw from the law when it is in the hands of a despot. In a totalitarian state under the control of a holy and benevolent ruler the law is good, and not at all a threat to anyone but those who break it (See 1Timothy 1.8-11). Unfortunately, all of us break it, all of us resent it, all of us wish we could be free from it, never mind that it is for our good. Oh, that the law could just be abolished.
Some folks who met Jesus were under the mistaken impression that he had come to alter, or even abolish the law. In fact, the Son was the one whom the Father called upon to champion and fulfill the law. You see, laws are an expression of the values of the law maker(s). In a republic such as the United States, laws are supposed to reflect the values of the people, though imperfectly so (sorry, again the effects of the Fall). In a totalitarian state the law reflects the values of the ruler. In God's kingdom his values are what matters, and his values are, as we would expect, holy, good, just, and perfect. Jesus completely and perfectly fulfilled the Law, he lived absolutely by the values of the Father. Nonetheless we chafe at them.
But if we could just live the values which the Law represents, well, it would transform our lives, and the world. Of course, in our fallen state, it simply is not possible for us to embrace the Father's values and live by his Law, which is why the Son had to do it for us. Nevertheless, the values of the kingdom, like the Law itself, have not and will not be abolished. This is particularly important at a time when the word and the concept of “values” have themselves come under direct attack. For we live in a world that would love to so react against the tyranny of totalitarianism by fostering and celebrating the tyranny of the self unrestrained by laws and values and truth. As in the days of the Judges of Israel, the world defines freedom today as everyone doing what is “right in their own eyes” (Judges 21.25). As in the days of the Judges of Israel this is the rejection of the totalitarian rule of God, the King. This is, sin.
Setting aside the fact that Christians are not under the law, but under grace, we still should esteem and live the values of the Father, as Jesus did. They ultimately boil down to one thing—love—and two precepts: 1) love the Lord God with all our being (see Deuteronomy 6.4-5), and 2) love others as we ourselves have been loved by God, which is to say selflessly (see Colossians 3.12-17). The Father's love was manifested wholly and perfectly in the Son. And those who would call themselves the Son's disciples are to manifest that same love.
Within the Church it is absolutely essential that the Father's values are championed and lived out. If the Church, if Christians, do not champion and live the Father's values—the only true and eternal values that are above culture and gender and politics and economics—then families, communities, nations, and the world, which all desperately need the foundation of the values of the kingdom, incarnated in Jesus Christ, have no real hope at all of ever challenging the power of the worst tyrant of all—Satan and his arsenal of deceit and lies.
The world loves champions, people who rise and conquer in all kinds of fields of endeavor. War, certainly, but in business, in education, in sports, in science and medicine. Survivor, and even something as silly and stupid as Wipeout have millions of loyal fans who tune in all the time to root for their favorite to become the champion. What is needed more than anything are people to champion the Father's values. That's what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets,
I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
Matthew 5.17
When we hear “totalitarian state” we think “dictatorship; evil; oppression,” these thoughts sum up very well the totalitarian regimes which have plagued the world since ancient times. It is necessarily so, for the pervasive effects of the Fall extend to governments and political systems along with everything else in the world in its present state. It simply is not possible for the world to achieve holiness, perfection, and purity in anything, and to consistently, with absolutely no exceptions, compromise, corrupt, and debase all that is holy, perfect, and pure. In truth, the world not only resists holiness, perfection, and purity, it resents them because they make the world so conscious of its unholiness, imperfection, and impurity.
But, here's the thing about totalitarianism, it is the form of government in a theocracy; which means the kingdom of God is—a totalitarian state. God is not the president of a democracy. There are no plebiscites, no constitutional conventions, no elections (other than the Father's election of those who will be saved, and that was concluded long before the earth was created), and not one single vote. God reigns, absolutely, totally. His reign is also, beneficent, holy, just, and eternally and perfectly so. It is both foolish and wicked to oppose or resist God's rule, yet that is what the world does, that is what people do because they are fallen, which is to say in a state of rebellion and sin against God and his government of all things, the world, and every life of every man, woman, and child in the world.
“Law” in the totalitarian states of this world are habitually oppressive, ruthless, and vicious. We rightly abhor and withdraw from the law when it is in the hands of a despot. In a totalitarian state under the control of a holy and benevolent ruler the law is good, and not at all a threat to anyone but those who break it (See 1Timothy 1.8-11). Unfortunately, all of us break it, all of us resent it, all of us wish we could be free from it, never mind that it is for our good. Oh, that the law could just be abolished.
Some folks who met Jesus were under the mistaken impression that he had come to alter, or even abolish the law. In fact, the Son was the one whom the Father called upon to champion and fulfill the law. You see, laws are an expression of the values of the law maker(s). In a republic such as the United States, laws are supposed to reflect the values of the people, though imperfectly so (sorry, again the effects of the Fall). In a totalitarian state the law reflects the values of the ruler. In God's kingdom his values are what matters, and his values are, as we would expect, holy, good, just, and perfect. Jesus completely and perfectly fulfilled the Law, he lived absolutely by the values of the Father. Nonetheless we chafe at them.
But if we could just live the values which the Law represents, well, it would transform our lives, and the world. Of course, in our fallen state, it simply is not possible for us to embrace the Father's values and live by his Law, which is why the Son had to do it for us. Nevertheless, the values of the kingdom, like the Law itself, have not and will not be abolished. This is particularly important at a time when the word and the concept of “values” have themselves come under direct attack. For we live in a world that would love to so react against the tyranny of totalitarianism by fostering and celebrating the tyranny of the self unrestrained by laws and values and truth. As in the days of the Judges of Israel, the world defines freedom today as everyone doing what is “right in their own eyes” (Judges 21.25). As in the days of the Judges of Israel this is the rejection of the totalitarian rule of God, the King. This is, sin.
Setting aside the fact that Christians are not under the law, but under grace, we still should esteem and live the values of the Father, as Jesus did. They ultimately boil down to one thing—love—and two precepts: 1) love the Lord God with all our being (see Deuteronomy 6.4-5), and 2) love others as we ourselves have been loved by God, which is to say selflessly (see Colossians 3.12-17). The Father's love was manifested wholly and perfectly in the Son. And those who would call themselves the Son's disciples are to manifest that same love.
Within the Church it is absolutely essential that the Father's values are championed and lived out. If the Church, if Christians, do not champion and live the Father's values—the only true and eternal values that are above culture and gender and politics and economics—then families, communities, nations, and the world, which all desperately need the foundation of the values of the kingdom, incarnated in Jesus Christ, have no real hope at all of ever challenging the power of the worst tyrant of all—Satan and his arsenal of deceit and lies.
The world loves champions, people who rise and conquer in all kinds of fields of endeavor. War, certainly, but in business, in education, in sports, in science and medicine. Survivor, and even something as silly and stupid as Wipeout have millions of loyal fans who tune in all the time to root for their favorite to become the champion. What is needed more than anything are people to champion the Father's values. That's what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Jesus Called Disciples, and He Still Does
What Did Jesus Do?
“Come and you will see.”
John 1.39
Jesus was not in business for himself, or by himself. Yet those he was seeking were not, for their part, all that sure of what they were looking for; but let us give them this much, they followed the Lamb (John 1.37). In the calling of the first disciples, as recorded in John 1.35-42, we see the first two to follow Jesus, and we have a “between the lines” illustration of the Trinity at work.
Two of John the Baptist's disciples are standing with him as he watches Jesus walk by. John declares, for a second time, “Behold the Lamb of God!” No one else had looked at Jesus and understood who he was and what he was doing. How was it that John did? Well, first of all, the Father had elected John, numbered the Baptist among those who would be saved; if you will, it was predestined that John would recognize the Christ, while at the same time there were many who where present who did not, would not, could not ever acknowledge the Messiah in the person of Jesus. Secondly, John knew exactly what the Son had come to do—to save God's elect through his atoning sacrifice, the Lamb of God taking away the sin of world by willingly shedding his innocent blood. Thirdly, the Holy Spirit not only gave John eyes to see what others did not and wisdom to understand what others would not, and a voice, actually “the voice of one crying out in the wilderness” announcing the coming of the Christ, but he (the Spirit) also powerfully drew the two disciples of John to go and follow Jesus. Again, though they were not exactly sure of why they went with the Lord (I think it was more than curiosity about where Jesus was lodging; v. 38), they went with him, and they stayed (v. 39). The one true God, in his three persons, was operating in the business of the calling of the first disciples. And this is still the way the Trinity operates. Jesus was not in business for himself, or by himself. Having now said this twice, I must also tell you that I also be believe that, as you might have heard elsewhere, it's all about Jesus, or, as I often sign my letters, Christ IS All!
In no way should that last sentence be misconstrued as any kind of denial of the Trinity. But, here's the thing, if we don't get Jesus, the Son, we cannot and will not know the Father, and the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, is not in us. The Son calls those whom the Father has elected, and the Holy Spirit draws them, unfailingly, to Christ. Take the Son out of the equation and it doesn't work. No one comes to the Father except through the Son (John 14.6). And no one knows the Son, nor can they call him “Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit (1Corinthians 12.3). The Father and the Holy Spirit as just as indispensable to our salvation as the Son, which is why we understand God to eternally be, and to work, as Three in One.
Getting back to John 1.35-42, see how it is one of the Father's elect (John the Baptist) who, by the power of the Holy Spirit, knows and points out the Son (Jesus, the Lamb of God), in the presence of two others of the elect who in turn are drawn to follow Christ by the power of the Spirit. The calling of disciples today is no different. Those who know, the ones elected by the Father, point out the One they know, Jesus the Son, to others who don't know, that the Holy Spirit may draw them to God, the Father-Son-Holy Spirit, in salvific, transformative, and eternal personal relationship. Jesus is not in business for himself, or by himself.
Now, Unitarians and jihadists both have a problem with the Trinity, though jihadists perhaps more militantly so. Many Unitarians like to think of themselves as Christians, and their theology as Christian, but Biblical Unitarianism is an oxymoron—the Bible does not teach the unitarianism of God (hence the impossibility of having a biblical Unitarian theology)–and Unitarianism does not accept the godhood of Jesus. Neither do the jihadists, who are militantly opposed to Trinitarianism because the god they believe in, Allah, is “one.” Jesus, while accepted as a prophet by Muslims, is not God, cannot be God to them, and they consider it absolute blasphemy for anyone to assert that Jesus is God the Son.
Jesus has forever been, is now, and will forever be “in business” with the Father and the Holy Spirit, they are One. The electing, calling, and making of disciples has always been accomplished by the Trinity. The faith into which Christians are baptized, and the only faith Christians confess, is faith in the Triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—and none other. As Jesus called disciples, so too we, who are disciples, call others to discipleship.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
“Come and you will see.”
John 1.39
Jesus was not in business for himself, or by himself. Yet those he was seeking were not, for their part, all that sure of what they were looking for; but let us give them this much, they followed the Lamb (John 1.37). In the calling of the first disciples, as recorded in John 1.35-42, we see the first two to follow Jesus, and we have a “between the lines” illustration of the Trinity at work.
Two of John the Baptist's disciples are standing with him as he watches Jesus walk by. John declares, for a second time, “Behold the Lamb of God!” No one else had looked at Jesus and understood who he was and what he was doing. How was it that John did? Well, first of all, the Father had elected John, numbered the Baptist among those who would be saved; if you will, it was predestined that John would recognize the Christ, while at the same time there were many who where present who did not, would not, could not ever acknowledge the Messiah in the person of Jesus. Secondly, John knew exactly what the Son had come to do—to save God's elect through his atoning sacrifice, the Lamb of God taking away the sin of world by willingly shedding his innocent blood. Thirdly, the Holy Spirit not only gave John eyes to see what others did not and wisdom to understand what others would not, and a voice, actually “the voice of one crying out in the wilderness” announcing the coming of the Christ, but he (the Spirit) also powerfully drew the two disciples of John to go and follow Jesus. Again, though they were not exactly sure of why they went with the Lord (I think it was more than curiosity about where Jesus was lodging; v. 38), they went with him, and they stayed (v. 39). The one true God, in his three persons, was operating in the business of the calling of the first disciples. And this is still the way the Trinity operates. Jesus was not in business for himself, or by himself. Having now said this twice, I must also tell you that I also be believe that, as you might have heard elsewhere, it's all about Jesus, or, as I often sign my letters, Christ IS All!
In no way should that last sentence be misconstrued as any kind of denial of the Trinity. But, here's the thing, if we don't get Jesus, the Son, we cannot and will not know the Father, and the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, is not in us. The Son calls those whom the Father has elected, and the Holy Spirit draws them, unfailingly, to Christ. Take the Son out of the equation and it doesn't work. No one comes to the Father except through the Son (John 14.6). And no one knows the Son, nor can they call him “Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit (1Corinthians 12.3). The Father and the Holy Spirit as just as indispensable to our salvation as the Son, which is why we understand God to eternally be, and to work, as Three in One.
Getting back to John 1.35-42, see how it is one of the Father's elect (John the Baptist) who, by the power of the Holy Spirit, knows and points out the Son (Jesus, the Lamb of God), in the presence of two others of the elect who in turn are drawn to follow Christ by the power of the Spirit. The calling of disciples today is no different. Those who know, the ones elected by the Father, point out the One they know, Jesus the Son, to others who don't know, that the Holy Spirit may draw them to God, the Father-Son-Holy Spirit, in salvific, transformative, and eternal personal relationship. Jesus is not in business for himself, or by himself.
Now, Unitarians and jihadists both have a problem with the Trinity, though jihadists perhaps more militantly so. Many Unitarians like to think of themselves as Christians, and their theology as Christian, but Biblical Unitarianism is an oxymoron—the Bible does not teach the unitarianism of God (hence the impossibility of having a biblical Unitarian theology)–and Unitarianism does not accept the godhood of Jesus. Neither do the jihadists, who are militantly opposed to Trinitarianism because the god they believe in, Allah, is “one.” Jesus, while accepted as a prophet by Muslims, is not God, cannot be God to them, and they consider it absolute blasphemy for anyone to assert that Jesus is God the Son.
Jesus has forever been, is now, and will forever be “in business” with the Father and the Holy Spirit, they are One. The electing, calling, and making of disciples has always been accomplished by the Trinity. The faith into which Christians are baptized, and the only faith Christians confess, is faith in the Triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—and none other. As Jesus called disciples, so too we, who are disciples, call others to discipleship.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Jesus Brought References
What Did Jesus Do?
“I saw the Spirit descend on him...he who me sent said, '...this is the one...'”
John 1.32-33
I've been shopping around my resume for some time now, and, as you would expect, it lists my education and work history. Of course, since I am contacting strangers who don't know me, I could put down on paper almost anything, though I do prefer to stick to the truth. But down at the bottom of the page is a line that reinforces what I've stated above, “References Available Upon Request.” Folks do not have to go on my word, and what my resume claims, they can confirm it by contacting people who can testify to the record. When Jesus began his earthly ministry he also brought references.
It is once thing to make a claim about yourself, and another to have that claim authenticated by an authority or witness. It is even more convincing when, before you introduce yourself, your references make it known who you are. Jesus was a stranger to John the Baptist, “I myself did not know him” (John 1.31a), one of a throng who came to him at the Jordan to be baptized. Though John was baptizing specifically in order to prepare Israel to receive the Christ (v. 31b), he himself could not point out the man who ranked before him. But Jesus brought references.
