Month: March 2021

John 7.1

‘After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him.’ ^{John 7.1}

When John refers to the ‘Jews” he is not making an anti-semitic statement, after all both Jesus and John were Jews. He was referring to the Jewish religious leadership. It was they who were plotting to have him killed. Jesus was ready for the final show down, there was still teaching to do, preparation of his disciples to undertake and signs to perform. Jesus was entirely obedient to his Father’s will. As he said to the Jewish leaders, ‘I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. I know him, for I come from him and he sent me.’ ^{John 7.28,29}

Jesus was living in a hostile environment created by the political and religious leaders of the day. The environment was so hostile it threatened and eventually took his life. Is it shocking to you that for vast numbers of disciples of Jesus 2000 years later it is still a hostile environment created by the political and religious leaders? Do we think that this is only something that takes place in distant countries and therefore we may occasionally pray but it isn’t something that is close to home. When Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ²⁵ For whoever would save his life^[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. ²⁶ For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?’ Was he establishing a general principle, possibly literally applicable then, but not meant in such stark terms in western Europe in the 21^st Century?

When the UK government officially took the stance that they were creating a hostile environment towards asylum seekers included in that policy were large numbers of Christians fleeing threats to their lives as Jesus fled the swords of Herod’s soldiers. In conversation with and accompanying asylum seekers to their solicitors I have listened to their traumatised accounts of life in their country of origin and their journey to a country they believed was compassionate. The process though from the asylum seekers perspective is usually lengthy, difficult to understand, frightening and when faced by the complexity of our legal system and highly paid barristers, instructed to find every legal reason to oppose their claim, it is difficult for it not to feel hostile. Sadly, for many regardless of the legally proven outcome, if claimants are sent to their country of origin they will face imprisonment for their faith, potentially torture or even death.

In conversation with an Iranian Christian he explained that Christians who met in underground churches were often ‘disappeared’. He had been reported to the secret police by a family member who found a bible in his car. He left the country just before his family home was raided in search of him. Another Iranian woman explained she fled the country after she witnessed from further down the street her church meeting being raided and all those there taken off to prison. Why should we care? Simply, they are our family. It is our brothers and sisters living in the hostile environment.

The issue of a hostile environment is not just an issue about migration. The UK church has often been guilty of creating a hostile environment for its own through abuse conducted under the protection of the church. This week a report is being published that shows that survivors of abuse within the church have been subject to a double dose of abuse. In addition to the original abuse, the way in which the leadership and structures of the church, from Bishop level onwards, including solicitors working on behalf of the church, have conducted their investigations has grossly added to survivors’ suffering.

Whistle blowers in the church institutions are no more welcome than they are in business and governmental departments. We have in our Lord Jesus a God, Saviour and High Priest who fully understands the path of suffering and the experience of living in a hostile environment.

Are we able to learn from Jesus’ own experience?

What have we to learn from those who suffer for their love of Jesus?

How can we protect the weak within our church?

Search Me, O God – Jeharna South

John 6.41-43, 61

Are you a grumbler? If not, I bet you know someone who is. Come on, what is it that gets you going? Is it other people’s failings? The absolute fact that life isn’t fair? That people in power cannot be trusted? Perhaps it is because you cannot stand it when someone claims to be what you are certain they are not.

Probably most of us have a grumble at some time or another. Why is it then that the bible takes grumbling so seriously? To understand we need to ask who is being grumbled about and who is doing the grumbling, why people are grumbling and what they are grumbling about. Biblically grumbling can be a dangerous thing to do. Paul summarized a number of incidents during the Exodus where the people of God complained, grumbled and rebelled against God in 1 Corinthians 10.1-9 as a warning to the church. The ancient Israelites’ complaints and lack of respect for God’s holiness and awesome authority, in addition to all that God had done for them, led to them setting their hearts on evil things. ^{1 Corinthians 10.6} Their grumbling led to idolatry, sexual immorality and various forms of rebellion that brought on them God’s judgement. Who then were doing the grumbling, it was the people of God. Who was being grumbled about it, it was God himself. Why were they grumbling, it was because they did not like the means by which God was providing for their freedom. In the case of the Exodus, it was the journey to freedom from 400 years of slavery and to the promise of a land of their own. They did not recognize their own culpability in prolonging their time in the wilderness through their own lack of faith.

