Tag: Jesus

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Haters Gonna Hate, Hate, Hate

John 15

18“When the world hates you, remember it hated me before it hated you. 19The world would love you if you belonged to it, but you don’t. I chose you to come out of the world, and so it hates you. 20Do you remember what I told you? ‘A servant is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you! 21The people of the world will hate you because you belong to me, for they don’t know God who sent me. 22They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin. 23Anyone who hates me hates my Father, too. 24If I hadn’t done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be counted guilty. But as it is, they saw all that I did and yet hated both of us—me and my Father. 25This has fulfilled what the Scriptures said: ‘They hated me without cause.’ 26“But I will send you the Counselor—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will tell you all about me. 27And you must also tell others about me because you have been with me from the beginning.

(John 15:18-27, NLT)

The Daily DAVEotional

Have you noticed that there is a lot of hate in our culture today. A LOT.

What I find interesting is that our culture seems to have redefined what the word hate even means. If you disagree with someone, you are quickly labeled a “hater.”

This is very problematic for Christians because we believe that Jesus has given us moral guidelines to live by and to promote as good for our society at large.

But many of the moral guidelines Christians hold to are not accepted by our culture. So what is the response? Christians are labeled as haters.

There are lots of names that can be found in the hate bucket. Racist, Sexist, Misogynist. Homophobic. Transphobic. Judgmental. Hypocritical.

There is no doubt that there are those who identify as Christians who are racist, or sexist or judgmental, or any number of other labels. ALL have sinned. ALL do sin. We should be honest about that and appeal to Jesus to not only forgive but transform.

Still, no matter what you say or do, some are going to hate you. This should not surprise us as Jesus Himself warned that this would be the case.

And yet, I find that many Christians cannot stomach the fact that the world hates them. So what is the response? For many, the response is accommodation. I see quite a number of Christians, churches and denominations who are changing their theology, their moral stances and in some cases, their entire worldview – all so that they won’t be hated by others.

And while the culture has redefined what hate is, I think many believers have redefined what love is. In a desperate attempt to not be seen as any of the “hate” words listed above, I see long-standing, biblical beliefs and moral principles being accommodated and compromised, in the name of “love”. The thinking for many is that if others hate you, then you must not be “loving.”

Nothing could be further from the truth. Loving people has nothing to do with getting them to like you. This passage is a proof text for that. Jesus was and is the most loving person who ever lived and yet He was hated so much that He was crucified by His haters. His love for them was not enough to get them to “like” Him.

In this passage, Jesus implores His followers to recognize this same principle. Some people are so hard-hearted toward God that anyone who represents Him or reflects His moral guidance is a target for personal wrath and ire. We cannot avoid this. We simply must endure it.

Fortunately, Jesus sends us the Counselor, the Spirit of TRUTH, who gives us the courage to tell others about Jesus and empowers us with the strength to endure the hatred that may be directed toward us.

Reflection

As Christians, we are commanded to love others. What do you think that looks like? How do you love people who hate you and what you stand for?

When Jesus says that the world will hate His followers, what do you think that means?

How do you think Christians should respond to hate they experience from the world? 

Do you think it’s possible for Christians to be liked by the world? Why or why not? 

Jesus says that we are to tell others about Him. What exactly about Jesus do you think we are to communicate? What do you think are the best ways to communicate about Jesus to others?

 

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It’s Good Friday….what’s so good about it?

Christians around the world are celebrating Good Friday. But what’s so good about Good Friday?

I’ve written about this before, and you can read about it in my post “What Makes Good Friday “Good”?”

The truth is that while Easter Sunday is one of the most celebrated holidays in the Christian faith, what happened on Good Friday cannot be overstated. Understanding the significance of what Christ accomplished via His death on the cross might be the most important theological concept for Christians to understand.

Essentially, Jesus’s death pays for our sins (see my post mentioned above), the veil in the temple is torn (see my post “The Significance of the Torn Veil”) and access to God is finally granted (see my post “Access Granted!”)

Good Friday is a solemn day to reflect on the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf. It’s important to recognize the brutal suffering Jesus endured as He was beaten, tortured and ultimately crucified, all on our behalf. What Jesus endured was on our behalf. It should be me on that cross, not Jesus.

Scripture is clear that the effects of Jesus’ death were immediate. Hence, we don’t have to wait until Sunday to celebrate what Jesus secured for all believers on Friday – namely, that sin has been fully atoned, we are completely forgiven and we have free, unobstructed and direct access to God Himself!

Reflection

Why do you think Good Friday is referred to as “Good Friday”?

What do you think Jesus accomplished via His death on the cross?

How do you typically observe Good Friday? What traditions do you practice that you’ve found to be helpful for reflecting on the importance of this day?

If you read the 3 different articles linked in this post, what did you find most helpful or challenging to your understanding?