For as Jesus rose from the waters of the river John saw the Holy Spirit come down from heaven, as a dove descending, and alight and remain on the Lord (See Matthew 3.16-17; Mark 1.10-11). Now, John had been baptizing many people, but the Spirit had not come and remained with any other. There was visual confirmation that he who John and all Israel had been waiting for had indeed come. Jesus brought references.
Seeing may be believing, but sometimes we even doubt our eyes. Even as John might have blinked a couple of times to make sure of what he was seeing, he also received voice confirmation. You see, John knew the voice of the Father, for it was the Father who had sent John ahead of the Son, to baptize and make ready the people of God. When that familiar voice spoke to him, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit,” John knew for certain that he was indeed looking upon the Son of God. When Jesus came, he brought references.
The thing is, there are still many people in the world who need to get to know Jesus personally. Yes, a lot of folks know something about him, but they don't know him. And this is where references are still important. Those of us who know the Lord are the only ones who can truly introduce him to others. We alone can speak with authority and sincerity about who Jesus is and what he has done, and what he is doing. Some “references” we might know as missionaries, others we may call evangelists. But most of Christ's references have no special title, they are just folks like you and me, who have seen and heard, and who personally know, Jesus.
Jesus is looking to meet some people today. He just might want to use us as references. When Jesus seeks out someone he never goes alone, he always brings references. Are we ready? It is a good idea to take some time at the beginning of every day to pray about what we will say to another about the Lord. Will we be ready with our reference for Jesus when someone asks us?
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
“I saw the Spirit descend on him...he who me sent said, '...this is the one...'”
John 1.32-33
I've been shopping around my resume for some time now, and, as you would expect, it lists my education and work history. Of course, since I am contacting strangers who don't know me, I could put down on paper almost anything, though I do prefer to stick to the truth. But down at the bottom of the page is a line that reinforces what I've stated above, “References Available Upon Request.” Folks do not have to go on my word, and what my resume claims, they can confirm it by contacting people who can testify to the record. When Jesus began his earthly ministry he also brought references.
It is once thing to make a claim about yourself, and another to have that claim authenticated by an authority or witness. It is even more convincing when, before you introduce yourself, your references make it known who you are. Jesus was a stranger to John the Baptist, “I myself did not know him” (John 1.31a), one of a throng who came to him at the Jordan to be baptized. Though John was baptizing specifically in order to prepare Israel to receive the Christ (v. 31b), he himself could not point out the man who ranked before him. But Jesus brought references.
For as Jesus rose from the waters of the river John saw the Holy Spirit come down from heaven, as a dove descending, and alight and remain on the Lord (See Matthew 3.16-17; Mark 1.10-11). Now, John had been baptizing many people, but the Spirit had not come and remained with any other. There was visual confirmation that he who John and all Israel had been waiting for had indeed come. Jesus brought references.
Seeing may be believing, but sometimes we even doubt our eyes. Even as John might have blinked a couple of times to make sure of what he was seeing, he also received voice confirmation. You see, John knew the voice of the Father, for it was the Father who had sent John ahead of the Son, to baptize and make ready the people of God. When that familiar voice spoke to him, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit,” John knew for certain that he was indeed looking upon the Son of God. When Jesus came, he brought references.
The thing is, there are still many people in the world who need to get to know Jesus personally. Yes, a lot of folks know something about him, but they don't know him. And this is where references are still important. Those of us who know the Lord are the only ones who can truly introduce him to others. We alone can speak with authority and sincerity about who Jesus is and what he has done, and what he is doing. Some “references” we might know as missionaries, others we may call evangelists. But most of Christ's references have no special title, they are just folks like you and me, who have seen and heard, and who personally know, Jesus.
Jesus is looking to meet some people today. He just might want to use us as references. When Jesus seeks out someone he never goes alone, he always brings references. Are we ready? It is a good idea to take some time at the beginning of every day to pray about what we will say to another about the Lord. Will we be ready with our reference for Jesus when someone asks us?
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Jesus Traded Places, Part II
What Did Jesus Do?
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows.
Isaiah 53.4
I think most of you who are reading this email have been on the receiving end of quite a few of these WDJDs (though I don't discount the possibility that some might see who the sender is and click “Delete” without reading). It occurred to me this morning, as I sit bleary eyed in front of the computer, that it has been some time since I spelled out the purpose of all these little “tasty morsels” (as my good friend Steve calls them).
Some 18-19 months ago when the Holy Spirit hit me over the head with a spiritual 2x4, and I first expressed my discomfort with the whole WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) thing, I explained that speculating about what Jesus might do if he were in our shoes was to get the whole discipleship thing turned around. As his disciples we are supposed to walk in his sandals, if you will. His life, is kind of a parable, and when we get it/him, we are to “go and do likewise.” So, the first order of business for a disciple is to know what he did. Hence all these WDJDs. But there is a second part of discipleship that is just as essential as knowing what Jesus did—DOING what Jesus did!
Just yesterday (1/25/11) I wrote about Jesus “trading places.” I used my pal David Currie's example of a basketball game. Yahweh's prophet Isaiah spoke of a suffering servant, a “man of sorrows” (Isaiah 53.3), who offered his flesh to be wounded for our transgressions, and his body to be crushed for our iniquities (53.5). Humanity had earned a world-full of blame, and the Son said to the Father, “Lay it all on me. BLAME me.” If he hadn't, well not you nor me, nor anyone else would know anything but the unspeakable suffering of hell, because that's where we would all be if not for Jesus trading places with us and saying, “Blame me.”
So, here's the thing. My pal RRK up in Belvidere, IL has reported the launching of a new conspiracy among those who get the whole “take up your cross and follow me” thing. It seems there are a growing number of people who are doing what Jesus did, and who are stepping into the midst of situations that might well entail wounding and crushing of the sort that people are so good at doing to one another, and, for love of Jesus they're loving like Jesus, and saying, “Blame me.” (http://www.koppdisclosure.com/2011/01/january-17-2011.html)
Nobody likes wearing blame (see Genesis 3, where Adam and Eve chose wearing fig leaves and pointing fingers rather than wear blame); the point is not about blame when we get right down to it. It's about agape, selfless love that was willing to trade places and say, “Don't blame these whom I love, blame me.” That's what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows.
Isaiah 53.4
I think most of you who are reading this email have been on the receiving end of quite a few of these WDJDs (though I don't discount the possibility that some might see who the sender is and click “Delete” without reading). It occurred to me this morning, as I sit bleary eyed in front of the computer, that it has been some time since I spelled out the purpose of all these little “tasty morsels” (as my good friend Steve calls them).
Some 18-19 months ago when the Holy Spirit hit me over the head with a spiritual 2x4, and I first expressed my discomfort with the whole WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) thing, I explained that speculating about what Jesus might do if he were in our shoes was to get the whole discipleship thing turned around. As his disciples we are supposed to walk in his sandals, if you will. His life, is kind of a parable, and when we get it/him, we are to “go and do likewise.” So, the first order of business for a disciple is to know what he did. Hence all these WDJDs. But there is a second part of discipleship that is just as essential as knowing what Jesus did—DOING what Jesus did!
Just yesterday (1/25/11) I wrote about Jesus “trading places.” I used my pal David Currie's example of a basketball game. Yahweh's prophet Isaiah spoke of a suffering servant, a “man of sorrows” (Isaiah 53.3), who offered his flesh to be wounded for our transgressions, and his body to be crushed for our iniquities (53.5). Humanity had earned a world-full of blame, and the Son said to the Father, “Lay it all on me. BLAME me.” If he hadn't, well not you nor me, nor anyone else would know anything but the unspeakable suffering of hell, because that's where we would all be if not for Jesus trading places with us and saying, “Blame me.”
So, here's the thing. My pal RRK up in Belvidere, IL has reported the launching of a new conspiracy among those who get the whole “take up your cross and follow me” thing. It seems there are a growing number of people who are doing what Jesus did, and who are stepping into the midst of situations that might well entail wounding and crushing of the sort that people are so good at doing to one another, and, for love of Jesus they're loving like Jesus, and saying, “Blame me.” (http://www.koppdisclosure.com/2011/01/january-17-2011.html)
Nobody likes wearing blame (see Genesis 3, where Adam and Eve chose wearing fig leaves and pointing fingers rather than wear blame); the point is not about blame when we get right down to it. It's about agape, selfless love that was willing to trade places and say, “Don't blame these whom I love, blame me.” That's what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Jesus Traded Places
What Did Jesus Do?
“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”
John 1.29
I have said it before, I am not into so-called “reality” television. Yet it is hard to avoid, as it appears to be the favorite programming choice de jeur of nearly every network. I am not sure, but I think there might be a show called Trading Places? Regardless, it is a very good thing that the Lamb of God was willing to trade places with us.
I like basketball, especially college hoops. And, as my family can tell you, don't bother me in March when the “Madness” comes over me. This passion for basketball may be why, after twenty years, I can recall vividly an illustration my friend David Currie used to teach about substitutionary atonement.
Imagine you are in a basketball game. Just seconds after the tip-off a whistle blows—you've been called for a foul. O.K., calm down, get into the flow of the game. But no, the ball has barely been inbounded and another whistle is blowing, and the ref is pointing at you again. Two fouls, and only seconds into the game! Way before the first television timeout, in fact long before anyone is near to working up a sweat, you've got five personal fouls, and the referee is pointing to the bench, you've fouled out in less than a minute. You can't even look at your teammates; you don't dare glance at the coach. All you do is stare at the floor as you shuffle off the court to a mixture of boos and derisive laughter.
But, just before you reach your seat at the far end of the pine, a new member of the team, a guy you hardly know yet, pats you on the shoulder as he takes off his warm-up jacket and says, “Don't worry, I've got you covered.” And Jesus enters the game for you. And he scores a gazillion points and, single handed, he wins the game. The next day, when you check the box scores, you see something that looks like a misprint. Under “Leading Scorers” for the game, there is your name, with a world-record gazillion points! Just below, under “Fouled Out” you see the name of “Jesus.”
Of course, life is more than a basketball game (But don't try and argue that at a Duke-UNC game!). And sin is far more serious than committing a personal foul. But when the Lamb of God entered the “game” (Came into the world—the Incarnation) he did so to take our place and win the victory, while accepting all the “fouls” we commit and suffering the penalty in our place.
Come March, there will be countless rabid fans of some 68 teams rooting madly for their favorites in the “Big Dance.” I, too, will be cheering, though I don't have one team I'm wed to. The thing is, when the time comes for the really BIG “Dance,” when fouling out is for eternity, all that is going to matter is that the Lamb of God has taken our place on the cross, and that we confess that Jesus our Lord and Savior won it all for us when he took away our sin. You see, when the final whistle blows, and the referee is about to toss us, what will save us is that Jesus traded places.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”
John 1.29
I have said it before, I am not into so-called “reality” television. Yet it is hard to avoid, as it appears to be the favorite programming choice de jeur of nearly every network. I am not sure, but I think there might be a show called Trading Places? Regardless, it is a very good thing that the Lamb of God was willing to trade places with us.
I like basketball, especially college hoops. And, as my family can tell you, don't bother me in March when the “Madness” comes over me. This passion for basketball may be why, after twenty years, I can recall vividly an illustration my friend David Currie used to teach about substitutionary atonement.
Imagine you are in a basketball game. Just seconds after the tip-off a whistle blows—you've been called for a foul. O.K., calm down, get into the flow of the game. But no, the ball has barely been inbounded and another whistle is blowing, and the ref is pointing at you again. Two fouls, and only seconds into the game! Way before the first television timeout, in fact long before anyone is near to working up a sweat, you've got five personal fouls, and the referee is pointing to the bench, you've fouled out in less than a minute. You can't even look at your teammates; you don't dare glance at the coach. All you do is stare at the floor as you shuffle off the court to a mixture of boos and derisive laughter.
But, just before you reach your seat at the far end of the pine, a new member of the team, a guy you hardly know yet, pats you on the shoulder as he takes off his warm-up jacket and says, “Don't worry, I've got you covered.” And Jesus enters the game for you. And he scores a gazillion points and, single handed, he wins the game. The next day, when you check the box scores, you see something that looks like a misprint. Under “Leading Scorers” for the game, there is your name, with a world-record gazillion points! Just below, under “Fouled Out” you see the name of “Jesus.”
Of course, life is more than a basketball game (But don't try and argue that at a Duke-UNC game!). And sin is far more serious than committing a personal foul. But when the Lamb of God entered the “game” (Came into the world—the Incarnation) he did so to take our place and win the victory, while accepting all the “fouls” we commit and suffering the penalty in our place.
Come March, there will be countless rabid fans of some 68 teams rooting madly for their favorites in the “Big Dance.” I, too, will be cheering, though I don't have one team I'm wed to. The thing is, when the time comes for the really BIG “Dance,” when fouling out is for eternity, all that is going to matter is that the Lamb of God has taken our place on the cross, and that we confess that Jesus our Lord and Savior won it all for us when he took away our sin. You see, when the final whistle blows, and the referee is about to toss us, what will save us is that Jesus traded places.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Jesus Reigned...and Reigns...and will Reign Forever
What Did Jesus Do?
“...and he shall reign forever and ever.”
Revelation 11.15
I have another one of my many confessions to make—millennialism gives me a headache. You've got your premillennialists (of various persuasions); you've got your postmillennialists; and you've got your amillennialists. Me, I guess you'd have to say I'm a minimillennialist, which is to say I don't give the millennium a lot of thought, and even less study.
The millennium, just to make sure we're all on the same page before we divide up over our millennial doctrine, references the thousand year reign of Christ which will precede the last judgment. The scriptural reference is Revelation Chapter 20. And the debate, unlike the millennium itself, is seemingly endless, and certainly heated. So, I suppose my minimillennialist position is likely to bother folks from all the other millennial camps. It might even get me kicked out of some ecclesiastical clubs.
None of this is to say that I do not have the same respect and regard for the 2oth Chapter of Revelation as the Word of God as I do for all the rest of the Bible. But when I read about the millennium the message I get from it is one that the Boy Scouts have adopted as their motto—BE PREPARED!!! Whether the Church is raptured or not, be prepared. Whether the thousand year reign of Christ is a “pre-” or a “post” event, or a spiritualized experience (as amillennialists believe), be prepared. If the return of Christ is today, tomorrow, or hundreds of years from now, be prepared. If you will not be here for the Lord's return because today is the day YOU enter eternity, be prepared!
So, here's the thing from my “minimillennialist” perspective. If Christ isn't reigning today, why fuss about the thousand years? To me, what matters is Christ being Lord and Savior of our lives right here and now this very moment. And, if he truly is reigning in our heart today, than our primary concern should be for any and all in whose heart Christ does not yet reign. Today is the day that matters. Where Christ reigns today, and where he does not, is what we need to be concerned with, and how we can be used by the Holy Spirit to extend the Lord's reign to other hearts.
I could be wrong, but I believe it is of infinitely greater importance, to all of us who could enter eternity at any moment, to be sure that Christ is reigning in our life today, tomorrow, forever, rather than expend a lot of energy, making friends and foes along the way, over the matter of his reign before the end times. If your end time is today, does the exact timing and sequence of events of the eschaton matter all that much?