Paul makes clear that the people of Israel were testing Christ when they opposed Moses as God’s prophet and agent in the wilderness. ‘We should not test Christ, as some of them did – and were destroyed by snakes. And do not grumble , as some of them did – and were killed by the destroying angel.’ ^{1 Corinthians 10.9-10}Paul adds the warning that the church through grumbling against God when times are difficult is liable to fall into the same sin as the Israelites in the wilderness.

When Jesus said to the crowd who were grumbling about what Jesus had just said, ‘Stop grumbling among yourselves,’ ^John6.43 he was also addressing the historical people of God. Despite the signs Jesus had given them as to his identity as the Son of God they could not accept his teaching. They were stuck in the knowledge of who his human mother and father were and could not see the spiritual truth. The crowd were not able to discern that Jesus was fulfilling God’s promise of direct, personal, divine teaching prophesied in Isaiah 54.13. ‘All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace your children.’  The demand that they believe in him and understand the sacrifice he was going to make was too difficult for them to accept and many left, missing out on God the Father’s promise. Jesus called on them to remember their own spiritual history and understand how God the Father’s provision of manna in the wilderness was in itself foretelling his coming. ^{John 6.55-58} Even Jesus’ immediate disciples found this a hard teaching and themselves joined in with the grumbling. ^{John 6.60-61} However despite their difficulty in understanding and temptation to leave with the majority of the crowd, the Spirit convicted them of the authenticity of Jesus. Peter answered for them when challenged by Jesus. ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.’ ^{John 6.68} We see in Peter’s reply the impact of what Jesus had said to them in their time of temptation to reject him, ‘The words I have spoken to you – they are full of the Spirit and life.’ ^{John 6.63}

Is there any aspect of our calling that we are prone to grumble about?

Do we recognize Jesus lordship over all of our lives?

Jesus is Lord

John 6.37-40

There is a long standing false debate in Christian circles where some say who is saved is by God’s choice alone and others say it is up to the individual to make their personal choice as to whether to believe in Christ. It is my view, both sides in this argument do not take into account the whole of scripture. Jesus’ discourse in John 6 is helpful in making clear various responsibilities or roles that the Trinity and individuals have in the salvation process.

D L Moody was an initially unlikely nineteenth century evangelist who started adult life working in his Uncle’s shoe store and was a very reluctant church attender. However, he did become a Christian and then became a remarkable evangelist and along with his famous gospel singing collaborator Ira D. Sankey, toured the U.S. and U.K. for many years, speaking to huge crowds. Among his many accomplishments he founded what is now known as the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. He used this illustration to show the differing perspectives of God and the seeker after God.

‘When you are saved, it’s as if you walk through a door with a sign over it saying, “Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” You walk through the door and when you look back, you see on the other side of the door the words, “Before the creation of the world I knew you.” (D. L. Moody)

Salvation is by God the Father’s will. Jesus said, ‘All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.’ ^John6.37 He also said, ‘For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.’ ^{John 6.40} So we see that the Father wills, draws and gives eternal life.

How does the Father draw people and give eternal life? He does this through the work of the Holy Spirit. ‘The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you – they are full of the Spirit and life.’ ^{John 6.63} The Holy Spirit uses the words of Jesus and the gospel to convict people of the truth of Christ. We see in the Acts of the Apostles how the Holy Spirit both inspires and convicts people revealing Christ and transforming lives. It is important to understand that when Jesus says, ‘the flesh counts for nothing’ it is not meant as the Gnostics interpreted it. The Gnostics considered the body and the material world were evil and only the spirit was good. John’s first letter was written in part to refute the early development of what became Gnosticism. Jesus had a physical resurrection body as will those raised to be with him on the last day.

The Son (Jesus) firstly is obedient to the Father and so achieves what is the Father’s will. ‘I come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.’ ^{John 6.38} His role is to save, keep and raise up those who believe in the Son. ^{John 6.39-40} Jesus achieves the reconciliation between God and people through his own death and resurrection. He expresses this through the metaphor of people eating his flesh and drinking his blood. There is no indication of this being transubstantiation, throughout the discourse he has been using the image of himself being the bread of life. Eating is believing, the blood is representing the sacrifices for sin in the Mosaic law. Without that belief there is no gift of life. ‘Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you”.’ ^{John 6.53}

Jesus words, ‘that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day’ ^{John 6.40} convey the notion that firstly it is the individual’s responsibility to recognize Jesus for who he is. However, it is more than an intellectual responsibility, belief also includes personal commitment and trust.

“Come to (him), and you will never thirst, never hunger, always be fully and eternally satisfied.” When this week will you most need to remember this?

