The Everyones - John 3:1-17 - Second Week of Lent

 

John 3:1-17 NIV

3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. ² He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

³ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

⁴ “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

⁵ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. ⁶ Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. ⁷ You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ ⁸ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

⁹ “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

¹⁰ “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? ¹¹ Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. ¹² I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. ¹⁴ Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵ that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

The Everyones

Nicodemus was a Pharisee. Pharisees focused on God’s law. Pharisees were like the cream of the religious crop of the day. This focus on the law would often times fall in conflict with what Jesus taught. But the conflict arose in the understanding of the law. Well Jesus, really knew the Law, not some enhanced version of the law that had developed over time. So, Nicodemus coming to Jesus, even if it was in secret and at night, was a way for Nicodemus to check out what he could learn from Jesus.

And that’s a good thing. Shouldn’t we all check out what we could learn from Jesus? We come to Jesus with our own perceptions and misunderstandings and our own view points. In this we need to check out what Jesus really teaches and get beyond our own ways of thinking.

But why at night? Was Nicodemus afraid of being seen? Was it because he really believed but didn’t understand, or maybe he did understand. Listen to how Nicodemus referred to Jesus as “teacher,” maybe Nicodemus really understood more than we give him credit for. He even admitted that Jesus came from God. And he says “we.” Does this “we” include many others, or perhaps most? Nicodemus could see what Jesus was doing and the Godly signs that Jesus has already shown to the crowds and His disciples. I really think Nicodemus was aware that Jesus was the Messiah, he just didn’t want to say it out loud, as of yet, for fear of rejection by his colleagues.

Jesus speaks to Nicodemus, and all of us as well, with authority and truth. This “truly” bit from Jesus in Greek is “amen, amen.” Remember how Luther explained the “Amen” in the explanation to the Lord’s Prayer? It was “Yes! It shall be so!” Kind of like shouting it out with authority. We looked at this last week as well. So, here being “born again” is without a doubt necessary to enter the Kingdom of God. And the Kingdom of God covers more than just what we see here on earth, in the physical realm in which we live. We also live in a spiritual realm with God. Jesus speaks of the “Kingdom of God” over and over in His teachings. The Kingdom of God is a central reason that the Father sent the Son to this world in flesh and blood. Why? To usher mankind back into an eternal relationship with God through the gift of faith. So, it is like being born all over again in some way.

But this “born again” concept is foreign to the thinking of Nicodemus. Nicodemus was familiar with the Law, of here and now. The Law of how to live life as obedient to God. So, in some sense, Nicodemus has a literal interpretation of the Law. Jesus was going beyond the literal interpretation, to the spiritual and eternal reality with God. So, being born again, sounded ridiculous to Nicodemus, but not at all ridiculous to Jesus. It’s a change of mind brought on by God that leads us all to a new heart and new spirit as a new creation in Christ. So, yea, born again, in this way makes sense. But born again in the physical sense of coming out of your mother’s womb, doesn’t.

Then Jesus shifts the focus a bit about entering the kingdom of God, to being born of water and the Spirit. Sounds a bit like baptism to me. And baptism is a gift from God where we die to self, under the waters, to raise to NEW life in the Spirit. So, yea, “Born Again.” Born again with the gifts and guidance of the Holy Spirit to act out our lives in the plans that God has set for each of us, using the gifts God has given us, to bear the fruit which God produces in our lives FOR Him. That’s all new stuff there. A new life, new gifts, changed focus and an inward change in us that springs forth from ourselves, through God’s action in our lives. Talk about some water and Spirit!

Do you see how Jesus is drawing us out of our sinful flesh to new life with God in the Spirit? All through baptism. A baptism that sort of looks like resurrection. We are buried in the water to be raised again to new life. So, if you haven’t been baptized, what are you waiting for? Seek out someone, some church and DO IT! It’s a free gift of God! Don’t neglect to accept God’s gifts. Why would you?

So, like Jesus told Nicodemus; don’t be amazed that Jesus emphasizes that “You must be born again.” It’s a big deal folks!