It all comes down to this—does Christ reign in the heart now and forever? If he does, there is nothing to worry about. If he doesn't, there is something much more urgent than the millennium to be concerned about. As far as I can tell, Jesus spent little or no time discussing the millennium with his disciples. He did speak of the final judgment, and of the importance of people preparing today not for a thousand years, but for eternity.
Only those who have Christ in their heart are truly prepared for eternity. Is Jesus reigning in our life today, tomorrow, and forever? Being able to answer this question in the affirmative is all that matters.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
“...and he shall reign forever and ever.”
Revelation 11.15
I have another one of my many confessions to make—millennialism gives me a headache. You've got your premillennialists (of various persuasions); you've got your postmillennialists; and you've got your amillennialists. Me, I guess you'd have to say I'm a minimillennialist, which is to say I don't give the millennium a lot of thought, and even less study.
The millennium, just to make sure we're all on the same page before we divide up over our millennial doctrine, references the thousand year reign of Christ which will precede the last judgment. The scriptural reference is Revelation Chapter 20. And the debate, unlike the millennium itself, is seemingly endless, and certainly heated. So, I suppose my minimillennialist position is likely to bother folks from all the other millennial camps. It might even get me kicked out of some ecclesiastical clubs.
None of this is to say that I do not have the same respect and regard for the 2oth Chapter of Revelation as the Word of God as I do for all the rest of the Bible. But when I read about the millennium the message I get from it is one that the Boy Scouts have adopted as their motto—BE PREPARED!!! Whether the Church is raptured or not, be prepared. Whether the thousand year reign of Christ is a “pre-” or a “post” event, or a spiritualized experience (as amillennialists believe), be prepared. If the return of Christ is today, tomorrow, or hundreds of years from now, be prepared. If you will not be here for the Lord's return because today is the day YOU enter eternity, be prepared!
So, here's the thing from my “minimillennialist” perspective. If Christ isn't reigning today, why fuss about the thousand years? To me, what matters is Christ being Lord and Savior of our lives right here and now this very moment. And, if he truly is reigning in our heart today, than our primary concern should be for any and all in whose heart Christ does not yet reign. Today is the day that matters. Where Christ reigns today, and where he does not, is what we need to be concerned with, and how we can be used by the Holy Spirit to extend the Lord's reign to other hearts.
I could be wrong, but I believe it is of infinitely greater importance, to all of us who could enter eternity at any moment, to be sure that Christ is reigning in our life today, tomorrow, forever, rather than expend a lot of energy, making friends and foes along the way, over the matter of his reign before the end times. If your end time is today, does the exact timing and sequence of events of the eschaton matter all that much?
It all comes down to this—does Christ reign in the heart now and forever? If he does, there is nothing to worry about. If he doesn't, there is something much more urgent than the millennium to be concerned about. As far as I can tell, Jesus spent little or no time discussing the millennium with his disciples. He did speak of the final judgment, and of the importance of people preparing today not for a thousand years, but for eternity.
Only those who have Christ in their heart are truly prepared for eternity. Is Jesus reigning in our life today, tomorrow, and forever? Being able to answer this question in the affirmative is all that matters.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Monday, January 24, 2011
Jesus Required A Herald
What Did Jesus Do?
“I am the voice of one crying out...'Make straight the way of the Lord'”
John 1.23
It was an anxiously curious and concerned group of priests and Levites which had been sent out from Jerusalem to check into the disturbance along the banks of the river Jordan. Finding a rather wild and unkempt (See Mark 1.6), and unknown, man baptizing crowds, the investigative delegation inquired, “Who are you?” The man was, of course, John the Baptist. And John apparently had something of his cousin's gift for perceiving the hearts of men, because without being asked he confessed, “I am not the Christ.” Though they had not said anything about the Christ, it was obvious, at least to John, what, or, more properly, who, the panel from Jerusalem was looking for—the long anticipated Messiah.
If not the Christ, John, “What then?” It was expected that Elijah would return before the coming of the Messiah, perhaps...? “I am not.” Hmmm, maybe the Prophet... ”No.” The priests and Levites had apparently run out of guesses. Not the Christ. Not Elijah. Not the Prophet. Then, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” Just so you know, “those who sent” the committee of inquiry out to the Jordan were the Pharisees (John 1.24).
John's reply, “I am the voice of one crying out...” identified him as a herald, an official royal messenger whose job was to be a forerunner, a bearer of tidings. Indeed, John had such a message, “Make straight the way of the Lord!” If John was a herald, well and good, but what business had a herald baptizing anyone? The poor deputies from Jerusalem were at a complete loss.
But the time had come to make that “straight way” for the Lord. The thing was, Christ's objective was not Jerusalem. His goal was not to establish a new political state in Palestine. Jesus had one target, the hearts of men and women. His destination was a throne within the human breast, not a palace. And John's role as herald was to do what he could to prepare hearts for Jesus to enter straight into them. Hence the baptism of repentance. Jesus required a herald.
It no doubt shocked the deputation that had come out to have a look around, to hear that the Christ already stood among that very throng, and they did not recognize him, could not recognize him, for they were looking for a great king in fine raiment, surrounded by a splendid retinue. All they could see was a rabble in the wilderness, listening to a wild man, who very likely was crazy. What kind of king would require a herald like this? But, John was the herald Jesus required.
It did not matter to John in the least what his questioners from Jerusalem thought. He had a job to do, announcing the arrival of the King, and baptizing people that they might prepare to receive the Lord. Jesus required a herald, and he was John.
Not recognizing the Christ in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the Jews still await the coming of their Messiah. But Christians know that the King has come. And they know that he is coming again, which is why the voices of heralds are still required to cry out to people, that they may receive him. In fact, the King is quite prepared to come and take up his throne in the hearts of men, women, and children every day. So every day the messengers of the King need to let their voices be heard. Jesus still requires heralds, and they are us.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
“I am the voice of one crying out...'Make straight the way of the Lord'”
John 1.23
It was an anxiously curious and concerned group of priests and Levites which had been sent out from Jerusalem to check into the disturbance along the banks of the river Jordan. Finding a rather wild and unkempt (See Mark 1.6), and unknown, man baptizing crowds, the investigative delegation inquired, “Who are you?” The man was, of course, John the Baptist. And John apparently had something of his cousin's gift for perceiving the hearts of men, because without being asked he confessed, “I am not the Christ.” Though they had not said anything about the Christ, it was obvious, at least to John, what, or, more properly, who, the panel from Jerusalem was looking for—the long anticipated Messiah.
If not the Christ, John, “What then?” It was expected that Elijah would return before the coming of the Messiah, perhaps...? “I am not.” Hmmm, maybe the Prophet... ”No.” The priests and Levites had apparently run out of guesses. Not the Christ. Not Elijah. Not the Prophet. Then, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” Just so you know, “those who sent” the committee of inquiry out to the Jordan were the Pharisees (John 1.24).
John's reply, “I am the voice of one crying out...” identified him as a herald, an official royal messenger whose job was to be a forerunner, a bearer of tidings. Indeed, John had such a message, “Make straight the way of the Lord!” If John was a herald, well and good, but what business had a herald baptizing anyone? The poor deputies from Jerusalem were at a complete loss.
But the time had come to make that “straight way” for the Lord. The thing was, Christ's objective was not Jerusalem. His goal was not to establish a new political state in Palestine. Jesus had one target, the hearts of men and women. His destination was a throne within the human breast, not a palace. And John's role as herald was to do what he could to prepare hearts for Jesus to enter straight into them. Hence the baptism of repentance. Jesus required a herald.
It no doubt shocked the deputation that had come out to have a look around, to hear that the Christ already stood among that very throng, and they did not recognize him, could not recognize him, for they were looking for a great king in fine raiment, surrounded by a splendid retinue. All they could see was a rabble in the wilderness, listening to a wild man, who very likely was crazy. What kind of king would require a herald like this? But, John was the herald Jesus required.
It did not matter to John in the least what his questioners from Jerusalem thought. He had a job to do, announcing the arrival of the King, and baptizing people that they might prepare to receive the Lord. Jesus required a herald, and he was John.
Not recognizing the Christ in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the Jews still await the coming of their Messiah. But Christians know that the King has come. And they know that he is coming again, which is why the voices of heralds are still required to cry out to people, that they may receive him. In fact, the King is quite prepared to come and take up his throne in the hearts of men, women, and children every day. So every day the messengers of the King need to let their voices be heard. Jesus still requires heralds, and they are us.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Jesus Practiced What Was Preached
What Did Jesus Do?
“Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none,
and whoever has food is to do likewise.”
Luke 3.11
I admit that I have never really thought about Jesus listening to anyone preach. I've always thought of him as doing all the preaching and teaching. But, of course, he paid very strict attention to what was said in the synagogue in Nazareth as he was growing up. Surely Jesus had listened and watched what the Pharisees and priests did and said, he had certainly heard their “talk” and observed their “walk,” which is why he nailed them so accurately.
But there were other messages Jesus heard, positive messages, messages which I believe he himself put into practice. Take the words captioned above from John the Baptist. They were part of a rather fiery oration that began with the admonition, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Luke 3.7) I can imagine preachers today would have extremely brief tenures if they addressed their congregations as “broods of vipers.” Of course, there is wrath to come, and pastors shirk their duty if they never mention wrath because it tends to have a negative impact on church attendance.
Well, ol' John wasn't at all concerned about attendance--he was committed to preparing a way for the Lord, which included getting people ready, which meant they had to know that wrath was coming for all who would not receive the One who would come after John. Interestingly, the people didn't all rise and walk out on John when he let them have it. The crowds instead pressed closer and pleaded with John, “What then shall we do?” (Luke 3.10) John responded with the above instructions: whoever has must share with the one who has not.
The church I've been attending for the last several months has asked that those of us who have, practice what we have heard preached: and bring in jackets and sweaters and food to donate to those who don't have. My closet and larder are embarrassingly full, so I figure I have two choices: 1) slither away with the rest of the brood, or 2) obey John's instructions. My Lord heard John and responded, I need to do what Jesus did!
Jesus practiced what was preached. No, not what he heard from the Pharisees and priests, but what he heard his cousin John declare to the crowds, “Whoever has, share with whoever has not.” And Jesus shared all he had. Consider just one example.
In Mark 5 Jesus and the disciples cross over the Sea of Galilee and come to the country of the Gerasenes (on the eastern shore of the lake, in modern Syria or Jordan). There they encounter a wretched man afflicted by unclean spirits, living among the tombs. The man is wild, quite out of control. Cut and bruised, clothes torn and all but naked, hair bedraggled, hungry, quite out of his mind. Jesus deals with the “legion” of evil spirits by permitting them to go and inhabit a nearby herd of pigs, which immediately throws itself off a cliff and into the lake where they are drowned. This, as you might well imagine, upsets the swineherds, who run off to rouse the locals to come out and deal with what seems to them a situation dangerously out of control.
Of course, Jesus was not letting anything get out of control. On the contrary, when the herdsmen return with the people everything is cool, though the herders are definitely going to have to file an insurance claim for their lost pigs. What really gets everyone's attention is that the man once possessed by demons is sitting quietly, fully clothed, his mind completely restored. Jesus has practiced what he heard John preach, and shares what he has with the man who has, well, nothing.
Not surprisingly, the man is eager to follow Jesus. But the Lord denies him, instead instructing him to return home to share with his family and friends what the Lord had done for him. In turn, he is give to them what the Lord has given to him. The man goes and preaches throughout the area, to the marvel of everyone who hears him; he continues to share what he has with those who don't have it. Actually, it wasn't so much sharing “what” he had as it was sharing “whom” he had come to know, in a totally transforming way—Jesus.
So, here's the thing, we need to do what Jesus did, and practice what we hear preached. We need to share what we have with those who don't have. We are speaking, of course, about material needs, "Whoever has two is to share..." but, more than goods and financial resources, more than anything, people need Jesus. We've got Jesus, they need Jesus. We need to share the One who gave himself to and for us.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
“Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none,
and whoever has food is to do likewise.”
Luke 3.11
I admit that I have never really thought about Jesus listening to anyone preach. I've always thought of him as doing all the preaching and teaching. But, of course, he paid very strict attention to what was said in the synagogue in Nazareth as he was growing up. Surely Jesus had listened and watched what the Pharisees and priests did and said, he had certainly heard their “talk” and observed their “walk,” which is why he nailed them so accurately.
But there were other messages Jesus heard, positive messages, messages which I believe he himself put into practice. Take the words captioned above from John the Baptist. They were part of a rather fiery oration that began with the admonition, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Luke 3.7) I can imagine preachers today would have extremely brief tenures if they addressed their congregations as “broods of vipers.” Of course, there is wrath to come, and pastors shirk their duty if they never mention wrath because it tends to have a negative impact on church attendance.
Well, ol' John wasn't at all concerned about attendance--he was committed to preparing a way for the Lord, which included getting people ready, which meant they had to know that wrath was coming for all who would not receive the One who would come after John. Interestingly, the people didn't all rise and walk out on John when he let them have it. The crowds instead pressed closer and pleaded with John, “What then shall we do?” (Luke 3.10) John responded with the above instructions: whoever has must share with the one who has not.
The church I've been attending for the last several months has asked that those of us who have, practice what we have heard preached: and bring in jackets and sweaters and food to donate to those who don't have. My closet and larder are embarrassingly full, so I figure I have two choices: 1) slither away with the rest of the brood, or 2) obey John's instructions. My Lord heard John and responded, I need to do what Jesus did!
Jesus practiced what was preached. No, not what he heard from the Pharisees and priests, but what he heard his cousin John declare to the crowds, “Whoever has, share with whoever has not.” And Jesus shared all he had. Consider just one example.
In Mark 5 Jesus and the disciples cross over the Sea of Galilee and come to the country of the Gerasenes (on the eastern shore of the lake, in modern Syria or Jordan). There they encounter a wretched man afflicted by unclean spirits, living among the tombs. The man is wild, quite out of control. Cut and bruised, clothes torn and all but naked, hair bedraggled, hungry, quite out of his mind. Jesus deals with the “legion” of evil spirits by permitting them to go and inhabit a nearby herd of pigs, which immediately throws itself off a cliff and into the lake where they are drowned. This, as you might well imagine, upsets the swineherds, who run off to rouse the locals to come out and deal with what seems to them a situation dangerously out of control.
Of course, Jesus was not letting anything get out of control. On the contrary, when the herdsmen return with the people everything is cool, though the herders are definitely going to have to file an insurance claim for their lost pigs. What really gets everyone's attention is that the man once possessed by demons is sitting quietly, fully clothed, his mind completely restored. Jesus has practiced what he heard John preach, and shares what he has with the man who has, well, nothing.
Not surprisingly, the man is eager to follow Jesus. But the Lord denies him, instead instructing him to return home to share with his family and friends what the Lord had done for him. In turn, he is give to them what the Lord has given to him. The man goes and preaches throughout the area, to the marvel of everyone who hears him; he continues to share what he has with those who don't have it. Actually, it wasn't so much sharing “what” he had as it was sharing “whom” he had come to know, in a totally transforming way—Jesus.
So, here's the thing, we need to do what Jesus did, and practice what we hear preached. We need to share what we have with those who don't have. We are speaking, of course, about material needs, "Whoever has two is to share..." but, more than goods and financial resources, more than anything, people need Jesus. We've got Jesus, they need Jesus. We need to share the One who gave himself to and for us.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Jesus Provoked Testimony
What Did Jesus Do?
