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!