 

Photo by Wim van ‘t Einde on Unsplash

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The Trilemma of Jesus

Matthew 26

57Then the people who had arrested Jesus led him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of religious law and other leaders had gathered. 58Meanwhile, Peter was following far behind and eventually came to the courtyard of the high priest’s house. He went in, sat with the guards, and waited to see what was going to happen to Jesus.

59Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death. 60But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, there was no testimony they could use. Finally, two men were found 61who declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”

62Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” 63But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I demand in the name of the living God that you tell us whether you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”

64Jesus replied, “Yes, it is as you say. And in the future you will see me, the Son of Man, sitting at God’s right hand in the place of power and coming back on the clouds of heaven.”

65Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror, shouting, “Blasphemy! Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy. 66What is your verdict?”

“Guilty!” they shouted. “He must die!”

67Then they spit in Jesus’ face and hit him with their fists. And some slapped him, 68saying, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you that time?” (Matthew 26:57-68, NLT)

The Daily DAVEotional

Perhaps the greatest question you can ask and answer is the question, “Who is Jesus?”

Jesus asked this question of His disciples in an encounter that is recorded in Matthew 16:13-20 and also in Mark 8:27-30. I previously wrote about that encounter in a blog post entitled “The Most Important Question to Ask Yourself”.

One of the hallmark doctrines of Christianity is the divinity of Jesus. Christians believe that Jesus is God.

Those who deny the divinity of Jesus, such as Muslims, Jehovah’s Witnesses and others, often will say that divinity was something Jesus’ followers attributed to Him but that He Himself did not claim. To them, Jesus was simply a prophet, a good teacher or something else, but He certainly was not God.

The problem is that there are a number of passages where Jesus clearly identifies Himself as God. One such passage is John 10:30, where Jesus claimed to be “one with the Father”. Jehovah’s Witnesses have an explanation for that passage that I don’t think fits the facts. I wrote about that passage in a blog post “Evidence that Jesus is God”.

The account here in Matthew 26 of Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin is another passage that gives strong evidence that Jesus claimed deity for Himself.

How exactly does this passage demonstrate that Jesus claimed divinity for Himself?

In this section, Matthew records the trial of Jesus. After His betrayal and arrest, Jesus appears before the Sanhedrin, which is the Jewish religious authority.

A cursory reading of the gospels makes it clear that the religious rulers were out to get Jesus. They sent experts to try to entrap him, looking for any possible offense that they could use against him.

It’s interesting to see Jesus’ response to the high priest, who demanded that Jesus respond to his question about whether Jesus thought of Himself as the Messiah, the Son of God.

As soon as the high priest makes this demand, Jesus responds in the affirmative. “Yes, it is as you say.”

But Jesus doesn’t stop there. He continues,

And in the future you will see me, the Son of Man, sitting at God’s right hand in the place of power and coming back on the clouds of heaven.

It turns out that Jesus is referencing Daniel 7:13, in which the Messiah receives authority from the Ancient of Days to reign as the supreme king over all the earth.

The high priest had all the evidence he needed. He, along with the other religious leaders were very familiar with the passage Jesus was referencing. Here was Jesus, clearly associating himself as God. The high priest and the ruling religious leaders did not accept that Jesus was divine so they charged Him with blasphemy and sentenced Him to death.

The question that we have to wrestle with is the same one that C.S. Lewis postulated, and that is, who do you think Jesus is?

Regarding Jesus and his identity, Lewis formulated what has come to be known as the trilemma – Lord, Liar or Lunatic.

The basic premise is that when confronted with the person of Jesus, we have only these three possibilities. Either Jesus was a liar,  He was a crazy person (a lunatic) or He is Lord.

“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. — C.S. LEWIS, “Mere Christianity”

There can be no doubt that Jesus made claims of deity for himself. This passage is one of the clearest examples and it is the reason why the religious leaders crucified Him. If he was not making direct claims of deity, there would have been no reason to sentence Him.

Since it’s indisputable that Jesus made claims of deity for Himself, we must each decide how to interpret those claims. Was Jesus lying? If you believe He was lying then you cannot call Him a good teacher. Lewis states that it would be more appropriate to call Him the devil, for He convinced people to follow Him, entrusting their eternal destiny to Him and his teachings. That would be the most devious thing one could imagine….to convince others to follow you because you had the power to save them when in reality, you knew that to be false.

The second option is that Jesus was crazy. Lewis says that this level of craziness would be similar to a person who believed himself to be a poached egg.

Does Jesus see Himself as a poached egg? Does He exhibit any of the signs we normally associate with mental instability or cognitive impairment?

Hardly.

Actually, Jesus comes across as the most rational, logical and mentally coherent person who ever lived.

The only other possibility, then, is that Jesus is Lord.

How about you? Who do you think Jesus is?

Reflection

What has been. your understanding of the nature of Jesus before reading this passage and devotional post? How have you characterized the nature of Jesus to others in the past?

How would you respond to someone who did not believe that Jesus was divine? What arguments and passages would you use to demonstrate His divinity?

Explain the argument that if Jesus was lying about His divinity, then He cannot be a “good teacher.”

