TIMES OF REFRESHING

Acts 3:19 ... "Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."

      Peter and John, apostles of Jesus, had gone up to the Temple to pray when they saw a man who had been lame from birth. When the man asked them for alms, Peter said to him, "I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene -- walk!" Not only did the man get to his feet and walk, but he also leaped and entered into the Temple to praise God. Naturally, a great crowd quickly came together, and recognizing the formerly impotent beggar, they were "filled with wonder and amazement." Peter took advantage of this assembly and its focus of attention to preach to them the gospel of Jesus. After charging them with sins, the greatest of which was denying Jesus' divinity and murdering Him, the apostle told them that mercy and pardon was nevertheless available. He then informed them they must "repent ... and return that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord."

[[ Parenthetical note:  The verb "return" translates the Greek epistrepsate, which means to "turn" in the sense of "be converted." The idea is to turn from practicing sin to a life of moral purity. Many English versions translate it as "be converted."]]

      So, by means of repenting and being converted these people would have their "sins blotted out." The same power that had healed the lame man of physical infirmity would heal them of their spiritual infirmity and bring them "times of refreshing ... from the presence of the Lord." That is, they would become children of God, disciples of Christ, and citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven with all the blessings thereof.

      It was also Peter who, only a few weeks earlier in the Temple, had told another Jewish audience how they could obtain the remission of their sins. That statement is found in Acts 2:38, "Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'" It is revealing to compare these two statements by the same apostle, who spoke by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:38                                           Acts 3:19

repent                                                repent
and be baptized                                 and return (be converted)
for the forgiveness of your sins        that your sins may be wiped away
and you shall receive the gift           that times of refreshing may come
of the Holy Spirit                             from the presence of the Lord

      These statements do not differ in meaning, but rather complement each other. They reveal to us how we may be released from sin and admitted into God's presence. First, they require repentance, the reorientation of our lives from sin to righteousness. Second, they require conversion, which is accomplished in baptism in the name of Jesus Christ. Conversion requires baptism, and baptism climaxes conversion. Conversion (baptism) results in "the remission of sins," which is the same as having "your sins wiped away." That is, the wiping away of sin occurs in, and not before, baptism. As a consequence of conversion (baptism) and the remission (wiping away) of sins, the individual "shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." It is through His presence in the person's life that "times of refreshing may come." The Spirit, who dwells within the new convert, is "the presence of the Lord" in that individual's life.

WHAT SHALL WE DO?

Acts 2:37-38 ... "Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Brethren, what shall we do?' And Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'"

      What question could be more fundamental, more important, or more critical than the one asked by these people in Peter's audience in Jerusalem, "What shall we do?" The context indicates the subject of concern, namely, what can people do to be saved from the consequences of their offenses against God? The violation of God's will is sin, and it is a fact that everyone sins, (Rom. 3:23). Sometimes we all disregard instruction from God and commit sin. We must recognize that from the beginning God has decreed we must pay a price for our sin, and that price is ... death! (Rom. 6:23). The greatest problem anyone faces in this life is his sin, and the greatest benefit is the removal of that sin and release from its dreadful penalty. Those who heard Peter's sermon in Acts 2 had the problem of sin brought poignantly right into their faces, and they were quite shocked by it. In addition to the sins common to all people, these people were guilty of the atrocious act of murdering the very Son of God. In his message Peter had told them pointblank: "By the hands of godless men (Roman soldiers) you nailed to a cross and put to death" the Man sent by God to save you from spiritual destruction, (v.23). This accusation found its mark and suddenly activated the consciences of these people, for "when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart." Immediately, they felt an urgent need to do something to have their sin forgiven and avert the dreadful response of God.

      Peter's answer was from God and is therefore the ultimately authoritative statement of the way sin is removed from the soul. The apostle by inspiration directed the people to do two things, repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. To repent means to turn away from the life oriented toward sin and redirect one's life according to the instruction of the New Testament. To be baptized means to be buried momentarily in water, (Rom. 6:3-4). Sprinkling or pouring as other "modes of baptism" are perversions of the New Testament Greek term baptizo, which means to "submerge, plunge, immerse." Furthermore, baptism is only valid when performed "in the name of Jesus Christ," which means "by His authority." In other words, baptism must be a response to the commandment of Jesus; it must be for the purpose He specified, the "remission of sins"; and it must be by the approved method, burial in water. Any other baptism, or lack of it, is human interference with divine will and thus invalid.

      If this question, "What must we do to be saved?," is asked today, many will answer, "Only believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." While there are numerous places in the New Testament which emphasize the necessity of faith for salvation, they do not isolate faith as the ONLY factor. In fact, there is but one occurrence of the words "faith alone" in the New Testament, Jas. 2:24, and it clearly states that a person is justified "not by faith alone." In Mk. 16:16 Jesus inseparably joined faith and baptism as co-factors in human salvation when He decreed, "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved." To deny the necessity of baptism in salvation also denies the integrity of I Pet. 3:21, "Baptism now saves you -- not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but the appeal to God for a good conscience." Actually, faith, repentance, verbal confession (Rom. 10:10) and baptism are all integral parts of the ONE process that results in the remission of sins and salvation. In no way does one of them exclude the other three. Because faith begins the process and leads one to perform the other three, it may be used to represent the whole, just as it is sometimes used to mean the entire gospel, (Jude 3). One must not take this use of "faith" (as in Rom. 5:1) and declare that faith alone justifies. (Observe that the apostle who wrote Rom. 5:1 also wrote Rom. 1:5, where he spoke of "the obedience of faith.") True faith leads to obedience; otherwise, it is "dead" according to Jas. 2:26.  And that obedience is realized in baptism.

THE AWESOME RETURN OF JESUS

Acts 1:9-11 ... "And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was departing, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them; and they also said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.'"

      Having completed the mission upon which God the Father had sent Him, Jesus bade His disciples farewell on the top of Mt. Olivet and then ascended in a cloud to take again His seat on the right hand of God in heaven.The disciples seem not to have anticipated this event. With great wonder they stood and "gazed intently into the sky" as Jesus gradually rose higher and higher on the cloud, becoming smaller and smaller in their vision, until finally they could no longer make out His form in the tiny point of space where they last saw Him. Nevertheless, even after He had disappeared they continued to stand gazing up into the sky. Perhaps they did not at first notice the "two men in white clothing" who stood beside them. Without doubt these "men" were in fact angels from heaven sent to attend this awesome event and make the announcement, "This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come again in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven." This is a revelation of utmost importance, not alone to Christians who believe and welcome it, but also to unbelievers who dismiss it as nothing more than a pious fable. But Jesus will come again some day and interrupt human activity in a supremely dramatic way. The challenge to every one of us is to take this news seriously and make real, effective preparations for that day of His return.

      What will that day be like, the terminal day of earth existence when time becomes eternity?  This writer would not dare try to describe it in his own words. What do I, or any other human, no matter how erudite, know about it? Since it has not yet happened, no one has experienced it and is thereby able to inform others of its nature. The only information we have about it is what has been revealed by the One who will cause it to come to pass and who alone knows what it shall be like. He has given us a brief sketch of its events in I Ths. 4:16-17, "The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord."

