What Did Jesus Do?
Jesus went from there [Bethany] to the region near the wilderness...
Now many went up to Jerusalem before the Passover.
John 11.54-55
If the high priest and the Pharisees hand been able to get their hands on Jesus they would have arrested him on the spot, following the raising of Lazarus. But Jesus, keeping an eye on the calendar, secluded himself beyond their reach. The Son of God knew that it would not be right for the sacrifice to be offered before the Passover.
So it was that many who had arrived in Jerusalem early, that they might complete a ritual purification before the Feast of Unleavened Bread, were left to speculate on the whereabouts of Jesus (John 11.56). If there had been betting parlors in Judea I would imagine that bookmakers would have transacted a brisk business in wagers on whether or not Jesus would dare to show his face at all in Jerusalem for the Passover. Of course, all such speculation would have ended if the people had only known that Jesus was the Lamb of God, how could he not come, there truly couldn't be a Passover without him.
In a way, the anticipation of a possible clash between Jesus and authorities might have insured that an even larger than usual crowd was going to try to get to Jerusalem, kind of like boxing fans swarming to see a championship bout. The clash of “heavyweights” would be something far greater than the many ballyhooed “fights of the century” we see being hawked regularly on pay-per-view (There' an invitation to spend $45 to watch some silly UFC “World Championship” sitting in my “inbox” right now.). The contest—though it really was no contest at all, the outcome was assured even before the days of Abraham—would in fact be the fight of eternity.
Oh sure, the high priest and the Council thought they had it all planned, were sure that they would determine the fate of Jesus. But the Father had in fact ordained the exact timing of events, and so the Son kept an obedient eye on the calendar, so that he should not arrive a day sooner, or later, than the precisely appointed Kairos moment to fulfill the sovereign will of God. The fact that there was, in effect, a standing arrest order for Jesus (John 11.57), shows that the minds of the Jewish leaders had already reached a verdict, because you know they were not going to bring him in and charge him with jaywalking or littering—they were out for blood. Thanks be to God, the Lamb would willingly shed his blood for the forgiveness of our sins! And he would do so on the annual day of Israel's perpetual remembrance of its delivery from bondage in Egypt. But this time, it would be both Jews and Gentiles who would be set free, and from bondage and slavery far worse than that imposed by any nation. The chains of sin and death would be broken forever, and prisoners set free, by the blood of the Lamb.
The folks who stood in the temple discussing the hot topic of the day had no idea what would soon occur. But Jesus kept his eye on the calendar, because he had a divine appointment to keep for our sake, and for the glory of his Father.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Ten "Other" Commandments
SOMEONE HAS WRITTEN THESE BEAUTIFUL WORDS. MUST READ AND TRY TO
UNDERSTAND THE DEEP MEANING OF IT.
THEY ARE LIKE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS TO FOLLOW IN LIFE ALL THE TIME.
1] PRAYER IS NOT A "SPARE WHEEL" THAT YOU PULL OUT WHEN IN TROUBLE,
BUT IT IS THE "STEERING WHEEL" THAT DIRECTS THE RIGHT PATH THROUGHOUT.
2] WHY IS A CAR'S WINDSHIELD IS SO LARGE & THE REAR VIEW MIRROR SO
SMALL? BECAUSE OUR PAST IS NOT AS IMPORTANT AS OUR FUTURE. SO, LOOK
AHEAD AND MOVE ON.
3] FRIENDSHIP IS LIKE A BOOK. IT TAKES FEW SECONDS TO BURN, BUT IT
TAKES YEARS TO WRITE.
4] ALL THINGS IN LIFE, OTHER THAN GOD'S LOVE FOR US IN CHRIST JESUS, ARE TEMPORARY. IF THINGS ARE GOING WELL, ENJOY THEM, THEY WILL NOT LAST FOREVER. IF THINGS ARE GOING WRONG, DON'T WORRY, THIS WON'T LAST LONG EITHER.
AND BESIDES, YOU GET TO BE WITH JESUS FOREVER!
5] OLD FRIENDS ARE LIKE GOLD! NEW FRIENDS ARE LIKE DIAMONDS! IF YOU GET A
DIAMOND, DON'T FORGET THE GOLD! BECAUSE TO HOLD ON TO A DIAMOND, YOU ALWAYS
NEED A BASE OF GOLD!
