Monday, June 27, 2016

How many times did God part the sea?

Everyone remembers Moses parting the Red Sea, and I always think of Charlton Heston when I think of Moses, but actually the Lord parted rivers different times by four different people. Thus, the correct answer to the question is four times, but let’s look at the four different times and compare the different ways in which it was done.

First, let’s start with the parting of the Red Sea, with Moses, since it is the most famous incident, and the first. “And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.” (Exodus 14:21) When I read this verse, I do always think of Heston, because, at least in my memory (?), I remember the whole scene, of Heston parting the waters, to be filled with a mighty howling wind. I recall the wind tearing at the clothes of Moses (Heston), even as he lifted his staff. Indeed, the Bible says that this is the only parting where wind is involved; it is not completely clear, but evidently the force of the wind actually parted the sea. Even though natural physical forces were used to cause this miracle, it went far beyond something natural. Note that the hand of Moses was what initiated the wind, and note that the children went over on dry ground (v. 22). Then, the forces of Pharaoh, and Pharaoh himself were caught in the sea when Moses again stretched out his hand. And, last, the wind in itself was unlikely to create any “path” at all, but would be a normal chaotic and random event, if it were natural. But that is exactly the point—these events are not natural—they make the act of Moses to be miraculous.

What a majestic scene that must have been—Heston notwithstanding. Can you imagine being a spectator to that whole scene? I imagine a wind so strong that even shouted words would be almost useless. Nevertheless, all of Israel, standing before the sea, see Moses lift his hands, and before their eyes the waters begin to be beaten back. In some ways it marked the end of the beginning for the relationship of God and the Israelites. God had remarkably delivered the Israelites with the ten plagues, even causing the Egyptians to surrender their jewelry to the Israelites. Now, God had steered them into an impossible corner, the Red Sea, with the armies advancing, and their doom apparent. So, what does God do? He makes the impossible corner open an escape route, and one that also spells the doom of all the Egyptians who were in pursuit.

Second, after all the forty years wandering through the wilderness was over, Moses, in his last act, turns his authority over to Joshua. It remains to Joshua to carry the Israelites to the promised land, but they face an obstacle- the Jordan River is a large barrier keeping them from the promised land. It is interesting to note how far the news of that original parting had come, for Rahab says, “For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt.” (Joshua 2:10) The spies return with the news that all their enemies are frightened and dismayed at what they hear God doing with the Israelites. Joshua takes heart at this report, and sends the ark to the Jordan: “And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.” (Joshua 3:15-17)

As the leadership mantle is passed from Moses to Joshua, all of the Israelites were undoubtedly wondering if Joshua was going pass muster. In this act of parting the Jordan River, God removed all doubt—they had heard of the parting of the Red Sea. Remember that all the adults had now died off, and at best the children who had been present at the parting of the sea were now themselves old. Most of the nation had but heard of the great acts of God—now they were to see for themselves. Note that there is no wind here; only the quiet marching of the priests carrying the ark of God, and when their feet touch the waters, the waters part, and all of Israel is able to go over on dry land. There is also a specific purpose for the two partings of the river told in Joshua. “That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever.” (4:24) There is a constant theme in the Old Testament of God wanting peoples other than the Israelites to know about him, and I marvel at the way that God dealt with the Israelites seems to spread across the land.

Third, there arose in Israel the prophet of all prophets, Elijah. Elijah, fulfilling his ministry, and commanded of God to turn his ministry over to his successor, is taking his last walk, where he is carried up into the air by a whirlwind, seeing the chariots as he goes. On his last walk he comes to the Jordan River, “and Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.”(2 Kings 2:8) Note a couple of things: 1) this is again on the Jordan River, just as Joshua had already crossed, and 2) there is no major wind, other than the whirlwind which eventually carries Elijah, to push back the waters.

Fourth? You probably already guessed it. Elijah’s servant, Elisha, was soon to replicate the parting of the river. “And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.” (2 Kings 2:14) You may remember, but probably not, that I have already written some things about his great question, where is the Lord God of Elijah. So we have a total of four partings of the waters given to us in scripture.