      This appearance of Jesus on that day will be a worldwide event, captivating the attention of every person on earth. We are assured in Rev. 1:7, "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him." Jesus' "shout" as He descends from heaven shall probably concern what He proclaimed in Jno. 5:28-29, "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice and shall come forth; those who did good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment."

      The reader will note in the many proclamations of Jesus' return the repeated use of the verb "to come." Early Christians paid special attention to it and began to refer to Jesus as "the Coming One." Since most of them spoke Greek until the fourth century, this title was to them HO ERCHOMENOS. This is a participle form of the verb erchomai, "to come." As Christianity spread into more distant countries that spoke "barbarian," (non-Greek), this designation of Jesus was lost. He was called by the names and titles we now commonly use, which, of course, are Biblical and proper. But in the New Testament Jesus is also called "the Coming One," emphasizing the certainty of His return. 

      My friend, where do YOU want to be when Jesus returns? If He should come while I am still living, I want Him to find me wearing His name in honor, active in His service, and making the best preparation I can for His appearance. If I am dead and in the grave when He returns, I want to be found "asleep in Jesus," and hearing His call to "Come forth!," to arise unto a new life. As the saints gather about Jesus in the sky above, I want to be right there among them. I feel sorry for people who refuse to give their allegiance to Christ, because they will be left behind on the earth doomed to destruction. How tragic to have reality forced into your face on that Last Day, when the opportunity to yield your soul to Jesus has been forever lost.

AND WHAT ABOUT THIS MAN?

Jno. 21:21-22 "Peter therefore seeing Him said to Jesus, 'Lord, and what about this man?' And Jesus said to him, 'If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.'"

      Between Jesus' resurrection and His ascension back into heaven was the space of about 40 days. During this time He made several appearances to selected disciples, most of which are cataloged by Paul in I Cor. 15:5-8. John concludes the account of Jesus' ministry with one of these appearances. Some of the apostles had returned to their former work as fisherman on the Sea of Galilee. After toiling all day and all night without a catch, they were returning to shore when they saw a man standing on the beach. Asking about their catch, and being told that they had had no luck, the man told them to let down their net one more time on the right side of the boat. Doing as he said, they were amazed when suddenly their net was filled with so many fish they were unable to draw it back into the boat. Instead, they hauled the net the remaining 300 feet to the beach. Realizing the event was a miracle, they were at once convinced that the man on shore was not a mere man; he was, in fact, THE MAN, their Lord Jesus Christ.

      After eating breakfast with Him, the apostles had an interesting conversation with Jesus. Three times He asked Peter, "Do you love Me?" And three times Peter replied, "Yes, Lord, You know that I love You." Then Jesus said to Peter, "When you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go," (v.18). With these words Jesus prophesied that Peter would end his life as a martyr for Him, for John then explains, "This He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God," (v.19). Peter was not a little disturbed by this forecast that his life would end in violence because of his discipleship. And he responded in a most natural, human way. It is said that misery loves company; no one wants to suffer alone. Turning about and seeing John, he asked Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?"

      Apparently, Peter thought, if tragedy would end his life of Christian witness, a similar fate should await John. After all, they had been, and would continue to be, the more prominent of the apostles. An announcement that martyrdom lay in store for John would have somewhat blunted for Peter the awful statement by Jesus that he would be sacrificed. Most of us would have responded very much as Peter did, had we been in his place. Do we not, when tragedies overtake us, seek out "support groups" of people who have suffered, or perhaps are yet suffering, the same distress as we?

      Jesus' reply to Peter conveys an important lesson to us. Looking him in the eye with kindness and sympathy, but also with a firm rebuke, Jesus said, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?" That is, if He chose to prolong John's life throughout the Christian Age until His return, it was none of Peter's concern. Peter's business was comprehended in Jesus' final three words, "You follow Me." The Lord wanted Peter to concentrate his attention on the task of following Him, and not let himself be distracted by what was, or was not, happening in the lives of other disciples. The same lesson applies to every Christian. So often we begin to fret because another's situation seems to be more favored than our own. Then we feel disappointed that our fidelity and service seem to have been overlooked. At other times we notice that hardships come upon us which have bypassed other Christians, and we begin to wonder why we should suffer while others enjoy peace and security. In Jesus' answer to Peter we are advised not to question such things but rather to focus attention upon following our Lord.

THE FOUNDATION OF CHRISTIAN FAITH

John 20:30-31 .... "And many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name."

      I once heard a discussion between a Christian, an agnostic, and an atheist. The Christian declared his faith that God created the universe, made man in essentially the same biological form he is today, and sent His Son Jesus as a man to offer people eternal salvation. The atheist showed amusement at what he considered to be the intellectual shallowness of the Christian and his faith. With light regard he dismissed theism and creationism as impossible in view of what empirical science has discovered. The agnostic did not express this air of condescending humor. He rather explained that he could find no ground for "taking the leap of faith," as he called it, to accept the Christian explanation of life, existence and destiny.

      These three positions account for perhaps the majority of people and the way they think about God, Christ, and the Bible. The atheist denies because the spiritual is not discernible by the empirical methodology of science. The agnostic reserves judgment, admitting that something might exist beyond the reach of human science, but is unwilling to accept it on the basis of faith. There are yet other explanations of reality than the Biblical one and those of atheism and agnosticism. But in this brief essay we can neither attempt to list or define them.

      Those who read and consider the Bible, however, know that faith in God and in Christ is not without foundation.  It is not blind, a sort of "leap in the dark." In Heb. 11:1 it says that "faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." The word "assurance" translates a word which conveys the idea of "foundation." Faith in God is not suspended in air, floating like a bubble to burst into oblivion upon the impact of some new scientific "truth." It is based on testimony, certified by competent witnesses. One can be great in faith and yet renowned in the knowledge and skills of the sciences. In fact, many have been and many now are. The person who has faith in Christ and lives by that faith is often categorized as a fanatic by the faithless. They disdain him for his blindness to science. But the scientific mind is no less fanatic when it blinds itself to the spiritual dimension, especially when there is creditable testimony in human experience to that dimension.

      Jesus Christ, first and foremost, is that creditable testimony. This is what John is stating in the initial text above. During His time on earth in the form of man, He performed "signs" (miracles) in which normal physical laws were momentarily suspended. For example, with a simple command He stilled a great tempest on the Sea of Galilee. On another occasion He walked on the surface of the water of that same sea. He raised from the dead a man who had been buried four days and whose decaying body was already stinking. These signs were not done in secret, but out in the open before large numbers of people, many of whom were hostile to Him. Even they could not deny His deeds (Jno. 11:47), so they yet sought to discredit Him by attributing His power to evil, (Mt. 12:24). It has been affirmed and soundly defended that Jesus' miracles are better supported by creditable testimony than any other acts from the ancient past. Only a prejudiced mind will persist in the effort to refute them. The prejudice arises from the desire to dismiss the responsibility Jesus imposes upon people to curb their appetites, including their arrogance and pride, and subject their lives to the standard of His teaching. The "leap of faith" is, therefore, not into blindness but over one's own pride and self-will.

