He is the Resurrection and the Life!

He is the Resurrection and the Life!

John 11:38-46

Introduction: The miracle in today’s Scripture, the raising of Lazarus, was the apex of the “signs” done by Jesus in the first half of John, only to be eclipsed by Jesus’ own death and resurrection. There was no room for doubt. Only God could do this! This sign would be compelling, uncontestable evidence of the presence and power of God in Christ. It would also reveal historically the truth that Jesus spoke of in the parable of the Rich Man and (another!) Lazarus, Luke 16:19-31,,,

" There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 "But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 "desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 "So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 "And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 "Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.' 25 "But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 'And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.' 27 "Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, 28 'for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.' 29 "Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.' 30 "And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' 31 "But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.' "

We see that very truth lived our here in this passage in John. The evidence in incontrovertible – a man rose from the dead – still the leaders refuse to consider the implications of the sign. The Big Idea: Jesus is working in our lives for our good, seeking to help us see more of His glory. The Context: The Perplexity extends to the onlookers in 11:37. It’s clear that Jesus loved Lazarus, He wept at his graveside! Could not this miracle worker have intervened for his friend? They were perplexed, it didn’t make sense. And the request Jesus was about to make didn’t make sense to Martha.

I. But Jesus wants us to trust Him even when life doesn’t make sense (11:38-39).

“Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days." Martha seems to want to “inform” Jesus of the reality of the situation, almost as though he didn’t have all the facts! Martha has just made a tremendous declaration of faith “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” She seemed to say she believed anything was possible, perhaps even hinting, though hesitant to ask, that Jesus could raise Lazarus when she says in v.22 “But even now I know whatever you ask of God, God will give you…” And yet, as Jesus gives instruction to roll back the stone she feels compelled to explain the situation to Him. Proverbs 3:5,6 was one of the first passages of Scripture I memorized as a new Christian (I almost said “learned,” but in reality I still learning to live it out!). “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on you own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” Martha said she believed Jesus, yet now as He told her to do something that was impossible, she hesitated, doubted, was unsure if Jesus had taken into account all the variables—after all it was four days! Martha said, “I believe!” But when Jesus said “Roll back the stone,” she hesitated. Did Jesus understand what He was asking? Did he take into account the reality of the situation? I have a cross stitch frame in my office that Mary Ann made for me, that is a reflection on the benediction in Ephesians 3:20,21, where it says,

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

The cross stitch references those verses and says, “If you knew that you couldn’t fail, what would you do for the glory of God?” If it is done for His glory we can’t fail, not in terms of eternity. First of all, God can do anything. The messenger told Sarah that truth when she laughed at the idea of having a child in her old age… The angel spoke to Mary who didn’t understand how she, an unmarried virgin, could give birth to the Messiah. And Jesus will reveal that truth to Martha and Mary and all those who will witness the raising of Lazarus. It’s easy to trust Jesus when things develop according to our plans and expectations. But what about when life seems to lead us on an unexpected course? Are you going through a season where things are happening that don’t make sense, are you willing to trust Him? Is He leading you to do something that seems beyond your capacity? Will you trust Him with all your heart, and lean not on your own understands? *** Jesus is working in our lives for our good, seeking to help us see more of His glory.

II. Jesus wants us to believe Him so we can perceive the glory of God (11:40).

In John 11:40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" As he wrote this gospel, some decades after the events described, John, by then an old man, could look back and say “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14). For [Jesus] the “glory of God” was the most important thing. This means that the real meaning of who He was and what He would do would be accessible only by faith. All who were there, believers or not, would see the miracle, but seeing is not necessarily believing. Jesus is promising Martha a sight of the glory. The crowd would see the miracle, but only believers would perceive its real significance, the glory. What a privilege! Moses had asked to see God’s glory (Ex 33) but would only be allowed a “glance” of it as God put him in the cleft of a rock and put his hand over him as He passed by. As great as he was Moses wasn’t allowed to see the glory of God. Jesus’ disciples on the other hand got to see His glory in the signs. It all started in Cana, in Galilee, at a Wedding when the wine ran out too soon. Jesus turned water into wine, John 2:11 “…This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.” They didn’t understand a lot at that point, but the Light was shining in the darkness, and they were beginning to see the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in face of Christ Jesus… (2 Cor 4:6b). ***Jesus is working in our lives for our good, seeking to help us see more of His glory.

III. Jesus wants us to pray to the Father in Faith, knowing that He hears and answers in the way that is best for us.

Prayer is an indispensable resource as we navigate life in a fallen world (11:41-42).

“Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 "And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."

It is interesting to note that we frequently see Jesus praying in the Bible. In John 17 we are going to see a fairly extensive prayer of Jesus as he anticipates his departure and prays for his disciples and for “those who would believe through their testimony” (that’s us, and every other New Testament believer!). If Jesus, God the Son, felt prayer was important, how much more should we be devoted to prayer. A couple of observations: Jesus prayed to God his “Father” – Obviously John is making it very clear that Jesus has a unique relationship with the Father. That can encourage us since there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. He prays for us, and you can know beyond question that the Father always hears and answers Him. Yet it is also true that “As many as received Him to them gave he the right (power) to become children of God…” We can go to Him, praying to Abba, Father, knowing that He knows us intimately, and He loves us, and is longing to hear from us. The prayer here is a prayer of thanksgiving, expressing full assurance that God has heard and answered his prayer, just as surely as He always did. As we pray according to the will of God we can have that same assurance. He hears. He will answer. Mary understood that the Father heard Jesus prayers. Remember John 11:22

"But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."

But what about us? In the upper room Jesus will teach his disciples much about prayer. For example:

John 14:13-14 13 "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

John 15:7-8 7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

John 16:23-24 23 "And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. 24 "Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

***As we learn to pray and seek God in prayer we learn that…

IV. Jesus wants us to experience His glorious power which promises victory over sin and death (11:43-44).

“Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

It’s a pattern that is established soon after the fall, “…and then he died…” The Bible itself says “It is appointed unto man once to die, after this the judgment…” The good news is that whereas “In Adam all die” so also “in Christ all shall be made alive…” It’s in Jesus that we can have eternal life, the abundant, everlasting life of blessing He purchased for us. Martha and Mary understood that, but here Jesus does a miracle, a sign, raising Lazarus to life, because it served his purpose—He was graciously revealing something about himself, who he is, showing his power, his divine nature. A preliminary “glimpse” of the promise of life in Him. He did it because He loved them, for their good, and for ours… By the way, the same power that called Lazarus from the tomb is at work in you if you have trusted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. You were dead in your trespasses and sin. He made you alive, by grace, through faith, unto good works which God ordained beforehand (Eph 2:1-10). *** Jesus is working in our lives for our good, seeking to help us see more of His glory.

V. Signs, Faith, and Unbelief (11:45-46).

Here we read about the response to this sign: “Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. 46 But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.” Though the evidence is clear most people refuse to believe. This was the mountain top, the apex of the “signs” that Jesus did which were recorded in the first part of John’s Gospel. It would only be transcended by the death and resurrection of Jesus himself. And yes, many saw and believed. Some however, went away to the Pharisees and told them the things that Jesus did. There is an intentional contrast here, they weren’t trying to share the good news with the Pharisees. They were “reporting” the story, knowing they were watching Jesus. This is an example of what we read in John 3:18-19

18 "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

What is God saying to me in this passage? Jesus is working in our lives for our good, seeking to help us see more of His glory. As you read this story, do you see the glory of God?