Why aren’t there more? I cannot answer anything but to comment that these are the four that God saw fit to leave us with. I would notice that all of them are given as miracles—that is, they are spectacularly listed with details precisely because the writers of the miracles knew they were breaking natural laws. Sometimes we make assumptions about prior periods of history, and I have heard more than once the objection that people were easily fooled back then, because they were more superstitious, and less trained in scientific things.

But the opposite is more nearly the truth. The baby notices things going on around him, and they occur with a rhythmic pattern, following the natural laws. It is from an infant’s age that we note this regularity of nature, and it is what we come to expect when we observe the world around us. In these four instances, the writers were telling us about something not regular—that is the whole point of a miracle. It breaks all of the rules, and stands out. In the Christian world, miracles are given to point us singularly to God, or to what God is showing.

I am very interested in speculating that God is not yet through with this kind of miracle. I have no proof, and it is, as I say, mere speculation, but one of the things that God has told us is that in the end times he is going to send a prophet like unto Elijah (Malachi 4:5). If a prophet is coming like unto Elijah, it is for the stated purpose of turning the hearts of Israel back to God, and many signs and miracles will accompany that coming. One of those miracles might actually replicate the miracle that Elijah has already done. Perhaps the world will yet see one more parting of the waters. I cannot say for sure, but what a marvel it is to look forward to!


Wednesday, June 22, 2016

What are the seven things Jesus prays for us in the Lord's Prayer?

Seven times Christ prays for believers in the Lord’s Prayer:

The Lord’s Prayer is in John 17. Jesus, in nearly his last words to his disciples, wants them to know this prayer, and evidently uttered it so that at least John was able to hear and remember what was prayed. He later recorded those words of prayer for us, that we might know the very things that Jesus mentions in nearly his last prayer on earth. Hebrews of course teaches us that he “ever liveth to make intercession for us.” I find it wonderful to recount the seven petitions that Jesus makes for believers.

1. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
John 17:9

First, Jesus prays specifically for those that the Father has given him, not for everyone in the world. He centers out the believers to the Father as separate and wants the Father to know specifically that he is praying for those who would believe.

2. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
John 17:11

Jesus asks that the Father would keep each one who has believed—those that the Father has given to him. He asks that the Father might make them one, just as the Father and Son have a oneness. Here he is praying for a unity that ought to make us ashamed of our infighting, and that before a lost world.

3. And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
John 17:13

He asks that the very joy he has might be given to believers. What a remarkable fact it is that joy is a common theme of saints throughout history! We have literally Jesus-joy!

4. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
John 17:15

We are to be kept by the very power of the Father from evil, or from the evil one. As Paul later reminds us, nothing is able to separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ our Lord.

5. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
John 17:17

At the time this was prayed, there was no New Testament—not a single book had been written. Jesus is praying that the whole truth of God may separate us for His glorious purpose. Note that the last prayer is to keep us from evil and this prayer is to separate us for God’s purpose.

6. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
John 17:20,21

Again, he affirms the petition for oneness, and that ought to sober us as we think of how we ought to treat one another. Jesus here connects that oneness as being the very thing that will attract a lost world and signal to them that God has sent Jesus, just as the gospel declares.

7. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
John 17:24

In John 14:2, Jesus declares “I go now to prepare a place for you, that where I am you may be also.” Here he petitions exactly that, that believers may one day follow him into heaven itself, and that we might be able to see the very glory that is given Jesus of the Father.

In my final observations, I would note again that Jesus really prays for us to have unity. As a twice-trained counselor for Billy Graham Crusades, I watched as people willingly put aside doctrinal differences to put on a loving Christian face that did indeed make for a powerful testimony of the gospel. Jesus tells us in this prayer solemnly and twice that the unity is important and its intended result is that the world might believe that God sent his Son into the world for whosoever may come.

Having said that, unity is hard, and comes only with great cost and with great risk. How many times has history seen divergent groups going their own way, with that way ending in disaster? No one wants to unify with such a group. But it can be easily seen that there are many less divisive things that interfere with our unity. In our prayer for revival (For how can the Spirit of God work unless these dead bones be revived?) let our petition go up to God, that he may unify us in his Spirit, and let that unity speak loudly to our lost world.

