Journaling Through John in July: Chapter 3:17-36

Are You Standing in the Light?

Read: John chapter 3:17-36, Revelation 19:11-16, and Psalm 139 (again)

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” This is the anthem of Christianity. We read it. We say it. We share it. But have we read beyond it? Verse 17 goes on to say that Jesus didn’t come to judge but to save, and we all feel good about that. Don’t we? In fact, there is this spirit of “you can’t judge me” in our culture. I saw a young man in a restaurant the other day with these words tattooed on the outer edge of his forearm so that people could easily read it: “You’re not my judge.” I wanted to walk up to him as his grandmother paid for their food and ask, “Do you know your judge and do you know the freedom He offers you?

John goes on to tell us that judgement is already in the world. The Light, which is Jesus, has come into the world, but those who love evil instead of the Light hide in the darkness for fear that they will be exposed. Deceit needs darkness to hide. It is the Light that exposes evil and brings truth. Jesus Christ came to earth and died on the cross so that we might live in His light. He who does not believe has been judged already because he is trying to hide his sin in the dark. The problem is that you can’t hide from God. Remember Psalm 139? The unbeliever isn’t hiding but simply refusing the offer of forgiveness, the offering of atonement that Jesus gave on the cross.

In John 3 we learn that Jesus came as our savior to give His life for our sins, the humble servant who loves all. But in the scene from Revelation, we see Jesus as the warrior king coming to strike down those who oppose God. And what is His weapon? God’s word! It comes out of His mouth. Just as God spoke creation into being with “Let there be light,” Jesus will slay God’s enemies, the ones who stay in the darkness, with His word. What is worse: confessing before Jesus, the humble servant, while He offers forgiveness, or trying to hide from the warrior King whose words will always hit their mark? Those are our two choices. The scene of John 3 switches from the cross to John the Baptist. People are questioning him because Jesus is also baptizing. John admits that a man can only do what God gives him and he has been given the job of friend of the bridegroom. The focus of the wedding is not the friend of the groom. No. The focus is the bride and the groom. Jesus is the groom. Therefore, it is time for him, John, to step back and let Jesus take the stage.

John goes on to say that Jesus is from heaven and that His testimony is from heaven. He says that Jesus is sent by God and speaks God’s words. John the Baptist ends with this thought: “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36).

Believing + Obeying = Faith

The placement of this message isn’t coincidental. Think back. What did Jesus tell Nicodemus? Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God . . . unless one is born of water and spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God . . . As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life . . . whoever believes in Him shall not perish . . . but he who practices the truth comes to the Light. Like a moth to a flame, we who believe Jesus will be drawn to Him and will receive not only eternal life but also the Spirit of God who will come to us, here and now, to guide us and comfort us and strengthen us. We will not be alone because He will be with us. We will be the bride standing next to the groom, and that is a good place to be.

Questions/Responses:

Where do you see the spirit of “you can’t judge me” in our world?

Where do you need to allow the Lord shine His Light in your life? What changes do you think you will need to make in order to walk in the Light?

What connection does John the Baptist draw between believing and obeying? How does that look in your own life?

Pray. Confess where you know you are not living in His Light and ask for help. He is faithful and will help you.

Journaling Through John in July: Chapter 3:1-16

Are you looking to Jesus?

Read: Numbers 21:1-9 first, then John chapter 3:1-16.

John chapter 3 contains probably the most quoted verse in the Bible, John 3:16. But there is context here that I hope brings deeper understanding and appreciation for those all too familiar words.

Nicodemus comes to Jesus in the cover of night, not openly. He has questions, but probably doesn’t want to be a victim of the cancel culture forming around Jesus by the Pharisees, who were Nicodemus’s own friends and co-workers. I believe the tone of Nicodemus’s words is curiosity, not condemnation. So there must have been something in Nicodemus that was drawing him to believe. Jesus knew this and uses the word “believe” seven times from verses 11-21.

Jesus tells Nicodemus there is more going on than just a physical thing. There is spiritual work being done. Yes, we are physically born, but we must experience a spiritual birth as well and it is not something you can physically see. The Pharisees were so focused on what was right in front of them. They wanted a pillar of cloud by day and a fire by night like the Israelites exiting Egypt. Jesus tells Nicodemus, “we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” (John 3:11-12). In other words, if you can’t believe what is right in front of you, you won’t believe what you can’t see.

