Jesus; All Bright and Shiny

When you think of Jesus what, or rather, who do you picture?  Do you think of Jesus on the cross?  Jesus as a baby?  Jesus the teenager?  Jesus the man with a whip driving out the money changers?  I suppose it depend on our mood or time of year who we picture in our minds when we picture Jesus. As many of you know I have a rather large collection of “Jesus pictures” in my office.  These admitted made-up portrayals of Jesus are interesting to me because the way you picture Jesus tells me something about who you think he is.  The Bible doesn’t really give us a description of Jesus as far as hight and weight, but it does give us a glimpse of what he looks like in a few key passages.  Read the following verses and stop for a moment letting the description of Jesus impact the way you think about him and who he is.

Matthew 17:1-3

¹ After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. ² There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. ³ Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

Revelation 1:12-17

¹² I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, ¹³ and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man,^[d] dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. ¹⁴ The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. ¹⁵ His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. ¹⁶ In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Things to think about:

·         What are some similarities between these two descriptions?  What is different?
·         What do these descriptions tell us of Jesus?  Is this a different picture than what you normally picture?  Why?
·         In both stories the people that saw Jesus were afraid.  Should we be afraid of Jesus?  Why or why not?
·         Also notice that Jesus tells the people that are afraid to not be afraid…why?  Does he say the same thing to us today?

The weaker the better

Last night I had my first class session in Pauline Theology, which is a fancy way of saying that we are studying what the Apostle Paul believed and wrote.  Paul as an interesting man and I am really looking forward to learning more about him and what he wrote, inspired by God of course.  Today, I want to stop and think about Paul, the man.  Who was he?  Where did he come from?  He wrote 13 books out of 27 in the New Testament.  He brought the gospel to the Gentiles of the Roman Empire and he was used by God to do amazing things, but he was not proud, he did not want fame or fortune, he did not want the glory.  In fact he boasted in his weakness.   At the end of one of his letters to a church he founded he tells an interesting story about himself as an illustration for how we are supposed to act.  Let’s read it…

 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

¹ I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. ² I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. ³ And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— ⁴ and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. ⁵ On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses— ⁶ though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. ⁷ So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

 Things to think about:

·      Notice from verse 1 Paul says that there is nothing to be gained by boasting and promoting yourself.  Do you agree?  Why would he say that and then boast about himself?  What point is he trying to make?
·      Read the passage a couple times and you discover that Paul is most likely talking about himself as receiving this vision and seeing things that can not be shared…but was he excited about this gift?  Was he excited about sharing his awesome experience?  Was he trying to prove how holy and awesome he was?
·      God gave Paul a thorn in his flesh…what do you think that means?  Was it a temptation?  Was it a sin?  Was it literally a thorn that he could not get out?  What would keep Paul from becoming conceited, for that was the result of this thorn?
·      How many of us live by that phrase that Paul quotes from God in verse 9?  “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness?”  The more you need God the more room he has to work and the more glory he can get.  Don’t be afraid of weakness and relying on God.  It is difficult, but worth it in the end!

Busted and broken

Is it just me or does stuff seem to break faster than it used to?  It is almost as if the things we buy are designed to fall apart and stop working after a few years.  In fact, we recently had to buy a new refrigerator and that is exactly what the salesman told us.  Fridges nowadays are designed to last at most 10 years when 20 years ago they were designed to last 30!  Who can buy a new fridge every 10 years…Anyway listen to this section of 1 Peter where Peter talks about something that is “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading!”

1 Peter 1:3-9

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶ In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, ⁷ so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ⁸ Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, ⁹ obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

 Things to think about:

·         In verse 3 Peter uses the expression, “living hope” instead of just “hope”…what is the difference?
·         What is being described when Peter uses the words, “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading?”
·         Why and how can we rejoice in the midst of trials?
·         Read verses 8-9 again.  Do you think this describes your life?  Do you love him?  Do you have faith in him?  Do you believe in him?  Do you rejoice in him?

One Bite

One Bite

 As I was watching my son take a bite of chicken (which he hates) and make faces, pretend to gag, and eventually choke it down a thought went through my head.  ‘It is just one bite, what is the big deal?”  Then another thought, “It was just one bite that got us into this mess in the first place, why such a big deal?”  Have you ever told the story of Genesis and thought, “Why was God so upset about the fruit?”  Eternally condemned to death?  The world broken?  All of creation warped and the garden of Eden gone?  Relational strife and trouble and pain all around?  All for one bite?  I hope that fruit was worth it.  Well, I think we all know that it wasn’t even close to worth it, but it happened so now what?  Look at the following passages and think about that dreadful day when humanity took that One Bite.

 Genesis 3:16-19

¹⁶ To the woman he said,
“I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
with painful labor you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you.”
¹⁷ To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’
“Cursed is the ground because of you;
through painful toil you will eat food from it
all the days of your life.
¹⁸ It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.
¹⁹ By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return.”

Romans 5:12-21

¹² Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
¹³ To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. ¹⁴ Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.
¹⁵ But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! ¹⁶ Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. ¹⁷ For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
¹⁸ Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. ¹⁹ For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
²⁰ The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, ²¹ so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Things to think about:
¨    Why do you think God gave Adam and Eve these specific curses?  Why not just kill them on the spot?
¨    Are we still dealing with these curses?
¨    It was through one sin that led all people astray into death and it was through one death that provides salvation to all who believe.  Why?
¨    According to these verses what did the death of Jesus on the cross do for the world?

Wrong Number

Have you ever had somebody call you and start talking as if they knew you, but they actually had the wrong number and you had never met them before in your life?  Awkward, right?  Especially when they just jump into a conversation about something that you are supposed to already know most of the details and they never give you a chance to interrupt and say, “uh, I think you have the wrong number…”  My question for the day is, when God calls you do you treat it like a wrong number?  Are you totally confused about what He is saying?  Do you want to interrupt and say, “uh, I think you have the wrong person…”  In the book of Acts Paul and another evangelist named Silas were spreading the gospel all over Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) and when you read the text they were being led by the Holy Spirit every step of the way.  Then a “call” comes in from a place called Macedonia (northern Greece).  Let’s see what happens.

 Acts 16:6-15

⁶ And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. ⁷ And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. ⁸ So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. ⁹ And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ¹⁰ And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. ¹¹ So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, ¹² and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. ¹³ And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. ¹⁴ One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. ¹⁵ And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

Things to think about:

Ø      Why would the Holy Spirit “forbid” them to speak in Asia?  Do you think God has that specific of a plan for the spread of the gospel?  Was Asia someone else’s job?

Ø      Are there places and people that you and I are “forbidden” to share with?
Ø      Is it possible to get sidetracked doing “ministry” making yourself too busy to follow the call of God?
Ø      Remember that back in this day a trip like this would have taken a long time.  This was not just a short bus ride away, but probably weeks worth of traveling and when Paul and Silas arrive one woman and her household believe.  In your mind was that worth it?  Would you consider that a successful mission trip?
Ø      Where are you being called?  Are you open enough to the leading of the Holy Spirit to follow wherever He may go?