Unity, joy, and sanctification are three main themes of the Lord’s Prayer. In our walk through the Christian life we would do well to pay attention to all three themes. Keeping in mind the fourth theme, that we will someday be allowed to see Jesus in all his glory, ought to be a motivator to pray and seek the other three themes.

Seven duties of the Holy Spirit

John 16
9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you


Please note that these seven duties all come from John 16, where Jesus is promising another Comforter, and describing what he will do.

1. Convicting of sin
A primary function of God the Spirit is to convict us of sin, and this he seems to do severally. First, he convicts the sinner of his nature, which I think to be the main aim of this passage. But also, he convicts the believer of his sin, and the need to confess (agree) with God that sin is indeed sin. Perhaps also, there is a general sense of right and wrong that most people have that may originate with the general convicting power of the Spirit.

2. Convicting of righteousness
The Spirit’s job when people are being prepared to come to Christ is first to convict them of their need, and then to convict them of the perfect solution—the righteousness that is available only in Christ Jesus. All our righteousness is as filthy rags, declares the Bible, and the job of the Spirit will never convict us of our righteousness in ourselves, but steadfastly will convict us of the righteousness in Christ.

3. Convicting of judgment
A great part of the process of believing God is the conviction, first of sin, then of the righteousness available in Christ, but last, not any less important, is the need for the believer to apprehend the judgment. What is to be done with someone who refuses the gift of God? It is the Spirit’s plain job to show the new believer of his peril in trying to face God in his own strength. It is a fearsome thing to fall into the hands of an angry God, and all the more so because we refuse the mercy of God and think that we are able to maintain our own righteousness.

4. Guiding us

The scripture is reprinted below so that you might check each step.
The seven steps the Holy Spirit takes in guiding us:
1. The Comforter’s job is to testify about Jesus. John 15:26
2. The Comforter’s job is to guide us into all truth. John 16:13
3. The Comforter’s job is to not speak of himself. John 16:13
4. The Comforter’s job is to speak that which he hears. John 16:13
5. The Comforter’s job is to show us things to come. John 16:13
6. The Comforter’s job is to glorify Jesus. John 16:14
7. Finally, the Comforter’s job is to take the things that belong to the Father and the Son and show them unto us. John 16:15 (This verse implies the triune power and nature of God.)

John 15
26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
John 16
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.




5. Speaking what he hears (from Jesus)

Here we are told the Holy Spirt speaks that which he hears only. We can have confidence that all that we hear is completely from Jesus.

6. Showing things to come
All the prophecy of the New Testament had not been written. In the years to come, it was the job of the Holy Spirit to reveal that which was to come as the mystery age of the church was to unfold. In large part, the Holy Spirit took of the things already written in the Old Testament and revealed God’s plan for the church.

7. Glorifying Jesus by showing us Jesus
Jesus reminds us that he is sending “another” Comforter—one that is just like him in nature, but it is his job to unfold for us the beauty of the Son, and not to speak of himself.

The seven steps are repeated below to put them simply. Remember that fourth step seems to have seven of its own steps, outlined above.

1. Convicting of sin
2. Convicting of righteousness
3. Convicting of judgment
4. Guiding into truth
5. Speaking what he hears (from Jesus)
6. Showing things to come
7. Glorifying Jesus by showing us Jesus

I notice that the first three are used on the unsaved. Many people turn aside when convicted of sin and judgment, not allowing the Spirit to have his full work. When working properly, this part of the Holy Spirit results in the conversion of the unbeliever, and is the only way anyone can find God at all. The Bible is very clear that we are so totally lost in our sin that we are blind, and it is the very job of the Spirit to bring, as it were, light to that blindness, that we might begin to see our need for the Savior.

The fourth step that of guiding us can be divided seven ways and each of the ways has to do with the ministry of the Spirit after he is indwelling the believer. The Spirit speaks not of himself, but declares to us the things of the Son and the Father. The strongest testimony to the believer of God then comes from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, providing God-in-us to testify of the God without. We are so blind that we could not see at all except for the Holy Spirit who illumines our walk with God.