In baptism, the Holy Spirit blesses you. Like the wind, it blows around and does what you may not expect. You can’t predict or plan this stuff out. Why? Because your life in the Kingdom of God is not your plan. But it’s God’s plan to be one with you into eternity and into everlasting life. God takes your sinfulness, and the sin of your life, and makes something altogether new and exciting. So, God promises a new heart and a new spirit for His people.

Jesus’ teaching here goes beyond the typical lineage and background of the past. Jesus’ teaching here goes beyond the letter of the Law. We can read the letter and gain an interpretation. Jesus’ teaching goes into the Spirit of the Law. It’s something many of us in our literal worlds have a tough time grasping. So, I can see how Nicodemus wanted more from Jesus. And shouldn’t we all seek to understand more of what Jesus teaches. We, disciples of Jesus are learning, bit by bit, all through life. So, it’s good to question, it’s good to show honest doubt, it’s good to go to God in prayer for knowledge and guidance throughout life. So, to make it plain. Study, and return to Jesus’ day after day after day. He will lead and guide you along the way. Make it a habit.

Dig deep, and don’t go on the defensive. Learn about spiritual matters. Hear what Jesus has to say, and research what other disciples have learned on the way, throughout the centuries. Challenge yourself to grow in knowledge and understanding, not only of the written Word, but of God’s spiritual Word as well. Jesus reveals spiritual meanings to us as well as physical meanings and healings. Love Jesus for this!

And you can depend on what Jesus teaches. He knows what He is doing! He is our guide, our leader, our Savior. Accept Jesus’ testimony of God’s action! It’s a gift from Him to you. Rejoice in that gift.

Jesus shows us earthly things that we don’t hold on to, or understand. But those miracles are gifts as well. Gifts designed to draw us to believe in all that God has done. Gifts that pull us back to God in a way that we can’t help but to have faith and believe. But, wait there’s more! Just imagine how great the heavenly things are, and will be. See the difference between heaven and earth. Only Jesus can show us this. Why? Because He knows both. Without a doubt. He came from heaven to earth, to show the way, like that little tune goes.

In the wilderness the Israelites complained against God and Moses. Venomous snakes killed many of the Israelites. So, God had Moses make a bronze snake and put it on a pole. If you were bitten by a snake, you were instructed to look at the bronze snake on the pole and live.

As we see Jesus on the cross, we can see what He had to go through, to save us from our sin. And we also see how looking to Jesus draws us into faith and healing and the gift of eternal life. Why? Because of what God did in Jesus, for us and all the world.

When you look at Jesus upon the cross, see your own sin. See the sin and the punishment you deserve. Yet, also see God taking on your sin, to put it to death. So, sure, like the Israelites were bitten by poisonous snakes, we have been bitten by sin. And like the snake on the pole in the wilderness, we see OUR sin, on the cross, in Jesus. And recognizing OUR sin, as the Israelites recognized the snake on the pole, and were healed, we too recognize our sin, on that cross in Jesus, and God heals us, and forgives us, and saves us, from the power of sin. Like the Israelites were saved from the poison of the snake as they looked on the pole, we are saved by the power of Jesus on the cross, defeating the power of sin forever.

I encourage you to latch on to the word “everyone” that Jesus speaks to Nicodemus. Everyone who believes. For much of the religious leaders of the day, there wasn’t an “everyone.” It was the Chosen Race of the Jewish people, particularly descendants of Abraham. But here, Jesus emphasized “everyone.” This opens up salvation to “everyone.” Yet, if you look closely in the Old Testament, this “everyone” really did exist in word and meaning. It was just easy to miss it. So, Jesus opens up this thinking, beyond race and descendancy to “everyone.”

And then the, “believes in Him” leaps out. We believe in Jesus, not just some prophet, priest or king to grant us eternal life, but Jesus. This eternal life begins here and now and extends on from this life on earth, to heaven, and the New Jerusalem, forever. What’s that about? Eternal life begins when we receive all the faith we need to believe in what Jesus has done for “everyone.” In our eternal life, as we believe, the Holy Spirit leads us and guides us and causes the fruits of the Spirit to be given to the “everyone” in our lives here and now.