JESUS AND PILATE

Jno. 19:4 ... "Pilate came out again and said to them, 'Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know I find no guilt in Him.'"

      After the High Priest and Jewish Sanhedrin had completed their "trial" of Jesus between midnight and dawn of that fateful Friday morning, they led Him to the court of Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. Coming out to them, he asked, "What accusation do you bring against this man?" (Jno. 18:39). Contemptuously, they only replied, "If this Man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you," (v.30). Pilate surely saw at this point that the Jews' case against Jesus involved matters of religion rather than matters of state. Being not in the least interested in their religious scruples, he ordered, "Take Him yourselves and judge Him according to your law," (v.31). When they answered, "We are not permitted to put anyone to death," Pilate realized this case was rather serious and became interested in interrogating Jesus. Knowing that Jews would not follow him into the Judgment Hall, (v.28), Pilate took Jesus there to examine Him privately. Nevertheless, his only concern was whether Jesus posed any threat to Roman government. Being satisfied this was not the case, Pilate gave his verdict to the Jews, "I find no guilt in Him."

      This statement indicates that, within the province of politics and public security, Pilate could determine nothing amiss in Jesus at all. Although the Jewish leaders were loath to admit it, there was likewise no fault in Jesus in the province of religion. Jesus had the highest respect for the Mosaic Law, as witnessed by His declaration in Mt. 5:18, "Until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all be accomplished." Jesus was fully dedicated to the application and enforcement of the Mosaic Law until it should have accomplished everything God had designed for it. Furthermore, Jesus had made it explicit that He posed no threat to the Law. He stated publicly in Mt. 5:17, "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill." The mission of Jesus was to exalt and glorify the Law by conducting it to its ultimate goal, the presentation of the Messiah as the King of kings in an everlasting kingdom. Actually, the Jews differed with Jesus more on the stipulations of their own interpretive apparatus built around the Law than on the content of the Law itself. This great body of interpretation was called the "tradition of the elders," (Mt. 15:2). In one intense confrontation with the Pharisees and scribes, Jesus told them that by these very traditions they themselves "transgress the commandment of God," (v.3). In other words, while Jesus respected and obeyed the Law absolutely, the Jews were transgressing and abusing it by their own interpretations.

      When the moral character of Jesus' personal life is examined fairly, one has to conclude that no fault can be found there either.  It is significant that in Jesus' "trial" no charge is made against His conduct or the moral fiber of His life. Had such personal blemishes existed, it is certain His enemies, who were viciously devoted to wrecking Him, would have enthusiastically brought them to light. No one could expose indiscretion in Jesus' life and conduct because there was none! This innocence was essential for Jesus to be the perfect sacrifice for all who sin. In II Cor. 5:21 we read that God made "Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." Heb. 4:15-16 likewise emphasizes Jesus' total purity and its significance for us: "We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are,yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

THE VOICE OF TRUTH

Jno. 18:37 ... "For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to

the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears My voice."

      After observing the Passover Feast with His disciples in an upper room somewhere in Jerusalem, Jesus took them eastward out of the city, crossed the Cedron Brook, and made His way up the slopes of Mt. Olivet to the Garden of Gethsemane in order to pray. But Judas Iscariot, who for thirty pieces of silver sold his allegiance to Jesus to His enemies, knew the spot since Jesus had often gone there with His apostles to pray when He was in Jerusalem. Making himself the most infamous traitor of all time, Judas led the Jewish authorities right to this garden, and they immediately arrested Jesus. They took Him first to the house of Annas, father-in-law to Caiphas, the high priest, in order to interrogate Him and fix charges against Him that would stand up before the Roman governor. Later, they took Him to Caiphas' house to continue this farce of a "trial." It was at this place that Peter denied Jesus the third time, just before the cock crowed, thus fulfilling Jesus' prophecy. As morning broke, the Jews took Jesus to the Judgment Hall of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. For they had determined that this Man of Galilee must die, and only this Roman governor had the legal authority to administer capital punishment.

      The statement of Jesus quoted above was made during His appearance before this pagan official. From secular history we learn that Pilate knew little about the Jewish religion and cared less. In fact, he despised the Jews, especially their rulers, and welcomed every opportunity to act harshly against them. The mere fact that they brought Jesus before him probably made him at once sympathetic toward Jesus. But the only interest he expressed was whether this prisoner constituted a threat to Roman security. His first question was, "Are You the king of the Jews?" Jesus confessed that He was indeed a king, but that His kingdom was spiritual rather than political and that His disciples would not fight. Pilate then saw no problem with Him, and returning Him to the Jews waiting outside, he announced, "I find no guilt in Him." (The Jews had not entered Pilate's house, lest being in a Gentile structure they would "defile" themselves and be unfit to observe the Passover.)

      It was when the governor asked Him if He were king of the Jews that Jesus replied, "For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world." God had sent Him to lay the foundation of a kingdom that would be established just fifty days from that very day. It would be an eternal kingdom, the very Kingdom of Heaven, and Jesus was already its King before it began. This kingdom and all that pertains to it -- its government, law, territory and destiny -- were matters of truth beyond human ability to discover. It was Jesus' mission, besides being King, to reveal these great truths to mankind. His work of witnessing to the truth was so vital and unique that He personally equated Himself with it. In Jno. 14:6 He declared that "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." Jesus is the sole access to the truth of God's will for man; and this, in the final analysis, is the only truth with value and meaning. Jesus said, "Every one who is of the truth hears My voice." He meant that those who seek truth will open their ears and their minds to His instruction. There are two dimensions of truth: the truth about the structure and operation of the physical universe, and the truth about the spiritual world. It is pathetic that people seek the former truth and deny the latter, decrying its meaning and value. They spend fortunes to implant worldly truth in their minds, and with contempt turn away from the spiritual truth that will endure forever after worldly truth has become meaningless. The knowledge and understanding of the structure and operation of the physical universe is beneficial only while one lives in the material realm. The truth Jesus reveals will benefit us, not only in this present life, but in the spiritual realm when we have passed beyond the door of death.

JESUS' PRAYER FOR UNITY

Jno. 17:21 ... "That they all may be one; even as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that You did send Me."

      The seventeenth chapter of John contains what may truly be called The Lord's Prayer. The setting was an "upper room" somewhere in Jerusalem on the same night during which Jesus was betrayed, arrested, and put through the mockery of a "trial." Within less than twenty-four hours of the time that He uttered this prayer, Jesus had been crucified and entombed in the crypt of Joseph of Arimathea. We can believe, therefore, that with His mission to earth finished, the thoughts expressed in this prayer were especially important to Jesus. Those who read it carefully will be impressed with the idea that its contents were indeed of critical meaning to our Lord as He concluded the work God had given Him to do, (v.4).

      The essence of Jesus' prayer concerned the completeness of His mission, the preparedness of the apostles to continue His work, and the unity of all who put their faith in His gospel. He emphasized this unity as an extension of the perfect unity that prevails in the Holy Trinity:  "even as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in Us." Absolute harmony prevails among the three Personalities of God in will, in purpose, and in action. It is God's will that the same harmony prevail among those who compose His spiritual family on earth. The gospel is filled with teaching that stresses the necessity of this unity. The length of this essay could be multiplied several times in the effort to survey all those passages. There can be no denial that God demands unity among Christians and accounts it as a great sin when they divide into factions.

