Learning from Jesus - Pt. 4

The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter). (John 1:35-42 ESV).

 

Just prior to our reading today from the Gospel of John we may read of the announcement from John the Baptist saying, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” That was quite an announcement! God’s people had been waiting for the promised Messiah for a long time—hundreds of years. Could this be the deliverer God had promised through his prophets so long ago? John heard a voice from heaven describing Jesus as “God’s Chosen One,” so he shared that news with everyone who could hear him that day. Then, the next day, two of John’s disciples who heard this message left to follow after Jesus. Would he be the one to fulfill their souls’ deepest longings?

 

As they began to follow him, Jesus turned around and asked, “What do you want?” They seemed a little tongue-tied but managed to ask where Jesus was staying. They were not so much concerned about location but about abiding with him, wherever he might go. He said, “Come and see.”

 

Could they be welcomed into his life, his journey, his story? Jesus’ invitation brought them into relationship, and what they were looking for was fulfilled enough for them to invite someone else, and then others, and so on.

 

He is asking us the same question… come and see? I hope you answer YES!

  

Learning from Jesus - Pt. 3

 

Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” (Luke 10:30-37 ESV).

 

Even though we live in the country, we have a few neighbors in our little subdivision. There are only about thirty families that live nearby and all of the houses are separated by at least an acre of land. You could say there is little opportunity for any “over-the-fence conversation! Over the years we have come to know several of the folks nearest us. They often wave as we cross paths going and coming. That, in itself, it not the extent of being neighborly. Several years ago as I was mowing the back part of our property my next door neighbor came walking down the fence with his chainsaw. I must admit I was a bit confused. I shut the tractor down and he said, “My wife saw you mowing and she sent me down to cut some of the limbs that are over the fence and too low to mow under.” I guess she felt I was a bit old to be bending under the low-hanging limbs very easily. I talked with him a bit and explained that they really didn’t bother me and I didn’t want to ruin the shape of the tree by pruning it. We both had a good laugh and talked for a while about college football. You can see from the picture that we have trimmed the limbs since. I guess I did get too old to bend over that much… LOL!

 

He is a great neighbor. We have on more than one occasion helped one another out on various things. Our reading today is known as the Parable of the Sood Samaritan and offers a picture of what Jesus was trying to show a religious leader who wanted to test him. It is about risk and relationship with people who are not identical to us. It is about seeing the one that Jesus has placed in front of us and becoming involved in their story. It is about addressing hurts and loneliness because that is what Jesus is asking us to do. It is about paying attention to the needs of people around us and not stepping aside or walking by, thinking that someone else can take care of them. It is about being a good neighbor. Are you a good “neighbor”?

 

Learning from Jesus - Pt. 2

 

And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. (Mark 8:27-30 ESV).

 

When we meet people and get to know them a bit, it’s not unusual to ask each other about work or hobbies or other interests. We look for information to learn about others and to see what we might have in common. It would be rare, though, to hear a question like this one that Jesus asked: “Who do you say I am?” And yet this is one of Jesus’ most important questions because it focuses on his identity and purpose.

 

While we can learn a great deal from the answers the disciples gave to Jesus, we must realize that this question must be answered by each of us as well. And it is not an easy question. It takes deep thought and reflection because our response will reveal how we go about our everyday life and in whom (or what) we believe and have faith.

 

Peter answered Jesus by saying, “You are the Messiah”—that is, the Christ, the Son of God, who came to save us from sin and death. And if we say the same, we declare that our faith and life are grounded in Jesus Christ. This affects how we pray, how we interact with others—how we live our whole lives. It also directs us to find peace and security in the Lord who loves us and has this world in his hands.

 

On the other hand, should we be less assured or tentative and merely think that maybe Jesus is the Messiah, that will affect our lives too. Our security and self-assuredness will be shaky. Our foundation will feel less secure. It requires thought, though that is not the only determining factor in our answer. Even with Peter, Jesus explains that it is only by the power of the Holy spirit he is able to answer with such a declaration. It requires faith.

 

As we begin these devotionals reflecting on Jesus’ questions, who do you say Jesus is?

 

Learning from Jesus - Pt. 1

 

Seeing the crowds, he [Jesus] went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:1-12 ESV).

 

My good friend, Truman Oakley, is a science teacher at Eustace High School in Texas. He has been using a wonderful technique involving the students in incredible hands-on experiences in what has been named “Bulldog Woods.” The High School is located near some acreage that is partially wooded. Being in a relatively rural setting, it is teaming with various wild animals. He has set up trail cameras to capture photos and videos of the various comings and goings of the critters. It also has a pond where he has taken the students on a regular “field trip” (it is only a ten-minute walk from the classroom). They found some tadpoles and brought them back to the classroom to place them in various aquariums to watch their metamorphoses. The lessons he teaches are incredibly powerful for these students. He is what I would qualify as a “master teacher.”