And then the punctuation mark of the great exclamation by Jesus. Even the guy with the wild hair at the football games proclaims and shows this passage of Scripture. John 3:16, tells us God the Father’s plan, God the Son’s carrying out of that plan, and God the Holy Spirit’s guidance all along the way of that plan. God loved the world that He created, from the start, so much that His plan, all along, was to save mankind from any failure to sin. This giving of His Son is played out, throughout the ages, told of in the Old Testament. God has been showing “everyone” His plan all along, yet now, we can see the results. What are these results? Jesus! Believe it! God gives us eternal life through the faith that God plants in us, and, we believe. Either we believe, or we deny.

Let’s look at this eternal life Old Testament prophecy and its fulfillment…

Isaiah 65:17 NIV

¹⁷ “See, I will create
    new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
    nor will they come to mind.

 

Revelation 21:1-4 NIV

21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

That’s the eternal life Jesus speaks of in John 3:16, for all the “everyones” who have faith and trust and believe in Him. Believe what? Believe that Jesus is the source of life. The source of life all along, from creation to today and into eternity. All provided for by God the Father, inspired by God the Holy Spirit, because God wants us to live with Him in His Kingdom into eternity.

God didn’t send Jesus to put us away, rather God sent Jesus to save us. And, that there, IS Grace!

Romans 3:20 NIV

²⁰ Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

So, back to Nicodemus and his life of examining the Law of God. Jesus sets him straight. It’s not about how well we do in keeping the law, that saves us. It’s about how Jesus forgives us, and keeps the law, FOR us. It’s not our works or efforts into keeping the law. We won’t be able to keep the law in this state of sinfulness in which we live. But the law does make our sinfulness obvious, to the point that when God spins us around, maybe, just maybe, we will acknowledge our sin and see our need for a Savior. A Savior that God provides in the life, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus freely given to us, as Jesus forgives us and draws us into His arms to live with Him into eternity. Eternity IN the Kingdom of God. How great is that?!

Do you want this gift? Accept it! Believe it!

And then what?

You will still sin, but the power of sin is gone. You will still die, but death has been defeated. And you will rise again on the Last Day. Why? Because of the plan God provided, from the start, to offer salvation to, who? To “Everyone!”

Sometimes God calls us to go to places that just don’t make sense to us. Why does He do this? Why did God tell Abram to go to some place, unknown to Abram, when he was 75 years old? But Abram went anyway. God was taking Abram to a land that God would show him. Do I trust God to take me to a land that He will show me? This takes, trust, faith, and the willingness to believe that God has my back, that God loves me, that God will take care of me.

Don’t you just love how God watches over you in life? In the finality of it all, you are taken care of with His love, not only just for you alone, but for all the world, yep those “everyones.” It’s like a building up to the climax of everlasting life with God, beginning here and now.

For Nicodemus, and you and I as well, it’s not about the hard reality of the Law that everything depends on. Another words, it’s not only about this physical world in which we live. Jesus leads us to learn about the Kingdom of God, that for sure, contains the here and now, but also leads us to His grace beyond, our here and now, in this world. And this is where the gift of faith, that leads us to believe in things that just don’t make sense, to our literal vision, brings us to believe in Jesus’ gift of grace. It’s about God’s love for His people, and how God chooses to bring us back to Him. It’s about God’s gift to the world, that He gave His only Son to lead us to believe in Him, that we may have eternal life.

I’m so glad that this encounter between Nicodemus and Jesus was recorded for all of us to peek in on, to see just how much God loves “everyones.” I’m so glad of how Jesus teaches with authority and strength. I’m so glad that God laid out a plan of salvation, in and through Jesus, right from the start of creation. Probably even before creation, maybe, just maybe. This is THE story of a gracious, and merciful God. A God that loves His children to death. A God that saves… today… tomorrow… and forever! Believe it! Thanks be to God.

I leave you with this YouTube music video that inspired me this week as I reflected…

“Lord I Lift Your Name on High”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6I6orjM3NI&list=RDU6I6orjM3NI&start_radio=1

 

Thank You Jesus! - Matthew 4:1-11 - First Sunday in Lent

 

Matthew 4:1-11 NIV

4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted^[a] by the devil. ² After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³ The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’^[b]”

⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ⁶ “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
    and they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’^[c]”

⁷ Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’^[d]”

⁸ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹ “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’^[e]”

¹¹ Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Thank You Jesus!