What would God have me to do in response to this passage?

Jesus proved that He is the resurrection and the life. The Light has shined in the darkness. Have you seen the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus? As surely as He raised Lazarus to life, He has done the same for you—you were dead, in Him you have life! Consider His work, see His glory, walk with Him in new life! Amen.

Comfort from the King

Comfort from the King John 11:17-37

Introduction: The insanity this week in Colorado reminds dramatically reminds us that we live in a sinful world. The movie that premiered that night was called “The Dark Knight” and it reminds us that another “dark knight” is on the prowl, always looking for someone to devour. Last week’s text reminded us in John 11:10 "…if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." The movie was called “The Dark Knight” and the incident is a reminder that this world is a dark place… A quick look at our prayer list makes it clear that we are surrounded by hurting people. Some are grieving, others struggling with sickness, financial hardships, family matters. And our church is not unique. After all Jesus did say “In the world you might have an occasional tough day…” right? No, He said “In the world you will have tribulation…” That is a certainty, but just as sure is the promise that the day is coming when He will “…wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying…” That day is still future, but even now He is with us when we pass through the hard times, we are never alone, He promises those who trust Him that He will never leave us or forsake us. And the future hope He gives strengthens us today. Today we return to Bethany, a small town just outside of Jerusalem. Jesus is coming to his friends, people who he loved who went through the heartbreak of seeing a loved one fall sick and die. That had sent for him, they knew he was their only hope, but he was late. Or was He? The Big Idea: When crises come remember who Jesus is, and be encouraged that He understands. Hope in Him.

I. When crises come, remember who Jesus is: He is God, the source of resurrection life (17-27).

Notice first of all the timing and circumstance of Jesus’ arrival (17-19).

“So when Jesus came He found that he had already been in the tomb four days…”

This gives us a hint as to why Jesus had delayed. There could be no doubt that Lazarus was dead. There was no hope of him being “resuscitated” from a coma. There are other stories in the Bible of someone who died being raised to life, but the buried their dead quickly, usually that very day. This is the only example of someone dead and buried for four days being raised to life. Remember John chose carefully and intentionally the seven miracle stories in this Gospel. They were signs, testimony that clearly related something about who Jesus is. Notice in verse 18 is a little detail that adds a slightly ominous note to the story: Bethany was just outside of Jerusalem. The city of peace was anything but peaceful toward Jesus. It’s the place where Jesus’ opponents had sought to stone Him. Jesus arrived in Bethany and the scene was typical of a mourning Jewish family. If the people could afford it, besides the friends and family that would be gather around the grieving family, the family would hire some professional mourners, sometimes playing instruments, sometimes just to cry loudly when people approached, signaling that yes, this was a house in mourning. 11:21-24 Shows faith and hope on Martha’s part. First she has seen enough to know that had Jesus been present Lazarus would not have died. She had seen him heal others and there was no question in her mind that He would have healed her brother had he been there. But verse 22 is remarkable, it goes much further, it seems to be acknowledging Jesus’ lordship, even over death:

“…but even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you…”

(As a side note we should remember the miracle in 4:45-54, Jesus healed the nobleman’s son from a distance, He didn’t have to be there!) Jesus, the Rabbi, the master teacher, is drawing her out, allowing her to express her faith, leading her into deeper faith, v.23, “Your brother will rise again…” Hope! Promise! A statement of fact about the future: “He will rise again…” By the way that is our hope, everyone of us who know Jesus as Savior and Lord. Paul said, speaking of the connection between the resurrection of Jesus and the future resurrection of believers, in 1 Corinthians 15:23

“…Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming...”

Martha reflects that hope in v.24, “I know that he will rise again the resurrection of the last day.” Having expressed that faith, Jesus begins to set the stage for what He is about to do. First Jesus makes a powerful statement about who He is:

“I AM the resurrection and the life” (25).

Here, for the 16th time in this gospel, Jesus uses the phrase “I AM…” to say something about himself. I hope by now there is no question in your mind that that phrase, on the lips of Jesus, is an intentional allusion back to the Old Testament revelation of God, the great I AM who spoke to Moses and the prophets. It’s a claim to deity. This is one statement that almost certainly had to be understood that way, even by Martha: “I AM the resurrection and the life.” Who is the source and the power behind the future resurrection than God himself? Only God is the author and sustainer of life. --This teaching of Jesus ties strongly into the central message that John is emphasizing in the Gospel: A call to believe who Jesus is, God in the flesh, and a promise that if you do you’ll live forever (see John 20:30,31). He goes on to say here, in John 11:25-26, “He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 "And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" Obviously Jesus knew what she believed, but He is teaching her, growing her faith even as He is leading her to express it. Clearly He is not saying that believing in Him is a guarantee that we will never experience physical death. Lazarus did. Eventually everyone of the disciples of Jesus died, most of them as martyrs. --Martha’s Confession here is remarkable, and in this context it seems to go beyond anything we’ve heard earlier in the gospel:

“Yes Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world…”

Martha’s affirmation of faith in Jesus stands with the other great confessions of His identity in this gospel (1:49; 6:69). It anticipates John’s purpose statement for writing his gospel:

“These have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name” (20:31).

Martha spoke emphatically (the Greek text adds the personal pronoun in addition to the verb, “I myself have believed…” It’s as though Martha pointed her finger back at herself for emphasis, I believe!) and declared three vital truths about Jesus: 1) Like Andrew (1:41), she confessed that He was the Christ, or Messiah; 2) like John the Baptist (1:34), Nathanael (1:49), and the disciples (Matt. 14:33) she affirmed that He was the Son of God; 3) and finally, like the Old Testament had predicted (cf. Is. 9:6; Mic. 5:2), she referred to Him as He who comes into the world… The One that all of the Scriptures had anticipated and all of creation needed was here. *** When crises come remember who Jesus is, and be encouraged that He understands. Hope in Him.

II. When crises come, be assured that Jesus understands & empathizes: Jesus was filled with anger and compassion (28-37).

Martha goes to get Mary, saying “the Teacher” had come and is calling for her. She meets Jesus, falls at his feet in tears (11:32,33).

First of all, Jesus was angry:

Of the English language translations I was able to check, only the New Living Translation seems to get this right: “When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled.” John 11:33, NLT. Was it anger at the scene in general, the professional mourners, intermingled with the heart broken family and friends, or was it anger at death itself and the consequences of sin that this scene exemplified? Mark uses the same word in Mark 14:5 to describe the anger of the disciples as they scolded Mary for the extravagant waste of resources when she anoints the feet of Jesus… It also says in 11:33 that Jesus was “deeply troubled.” This is the word that describes an unsettling, disturbing feeling, in the pit of your stomach, when something is terribly wrong. Its what Herod felt, and all Jerusalem with him, when word came to him of Magi searching for a new-born king. Here is the King of all creation, confronting what is wrong in our world, sin and death, and it angers Him, it troubles Him.