      Let us notice, however, another dimension to this unity. At the end of v.21 Jesus declares that the unity of His disciples will be a powerful force to induce the world to "believe that You did send Me." In other words, the ability to bring the masses of the world's people in each generation to accept that Jesus is not just "a great human teacher" but the Son of God descended from heaven is contingent upon the cohesion of His followers. If there is any inducement to cause Christians to squelch their prejudices, personal desires, and vain ambitions in order to achieve and preserve this unity, it should surely be this great objective in our Lord's prayer.

      As one looks over the vast sea of people on earth, only a minority can be found who believe that Jesus is the divine Son of God, that His gospel is the rule for human conduct, and that His kingdom (the church) is the one institution in the world that will continue into eternity. After setting aside the hundred millions of people who are irreligious, the remainder are distributed among the echelons of Moslems, Hindus, Buddhists, Taoists, and myriad animists. Why has not Christianity, with its "power of God unto salvation," (Rom. 1:16), been able in two thousand years to convert the vast majority of mankind so that the other religions are just odd, rare anomalies in the world? Some would answer that it is because the claim that the gospel is "the power of God unto salvation" is nothing more than sanctimonious propaganda. If this is the answer, then Jesus is a liar.  But the miracles He performed before countless witnesses testify that He is true and not a liar, (Jno. 5:36). The true answer, therefore, is the one He points at in the initial text above: those who profess discipleship to Him have divided and subdivided ad absurdum. When people in general look at what goes by the name "Christianity," what they see is a complicated swirl of contradictory doctrines, institutions, and styles of religious expression that compete with insane jealousy. It is little wonder that the world has not been converted to Christ!

FROM WHENCE CAME JESUS?

Jno. 16:28 ... "I came forth from the Father, and have come into the world."

      Who was Jesus Christ? This is one of the most profound questions ever considered by man. In fact, many would rephrase it, changing "was" to "is." The question of who Jesus WAS concerns the identity of the historical Jesus; who was the Man of Nazareth in the 1st Century A.D. who was called Jesus? Posed in the form, 'Who IS Jesus?," concerns His eternal existence and office.  There has been continual controversy for two millennia over both of these questions. Once He Himself posed the question to His apostles, "Who do men say that the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets," (Mt. 16:13-14). The people, therefore, saw Jesus as extraordinary; yet, they conceded Him a status no higher than that of a mortal man. And since that day, now so long in the past, the conception of people has not changed. It is the opinion of many that Jesus was (not "is"!) a master Teacher who founded one of the major world religions; but He was nevertheless only a mortal man.

      A question closely connected to those just considered is anticipated in Jesus' statement in the initial text above. From whence did Jesus come? This question was also debated during Jesus' life on earth. In Jno. 7:40-43 it is reported that "some of the multitude, when they heard (Jesus') words, were saying, 'This certainly is the Prophet.' Others were saying, 'This is the Christ.' Still others were saying, 'Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?' So there arose a division in the multitude because of Him." Part of the Jews, marveling at the miraculous acts and superior words of Jesus, concluded that He had to be the Prophet foretold by Moses (Dt. 18:15-19) whether He came out of Galilee or not. Other Jews, however, stumbled over the apparent fact that Jesus could not be the Christ since He came from Galilee and since Mic. 5:2 required that He come from Bethlehem in Judea. They perceived another problem in that the Christ had to be of the house and lineage of David, (II Sam. 7:12-16), and seemingly this Jesus of Nazareth did not possess that ancestry.

      When the inspired writers penned the New Testament scriptures, they addressed these questions which made it difficult for the Jews to believe Jesus was the Messiah, or Christ. Matthew (in chp. 2) gave testimony that Jesus had indeed been born in Bethlehem, and in the preceding chapter produced a genealogy linking Jesus to David. Luke (in chp. 3) showed that Jesus also had a second genealogy connecting Him to David, apparently through Mary. Jesus therefore fulfilled all the Old Testament prophetical requirements about where the Christ was to come from. It was necessary that they be met to verify He was the Christ and that His coming had been planned for many centuries.

      The most important matters concerning where Jesus came from, however, were by no means His geographical or genealogical origin. The ultimate answer to the fundamental question is found in Jesus' declaration, "I came forth from the Father, and have come into the world." Except to fulfill prophecy, (certainly an essential matter!), it was irrelevant whether Jesus came from Bethlehem or Beth-horon, or whether He came from the family of David or of Daniel. God could have decreed Beth-horon and Daniel rather than Bethlehem and David, if it had so pleased Him. The matter of ultimate importance is that Jesus came forth from the Father when He entered the world. The power by which Jesus performed His great deeds, and the authority that validated His teaching, were not dependent on Bethlehem being His birthplace or David being His forefather. The requisite power and authority were invested in Him by God when "He came forth from the Father." The real reason people today want to discredit Jesus with some spurious account of a mundane origin is to escape that very power and authority inherent in His words, which define the limitations of beneficial human thought and conduct.

THE VINEYARD PARABLE

Jno. 15:2 ... "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit."

      In the first part of this chapter Jesus is painting a verbal picture of a vine, probably a grapevine, growing in someone's vineyard. From the trunk of the vine radiate out many branches, some full of life and bearing fruit, while others are stunted or dead  and void of fruit. The husbandman regularly comes to each plant and cuts off the stunted and dead branches, which he gathers into a pile outside the vineyard and burns them. He also prunes the luxuriant branches to enhance their ability to grow better and produce more. Those who heard Jesus paint this verbal picture could easily comprehend it, since vineyards were common in Palestine. Many of His disciples at some time in the past had likely worked in vineyards doing just what Jesus portrayed the husbandman doing. The picture is thus quite plain; but, since it is obvious Jesus is teaching a spiritual lesson with this physical model, what is His message?

      First, the vine is a figure for Christ, and the branches are people who are His disciples. This identification is made clear in v.5 where Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches." The idea that the branches represent divisions of the Christian church is a fallacy. Jesus had individual people in mind rather than human organizations when He spoke of branches, because in v.6 He said that "if ANYONE (a person) does not abide in Me, HE is thrown away as a branch." Since Jesus is the vine, and Christians are the branches, the vineyard is the Lord's church, since that is the body in which Christ is united with His disciples. We are told in Eph. 1:22-23 that the Father gave Christ "to be the Head over all things to the church, which is His body." The husbandman, who cuts off the barren branches and burns them, and who prunes the productive branches to enable them to bear even more fruit, is God the Father, (see v.1). This, then, is the spiritual reality modeled in the physical image. But what is the practical application in human experience? It is apparent that Jesus had two such applications in mind.

      The first is that spiritual life and productivity come only through fellowship with Christ. Jesus declared in v.4 that "as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me." Lest anyone not understand what it means to "abide in Me," Jesus expands on the concept in v.10, "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love." To abide in Christ therefore means to keep the commandments He has given us. Also, as a person stores up in his mind the knowledge of Jesus' commandments by diligently studying the New Testament, and then faithfully conducts his life by the guidelines set by these commandments, he is bringing forth the fruit the Lord expects.  One's obedience to the teachings of Christ is the fruit that He intends every branch to produce.

