May 14, 2018
THE AUTHOR OF ALL CREATION WRITES IN THE DUST
When the religious leaders brought a woman accused of adultery before Jesus in order to entrap him, he stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. Finally, he answered, “Let the one without sin cast the first stone.” Then, he stooped down again to write in the dust once more.
Many have speculated as to what Jesus wrote. Did he merely draw doodles in the dust as many a bored student has done in the margin of their notebook? Did he begin to list the sins of each accuser, so that they lost heart and beginning with the oldest, dropped their stones and departed? Perhaps he was following the test for adultery as found in Numbers 5 and using the dust of the Temple to write the curse for adultery? Truth is, no one knows what he wrote.
Certainly, more words have been penned and books written about Jesus than any other subject. Yet, this is the only record of His writing: “Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust.”
Isn’t this what the Author of Life has done for you and I? He has “stooped down” to erase our sin and write righteousness in its place. We are the dust He has breathed life into and made us living souls, with our names writ large in the Book of Life.
May 13, 2018
THE RELIGIOUS ELITE REJECTED JESUS
When the Temple guards returned to the Jewish leaders empty-handed, they questioned why they didn’t bring Jesus in. But the guards replied that they had never heard anyone speak as Jesus did! At this, the rulers and Pharisees mocked the guards and asked the rhetorical question, “Do you see any of us believing in him?” Their point was that only the ignorant and the foolish would follow Jesus. Those schooled in proper religion, such as they, would not.
The apostle Paul explained how those who considered themselves wise, reject Christ, he wrote, “We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Cor. 1:23-24). Paul went on to write, “Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful” (1 Cor. 1:26-27).
We may be seen as weak and foolish in the eyes of the world’s elite, but we are blessed to know Christ, “the power and wisdom of God.”
May 12, 2018
FOR WHOM DO YOU SPEAK?
The crowds gathered in the Temple to hear Jesus were amazed at His teaching. They wondered how He had such knowledge and wisdom without training. He responded that His message came from God who sent Him. He did not speak for Himself. He did not seek His own glory, but to bring glory to God. His answer was also an accusation against the Jewish leaders who claimed to be teachers. Jesus accused them of seeking glory for themselves.
I want to be like Jesus. I want to always speak, so that Jesus gets the glory. How ugly is the human temptation to seek our own glory and to care for our own image. May we all grow in our commitment to speak in a way that glorifies Christ and not ourselves.
May 11, 2018
THE “666” OF JOHN’S GOSPEL
In John 6:66, the shocking statement that Jesus made concerning His body and blood as spiritual food, made many so-called disciples desert Him. Just as Moses had led a “mixed multitude” (Ex. 12:38) into the wilderness from Egypt, so a mixed multitude followed Jesus. On this day in the synagogue in Capernaum, Jesus separated those who only followed for the free bread, from those who followed because they truly believed.
In John’s Revelation, he wrote of another “666” (Rev. 13:16-18), the mark of the beast, which in the last days will cause many to turn away from God and turn to the Antichrist, in order to buy bread. Those who receive this mark will come under the “wrath of God” (Rev. 14:9-11), for they will have rejected the Bread of Life in order to eat the temporal bread of this world.
I suppose there are many “666” moments when those who follow Jesus must count the cost. In those moments, true believers will continue to follow Jesus no matter the cost. But false believers will turn away and desert Him.
May 10, 2018
ONLY ONE WORK, NOT WORKS.
Jesus told those who wanted to know what “works” they needed to do in order to please God, that only one “worK” was needed. What was that work? It is the work of faith. It is the “only work God wants,” that we might “believe” in His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
May 9, 2018
A LITTLE LAD’S LITTLE LUNCH FEEDS A LARGE CROWD
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was always bringing people to Jesus. Here, he brought a young boy to Jesus with his packed lunch. The boy’s lunch was barely enough for him. It was not only a small lunch, but a poor one. For barley was the bread of the poor. Yet, Jesus loves using the young, the small and the poor to accomplish much! Jesus took the five barley loaves and fed five thousand. Andrew had enough faith to bring the little lad and his little lunch to Jesus. The young boy had enough faith to give the whole of it to Jesus, not asking for even one loaf or one fish back for himself. And Jesus had more than enough power to multiply it to miraculously feed a multitude with twelve baskets leftover.
The young boy had enough for a meager lunch for himself, but giving it to Jesus, there was more than enough for everyone, himself included.
May 8, 2018
THE WRITTEN WORD POINTS TO THE LIVING WORD
Jesus acknowledged that the Jews were a people of the Book, yet He challenged them to see that it was He to which the Scriptures pointed. He was essentially saying, “If you claim to believe the Book, then you must believe in Me.”
This is still true. When we rightly preach the Scriptures, we must always preach Christ and “Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). Jesus is the point of our preaching. There is much helpful wisdom in the Scriptures, but eternal life is in the Son. Therefore, we proclaim Christ from the Scriptures! For it is by His Spirit that we understand the Scriptures (1 Cor. 2:14-16), and by His life that we are being transformed in our minds to keep them (Rom. 12:1-2).
Remember the disciples who walked with the risen Lord on the road to Emmaus? They didn’t recognize Him at first. Yet, as they walked, He explained from Moses to the prophets what the Scriptures said concerning Him. As they reflected on this encounter, they said to one another, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32).
The written Word points to the Living Word, then the Living Word points back again. Christ causes our hearts to “burn within us” as we encounter Him in the Scriptures.
May 7, 2018
ETERNAL JUDGMENT GIVEN TO CHRIST
Jesus did not come to judge, but to save. Judgment was not the purpose of Christ’s first advent. Yet, Jesus is coming again. At that time, He will exercise His “absolute authority to judge.” Those who made Jesus appear in their kangaroo court and conspired to crucify Him, will one day stand before His judgment seat. And those today, who continue to reject and dishonor Him, will give an account before His Great White Throne (Rev. 20:11).
Why not come to Jesus now? Come to Him in this time of grace and receive His pardon. For there is coming a day when He will exercise His absolute authority to judge.
May 6, 2018
FAITH IN THE PERSON NOT THE PERFORMANCE
A government official from Capernaum came to Jesus in Galilee desperately begging Him to come to heal his son. Jesus pointed out that it wasn’t the man’s faith in Him that moved the man to travel to Galilee, but his hope that Jesus could heal his son. Jesus wanted the man to put his faith in His person, not His performance. So, Jesus sent the man home with the promise that his son would live. The man believed Jesus and immediately went home where he found his son alive and well.
In John’s gospel, Christ’s miracles are called “signs.” For miracles attract, but signs point. Jesus always called people to see His miracles as signs that pointed to His deity, to His identity as the Christ and Savior of the world. Many came to Jesus that He might feed them bread, but only a few had the faith to see Christ Himself as the Bread of Life.
Do you believe in Jesus for who He is, or for what He can hopefully do for you? Do you seek His face before His hand?
May 5, 2018
GO AND TELL THEM TO COME AND SEE
The Samaritan woman that Jesus met at Jacob’s well was ready to share Jesus with others after only one encounter. Jesus had given her the clearest statement concerning His identity that He had given anyone, simply saying, “I AM the Messiah!” The woman ran back to her village, leaving her water jar behind, telling every neighbor and friend to “Come and see!”
In reading this account, I didn’t notice an evangelism class, nor any gospel tracts given out. Certainly, these are good things, but the Samaritan woman didn’t have them. She was just passionately excited about having met Jesus and couldn’t wait to tell others her testimony. She became Christ’s herald to her village, announcing His arrival and identity to everyone.
And what was the result of her simple approach? “Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus” because of the woman’s testimony (John 4:39).