If Jesus is not God, what reasons would a person have for following Him and trusting Him as Savior?

What other passages, besides this one and the John 10:30 passage mentioned, give evidence that Jesus claimed to be God in human flesh?

 

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Better Than…

Hebrews 1

1Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. 2But now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he made the universe and everything in it. 3The Son reflects God’s own glory, and everything about him represents God exactly. He sustains the universe by the mighty power of his command. After he died to cleanse us from the stain of sin, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God of heaven. (Hebrews 1:1-3, NLT)

The Daily DAVEotional

Imagine for a moment that you grew up in a different culture with a non-Christian religious background. You move to America and some friends invite you to church. You gladly go, make new friends and begin to learn about this Jesus fellow.

Over time, you’re exposed to many Christians who all seem nice. The message of Christianity seems nice as well. In fact, it seems very similar to your non-Christian religious upbringing, except some of the major religious figures are different.

One day, you decide to become a Christian. After all, many of your friends are Christians and you are living in America. It seems like the right thing to do.

But everyone in your family is still committed to the religion of your upbringing and your conversion is not taken well, as it’s asserted that forsaking your religious roots is akin to turning your back on your culture. Over time, you relent and once again embrace the religion of your upbringing.

In a way, this is the context for the letter to the Hebrews. The letter is written to a group of Jews who had become Christians but were beginning to abandon their newfound faith in order to revert back to their Jewish religious cultural roots and customs.

The author, whoever they may be (we don’t know for sure), uses the letter to advance the argument that the New Covenant of Jesus is far superior to the Old Covenant, on which the Jewish religion is based. Hence, reverting back to the Old Covenant religious system is senseless.

These first three verses serve as a sort of introduction and thesis to the letter and are packed with a number of theological truths that demonstrate, by themselves, proof of the author’s assertion – the superiority of the New Covenant over the Old Covenant.

How does the author demonstrate this?

The author starts by stating that in the past, God has spoken to His people through prophets. Now if you are a Jew following the Jewish religious customs, there is no greater authority than the prophets, Moses being chief among them. Moses, after all, was the primary mediator between the Israelites and God and he delivered the Old Testament Law to the people.

The author then says that God, in these final days, has spoken through His Son. So instead of sending human messengers (prophets) to be His mediator, God has upped His game and has now sent His Son. A son is always better than a servant.

What follows is a short list of key theological facts that demonstrate the superiority of Jesus as a mediator over the prophets, including the following:

    • God has promised everything to the Son as an inheritance. Hence, the Son is the owner of EVERYTHING.
    • The universe and everything in it was made by the Son. Hence, the Son is the creator.
    • The Son reflects the glory of God and is the exact representation of God. Hence, the Son is deity.
    • The Son sustains the universe by His power and command. Hence, the Son is almighty.
    • The Son died to cleanse us from sin. Hence, the Son is redeemer.
    • The Son sat down at the right hand of the Father. Hence, the Son is ruler.

What follows in the book of Hebrews is a number of detailed arguments that serve to reinforce the author’s original thesis – that Jesus is a better mediator and therefore, the New Covenant is superior to the Old Covenant. If this is true, then you would be foolish to return to your Old Testament Jewish religious customs.

 

Reflection

What was your religious background growing up?

If you grew up in a different religious environment, what were the factors that caused you to convert to Christianity?

Do you find it difficult to maintain your Christian beliefs? What are some of the factors or forces that might be seeking to draw you away from Christianity and back to the religious roots of your upbringing?

What are some other reasons you can think of that might prompt someone to “give up” on being a Christian and revert to their old religious ways or philosophical worldview?

Of the reasons stated by the author in just these 3 verses regarding the superiority of the Son, which do you find most compelling and convincing?

 

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Perfect Vision But Totally Blind

John 9

1As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 2“Teacher,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it a result of his own sins or those of his parents?”

3“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “He was born blind so the power of God could be seen in him. 4All of us must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent me, because there is little time left before the night falls and all work comes to an end. 5But while I am still here in the world, I am the light of the world.”

6Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and smoothed the mud over the blind man’s eyes. 7He told him, “Go and wash in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came back seeing!

8His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Is this the same man—that beggar?” 9Some said he was, and others said, “No, but he surely looks like him!”

And the beggar kept saying, “I am the same man!”

10They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?”

11He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and smoothed it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash off the mud.’ I went and washed, and now I can see!”

12“Where is he now?” they asked.

“I don’t know,” he replied.

13Then they took the man to the Pharisees. 14Now as it happened, Jesus had healed the man on a Sabbath. 15The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, “He smoothed the mud over my eyes, and when it was washed away, I could see!”

16Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.” Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” So there was a deep division of opinion among them.

17Then the Pharisees once again questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, “This man who opened your eyes—who do you say he is?”

The man replied, “I think he must be a prophet.”

18The Jewish leaders wouldn’t believe he had been blind, so they called in his parents. 19They asked them, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he see?”