And this is the testimony of John (the Baptist)...
John 1.19
To all who are familiar with the New Testament Luke is known as the “beloved physician” (Colossians 4.14). When I read John's Gospel I can't help but wonder if he might have been a lawyer. No, the Bible never makes any such reference, but the fourth evangelist's Gospel reads so much like some kind of court transcript that it causes me sometimes to imagine John as an officer of the court. If not a lawyer, then perhaps John might have been a first century investigative journalist. Either way, the Gospel of John is just full of testimony and witnesses, beginning with John the Baptist.
One time investigative journalist Lee Strobel has written several books with the common theme of building “the case for...” Including The Case for Christ, The Case for Christmas, The Case for a Creator, The Case for Easter, The Case for Faith, and The Case for the Real Jesus. Certainly, with the parade of witnesses, from John the Baptist: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” 1.29, to the woman of Samaria: “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” 4.29, to the man born blind: “We know that God does not listen to sinners...If this man were not from God, he could do nothing,” 9.31, 33, even to “doubting” Thomas: “My Lord and my God!” 20.28, throughout the fourth gospel John was building his case for believing in Jesus on the basis of the testimony of eyewitnesses.
While Luke states that he set out to compile an orderly, that is, historical, account of the events of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus in order to offer support for his friend, Theophillus, for “the things you have been taught” (Luke 1.1-4), John recorded his “court transcript,” or wrote his investigative journalistic piece, so we “may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing have life in his name.” (John 20.31) It could not be any other way, because, from John's perspective, Jesus provoked, and continues to provoke, testimony. It just is not possible to be neutral about the Lord—one can either affirm him or deny him—but one cannot choose simply to ignore him. At some point everyone will have to offer their personal testimony for or against Jesus; in the end, there will be but one testimony offered:
“...Every tongue (will) confess that Jesus Christ is Lord...”
Philippians 2.11
Jesus, who himself came to testify (John 18.37), provoked the testimony of witnesses, and continues to do so. The Church is that body of believers which, individually and corporately, testifies, now and forever, that Jesus is the Son of God. John would have us understand that no one can merely sit in the “gallery” and watch the proceedings. If we feel no compulsion whatsoever to testify we may well ask ourselves if Christ is in us, because testifying and provoking testimony is what Jesus did; testifying is what his disciples do.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
And this is the testimony of John (the Baptist)...
John 1.19
To all who are familiar with the New Testament Luke is known as the “beloved physician” (Colossians 4.14). When I read John's Gospel I can't help but wonder if he might have been a lawyer. No, the Bible never makes any such reference, but the fourth evangelist's Gospel reads so much like some kind of court transcript that it causes me sometimes to imagine John as an officer of the court. If not a lawyer, then perhaps John might have been a first century investigative journalist. Either way, the Gospel of John is just full of testimony and witnesses, beginning with John the Baptist.
One time investigative journalist Lee Strobel has written several books with the common theme of building “the case for...” Including The Case for Christ, The Case for Christmas, The Case for a Creator, The Case for Easter, The Case for Faith, and The Case for the Real Jesus. Certainly, with the parade of witnesses, from John the Baptist: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” 1.29, to the woman of Samaria: “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” 4.29, to the man born blind: “We know that God does not listen to sinners...If this man were not from God, he could do nothing,” 9.31, 33, even to “doubting” Thomas: “My Lord and my God!” 20.28, throughout the fourth gospel John was building his case for believing in Jesus on the basis of the testimony of eyewitnesses.
While Luke states that he set out to compile an orderly, that is, historical, account of the events of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus in order to offer support for his friend, Theophillus, for “the things you have been taught” (Luke 1.1-4), John recorded his “court transcript,” or wrote his investigative journalistic piece, so we “may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing have life in his name.” (John 20.31) It could not be any other way, because, from John's perspective, Jesus provoked, and continues to provoke, testimony. It just is not possible to be neutral about the Lord—one can either affirm him or deny him—but one cannot choose simply to ignore him. At some point everyone will have to offer their personal testimony for or against Jesus; in the end, there will be but one testimony offered:
“...Every tongue (will) confess that Jesus Christ is Lord...”
Philippians 2.11
Jesus, who himself came to testify (John 18.37), provoked the testimony of witnesses, and continues to do so. The Church is that body of believers which, individually and corporately, testifies, now and forever, that Jesus is the Son of God. John would have us understand that no one can merely sit in the “gallery” and watch the proceedings. If we feel no compulsion whatsoever to testify we may well ask ourselves if Christ is in us, because testifying and provoking testimony is what Jesus did; testifying is what his disciples do.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Friday, January 21, 2011
Jesus Removed the Veil
What Did Jesus Do?
No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side,
he has made him known.
John 1.18
“I Can See Clearly Now” was a popular song by Johnny Nash back in 1972. The song tells of the banishment, as of the lifting of a veil, of rain and dark clouds, as a prayed for rainbow ushers in “nothin' but blue skies.” It wasn't that the singer was blinded by the “rain,” but his ability to see clearly was inhibited, his vision was obscured.
Before the Incarnation of Jesus, the Father had allowed only a limited revelation of himself. Even Moses, who had the closest and most intimate relationship with Yahweh among the many figures of the Old Testament, was not permitted to look upon his face (see Exodus 33.17-23); the whole of the summit of Mount Sinai was shrouded in cloud when Moses went up to meet with Yahweh (Exodus 24.15-18). Yet it would be wrong say that he was totally unseen before Jesus; Yahweh was most certainly known to the Patriarchs and Prophets of Israel, and made known to the people. So, we need to understand that the point John is making is that, with the coming of Christ, the Father removed the veil, and permitted the fullness of his glory to be revealed to humanity in the Son.
It is important to note that, though Moses employed a veil over his face to shield the people of Israel from God's glory after he had met with Yahweh, it was not to hide the glory of Yahweh, but rather to prevent the people from seeing the glory fade. For the glory shining from the face of Moses was but a reflection, imperfect and incomplete, and impermanent, even as the covenant Moses received from Yahweh would be superseded by the new covenant in and through Jesus Christ. (see 2Corinthians 3.12-18)
With the sending of his Son, the Father declared that the time had come for us to know him, now to see him, and see him clearly, fully. While there was a time when people could not see Yahweh and live (Genesis 33.20), now to look upon the Son and know the Father is to receive life (John 14.5-7; cf 17.3).
The law given through Moses was never intended to be the full, clear, and lasting revelation of the one God; that remained for the coming of Jesus Christ, full of grace and truth (John 1.17). Indeed, the Father had spoken many words in many ways to his people through the Law and the Prophets (see Hebrews 1.1), but his final and eternally binding word is the Son—the Word made flesh—the unveiled shining of his glory and his exact image (Hebrews 1.2-3).
There never has, nor ever will be, any new revelation to append or surpass the Incarnation of the Word. To look for God anywhere else, or in anyone else, other than Jesus Christ is to search from behind a veil, eyes impaired, mind clouded, heart shrouded. To look neither to the right nor to the left, but straight ahead, and behold the Son, is to see the Father. Jesus removed the veil that we should behold the Glory, and so be transformed, degree by degree, into the same image (2Corinthians 3.18).
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side,
he has made him known.
John 1.18
“I Can See Clearly Now” was a popular song by Johnny Nash back in 1972. The song tells of the banishment, as of the lifting of a veil, of rain and dark clouds, as a prayed for rainbow ushers in “nothin' but blue skies.” It wasn't that the singer was blinded by the “rain,” but his ability to see clearly was inhibited, his vision was obscured.
Before the Incarnation of Jesus, the Father had allowed only a limited revelation of himself. Even Moses, who had the closest and most intimate relationship with Yahweh among the many figures of the Old Testament, was not permitted to look upon his face (see Exodus 33.17-23); the whole of the summit of Mount Sinai was shrouded in cloud when Moses went up to meet with Yahweh (Exodus 24.15-18). Yet it would be wrong say that he was totally unseen before Jesus; Yahweh was most certainly known to the Patriarchs and Prophets of Israel, and made known to the people. So, we need to understand that the point John is making is that, with the coming of Christ, the Father removed the veil, and permitted the fullness of his glory to be revealed to humanity in the Son.
It is important to note that, though Moses employed a veil over his face to shield the people of Israel from God's glory after he had met with Yahweh, it was not to hide the glory of Yahweh, but rather to prevent the people from seeing the glory fade. For the glory shining from the face of Moses was but a reflection, imperfect and incomplete, and impermanent, even as the covenant Moses received from Yahweh would be superseded by the new covenant in and through Jesus Christ. (see 2Corinthians 3.12-18)
With the sending of his Son, the Father declared that the time had come for us to know him, now to see him, and see him clearly, fully. While there was a time when people could not see Yahweh and live (Genesis 33.20), now to look upon the Son and know the Father is to receive life (John 14.5-7; cf 17.3).
The law given through Moses was never intended to be the full, clear, and lasting revelation of the one God; that remained for the coming of Jesus Christ, full of grace and truth (John 1.17). Indeed, the Father had spoken many words in many ways to his people through the Law and the Prophets (see Hebrews 1.1), but his final and eternally binding word is the Son—the Word made flesh—the unveiled shining of his glory and his exact image (Hebrews 1.2-3).
There never has, nor ever will be, any new revelation to append or surpass the Incarnation of the Word. To look for God anywhere else, or in anyone else, other than Jesus Christ is to search from behind a veil, eyes impaired, mind clouded, heart shrouded. To look neither to the right nor to the left, but straight ahead, and behold the Son, is to see the Father. Jesus removed the veil that we should behold the Glory, and so be transformed, degree by degree, into the same image (2Corinthians 3.18).
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Jesus Poured Out Truth
What Did Jesus Do?
For the law was given through Moses;
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
John 1.17
St. Paul wrote in Philippians 2.7 how Christ “emptied” himself (RSV). While we may understand that this had to do with the Son setting aside his rightful place with the Father, in order that he should take on human form and become one of us, I believe we need to also acknowledge that Jesus came to give of himself to the high pitch of devotion. Holding nothing back, the Lord poured himself out completely for the sake of lost sinners.
What did Jesus pour out that we received? Well, John speaks of “grace upon grace” (John 1.16), but also points out that Christ came full of grace and truth. I certainly don't wish to downplay at all the incredible gift of grace; after all, our salvation comes by way of grace through faith (Ephesians 2.8). But the gift of grace can do little for us if we don't also receive the truth. Without grasping the truth, particularly the truth about ourselves as fallen sinners with no hope whatsoever other than the mercy of God, we would not recognize that grace, and grace alone, is what we need.
It's like this, if we say that we have no sin, or at least no sin so great as to need the services of a Savior and the free, though undeserved, grace of God, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (See 1John 1.5-10). If the truth is not in us we are, to put it crudely, full of stuff that stinks. The truth, you see, is absolutely essential. And, tragically, truth is perhaps the scarcest commodity in the world.
Now, before anyone wishes to argue with me about the scarcity of truth, hear me out. As an economics major, albeit 36 years ago now, I recall that one measure of the scarcity of a commodity is its price. The harder it is to find something in this world, the more valuable, the more costly, it becomes. Consider this, If diamonds were as plentiful as the grains of sand on the shore, diamonds would not be considered precious gems, their value would plummet. Now, let us think about the cost of truth.
It cost the Father his Son for us to receive the truth. The only good and pure man to ever live had to die cruelly on the cross to pay the price for truth to be revealed to us. The Lord had to endure rejection, savage scourging, a slow agonizing death, and three days in the tomb, so that the truth be known. No one else would ever be willing to pay such a cost. No one else ever could. And, even if the world were to offer all its wealth, it would not be enough to purchase truth.
The Son was born to die, and he well knew this even before he emptied himself and came down to assume the form of an obedient servant. And at the end of his life, when he was on trial before Pilate, Jesus, when directly asked to give an account for himself, said,
“For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come
into the world—to bear witness to the truth.”
John 18.37
Pilate, confronted, face to face as it were, with the Truth, was incapable of recognizing it/him (See John 18.38). Pilate wasn't the first, and he wasn't the last. The world is filled with deceit, and the deceived, which continues to make truth the most precious of commodities to possess. And it is nothing other than the truth in which the Church must trade.
When we analyze the myriad of programs and services one can find in a church, the only one that really matters is the proclamation of the truth. If a church isn't absolutely committed to pouring out the truth, it has missed its mission. If the Church isn't pouring out the truth, it isn't really the Church at all.
Jesus poured out truth, and so should we.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
For the law was given through Moses;
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
John 1.17
St. Paul wrote in Philippians 2.7 how Christ “emptied” himself (RSV). While we may understand that this had to do with the Son setting aside his rightful place with the Father, in order that he should take on human form and become one of us, I believe we need to also acknowledge that Jesus came to give of himself to the high pitch of devotion. Holding nothing back, the Lord poured himself out completely for the sake of lost sinners.
What did Jesus pour out that we received? Well, John speaks of “grace upon grace” (John 1.16), but also points out that Christ came full of grace and truth. I certainly don't wish to downplay at all the incredible gift of grace; after all, our salvation comes by way of grace through faith (Ephesians 2.8). But the gift of grace can do little for us if we don't also receive the truth. Without grasping the truth, particularly the truth about ourselves as fallen sinners with no hope whatsoever other than the mercy of God, we would not recognize that grace, and grace alone, is what we need.
It's like this, if we say that we have no sin, or at least no sin so great as to need the services of a Savior and the free, though undeserved, grace of God, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (See 1John 1.5-10). If the truth is not in us we are, to put it crudely, full of stuff that stinks. The truth, you see, is absolutely essential. And, tragically, truth is perhaps the scarcest commodity in the world.
Now, before anyone wishes to argue with me about the scarcity of truth, hear me out. As an economics major, albeit 36 years ago now, I recall that one measure of the scarcity of a commodity is its price. The harder it is to find something in this world, the more valuable, the more costly, it becomes. Consider this, If diamonds were as plentiful as the grains of sand on the shore, diamonds would not be considered precious gems, their value would plummet. Now, let us think about the cost of truth.
It cost the Father his Son for us to receive the truth. The only good and pure man to ever live had to die cruelly on the cross to pay the price for truth to be revealed to us. The Lord had to endure rejection, savage scourging, a slow agonizing death, and three days in the tomb, so that the truth be known. No one else would ever be willing to pay such a cost. No one else ever could. And, even if the world were to offer all its wealth, it would not be enough to purchase truth.
The Son was born to die, and he well knew this even before he emptied himself and came down to assume the form of an obedient servant. And at the end of his life, when he was on trial before Pilate, Jesus, when directly asked to give an account for himself, said,
“For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come
into the world—to bear witness to the truth.”
John 18.37
Pilate, confronted, face to face as it were, with the Truth, was incapable of recognizing it/him (See John 18.38). Pilate wasn't the first, and he wasn't the last. The world is filled with deceit, and the deceived, which continues to make truth the most precious of commodities to possess. And it is nothing other than the truth in which the Church must trade.
When we analyze the myriad of programs and services one can find in a church, the only one that really matters is the proclamation of the truth. If a church isn't absolutely committed to pouring out the truth, it has missed its mission. If the Church isn't pouring out the truth, it isn't really the Church at all.
Jesus poured out truth, and so should we.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Jesus Eclipsed
What Did Jesus Do?