Jesus, having just been baptized by John the Baptist, is now led by the Spirit into the wilderness. Here again, we can sense the Trinity. Jesus and the Holy Spirit and the Father are all in on this plan of salvation. Jesus is obedient and the Holy Spirit is leading into the plan of the Father.

Jesus is now going into the wilderness. The wilderness is that place that the Israelites would recognize as to their wandering about, once again led by Jesus, the Holy Spirit into the plan of the Father for 40 years. The wilderness, even in our own lives, becomes a place to test our faith. But this test, here for Jesus, will be like, yet far different from our own tests of faith in the wilderness. The wilderness will move us to receive the gift of faith, where, here with Jesus, the wilderness will prove His faith, in the leading of the Holy Spirit and the plan of the Father, to save His people, from sin and death.

So, what’s the deal with Satan? Well like with Adam and Eve, he wants to upset the apple cart and tease Jesus away from the Holy Spirit’s leading and guiding, and to spoil the plan of the Father to save His children. Satan seems to want all of this for himself and he has always been willing to lie his way into tricking humankind, now here Jesus, into getting his own way, to pull us into his deceptive traps to be his and his alone.

Jesus, while in the wilderness, and in preparation for the test to come, fasted 40 days. Forty days pops up all over the place in the Bible. Moses fasted on Mount Sinai for 40 days. Elijah fasted 40 days on his way to Mount Horeb which is probably the same as Mount Sinai. And then like I mentioned, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. The number 40 pops up all over the place in the Bible. Check it out for yourself.

Anyway, as could be imagined, which I can’t on my own, think of fasting for 40 days; Jesus was hungry. I suppose He would be weak as well. Kind of at the bottom of any energy He may have. Jesus was human too, so He would experience the pain of hunger just like any of us would as well. But this physical weakness, does not transfer over into His spiritual weakness.

Fasting leads Jesus and us as well, closer to God. It makes us know that we depend on God to carry us through. For me, fasting for 40 days, seems unhealthy and I can’t draw myself to that point. I know I need God, and I’m sure Jesus knew God far better and closely than I ever would or could. He IS God! But the point still is the same, Jesus was depending fully on the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the plan of the Father, even in his human weakness.

So, Satan speaks. Reminds me of the serpent speaking to Eve. Speaking is his way of deceiving and telling fibs to draw us away from God. Sneaky guy that he is. And Satan knows that Jesus is hungry, so he not only speaks, he tempts Jesus. He tempts Jesus to lose trust in God. He tempts Jesus away from following the paths that God the Father has given to Him to follow. Satan attempts to draw on Jesus human need to defeat Jesus’ authority. Satan attempts to trick Jesus into satisfying His human hunger with a divine miracle by turning stone into bread, to satisfy hunger at the expense of spiritual needs.

And this is how Satan works on you and me as well. He uses our weakness to pull us away from God, to satisfy our human needs. We leave God to take care of ourselves. Well, God is the One that provides all that we would ever need in life. Remember, in the Lord’s Prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread?” God gives us our daily bread. And that daily bread is all that we would ever need. It’s a gift, not a rock turned into bread to feed our hunger, provided by Satan. We depend on God, not on a lie from Satan.

True life, goes way beyond what I or you need to fill our guts with. That relief from hunger is only temporary. As Jesus points out, our hunger is really fed from the Word of God. It seems Jesus is speaking of Himself here as well, for Jesus is THE Word made flesh. So, we need to think and fall into God’s grace beyond what is here and now and feed off of the REAL Bread of Life. So, do it. Go to the Words of the Bible, day after day, and seek Jesus. After all, the entire Bible has Jesus all over it. The Word is present right here with us. And in the Word of the Bible, Jesus seeks you out and teaches you and speaks to you, both personally and into the Church.

So, Satan takes Jesus, some way, somehow, to the top of the Temple. It’s like Satan is given permission to continue his tests and his lies. Think of the view from the top of the Temple in Jerusalem. I’ll bet they could see over and beyond the ravine of the Kidron Valley. They could see the Mount of Olives, where Jesus would later do so much praying to His Father. Maybe Jesus was able to look out and see the Garden of Gethsemane, knowing what was to come. Anyway, from the top of the Temple, I wonder if Jesus was buying into this lie of Satan to test God with saving Him from what was to come?