20His parents replied, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind, 21but we don’t know how he can see or who healed him. He is old enough to speak for himself. Ask him.” 22They said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. 23That’s why they said, “He is old enough to speak for himself. Ask him.”

24So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “Give glory to God by telling the truth, because we know Jesus is a sinner.”

25“I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”

26“But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he heal you?”

27“Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”

28Then they cursed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29We know God spoke to Moses, but as for this man, we don’t know anything about him.”

30“Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know anything about him! 31Well, God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. 32Never since the world began has anyone been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. 33If this man were not from God, he couldn’t do it.”

34“You were born in sin!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue.

35When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

36The man answered, “Who is he, sir, because I would like to.”

37“You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!”

38“Yes, Lord,” the man said, “I believe!” And he worshiped Jesus.

39Then Jesus told him, “I have come to judge the world. I have come to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.”

40The Pharisees who were standing there heard him and asked, “Are you saying we are blind?”

41“If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see. (John 9:1-41, NLT)

The Daily DAVEotional

Recently, while driving around town, I was listening to Mason & Ireland, a popular sports talk radio show in Los Angeles.  John Ireland, one of the hosts of the show who also is the radio play-by-play announcer for the Lakers, floated a story that’s going around that says that Stevie Wonder, the grammy award winning musician who has been blind since birth, can actually see. As evidence, he shared incidences from a number of high profile celebrities who all have their own story to reinforce the idea, including this story Shaq told on Inside the NBA:

Now I’m not sure whether Stevie Wonder is blind or not – I just know he makes great music. But in this chapter of John, Jesus encounters a man who, like Stevie Wonder, was blind since birth. What happens next is a case study in three different attitudes and responses to the person of Jesus.

The Pharisees

Jesus heals the man and the Pharisees are incensed because Jesus healed him on the Sabbath.

The Pharisees question the man about the fact that he can now see. Actually, interrogation is probably more accurate.

It’s obvious from the story that the Pharisees have a preconceived idea concerning Jesus that they’re absolutely committed to maintaining. No evidence is going to change their view. Even after questioning the man and hearing from a host of witnesses that the man was blind but has been healed by Jesus, verse 18 says that they wouldn’t believe that the man had been blind, so they brought in the man’s parents.

After the man’s parents confirm that their son was blind and can now see, the Pharisees go back and question the man a second time. They are so committed to their negative view of Jesus that they urge the man to change his story because they “know Jesus is a sinner.”

The Pharisees were unable to discredit the miracle itself so they resorted to a character attack on the person of Jesus. This is a classic form of misdirection that people often resort to when arguing a point. If they cannot dispute the facts of the situation (which would damage their committed belief and position), then they switch to an ad hominem attack, which is an attack on the character of the person.

Unfortunately, their argument doesn’t go over the way they expected as they get some pushback from the man who was formerly blind. When he challenges their assertion that Jesus must be a sinner, the Pharisees resort to name-calling (“you were born in sin. Are you trying to teach us?”). When that doesn’t work, they power-up by using their authority to expel the man from the synagogue.

Jesus issues a stinging rebuke to the Pharisees by saying that they are blind. The problem with the Pharisees is that they saw themselves as people who have 20/20 spiritual vision when in reality, they were spiritually blind. Their exchange with the now healed blind man showed the great lengths they would go to in order to defend their preconceived position that Jesus was NOT the Messiah. Jesus said that they remain guilty because they claimed they had spiritual insight when in reality they were blind.

The response of the Pharisees mirrors many modern day skeptics who, regardless of what evidence is presented to them about Jesus and no matter how much their arguments are shown to be fallacious and illogical, remain committed to their view that Jesus is not the Messiah.

The Parents

Often overlooked in this story are the parents. The parents knew their son was blind and they also knew that their son had been healed. They knew that Jesus was the one who had healed him. But their position on the person of Jesus, when questioned by the Pharisees, was one of deflection and indifference. Essentially, they tell the Pharisees that they don’t know who healed their son and they tell the Pharisees to talk to their son directly.

The issue with the parents was one of fear and comfort. They didn’t want to get involved in the discussion because they were afraid of being expelled from the Synagogue.

I think the parents response mirrors the typical person in our society who may know and understand the truth about Jesus but chooses inaction in order to maintain their current lifestyle choices and preferences.

The Blind Man

The third response is that of the blind man, who is an example of an honest progression that can happen for those who are open and seeking the truth.

Notice that when Jesus encounters the blind man, he puts some mud/spittle mixture on his eyes and tells him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. The man does what he is asked without questioning. There is a willingness to obey.

Later, after he has been healed, the blind man is asked about the identity of his healer. He doesn’t really know. He’s never actually seen Jesus, but he suspects that Jesus must be a prophet (verse 17).

When the Pharisees try to get him to change his story and try to gaslight him on the reality of what he had just experienced, the man sticks to the facts and doesn’t back down. These facts lead him to the conclusion that Jesus must be from God or else he wouldn’t have been able to do what he did – he wouldn’t have been able to heal him.