“Therefore this joy of mine is now complete
He must increase, but I must decrease”
John 3.29-30
Wouldn't you think that at a wedding it would be the bride's goal to marry the best man there? I mean, does a bride set out with her sights on less than the best? Yet it is not the Best Man whom the bride marries, but the groom (Unless something goes awfully wrong at the altar!). When it comes to the serious business of the hour, the Best Man steps back, and is eclipsed by the bridegroom. The bride belongs to the groom, and to no other. Generally, most Best Men rejoice at stepping back into the shadows, so to speak, to be eclipsed, and hear the groom's voice say, “I do.”
John the Baptist was, quite literally, the BEST Man. Jesus himself had said there was no one greater born of woman than his cousin John (See Matthew 11.11). Yet it was the greatest joy in John's life for his ministry to be overshadowed, eclipsed by the One who had come “from above,” for John (the Baptist and the Evangelist) well understood that Christ was “above all” (John 3.31).
Now, some might like to argue that there have been other figures in history who were greater than John the Baptist. I have no interest in debating the question. But the One who overshadowed John, the One who was sent by God to utter the words of God (See John 3.34), eclipses not only the Baptist, but every other man, woman, and child who has ever lived. It may not seem important to much of the world, but the Gospel of John makes it clear that knowing and believing in the Son brings eternal life, while not obeying him brings the wrath of God (See John 3.36).
Here's the thing, the Father sent the Son to wed himself to his bride (that would be the Church, the fellowship of believers, the saints in all times and all places). Jesus did not give himself to, or for, anyone other than the Bride.
But what about us, what about our response to Jesus? Is there another, a “Best Man” (or woman) to whom we have given ourselves? Is there someone or something overshadowing Christ in our life? Has someone or something eclipsed Jesus? A politician? An entertainer? A philosopher or pundit? Money? Work? Power? Prestige? Food? Sex? Football? March Madness? The world is full of lesser lights, if you will, that have no trouble trying to eclipse Jesus in our lives.
An eclipse is really an overshadowing. In a solar eclipse the moon passes between the earth and the sun and obscures the light of day. A lunar eclipse involves the shadow of the earth passing across the moon, blocking the light of the sun from the moon's surface, and dimming the night sky.
But when the Son came into the world, he came to eclipse the world, to overshadow it and everyone and everything in it with the Father's love, that the world might be saved through him. There was no shortage of people and philosophies in the ancient world that were not about to decrease in order that Jesus should increase. Unlike John, the Best Man, they were not about to step back and be eclipsed the by Son. The world is still full of people and things that would seek to rival Jesus. But unless we submit to being overshadowed by the grace and truth of the Bridegroom, and give ourselves to him, we will be left quite alone and hopeless at the altar, while the Bride joins her groom at the wedding feast (See Revelation 19.6-9).
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
“Therefore this joy of mine is now complete
He must increase, but I must decrease”
John 3.29-30
Wouldn't you think that at a wedding it would be the bride's goal to marry the best man there? I mean, does a bride set out with her sights on less than the best? Yet it is not the Best Man whom the bride marries, but the groom (Unless something goes awfully wrong at the altar!). When it comes to the serious business of the hour, the Best Man steps back, and is eclipsed by the bridegroom. The bride belongs to the groom, and to no other. Generally, most Best Men rejoice at stepping back into the shadows, so to speak, to be eclipsed, and hear the groom's voice say, “I do.”
John the Baptist was, quite literally, the BEST Man. Jesus himself had said there was no one greater born of woman than his cousin John (See Matthew 11.11). Yet it was the greatest joy in John's life for his ministry to be overshadowed, eclipsed by the One who had come “from above,” for John (the Baptist and the Evangelist) well understood that Christ was “above all” (John 3.31).
Now, some might like to argue that there have been other figures in history who were greater than John the Baptist. I have no interest in debating the question. But the One who overshadowed John, the One who was sent by God to utter the words of God (See John 3.34), eclipses not only the Baptist, but every other man, woman, and child who has ever lived. It may not seem important to much of the world, but the Gospel of John makes it clear that knowing and believing in the Son brings eternal life, while not obeying him brings the wrath of God (See John 3.36).
Here's the thing, the Father sent the Son to wed himself to his bride (that would be the Church, the fellowship of believers, the saints in all times and all places). Jesus did not give himself to, or for, anyone other than the Bride.
But what about us, what about our response to Jesus? Is there another, a “Best Man” (or woman) to whom we have given ourselves? Is there someone or something overshadowing Christ in our life? Has someone or something eclipsed Jesus? A politician? An entertainer? A philosopher or pundit? Money? Work? Power? Prestige? Food? Sex? Football? March Madness? The world is full of lesser lights, if you will, that have no trouble trying to eclipse Jesus in our lives.
An eclipse is really an overshadowing. In a solar eclipse the moon passes between the earth and the sun and obscures the light of day. A lunar eclipse involves the shadow of the earth passing across the moon, blocking the light of the sun from the moon's surface, and dimming the night sky.
But when the Son came into the world, he came to eclipse the world, to overshadow it and everyone and everything in it with the Father's love, that the world might be saved through him. There was no shortage of people and philosophies in the ancient world that were not about to decrease in order that Jesus should increase. Unlike John, the Best Man, they were not about to step back and be eclipsed the by Son. The world is still full of people and things that would seek to rival Jesus. But unless we submit to being overshadowed by the grace and truth of the Bridegroom, and give ourselves to him, we will be left quite alone and hopeless at the altar, while the Bride joins her groom at the wedding feast (See Revelation 19.6-9).
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Jesus Preceded
What Did Jesus Do?
“He who comes after me ranks before me,
because he was before me.”
John 1.15
John the Baptist did not need to take a backseat to anyone. After all, Jesus himself declared that among the human race (“those born of woman”) there had arisen “none greater” than John (Matthew 11.11). But John himself knew that there was One born of woman, but not of man, who outranked him. John may have been the chosen prophet to go before the Lord, crying out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,” but the Baptist also knew that, though Jesus came after him, Jesus preceded him.
John the Baptist knew that the Word, now made flesh, had been around from the beginning. He had come, not just before John, but before everything. He is the great “I Am” (John 8.58), the “Alpha” (Revelation 1.8), “the first” (Revelation 1.17), “through whom all things came” (1Corinthians 8.6), through whom the Father made the universe (See Hebrews 1.2), and who was “before all things” (Colossians 1.17). Jesus preceded everything.
The thing is, since Jesus preceded all things he alone should hold first place, should “rank before” everything, most especially in the lives of those he came to save. John the Baptist certainly realized that Jesus was before all, and to be exalted above all. But how many today “bump” Jesus from the place that is his alone, and put someone or something, even many things, before Christ in their life? This is nothing but idolatry. If Jesus does not take precedence, if he and his kingdom do not precede all other priorities in our life, then, quite simply, our life is out of order.
Is it any wonder that we see so many troubled lives, dysfunctional families, suffering communities, and, let's be honest, are witnessing what may well be the collapse of our nation, when Jesus not only doesn't come first, but has been intentionally removed altogether? No economic stimulus, no health care reform, no new legislation or policies can right a country that has purposely removed Jesus from first rank in all things.
The Baptist wasn't being humble, and his declaration that Jesus outranked him, so to speak, was not for his personal benefit, but for all of Israel to hear and acknowledge. And the Church's proclamation must echo John's, so that the whole world may hear and acknowledge that there is no one and no thing that ranks before Christ.
Perhaps most importantly Jesus, the firstborn among the dead (Colossians 1.18), has preceded in Resurrection glory all who will, in and through him, conquer death. Our hope and assurance is that, in life and in death, Jesus has preceded us.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
“He who comes after me ranks before me,
because he was before me.”
John 1.15
John the Baptist did not need to take a backseat to anyone. After all, Jesus himself declared that among the human race (“those born of woman”) there had arisen “none greater” than John (Matthew 11.11). But John himself knew that there was One born of woman, but not of man, who outranked him. John may have been the chosen prophet to go before the Lord, crying out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,” but the Baptist also knew that, though Jesus came after him, Jesus preceded him.
John the Baptist knew that the Word, now made flesh, had been around from the beginning. He had come, not just before John, but before everything. He is the great “I Am” (John 8.58), the “Alpha” (Revelation 1.8), “the first” (Revelation 1.17), “through whom all things came” (1Corinthians 8.6), through whom the Father made the universe (See Hebrews 1.2), and who was “before all things” (Colossians 1.17). Jesus preceded everything.
The thing is, since Jesus preceded all things he alone should hold first place, should “rank before” everything, most especially in the lives of those he came to save. John the Baptist certainly realized that Jesus was before all, and to be exalted above all. But how many today “bump” Jesus from the place that is his alone, and put someone or something, even many things, before Christ in their life? This is nothing but idolatry. If Jesus does not take precedence, if he and his kingdom do not precede all other priorities in our life, then, quite simply, our life is out of order.
Is it any wonder that we see so many troubled lives, dysfunctional families, suffering communities, and, let's be honest, are witnessing what may well be the collapse of our nation, when Jesus not only doesn't come first, but has been intentionally removed altogether? No economic stimulus, no health care reform, no new legislation or policies can right a country that has purposely removed Jesus from first rank in all things.
The Baptist wasn't being humble, and his declaration that Jesus outranked him, so to speak, was not for his personal benefit, but for all of Israel to hear and acknowledge. And the Church's proclamation must echo John's, so that the whole world may hear and acknowledge that there is no one and no thing that ranks before Christ.
Perhaps most importantly Jesus, the firstborn among the dead (Colossians 1.18), has preceded in Resurrection glory all who will, in and through him, conquer death. Our hope and assurance is that, in life and in death, Jesus has preceded us.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Jesus Revealed the Glory of Grace and Truth
What Did Jesus Do?
and we have seen his glory...full of grace and truth.
John 1.14
I have seen the glory of the sunrise while walking along an Atlantic beach. I have also seen the glory of sunsets in the Pacific. But the glory of the sun is nothing compared to the glory of the Son. John wrote his gospel because he had beheld the glory of the Word made flesh.
If the sun were to come just a little bit closer to the earth all life on our planet would be destroyed. The Son brought salvation when he came to dwell in the very midst of us.
The sun is full of incredibly hot gases, a glorious consuming inferno. The Son iss full of grace and truth, the redeeming glory of the Father.
Anyone who would directly behold the glory of the sun's light would be blinded. Those who behold the Son's glory see and know the the Father more clearly.
Too much exposure to the sun is very bad for us. The more we time we spend with the Son the better for us.
A sunburn is painful. The Son is as a soothing balm of Gilead.
The sun could not possibly care less about us. The Son loved us so much that he was willing to die for us.
The sun gives light to the world. The Son is the light of the world.
The sun's light reveals the world around us. The Son's light reveals the Father's kingdom.
The heat and light of the sun will one day be exhausted. The grace and truth of the Son is everlasting.
Jesus the Son,the Word made flesh, came and dwelt among us in order that the fullness of the glory of the grace and truth of the Father should be revealed to us. All who behold the glory are blessed.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
and we have seen his glory...full of grace and truth.
John 1.14
I have seen the glory of the sunrise while walking along an Atlantic beach. I have also seen the glory of sunsets in the Pacific. But the glory of the sun is nothing compared to the glory of the Son. John wrote his gospel because he had beheld the glory of the Word made flesh.
If the sun were to come just a little bit closer to the earth all life on our planet would be destroyed. The Son brought salvation when he came to dwell in the very midst of us.
The sun is full of incredibly hot gases, a glorious consuming inferno. The Son iss full of grace and truth, the redeeming glory of the Father.
Anyone who would directly behold the glory of the sun's light would be blinded. Those who behold the Son's glory see and know the the Father more clearly.
Too much exposure to the sun is very bad for us. The more we time we spend with the Son the better for us.
A sunburn is painful. The Son is as a soothing balm of Gilead.
The sun could not possibly care less about us. The Son loved us so much that he was willing to die for us.
The sun gives light to the world. The Son is the light of the world.
The sun's light reveals the world around us. The Son's light reveals the Father's kingdom.
The heat and light of the sun will one day be exhausted. The grace and truth of the Son is everlasting.
Jesus the Son,the Word made flesh, came and dwelt among us in order that the fullness of the glory of the grace and truth of the Father should be revealed to us. All who behold the glory are blessed.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Jesus Delivered...
What Did Jesus Do?
...children of God, who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh
nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 1.13
To paraphrase the late Vince Lombardi, “Christians aren't born, they are made.” Actually, they are not made so much as re-born. If it was simply a matter of one's birth then there would not be atheists born to Christian parents, or believers born to atheist parents, and most of us can cite examples of both these circumstances. Re-birth is absolutely essential (See John 3.3).
The great thing about rebirth is that it is out of this world, so to speak. This is to say that our earthly situation is quite immaterial to our being re-born. Ancestry does not matter. Economic station has nothing to do with it. Neither does ethnicity or gender. Political persuasion matters not in the least. Not blood nor flesh, nor human desiring are part of the equation. The sole determining factor is the will of the Father. The Son delivers everyone whom the Father wills to be re-born. That's how children of God are made.
If Lombardi's observation about leaders were true about Christians we would all be in big trouble. According to the legendary coach, leaders are “made just like anything else, through hard work...that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that goal.” Honestly, do any of us think we could ever pay that price? Could any of us work hard enough to make of ourselves a child of God? Not in a lifetime. Not in a thousand lifetimes. It is Christ, and Christ alone, through the Holy Spirit, who delivers daughters and sons to God, according to the Father's will alone.
Of course, once re-born, we are but infants, and this is where the hard work comes in. Not that one grows spiritually by dint of striving in the flesh. But it is essential that the children of God grow and mature in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. We can't make ourselves grow, but we can arrest our spiritual development through ignoring the Word, avoiding prayer, and cutting ourselves off from the fellowship of other believers. We cannot unmake ourselves children of God, but we can doom ourselves to remain babes unable to consume solid food or handle any mature responsibilities. It is no more the Father's desire that we should remain spiritual infants forever, than it is the hope of any parent that their daughters and sons never escape the nursery.
As God's children, believers have a part in assisting Jesus with the delivery of others. Our prayers for, encouragement of, and witnessing to those not yet re-born is important. This work of believers is in fact part of the Father's will for the re-birthing of his children. If you will, it is how the Church “assists” Jesus with the delivery of God's children.
And, for those who have not been re-born, is there nothing they can do since all rests with the will of the Father? Well, yes, they can pray themselves, they can read the Bible, they can seek out the fellowship of believers. Again, it is the Father's will alone that we should be re-born, and he alone appoints the date, time, and place. Even so, we can be assured that for someone today is the day the Father has ordained for Jesus to deliver!
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
...children of God, who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh
nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 1.13
To paraphrase the late Vince Lombardi, “Christians aren't born, they are made.” Actually, they are not made so much as re-born. If it was simply a matter of one's birth then there would not be atheists born to Christian parents, or believers born to atheist parents, and most of us can cite examples of both these circumstances. Re-birth is absolutely essential (See John 3.3).
The great thing about rebirth is that it is out of this world, so to speak. This is to say that our earthly situation is quite immaterial to our being re-born. Ancestry does not matter. Economic station has nothing to do with it. Neither does ethnicity or gender. Political persuasion matters not in the least. Not blood nor flesh, nor human desiring are part of the equation. The sole determining factor is the will of the Father. The Son delivers everyone whom the Father wills to be re-born. That's how children of God are made.