 

Today we begin a series looking at THE Master Teacher of all time. Jesus was renowned as a teacher. His closest followers called him Rabbi, which means teacher. His memorable stories caused people to apply their faith in new ways. Jesus’ sermon on the mount (found in Matthew 5-7) contains some of Christianity’s most powerful teachings. Jesus also asked really good questions. Jesus posed more than 300 recorded questions during his teaching ministry, and during this month’s series of devotions we will look at 31 of them. Jesus asked questions that were profound, curious, open-ended, and challenging. Jesus wanted us to think carefully about living for and serving God in this world. And he directly answered only a handful of his own questions. My hope is that these devotionals will spur us on to live faithfully for the Lord who came so that we can have a truly abundant life.

 

[By the way, should you desire to follow the adventures of the Bulldog Woods, you can follow Truman on Face Book. You won’t be disappointed with his insightful records of he and his students.]

 

Our Great Hope

 

When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. (Mark 16:1-8 ESV).

 

As we come to a close of our journey through the Gospel of Mark let me express my deepest appreciation to all of you who joined me in prayer for my family in Florida. They are fine. David, Becca, Maggie, Lucy, and Harris had very little damage at their house, though the tornado scare was harrowing for the kids. In the beginning of the forecasting of Milton’s path it seemed that it would be a direct strike over their location. As it reached landfall, it began to turn a bit north, and they were spared most of the destructive force of this massive storm. I know that is not the story for thousands of others, and I hope you will continue to pray with me for them.

 

This experience and today’s reading reminded me of the great fear of death, which seems like the last and greatest enemy. I’m not afraid of death personally, though my anxiety in the face of a threat to my family still challenges my hope. The good news is that in Jesus’ resurrection God has provided the solution to death and to the fear of death.

 

In our reading for today, what the women planned to do was not pretty, but it was an act of devotion to Jesus to see that he had a proper burial. Because he had been crucified just before sundown on Friday, there hadn’t been time to properly anoint and prepare his body for burial before their holy Sabbath day. So “when the Sabbath was over,” the women bought spices and went to anoint Jesus’ body, according to their custom. But things didn’t go as planned. Arriving at the tomb, the women were greeted by an angel, who told them something that transformed their lives and changed the world. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified,” said the angel. “He has risen! He is not here.” In an instant their entire understanding of life and death began to change. Jesus had gone from life to death to new life. His resurrection became death’s defeat, and in the light of that, Paul could write, “Death has been swallowed up in victory” (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:54). Christ is risen—for you! Do you believe that? That is the solution to our anxiety and fear!

 

Do You Believe?

 

When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. (Mark 16:1-8 ESV).

 

Recently I was reading some random reports (and, I have fact-checked this one … LOL) that reported a non-profit organization raising money for a “Jurassic Park” experiment. Some scientists have recovered DNA from both the Dodo and the Wooly Mammoth, and they believe they can de-extinct” them a release them into the wild. Well… regardless of whether that effort succeeds it will not be a resurrection from the dead. These animals, along with many others, have been extinct for millennia. They are dead and what is dead is dead.

 

Jesus really died. There is no doubt from the reaction of the disciples that they were convinced of the death of Jesus. With that their dreams, hopes, and future were dead as well. As they saw Jesus carried into the tomb, they experienced the death of everything they had thought about Jesus. Far from changing the world, Jesus seemed to be just another “messiah” who had come up short. The cold reality was that their dream of a new world was now lifeless. Jesus was dead. What they couldn’t grasp was the event of His resurrection, even though He had told them several times that would happen.

 

When our own stories and dreams have ended, that’s often when Jesus makes a powerful appearance in our lives. The women were certain that their only job was to prepare the corpse of their teacher for burial. Instead, they received an incredible invitation: Bring the good news to the disillusioned disciples who thought Jesus was gone forever. Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene with the news that he is alive. When life is swallowed up by death and extinction, Jesus uses the materials of our lives and produces resurrection. He can bring dead things back to life. Believe it!

 

The Burial of Jesus

 

And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid. (Mark 15:42-47 ESV).

 

The picture I’ve chosen to accompany today’s devotional is known as “the Garden Tomb.” Should you visit Jerusalem, you will undoubtedly visit this beautiful garden and see this tomb. Many believe it is the tomb in which Jesus was buried. I must admit there is some convincing evidence to indicate that it could be the place. The other tomb that carries the belief of many is located underground beneath the Church of the Ascension. There is also a great deal of evidence that points to this spot. Regardless, the great truth is that they are both empty!

 

Today’s reading describes Jesus’ burial are important because they are solid evidence that Jesus truly died. He was neither unconscious nor in a coma. Both the centurion and Pilate would want proof positive that he was dead. Our salvation rests on this. “Christ … suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death …” (1 Peter 3:18).

 

Joseph of Arimathea was a prominent member of the religious leaders’ council who had not consented to their decision to have Jesus crucified (cf. Luke 23:50-51). But the deed was done. Many would have thrown up their hands and said, “I did what I could,” and gone on with life. But Joseph resolved to do more. He “went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.” He sought permission to bury Jesus, and he buried him in the grave he had prepared for himself (cf. Matthew 27:60). Don’t lose sight of this truth. Jesus died, AND he rose again. This is the basis of our faith and hope!