Even when threatened with expulsion from the synagogue, the blind man remains steadfast in his assertion: “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see.”

Jesus hears what happened and finds the man and asks the man if he wants to believe in the Son of Man. The man responds “Yes” and the text says “he worshiped Jesus.”

The blind man went from not knowing Jesus to having an encounter where Jesus opened his eyes physically, leading the man to gain a greater understanding and awareness of who Jesus was. He must be a prophet. He must be sent from God. He is God.

The Pharisees had perfect physical vision but remained totally blind spiritually.

The blind man was totally blind physically but had enough spiritual vision to be able to see Jesus for who he really is – God.

The parents could see physically but ignored the spiritual cues that would have led them to experience Jesus in the way their son had.

The truth is that we are all blind spiritually. Jesus said that he came to give sight to the blind. He’s not just talking about healing people who are blind physically. He’s saying that we are all blind to spiritual realities. Jesus came to open our eyes spiritually so that we would be able to see and experience life as it really is.

The condition of our heart will determine the response we give. If we are hard-hearted, we will respond like the Pharisees, maintaining our blindness in an effort to preserve our power.

If we’re like the parents, we may recognize the spiritual truth that Jesus is God, but we may suppress it in order to maintain the lifestyle we’re currently living.

If we’re like the blind man, our spiritual openness will lead us to worship Jesus for who He is – God!

Reflection

Which of the 3 responses to Jesus are you more inclined to have?

What steps can a person take to be more open spiritually than blind? In other words, how can we avoid being like the Pharisees while having hearts that are more like the blind man?

What are some examples in your own life where you’ve been inclined to ignore truth or compromise what you know to be true because you didn’t want to live with the implications – you didn’t want to have to change?

Why do you think people resort to gaslighting and ad hominem attacks when discussing theological and philosophical viewpoints? What do you think you can do if you encounter someone who uses these tactics?

 

Photo by Antonio Cruz/ABr, CC BY 3.0 BR <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/br/deed.en&gt;, via Wikimedia Commons

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Who is Jesus?

I have to admit that this past Christmas season was interesting. With all of the travel we had scheduled and with our house being in such disarray due to repairs from our slab leak damage, it was difficult to get in the Christmas spirit.

Normal Christmas reminders were absent as we weren’t able to put up any decorations until just a few days before Christmas.

When life is crazy and chaotic, as it has been for us, it’s easy to lose sight of Jesus.

A few days ago, the Cru Facebook page that I help to monitor received a message from a user in Africa named Mathias.

The message was a simple question: Who is Jesus?

The question “who is Jesus?” is perhaps the most important question that anyone can answer.

Jesus himself asked this question of his followers. In the book of Mark, Jesus recruits 12 men to follow him. Through his teaching, ministry, and many miracles Jesus slowly reveals his identity to his disciples. At the midpoint of the book, Jesus asks his disciples, “who do people say that I am?”

The disciples respond with the popular views of the culture at that time: some say you’re John the Baptist or Elijah; others say you’re a prophet.

Our society has a lot of answers to the question, “who is Jesus?”

Some people believe that Jesus was a great moral teacher – an example for us to follow. Others believe he was a prophet. A few people believe Jesus was a political revolutionary.

Jesus follows with a more pointed question, “who do YOU say that I am?”

Peter answers with the only valid response that hits the mark: Jesus is the Messiah; he is God!

In our fast-paced, materialistic culture, we can sometimes forget who Jesus really is and what he offers. For those of us who have known Jesus for a long-time, the Christmas season can seem rote or routine.

But I’m reminded that there are millions of people who don’t know Jesus, and the idea that God is real and personal is incredibly new and exciting.

People like John, also from Africa, message us every day, wanting to know who God is and how they can know Him.

Though this is a very minimal part of our job, it’s a privilege to be able to tell people all over the world who Jesus is and how they can know Him.

It really is amazing that the God of the universe stepped into humanity in the person of Jesus. He alone offers hope and peace to a world that is desperate and hopeless!

For more information on the Biblical evidence for Jesus’ deity, see my short article “Is Jesus God?”

Some related blog posts you might find helpful:

Does Your Understanding of the Nature of Jesus Really Matter?

Is Your View of Jesus Really that Important? (Part 2)

Further Proof That Jesus is God

 

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A Modern Day Version of an Ancient Heresy

John 1

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.

3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-14, NIV)

The Daily DAVEotional

A few years ago I received a knock on my front door early on a Saturday morning. There, on my porch to greet me were two friendly gentlemen from the local Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses who wanted to talk to me about my religious views and how I could experience eternal life.

They gave me a small red book entitled, “You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth” and asked me to read it (see photo above). They promised to return the following week and get my thoughts on what I had read.