6] OFTEN WHEN WE LOSE HOPE AND THINK "THIS IS THE END," GOD SMILES FROM
ABOVE AND SAYS, "RELAX, SWEETHEART, IT'S JUST A BEND, NOT THE END!
7] WHEN GOD SOLVES YOUR PROBLEMS, YOU HAVE FAITH IN HIS ABILITIES;
WHEN GOD DOESN'T SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS HE HAS FAITH IN YOUR ABILITIES.
8] A BLIND PERSON ASKED ST. ANTHONY: "CAN THERE BE ANYTHING WORSE THAN
LOSING EYE SIGHT?" HE REPLIED: "YES, LOSING YOUR VISION!"
9] WHEN YOU PRAY FOR OTHERS, GOD LISTENS TO YOU AND BLESSES THEM. SO REMEMBER, WHEN YOU ARE SAFE AND HAPPY, SOMEONE HAS BEEN PRAYING FOR YOU.
10] WORRYING DOES NOT TAKE AWAY TOMORROW'S TROUBLES, IT TAKES AWAY
TODAY'S PEACE. SO, AS JESUS TAUGHT, "DO NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT YOUR LIFE," FOR YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN KNOWS WHAT YOU NEED.
UNDERSTAND THE DEEP MEANING OF IT.
THEY ARE LIKE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS TO FOLLOW IN LIFE ALL THE TIME.
1] PRAYER IS NOT A "SPARE WHEEL" THAT YOU PULL OUT WHEN IN TROUBLE,
BUT IT IS THE "STEERING WHEEL" THAT DIRECTS THE RIGHT PATH THROUGHOUT.
2] WHY IS A CAR'S WINDSHIELD IS SO LARGE & THE REAR VIEW MIRROR SO
SMALL? BECAUSE OUR PAST IS NOT AS IMPORTANT AS OUR FUTURE. SO, LOOK
AHEAD AND MOVE ON.
3] FRIENDSHIP IS LIKE A BOOK. IT TAKES FEW SECONDS TO BURN, BUT IT
TAKES YEARS TO WRITE.
4] ALL THINGS IN LIFE, OTHER THAN GOD'S LOVE FOR US IN CHRIST JESUS, ARE TEMPORARY. IF THINGS ARE GOING WELL, ENJOY THEM, THEY WILL NOT LAST FOREVER. IF THINGS ARE GOING WRONG, DON'T WORRY, THIS WON'T LAST LONG EITHER.
AND BESIDES, YOU GET TO BE WITH JESUS FOREVER!
5] OLD FRIENDS ARE LIKE GOLD! NEW FRIENDS ARE LIKE DIAMONDS! IF YOU GET A
DIAMOND, DON'T FORGET THE GOLD! BECAUSE TO HOLD ON TO A DIAMOND, YOU ALWAYS
NEED A BASE OF GOLD!
6] OFTEN WHEN WE LOSE HOPE AND THINK "THIS IS THE END," GOD SMILES FROM
ABOVE AND SAYS, "RELAX, SWEETHEART, IT'S JUST A BEND, NOT THE END!
7] WHEN GOD SOLVES YOUR PROBLEMS, YOU HAVE FAITH IN HIS ABILITIES;
WHEN GOD DOESN'T SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS HE HAS FAITH IN YOUR ABILITIES.
8] A BLIND PERSON ASKED ST. ANTHONY: "CAN THERE BE ANYTHING WORSE THAN
LOSING EYE SIGHT?" HE REPLIED: "YES, LOSING YOUR VISION!"
9] WHEN YOU PRAY FOR OTHERS, GOD LISTENS TO YOU AND BLESSES THEM. SO REMEMBER, WHEN YOU ARE SAFE AND HAPPY, SOMEONE HAS BEEN PRAYING FOR YOU.
10] WORRYING DOES NOT TAKE AWAY TOMORROW'S TROUBLES, IT TAKES AWAY
TODAY'S PEACE. SO, AS JESUS TAUGHT, "DO NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT YOUR LIFE," FOR YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN KNOWS WHAT YOU NEED.