Secondly, Jesus was grieved: “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35).

There is always speculation about why Jesus cried. Was it because the soul of Lazarus was in Heaven and he would now have to return to his body in this sin cursed world? Maybe. But remember the setting. He is near Jerusalem. The Passover is approaching. And the cross. And I believe this scene, the death of his friend, the weeping of his family, reminded Jesus of what must soon happen. He was already for a moment in Gethsemane, feeling the weight of our sin. As He empathized with Martha and Mary in their pain, He felt for a second the alienation that existed between Holy God and sinful humans, created in His image, created for fellowship and communion with Him, but with that image marred by sin. John reminds us that Jesus is in control, but He came to lay down his life for his sheep. He came to be the perfect sacrifice, and His hour was approaching.

What is God saying to me in this passage?

When crises come remember who Jesus is, and be encouraged that He understands. Hope in Him. After all, He loved you enough to die for you.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage?

Have you put your trust in Him? Al’s message last Sunday night reminded us that we should not presume on the future – we don’t know what a day may bring, this is the day of salvation. Do you sense a stirring in your heart? Jesus said come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest…” Trust Him, He is Lord! “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” That’s a promise from God. Believer in Jesus, you may be passing through a time of pain, even heartbreak. Look to the King of all Creation. He is with you. It doesn’t depend on a feeling. It doesn’t matter if you sense He is there. His promise is sure: “I will never leave you or forsake you.” He knows your pain, and He promises that the day will come that the psalmist anticipated: Psalm 30:10-12

"Hear, O LORD, and have mercy on me; LORD, be my helper!" 11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.”

Amen.

Sickness, Trials, and the Glory of God

Sickness, Trials, and the Glory of God John 11:1-16

Introduction: We’ll spend at least a couple of weeks in Bethany with Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. Jesus’ public teaching ministry concluded with the Good Shepherd discourse in chapter 10. The episode today will set the stage for the seventh miracle story in John’s Gospel. Remember that John prefers to describe the miracles Jesus did as “signs” since they point us to Jesus, and reveal something about his identity. John 20:30-31 refers back to the miracles stories we’ve been looking at for the last several months and reminds us why John included them in his Gospel: “Many other signs Jesus did in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book. These have been written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ [the Messiah], the Son of God, and that believing you might have life in His Name.” He wants us to learn from the miracles of Jesus more about who He is, he invites us to put our trust in Him alone and to so receive the life He is offering us. This is the seventh, and perhaps the most amazing of the miracles that John records. After this it’s the cross and resurrection. Here we see people that Jesus loved passing through sickness, pain, death, grief. And Jesus turns it into something amazing. Weeping may last for a night—but joy comes in the morning! Jesus says in John 16:2.

“…you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned to joy…”!

People go through hard things in life. I spend more time counseling people than I had anticipated. Here’s a newsflash for you: Life can be hard. Sometimes it can be really hard. The believer in Jesus recognizes God’s presence even in the hard times in life. The famous pioneer missionary to China, Hudson Taylor, said “Trials afford God a platform for his working in our lives. Without them I would never know how kind, how powerful, how gracious he is.”

The Big Idea: God can work through the crises of our lives to point people to Jesus and to bring glory to Himself.

I. People that God loves get sick too (11:1-3). That statement might be so self evident as to be ridiculous, but there are branches of the professing church that would seem to say that if our faith is strong enough, we can claim good health (and prosperity). Turn on the TV and you won’t have to look hard to find a preacher telling you that God wants you healthy and wealthy (that is, if you’ll show your faith by sending him some money!). As John 11 opens, three people are mentioned, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. These three were known to Jesus, and v.5 says it plainly, Jesus loved them. And yet they passed through this heartbreaking situation of seeing one of their family fall gravely sick, worsen, and die. We’ve asked the question already in our study of John’s Gospel, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Why is it that there is so much pain in the world? Paul gave the answer in Romans 5:12,

“…by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all have sinned.”

Human rebellion brought sin, the curse, suffering and death into the world. God, in Christ, brought the solution. 11:2 is interesting here since John seems to be assuming that his readers already knew about Mary anointing the feet of Jesus, and wiping them with her hair (its mentioned in Matt 26:7, and will be mentioned in John 12:3). It’s another example (like Jesus’ baptism and his birth in Bethlehem) in which John seems to presuppose that his readers have knowledge of the synoptic tradition. Mary’s action here shows love that is extravagant (the perfume was expensive, precious), and also humble (wiping his feet with her hair!). Lazarus fell ill and the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick…” Jesus would know who they were referring to, their brother, His friend. The point here is that this family knew Jesus, and they were known by him, but they weren’t exempt from the suffering that comes to us in this sin cursed world. They looked in the right direction, to Jesus, the Master, Emmanuel. He could help. Yet still, Lazarus died. Later in this Gospel Jesus will warn, “In the world you will have tribulation…” One writer called this life a “veil of tears,” and if you’ve lived for very long you know that is true. If you pass through a trial don’t listen to the lies of the enemy. No matter what, God is good, He loves you, He is present, and He has a plan. Trust Him, lean on Him. *** God can work through the crises of our lives to point people to Jesus and to bring glory to Himself.

II. Even in the hard times God is still good, and He will work for our good and for His glory (11:4-5).

Jesus says, “This sickness is not unto death…” He is obviously not saying that Lazarus wasn’t going to die (though that appears to be what his disciples initially understood). He was saying that death wouldn’t have the last word, that wouldn’t be the end of the story, there was a bigger picture here and it would ultimately bring glory to God. I’ve heard it said a hundred times when someone experienced healing, “God is good!” And He is! But even when the answer isn’t what we hoped for, God is still good. The question has been debated in the church, “Is there healing in the atonement?” He heals in many different ways, ultimately we will receive a new body – this corruptible must put on incorruption, this mortal, immortality. That is a promise for those who know Christ. The situation here is reminiscent of what Jesus said of the man born blind in response to the question of his disciples: John 9:2-3

"Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" 3 Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.”

***Joni Erickson Tada once said, “I don’t care if I am confined to this wheelchair, provided that from it I can bring glory to God.” Are we willing to acknowledge God’s presence, to seek His plan, and to give Him our pain to use as He would? Even in the painful situations of life God will work for our good and for His glory. We saw this theology reflected in the story of Joseph Wednesday night as we looked at Genesis 50. Jacob had died, and the brothers of Joseph who acted so wickedly against him feared that now Joseph would take revenge. Amazingly, he said:

"Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20 "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. 21 "Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them” (Gen 50:19-21).

We have a High Priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses, He was tested in all points like as we are, according to Isaiah he was a “Man of sorrows, acquainted with grief…” Because that is true we can be assured that: God can work through the crises of our lives to point people to Jesus & to bring glory to Himself.