I was already familiar with the Jehovah’s Witnesses and their teachings but I had not read the book they were offering so I agreed to take the book, read it and reconvene the following week for a discussion.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses are an offshoot organization of Biblical Christianity that traces its roots to a pastor named Charles Taze Russell, who, in the late 1870’s began printing a monthly magazine known as “Zion’s Watchtower”. A few years later, Russell formed the Watchtower Tract Society, which is the publishing arm of what is now known as the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

On a number of levels, the Jehovah’s Witnesses beliefs and teachings don’t seem much different from any other Christian church one might attend. However, when it comes to the person of Jesus, there is a huge difference in what the Jehovah’s Witnesses believe compared to the traditional Christian view of Jesus.

I’ve written a number of times (here and here) on why our view and understanding of Jesus matters. The Jehovah’s Witnesses actually teach a view of Jesus that is known as Arianism, which takes its name from an Alexandrian priest from the 3rd century named Arius, who believed that Jesus was a created being, and thus did not possess a divine nature.

Arianism was condemned as heresy by the early church because it denied the divinity of Christ. The Jehovah’s Witnesses are the modern day torch-bearers of this ancient heresy known as Arianism.

What does any of this have to do with our passage today?

This first chapter of John is rich with imagery and insights into the true nature of Jesus.

Right away, in the first verse, John directly states several things very plainly:

    1. The Word existed in the beginning – implying that Jesus was in existence when nothing existed. This clearly alludes to his eternal nature.
    2. The Word was with God – implying that Jesus is distinct from the Father.
    3. The Word WAS God – implying that Jesus is essentially the same in nature as the Father.

These three ideas form the basis of two long-standing theological doctrines of the Christian church, namely, the divine nature of Jesus, as well as the triune nature of God, both of which the Jehovah’s Witnesses deny.

How do Jehovah’s Witnesses explain this verse (John 1:1)?

The answer is that they don’t. Instead, if you look at their own translation of the Bible (New World Translation), you will see John 1:1 stated this way:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god. (John 1:1, NWT)

The Jehovah’s Witnesses change the meaning of John 1:1 in order to fit their preconceived theological view that Jesus is a created being.

The truth is that a Jesus who is not divine is not able to save us. This is why it’s important to understand Jesus for who he really is.

In this passage, we learn quite a number of essential truths about the nature of Jesus.

In addition to the truths that Jesus is eternal and that Jesus is God (from verse 1), we learn from verse 3 that Jesus is the creator of everything:

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

In verse 4, we learn that Jesus is the source of life:

In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

In verse 12, we learn that those who receive Jesus and believe in His name are granted the rights to become His children:

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

And verse 14 tells us that this Jesus, who displays the glory of the One and Only (God) came to earth to dwell among us. This is what theologians refer to as the incarnation – God becoming man and living among us:

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

If there is any doubt as to the meaning of this verse, that Jesus is indeed God and became a man to dwell among humanity, think about this prophecy from Isaiah 7:14, which describes the future Messiah:

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

The word “Immanuel” literally means “God with us.” One of the names for the Messiah, according to the prophet Isaiah, would be “Immanuel” or “God with us.” That would be a pretty unfitting name if Jesus is not actually God as the Jehovah’s Witnesses assert.

Imagine – the God of the universe, the one who created EVERYTHING and has always existed, the one who is the source of life, this Jesus became a man and dwelt among us!

This concept was absolutely unthinkable to the average person living in the time of Jesus. And yet, the Old Testament prophets predicted it, and the apostle John not only witnessed it, but wrote about it so that we might come to believe in Jesus, receive Him and become His children!

NOTE: For those who might wonder how we know that the Jehovah’s Witnesses New World Translation of John 1:1 is incorrect, first know that no reputable Greek scholar has translated the Greek text the way the Jehovah’s Witnesses do. For an explanation of why their view is not correct, check out this thorough, yet detailed blog post that explains why the traditional biblical translation (“the Word was God”) is the correct translation.

Reflection

What has been your view and understanding of the nature of Jesus?

In what ways does this verse demonstrate to you that Jesus is indeed divine?

In your view, what is the significance about the fact that God came and dwelt among us? 

How would you respond to someone who asserted that Jesus was not God but was a created being? What Scriptures would you use to demonstrate that Jesus is indeed divine?

 

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Is it Always Wrong to Judge Others? (Part 2)

1 Corinthians 5

12It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your job to judge those inside the church who are sinning in these ways. 13God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.” (1 Corinthians 5:12-13, NLT)

One of the biggest criticisms against Christians in our culture today is that we’re “judgmental”. Gabe Lyons and David Kinnaman, in their book “UnChristian” outline several negative traits that non-believers perceive to be true of Christians and being judgmental is one of them.

As a result of this criticism, many Christians wrongly believe that we should NEVER judge others. Matthew 7:1, in which Jesus says: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” is often cited as proof that Christians should never judge others.

I wrote about this passage several months ago (you can read it here) and explained why that passage does not teach that Christians can never judge others, while explaining what Jesus was really teaching in that passage.

Now, in this passage of 1 Corinthians, Paul gives further clarity on the issue of judging.