Jesus points Nicodemus to a wilderness story found in Numbers 21:1-9. God is teaching the Israelites to rely on Him for all things, but they are continually complaining about their situation and “the miserable food.” God sends fiery serpents to their camp and many died. Moses intercedes for them and God instructs Moses to fashion a fiery serpent, place it on a standard, and hold it up for all to see. If those who are bit and doomed to die would simply look up to the fiery serpent on a standard, they would live. There was no physical reason for this to help. It was an act of faith. They believed God and then obeyed. That’s what healed them.

Jesus was trying to make Nicodemus understand a spiritual reality using the physical picture in Numbers. We have all been bitten by the fiery serpent of sin and are doomed to spiritual death. But God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son to take on our sin and be placed on a cross and held up for all to see. And like the Israelites in the desert bitten by the snake and looking up, anyone who looks on Jesus and believes will not perish but have eternal life.

I am sure Nicodemus had no idea at the time of his late night conversation with Jesus what he was really saying. He didn’t receive his full answer until Jesus was crucified. But can you imagine the understanding that washed over Nicodemus when he saw Jesus hanging there lifted up for all to see? I imagine him weeping at the foot of the cross thinking look what God has done!

Numbers was a physical foreshadowing of the spiritual redemption Jesus would offer on the cross thousands of years later. The fiery serpents of sin are still among us, but all we need to do is believe God’s word and look up . . . to Jesus.

Questions/Responses:

In what ways do the events of Numbers 21:1-9 foreshadow Jesus on the cross?

Nicodemus came to Jesus with questions. The answer Jesus gave did not make sense until later. What questions do you have for the Lord? How can you position yourself to receive the answer, even if he hasn’t answered you yet?

The Israelites had the pillar of fire and the cloud as a physical representation that God was with them. Jesus told Nicodemus that the Holy Spirit moves like the wind, meaning you can’t physically see his movements. How is the presence of the Holy Spirit made evident in your life? How does that help you believe?

Take some time to pray about your questions, about the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life and about your faith.

Journaling Through John in July: John Chapter 2

Does Jesus Believe In You?

Read: John chapter 2 and Psalm 139.

This chapter begins with the first miracle of Jesus. He turned water into wine at a wedding. It was a miracle of both elements and time. A creation miracle! Wine doesn’t come from water and lots of time is needed. The intent of this miracle was partly to prove that the Son of God has power over His Father’s creation. And here is the thing: it was a quiet, low-key miracle. Only the disciples and the back room servants knew what happened.

Afterwards, Jesus, his brothers, his disciples, and his mother all traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover holiday. There, Jesus makes a scene in the Temple by driving out the vendors selling sacrifices in the outer court. He used a whip and sent them all packing! Can you imagine? When questioned by the authorities, who had probably Okayed this business, they asked for a sign revealing his authority to do this. His answer showed again His authority not just over the Temple but over creation: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). John confesses that it wasn’t until later, after Jesus was crucified and came back to life, that they realized the Temple Jesus spoke of was His own body raised to life. Again, it was a miracle that defied the laws of nature and showed power over creation.

The last three verses of chapter 2 reveal something that can be easily overlooked in the presence of these grand miracles. John tells us that “during the feast many believed in [Jesus’s] name” because of the signs He performed. I wish I knew what they were, but John doesn’t tell us. He only gives us the behind the scenes glimpse – water turned to wine and the understanding of the true Temple destroyed and built in three days - things the crowds knew nothing about.

Verse 23 tells us that many believed in Jesus because of the miracles performed for the crowds. But verse 24-25 reveals, “But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men . . . for He Himself knew what was in a man.” The word “entrusting” is the same word translated as “believed” in the first part of the sentence. It is a play on words. The crowds believed in Jesus, but Jesus didn’t believe in them . . . because He knew their hearts. Believing Jesus requires more than head knowledge, more than the temporary thrill of the excited moment. It requires your heart. Like the seed planted in rocky soil that springs up and then wilts in the sun, Jesus knew their belief would not last. Psalm 139 tells of God’s omnipresence and omniscience. God knows our actions, our thoughts, our plans, our words . . . even before they are spoken. “Behold, O LORD, You know it all,” the Psalmist confesses.

Jesus may have done miraculous things for the crowds, but it was to those closest to Him, the ones that gave Him their hearts, that he made the deeper revelations. The same is true for us today. The big events may be thrilling and we may believe that Jesus does great things, but it is in the quiet moments behind the scenes when we give Him our hearts that He gives Himself back to us.

Questions/Responses:

How do the miracles in chapter 2 tie into creation? What do they reveal about Jesus?