Friday, June 17, 2016

What are the sevens of John? Interlude after Part 2

Strangely enough, a study of the gospel of John reveals many lists of sevens. In this series, I hope to show many of them. Which, of course, leads to an interesting question. We do know from Revelation that John shared much in sevens. There are the seven thunders, the seven horns, the seven seals, the seven eyes, the seven trumpets, the seven angels, etc. We note and appreciate all the sevens and they teach us that there is a completeness in the sense of final perfection to all the judgments of wickedness. But for me to find this many sevens in John is surprising, and all the more so to me because John has long been my favorite gospel and I thought I knew it very well.

What led me to this fascinating study was the unconscious realization that sevens were occurring in several places. Once I began to list them, one thing led to another, and I began to see sevens in many more places. The interesting question to look at now becomes: did John think in sevens? I know that he was so definitely inspired as he wrote the gospel, but did he unconsciously think of things in sevens? I cannot be sure about the answer to that, but I am sure that there are a great many lists of seven things in the gospel, which may surprise people as much as it did me. I will do each list of seven things in a multi-part series.

Interlude
Comparing the seven I am statements with the seven miracles.


When I first began compiling the sevens of John, I tried matching the seven I am statements with the seven miracles. In some cases, the match seems to be so right—in other cases, not so much.

The seven I am statements of John
1. John 6:35
I am the bread of life.
2. John 8:12
I am the light of the world.
3. John 10:7
I am the door of the sheep.
4. John 10:11
I am the good shepherd.
5. John 11:25
I am the resurrection, and the life.
6. John 14:6
I am the way, the truth, and the life.
7. John 15:1
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

And his statement of being Jehovah:
John 8:58
Before Abraham was, I am.

The seven miracles of John
1. The miracle at Cana of Galilee -
John 2
2. The miracle of the healing of the nobleman’s son
John 4
3. The miracle of the healing of the lame man at Bethesda
John 5
4. The miracle of the feeding of the 5,000
John 6
5. The miracle of walking on Water
John 6
6. The miracle of healing of the blind man
John 9
7. The miracle of raising Lazarus
John 11

In my match-ups this is what I came up with. It is easy to see that some of them fit very well, while others are of a more questionable nature. Nevertheless the ones that seemed to connect made it a worth-while Bible study for me, and hopefully will do the same for you.
1. The miracle of Cana of Galilee
This miracle is the first for Jesus, who gives honor to his mother in letting her choose the miracle to begin his ministry. The best match for it is “I am the true vine.”

2. The miracle of the healing of the nobleman’s son
This healing takes place remotely—that is, Jesus heals the son without being in his presence. Thus, it shows the omnipotence of Jesus. Perhaps the best fit for this is “I am the door of the sheep,” but I cannot help but notice the great I am statement of Jesus might be an even better fit.

3. The miracle of the healing of the lame man at Bethesda
This healing takes place at the pool of Bethesda, a pool which the helpless lay around awaiting a miraculous healing. Thus, Jesus moved with compassion, singles out this poor soul and heals him. It best fits with “I am the good shepherd.”

4. The miracle of the feeding of the five thousand
This miracle occurs in the same chapter in which Jesus declares, “I am the bread of life,” and thus is an easy fit.

5. The miracle of walking on water
This miracle shows again the complete omnipotence of Jesus—even the sea succumbs to his need. The best I am statement for it is, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” It shows his power over creation itself, and thus shows that he is indeed the way, or the path, to find God.

6. The miracle of the healing of the blind man
This miracle fits really well with “I am the light of the world.” I think of all the times when Jesus talked to the Jewish leaders about their blindness, even as they were gazing on the light of the world.

7. The miracle of raising Lazurus
This climax of miracles in John reminds us, of course, of “I am the resurrection and the life.” It occurs in this chapter and is an easy fit.