The context of this passage is sexual immorality. Apparently, there was a person in the church who was involved in some pretty heinous sexual sins, and nobody was calling him out on it.

Does this sound familiar?

Often, we in the church don’t want to confront others regarding their immoral life choices because we don’t want to be seen as “judgmental”.

Paul offers a rebuke to the Christians in the Corinthian church precisely because they did NOT judge the person for their sinful actions.

Paul explicitly states that while it’s not our job as Christians to be the morality police to the world, for those who are in the church, those who claim to be followers of Jesus, we ARE to confront and rebuke them when their actions and life choices do not line up with God’s standards for righteous living.

We should note that the idea of “judging” someone is simply confronting them whenever they are in sin.

Unfortunately, the world’s view of “judging” usually involves any type of negative feedback that might be critical of a person’s choices. Paul says that we, as believers CAN and SHOULD be prepared to approach, confront, rebuke and even criticize those who are in the church if their actions are not righteous and honoring to God.

Of course, whenever we do this, we need to be careful how we do it and we need to ensure that our own lives are above reproach. Otherwise, we can easily be labeled as hypocrites, which is another one of the negative traits labeled against Christians that was identified in the book UnChristian by Kinnaman and Lyons.

If you read the passage in Matthew 7, you’ll see that this was exactly the point Jesus was making about judging others – it’s not wrong to judge but we don’t want to be hypocritical in the way that we judge others.

So is it always wrong to judge others?

Clearly, NO! But we need to be careful how we confront others so that we are not doing it in a way that may seem hypocritical. Additionally, we should not apply the same moral standards to those outside the church as we do to those who are followers of Jesus.

Reflection

What do you think is meant by the term “judging”?  How have you defined it?

What is your response to the view that many non-Christians view Christians as being judgmental? Do you think this charge is true or fair?

Paul says that “it certainly is your job to judge those inside the church who are sinning in these ways.” How does this statement align with your current thinking on the issue of judging? Does it surprise you to know that we as Christians SHOULD judge others (those inside the church)? Why or why not?

What do you think are some ways we can be better at judging others without reinforcing the negative stereotypes that Christians have on this issue?

 

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Is Christianity an Exclusive Religion?

1 Timothy 2

1I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God’s mercy upon them, and give thanks. 2Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity. 3This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4for he wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. 5For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus. 6He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message that God gave to the world at the proper time. 7And I have been chosen—this is the absolute truth—as a preacher and apostle to teach the Gentiles about faith and truth. (1 Timothy 2:1-7, NLT)

The Daily DAVEotional

One of the criticisms I often hear when talking to others about Christ is that Christianity claims to be exclusive. These claims of exclusivity are seen as a negative in our culture, which values freedom of thought, and in the name of tolerance, often validates any and all views, no matter how outlandish or illogical.

It’s absolutely true that Christianity claims to be true and  on certain doctrinal matters it is exclusive.

In this passage of 1 Timothy 2, Paul is urging his audience to pray for everyone, including kings and those in authority. I previously wrote about the need to pray for our political rivals here.

Paul gives the reason why we should pray for others, even those who are in authority over us and with whom we might disagree – God wants everyone to be saved and understand the truth.

Two questions naturally follow: what does it mean “to be saved” and “what is the truth that people need to understand?”

When the Bible talks about being saved, it’s referring to being rescued from punishment. The picture is that we are on a trajectory that will lead to disaster but because of God’s help, our crisis is averted.

One of the questions that every religion seeks to answer is “how can people be reconciled to God?” Or another way of putting it is, “what must a person do in order to be accepted by God and enter into His presence?”

To be reconciled means to be brought back into a favorable relational status. What must I do to please God, to earn His favor and gain His acceptance?

Nearly every religion answers this question by providing a list of actions one must complete or avoid in order to gain favor. These actions form the basis for evaluating a person’s devotion to God and the quality or “goodness” of a person’s life, which in turn is used to determine their worthiness for entering God’s presence in the afterlife.

But here lies the problem. Nobody can follow all the rules that any religion might establish. These “rules” create a legal system for following God which people inevitably violate. One doesn’t have to read very far into the Old Testament to see that the Israelites were constantly abandoning God’s laws and rebelling against His statutes.

So what is the “truth” that God wants everyone to understand?

The truth is outlined in verses 5 and 6, which state:

For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message that God gave to the world at the proper time.

The truth is that the ONLY way to be reconciled to God is through Christ Jesus. His death on the cross purchased freedom for everyone.

So reconciliation to God does NOT occur by keeping a list of religious requirements. Instead, it comes by placing one’s faith in Jesus to make the payment for us.

Is it exclusive? YES and NO!

It’s exclusive in that Jesus is the ONLY one who has made a payment for sin. No other religious system even offers a solution to how imperfect people can make themselves righteous enough to enter into the presence of an infinitely holy God. Every other religious system keeps people trapped in the religious hamster wheel of endlessly attempting to make oneself “worthy” before God, only to experience moral failure through everyday sins.