      The second application Jesus makes is that failure to bear fruit for Him will lead to rejection and destruction. In v.6 He declared, "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast forth as a branch and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." When a person becomes a disciple of Christ by being "baptized into Christ," (Gal. 3:27), he becomes a new, tender shoot out of that Holy Vine. That person must then begin to bear fruit as he becomes involved in the activities of spiritual service commanded by Jesus. If this does not happen, or if a Christian stops doing them, the Lord will eventually cut that person off from Him and have no further fellowship with Him. Finally, He will sorrowfully (I Pet. 3:9) destroy that soul in "fire," meaning the eternal fire of hell (Gehenna). And that is the ultimate human tragedy! 

A HEAVENLY PLACE PREPARED

Jno. 14:3 ... "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

      One of the basic tenets of the Christian faith is that there is an afterlife. The New Testament teaches that a human being is not totally physical in nature, but is constituted of both a physical part and a spirit made "in the image of God," (Gen. 1:27), or "in the likeness of God, (Jas. 3:9). At death these two parts separate, as Eccl. 12:7 states: "Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it." The spirit, or soul, of a person is therefore eternal. Beyond the gate of death there stretches out an endless road of which we now know nothing, other than what God in Sacred Scripture has revealed. Being a spiritual entity in a spiritual context is a condition quite beyond the perception and investigation of human science.

      Because the spiritual state is outside of science and cannot be empirically examined, there are people who either outright deny its reality or, somewhat more conservatively express agnosticism toward it. For them, life is a self-contained package of existential experience. In this view man is supreme and human wisdom the measure of all things. Ethics and morality are based on what appears to maximize good for the greater part of humanity. The physical, intellectual, aesthetic, social, and psychological pleasure that a person derives from interacting with life is considered to be the only reward he will receive from it. Man's only immortality is the legacy, or heritage, he leaves behind to others. For example, George Washington still lives only in the lingering consequences of his deeds and in the records thereof that survive.

      The person who subscribes to this secular, materialistic view of human nature is investing in very risky philosophical capital. Since the empiricist is not able to detect or investigate the spiritual state, he cannot really know if it exists or not. If it does not really exist, then he is none the worse when his life terminates in the material world, which alone he affirmed. But if the spiritual world does exist, as the Bible asserts, then the materialist with great surprise enters into a new domain for which he has made no preparation. If a Christian dies in the faith, and there is no spiritual world beyond the grave to receive his soul, in the annihilation of his consciousness he will never know the difference and will be none the worse for it. But if his faith in the Bible is confirmed in death, and his soul enters a new realm of existence, he will be eligible for divine grace and mercy to participate in its eternal joys. To this writer it is wise to live steadfastly in Christian faith without reservation until the separation of the soul and body in death.

      The New Testament also asserts that in the spiritual world there are separate areas of existence for the faithful Christian and the agnostic or atheist. The text above quotes Jesus revealing the eternal abode of the faithful. In v.2 He said, "In My Father's house are many mansions ... I go to prepare a place for you." The spiritual home of the faithful is a place "prepared" for them. Hence, those who would live in them must make the proper preparation by devoting themselves to Christ with a lifetime of faith, loyalty, and active service. The gospel is our guide for this period of preparation. At the time set by God alone, He will send Christ back to earth to gather from it those who believed and prepared for that unique hour. This faith, moreover, is not blind faith without a substantial foundation. Jesus gave evidence to the truth of His assertions in the miraculous deeds He performed, (Jno. 10:38), which were recorded by reliable witnesses in documents that are at least no less historically reliable than other documents rarely questioned by the world of critical scholarship. Victory at death lies only in faith, (I Jno. 5:4).

The Mark of a True Disciple

Jno. 13:35 ... "By this all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

      One may ask, "What is the most evident characteristic of a Christian?" As you survey a group of people in a community, what feature of their lives identifies them most readily as followers of Jesus? There will, in fact, be many things about their conduct, speech, and attitudes that will reveal their discipleship. Qualities such as courtesy, kindness, charity, gentleness, benevolence, optimism, and moral uprightness will stand out as distinctive. And yet, in Jesus' statement quoted above, there is another distinguishing mark that must precede all the rest. It is the pure, sincere love that Christians are to have without fail for other Christians. The genuine love that bonds one Christian to any other anywhere else in the world is to be the most apparent single characteristic of disciples of Christ.

      This is not to say that Christians love only fellow Christians and that this exclusive intra-faith love is what the Lord values. Our love is comprehensive in the fellowship of saints, but it is not exclusive. Christ teaches us to love all men, for they, too, are made in the similitude of God and are potential disciples of Christ if they can be reached with the gospel. In fact, it is love for those who are spiritually lost in sin that couples with response to the Great Commission to motivate Christians to take the gospel to them to realize that wonderful potential. In an address to some men about to go into the mission field, Henry Drummond brought out this point when he said, "And I beg the little band of would-be missionaries to remember that, though you give your bodies to be burned, and have not love, it profits nothing -- nothing! You can take nothing greater to the heathen world than the impress and reflection of the love of God upon your own character. That is the universal language."

      Nevertheless, it is the unfeigned love that one Christian has for the other that singles him out to be a Christian. But what are the features of this kind of love that differentiates it from the other shades of meaning of this much abused word in contemporary speech? The answer is best given by considering the inspired analysis of it in I Cor. 13:4-8. First, it is patient. Christians are able to wait on each other so that together they can move successfully along the road of life. Second, it is kind. Christians do nice things willingly for each other to help them along. Third, it is generous, which is the basic idea in "love is not jealous." Christians rejoice in the achievements of their brethren. Fourth, it is humble. "Love does not brag and is not arrogant." Christians think of themselves as servants to one another, not as lords to be served by other brethren. Fifth, it is courteous. "Love does not act unbecomingly." Christians practice good manners toward one another ... and toward everyone else as well! Sixth, it is unselfish. "Love does not seek its own." Christians consider themselves stewards of God with respect to material things and are readily willing to share with brethren who are in need. Seventh, it is self-controlled. "Love is not provoked." Christians have ways, revealed in Holy Scripture, of resolving differences, other than through anger and violence. Eighth, it is guileless. "Love does not take into account a wrong suffered." Christians do not judge another's motives and then color their intentions evil. Even when a disciple commits an "iniquity," the rest do not rejoice; but in a grave "spirit of meekness" work to restore that individual, (Gal. 6:1)). Space fails to exhaust this analysis of love. To be sure, Jesus' disciples fall far short of its standard. But to the extent we build this love into our fellowship, to the same extent we identify ourselves as true disciples.

WHOSE APPROVAL DO YOU SEEK?

Jno. 12:42-43 ... "Many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God."