III. God’s timing is always right (11:6-10).

Its always right in terms of what’s best for us. 11:6 says, “Therefore when he heard…” The NIV obscures the point here by saying “Yet, when he heard…” There is a causal relationship between these two verses. Do you see what this is saying? It’s referring back to the previous verse. (Maxim of Bible study, “When you see a “therefore” you ask what it’s there for.”) Because He loved them, Jesus delayed. What? How could that be? How could that have been the loving thing to do? Jesus had a plan, he would allow this pain in the lives of his friends, so that in it and through it he could reveal His glory. His timing is always right in terms of the “big picture.” The idea seems to be similar to what Jesus said right before he healed the blind man, in John 9:4-5… 4 "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. 5 "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Here he says “there are 12 hours in the day…” The light is shining – Jesus, the Light of the World, is still with them, from His perspective, there was still work to do. And after all, they could do nothing to Him until the hour appointed by the Father, when Jesus would “deliver himself up.” From their perspective, they should understand that a dark hour was coming, but even in that moment, God would be working to accomplish His good purpose. *** God can work through the crises of our lives to point people to Jesus and to bring glory to Himself.

IV. Because He was willing to die for us, Death is not the end of the story for those who know Jesus (11:11-16).

First Jesus speaks figuratively, “Lazarus sleeps.” Once again the disciples misunderstand, so he says it plainly, “he’s dead.” Death, for the believer, is described as “sleep.” That says a lot. Sleep is a good and necessary thing for humans (though some babies have not yet learned that truth) – sleep is restful, peaceful, rejuvenating. And Jesus uses it as a picture of the death of a believer. It emphasizes the truth that death is a transition, but its not the end of the story. Verse 8 tells us that the disciples warned that the Jews in Judea were ready to stone Jesus a short time ago. But it was not yet “his hour.” While it was day, there was work to do. So they resolve, “Let us go with him that we may die with Him…” Jesus did tell his disciples early on to be ready for that possible eventuality. He said in Mk 8:34,

“If anyone would be my disciple, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me…”

*Some of the great pioneer missionaries of the past took that attitude to heart. When James Calvert was traveling to the indigenous people in the Fiji islands the captain of the ship he traveled on warned him, “You and those with you will lose your lives if you go among such savages!” He replied, “We died before we came here.” Life can be hard. Trials will come. Paul said, “To live is Christ, to die is gain.” God has left us here, for a little while, and given us a mission.

What is God saying to me in this passage?

And so we see that God can work through the crises of our lives to point people to Jesus and to bring glory to Himself.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage?

Are you passing through a period of darkness and trial? Do you believe that God is with you, and that He is working? Are you willing to listen for the still, small, voice of the Father? Jesus said, Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest…” That doesn’t mean we won’t face trials, even suffering. But be sure of this: “The suffering of this present age is not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us.” Think about that. Amen.

The Good Shepherd Part 2: The Shepherd and His Sheep

The Shepherd and His Sheep John 10:22-42

Introduction: The Camden Maine Herald ran two photos on the same page: one of Camden’s board of selectmen and town manager, the other of a flock of sheep. “Unintentionally,” the captions were reversed. Under the picture of the sheep the caption identified them, left to right, as town officials; the caption under the photo of the politicians gathered around a table read, “The sheep-fold—naïve and vulnerable, they huddle for security against the uncertainties of the outside world.” I think the editor had some explaining to do! We may not like the idea of being compared to sheep, but its an illustration that the people of Jesus’ day could relate to. God revealed himself with illustrations from everyday life that people could understand. One of those pictures was God as a shepherd, leading, feeding, protecting, caring for His sheep. Psalm 80 begins,

“Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth! 2 Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, Stir up Your strength, And come and save us! 3 Restore us, O God; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!”

As we began John 10, we saw Jesus, in another “I AM” statement, call Himself the “Good Shepherd.” That in itself, in the context of first century Judaism, was a claim to deity. Yet, the idea of a suffering Messiah, especially One who would die, had largely been lost—and they couldn’t grasp the idea of a Good Shepherd who would “lay down his life” for His sheep, much less what he meant by “If I lay it down, I will take it up again…” We have the bigger picture from our perspective after the cross and resurrection.

The Big Idea: Jesus revealed himself to be the Good Shepherd and as surely as His sheep respond to His voice, so He will keep them safe for eternity.

I. The Confrontation in 10:22-24 gives the setting of this teaching of Jesus, and also some important clues to understand what He is saying. Notice that there is a time gap between the 21 and 22. It was two months after v.21 and the feast of tabernacles. Again we are in Jerusalem, now for the feast of dedication. It was not one of the feasts prescribed in the Old Testament, but originated during the intertestamental period. The feast commemorated the Israelites’ victory over the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanies (175–164 B.C.). Consider that context in the light of what happens here. The setting gives us a couple of hints as to why the Jews failed to recognize their own Messiah: First of all the question “Who is the messiah? What kind of deliverer would He be?” The Maccabbean revolt was a military conflict with their foreign oppressors. Many Jews of Jesus’ day were looking for a deliverer like Judas Maccabee, like King David, like Solomon, who could give them victory over their enemies and reestablish the kingdom. Then, almost as a side note, it says, “It was winter…” But John doesn’t just give us information as a colorful or incidental detail usually. Every word is purposeful (E.g. Nicodemus came to Jesus, the Light of the World, “at night”, i.e., still in the dark spiritually speaking). Is it just a mention of fact here, or could it be that Israel was passing through a period of coldness in terms of their faith? They had lost sight of the spiritual and were focused exclusively on the physical. Before we are too hard on the Jews, don’t we often fall into the same snare? We love the things in this world—we forget that we are citizens of Heaven. The mention of Solomon, the last king of the United Kingdom, and the Temple, alludes to some of what John has been teaching us about who Jesus, the Messiah, is. He is not merely one more in the succession of the sons of David, a merely human king who would oversee an earthly kingdom. As great as Solomon was, and as extensive as the range of the Kingdom became under his rule, he ultimately fell short, his heart drifting through the influence of his many wives and concubines. The Ideal Son of David (Messiah Jesus) was yet to come. Also, as John has alluded to the Tabernacle and the Temple, Jesus is the fulfillment of that hope: “The Word became flesh and dwelt (“tabernacled”) among us…” He said in John 2, “Tear down this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up…” But he wasn’t talking about a building made of stones and timber, but of his own body. We beheld his glory… God among us. Against all of this background the challenge comes: “If you are the Christ, tell us plainly!” Part of what John is showing us is that Jesus had clearly revealed who He is, He had said it plainly enough for those who had ears to hear, but the popular expectation is far from the truth could not understand and would not believe. Rather than what they expected, Jesus revealed himself to be the Good Shepherd and as surely as His sheep respond to His voice, so He will keep them safe for eternity.