Jesus Moved Many To Believe, Some To Inform, And One To Prophesy
What Did Jesus Do?
“Many of the Jews believed in him...some went and told the Pharisees...
But Caiaphas prophesied.”
John 11.45,46,49-51
The only people with unformed opinions about Jesus are people who are totally uninformed about Jesus. Everyone who has heard about Jesus either believes what they've heard, that he is who he is, the Son of God, sole Lord and Savior of lost sinners, or, not believing, they seek to connect with others who are sure they know who Jesus is not, or, unwittingly, they utter prophecies about Jesus. Personally, I wouldn't get too close to those who prophesy about Jesus, because though what they say about him may be the unwitting truth, how they act/react to Jesus is always wrong, dead wrong. Just like Caiaphas.
You do know that Caiaphas is dead, don't you? It's funny, though the high priest was determined to see Jesus dead, and led the way in making the plans which led to Christ's crucifixion, there is no evidence today that Jesus is dead, but, on the contrary, mountains of evidence that Jesus lives. On the other hand, you can go to a museum in Jerusalem and view the ossuary (bone jar), that still contains the mortal remains of Caiaphas, who has been quite dead for nearly two thousand years now. As I said, though Caiaphas prophesied truth about Jesus, his actions were dead wrong. Thankfully, God's people benefited from the huge mistake of Caiaphas, for in seeing that the Lamb of God was slain, Caiaphas offered to the Father the one acceptable sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin—the Son.
It seems to me that what still matters is what do we do with what we have heard and seen about Jesus. Do we, like many who accompanied Mary to the tomb of her brother Lazarus, and witnessed his being called out from the tomb after being dead for four days, believe? If we are believers, then it's the whole truth about Jesus that we believe. Unlike those who pick and choose from the Scriptures to fashion what in reality is nothing more than an idol to suit their personal likes and dislikes, believers embrace the entire Word of God, as it is the Holy Spirit who reveals, well, all truth. Believers receive, from the Spirit, the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help them. And, yes, it is God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit who “so help” all believers.
Of course, there are still plenty of “informers” out there. These people, having heard and seen the same things about Jesus as believers, choose instead to “inform” themselves and others about who they are certain Jesus is not. The Jesus Seminar comes to mind. The members of the Jesus Seminar spend all their time talking and writing about who Jesus isn't, and what he didn't do or say. Like the people who felt compelled to run to the Pharisees and inform on the whereabouts and works of Jesus, folks today like those in the Jesus Seminar refuse to accept the testimony of what they have heard and seen, and go about trying to tear Jesus down. But, it doesn't matter how lofty the pretensions of informers are, they can't come close to touching the Savior who has been raised on high at the right hand of the Father for two millennia now.
As for the prophesiers, well, as I said, I wouldn't get too close to them. Though they may speak truth, the conclusions they come to about the truth, and which direct their actions, are wrong. And their end will be like that of Caiaphas, who, though he prophesied truth about the One who had to perish in order that many should live, never understood or accepted that truth, and so he is dead, while the Lamb of God, whose death he orchestrated, lives!
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
“Many of the Jews believed in him...some went and told the Pharisees...
But Caiaphas prophesied.”
John 11.45,46,49-51
The only people with unformed opinions about Jesus are people who are totally uninformed about Jesus. Everyone who has heard about Jesus either believes what they've heard, that he is who he is, the Son of God, sole Lord and Savior of lost sinners, or, not believing, they seek to connect with others who are sure they know who Jesus is not, or, unwittingly, they utter prophecies about Jesus. Personally, I wouldn't get too close to those who prophesy about Jesus, because though what they say about him may be the unwitting truth, how they act/react to Jesus is always wrong, dead wrong. Just like Caiaphas.
You do know that Caiaphas is dead, don't you? It's funny, though the high priest was determined to see Jesus dead, and led the way in making the plans which led to Christ's crucifixion, there is no evidence today that Jesus is dead, but, on the contrary, mountains of evidence that Jesus lives. On the other hand, you can go to a museum in Jerusalem and view the ossuary (bone jar), that still contains the mortal remains of Caiaphas, who has been quite dead for nearly two thousand years now. As I said, though Caiaphas prophesied truth about Jesus, his actions were dead wrong. Thankfully, God's people benefited from the huge mistake of Caiaphas, for in seeing that the Lamb of God was slain, Caiaphas offered to the Father the one acceptable sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin—the Son.