      When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the news caused a great deal of talk among the Jews of Judea. It generated faith in the hearts of the common people, for it says in Jno. 11:45 that "many of the Jews, who had come to Mary and beheld what He had done, therefore believed in Him. Afterward they eagerly sought for Jesus to show up wherever they went, (v.56). But the Pharisees, the hardened enemies of Jesus, reacted differently. Together with the chief priests they soon held a council and determined that it was in their best interests to find some way to put Jesus to death, (vs. 47-53). They also decided it would be a good idea to execute Lazarus also, since it was he who testified to Jesus' unique power, (Jno. 12:10-11). Not long thereafter, Jesus made a triumphal entry into Jerusalem and was enthusiastically supported by the multitudes, who remembered specifically that He had raised Lazarus, (vs. 17-18). In their consternation the Pharisees looked upon the scene and remarked, "The world has gone after Him!" (v.10).

      The truth and power in Jesus simply could not be denied. One either had to attribute His authority to God or to the devil, and the Pharisees did the latter, (Mat. 12:24). In that society this party of Jews, though not politically the ruling class, were nevertheless the most influential force. If they wished, they could disenfranchise a person and make him an outcast. So, when the chief rulers found they were unable to do other than believe in Jesus, they realized they were caught in a dilemma. If they confessed their faith, the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue.  This meant they would become social pariahs. To go from being a ruler to the lowly level of a leper was quite a demotion! On the other hand, if they held on to their position and status by keeping their faith locked in their hearts in silence, they could not become disciples of Jesus and inherit the wonderful blessings He had promised. But because "they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God," they chose the second horn of the dilemma. In doing so, they preserved their privileges as chief rulers but were impaled by the curse upon all who reject the Son of God.

      The society of ancient Judea, dominated by Pharisees and their ideology, has long been a thing of the past. But in every age there exists its counterpart in some segment of the people who are hostile to Christ. Usually, this segment is possessed of popularity, status, and some kind of power (political, economic, social, ideological, or whatever). Most people are anxious to identify with the dominant group in order to partake of its apparent advantages. But what will they do when they realize they cannot identify with the "in crowd" and with Jesus at the same time? One must assess the alternatives and make a decision. If the "approval of men" is more important. the person must deny Jesus and settle for the reward of what the here and now offers. If the "approval of God" is more important, the person will withdraw from the thinking and behavior of the world and look for his reward after this life has ended. This latter choice will likely bring about varying degrees of disapproval and ridicule from the prevailing segment of society, but those who want to serve Christ must be ready to endure all this. As we present Christ and His gospel to the people about us, we must make this situation known beforehand so that they may take it into consideration as they make their decision. Many disciples are lost because they do not fully realize that to accept Christ often means to deny the way of life and thinking of many, if not most, of the people who share this earth with them.

THE RESURRECTION OF A DEAD MAN

Jno. 11:33-35  "When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, and said, 'Where have you laid him?' They said to Him, 'Lord, come and see.' Jesus wept."

      Through the long span of human history people have worshiped countless gods. But the God whom Christians worship and serve is unique in every way. First, He is real, whereas they are either idols manufactured by human hands or else forces of nature which men have deified. Any similarity which the true God and the gods of human imagination might appear to have is immediately erased when considered in the context of the real versus the imagined. The gods worshiped by the Gentiles in Jesus' time were all the creation of human fantasy, yet the people had their faith fixed upon them. Jesus' visit to earth was in part designed to show us what God really is. This goal He accomplished so perfectly that He was able to say, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father," (Jno. 14:9). In the initial text above, Jesus is showing us a fundamental feature of God's character that has great significance for suffering humanity.

      The predominant world view in the First Century was derived from Greek culture, which had been spread across the realm of civilization by Alexander and his successors. Even Judaism had felt the irresistible pressure of this Hellenizing influence. To the Greek mind the major characteristic of God was what they called apatheia.  Our word "apathy" is derived from that term, but the Greek original conveyed a different meaning. Apatheia referred to the absolute inability to feel emotion, whereas our word "apathy" means the ability is present but is not used. The Greek people believed that feeling emotion is impossible for gods because it is the result of an external power imposed upon them, and the gods are not subject to any power other than their own.  Our featured text is important because it shows Jesus, who was God in the flesh, feeling emotion very keenly.

      The essential meaning this holds for us is revealed in Heb. 4:15, "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses." Jesus, our great High Priest, is not detached from the impact upon our emotions of the "weaknesses" which plague us. Mary and Martha were in agony of grief over the loss of their beloved brother Lazarus. When Jesus observed their agitation, He was "deeply moved in spirit ... troubled ... (and) wept." He did not weep over the death of Lazarus, as they helplessly did, because Lazarus was not beyond the reach of power of this One who said, "I have the keys of Death and Hades," (Rev. 1:18). Within a few moments Jesus used those "keys" to unlock the sinister gates of Hades, release the soul of Lazarus, and reunite it with his already decaying body (which He renewed), thus depriving Death of its victim. In reality, "Jesus wept" through empathy. He entered into the emotional distress of the two sisters and helped bear their burden by weeping with them.

      Jesus is a close and very personal God who will sincerely "sympathize with our weaknesses." Consequently, as the Hebrew writer points out, we as Christians may "draw near with confidence to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need,' (4:16). Jesus extended grace and mercy to Mary and Martha by restoring their brother alive to them. That was certainly "help in time of need." If we are as devoted to Jesus in faith and love as this humble family in Bethany of Judea two millennia ago, we can be sure our Lord will sympathize with us in our difficulties and bestow upon us whatever help we need to shore up our sagging spirits and bear us through to more stable times. That is the valuable lesson we may learn from this amazing event of so long ago, but so contemporary in meaning.

      

Jesus' Definition of "Christian"

Jno. 10:27 ... "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."

      Of all the definitions that might be given for "Christian," this statement by Jesus is for me the best. It will be noticed that it lays down four conditions which, when fully met, perfectly delineate the status of a Christian. First, a Christian is one who is a sheep in Jesus' flock. Sheep are frequently used in the Bible to represent the people of God. It says in Psa. 100:3 that "We are His people and the sheep of His pasture." Even more emphatic is the scene of the Great Judgment drawn by Jesus in Matthew 25. There all mankind is summoned before God and divided into two vast groups. We read in v.33 that "God shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left." The significance of this division is made clear in the declarations of vs. 34 and 41. "Then shall the King say to those on His right (the sheep), 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.' ... Then He will say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.'" A Christian, then, is beyond doubt a person who qualifies as a "sheep" in the flock of Christ. This spiritual "flock" is identified in the New Testament as the church, (e.g., I Pet. 5:1-4). A Christian is therefore one who holds actual membership in Christ's church.

      Second, a Christian is one who hears the voice of Christ. Jesus used the verb "hear" in His teaching to mean "to listen attentively, respectfully, and obediently." At any point in life a person is always being exposed to numerous voices that would persuade him to put his faith in them and follow their way into some supposed utopia. Religions and philosophies, both esoteric and popular, line the roadside of life like billboards along a highway with strong appeals for us to turn aside into them to participate in their activities and conform to their interpretation of the human condition. But it is the distinctive trait of a Christian not to be distracted by these appealing voices. He will not "hear" them but will keep his attention riveted on Jesus. In Jno. 10:4-5 Jesus proclaims that "the sheep follow Him because they do not know the voice of strangers."