Fortunately for us, Jesus rescues us from this religious trap and provides a way for us to actually be reconciled.

But it’s NOT exclusive in the sense that the freedom Jesus offers is available to EVERYONE, not just some select group. ANYONE can access God by coming to Jesus!

This is the truth that God wants EVERYONE to understand, which is why Paul urges us to pray for all people to ultimately understand this truth so that they might experience God’s mercy.

Reflection

What is your view on how a person is “saved”? In other words, in your view, what does a person need to do in order to make it to heaven and live with God for eternity?

What is the basis for your answer in the previous question? In other words, what is the source of the views that you hold? 

People often say that Christians are too exclusive in their views. Do you agree that Christianity is exclusive? If so, why is this seen as a negative to people? Does being exclusive mean that it is automatically wrong? Why or why not?

The essence of Christianity’s exclusive claims is found in verse 6, which says, “He [Jesus] gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.” How would you explain this concept to someone else? What does it mean that Jesus gave his life? What does it mean that he purchased freedom?

 

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Is God Unfair in How He Treats People?

Matthew 20

1“For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the owner of an estate who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work.

3“At nine o’clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing. 4So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day. 5At noon and again around three o’clock he did the same thing. 6At five o’clock that evening he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’

7“They replied, ‘Because no one hired us.’

“The owner of the estate told them, ‘Then go on out and join the others in my vineyard.’

8“That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first. 9When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage. 10When those hired earlier came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day’s wage. 11When they received their pay, they protested, 12‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’

13“He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? 14Take it and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. 15Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be angry because I am kind?’

16“And so it is, that many who are first now will be last then; and those who are last now will be first then.”
(Matthew 20: 1-16, NLT)

The Daily DAVEotional

Have you ever been treated unfairly or unjustly? As a kid, when things didn’t work in my favor, I would usually cry out, “that’s not fair!”

But what is fairness? What is just and what is unjust?

In this passage from Matthew 20, Jesus shares a story that may cause you to rethink your view and understanding of fairness and justice.

In the scenario, a vineyard owner goes out early in the day and hires a number of day workers to work in his fields. He agrees to pay them the normal accepted wage for their labor.

At mid-morning the owner hires more workers, agreeing to pay them whatever is right at the end of the day. The owner hires more laborers at noon and again at 5:00, just one hour before the end of the day.

When the work day ends and it’s time to settle up with the workers, those who had worked only 1 hour receive their pay, which turns out to be a full day’s wages.

Naturally, those who worked the full day think they will receive more since they worked longer.

But when the time comes to pay those who worked all day, they receive the same amount that the owner paid those who worked only 1 hour. The workers who worked all day are incensed. How could the owner pay them the same amount even though they worked a whole day when the last group worked only for one hour? It doesn’t seem fair!

What do you think? Was the owner being unfair? Your answer may reveal how you view God and His system of fairness.

The problem is not that the owner is unfair. The problem is that our understanding of fairness is wrong. People tend to operate on a merit based system, or a meritocracy, where those who work harder and achieve more are rewarded more. As a result, we’re conditioned to believe that those who worked less somehow got more. BUT THEY DIDN’T. They got the same outcome and the same payment as those who had worked the full day.

God, who is represented by the vineyard owner, does NOT operate in a meritocracy. God operates in an environment of grace and generosity. He lavishes grace on whomever He chooses. While some might look at this story and conclude that God gave a higher hourly wage to some over others, which seems unfair, Jesus invites the reader and His audience to look at this scenario in a different way.

Instead of assuming God is treating some favorably over others, the point of the story is that God shows compassion and graciousness on some while not disaffecting others. In other words, those who came to work late were generously given the same portion as those who worked the whole day.

Here’s the key point: Those who worked the whole day were not negatively disaffected by the owner’s generosity. They were simply annoyed because of their own greed and envy.

If you think of the daily wage as representing salvation, then in this parable, anyone who responds to the invitation of the owner, no matter how early or late, receives the same outcome – eternal life! It’s not possible for some who respond early to receive a greater amount of eternal life than someone who responds late. The outcome is the same – anyone who responds to the owner (God) will receive the gift of eternal life (a full day’s wage), no matter when they respond.

So what do you think? Does this story demonstrate that God is unfair to some? NO. If anything, it shows how gracious and generous He is while also showing that those who THINK He’s unfair are often motivated by their own jealousy and envy.

Reflection

How have you interpreted and understood this passage in the past? How have you explained the fact that the owner pays a higher hourly wage to some than others? Isn’t that unfair? Isn’t that inequitable?

What do you say to those who claim that God is unfair or that He doesn’t treat people equitably? 

How do you personally reconcile the idea that some come to Christ and serve Him early in life while others may respond to His invitation late in life and yet the outcome is the same? How does this contradict or confirm your own understanding of fairness with God?

What practical ideas do you have for cultivating a deeper, more biblical understanding of God’s graciousness and fairness?

 

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