In our culture today, we often see Jesus as passive because He loves us. This is not the Jesus of the Temple scene revealed in chapter 2. Why did Jesus react this way to those selling items in the outer court? What does this tell you about Jesus? If you belong to Him, how do you think he will react to impure things in your own life?

Psalm 139 is popular to read in parts. We seldom read it as a whole. Taking in the context of the entire Psalm, what new things do you learn about God in Psalm 139?

Jesus revealed much more to those closest to Him because He knew their hearts desired Him. He believed in them. Take some time to consider your walk with Jesus? Are there things hindering your daily walk with Him? If so, what steps do you need to take to make more time for His Word or clean up areas of your life that keep you from Him?

Confession brings cleansing. Now that you've considering these things, take some time to confess what may be hindering you from a closer relationship with Christ. Pray about the things you’ve learned today.

Journaling Through John in July: John Chapter 1

Who do you say I am?

Read: John chapter 1 and Genesis 1.

The Word. The light. The Word became flesh. The only begotten from the Father. The way of the LORD. The One whom you do not know . . . who is among you. The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit. The Son of God. Rabbi (teacher). Messiah (Christ). Him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets wrote. The King of Israel.

Look at all the things said about Jesus in just chapter one! Amazing! This is not a complete list, just a beginning. Later in the Gospels, the disciples are recounting all the things the people had said about Jesus, so He asks them, “But who do you say that I am?” (Luke 9:20, Matthew 16:13, Mark 8:27).

The answer to that question shapes our life. It is the foundation on which we build. If we believe Jesus was a good man and a good teacher, then we will listen to some of what He says, especially when life is difficult and answers are needed. Of course, we may dismiss other lessons from Jesus if they don’t align with our core beliefs or the direction we desire to go. We will pick and choose his teachings if we think he is simply a good teacher.

If we see Jesus as savior, we will ask for His forgiveness and be thankful for what salvation offers. But, if He is only our savior, then our lives will look a lot like the world with a little bit of thankfulness sprinkled on top. We can know Jesus is the Son of God, but if we’ve never read the scriptures and contemplated who God is, then our thoughts will be shallow and simple.

John introduces his book with many facets of the character of Jesus. There are many more. Like a single cut crystal that casts many little rainbows when the sun shines through, we can see each one of the characteristics of Jesus as the scriptures unfold. In fact, Psalm 119:130 tells us this: “The unfolding of your word gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” John calls Jesus “the Word” in chapter one. As we literally unfold the pages of scripture to watch how the revelation of Jesus unfolds, we will see more and more of who Jesus is. More than teacher. More than savior.

“But who do you say that I am?” That question is directed specifically to you. Are you willing to unfold the scriptures, stand in the Light, and answer it?

Questions/Responses:

How do verses 1-5 and verse 14 tie into creation? What does this reveal about Jesus?

Verse 18 tells us that Jesus, the begotten, has explained God, the Father. What have you learned about God the Father from chapter one?

Where do you see Jesus responding individually to people? What do his individual responses reveal about Jesus? Who do you say Jesus is? Where do you feel your understanding is lacking?

Take some time to pray about what you've learned and what you want to learn.