      Third, Jesus identifies a Christian as a person whom He knows. In this special usage of the verb "know" Jesus means both knowledge and approval. He certainly has knowledge of the vilest sinner, and in the End will visit eternal punishment upon him for his impenitent evil. But Jesus confers approval upon those whom He knows live in faith by His standard of righteousness. So we read in II Tim. 2:19, "The firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, 'The Lord knows those who are His.'" To be known by the Lord is to belong to the Lord and to bear His own seal of approval.

      Fourth, a Christian is a person who follows Christ. He has developed the solid conviction that no leader or teacher on earth really knows where he is going or what lies ahead, except Jesus. For no one other than Jesus knows where or what heaven is, and no one but Jesus has the wisdom and foresight to know what lies ahead and whether it should be welcomed or shunned. Jesus always leads His followers through the shoals and narrows of life safely, but other leaders suffer their followers to shipwreck  their lives all along the way. Only Jesus, having finished His ministry, can say, "While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your (the Father's) name whom You have given Me, and I guarded them, and not one of them perished, (Jno. 17:11-12)."

A REMARKABLE CASE OF COURAGE

Jno. 9:30 ... "The man answered and said to them, 'Well, here is an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and yet, He opened my eyes.'"

      The ninth chapter of John is devoted to the account of Jesus bestowing the gift of sight upon a man who had been born blind. As soon as the man, who is never named, went away from Jesus with the ability to see, it caused quite a stir among the people who were used to seeing him sit and beg to support himself in his blindness. Naturally, they wanted to know how he came to see. He answered very frankly, "The man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' So I went away and washed, and I received sight," (v.11). When the Pharisees heard about it, and took note that it had happened on the Sabbath, they got mentally all bent out of shape that Jesus had "violated" the Holy Day. So they called in the man and interrogated him closely about the event. Very frankly, they doubted the story. Moreover, they resented the man saying that Jesus was a prophet. Therefore they called in his parents, who testified that their son had indeed been born blind and had, somehow, that very day gained the ability to see. But because they feared the Pharisees would eject them from the synagogue, an act tantamount to being made pariahs in society, they refused to attribute the wonderful deed to Jesus. Instead, they referred these enemies of Jesus back to their son, saying, "Ask him; he is of age; he will speak for himself," (v.21).

      At once they had the man brought back before them, demanding that he "give glory to God" since they were convinced that "this Man (Jesus) is a sinner," (v.24). They were determined to coerce this fellow into denying the very One who had done something for him that none of the Pharisees could have done. The social and religious pressure they brought to bear upon him was enormous; in fact, it is hard for us, separate from the context of that ancient society, to realize how intense and frightful it really was. In view of it, we have to admire this anonymous man very greatly. He refused to cower before them and would not in the least retract the credit he had given Jesus. Not only did they mark out Jesus as a sinner, but they also questioned His origin. At this point the man very bravely replied, "Well, here is an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and yet, He opened my eyes!" The rest of his answer really merits inclusion here: "We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him. Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing," (vs. 31-33).

      This man showed deep gratitude to Jesus, along with a growing faith in Him as being not just a prophet, but One who proceeded from God's very presence. For these convictions, expressed openly before the malicious theocrats, he was ejected from the synagogue and disenfranchised from that society, (v.34). But in that great loss he gained yet far more -- the privilege of becoming a disciple of Jesus. We read in vs. 35-38, "Jesus heard that they had put him out, and finding him, He said, 'Do you believe in the Son of Man?' He answered, 'Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?' Jesus said to him, 'You have both seen Him, and He is the One who is talking with you.' And he said, 'Lord, I believe.' And he worshiped Him."

      We can take a great lesson from this anonymous ancient man who forfeited his place in society rather than deny Jesus. Too many of Jesus' disciples today will hardly renounce any aspect of our culture which offers pleasure, fashion, status, and community sanction to witness their identity in Christ. We need to be inspired by this brave man's conviction and resolute defense thereof.

A SLAVE OF SIN

Jno. 8:34 ... "Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, every one who commits sin is a slave of                      sin.'"

      Throughout most of this chapter of John the Jews were debating Jesus in the Temple about the question of the validity of His doctrine. They argued that, since He stood alone in making His claims, His testimony must be considered false, (v.13). Jesus answered them that it was their reasoning that was fallacious, since there was indeed Another who spoke for Him. In v.18 He said, "I am He who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me." By their own law, the Law of Moses, the testimony of two witnesses validated testimony (v.17), and Jesus had this required number in Himself and the Father. With His teaching thus verified, He then appealed to all who would respond to accept His word and become His disciples. It says in vs. 31-32 that Jesus said "to those Jews who had believed Him, 'If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.'"

      Jesus referred to freedom from the tyranny of sin, but His critical and shortsighted opponents did not grasp His meaning. Thus it says in v.33 that they answered Him, "We are Abraham's offspring and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that You say, 'You shall become free?'" We are made to wonder how they made this boast, since their history was full of bondage to other people -- Egyptians, Philistines, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and even then to the Romans. But Jesus let this arrogance pass, for He had not spoken of bondage to men. One can be enslaved to men but free in spirit, and it was freedom of the spirit that He had in mind. Sin is not a person, but, as a very real and powerful force, it acts as a monster that rules with an iron grip over the souls of those who submit to it. It was irrelevant whether the Jews were in bondage to the Romans, or to anyone else for that matter. What was of paramount importance was the status of their souls. Did sin rule over their minds and direct their lives toward destruction? Jesus announced that the truth He preached, and even personified in His own Being (Jno. 14:6) would liberate them when they put their faith in Him and obeyed that truth.

      It was from this enslavement that Jesus appealed to His audience to seek release by putting their faith in what He taught them and yielding their lives to it. Those who reject the rule of the Gospel and abandon themselves to carnal living may believe they are liberated, but in reality they are in bondage. Those who are wise will not let sin reign in their mortal bodies with its strong tendency to sensual gratification. But "being freed from sin" when they yield to Christ, they will commit themselves to be "servants of righteousness," (Rom. 6:12,18)

DEATH OF INNOCENCE

      It was Thursday, 14 January 2016. A woman in Pinson, Tennessee, gave lunch to a four year old girl and a two year old boy, her grandchildren. The boy was named Noah. After the meal, she took them outdoors to run and play. For a short time the woman focused on the girl, and in those few moments Noah wandered into the woods that adjoined the open yard. Soon he was out of sight of his grandmother and became lost. Knowing nothing else to do, the small boy kept walking. The woman tried to locate him and failed; then she phoned the police for help. The time was 1:38 pm. Little Noah walked a mile and a half through the rough and wooded terrain. Realizing something was wrong, he began to cry and frantically call out for his Mommy and Daddy. Searchers were soon combing the area near his grandmother's house, but Noah was already too far away for them to hear his pitiful cries. At last he could go no further. He either sat down, or stumbled, and could not get back up. He was alone, scared, tired, thirsty, and by now getting very cold. No one knows how long he crouched on the ground, trembling with terror and shaking with fear. Finally, the blessing of unconsciousness relieved him of his distress, and little Noah died. After an intensive search by about a thousand people, his precious little body was found a week later on January 21.