If Lombardi's observation about leaders were true about Christians we would all be in big trouble. According to the legendary coach, leaders are “made just like anything else, through hard work...that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that goal.” Honestly, do any of us think we could ever pay that price? Could any of us work hard enough to make of ourselves a child of God? Not in a lifetime. Not in a thousand lifetimes. It is Christ, and Christ alone, through the Holy Spirit, who delivers daughters and sons to God, according to the Father's will alone.
Of course, once re-born, we are but infants, and this is where the hard work comes in. Not that one grows spiritually by dint of striving in the flesh. But it is essential that the children of God grow and mature in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. We can't make ourselves grow, but we can arrest our spiritual development through ignoring the Word, avoiding prayer, and cutting ourselves off from the fellowship of other believers. We cannot unmake ourselves children of God, but we can doom ourselves to remain babes unable to consume solid food or handle any mature responsibilities. It is no more the Father's desire that we should remain spiritual infants forever, than it is the hope of any parent that their daughters and sons never escape the nursery.
As God's children, believers have a part in assisting Jesus with the delivery of others. Our prayers for, encouragement of, and witnessing to those not yet re-born is important. This work of believers is in fact part of the Father's will for the re-birthing of his children. If you will, it is how the Church “assists” Jesus with the delivery of God's children.
And, for those who have not been re-born, is there nothing they can do since all rests with the will of the Father? Well, yes, they can pray themselves, they can read the Bible, they can seek out the fellowship of believers. Again, it is the Father's will alone that we should be re-born, and he alone appoints the date, time, and place. Even so, we can be assured that for someone today is the day the Father has ordained for Jesus to deliver!
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Jesus Gave to All Who Believed (Those Who Believed Received)
What Did Jesus Do?
...he gave the right to become children of God...
John 1.12
I have never been to pro football's Hall of Fame in Canton, OH, though I have driven past it many times (I used to live in the Akron area). It occurs to me that in the HoF, where greats of the game are enshrined, there should be at least one receiver, probably more than one, for every quarterback. Why? Because it doesn't matter how great an arm you have if nobody on your team has great hands. Throwing the ball 50-60 yards or more does the team little good if there is no one on the other end of the pass who can catch it.
From Heaven the Father “passed” the Son to the world, and the world dropped the ball, so to speak, “his own did not receive him.” (John 1.11) It wasn't a matter of inaccuracy on the part of the Father. Many times a quarterback will overthrow the tight end. Or the ball will be behind the slot back. Maybe the timing with the split end will be just a little off and the ball just falls to the ground. But the Father put the Son exactly where he needed to be at exactly the right moment. Jesus was right there for the world, all the world had to do was receive him, and it did not.
There was a receiver in the NFL years ago who was famous for catching just about everything thrown his way. It didn't matter if the ball was high or low, or in front or behind of him, Fred Biletnikoff would grab it. Over the years a little secret leaked out—Fred's hands and forearms were lathered in stick-um. Biletnikoff might have been able to hold onto a greased watermelon if Kenny Stabler had been able to throw one his way. This is not to say that the HoF receiver was not sure-handed, he was exceptionally so. But he also had an edge, something special that enabled him to catch what came to him.
While the world, and many in it, did not receive Jesus, something special was given to some, that they might receive and hold on to Christ forever. It wasn't stick-um, but it worked in similar fashion in that it made it possible for us to receive the Lord. That special something? Faith. All who believed in his name received the Son. But many did not believe Jesus even when they met him and heard him, and many do not believe in him still. And, no believing—no receiving.
For those who did receive him, to the “believers and receivers,” Jesus, the Word, gave a new identity. From the moment they believed and received people became children of God, sons and daughters of the Father, blessed brothers and sisters of the Son. And something far better than a hall of fame awaits all believers and receivers—the Son has gone on and prepared a place for us in the Father's house, that where he is, we should be also (John 14.1-3), in the eternal “end zone,” if you will. Touchdown!
There will be a lot of players on the field, and many fans in the stands and in front of millions of televisions, all caught up in the excitement of the NFL playoffs the next several weeks. Many voices will exult over some great receptions (As a Giants fan I whooped and hollered when Eli Manning's pass miraculously stuck to the helmet of David Tyree in Super Bowl XLII. http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/09000d5d8067d05e/SB-XLII-Can-t-Miss-Play-Eli-miracle ). But there is no greater celebration in Heaven than when someone receives Jesus.
If I had the money I would get thousands of footballs printed with a testimony and John 1.12, and I'd take them around to all the playoff locations and the Super Bowl. I'd have big trailers with passages of Scripture on the sides, and I'd recruit former NFL players who are Christians to go and toss the balls to fans, and to visit the locker rooms of the playoff teams. If some of those passes were caught that would really be exciting! You see, Jesus still gives to all who receive.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
...he gave the right to become children of God...
John 1.12
I have never been to pro football's Hall of Fame in Canton, OH, though I have driven past it many times (I used to live in the Akron area). It occurs to me that in the HoF, where greats of the game are enshrined, there should be at least one receiver, probably more than one, for every quarterback. Why? Because it doesn't matter how great an arm you have if nobody on your team has great hands. Throwing the ball 50-60 yards or more does the team little good if there is no one on the other end of the pass who can catch it.
From Heaven the Father “passed” the Son to the world, and the world dropped the ball, so to speak, “his own did not receive him.” (John 1.11) It wasn't a matter of inaccuracy on the part of the Father. Many times a quarterback will overthrow the tight end. Or the ball will be behind the slot back. Maybe the timing with the split end will be just a little off and the ball just falls to the ground. But the Father put the Son exactly where he needed to be at exactly the right moment. Jesus was right there for the world, all the world had to do was receive him, and it did not.
There was a receiver in the NFL years ago who was famous for catching just about everything thrown his way. It didn't matter if the ball was high or low, or in front or behind of him, Fred Biletnikoff would grab it. Over the years a little secret leaked out—Fred's hands and forearms were lathered in stick-um. Biletnikoff might have been able to hold onto a greased watermelon if Kenny Stabler had been able to throw one his way. This is not to say that the HoF receiver was not sure-handed, he was exceptionally so. But he also had an edge, something special that enabled him to catch what came to him.
While the world, and many in it, did not receive Jesus, something special was given to some, that they might receive and hold on to Christ forever. It wasn't stick-um, but it worked in similar fashion in that it made it possible for us to receive the Lord. That special something? Faith. All who believed in his name received the Son. But many did not believe Jesus even when they met him and heard him, and many do not believe in him still. And, no believing—no receiving.
For those who did receive him, to the “believers and receivers,” Jesus, the Word, gave a new identity. From the moment they believed and received people became children of God, sons and daughters of the Father, blessed brothers and sisters of the Son. And something far better than a hall of fame awaits all believers and receivers—the Son has gone on and prepared a place for us in the Father's house, that where he is, we should be also (John 14.1-3), in the eternal “end zone,” if you will. Touchdown!
There will be a lot of players on the field, and many fans in the stands and in front of millions of televisions, all caught up in the excitement of the NFL playoffs the next several weeks. Many voices will exult over some great receptions (As a Giants fan I whooped and hollered when Eli Manning's pass miraculously stuck to the helmet of David Tyree in Super Bowl XLII. http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/09000d5d8067d05e/SB-XLII-Can-t-Miss-Play-Eli-miracle ). But there is no greater celebration in Heaven than when someone receives Jesus.
If I had the money I would get thousands of footballs printed with a testimony and John 1.12, and I'd take them around to all the playoff locations and the Super Bowl. I'd have big trailers with passages of Scripture on the sides, and I'd recruit former NFL players who are Christians to go and toss the balls to fans, and to visit the locker rooms of the playoff teams. If some of those passes were caught that would really be exciting! You see, Jesus still gives to all who receive.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Monday, January 10, 2011
Jesus Came To All
What Did Jesus Do?
He came to his own, and his own did not receive him.
John 1.11
It is believed by many that the above captioned verse is talking about the Jews' rejection of their Messiah. While it is true that most of Israel did not receive Jesus as God's Anointed One, I believe such a view of this verse is too narrow. Remember, “all things were made through him” (John 1.3), which means not just things, but all people, Gentile as well as Jew, were made by him. So when Jesus came into the world, his own included, well, everyone. It turned out that Israel's Messiah was the world's Savior. And he came to all.
Jesus came to all, he did not restrict his ministry to the children of Israel, though they were first in line, so to speak. Jesus also came to Roman centurions, Samaritans, Canaanites, and Greeks. And among all these there were, just as with the Jews, many who did not receive him. Though many in the past refused to receive him, and many today and in the future will yet reject him, Jesus comes to all. No one will be able to stand before the Father and claim that they were treated unfairly, because the Son comes to all.
Jesus commissioned his apostles to go into all the world to make disciples of all peoples because he did not merely come to Israel, but to all. The Lord charged his disciples to be his witnesses to the Jews, yes (“...in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria”); but he also commanded them to bear witness to his own throughout all the world (“...to the end of the earth.”). Jesus comes to all.
What this means for the Church is that its witness must not be in the least exclusive or restricted. We do not get to choose who Jesus will come to, we are called to make him available to all. We are not at all responsible for who will receive the Lord, but we are charged with making sure that all his own have the opportunity to receive him, for he will come to all.
From Aborigines in Australia to Zulus in South Africa, the Lord comes to his own. From Muslims in the Middle East, to atheists in North America, the Word comes to his own. From those who live in mansions, to those who are homeless, Christ comes to his own. To the young and the old, male and female, rich and poor, black and white, he comes to his own. Jesus comes to all, but he died for those who, out of all his own, receive him.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
He came to his own, and his own did not receive him.
John 1.11
It is believed by many that the above captioned verse is talking about the Jews' rejection of their Messiah. While it is true that most of Israel did not receive Jesus as God's Anointed One, I believe such a view of this verse is too narrow. Remember, “all things were made through him” (John 1.3), which means not just things, but all people, Gentile as well as Jew, were made by him. So when Jesus came into the world, his own included, well, everyone. It turned out that Israel's Messiah was the world's Savior. And he came to all.
Jesus came to all, he did not restrict his ministry to the children of Israel, though they were first in line, so to speak. Jesus also came to Roman centurions, Samaritans, Canaanites, and Greeks. And among all these there were, just as with the Jews, many who did not receive him. Though many in the past refused to receive him, and many today and in the future will yet reject him, Jesus comes to all. No one will be able to stand before the Father and claim that they were treated unfairly, because the Son comes to all.
Jesus commissioned his apostles to go into all the world to make disciples of all peoples because he did not merely come to Israel, but to all. The Lord charged his disciples to be his witnesses to the Jews, yes (“...in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria”); but he also commanded them to bear witness to his own throughout all the world (“...to the end of the earth.”). Jesus comes to all.
What this means for the Church is that its witness must not be in the least exclusive or restricted. We do not get to choose who Jesus will come to, we are called to make him available to all. We are not at all responsible for who will receive the Lord, but we are charged with making sure that all his own have the opportunity to receive him, for he will come to all.
From Aborigines in Australia to Zulus in South Africa, the Lord comes to his own. From Muslims in the Middle East, to atheists in North America, the Word comes to his own. From those who live in mansions, to those who are homeless, Christ comes to his own. To the young and the old, male and female, rich and poor, black and white, he comes to his own. Jesus comes to all, but he died for those who, out of all his own, receive him.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Jesus Reshaped Mercy
What Did Jesus Do?
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace,
that we may receive mercy and find grace to endure in time of need.
Hebrews 4.16
For Israel, the Mercy Seat of God rested upon the Ark of the Covenant. Thus, its foundation could be understood to be the Law of Moses, in particular the Ten Commandments. The original tablets upon which the finger of God wrote the Commandments were kept in the Ark. The blood of sacrificed animals was sprinkled on the Ark as atonement. And the presence of God would come and rest upon the Ark, the Mercy Seat, there to dispense mercy and forgiveness. Thus it remained throughout Israel's tumultuous history from the time of Moses, to the period of the judges, and through the troubled centuries of the monarchies with the division of the kingdom, fall and exile, and restoration and occupation.
The struggle and suffering of Israel through all the years of the old covenant resulted from no fault of God, no deficiency of mercy, but of the habitual apostasy and idolatry of the nation. Ever and again people, priests, and kings fell away from their covenant obligations, and from their covenanting God of mercy.
Things continued in this dismal and disturbing way for hundreds and hundreds of years, until the Father sent the Son to reshape mercy. It was no accident that Jesus grew up the son of a carpenter, for his life's work would involve nothing less than the reshaping of the Mercy Seat of God into the Father's Throne of Grace. Through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ it would no longer be necessary to sprinkle the blood of animals upon the Ark, for the blood of the Lamb of God had been shed upon the Cross, a once and forever atonement for sin. Instead of the Ark sinners now come to the Cross, the place where the grace of God has now been enthroned for two thousand years.
All who come confessing and repenting of their sins may draw near to the cross in confidence, that there they will find mercy and grace to sustain them in any and all times of need. The Mercy Seat has been reshaped into the Throne of Grace. The Ark has been remade into the Anchor of our faith. While an ark may be tossed about upon troubled waters, an anchor holds secure. And so it is that Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12.2), is our hope, the sure and steadfast Anchor for our souls, who alone secures for us the Father's mercy and grace.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace,
that we may receive mercy and find grace to endure in time of need.
Hebrews 4.16
For Israel, the Mercy Seat of God rested upon the Ark of the Covenant. Thus, its foundation could be understood to be the Law of Moses, in particular the Ten Commandments. The original tablets upon which the finger of God wrote the Commandments were kept in the Ark. The blood of sacrificed animals was sprinkled on the Ark as atonement. And the presence of God would come and rest upon the Ark, the Mercy Seat, there to dispense mercy and forgiveness. Thus it remained throughout Israel's tumultuous history from the time of Moses, to the period of the judges, and through the troubled centuries of the monarchies with the division of the kingdom, fall and exile, and restoration and occupation.
The struggle and suffering of Israel through all the years of the old covenant resulted from no fault of God, no deficiency of mercy, but of the habitual apostasy and idolatry of the nation. Ever and again people, priests, and kings fell away from their covenant obligations, and from their covenanting God of mercy.
Things continued in this dismal and disturbing way for hundreds and hundreds of years, until the Father sent the Son to reshape mercy. It was no accident that Jesus grew up the son of a carpenter, for his life's work would involve nothing less than the reshaping of the Mercy Seat of God into the Father's Throne of Grace. Through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ it would no longer be necessary to sprinkle the blood of animals upon the Ark, for the blood of the Lamb of God had been shed upon the Cross, a once and forever atonement for sin. Instead of the Ark sinners now come to the Cross, the place where the grace of God has now been enthroned for two thousand years.
All who come confessing and repenting of their sins may draw near to the cross in confidence, that there they will find mercy and grace to sustain them in any and all times of need. The Mercy Seat has been reshaped into the Throne of Grace. The Ark has been remade into the Anchor of our faith. While an ark may be tossed about upon troubled waters, an anchor holds secure. And so it is that Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12.2), is our hope, the sure and steadfast Anchor for our souls, who alone secures for us the Father's mercy and grace.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Jesus Still Does What He Did
What Did Jesus Do?
“Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do...