II. The Characteristics of the Shepherd’s Sheep (10:25-29).

They recognize the Shepherd and obey His voice. Jesus said, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me.” The challenge was, “Tell us plainly…” Jesus’ reply, “I not only told you, I showed you, and still you don’t believe! And then He tells them why, “You don’t believe because you are not my sheep…” Their unbelief and rejection of Jesus revealed their hearts. Jesus then speaks of the experience of those who are His sheep: They are known by the Shepherd and He gives them eternal life. That is one things Jesus emphasizes here, the eternal security of those who are his: - He gives eternal, everlasting life. This does speak of duration of the life they receive, but it is also a new quality of life. Paul said to the Corinthians, “If any man be in Christ—a new Creation!” I think the emphasis there is not on the change in the person’s life, that is surely true, but the fact that He is participating in a new age, a new reality, “times of refreshing that come from the presence of the LORD.” - They shall never perish—that is a promise. And if the positive statement about life isn’t enough, this should make it clear that there is no contingency, no possibility that a genuinely born-again person could somehow lose their salvation. - No one can snatch them from His hand. The enemy would try—but the One who keeps us is God! After all, the Father, is one with Jesus, forever “securing” His sheep. The Father elects, the Son redeems, the Spirit regenerates. This makes it clear that if someone is truly saved, elect of God, He cannot possibly lose his salvation. Paul reflects this in Romans 8:32-39…

"He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

That is a promise! After all Jesus revealed himself to be the Good Shepherd, God incarnate, and as surely as His sheep respond to His voice, so He will keep them safe for eternity.

III. The nature of the Shepherd (10:30).

“I and the Father are One.” John has stated before the unity between the Father and the Son—in this context it is the basis for the security of the believer. This unity has been affirmed various times from the start of this Gospel: John 1:1, “…The Word was with God; the Word was God.” We saw just a few chapters back, in John 8:18-19

"I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me." 19 Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."

We will see in a few chapters John 14:9,

Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?

Jesus is God the Son, One with the Father and the Spirit. He revealed himself to be the Good Shepherd and as surely as His sheep respond to His voice, so He will keep them safe for eternity.

IV. What it really means to be Son of God (10:31-42)

. This is one of the most disputed passages in John, as Jesus quotes from Ps 82:6 to show the hypocrisy of his accusers. Jesus is essentially saying, “Do you judge me for my use of the title “Son of God” even though my works have proven my identity? In your unbelief you have judged yourselves!” Psalm 82 seems to be a poem in which God is indicting human rulers, to whom he had entrusted authority, for failing to show mercy and act justly and lead responsibly. These leaders were called “gods” and “sons of God” in that they represented His rule, but they failed to represent well the Kingdom of God, they fell short. In the context in John, it seems that Jesus is saying that the word “god” can refer to others than God the Father alone, on that basis, why should they object if Jesus says He is the Son of God when He has only spoken God’s truth and the when signs He did vindicated His claim? What do they understand by that title? Part of what John is doing in his Gospel is correcting an inadequate understanding of who the Messiah is that was prevalent in the first century. He is not merely “a” son of God, in the sense that the Davidic kings could claim that title. He was not merely God’s son in the way that a follower of the God of the Bible could use the phrase. He was by his very nature, God the Son, One with the Father and the Spirit, sharing in his essence, character, and attributes. Remember that John has shown us that Jesus is the great “I AM” of the Old Testament, the God who revealed himself to the fathers in Word and power. Is it so strange for Him, the incarnate Word, sent by the Father, to call himself the Son of God? He has right to that title as no other every had!

What is God saying to me in this passage?

Jesus revealed himself to be the Good Shepherd and as surely as His sheep respond to His voice, so He will keep them safe for eternity.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage?

Have you struggled with the question of your salvation? Have you wondered if you had somehow done something that caused you to lose your place in the sheepfold, that somehow you disqualified yourself to follow the Good Shepherd, Jesus? If you have been truly born again through faith in Jesus, you are His… safe… forever. Think about that. Amen.

The Good Shepherd: Part 1

The Good Shepherd John 10:1-21

Introduction: If I began this message reciting a Scripture in Hebrew, it wouldn’t be very edifying to most of us! If I read the same verse in English, it’s a favorite verse that speaks about a God who knows us, loves us, and cares for us. We need to hear God in a language we understand! As the awesome, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent God of the Universe reveals himself to humans, He has spoken in Word and history in a way that we can understand. So He used figures of speech, metaphors that compare Him in some limited way to something that we can relate to. We’ve seen some of that with Jesus and the people in John: He said “I am the Bread of life... I am the living water… I am the Light of the world…” These are things from everyday life that resonate with people. Now in John 10 He uses the everyday picture of a shepherd and sheep and a sheepfold… And He says “I am the gate… the door to the sheepfold…” He says “I am the Good Shepherd…” As we look at this discourse in its context we get some clues that help us to know Him better. The movement from chapter 9 to 10 is direct. Jesus is illustrating in this discourse what had been made evident by the response to the miracle in Chapter 9 (see 10:21). The response to Him and His teaching reveals the heart of those who hear Him. In using the metaphor of “sheep” and a “Shepherd” Jesus is provoking the situation a little more, in one more way using language that would evoke in the mind of his hearers the God of the Old Testament. Psalm 80 begins,

“Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth! 2 Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, Stir up Your strength, And come and save us! 3 Restore us, O God; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!”

Even more familiar to us is Psalm 23:1, “The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” The language is applied to the coming messiah as well, for example by the prophet Micah,

“And He shall stand and feed His flock In the strength of the LORD, In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God; And they shall abide, For now He shall be great To the ends of the earth; 5 And this One shall be peace” (Micah 5:4-5).

Against this background Jesus says, “I AM the Good Shepherd…”

The Big Idea: As a shepherd protects, guides, and cares for his sheep, so Jesus will take care of his own, showing the way to life and blessing.

I. Jesus is the Gate for the His sheep (John 10:1-10). Jesus tells a story, in the first part without getting very specific, about sheep and a shepherd, a gatekeeper, and a gate, and thieves and robbers. Whenever Jesus used language like this, he expected his hearers to identify with someone in the story. He doesn’t immediately identify the shepherd or explain the sheepfold and the gate. First we see that He is the only way into the place of security and peace (1-6). Jesus is contrasting himself and his ministry with the false teaching promote by the Pharisees. The one thing that is immediately very clear is that Jesus is speaking this to reveal something about himself as the One Way, but also pointing a finger back at the Pharisees, they are the thieves and robbers trying enter by another way, since they have failed to see the truth about Jesus. Jesus is both the true Shepherd, and the Way into the sheepfold. That gets more explicit in the next verse…

He alone is the Way to the abundant life of blessing (7-10).

He says in verse 7, “I am the door…” This is one more of the “I AM” statements in this Gospel, there will be another in just a few verses, “I AM the Good Shepherd.” As we have seen reading through John there is no accident in Jesus choosing this phrase to identify himself. 8:58 left no doubt for even the most skeptical reader as to what Jesus was claiming, any ambiguity was gone: “Before Abraham was, I AM…” I am what or who? The One who spoke to Moses out of the burning bush, the one who spoke through Isaiah the prophet, “I AM that I AM…” He was identifying himself with the God of the Covenants, The LORD of the Old Testament.

NB. Also that he says, “I AM the door…”

A door indicates a way in, an entrance, a gateway that allows access to some protected place. Jesus says “I am THE door...” He is not “a” door, as though there were many paths to God and the abundant life of blessing. There is only one way into the sheepfold, through Jesus. This is the kind of exclusivistic statement that He will make in 14:6, “I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father, except by Me….” This kind of language gets evangelicals like us in trouble with the world today. “You mean to say that you think only born again Christians are going to heaven? Isn’t that arrogant?” Actually its about as humble as you can get—because we are saying that we can do nothing to earn God’s favor—it is by grace alone that we are saved. As a shepherd protects, guides, and cares for his sheep, so Jesus will take care of his own, after all He is the way, the only way, to life and blessing.

II. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, who would graciously sacrifice Himself for the good of His sheep (11-15).

Jesus has contrasted himself with “thieves and robbers” and now shifts the imagery a bit: He is the “Good Shepherd,” the One who lays down his life for the sheep, in contrast to mere “hired hands.” Now this image goes farther than a shepherd typically would go. A typical, devoted shepherd might fight to protect his flock, he might even put himself in danger in the process, but he would not, willingly at least, lay down his life for the sheep. But that is just what Jesus did; going that much farther than anyone could be reasonably expected to go. He gave His life, as a substitute for his sheep. He is also not saying that he is a good shepherd, but that He is THE Good Shepherd. The One and Only. In light of the words of the prophets concerning God as the Shepherd of Israel, there can only be One who would merit this title: God alone. The great I AM. As the shepherd who protects, guides, and cares for his sheep, even more, who laid down his life for His sheep, we can trust Jesus, He will take care of his own, showing us the way to life and blessing.

III. Jesus is God’s Son, who came to fulfill His Father’s plan (16-18).

Some “world views” don’t give adequate place to the sovereignty of God. It is as though He is a great and powerful being who we can call on for help from time to time, but ultimately His plan is dependent on our choices. The Bible gives a different perspective. History really is His Story. Notice that the Father’s plan included all nations: “I have other sheep that are not of this fold…” From the beginning God was interested in all of humanity. He chose Israel for two specific reasons: 1) to them would be entrusted the oracles of God. And 2) through them would come the Messiah, the savior of the world. But it was God’s plan that the chosen Seed of Abraham would be a blessing to all the nations. And so Jesus commissioned His disciples to bring His message to all the nations. The plan included Jesus’ death and his resurrection. “I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. What a statement! This is akin to what he says at the graveside of Lazarus: “I AM the resurrection and the life…” Its possible for a person to choose to lay down their life for another. But if you give your life, you can’t take it up again. Only One could do that. He is again making a claim that only God could make. Who is this man who would call himself God? Either He is who He claimed to be, or he was insane, or a pathological liar. Liar, Lunatic, or Lord? His death and resurrection according to His prediction vindicated His identity. That’s why He came, to fulfill the Father’s plan, and as a shepherd he protects, guides, and cares for his sheep, and will take care of his own, showing the way to life and blessing.

IV. Jesus is the Great Divide(r) (19-21).

As we consider this story and the claims of Jesus, we come face to face with the question once again that is at the heart of this Gospel: Who is this man who said he was God? What will you do with Jesus? Again we see the two-fold response, the division, that Jesus brings. Men either come to the light or stay in the darkness. They are either God’s children or the devils. They either are His sheep, or they are not. They either hear His voice or are deaf, blind, and dead. There is no kinda, maybe, a little bit, more or less saved people. People today are trying to undercut the Gospel, saying that God is love, that means He will finally let everyone into heaven. That kind of thinking makes a mockery of the Cross. John says it plainly: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him" (John 3:36). We see the extreme reaction of some of the leaders: “He has a demon and is insane.” If Jesus wasn’t who He claimed to be to call him a lunatic might be one reasonable conclusion. But He is who He claimed to be, God the Son, the Great I AM, the promised One. The reasonable response to the evidence might start with the questions raised in verse 21: “But others said, "These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?" He spoke only good, exemplifying Grace and Truth, He did things that only God himself could do.

What is God saying to me in this passage?

He said, “I AM the Gate, God and the Way to God, I AM the Good Shepherd, the One who protects, guides, and cares for his sheep, showing the way to life and blessing. That’s the Truth, He is the Truth, how will you respond to Him?

What would God have me to do in response to this passage?

Have you heard the shepherd’s voice and come? Do you recognize His voice as He speaks to you in His Word? Do you acknowledge His presence in the midst of the crises of life, protecting you, watching out for you? Have you decided to follow Him, obediently, reverently, worshipfully?

Dad, the family Teacher

Dad, the Family Teacher Proverbs 3:1-12

Introduction: At the wedding a couple of weeks ago, someone was trying to empathize with me in light of the “empty nest.” He inquired, “Do you have a dog or a cat?” I replied, “No, only sheep…” Last year on Father’s day we considered “Dad the Family Shepherd.” Our next chapter in John deals with Jesus as the “Good Shepherd.” We understand the metaphor of “shepherd” being applied to pastors and elders as seek to lead and care for the members of a local church, yet its also true that men, as they have been given the responsibility to care for, protect, and lead their family also fulfill the “shepherding” role at that level. I decided to focus today one aspect of what Dad, as the family shepherd should do. Shepherds protect the sheep, and lead the sheep. Another thing he does is feed the sheep. Of course beyond the physical need to put food on the table, that refers to feeding spiritually as well. So, in one sense, Dad is also called to be the family teacher. This idea is not only for those who have the spiritual gift of “teaching.” Our responsibility to teach the next generation was “built into” the Old Testament and New Testament alike. In Deuteronomy 6:6,7 says, “These words which I command you today shall be in your heart; you shall teach them diligently to your children…” Similarly we read in Eph 6:4, “…fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath but bring them up in training and admonition of the Lord.” Obviously this isn’t referring just to teaching by “word” but also to the example we set by our lives. One of the phrases I would often hear from my parents was “do as I say, not as I do.” The biblical model is that we teach by word and example. Proverbs 3 begins with a series of those fundamental lessons we need to impart to our children. Notice who the writer is addressing in 3:1, “My son…” And then again in 3:11 he says “My son…” Those two phrases bracket this section and tie it together as a series of admonitions, from a God fearing father to his child, calling his son to live rightly, in accordance with God’s Word. Big Idea: A godly father accepts his God-given responsibility to teach his children, by word and example the way of the Lord. A Godly father teaches his children to allow God’s Word to shape them into people of integrity and faith who humbly honor God and learn from His loving correction.

I. A Godly Father Teaches his children to cherish the Word (1-2).

“My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands...” First of all, Solomon is not urging his son to obey his personal, arbitrary rules. The words here are deliberate, “Law” is the word torah and command is the word mitzvah (we know the phrase “Bar-mitzvah”, “son of the commandment’). These are the terms consistently used for God’s teaching and His commands. Because he himself has embraced and internalized God’s Word, since he has received personally the commands and law of the Lord, it is “his command” and “his law.” We do the same thing when we say, “My Bible tells me…” The translations vary a little, the idea is “take it to heart…” A godly father is himself in the process of internalizing the Word, God’s Law, and he also teaches his children to cherish the Word of God. **Spurgeon said, “A Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.” He also said, “The key to victory is “It is written…” This is more than just knowing what the Bible says… it means, as Paul said to the Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom…” *Lincoln said, “I believe the Bible is the best gift that God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this book. I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.” This may be convicting to us, since it has rightly been said that you cannot impart what you do not possess. Is God’s Word the final rule for faith and practice in your life? Have you embraced it for what it is, have you responded to it as from the mouth of God? Our attitude toward the word is reflected in our lives constantly… One of the things we pray for, as we are praying for revival, is that we would have a hunger for the Word, that we would “Long for the pure milk of the word that we might grow there by…” A godly father accepts his God-given responsibility to teach his children, by word and example the way of the Lord. He teaches his children to allow God’s Word to shape them into people of integrity and faith who humbly honor God and learn from His loving correction. It starts with the Word. Someone said, “This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book…” Right thinking will lead to right living.