      I followed these events in the news during that week and prayed fervently that Noah would be found alive and returned to his parents. When he was found dead, my spirit was devastated. I found it difficult to sleep at night, and during the day could hardly think about anything else.  I was truly empathizing with this toddler, who weighed only 25 pounds. He was an innocent, sweet child who had never hurt anyone. He had only brought joy and smiles to everyone who knew him, and filled their hearts with love. And yet, he suffered unto death an experience that was about as terrible and cruel as it could be. To have died in the presence of his parents would have been bad enough. To have died in a lighted room would have been bad enough. To have died in a clean, warm bed would have been bad enough. But to die alone, in the dark of night in the woods, lying on the cold ground and utterly scared ... afflicts my spirit beyond description.

      In the social media, people (knowing Noah's family were Christians) have asked, "Where was God?" I must confess I myself had thought the same thing, though I did not orally reveal it. Readers of this blog know that I am a Christian. I believe God is the essence of love, goodness, and kindness. But He watched as the worst happened to this helpless, innocent child. We are told in Matt. 10:29 that even a sparrow does not fall to the ground without God knowing it. Why then did He not intervene to rescue Noah and return him to the security, comfort and love of his family? After all, they love and worship God steadfastly. I struggled to reconcile God's loving kindness and Noah's terrible, fatal ordeal. Finally, I came to a conclusion that satisfies me. I share it with my readers in the hope it will be meaningful and helpful to you as you are challenged by similar dilemmas.

      There are basically only two powers that operate in the world, the power of God and the power of Satan. God's power is expressed through love, goodness and kindness. Satan's power is expressed through hate, cruelty and destruction of human welfare. Every power we experience about us is the visible operation of these two invisible powers. This applies to the powers of government, human will and the action it produces, and the events that make up our common daily experience. When we observe something good, it is due to God's presiding power. When we observe something bad, it is due to Satan's presiding power.

      Why does God not overwhelm Satan so that all we experience is good and life remains pleasant? The answer to this question is absolutely fundamental to the meaning of life, and I cannot address it here in a few words. I will only hint at the answer by bidding you consider what, in military terms, is called Rules of Engagement. In modern warfare there is some agreement among nations as to how war should be conducted. They are by no means always followed, but in the most critical way they are. Take, for example, the war in the Middle East. The United States could have used atomic weapons and defeated the enemy very quickly. But by our Rules of Engagement we did not do that for reasons well enough known to all civilized people.

      God evidently also has Rules of Engagement in His war with Satan. With His infinite power He could overwhelm Satan in every instance. But for reasons He has not revealed to us, He chooses not to do that. He has told us (Isa. 55:8-9) that "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."

      Dear readers, I attribute Noah's terrible, fatal ordeal to the work of Satan. When Noah became alone and lost, Satan saw an opportunity and seized it! It is his delight to inflict as much pain, suffering and hardship on people as he can. He has not an iota of mercy for a two year old child, helpless, innocent and sweet. In fact, the more he can destroy such goodness, the more satisfied he is. For you see, the goodness, innocence and sweetness in little Noah were the gift of God. And Satan's every act is aimed at God, his great enemy.

      No one can say why God did not extend His loving hand to save the life of Noah, but we must remember what Christ said to adults in Matt. 19:14, "Let the little children alone and do not hinder them coming to Me, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these." God was watching with greatest interest and concern as Noah struggled on until exhaustion and then death overtook him. Satan had then completed his malicious work.  Then God took possession of little Noah's pure and innocent soul and placed him forever beyond Satan's cruel hand. Noah is now with God in a state of eternally undisturbed bliss. His companions are angels. He enjoys light, comfort and surrounding beauty we cannot imagine. He is missed, mourned and lamented by the loving family (and others) left behind on earth. But Noah will for unending ages be filled with joy and peace.

      Dear reader, in your personal philosophy you may not accept my interpretation placed upon Noah's ordeal and others like it throughout the world. But it makes sense to me; I believe it is true; and I find peace and comfort in it. My inner tension for the past several days is now relieved. I thank you for reading my exposition to the end. May God bless you! 

THE IDENTITY OF CHRIST

Jno. 7:43 ... "There arose a division in the multitude because of Him."

      The phrase "identity crisis" is well known and often used. The ordinary meaning is that someone is confused about his relation to life and is anxious about just where he should fit into the scheme of things. In the seventh chapter of John the focal point of interest is upon an identity crisis, although it is one of a different kind. No one is presented as being unsure of who he is or what his role in the community should be. Rather than being subjective, it was objective. There was a certain Man who knew absolutely who He was and what His mission was. But the people among whom He lived and conducted His work were not so sure. Many doubted His identity and sought to deny Him the liberty to accomplish His mission. That Man, a teacher from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, was speaking and working in a way most unorthodox in Jewish society. His name was Jesus, recognized as the son of the village carpenter and his wife Mary.

      His own brothers challenged Him to go to Jerusalem and reveal Himself to the multitudes which would be on pilgrimage there. Then the writer observes that "not even His brothers were believing in Him," (v.5). Like the people of Nazareth, these young men would not admit Jesus as the Messiah because of their life-long acquaintance with Him. In response to this denial Jesus had once said, "A prophet is not without honor except in his home town and among his own relatives and in his own household," (Mrk. 6:4). It is strange but true that among people overall "familiarity breeds contempt." It is to the credit of Jesus' brothers, however, that after His resurrection they changed their minds, accepted Him as the Messiah, and served Him most faithfully. Two of them, James and Jude, later wrote inspired books of the Testament.

      When Jesus went to Jerusalem, His presence caused a great stir among the vast crowds of people. It is reported in v.12 that "there was much grumbling among the multitudes concerning Him. Some were saying, 'He is a good man'; others were saying, 'No, on the contrary, He leads the people astray." The spectrum of public opinion concerning Jesus ranged from the status of Him being a "good man" to that of one who "leads the people astray." As they listened to His teaching, they were impressed with His knowledge and ability to reason quickly with profound wisdom. Verse 15 states that "the Jews were marveling, saying, 'How has this Man become learned, having never been educated?" That is, they were unable to identify Him with respect to some school that had trained Him, for He had, in fact, attended none.

      The rulers were convinced Jesus was a dangerous revolutionary who ought to be removed. First, they sought to prejudice the people against Him with slanderous statements, such as, "You have a demon!" (v.20). Then "they sought to seize Him (v.30) by sending some of the Temple police to arrest Him (v.32). Later, they were more than chagrined when these officers returned empty-handed. When asked why they had not taken Jesus into custody, the officers replied, "Never did a man speak the way this Man speaks," (v.45). When Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish High Council, dared propose they give Jesus a hearing to explain His teaching and actions, they silenced him with barbed ridicule: "You are not also from Galilee, are you?" (v.52).

      There was indeed "a division in the multitude because of Him"! And this division remains among people to the present time. The diversity of opinion is not due to any multi-faceted nature of Jesus, but rather to the vainglory and perversity of human nature. To the Jews, Jesus was (and still is) a "stumbling-block," and to the Greeks He is "foolishness," (I Cor. 1:23). This does not adversely reflect upon Jesus; to the contrary, it exposes the prejudice of the Jews and the vaunted egotism of the Greeks. "But to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ [is] the power of God and the wisdom of God," (I Cor. 1:24). This is His true identity!