The Old Rugged Cross

John 6.30-36

Giving they say is one of the love languages and it is true that gifts are usually associated with the most significant moments in our lives. I wonder what gift you treasure the most. For me it must be my wedding ring because of the love and commitment associated with it. In an important sense the ring represents the gift of life together. Other gifts actually bring life such as the gift of a transplant. Similarly, for those dying from famine the gift of food and water is also the gift of life. To the extent that some gifts prevent life threatening disease they also are a gift of life, I am thinking of such gifts as toilet twinning or water pumps and mosquito nets. When we join in with schemes, frequently at Christmas time, run by Charities such as TEARFUND or OXFAM to buy a gift card that will buy a water sanitary kit or even school books for a child, we are in a sense giving life.

The people of Israel were in need of such a gift in the wilderness. They were refugees from Egypt with no settled place of their own, unwanted by surrounding nations. To go back was to go back to slavery, punishment and for many death. They had no food. The people then constructed a false reality where they reimagined their slavery as the good life. ‘There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted,’ ^{Exodus 16.3} they said. ‘Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day”.’ ^{Exodus 16.4}

The crowd asked Jesus for a sign, ‘that you will give that we may see it and believe you.’ ^{John 6.30} The irony being that they had just witnessed the sign themselves and not recognized it. The crowd quoted Moses and the gift of manna. Jesus then corrected their thinking, ‘It is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread and gives life to the world.’ ^{John 6.32,33}

The crowd wanted a gift, they wanted food to sustain their life, but their thoughts were limited to a life that would end. The gift that Jesus wanted to give was eternal life and that is only received as a gift. He is that gift of life. The bread of life and the water of life are metaphors for eternal life. As he goes on in Chapter 6 to elaborate how he is the bread of life and the gift of eternal life he states again, ‘I tell you the one who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life.’ ^{John 6.47,48} 

To avoid any potential confusion, Jesus does not mean it is wrong to work for your living and provide for oneself, family and dependents, far from it. The bible is clear we have a responsibility to work and contribute. ^{2 Thessalonians 3.10-12} Here Jesus is urging the crowd to receive the greater gift of eternal life that is only received as a gift through faith. We are incapable of earning it.

Have we received the gift of eternal life through faith?

Do we take regular time to be thankful for the gift of eternal life?

How has the gift of eternal life, reoriented our priorities?

Jesus Christ / eternal life

^{John 6.24-29}

When Harry was 18 he left home to go to college and was suddenly faced with a whole set of questions most of which had little to do with study and much more to do with navigating life. Questions about friendship and intimate relationships, managing money and time, what to do socially. Then deeper questions came into view about what type of person should he be? How much should he swear? How much should he smoke or drink?  Was there a purpose to drive his life or will it just happen? When Harry left college he was then faced with career decisions, buying a house, wanting to find a life partner and then having made those first decisions there was the question, was that enough? Harry remained in good health and looked forward to retirement when he could do what he pleased. He looked back over the previous 40 years and along the way he had enjoyed his marriage, children and now grandchildren, was that enough? When Harry was alone, away from the all-consuming every day activity, he knew, that lovely as much of his life had been in the end there remained big gaps when the answer to his question as an 18 year old, was there a purpose to his life or will it just happen, had not been responded to and he was still avoiding it.

The crowd that followed Jesus from one side of the Sea of Galilee to the other and back again were the equivalent to 1^st century Harrys. There life was taken up with questions concerning the everyday. Jesus addressed their deeper need through the everyday. He knew that they had seen signs, especially the miraculous feeding of the crowd, about who he is and the purpose of life but failed to understand them. Life for them was generally hard and feeding the family was pretty much top priority. Jesus wanted so much more for them.

Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.’ ^{John 6.26,27}

Everything they had in life they had to work hard for and the crowd then took the Jesus statement to work for food that does not spoil as a set of things to do to earn eternal life. They lived in a culture where you only got what you worked for and their religion was largely a set of onerous rules to be obeyed. Jesus redefined for them what the work involved. ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent’ ^{John 6.29}

Can that really be true? It still goes against the grain doesn’t it? We still live in a culture where we strive for a purposeful life. Jesus is being very clear, the start of a truly purposeful life as defined by God is to believe in the one God sent, Jesus.

That was such a difficult lesson for the crowd and hard to accept. It remains so now. To accept it one needs to hear the love with which the words were said and realise that the one saying it was soon to give his life for the crowd he was speaking to.

Where are we looking to give purpose to our lives?

BREAD OF HEAVEN