If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”
John 14.13-14
I am always asking “What Did Jesus Do,” and offering answers from Scripture. In truth, though most times I do not make it explicit enough, there is another question I hope all of us ask ourselves each morning. For it is not enough to be well-informed about what Jesus did—all that does is make us historians. In order for us to be Christ's disciples we have to ask, and not rhetorically, “What will Jesus do today in and through me?”
Being a Christian is not about speculation, or spectating. We cannot be religious bystanders in the world, idlers who wax eloquent on what Jesus did, while we ourselves do, well, little more than look back nostalgically on the sacred past and ahead longingly to the glorious future. In short, the Father has not called any of us to be merely listeners to, reciters of, and meditators on the Word. We are called in Christ, the Living Word, to be doers of the Word (See James 1.22-25). Christian disciples are not just followers of a teacher, we are vessels of the Lord, living stones (1Peter 2.4-5) in and through whom Christ continues to work, to build the Father's spiritual household.
Now, if we begin to ask each morning asking, “What will Jesus do today in and through me,” it follows that every evening we should look back upon the day and ask, “What has Jesus done today in and through me?” If we ignore these two questions it really doesn't matter if we are well informed about what Scripture teaches about what Jesus did. How tragic is this, considering all that Jesus promised to do in, through, and for those who ask.
Think about this. What kind of country would the U.S.A. be if its citizens merely studied its history and never sought to actively live out their heritage? Oops! Very few Americans are literate about our nation's history, and even fewer responsibly seek to live after the example of the founders and builders of this land. Actually, the condition of this country is parallel to that of much of the Church in North America. We are largely ignorant and apathetic both as Americans and as Christians. Nearly fifty years ago President Kennedy challenged Americans to “ask not what your country can to for you—ask what you can do for your country.” Far too few of us, who like to think of ourselves as Americans, have heeded that call. And far too many folks, who like to think of themselves as Christian, ever bother to ask the essential questions of faithful disciples.
It is till pretty early in 2001, just one week down with fifty-one to go. What do you say about all of us, you and me, covenanting to daily ask every morning,“What will Jesus do” and, reviewing our day in the evening, “What has Jesus done”? For my part, I am going to get myself a blank book to record my daily questions and answers. I will also commit, if you pass along your requests, to pray for you as you seek to intentionally put yourselves in the hands of the Master Builder of all things. And, if you care to share what Jesus is doing in and through you, with permission I will pass it on to all who this ministry connects with.
May Jesus do in us all what he has always done, the will of the Father, for the good of the Father's children, to the Father's eternal glory!
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
“Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do...
If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”
John 14.13-14
I am always asking “What Did Jesus Do,” and offering answers from Scripture. In truth, though most times I do not make it explicit enough, there is another question I hope all of us ask ourselves each morning. For it is not enough to be well-informed about what Jesus did—all that does is make us historians. In order for us to be Christ's disciples we have to ask, and not rhetorically, “What will Jesus do today in and through me?”
Being a Christian is not about speculation, or spectating. We cannot be religious bystanders in the world, idlers who wax eloquent on what Jesus did, while we ourselves do, well, little more than look back nostalgically on the sacred past and ahead longingly to the glorious future. In short, the Father has not called any of us to be merely listeners to, reciters of, and meditators on the Word. We are called in Christ, the Living Word, to be doers of the Word (See James 1.22-25). Christian disciples are not just followers of a teacher, we are vessels of the Lord, living stones (1Peter 2.4-5) in and through whom Christ continues to work, to build the Father's spiritual household.
Now, if we begin to ask each morning asking, “What will Jesus do today in and through me,” it follows that every evening we should look back upon the day and ask, “What has Jesus done today in and through me?” If we ignore these two questions it really doesn't matter if we are well informed about what Scripture teaches about what Jesus did. How tragic is this, considering all that Jesus promised to do in, through, and for those who ask.
Think about this. What kind of country would the U.S.A. be if its citizens merely studied its history and never sought to actively live out their heritage? Oops! Very few Americans are literate about our nation's history, and even fewer responsibly seek to live after the example of the founders and builders of this land. Actually, the condition of this country is parallel to that of much of the Church in North America. We are largely ignorant and apathetic both as Americans and as Christians. Nearly fifty years ago President Kennedy challenged Americans to “ask not what your country can to for you—ask what you can do for your country.” Far too few of us, who like to think of ourselves as Americans, have heeded that call. And far too many folks, who like to think of themselves as Christian, ever bother to ask the essential questions of faithful disciples.
It is till pretty early in 2001, just one week down with fifty-one to go. What do you say about all of us, you and me, covenanting to daily ask every morning,“What will Jesus do” and, reviewing our day in the evening, “What has Jesus done”? For my part, I am going to get myself a blank book to record my daily questions and answers. I will also commit, if you pass along your requests, to pray for you as you seek to intentionally put yourselves in the hands of the Master Builder of all things. And, if you care to share what Jesus is doing in and through you, with permission I will pass it on to all who this ministry connects with.
May Jesus do in us all what he has always done, the will of the Father, for the good of the Father's children, to the Father's eternal glory!
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Jesus Abided From The Beginning
What Did Jesus Do?
He was in the world, and the world was made through him,
yet the world did not know him.
John 1.10
I really don't have much use at all for so-called “reality” television, but I think I must be in the minority because it appears to be the fastest growing programming genre. There is a show which I have never watched, Undercover Boss, but I have seen promos for it. From what I can tell, owners of businesses disguise themselves and go to work at their own firms in order to learn what the workers are really like, what they really think of the company, and how they do their job. My understanding is the true colors, so to speak, of the unguarded workers, frequently lead to their embarrassment, and sometimes their being fired. I guess some might try and use as a defense, “But, I didn't know who you were.” to which the boss would reply “Why should that matter?” When you are hired the attitudes, expectations, and performance the company expects are spelled out, even if not personally presented to each new employee by the CEO. The CEO is present, so to speak, everywhere in the company, it bears his or her marks. Often it is quite literally true that the boss started and made the company what it is. Yet, as Undercover Boss show, many do not know the boss at all.
Jesus is not like any boss any of us could ever work for. Jesus is not into disguises, nor engages in subterfuge. From the very beginning Jesus, the Word, has been in the world. In fact, the world and everything in it was made through the Word, through Jesus. It strains the mind to try and conceive how a world made by Jesus, and in which Jesus has been present from the very beginning, could somehow now know him. Yet that is the sad historical truth. And don't think it is easy to ignore God, it takes willful effort. Consider this,
The carpenter...plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it.
Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and
warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also
he makes himself a god and worships it; he makes it an
idol and falls down before it. Half of it he burns in the
fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied.
Also he warms himself and says, “Aha, I am warm, I have
seen the fire!” And the rest of it he makes into a god, his
idol, and falls down to it and worships it...a deluded heart
has led him astray.
Isaiah 44.14-17, 20
One has to work, and work pretty hard, not to know God. But the world, and most of the people in it, have always been quite eager to be blind and deaf to God, while following the lead of their deluded hearts, and create and worship countless idols. As I write this, rusting idols sit in my garage. In the living room a large-screen sits blank, for now, but when it is turned on it will offer hundreds of channels that can bring literally thousands of idols right into my home. On Monday night a stadium in Arizona will be filled with fans worshiping idols in helmets and shoulder pads. Two weeks ago millions of gaily wrapped idols sat under Christmas trees. No few of those idols have already been broken, or cast aside, or tossed into the garbage, to be replaced by other idols. All the while, Jesus Christ continues to be in the world, undisguised and plain to see, yet unknown by so many.
The good news is, Jesus is not going anywhere. He is not about to abandon the world he made, or the people he died to redeem. There is yet time to come know him, for he abides still in the midst of all he created. And this is why the Church must yet abide in, but not of, the world; why believers, those who do know Christ, must continue to pray for, and witness to, those whose hearts remain deluded, whose eyes still do not see, whose ears are yet deaf. Jesus, the Word, is the Alpha and Omega who, from the beginning of the world to its end, abides.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
He was in the world, and the world was made through him,
yet the world did not know him.
John 1.10
I really don't have much use at all for so-called “reality” television, but I think I must be in the minority because it appears to be the fastest growing programming genre. There is a show which I have never watched, Undercover Boss, but I have seen promos for it. From what I can tell, owners of businesses disguise themselves and go to work at their own firms in order to learn what the workers are really like, what they really think of the company, and how they do their job. My understanding is the true colors, so to speak, of the unguarded workers, frequently lead to their embarrassment, and sometimes their being fired. I guess some might try and use as a defense, “But, I didn't know who you were.” to which the boss would reply “Why should that matter?” When you are hired the attitudes, expectations, and performance the company expects are spelled out, even if not personally presented to each new employee by the CEO. The CEO is present, so to speak, everywhere in the company, it bears his or her marks. Often it is quite literally true that the boss started and made the company what it is. Yet, as Undercover Boss show, many do not know the boss at all.
Jesus is not like any boss any of us could ever work for. Jesus is not into disguises, nor engages in subterfuge. From the very beginning Jesus, the Word, has been in the world. In fact, the world and everything in it was made through the Word, through Jesus. It strains the mind to try and conceive how a world made by Jesus, and in which Jesus has been present from the very beginning, could somehow now know him. Yet that is the sad historical truth. And don't think it is easy to ignore God, it takes willful effort. Consider this,
The carpenter...plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it.
Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and
warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also
he makes himself a god and worships it; he makes it an
idol and falls down before it. Half of it he burns in the
fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied.
Also he warms himself and says, “Aha, I am warm, I have
seen the fire!” And the rest of it he makes into a god, his
idol, and falls down to it and worships it...a deluded heart
has led him astray.
Isaiah 44.14-17, 20
One has to work, and work pretty hard, not to know God. But the world, and most of the people in it, have always been quite eager to be blind and deaf to God, while following the lead of their deluded hearts, and create and worship countless idols. As I write this, rusting idols sit in my garage. In the living room a large-screen sits blank, for now, but when it is turned on it will offer hundreds of channels that can bring literally thousands of idols right into my home. On Monday night a stadium in Arizona will be filled with fans worshiping idols in helmets and shoulder pads. Two weeks ago millions of gaily wrapped idols sat under Christmas trees. No few of those idols have already been broken, or cast aside, or tossed into the garbage, to be replaced by other idols. All the while, Jesus Christ continues to be in the world, undisguised and plain to see, yet unknown by so many.
The good news is, Jesus is not going anywhere. He is not about to abandon the world he made, or the people he died to redeem. There is yet time to come know him, for he abides still in the midst of all he created. And this is why the Church must yet abide in, but not of, the world; why believers, those who do know Christ, must continue to pray for, and witness to, those whose hearts remain deluded, whose eyes still do not see, whose ears are yet deaf. Jesus, the Word, is the Alpha and Omega who, from the beginning of the world to its end, abides.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Jesus Truly Enlightened
What Did Jesus Do?
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
John 1.9
I can recall a movie I saw a long time ago about pirates who lured ships to destruction, so that they could help themselves to the cargo, by setting up false beacons on dangerous coasts. Ships and crews, unable out on a stormy sea to distinguish between the false light and the true beacon of a lighthouse that would lead them to port safely, sailed on to their destruction. While I have no idea what the title of the movie was, or who acted in it, the image of the false lights leading to destruction has remained distinct in my memory after more than forty years (Which is saying something considering my memory!). Most of us have heard plenty about Jesus as the “Light of the Word,” but probably not much by way of warning about the dangers of being lured by false lights. In truth, false lights are no better than darkness, and, when we think about it, actually worse. There is the remote chance someone might stumble safely through darkness, but when intentionally misled to their destruction, what hope is there?
That's why the Father had to sent the Son, the “true light,” into the world. Jesus came to enlighten everyone, but, sadly, many preferred, and continue to prefer, to remain in darkness, or to follow false lights, which admittedly can be quite attractive and convincing, even as they lead to destruction. Contrary to popular, and politically correct, dogma, there are not many paths to enlightenment, as least not to true enlightenment. Jesus is the only path, the only way, as he himself declared in John 14.6.
I believe the most frightening false lights, the ones that are most pernicious, are those that shine from pulpits filled by preachers who use a “loose-leaf” Bible. Acculturated and accommodating doctrine takes the plumb-line of God's Word and makes it “user friendly,” cutting, trimming, and shaping to fashion an attractive and comfortable message appealing to the widest demographic. What's so dangerous about this is, it is only by knowing the Word that anyone can discern the true light from all false lights. Equipping people with an adulterated or truncated Gospel is deadly, and all the more so because folks will go sailing along with with a false sense of security based on the seductive beacon of false lights.
Do not be fooled, Jesus, and only Jesus, the Jesus of the bible, revealed by the Holy Spirit is the only light that enlightens. Steer away from any and all others!
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
John 1.9
I can recall a movie I saw a long time ago about pirates who lured ships to destruction, so that they could help themselves to the cargo, by setting up false beacons on dangerous coasts. Ships and crews, unable out on a stormy sea to distinguish between the false light and the true beacon of a lighthouse that would lead them to port safely, sailed on to their destruction. While I have no idea what the title of the movie was, or who acted in it, the image of the false lights leading to destruction has remained distinct in my memory after more than forty years (Which is saying something considering my memory!). Most of us have heard plenty about Jesus as the “Light of the Word,” but probably not much by way of warning about the dangers of being lured by false lights. In truth, false lights are no better than darkness, and, when we think about it, actually worse. There is the remote chance someone might stumble safely through darkness, but when intentionally misled to their destruction, what hope is there?
That's why the Father had to sent the Son, the “true light,” into the world. Jesus came to enlighten everyone, but, sadly, many preferred, and continue to prefer, to remain in darkness, or to follow false lights, which admittedly can be quite attractive and convincing, even as they lead to destruction. Contrary to popular, and politically correct, dogma, there are not many paths to enlightenment, as least not to true enlightenment. Jesus is the only path, the only way, as he himself declared in John 14.6.
I believe the most frightening false lights, the ones that are most pernicious, are those that shine from pulpits filled by preachers who use a “loose-leaf” Bible. Acculturated and accommodating doctrine takes the plumb-line of God's Word and makes it “user friendly,” cutting, trimming, and shaping to fashion an attractive and comfortable message appealing to the widest demographic. What's so dangerous about this is, it is only by knowing the Word that anyone can discern the true light from all false lights. Equipping people with an adulterated or truncated Gospel is deadly, and all the more so because folks will go sailing along with with a false sense of security based on the seductive beacon of false lights.
Do not be fooled, Jesus, and only Jesus, the Jesus of the bible, revealed by the Holy Spirit is the only light that enlightens. Steer away from any and all others!
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Jesus Required Witnesses
What Did Jesus Do?
He (John) was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
John 1.8
We have noted that Jesus inspired witness (See WDJD 1/4/11); in truth the inspiration was in order to fulfill the Father's will—it was required that men and women be inspired. Question One of the Westminster Catechism asks what is our “chief end” (The primary mission, or purpose, of men and women)? The two-part answer is that we are to, 1) “glorify God,” and 2) “enjoy God forever.” The glory of God may be declared by the very heavens and by heavenly hosts (See Psalm 19 and Luke 2.13-14), but what the Father desires more than anything is that the creatures he created in his own image (That would be us) should commit their lives to his glory.