Jesus had no need to test the Father’s allegiance to Himself. This was just a ploy of Satan to drive some doubt into the mind of Jesus. Who’s kidding who here? Satan is testing Jesus both physical and spiritual identity of being God.

Jesus knows full well that this temptation is of Satan. Satan even tries to use God’s Word as a weapon. Nope! Not here! Not now!

And this is how we get drawn into the lies of Satan as well. He makes it sound so good. He uses the very words that we look to, for guidance, to ease us into his trap. And, at least for me, I know I fall into that trap from time to time. And that’s how I know that I need a Savior to pull me out of the hole I fell into. But, here, Jesus knows better than all of that.

So, Satan goes back to the Garden of Eden, with Jesus, in a way. If you are the Son of God. Remember how Satan tempted Eve and making her believe that God was withholding power by the restriction against eating from the tree in the middle of the garden? Remember how Satan told Eve that she could be like God, knowing good and evil?

Well, here Satan wants Jesus to prove that He is God by demonstrating in a fantastic way His very own power of death, by throwing himself down from the top of the Temple and being saved miraculously by angels of God. Like, make a scene before all the people below and they will see, for sure, that you, Jesus, are God! Does this sound familiar to the cries of the people as Jesus hung on the cross?

Knock it off, Satan! Jesus doesn’t need proof for you, that’s for sure, or for anyone else, as far as that goes. At first it sounds like a good idea. Show the world how great You are, Jesus. But why? Why does God need to prove Himself? Especially now?

And it’s here that Jesus throws Scripture, as well, in the face of Satan. Don’t test God. God does not need to prove Himself with miracles. God may and does give miracles, but it’s not to prove anything to us. What they do prove, is that God loves us and cares for us. God’s gifts are God’s gifts. That’s His choice to give.

Satan is persistent with tempting Jesus. Again, he takes Jesus away to, probably not a physical place, but rather to a type of symbolic place where they both could see all the kingdoms of the world. This type of thinking is very worldly. Worldly in the sense of bragging or a display of power, riches, glory, and authorities, of a kind that exhibit things that the rulers of this world would desire and crave. It’s kind of like; look Jesus all of this could be yours!

But the battles Jesus will fight go way beyond earthly battles. Jesus has a spiritual and eternal perspective in His fight that His ministry is leading Him in, by doing the plan of God the Father.

Next Satan tempts Jesus to abandon this plan of God the Father, to worship Satan and gain all the power needed over this earthly realm. Satan shows to Jesus that he has control over this world. Boy, can we see evidence of that, even today? What a mess! So, Satan bids Jesus to fall down and worship him instead of God. There’s something here that strikes me of Satan being so presumptuous to believe that this world is his to rule over in eternity. It’s kind of like an earthly ruler’s arrogance that all that he sees and has power over, belongs to himself. A ruler that thinks all the world should come to him for permission or something. Today’s rulers fail to realize that earthly power and riches is only temporary things as compared to the everlasting Kingdom of God. So, in my mind, it’s like, get off of your high horse, there’s more to this than just what is before your eyes and what brings pleasure to you.

Even in the face of this temptation, Jesus remains faithful to God the Father’s plan.

And Jesus scolds Satan to get out!  Jesus displays His own authority and power over Satan with His command for Satan to leave. And Jesus does this with Scripture. Jesus returns to the Word and uses His own authority to repel Satan.

Learn this from Jesus. Study Scripture each and every day. Internalize Scripture, each and every day. Think about what God is teaching His people and turn to Scripture when, without a doubt, you will be tempted by Satan. Why? Because as a disciple of Jesus we need to listen to Him and respond to the evil powers of this world in an authoritative way, so that we can act out loving God and loving neighbor, no matter who that neighbor may be.