Not now, Lord

Pulling the carpet back, I knew we were in trouble. My parents installed that carpet before I was born - golden shag over beautiful oak floors. After my parents’ divorce, my dad never upgraded the house. At 92 and needing memory care, Dad left me with the task. The carpet wasn’t the problem. Padding that used to be a soft spongy cushion was now just brick. It clung to the wood beneath. And it wasn’t coming up! After scraping for hours, I finally called Frank, my floor expert, to tell him the tragic news. “No worries,” he said. “I can do it.” I thought he would have some super-quick floor guy trick. He sent me a video a few days later of his process. Sharpen chisel. Scrape this way. Scrape that way. All the while, brick red shards fly through the air. Clear away shards. Do the next little section. On his hands and knees, with just a little chisel, he painstakingly scraped away all of the padding. I thought for sure he would be frustrated and annoyed, but he is an artist at heart. When it was finished, we talked. Frank said, “It took a while, but I enjoyed the process. These are beautiful floors.” The Lord used this hardened padding to reveal some things about my current struggle. Have you ever had something the Lord has nudged you to do, and yet you keep putting Him off? That’s me. All. The. Time. Sometimes I question: “Is that you Lord, or am I making this up?” Sometimes I rationalize: “Oh that doesn’t make any sense.” Sometimes I refuse: “Not now. I’ll do this other thing first.” But as time moves forward, my opportunity is gone. God’s nudges often have expiration dates, and immediate obedience is hard for me. In my struggle, the Lord led me to Hebrews 3:7: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me, as in the day of trial in the wilderness. . .” If you hear His voice. . . I know I’ve heard His voice. Do not harden your hearts . . . Is that what I’m doing when I put God off with my “Not now” response? Later in Hebrews 3 we learn that a hardened heart comes from the deceitfulness of sin and from unbelief. I am challenged by this. What am I not believing the Lord for? Through prayer and the word, I realized that unbelief is a root that bears the fruit of disobedience. There are many branches that stem from unbelief, but fear is often the branch that grows from my unbelief and ripens into disobedience. Fear of my future. Fear that bad things will happen. Fear of the unknown. My dad, the keeper of the golden shag carpet, instilled in me the demanding sense to stick with what is safe, stick with what you know. But, my Father in heaven does not follow that principle. He often calls us out into the unknown, into places where we’ll be challenged, into new places that He will show us, but maybe not right now. He asks us to obey anyway. If we hold fast to Christ, we will get to that new place, but that requires faith in God. What is faith? First, we must believe Him. Then, we must obey. Believing + obeying = faith. There was a whole generation of Israelites who didn’t believe the Lord, even though they saw His glory and His miracles. Their unbelief led to fear and their fear ripened into disobedience. Their lack of faith hardened their hearts to God’s voice, and they died in the wilderness, never receiving their promised land. Their “not now” closed the door of opportunity the Lord was holding open for them on that day. I don’t want to be like them. I don’t want a hard heart. “Lord, help my unbelief!” is my cry. And my sweet savior brings me hope: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh . . .” (Ezekiel 36:26). Did you hear that? Like Frank scraping off the hardened padding to reveal beautiful oak floors that are clean and fresh, our Lord can remove our hardened hearts. The calluses built from years of “Not now, Lord” can be stripped clean and ready for what’s new. At creation, God looked over each day’s work and thought, “It is good.” I imagine Him looking back at us, His workmanship, after scraping away the hardened places in our hearts, and making us clean and beautiful and thinking, “It is very good!” This process requires believing and often immediate obedience, but our faith pleases the Lord. One day, we’ll get to stand with Him and look back over His work in our life, and together we’ll exclaim, “Isn’t it beautiful!” and our soft hearts will swell with joy at His glory shining over us. Lord, let it be!

From Grief to Joy

I was mad at the world, at coronavirus, at the news, media, politicians. You name it. I was mad. I went to bed mad. That’s never a good thing. Sleep eludes you when you’re mad. It was a fitful night, so by 4:00 A.M. I was ready to get up. What do you say to the Lord in your morning prayer time when you’re mad like that? I decided to just tell Him how mad, mad, mad I was. Like a dark thunder cloud, I dumped all of my mad on His listening ears. It felt good to get it out, but it didn’t solve anything. You need some resolution when you’re mad. “Lord, help me understand. Help me see clearly through all of this,” I pleaded. Instead of starting my new Bible study, (I just couldn’t that morning.) I decided to run through my scripture memory cards. When I flipped to Nehemiah 8:10, I stopped. “Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength,” God’s word says. Do not grieve. Yes, that’s what I was doing: grieving the loss of the world I knew. I think we all are grieving in our own way. Better to acknowledge your grief and move through it than be stuck there. Bitterness grows on stagnant grief. “For the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Do you know what makes our LORD joyful? Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus endured the cross “for the joy set before Him.” His joy was the completed work of God, the Father, our salvation. Jude 24 tells us Jesus will present us blameless before the Father with joy – a picture of our salvation. Our salvation brings Him joy! Knowing we are saved in our Lord Jesus Christ is our strength to persevere. Hold on to this truth! Do not grieve. These things are temporal, but your salvation is eternal. Do not grieve. Fix your eyes on the Lord, for He is good. Do not grieve. Others need the message and hope of salvation, so there is much work to be done. “Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Those words do not change the situations around me, but they sure do change the way I look at them, the way I look at myself. It is necessary to grieve, but we are not to anchor there. God is still moving and He is still calling us to follow Him. So, let us not beach in the shallows where the waters stagnate, but in the deeper waters where the current flows, let us move with our Lord, allowing our grief to be washed away in His love and redemption, for the joy of the Lord is our strength.