It seems to me that what still matters is what do we do with what we have heard and seen about Jesus. Do we, like many who accompanied Mary to the tomb of her brother Lazarus, and witnessed his being called out from the tomb after being dead for four days, believe? If we are believers, then it's the whole truth about Jesus that we believe. Unlike those who pick and choose from the Scriptures to fashion what in reality is nothing more than an idol to suit their personal likes and dislikes, believers embrace the entire Word of God, as it is the Holy Spirit who reveals, well, all truth. Believers receive, from the Spirit, the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help them. And, yes, it is God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit who “so help” all believers.
Of course, there are still plenty of “informers” out there. These people, having heard and seen the same things about Jesus as believers, choose instead to “inform” themselves and others about who they are certain Jesus is not. The Jesus Seminar comes to mind. The members of the Jesus Seminar spend all their time talking and writing about who Jesus isn't, and what he didn't do or say. Like the people who felt compelled to run to the Pharisees and inform on the whereabouts and works of Jesus, folks today like those in the Jesus Seminar refuse to accept the testimony of what they have heard and seen, and go about trying to tear Jesus down. But, it doesn't matter how lofty the pretensions of informers are, they can't come close to touching the Savior who has been raised on high at the right hand of the Father for two millennia now.
As for the prophesiers, well, as I said, I wouldn't get too close to them. Though they may speak truth, the conclusions they come to about the truth, and which direct their actions, are wrong. And their end will be like that of Caiaphas, who, though he prophesied truth about the One who had to perish in order that many should live, never understood or accepted that truth, and so he is dead, while the Lamb of God, whose death he orchestrated, lives!
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Jesusu Exercised (All) Authority
What Did Jesus Do?
...he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
The man who had died came out...
John 11.43-44
Except at his trial, the ministry of Jesus was all about his exercise of authority. This is not surprising when we recall that all authority has been given to him (Matthew 28.18). Yet, when it came down to sparing himself the agony of the cross, Christ refused to use his authority to call upon the Father to send down legions of angels to deliver him (see Matthew 26.53).
But the Lord never hesitated to exercise his authority for the sake of others. Jesus used his authority to order demons and unclean spirits to come out of their hosts and stop afflicting them (see Mark 1.26). Indeed, Christ's very teaching was so brimming with authority it astounded people (Mark 1.27-28). But Jesus had authority over more than thi8ngs of the spirit.
The Lord's authority extended to dread skin diseases (see Matthew 8.1-3), paralysis (Matthew 8.5-13), fevers (Matthew 8.14-15), blindness (Matthew 9.27-30), and all manner of illness and infirmity (Matthew 8.16), so that the words of the prophet Isaiah were fulfilled (see Isaiah 53.4). Even so, the authority of Jesus was not limited to the physical and spiritual maladies suffered by people.
The raging elements were obedient to Jesus (see Mark 4.35-39). All nature bows to the commands of the Lord. A fig tree so foolish as to bear no figs when the Lord was hungry had no choice but to submit to his authority when Jesus declared that no one would ever again eat fruit from the tree (Mark 11. 12-14, 20-21). If necessary, Jesus had authority even to make stones cry out (Luke 19.40).
And, when the chief priests, scribes, and elders sought to challenge the authority of the Lord, his wisdom left them confounded and speechless (Mark 11.27-33). In truth, the authority of Jesus knew no bounds. Even death it self was subject to the Lord's authority. When death had the temerity to snatch Lazarus, the good friend of the Lord, people never expected to see Lazarus again before the last day (see John 11.24). But even death had to concede that it had no power to resist the authority of Jesus; so when Jesus ordered him to come out, out Lazarus came.
Unless we fail to understand the concept of “all,” we too must acknowledge that Jesus meant exactly what he said to his disciples when he addressed them just prior to ascending back into heaven. And, therefore, in Christ's authority, we have no choice but to go into all the world to make disciples, baptizing in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching all to acknowledge and obey his every word (Matthew 28.18-20).