And look what happened next. Satan left Jesus and angels came and ministered to Jesus. I kind of picture Satan’s frustration and his leaving as a way to regroup for a later time. And I kind of picture angels coming to Jesus to wipe His brow, give Him something to eat and to take care of Jesus’ physical needs. This has been both a physical and spiritual battle for Jesus against Satan, in a stark wilderness of testing and temptation, to abandon God the Father’s plan of salvation for His people.

The serpent called God a liar!  Right from the get go, Satan is working his lies on mankind. And worse yet, we bought into that lie.

Genesis 3:1-5

3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

² The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, ³ but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

⁴ “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. ⁵ “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

We were duped from basically the start, by Satan, and we fell for it. And it’s still going on to this day. We fall for the lies. We believe the lies. Sometimes we base our lives and our living and what we think is truth, on lies. We, no doubt, need a Savior to come to us and dig us out of this hole we’ve dug.

We will fail and fall to the temptations of Satan. I hate that! But, as I and you confess our failure, God has a way with us. God has a way of turning us from the temptations of Satan, back towards His face. Let it happen. God turning you around is a gift. Let it happen and see His love.

Jesus, I know that only through You can forgiveness come to me. For it is by you, and up to you alone that I be forgiven. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

As I read of Your temptation in the wilderness with Satan, I can’t help but to acknowledge that it is by Your power and Your power alone that sin and death can be defeated. I fail in the face of Satan so many times. But as you fulfilled the plan of salvation from the Father, led by the Holy Spirit, you come to me and lead and guide me all along my sinful life to spin me around to you in your forgiveness of my sin. I need you!

I don’t know what to say sometimes. Off the get go, I think about how, in the face of Satan’s lies and temptations; how many times have I failed? Yet here, Jesus, You not only teach, but You show all of us, how to stand up to Satan, in Word, through the Word, and in action. Yet, when I attempt this very same thing, I fail, I weaken, I fall for the trick.

So, what now, for me and so many of us?

Well, it’s obvious to me that I need Jesus. I must have Jesus. It’s only through Jesus that I can come out of this wilderness of life. I depend on Jesus to fight the battle and lead me away from Satan’s tricks, his lies, and his scams. And with this in mind, I say over and over again, “Thank You, Jesus!”

You turn me to You and You lead and guide me to a place over the Jordan, where I will live with You in Your Kingdom, in a new place, a new earth, a new Jerusalem, a new Eden, in eternity, where the sin, the death, and Satan no longer exist.

Yes! Thank You, Jesus! Thank You, Jesus! Amen and amen! Yes! It shall be so!

May those who see Your actions and Your Words be spun around to face you and fall into your loving, forgiving arms… today… tomorrow… and forever. Thanks be to God!

I leave you with one of my favorites… I love the words “You stand in the fire beside me…” – Jesus knows how to lead us out of the wilderness… No doubt about it!

Jesus by Chris Tomlin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEbQswNB6Wc&list=RDcEbQswNB6Wc&start_radio=1

Jesus - by Chris Tomlin

Talk About Shine! - Matthew 17:1-9 - Transfiguration of Our Lord

 

Matthew 17:1-9 NIV

17 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. ² There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. ³ Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

⁴ Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

⁵ While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

⁶ When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. ⁷ But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” ⁸ When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

Talk About Shine!

After six days. God created everything in six days. This makes me think that something special is happening here. Just prior to this event, Jesus had told the disciples about His suffering, death and resurrection, so, was there again here, in time, going to be a big reveal on the seventh day? A reveal that would take place with just a few of Jesus disciples. Were these disciples handpicked to witness something new? After all they were going up a mountain, and mountains tended to bring on special encounters with God.

It’s nice to spend time alone with God, with just a few people. It’s like a time to get prepared for something. Almost like when you go on a retreat to learn insights into those that you work with. Was this what was taking place? Was this like preparation and planning?

Remember how I just stated that Jesus had just revealed what was about to take place? Jesus was about to be crucified and die and rise again. Jesus has just told the disciples this. Well, talk about a punctuation mark before a select few of His disciples! Jesus was transfigured right before their eyes, and His face shone like the sun and His clothes became white as light.

This mountain was traditionally known as Mount Tabor, some suggest possibly Mount Hermon, but this brightness reminds me of what Moses must have witnessed at Mount Sinai that glowed from his own face after listening to God.