The Safety That Lasts

Do you feel safe? Are you anxious and worried about the future? I know so many people who are just feeling unsafe right now. Anxiety and worry can fill thoughts, shape days, and rob joy. While washing hands, wearing masks, and social distancing might help our sense of safety, the truth is this isn’t the kind of safety we really need. No. Our true safety goes much deeper than that. There is a scene in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis that describes a spiritual safety we need to be aware of. “Aslan is a lion – the Lion, the great Lion.” “Ooh,” said Susan. “I’d thought he was a man. Is he – quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion” . . . “Safe?” said Mr. Beaver . . . “Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He the King, I tell you.” Jesus is our king, the lion of the tribe of Judah, and he isn’t safe either, but he is good. What do I mean by he isn’t safe? I think you must consider two things here. First, we are told throughout scripture to fear the LORD our God. He is a powerful creator, capable of anything. He has revealed Himself and called us to be His children, to follow Him. When we refuse His grace and sanctification through Jesus, when we refuse the goodness that He offers, He promises justice, and no doubt about it, we deserve it. The Bible warns in Hebrews 10:31, “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” We don’t want to hear this though. No one wants to think about God’s justice. It isn’t a typical topic of Bible studies or Sunday morning sermons. Maybe that’s because people just want to feel “safe” and pastors and teachers don’t want to lose their audience. They will talk about God’s love all day long. That makes us feel “safe.” But here is the beautiful thing: God’s unsafe justice and His safe love are all wrapped up into one: Jesus on the cross. Think about it. “For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). God loved us and sent His Son, Jesus, to take our penalty, and He poured out His justice on Jesus instead of us. Love. Justice. Jesus. No wonder those who turn away from Him deserve His punishment. He offered the ultimate gift and they refused. If you have never seen Jesus in quite this way before, if you do not know Jesus as your savior from God’s justice, then take the time now to talk that out with God. He is offering it to you. He has already poured out the justice for your sins on Jesus. If you understand that and accept the free gift of grace and salvation that he offers, you will be saved: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). This is the ultimate safety, safety from God’s wrath, and no one can grant it except Jesus. Accepting His offer is the most important thing you will ever do in this life. When we are in a right relationship with God as His redeemed children, we are safe from His wrath, but that doesn’t mean He won’t put us in unsafe circumstances. Have you ever felt the Lord prompting you to tell someone about Jesus, someone you know doesn’t want to hear? You probably felt unsafe. How about money? Did giving that amount placed on your heart make you feel unsafe? Have you ever known to your core that you needed to speak up about that ungodly practice at work or among your friends, and felt unsafe to do it? Where is your “safe” line? Listen. Jesus never promised us we would be “safe” in this world. In fact, he promised quite the opposite: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first” (John 15:18). “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Christians throughout history have been opposed, challenged, martyred. Unsafe! These things are foreign to us. We have lived in a culture of very little resistance for a long time. Our muscles to stand firm in our faith and proclaim the Gospel are weak and immature, but the time has come for us to exercise, gain strength, and grow. Here are some things you can do: 1) Put your trust and hope in Jesus alone. Continually remind yourself of this. Stay focused on Jesus. Turn off the TV. Open up your Bible. Our hope and eternal safety are in Him. 2) Study His Word daily. You can’t stand firm in God’s truths if you don’t know His Word. Know what God says, not just your favorite devotional or Bible teacher. Read His Word for yourself. Someone else’s interpretation might help you, but it can never replace the power of His words on your mind. Then, go and do what He says to the best of your ability. Struggle through it. If you goof up, start again. Don’t give up. Persevere. That’s how you grow in Christ. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of you faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work in you so that you may be mature and complete not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4). 3) Don’t be afraid to tell others about Christ or stand up for your Christian beliefs. Your words might make the difference between life and death for someone. You might make them uncomfortable. You might both feel “unsafe,” but better to feel unsafe than God’s wrath and justice for them, and the Lord’s disappointment in you. The devil is ramping up his campaign against us. We can see it all around. Now is not the time for the Church to hide behind a mask of indifference. Don’t be sidetracked by the cultural battles being fought around us. The enemy will use our emotions as a distraction, but having the mind of Christ will turn these into opportunities to reach out in wisdom and love. Our focus is Christ! We have been placed in this specific time for a specific reason. God chose you and put you here on purpose. He has something for you to do, someone for you to influence with His Good News. What an honor this is! Think about the multitude of Christians throughout history who longed to see the day Jesus would return. Many of the pieces are already in place. Let’s not shrink in fear, seeking a false safety. Let’s stand on the Rock, proclaim the Word of God, and watch Jesus be glorified. You, O child of the King, can do this!