So it is that, in the name, and under the authority of Jesus, his Church simply cannot fail in its mission. All that the Lord has purposed for his Church will, sooner or later, be accomplished by his saints who exercise his authority.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
...he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
The man who had died came out...
John 11.43-44
Except at his trial, the ministry of Jesus was all about his exercise of authority. This is not surprising when we recall that all authority has been given to him (Matthew 28.18). Yet, when it came down to sparing himself the agony of the cross, Christ refused to use his authority to call upon the Father to send down legions of angels to deliver him (see Matthew 26.53).
But the Lord never hesitated to exercise his authority for the sake of others. Jesus used his authority to order demons and unclean spirits to come out of their hosts and stop afflicting them (see Mark 1.26). Indeed, Christ's very teaching was so brimming with authority it astounded people (Mark 1.27-28). But Jesus had authority over more than thi8ngs of the spirit.
The Lord's authority extended to dread skin diseases (see Matthew 8.1-3), paralysis (Matthew 8.5-13), fevers (Matthew 8.14-15), blindness (Matthew 9.27-30), and all manner of illness and infirmity (Matthew 8.16), so that the words of the prophet Isaiah were fulfilled (see Isaiah 53.4). Even so, the authority of Jesus was not limited to the physical and spiritual maladies suffered by people.
The raging elements were obedient to Jesus (see Mark 4.35-39). All nature bows to the commands of the Lord. A fig tree so foolish as to bear no figs when the Lord was hungry had no choice but to submit to his authority when Jesus declared that no one would ever again eat fruit from the tree (Mark 11. 12-14, 20-21). If necessary, Jesus had authority even to make stones cry out (Luke 19.40).
And, when the chief priests, scribes, and elders sought to challenge the authority of the Lord, his wisdom left them confounded and speechless (Mark 11.27-33). In truth, the authority of Jesus knew no bounds. Even death it self was subject to the Lord's authority. When death had the temerity to snatch Lazarus, the good friend of the Lord, people never expected to see Lazarus again before the last day (see John 11.24). But even death had to concede that it had no power to resist the authority of Jesus; so when Jesus ordered him to come out, out Lazarus came.
Unless we fail to understand the concept of “all,” we too must acknowledge that Jesus meant exactly what he said to his disciples when he addressed them just prior to ascending back into heaven. And, therefore, in Christ's authority, we have no choice but to go into all the world to make disciples, baptizing in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching all to acknowledge and obey his every word (Matthew 28.18-20).
So it is that, in the name, and under the authority of Jesus, his Church simply cannot fail in its mission. All that the Lord has purposed for his Church will, sooner or later, be accomplished by his saints who exercise his authority.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Monday, April 25, 2011
Jesus Cared About Bystanders
What Did Jesus Do?
“I said this on account of the people standing around...”
John 11.42
Ever think about how much time we spend standing, or sitting, around not really doing anything, just waiting for something to happen? The light to change. The bell to ring. The line to move. Sometimes, just by standing, or sitting, in a particular place at a particular time, we may see or hear something that we think has nothing to do with us, but may in truth be for our benefit. In fact, Jesus cared about bystanders.
And this is very important, because there are times when a lot of us wonder if everyone else is getting so much more done with their lives than we are. Sometimes, we might even despair that we're just hanging out in the world, standing or sitting around with no good purpose. Well, there's good news for all of us, even those of us who feel like there is simply too much standing around, and not enough doing, in our life. This might be especially important for people to hear when so many have been thrown out of work for months, even years. We too can serve, who stand and wait. For, sometimes, just standing around, being close enough to what is going on to overhear, is enough.
As he stood before the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus had a brief conversation with his Father. First of all, the Lord thanked the Father for hearing his prayer ((John 11.41). Then he acknowledged something all of us need to receive, that it might encourage us in our prayers: “I know that you always hear me.” Have you ever prayed and wondered if anyone is listening? Well, here is assurance, for all who know Christ as their Lord and Savior, that all our prayers are heard. The Father never dozes off. He never turns down the volume. Neither does he ever get too busy with other business. Listening to our prayers is just about his top priority. The truth is, the Father's heart suffers for all the time he sits in silence listening for our prayers while we are doing anything and everything but praying. But that's another subject. For today it is enough to know that he always hears. Even more, it is good to know that he has no problem when people, just standing around as it were, listen in on others' conversations.