Exodus 34:29-35

²⁹ When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. ³⁰ When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. ³¹ But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. ³² Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai.

³³ When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. ³⁴ But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, ³⁵ they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord.

Well, this was just what happened to Moses in the presence of God. Think about what happened to the disciple’s faces in the presence of Jesus. This shining was God! Jesus IS God!

Jesus will shine once again and forever…

Revelation 1:16 NIV

¹⁶ In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

And think about those clothes! White! White of heavenly hosts in a multitude around the throne of God.

Revelation 7:9 NIV

⁹ After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.

I think this is a hard thing to put into words. I think it is a hard thing for me to imagine. This is the glory of God. This Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. This is God’s very own testimony about His Son. This is the bright Light hope of the resurrection, on this mountain. What a sight! Talk about the fear of God!

Here a bright Light in, of, around, and through Jesus, shining to Moses, Elijah and the select disciples. How’s that possible? This is weird now. This has become supernatural. This is without a doubt unbelievable to simple human-kind. It’s like Jesus is making the point of all points. Hey guys, you didn’t get it when I told you I must suffer, die and rise again; so, look at this. How can you doubt my words now?

Here’s the Moses and Elijah of your own Bibles of the day, right here before your eyes. They are the Law and the Prophets that you studied all along in your own version of Sunday School. Talk about an object lesson for the kids! Here they are, appearing with Jesus’ right before your eyes! Here they are combined all into one with Me. I’m the God they were talking about all along. Jesus IS God! There is something in the unity of Law, Prophet and fulfilled Gospel in Jesus on this mountain. It’s like Jesus giving full proof of God’s power and grace through His upcoming suffering, death and resurrection. Talk about Jesus witness to Himself! Prepare yourself guys!

And then there is Peter. Good ol Peter. Thinking like I would too, about the here and now of my world. Thinking about the Building Committee. Peter being as human as you can get. Peter being down to earth and practical. Peter, doing his best to bring honor and glory to Jesus in his worldly way. Peter doing maybe, just maybe what he thinks Jesus would want him to do. Build a few shelters for these guys.

There was a Jewish Feast of the Tabernacles, that made people remember how God supplies all that is needed, especially in the wilderness travels of the Israelites in Moses’ day. Let’s honor that joy, and think of this moment now, of how God has supplied this sight before our eyes. For, here we have gathered all that God could ever supply for humanity, Moses, Elijah and Jesus.

Peter tries to capture the moment. But this moment is eternity.

And then, I can just imagine a thought bubble above Peter’s head being burst wide open. A voice coming from a bright cloud, speaking loud and clear, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”

That cloud of God that leads His people forth in joy to salvation out of the wilderness of sin and death. A cloud that leads His people into The Promised Land. What a gift! What a joy! What a fear that brings forth respect, and honor, and glory to God in Jesus! Here and now, stop and see and hear God’s exclamation point.

This distance between God and mankind is eternal, yet also, as close as you can get. How’s that? Fear strikes when we are in the presence of God. Fear and respect and honor and glory are present in the presence of God, and we can’t take that! We fall face down. Can’t help ourselves. Yet, at that same time and at that same moment, God came to these few disciples in human form. God came to them in the closeness of Jesus. Jesus knows exactly how it is to be human, and at the same time knows exactly how it is to be God. So, terror and love combine as one in Jesus. It’s beyond what I can understand. That’s a God thing, and I know my place. Yet, God chooses to come to me in Jesus. God chooses to take care of me and love me and bring me in His presence in all eternity.

Out of compassion Jesus touches His disciples. He assures them that He has all of this under control. And He urges them to get up. This “get up” can displace the fear of sin and suffering and death, to be a clue to what Jesus will do for these disciples of His and for all the world. Someday we too, disciples and believers throughout time, will hear the call of Jesus to get up. We will rise to be with God in eternity at our very own resurrection. So, for today, as we fear doing and acting on God’s call, let’s listen to this “get up” from Jesus. Let’s get up and go, doing what God calls us to do with our lives, using the gifts God freely gives to us, as we love God and neighbor in the worlds in which we have been set.