II. A Godly Father Trains his children to embrace integrity (3-4).

“Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck …” This verse is closely connected with vv.1 and 2, and I wondered if the writer is still talking about the Word, since it is “Truth” and reveals God’s “mercy,” and that would fit with the idea of “writing it on your heart.” There could be a double entendre here, but I think the emphasis is on the outworking of the Word in our life practically. These are characteristics, marks of integrity, that flow out of internalizing the Word of God. Someone said that “Fame is vapor, popularity is an accident, and money takes wings. The only thing that endures is character.” As followers of JC our character should be molded by the Word not the world. It’s always easier in theory. Like the pastor who got on a bus and paid the fare, and then noticed the driver had given him too much change. He rationalized and struggled as the bus ride went on – maybe God was supplying in an unexpected way. Finally he was so convicted he went up to the driver as he was getting off the bus and said, “Excuse me, you accidently gave me too much change.” The man replied, “It was no accident pastor, I was at your church on Sunday and heard your sermon about “honesty” and wanted to see if you practiced what you preach!” We have heard the Truth, and known the Truth, and been saved by the Truth, so we should speak the truth, in love. Its also true that we have experienced mercy (and grace!); and so of all people we should be the most merciful, the most gracious, the most forgiving. A godly teaches his children by word and example to allow God’s Word to shape them into people of integrity and faith who humbly honor God and learn from His loving correction.

III. A Godly Father Instructs his children to live by faith (5-6).

“Trust in the LORD…” Is our trust, our confidence and faith in the God who is, the great I AM, the God who speaks and reveals himself in human history and is always faithful to keep his promises? “Trust in the LORD with all your heart…” Whole hearted confidence on the God who is, the God of the covenants who chose to reveal himself to humans. The God who showed his love among us by sending his only Son into the world that we might live through him (I John 4:9). We need to believe God, to take Him at His Word. “The just shall live by faith.” “…and lean not on your own understanding…” We need to trust Him even when life doesn’t make sense from our limited human perspective. I was counseling someone this week who felt despair over the fact that life just doesn’t make sense at the moment, they couldn’t see what God was doing. The simple truth is that it won’t always make sense, but we can trust Father, He is good, He loves us, He is trustworthy. “…in all your ways acknowledge Him…” The Hebrew word here is yadah, lit. “…know Him…” It seems to be a call to recognize God and to see His hand at every moment and in every situation of life. If we do we’ll understand better our dependence upon Him, we’ll see more clearly that He is trustworthy. Have you had any “God sightings” this week? As we acknowledge his presence and lordship in our daily life, the promise is… “…He will direct your paths…” As we trust Him, we can know that “He will make our paths straight.” That’s a promise. A godly teaches his children by word and example to allow God’s Word to shape them into people of integrity and faith who humbly honor God and learn from His loving correction.

IV. A Godly Father Counsels his children to exemplify humility (7-8).

Proverbs 3:7-8 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil… The call is to see ourselves rightly. Philip Brooks said, “The true way to be humble is not to stoop until you are right smaller than yourself, but to stand at your real height against some higher nature that will show you what the real smallness of your greatness is.” It must begin with seeing God rightly. Calvin in his Institutes rights: “…man is never sufficiently touched and affected by the awareness of his lowly state until he has compared himself with God’s majesty…” Isaiah 6, “Woe unto me, I am undone…” The more we know God, as He really is, the more clearly we’ll see ourselves. Paul asked the prideful Corinthians, “What do you have that you did not receive? If you received it, why do you boast?” If we understand grace we can’t be prideful, only thankful. A godly teaches his children by word and example to allow God’s Word to shape them into people of integrity and faith who humbly honor God and learn from His loving correction.

V. A Godly father conveys to his children the principle of stewardship (9-10).

“Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over …” “Honor the Lord with your possessions…” Easier in theory than in practice? Pastor was talking to his farmer friend and asked, “Brother, if you had 100 horses, would you give me 50?” The farmer replied, “I sure would pastor!” The preacher asked “If you had 100 cows would you give me 50?” “Absolutely!” he said. The pastor then asked, “If you had 2 pigs, would you give me one?” The farmer answered, “Now cut that out Pastor you know I have two pigs!” Are we teaching our kids to honor God with all that we have? Are we showing generosity in our giving? And what about stewardship that honors God with the 90% that remains under our care? “And with the firstfruit of all your increase…” I like the story of the little girl was given $2 by her father, “One is for you to buy candy, the other is for the offering in Sunday School.” Skipping across the street she stumbled and fell, and one of the dollars drifted right down the storm drain. She looked at the dollar in her hand, glanced at the drain, then looked up and prayed, “Sorry Lord, there goes your dollar!” Does the Lord get our first fruits or our leftovers? Solomon thought this principle important enough to include in this list. What are we teaching our children? A godly teaches his children by word and example to allow God’s Word to shape them into people of integrity and faith who humbly honor God with their possession. He also teaches them to learn from His loving correction.

VI. Directs his children to learn from discipline (11-12).

“My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, 12 because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” God doesn’t punish believers, but because He loves us, He will discipline us. Sometimes with the inward conviction of the Holy Spirit. Have you seen parents that with a stern look can stop a child that is pushing the limits? If we are attuned to the Spirit, and we sin, we’ll know it. If we ignore that God will sometimes allow things in our life to draw us back. C.S. Lewis said: “God whispers to us in our pleasure, speaks to us in our work, and shouts to us in our pain.” Discipline is not God’s wrath, but His love.

What is God saying to me in this passage?

Jesus was the Good Shepherd, the One who protected, guided, and fed his sheep flawlessly. As “family shepherds” Dads will fall short of that model, but that’s our goal. With respect to “feeding the sheep,” how are we doing? A Godly father will strive to fulfill his God-given responsibility to teach his children, by word and example the way of the Lord. He teaches them to allow God’s Word to shape them into people of integrity and faith who humbly honor God and learn from His loving correction.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage?

As we cherish the Word, embrace integrity, live by faith, exemplify humility, practice biblical stewardship, and learn from discipline, we are modeling those things for our children, setting an example that speaks louder than words. Let’s not be parents who say “Do as I say, not as I do.” Paul told his disciples, “Follow me as I follow Christ.”