The prayerful words Jesus spoke in front of the tomb which held Lazarus were not just so that the Father would know that his Son appreciated his listening heart. It was far more important to Jesus that people in the crowd which had come out from Jerusalem to weep and mourn with Martha and Mary, who were just “standing around,” should overhear his prayer to the Father, “that they may believe.”
Here's the thing, many times we may think we are just standing around idle, when, in fact, the Lord's desire is for someone to overhear our words to him, and to come to believe. And this is where we may be able to redeem some of that time we spend standing or sitting around. Because we can always talk with the Father while we're just standing or sitting there, since we, like Jesus, know he always hears us. But, as we're talking with the Father, you never know who else might overhear our conversation with God, and believe. As it turns out, caring for bystanders is something that Jesus did, which we can and should do too!
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
“I said this on account of the people standing around...”
John 11.42
Ever think about how much time we spend standing, or sitting, around not really doing anything, just waiting for something to happen? The light to change. The bell to ring. The line to move. Sometimes, just by standing, or sitting, in a particular place at a particular time, we may see or hear something that we think has nothing to do with us, but may in truth be for our benefit. In fact, Jesus cared about bystanders.
And this is very important, because there are times when a lot of us wonder if everyone else is getting so much more done with their lives than we are. Sometimes, we might even despair that we're just hanging out in the world, standing or sitting around with no good purpose. Well, there's good news for all of us, even those of us who feel like there is simply too much standing around, and not enough doing, in our life. This might be especially important for people to hear when so many have been thrown out of work for months, even years. We too can serve, who stand and wait. For, sometimes, just standing around, being close enough to what is going on to overhear, is enough.
As he stood before the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus had a brief conversation with his Father. First of all, the Lord thanked the Father for hearing his prayer ((John 11.41). Then he acknowledged something all of us need to receive, that it might encourage us in our prayers: “I know that you always hear me.” Have you ever prayed and wondered if anyone is listening? Well, here is assurance, for all who know Christ as their Lord and Savior, that all our prayers are heard. The Father never dozes off. He never turns down the volume. Neither does he ever get too busy with other business. Listening to our prayers is just about his top priority. The truth is, the Father's heart suffers for all the time he sits in silence listening for our prayers while we are doing anything and everything but praying. But that's another subject. For today it is enough to know that he always hears. Even more, it is good to know that he has no problem when people, just standing around as it were, listen in on others' conversations.
The prayerful words Jesus spoke in front of the tomb which held Lazarus were not just so that the Father would know that his Son appreciated his listening heart. It was far more important to Jesus that people in the crowd which had come out from Jerusalem to weep and mourn with Martha and Mary, who were just “standing around,” should overhear his prayer to the Father, “that they may believe.”
Here's the thing, many times we may think we are just standing around idle, when, in fact, the Lord's desire is for someone to overhear our words to him, and to come to believe. And this is where we may be able to redeem some of that time we spend standing or sitting around. Because we can always talk with the Father while we're just standing or sitting there, since we, like Jesus, know he always hears us. But, as we're talking with the Father, you never know who else might overhear our conversation with God, and believe. As it turns out, caring for bystanders is something that Jesus did, which we can and should do too!
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Saturday, April 23, 2011
The Risen Jesus Called His Own By Name
What Did Jesus Do?
Jesus said to her [Mary Magdalene] ,”Mary.”
She turned and said to him, “Rabboni!”
John 20.16
It was 48 years ago on Easter morning when I first heard John's account of the Resurrection. Young Rev. Doug Smith, Associate Pastor at the Wyckoff Reformed Church, was preaching at the 9:30 service (Rev. “De,” that is Wilbur DeRevere, the Senior Pastor, having done the earlier Sunrise Service). I was ten, sitting up in the balcony of the historic stone church in the center of the town where I grew up in New Jersey.