I notice a few further things about the match-ups. In the third miracle, the miracle of the healing of the lame man at the pool of Bethesda, it was done on the Sabbath. Many of the miracles that Jesus did were purposely done on the Sabbath to show that Jesus was Lord or Master over even the Sabbath day—the day that the Jews felt most holy, and therefore prohibited work. The healing of the blind man in John 9 was similarly done on the Sabbath day, and violation of the Sabbath was an enormously huge thing to the Jews. John thus includes these two miracles, done on Sabbath days, but interestingly, John never makes the point as do the other Gospel writers, that Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. Perhaps John wished to present Jesus the Savior and God of Mankind. Certainly the climactic miracle, the raising of Lazarus, is so placed as to emphasize the Savior of the world. The raising of Lazarus is only eclipsed by the resurrection of the Son, the one who does have the power over death. The hope of the Christian is partly the constant look to Christ to make death start marching backwards. We live and hope for the day when we will hear his call.

Another interesting note is that John is the gospel writer to make it most clear that Jesus did exercise his lordship over the Sabbath, for according to this gospel it is easily evident that the famous last supper was celebrated a day early. John brings to clarity those things that happened during the last week, and devotes a third of his gospel to those very events. John makes it clear that Jesus, the Lamb of God, was killed at the very time when the Passover lambs were to be killed for the Passover (19:14). Since they already had the Passover meal the night when Jesus was betrayed, they must have celebrated the Passover early. Bible scholars have long noted the absence of the Paschal lamb, which is manifestly missing from all four gospels. There was no need of a lamb at the dinner, for the disciples had the Christ himself, who picked that very night to institute the practice of communion thus pointing to himself as being the sacrificial lamb.

Thursday, June 09, 2016

What are the sevens of John? Part 2

Strangely enough, a study of the gospel of John reveals many lists of sevens. In this series, I hope to show many of them. Which, of course, leads to an interesting question. We do know from Revelation that John shared much in sevens. There are the seven thunders, the seven horns, the seven seals, the seven eyes, the seven trumpets, the seven angels, etc. We note and appreciate all the sevens and they teach us that there is a completeness in the sense of final perfection to all the judgments of wickedness. But for me to find this many sevens in John is surprising, and all the more so to me because John has long been my favorite gospel and I thought I knew it very well.

What led me to this fascinating study was the unconscious realization that sevens were occurring in several places. Once I began to list them, one thing led to another, and I began to see sevens in many more places. The interesting question to look at now becomes: did John think in sevens? I know that he was so definitely inspired as he wrote the gospel, but did he unconsciously think of things in sevens? I cannot be sure about the answer to that, but I am sure that there are a great many lists of seven things in the gospel, which may surprise people as much as it did me. I will do each list of seven things in a multi-part series.
The seven I am statements of John

Each of the seven great I am statements of John establish the deity and the basic foundation of Jesus Christ to the world. Without these great statements of Jesus our understanding of the person of Jesus would be greatly, and perhaps mortally reduced. But have them we do, and I find it so interesting that John lists exactly seven of them, and all of them point to a Savior who can completely save. It is worthy to notice that nearly all are exclusive; power, authority, and salvation alone belong to this solitary man Jesus. Many Christians suffer from the false idea that there is after all more than one way to heaven, but Jesus insists time and again that the way to hell is broad, and many find it, but the path to heaven is narrow, and few are those who find it. In making each of these epic statements about himself, Jesus would force us to see the Savior, the Son of God, and the co-equal of the Father. No other interpretation of these verses is possible for the literal view.

1. John 6:35
I am the bread of life.

The basic food of man is bread. Here Jesus is claiming to be the basic sustenance of man—the needed component without which man would starve. He is claiming that He is the Bread, the foundation on which rests all of life itself.

2. John 8:12
I am the light of the world.

The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness did not comprehend it. The light is so far beyond the darkness that it could never understand the light. The light draws men to it as a moth might be attracted to a lamp, but sinful men, performing their deeds of darkness, prefer it to light. Here Jesus is claiming to be that light, and in the thousands of years since he came we can find no other person in history who has acted like a light, drawing men to it as moths to lamps. Certainly we also note the deeds of darkness always try to mask themselves, and flee the light where so ever it might shine. On the last day is it not promised that the light will shine and uncover all the evil deeds of men?