Now, the only way we can truly glorify the Father is through the Son (In John 1.1-16 the “Word” and the “light”). Everything else? Well, it pretty much all adds up to nothing more than vanity (See the book of Ecclesiastes, which concludes [Eccl 12.13] that the reverent fear of God and the obeying of his Word is the whole of our duty—our chief end, if you will). Some may be asking, “I thought Jesus came to save us from our sins. Are you saying that the chief reason for the Incarnation was for the Son to inspire the required witnesses for the Father?” Actually, it was Jesus himself who declared that his Incarnation, the coming of the “true light” into the world, was about witnessing, and the commissioning of witnesses. You will recall these words of Christ when he was on trial before Pontius Pilate:
“For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have
come into the world—to bear witness to the truth.”
John 18.37
Jesus, the “light,” came chiefly to witness, and, furthermore, the very last thing he did before being lifted back into heaven forty days after the Resurrection, in order to fulfill the requirement of the Father that there would forever be men and women to glorify him through the Son, was to commission witnesses, whom he called the “light of the world” (Matthew 5.14). (See Matthew 28.18-20 and Acts 1.8) Think about it. Without the inspired witness of the required witnesses, would any of us know the Truth (Which is nothing less than the revelation of the Father in and through the Son)? Yes, the heavens declare the glory of God, and all creation points to him (See Romans 1.19-20), but this general revelation is only sufficient for us to know about God. But without the “light” where would we be—in darkness. To know God, to have an intimate personal relationship with him, and thus be able to both glorify him and enjoy him forever, requires a special revelation—the witness of the Son, and our witness in and through the Son—the witness of the “light”, and our witness about the “light.” There is no getting around this, it is our “chief end.”
Lest any of us complain that this requirement of God is a burden, we must remember that the Father has given us all that is necessary for us to fulfill it in and through Jesus Christ. The inspired witness of the required witnesses to the “light” is recorded in the twenty-seven books of the New Testament, continued throughout the history of the Church through two millennia, and is perpetuated by the witness of the saints today through the work of the Holy Spirit.
It may sound cliché when a preacher asks, “Can I get a witness,” but it is the one essential question the Church must answer. The Body of Christ is not the “light,” but its purpose is to bear witness about Jesus Christ, the “true light.” In this, and this alone, is God glorified. The Son did what the Father required, as have the inspired witnesses who have gone before us and who now surround us. Will we be the witness he requires today?
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
He (John) was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
John 1.8
We have noted that Jesus inspired witness (See WDJD 1/4/11); in truth the inspiration was in order to fulfill the Father's will—it was required that men and women be inspired. Question One of the Westminster Catechism asks what is our “chief end” (The primary mission, or purpose, of men and women)? The two-part answer is that we are to, 1) “glorify God,” and 2) “enjoy God forever.” The glory of God may be declared by the very heavens and by heavenly hosts (See Psalm 19 and Luke 2.13-14), but what the Father desires more than anything is that the creatures he created in his own image (That would be us) should commit their lives to his glory.
Now, the only way we can truly glorify the Father is through the Son (In John 1.1-16 the “Word” and the “light”). Everything else? Well, it pretty much all adds up to nothing more than vanity (See the book of Ecclesiastes, which concludes [Eccl 12.13] that the reverent fear of God and the obeying of his Word is the whole of our duty—our chief end, if you will). Some may be asking, “I thought Jesus came to save us from our sins. Are you saying that the chief reason for the Incarnation was for the Son to inspire the required witnesses for the Father?” Actually, it was Jesus himself who declared that his Incarnation, the coming of the “true light” into the world, was about witnessing, and the commissioning of witnesses. You will recall these words of Christ when he was on trial before Pontius Pilate:
“For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have
come into the world—to bear witness to the truth.”
John 18.37
Jesus, the “light,” came chiefly to witness, and, furthermore, the very last thing he did before being lifted back into heaven forty days after the Resurrection, in order to fulfill the requirement of the Father that there would forever be men and women to glorify him through the Son, was to commission witnesses, whom he called the “light of the world” (Matthew 5.14). (See Matthew 28.18-20 and Acts 1.8) Think about it. Without the inspired witness of the required witnesses, would any of us know the Truth (Which is nothing less than the revelation of the Father in and through the Son)? Yes, the heavens declare the glory of God, and all creation points to him (See Romans 1.19-20), but this general revelation is only sufficient for us to know about God. But without the “light” where would we be—in darkness. To know God, to have an intimate personal relationship with him, and thus be able to both glorify him and enjoy him forever, requires a special revelation—the witness of the Son, and our witness in and through the Son—the witness of the “light”, and our witness about the “light.” There is no getting around this, it is our “chief end.”
Lest any of us complain that this requirement of God is a burden, we must remember that the Father has given us all that is necessary for us to fulfill it in and through Jesus Christ. The inspired witness of the required witnesses to the “light” is recorded in the twenty-seven books of the New Testament, continued throughout the history of the Church through two millennia, and is perpetuated by the witness of the saints today through the work of the Holy Spirit.
It may sound cliché when a preacher asks, “Can I get a witness,” but it is the one essential question the Church must answer. The Body of Christ is not the “light,” but its purpose is to bear witness about Jesus Christ, the “true light.” In this, and this alone, is God glorified. The Son did what the Father required, as have the inspired witnesses who have gone before us and who now surround us. Will we be the witness he requires today?
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Jesus Inspired Witness
What Did Jesus Do?
He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light,
that all might believe through him.
John 1.7
Have you ever heard this quote, “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary”? It is popularly attributed to St. Francis, but its true origin is unknown. My hunch? I believe it may well have been a command given to John the Baptist, and I think I have some scriptural evidence to support my proposition.
Do you remember the passage in Luke 1.39-45, when Mary went and paid a visit to her cousin Elizabeth, who, quite unexpectedly after many years of barrenness, was with child? You see, the ministry of John the Baptist, his witnessing, began that day, even though he was yet in Elizabeth's womb. Sounds kind of crazy, doesn't it? But, through the inspired leaping about of John within her, Elizabeth received and responded to the Gospel! For, with nary a word spoken, Elizabeth knew that she was being visited by “the mother of my Lord.” (Luke 1.43)
John would of course go on to convince many Jews through his preaching that their long awaited Messiah had come, that the Lamb of God had come to take away the sins of the world. But the very first person to believe because of John's witness was his own mother. And, again, not a word was necessary for John's witness to make a believer out of Elizabeth.
What inspired John's prenatal witnessing? The Light. We know that babies in utero respond to all kinds of external stimuli, and studies have suggested that light is one of them. Well, there is light, and then there is the Light. How immeasurably more stimulating, more inspiring is the Light than any other light. I admit that I now step beyond the bounds of the actual biblical record, but I can imagine John, in the darkness of Elizabeth's womb, suddenly being in a suffusion of the divine Light of Christ. No wonder John leaped about inside his mother! And, in an instant, the whole of the Gospel was revealed to Elizabeth. Yet unborn, Jesus inspired powerful and convincing witness. Later, the Lord would both inspire and command witness,
“...and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea
and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1.8
And he inspires witness still. What might be the effect of our witnessing to the Light in 2011? How many may come to believe in Jesus because of the testimony we give to the Light? Certainly, we don't need to fret about what we need to say, we have seen from the example of John that it is not necessary to say anything to convince another to believe. What matters is that we respond to the Light, that we, as another John (The Evangelist) said, walk continually in the light (1John 1.7). The Light, Jesus Christ, inspired the witness of John and of countless others who now surround us as a cloud (See Hebrews 12.1). Inspiring witness is what Jesus did, and it is what he does still. Let's light up the world with our witness, if necessary use words!
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light,
that all might believe through him.
John 1.7
Have you ever heard this quote, “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary”? It is popularly attributed to St. Francis, but its true origin is unknown. My hunch? I believe it may well have been a command given to John the Baptist, and I think I have some scriptural evidence to support my proposition.
Do you remember the passage in Luke 1.39-45, when Mary went and paid a visit to her cousin Elizabeth, who, quite unexpectedly after many years of barrenness, was with child? You see, the ministry of John the Baptist, his witnessing, began that day, even though he was yet in Elizabeth's womb. Sounds kind of crazy, doesn't it? But, through the inspired leaping about of John within her, Elizabeth received and responded to the Gospel! For, with nary a word spoken, Elizabeth knew that she was being visited by “the mother of my Lord.” (Luke 1.43)
John would of course go on to convince many Jews through his preaching that their long awaited Messiah had come, that the Lamb of God had come to take away the sins of the world. But the very first person to believe because of John's witness was his own mother. And, again, not a word was necessary for John's witness to make a believer out of Elizabeth.
What inspired John's prenatal witnessing? The Light. We know that babies in utero respond to all kinds of external stimuli, and studies have suggested that light is one of them. Well, there is light, and then there is the Light. How immeasurably more stimulating, more inspiring is the Light than any other light. I admit that I now step beyond the bounds of the actual biblical record, but I can imagine John, in the darkness of Elizabeth's womb, suddenly being in a suffusion of the divine Light of Christ. No wonder John leaped about inside his mother! And, in an instant, the whole of the Gospel was revealed to Elizabeth. Yet unborn, Jesus inspired powerful and convincing witness. Later, the Lord would both inspire and command witness,
“...and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea
and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1.8
And he inspires witness still. What might be the effect of our witnessing to the Light in 2011? How many may come to believe in Jesus because of the testimony we give to the Light? Certainly, we don't need to fret about what we need to say, we have seen from the example of John that it is not necessary to say anything to convince another to believe. What matters is that we respond to the Light, that we, as another John (The Evangelist) said, walk continually in the light (1John 1.7). The Light, Jesus Christ, inspired the witness of John and of countless others who now surround us as a cloud (See Hebrews 12.1). Inspiring witness is what Jesus did, and it is what he does still. Let's light up the world with our witness, if necessary use words!
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Monday, January 3, 2011
Jesus Shone Out, and Shone On
What Did Jesus Do?
The Light Shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1.5
Yesterday my friend Philip spent some time in his sermon to talk about Dietrich Bonhoeffer. A bold and faithful Christian minister, Bonhoeffer was apprehended by the Nazis, put in prison, and just two weeks before V-E Day in April 1945 was executed. It might have appeared that Bonhoeffer, along with countless millions, had been overcome by the evil and darkness of the Nazi terror. But yesterday the light of Bonhoeffer's faith and the truth of his words were shining bright and clear sixty-five years after his death. It turns out, Bonhoeffer was an overcomer.
You know, Jesus was an overcomer. Oh sure, the world thought it had done with him on the cross, but we know Golgotha was not the end of the story. It was not Pilate or the Priests in Jerusalem who determined the fate of Jesus, the Son's life was in the Father's hands. Yes, the world hated, persecuted, rejected, and crucified Jesus, “Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;” nonetheless, “he shall see his offspring...the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.” (Isaiah 53.10). All the powers of darkness, as it were, were given the opportunity to do their worst, and they did, refusing to receive the light of Christ, the light of the Word made flesh, and striving to extinguish that light. But it was the will of the Father that the light of Jesus shone out and shone on. Darkness simply could not, and can not, overcome it.
Let me provide a little explanation here, in case you read a different Bible translation (The above is the English Standard Version), and have memorized John 1.5, “the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” While it is true, that the world, that most people who heard and saw Jesus, didn't get him, in the sense of understanding that he truly was the Incarnate Word, the Son of God, the long-awaited Messiah, the Greek employed by John actually meant apprehend, as in a kidnapper apprehending, or seizing, his victim. In its lack of comprehension, the world thought it could apprehend the troubling rabbi from Nazareth, and make an end of him. But he was as far from their apprehending as he was from their comprehending. Jesus shone out and shone on. Darkness simply cannot overcome him.
How might this impact us as we look ahead to what 2011 holds in store for us? For starters, we all had better accept that, if we truly seek to let the light of Jesus shine in and through us, we will have to deal with much the same desire of the world to apprehend us, to persecute and reject us. We should also anticipate that many will sadly continue to be noncomprehending as well. In short, the way of discipleship will be no easier in 2011 than it has been in any of the years which have preceded it.
But, take heart, because Jesus is still an overcomer, his light still shines out and shines on. And the Father continues to prosper his will in and through the Son, and all those in whom Christ's light shines, just as he did through the faith and witness of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Again, if we walk with the Lord every day this year we will certainly encounter opposition, and may even experience great suffering and sacrifice. But, in the end, all that we do in and through Jesus the Son will even more certainly accomplish the will of the Father and bring him glory. The world needs overcomers as much in 2011 as it did in 1945. The world needs the Overcomer as much as it did two thousand years ago, though it will still strive against him. So, how about it, shine out and shine on! That's what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
The Light Shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1.5
Yesterday my friend Philip spent some time in his sermon to talk about Dietrich Bonhoeffer. A bold and faithful Christian minister, Bonhoeffer was apprehended by the Nazis, put in prison, and just two weeks before V-E Day in April 1945 was executed. It might have appeared that Bonhoeffer, along with countless millions, had been overcome by the evil and darkness of the Nazi terror. But yesterday the light of Bonhoeffer's faith and the truth of his words were shining bright and clear sixty-five years after his death. It turns out, Bonhoeffer was an overcomer.
You know, Jesus was an overcomer. Oh sure, the world thought it had done with him on the cross, but we know Golgotha was not the end of the story. It was not Pilate or the Priests in Jerusalem who determined the fate of Jesus, the Son's life was in the Father's hands. Yes, the world hated, persecuted, rejected, and crucified Jesus, “Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;” nonetheless, “he shall see his offspring...the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.” (Isaiah 53.10). All the powers of darkness, as it were, were given the opportunity to do their worst, and they did, refusing to receive the light of Christ, the light of the Word made flesh, and striving to extinguish that light. But it was the will of the Father that the light of Jesus shone out and shone on. Darkness simply could not, and can not, overcome it.
Let me provide a little explanation here, in case you read a different Bible translation (The above is the English Standard Version), and have memorized John 1.5, “the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” While it is true, that the world, that most people who heard and saw Jesus, didn't get him, in the sense of understanding that he truly was the Incarnate Word, the Son of God, the long-awaited Messiah, the Greek employed by John actually meant apprehend, as in a kidnapper apprehending, or seizing, his victim. In its lack of comprehension, the world thought it could apprehend the troubling rabbi from Nazareth, and make an end of him. But he was as far from their apprehending as he was from their comprehending. Jesus shone out and shone on. Darkness simply cannot overcome him.
How might this impact us as we look ahead to what 2011 holds in store for us? For starters, we all had better accept that, if we truly seek to let the light of Jesus shine in and through us, we will have to deal with much the same desire of the world to apprehend us, to persecute and reject us. We should also anticipate that many will sadly continue to be noncomprehending as well. In short, the way of discipleship will be no easier in 2011 than it has been in any of the years which have preceded it.
But, take heart, because Jesus is still an overcomer, his light still shines out and shines on. And the Father continues to prosper his will in and through the Son, and all those in whom Christ's light shines, just as he did through the faith and witness of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Again, if we walk with the Lord every day this year we will certainly encounter opposition, and may even experience great suffering and sacrifice. But, in the end, all that we do in and through Jesus the Son will even more certainly accomplish the will of the Father and bring him glory. The world needs overcomers as much in 2011 as it did in 1945. The world needs the Overcomer as much as it did two thousand years ago, though it will still strive against him. So, how about it, shine out and shine on! That's what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
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