"Seeing is Believing" John 9:35-41

Seeing is Believing: Or, Spiritual Blindness Exposed! John 9:35-41

Introduction: I have never been a big fan of roller coasters. I’ve reluctantly ridden a few in my life but I just don’t particularly enjoy having my stomach tied in knots while I’m trying to figure which way is up! I remember the first roller coaster I rode, as the car slowly chugged up the hill I started having second thoughts and started looking around for a way off… there was none! With my bad neck I don’t think I’ll ever ride on another one! Some of you probably love them, no problem. No one enjoys the dips, dives and flips we sometimes experience in life. The blind man in John 9 experienced the highest of highs—for the first time in his life, he saw! And then, the leaders of the synagogue descend on him, his pastors and elders, his community leaders, and he is given the “third degree.” As a result, just because he only spoke the truth about what had happened, he was finally evicted from the synagogue, the center of Jewish life and culture. Rejected by his religious leaders, effectively banned from the community center and “church”, and so he was separated from his friends, his community, maybe even his family. What had happened, and why? In the short paragraph we look at today at the end of John 9 the healed man is approached by his Healer. And he who received physical sight now comes into the full light, and now with 20/20 vision, recognizes Jesus—he come to know “the Light of the World.” The Big Idea: Spiritually speaking seeing is believing: it means recognizing who Jesus is and responding to Him in worship.

I. Seeing is believing: Open my eyes Lord, I want to see Jesus (35-39).

The Old Testament prophets used a lot of images to describe the future work of the coming Messiah—one is that he would come and “open the eyes of the blind.” In those prophecies as here, I think both physical and spiritual healing is in mind. For example we read in Isaiah 35:5-6,

“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6 Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert.”

First, we see that “Spiritual sight results from divine initiative.” Just as Jesus “took notice” of the man initially, and called him and his plight to the attention of his disciples, now, after the healing, Jesus goes and finds the man again after he is cast out of the synagogue (v.35), “Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him…” Remember the song “Amazing Grace,” “I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.” The man hadn’t been actively seeking healing (if he was, John doesn’t tell us about it). Unlike Bartimeus who had heard of Jesus and shouted for him as he passed by, this man was passively sitting there, waiting for alms from the passersby. After the healing there is no indication that he went looking for Jesus, but, Jesus found him. He had an even greater work to do, to open the man’s heart to the true and living God. Where were you when you met Jesus? Or rather, when He met you? Can you look back and recognize you were blind, and that He came to you, seeking you in your darkness? We also see here that “Spiritual sight is evidenced by faith” (v.35b-36). This is one of those “Chicken and the Egg” questions. We like to have our theology all worked out into a nice system—which comes first, life, the ability to see, or faith? The Calvinist says blind men can’t see and dead men can’t believe. The Arminian says faith is the response of seeing and believing the truth. “He said to him, ‘Do you believe in the Son of God?’ 36 He answered and said, ‘Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?’" (I am going to get out it for now by saying John uses “faith” two ways, initial faith, which only happens when God works a miracle in the heart and mind, opening our understanding, and “continuing faith,” as we respond to his revelation, taking God at His word. We’ll dig into this question more in John 10). The healed man was ready. In dealing with the leaders he had “thought through” the implications of the sign that had been done. He could see the truth even if they couldn’t—God had to be in this! He lived his life in darkness—now the light was shining. And, to adapt the words of the Apostle Paul, the God who commanded the Light to shine out of the darkness, shined in his heart, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. It’s also shown that “Spiritual sight recognizes Jesus” (v.37-38a). “And Jesus said to him, ‘You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.’ 38 Then he said, ‘Lord, I believe!’" The man had heard Jesus, but remember he was blind, and Jesus put mud in his eyes and sent him away—he had never seen Him, until now. ***Do you long to see Jesus?

The hymn writer Fanny Crosby wrote more than 8000 gospel songs. Although blinded as an infant she never held any bitterness in her heart because of it. Once a preacher remarked “I think it is a great pity that the Master did not give you sight when he showered so many other gifts upon you.” She replied quickly, “Do you know that if at birth I had been able to make one petition it would have been that I should be born blind?” “Why?” asked the surprised clergyman. “Because when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my savior.” Some who are physically blind see more clearly than most of us!

Spiritual sight not only recognizes Jesus, but also responds to Him (“…and he worshipped Him…”) (v.38b). This is crucial to the point John is making: this man worshipped Jesus. John is writing his gospel to help us understand more fully and more correctly who Jesus is. The prolog of the gospel is almost shockingly abrupt in stating it at the outset, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Thomas finally gets it after seeing the resurrected Jesus, “My Lord and my God!” Only God is to be worshipped. The healed man recognized Jesus for who He really is, and responded to Him. Worship is our right response to the Lord, when we understand who he really is, when we sense something of his character, his holiness, his love… “Worship” means to “prostrate oneself, fall down before…” the One we worship. We respond to Him not only as the “famous One” but as our God. We love Him, adore Him, praise Him, give Him thanks for life, for salvation, for every good thing we experience. He is not just our friend, He is El Shaddai, Jehovah Jireh, the Great I AM. He is the one Isaiah saw when he got a glimpse of his Majesty, the train of his robe filling the temple, the Serphim covering their faces singing Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God of Hosts. John says of Jesus, “we saw His glory.” I am going to ask you a personal question. It is a deep question that requires a thoughtful answer. Have you worshipped today? You might think, “Of course I’ve worshipped, I’m in church am I not?” Have you really recognized His presence and bowed your heart before Him? *** Spiritually speaking seeing is believing: it means recognizing who Jesus is and responding to Him in worship.

II. Blindness to the truth: Rejection of Jesus (39-41). The response of the religious leaders shows us the other side of the coin, the other effect of the Light shining in the darkess:

Jesus will expose Spiritual blindness and judge unbelief. John 9:39 “And Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind." You can’t cure a blind man by turning up the light. The light was shining brightly—and the blind leaders still didn’t see. Their unbelief exposed their blindness. Spiritual blindness is refusal to see our need. John 9:40-41 “Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, ‘Are we blind also?’ 41 Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains.” John Calvin explained this passage beautifully: “He is blind who, aware of his own blindness, seeks a remedy to cure his disease. In this way the meaning will be, “If you would acknowledge your disease, it would not be altogether incurable; but now because you think that you are in perfect health, you continue in a desperate state.” When he says that they who are blind have no sin, this does not excuse ignorance, as if it were harmless, and were placed beyond the reach of condemnation. He only means that the disease may easily be cured, when it is truly felt; because, when a blind man is desirous to obtain deliverance, God is ready to assist him; but they who, insensible to their diseases, despise the grace of God, are incurable.” The Pharisees didn’t see their own need, they were blind leaders of the blind, and they didn’t even know it. Jesus is saying the first step toward seeing the Light of the World is recognizing the darkness of our own heart.

What is God saying to me in this passage?

Some of you have spent some time on some roller coasters—and I am not talking about amusement park rides. You’ve experienced blessing and success, but also heart break and pain… As disorienting as life can be at times, Jesus is the Rock, the firm foundation, the fortress, the comfort in a time of storm. Do you see him in the midst of the turmoil? Spiritually speaking seeing is believing: it means recognizing who Jesus is and responding to Him in worship.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage?

The miracles recorded in the Gospel of John are called “signs” because they point behind the act as a demonstration of power, to the miracle worker, and reveal something more about who He is. Here we are reminded that He is the Light of the World— Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:6, “For it is the God who [In the beginning…] commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Have you worshipped yet today? If Jesus walked down this aisle right now, what would you do? As he looked into your eyes, knowing that he knows you, and even so, loves you, how would you respond? The healed man worshipped Him, will you?