I really don't remember anything else about the service, or the sermon, but I can still hear Doug Smith reading from John's Gospel. He sure convinced me that Mary was beside herself with grief, and absolutely frantic over what she believed to have been the desecration of the tomb where Jesus had been laid by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, and the stealing of the Lord's body. This was a heart-broken woman. I believe the whole congregation was about to burst into tears along with the stricken Magdalene.
But then Rev. Smith got to verse 16, read, “Jesus said to her...” and paused dramatically for a moment. I know I held my breath. It seemed like we, and the grieving woman, hung there for minutes. Then Pastor Doug/Jesus said, “MARY.” I had never heard a name spoken with such tenderness, such warmth, such compassion, such love. “MARY.” My heart started to beat again, for I think it had frozen, along with my breathing. And, I am sure, no one has ever said, “Teacher!” or “Rabboni!” in Aramaic, with more emotion and joy than Doug Smith did with his impersonation of Mary Magdalene.
Ever since then I have been looking forward to the day when the Risen Lord will call to me by name (I get goose pimples just thinking about it!). It's even stuck in my mind, contrary to all the people who talk about how we will instantly recognize Jesus when we first see him, that, among all the glorified saints in heaven, it will take Jesus calling us by name as he greets us before presenting us to the Father, for us know that we have come face to face with our Savior.
I've heard a lot of Easter sermons, and preached a bunch of them myself, but the Easter message that has stuck with me, and has meant the most to me, is that sermon by Doug Smith all those years ago. The cry of disciples on Easter morning is, “He is risen!” But I think a disciple's greatest joy is hearing the Risen One call us by name. That's what Jesus did!
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Jesus said to her [Mary Magdalene] ,”Mary.”
She turned and said to him, “Rabboni!”
John 20.16
It was 48 years ago on Easter morning when I first heard John's account of the Resurrection. Young Rev. Doug Smith, Associate Pastor at the Wyckoff Reformed Church, was preaching at the 9:30 service (Rev. “De,” that is Wilbur DeRevere, the Senior Pastor, having done the earlier Sunrise Service). I was ten, sitting up in the balcony of the historic stone church in the center of the town where I grew up in New Jersey.
I really don't remember anything else about the service, or the sermon, but I can still hear Doug Smith reading from John's Gospel. He sure convinced me that Mary was beside herself with grief, and absolutely frantic over what she believed to have been the desecration of the tomb where Jesus had been laid by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, and the stealing of the Lord's body. This was a heart-broken woman. I believe the whole congregation was about to burst into tears along with the stricken Magdalene.
But then Rev. Smith got to verse 16, read, “Jesus said to her...” and paused dramatically for a moment. I know I held my breath. It seemed like we, and the grieving woman, hung there for minutes. Then Pastor Doug/Jesus said, “MARY.” I had never heard a name spoken with such tenderness, such warmth, such compassion, such love. “MARY.” My heart started to beat again, for I think it had frozen, along with my breathing. And, I am sure, no one has ever said, “Teacher!” or “Rabboni!” in Aramaic, with more emotion and joy than Doug Smith did with his impersonation of Mary Magdalene.
Ever since then I have been looking forward to the day when the Risen Lord will call to me by name (I get goose pimples just thinking about it!). It's even stuck in my mind, contrary to all the people who talk about how we will instantly recognize Jesus when we first see him, that, among all the glorified saints in heaven, it will take Jesus calling us by name as he greets us before presenting us to the Father, for us know that we have come face to face with our Savior.
I've heard a lot of Easter sermons, and preached a bunch of them myself, but the Easter message that has stuck with me, and has meant the most to me, is that sermon by Doug Smith all those years ago. The cry of disciples on Easter morning is, “He is risen!” But I think a disciple's greatest joy is hearing the Risen One call us by name. That's what Jesus did!
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Jesus Connected With, And Responded To, The Troubled Spirits Of Those Who Mourned
What Did Jesus Do?
When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews with her also weeping,
he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.
