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
Sunday, January 9, 2011
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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