3. John 10:7
I am the door of the sheep.

There is but one door, and that is the door for which we sheep can enter. Jesus elaborates greatly on this picture, telling us that some try to come in by another door, but they are thieves and robbers. Devising many wicked plots, men have tried to find other doors, any other doors, except that one which is freely offered by the Good Shepherd. How foolish is the man who will not use the door!

4. John 10:11
I am the good shepherd.

He knows his sheep, his sheep hear his voice, and they follow him. All that the Lord has sovereignly chosen are in the fold. They know their Shepherd, and are awaiting his return.

5. John 11:25
I am the resurrection, and the life.

Note that this rather famous “I am” was said before the resurrection of Jesus, and refers to our resurrection, and our life, which is found in his resurrection and in his life. The claim of Christ here is that he is fount of life and resurrection, that he alone is the way back to God. We find ourselves in him, a riddle that has defeated the wise for centuries.

6. John 14:6
I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No one, Jesus continues, comes to the Father but by me. All other ways of salvation are meaningless plots devised in the hearts of men who fail to hear the ringing of this verse. God, in his mercy, has provided a way, and happy are the many millions who have found it!

7. John 15:1
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

There is one vine, and one only. That one is the true vine. The vine provides the juice of the grape that the lost world might be saved if it chooses to partake. I am the Vine; ye are the branches. Later Paul tells us that we are but branches which have been grafted in, and that is a wonderful picture of salvation. We were lost and dead branches until the Great Husbandman made us to be part of that vine.

And last I would make mention of the great I am statement. This is a statement of deity, and not the same as the statements of Jesus equating himself to some known quantity, so it does not properly fit in the list of seven. In this great statement, Jesus is claiming to be equal to the Father, taking upon himself that same mantle of divinity which is so far above our understanding. Many are the interpreters who would change this verse, but note that the Jews quickly understood it for what it was, a great statement of divinity, for their reaction is to try to stone Jesus for blasphemy. For any but the Son of God, this would indeed be the most blasphemous statement. As a true statement it is deserving of all the consideration and worship that we can give it.
And his statement of being Jehovah:
John 8:58
Before Abraham was, I am.


These are either the statements of an insane man, the statements of the most evil and diabolical man in history (note the many millions who have subsequently given their lives for his message), or the statements of a man who is telling the truth. The statements do not at all fit an insane man—readers of the Bible can look in vain for hints of madness. What we do find is a man presenting himself lucidly as the Bread of Life, the Light of the World, the True Vine, and the Good Shepherd. His message is consistent and is validated by the miracles which he continually shows. But neither can these statements be shown to be statements of an evil man, trying to deliberately lead the world astray. His foresight with men was remarkable, seeing their hearts, and frequently answering not the question given as much as the question unspoken. Perhaps the greatest proof of his innate goodness lies in the changed nature of the millions who have met the great “I am”.

Monday, June 06, 2016

What are the sevens of John? Part 1

Strangely enough, a study of the gospel of John reveals many lists of sevens. In this series, I hope to show many of them. Which, of course, leads to an interesting question. We do know from Revelation that John shared much in sevens. There are the seven thunders, the seven horns, the seven seals, the seven eyes, the seven trumpets, the seven angels, etc. We note and appreciate all the sevens and they teach us that there is a completeness in the sense of final perfection to all the judgments of wickedness. But for me to find this many sevens in John is surprising, and all the more so to me because John has long been my favorite gospel and I thought I knew it very well.

What led me to this fascinating study was the unconscious realization that sevens were occurring in several places. Once I began to list them, one thing led to another, and I began to see sevens in many more places. The interesting question to look at now becomes: did John think in sevens? I know that he was so definitely inspired as he wrote the gospel, but did he unconsciously think of things in sevens? I cannot be sure about the answer to that, but I am sure that there are a great many lists of seven things in the gospel, which may surprise people as much as it did me. I will do each list of seven things in a multi-part series.