John 11.33
There is no one settled opinion as to exactly how Jesus reacted to the unsettling agitation of Mary and the Jews who had followed after, presumably to weep before the tomb which held the body of Lazarus (John 11.29-33). Most acknowledge that the Greek of the New Testament indicates that empathic feelings of grief and sorrow contended with indignant anger, troubling the very spirit of the Lord. Was the anger directed at death for its effrontery in daring to take the life of one of the saints of the LORD? Or was the indignation a response to the hypocritical wailing of the semi-professional mourners who had come out from Jerusalem to Bethany to the house of Lazarus and his sisters? Could it have perhaps even been that the Lord felt exasperation at the failure of Martha and Mary to fully understand that in Jesus, himself the resurrection and the life, those who died would yet live, and that those who lived and believed in him would never die? I believe it is quite likely that the answer is “all of the above,” as the fully divine and fully human Jesus experienced a greater range of emotion and feeling than we can imagine. In any case, it is quite clear that Jesus connected with, and responded to, the troubled spirits of those who mourned that day.
The fully human nature of Jesus felt and shared the grief and sense of loss of the sisters of Lazarus, for the Lord had deeply loved him as a friend (John 11.3). Very soon, the fully human nature of Jesus would be engulfed in its own suffering and sorrow upon the cross for the sins of all those he deeply loved. The fully divine nature of Jesus felt and shared the LORD's anger and indignation over the death of one of his saints, for the Father and the Son were one, especially in their love for humanity. Very soon, the fully divine nature of Jesus would confront and overcome death, and rise up from the grave to the glory of the Father.
The onlookers who recognized how much Jesus loved Lazarus were quite right (John 11.36). And they were quite correct in surmising that Jesus could have kept Lazarus from dying (John 11.37). But the people, including Christ's disciples, did not yet understand that he had come, and was about to act, not merely to restore Lazarus to his sisters, but that many of them would come to believe in him as the Son of God come into the world, so that, in believing, they themselves should never die (John 11.25-26). That understanding would remain on the far side of the cross, and for the coming of the Holy Spirit to reveal the whole truth about the breadth and the depth of the love of the Father and the Son for us all.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenminitries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews with her also weeping,
he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.
John 11.33
There is no one settled opinion as to exactly how Jesus reacted to the unsettling agitation of Mary and the Jews who had followed after, presumably to weep before the tomb which held the body of Lazarus (John 11.29-33). Most acknowledge that the Greek of the New Testament indicates that empathic feelings of grief and sorrow contended with indignant anger, troubling the very spirit of the Lord. Was the anger directed at death for its effrontery in daring to take the life of one of the saints of the LORD? Or was the indignation a response to the hypocritical wailing of the semi-professional mourners who had come out from Jerusalem to Bethany to the house of Lazarus and his sisters? Could it have perhaps even been that the Lord felt exasperation at the failure of Martha and Mary to fully understand that in Jesus, himself the resurrection and the life, those who died would yet live, and that those who lived and believed in him would never die? I believe it is quite likely that the answer is “all of the above,” as the fully divine and fully human Jesus experienced a greater range of emotion and feeling than we can imagine. In any case, it is quite clear that Jesus connected with, and responded to, the troubled spirits of those who mourned that day.
The fully human nature of Jesus felt and shared the grief and sense of loss of the sisters of Lazarus, for the Lord had deeply loved him as a friend (John 11.3). Very soon, the fully human nature of Jesus would be engulfed in its own suffering and sorrow upon the cross for the sins of all those he deeply loved. The fully divine nature of Jesus felt and shared the LORD's anger and indignation over the death of one of his saints, for the Father and the Son were one, especially in their love for humanity. Very soon, the fully divine nature of Jesus would confront and overcome death, and rise up from the grave to the glory of the Father.
The onlookers who recognized how much Jesus loved Lazarus were quite right (John 11.36). And they were quite correct in surmising that Jesus could have kept Lazarus from dying (John 11.37). But the people, including Christ's disciples, did not yet understand that he had come, and was about to act, not merely to restore Lazarus to his sisters, but that many of them would come to believe in him as the Son of God come into the world, so that, in believing, they themselves should never die (John 11.25-26). That understanding would remain on the far side of the cross, and for the coming of the Holy Spirit to reveal the whole truth about the breadth and the depth of the love of the Father and the Son for us all.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenminitries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
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