And when they “get up,” and we “get up,” on this day, all we see is Jesus. No need to “Point to Jesus” here; for Jesus is all we can see. Jesus will lead and guide His disciples into the world. As the disciples have seen the bright Light of God’s glory, they too see the direction that Jesus will guide them.

So, as this small group descends from the mountain, Jesus commands them to wait, to not say anything (my paraphrase). Why? There is a time for everything. Jesus will soon reveal His glory to all the world. But, first a few things will take place. When the time comes, the rest of the world will know that Jesus is God and Lord of all.

The glory of God sets up on the Mount of Transfiguration. Look, see, listen, this Jesus IS God. Listen to Him!

This is My Son! Listen to Him! See Him! Worship Him!

Peter heard the Father speak. Peter heard the voice of God on that sacred mountain. So, Peter knows that prophecy comes from God, not mankind. Prophecy of the Light to all the world comes from God. But what part do we play in all of this? God has shown us too, His Light, and we are called to talk about that Light to all the world. Jesus told these few disciples to be silent until after His resurrection. That has happened. So, like Peter, we are called to tell of the Light of Christ. Tell of forgiveness. Tell of the defeat of sin at the cross of Jesus, and tell of the defeat of death and the tomb of Jesus. Why? Because all this was freely given to the world, so that, all may believe in what God has done. So, let the Light of Christ shine in and through you to all the world.

So, with all of this, I would be negligent not to tell the story of my life. No, I didn’t see the bright shining Light of Jesus, blinding me. What I did see in my mind’s eye of a dream was more closely related to the very last verse of this passage. The “As they were coming down the mountain…,” part. So here goes…

I must have been somewhere between 5 or 6 years old at the time of this dream, or recollection, or whatever it was. I suspect that in my young mind, I had heard bits and pieces of Pastor Swinehart’s sermon on the Transfiguration. But I can’t be sure of this. I remember Pastor Swinehart, in my young mind, being a passionate preacher and always excited about his messages. Another words, I pictured him as a fiery preacher.

So, to this dream that has been with me through life. A dream, or whatever it was, that I have used to guide me in my walk with Jesus.

I heard a knock at the door of my family’s house on Washington Street in Sidney Ohio. I was excited to hear this knock, thinking that perhaps some of my friends were at the door, maybe it was Larry and Ernie Tate, I don’t know. As I answered the door, standing there was Jesus, Moses, Elijah and some other guy I didn’t recognize.

Yea, sure! How would a 5- or 6-year-old kid recognize this cast of characters? But somehow, maybe even if over some time, as this dream developed and changed in my memory, I did. Next is what Jesus said to me that has caused me to run down some path of discipleship for my entire life until now. Jesus simply says, “Can Billy come out to play?” Really? Didn’t Jesus know that I, standing before Him was Billy? I guess it really doesn’t matter.

I’ve always thought of this throughout my life growing up. Sometimes it spooked me, sometimes it guided me, sometimes I ran away from it all. But I’ve come to accept the message that Jesus wants me to go out into the world and be with Him, to follow Him, and to join in with all the Saints, like Moses, Elijah and whomever this other guy was, to do the will of God with what God has given to me. And all in the way of playing too! How great is that? So, I love to think of Jesus laughing and playing all the while as He takes me to the cross with Him and beyond into death and the resurrection. Fearful stuff, for sure, but always ending in the joy of playing with Jesus and His friends for a lifetime.

Was I a mixed up, confused child at the time of this dream or whatever it was? Maybe. But I really don’t care. I didn’t see that blinding white of Jesus transfiguration, but I did hear the voice of Jesus in my life.

And, I think if you too, listen to the voice of Jesus. Spend time in the Word, and see how Jesus comes to you in Holy Communion and Baptism; you too will be invited out to play. I would love to have you along with me as “that other guy” as we walk with and “Point to Jesus” … today… tomorrow… and forever … all the while playing in the love and joy and forgiveness that Jesus offers, and having a blast at it! Thanks be to God!

I really enjoyed this YouTube Music Video this week

Jesus Laughing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuKLRWJ6oF8&list=RDAuKLRWJ6oF8&start_radio=1