Seven miracles of John:

In the first series I will take a look at the seven miracles of John, and at the end I will have a short appreciation-piece as to why John may have thought these miracles to be so special. It is John, after all, who tells us that there are “many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book”. Why these miracles were chosen, when there were so many to choose from makes for interesting thoughts.

1. The miracle at Cana of Galilee

John 2
1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
6 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.
9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,
10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.
11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

2. The nobleman’s son

John 4
46 So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.
47 When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.
48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.
49 The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.
50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.
51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth.
52 Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.
53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.
54 This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.

3. The lame man at Bethesda

John 5
After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

4. Feeding of the 5,000

John 6
After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias.
2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.
3 And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.
4 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.
5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.
7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.
8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,
9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.
14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.

5. Walking on Water

John 6
16 And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea,
17 And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.
18 And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.
19 So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.
20 But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.
21 Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.

6. Blind man

John 9
And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
8 The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?
9 Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.
10 Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened?
11 He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.
12 Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not.
13 They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.
14 And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.

7. Lazarus

John 11
Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.
18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:
19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
28 And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.
29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.
30 Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.
31 The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.
32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.
34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
37 And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?
38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.

Looking at the seven miracles, I can see that all show Jesus to be God. First, in the miracle of changing the water to wine, he is showing us that he is the God who supplies our need. In the second miracle, the miracle of healing the nobleman’s son, he shows that he is the God who is all-powerful over man, even when he is not actually present. (The son was healed by the spoken word of Jesus, without him being present.) In the third miracle, the healing of the lame man, Jesus is demonstrating his passion for the weak, as well as showing that he is all-powerful even over disease. Likewise, the fourth miracle, the feeding of the five thousand, is done to exhibit his compassion for the multitudes, as well as demonstrating that he is indeed the Bread of Life. In the fifth miracle, the miracle of walking on the water, he demonstrates his all-power over creation itself. Interestingly, John skips Peter’s adventure of walking on water, perhaps because John wants to emphasize the Lordship of Jesus over all creation. This miracle, performed on the Sabbath day is the first of two miracles in which Jesus demonstrates his Lordship over the Sabbath. In the sixth miracle, Jesus again demonstrates his compassion over mankind by healing a lame man. The miracle is performed on the Sabbath, which is another demonstration that he is Lord, or Boss, over even the Sabbath. In the last miracle, Jesus foreshadows his death with that of Lazarus, who spent four days in the tomb before being called back to life. Jesus demonstrates his complete mastery over even death by calling Lazarus forth from the grave.
Each one of the miracles therefore points to the complete deity of Christ, showing that he is Lord and Master over all things.

Sunday, June 05, 2016

What is the Power of 3:16?

Of all the unlikely occurrences there are what I call the 3:16s of the New Testament. Strangely, this single address seems to have very many powerful verses, verses that explain many aspects of the gospel. I have found this phenomenon to have occurred at least ten times, and I would like to explain one of them each time. Together we will see that the verses do much to explain the entire gospel, hitting on many main doctrinal points.
How do I explain this phenomenon? I don’t. I understand the numbering of verses happened much later in history, and I fully understand that they are not meant to be inspired. Rather they are meant to give us the address, or location, of that which is inspired. And yet, as a life-long reader of the Bible, I noticed that so many of the 3:16s were powerful verses and I took a wild notion to collect them. This collection of ten 3:16s will powerfully portray the gospel, and it does leave me wondering about the power of our God being displayed in so many ways, even through the numbering systems that man later encumbered the Scriptures with.

The first verse of 3:16 is found in what I have termed “The Announcement”, the validating cry of John the Baptist as he beheld the Christ. It is found in Luke 3:16, “John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.” John the Baptist, coming in the spirit and likeness of his forerunner, Elijah, makes the open announcement to the world about the Lamb of God. Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world, proclaims John in the gospel of the same name. The announcement was the most momentous since the creation of the world, and will be eclipsed only by the return of the Son. The Divine Solution to the problem of sin was at last revealed to the Jews, and the wait for the promised Redeemer was over.

The second occurrence of 3:16 is what I term “The Validation”, immediately happening subsequent to The Announcement. John the Baptist is not the only one to testify of the coming of the Christ. The voice of the Father is heard saying this is my beloved Son, hear him. Along with the voice, not given in 3:16, is the testimony of John, verifying his recognition, saying, “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him” (Matthew 3:16). Accompanying that, the voice of the Father is attested to in the very next verse, the first of three times, “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”.

The third significant verse of 3:16 is the one you most likely thought about when you saw the title of this piece; it is John 3:16, often called the miniature gospel. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If I had one verse to give to my unsaved neighbor and one only, I would quickly pick this verse, because from that one verse it is very easy to explain the whole gospel. It is a verse given first to Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews, who was trying to understand who Jesus was.

The fourth verse is one that is not so well-known, but in many ways is the simple complete message of the gospel. It is found in 1 Timothy 3:16, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” This verse covers the facts: 1) God was manifest in the flesh, 2) justified in the Spirit, much looked at by the angels, 3) preached to the Gentiles, 4) believed on by many in the world, and 5) received up into glory. It is difficult to see how more basic doctrine might be poured into a single verse.

The fifth verse of 3:16 that I would like to look at is found in 1 John 3:16, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” This verse points to we Christians the utter importance of our loving one another, even to the point of following the example of Christ, who gave himself for us. If the church was following this one verse how completely different we would be!

The six verse of 3:16 is about the separate life Christians live, a two-fold process that takes place through the Spirit, but also through the believer’s choices. It is, (1 Corinthians 3:16) “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” Here Paul is reminding us of the dual nature of our sanctification. First, we were separated by the Spirit indwelling in each of us, and that came to us at the highest of prices, that the very Son of God should give himself for us (v. 17). Second, we are to stay away from things which would grieve that Spirit living in us. How marvelous it is that the very presence of God should fill our very lives!

The seventh 3:16 is found in James, and says, “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” It is well said that pride goes before the fall, but I might add that it is pride which is behind nearly every sin. One of the great marks of intellect is having the ability to compare and we strive to inculcate it into our very young with teaching the famous Venn diagram, and through teaching them to compare in so many imaginative ways. The ability to discriminate between good and better is a good thing for us to learn. But it is this same ability to compare that provides a high dive into the cesspool of pride when we seek to compare ourselves with others. Paul points to the Corinthians, many of whom preferred one leader over the other, and Paul insists that such comparing is sin. James reminds us that comparing our virtues to others only leads to “every evil work” and we are better Christians when we seek to diminish the envying and the strife. Blessed is the peacemaker.

The eighth important verse of 3:16 is found in Revelation. It is the verse many Bible scholars agree is written of our own age, and unfortunately is a common characteristic found in our churches. It says, “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.” As an American who has never been out of his nation (seldom out of California), I tremble over this verse when I think about American Christianity. I hear from missionaries that American Christians are missing so much that is important to Christian living a called life. We are too comfortable in our Sunday worship and our daily neglect, and if we are not careful, we will find ourselves being lukewarm.

The ninth 3:16 occurs in Colossians, and may be thought of as a prescription against the lukewarmness that we were warned about in Revelation. It says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” You cannot be a lukewarm Christian if you are allowing the Word of God to fill your hearts, and singing hymns through your day. The result of living such a life will provide testimony to your fellow believers that indeed the grace of God is found in you, and that you are endeavoring to be the hot Christian, rather than the lukewarm.

The last verse of 3:16 is found again in Timothy, this time the second letter. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” Our foundation stone is to be the Word of God, and though we may have doctrinal differences with fellow believers, we are commanded to love one another. As the old song says, “And they will know we are Christians by His love”. The Word of God needs to be our foundation for building that life where, as Colossians bids us, the word of Christ is dwelling in us richly. How poor we are when we wait until Sunday to open our Bibles! We have been given a vast treasure in the Word of God, and dutifully paying daily attention to it will help us to grow into that mature saint.

I notice several things about these ten 3:16s, and I would like to comment on them a bit. I notice the first four 3:16s seem to have to do with the person of Christ: his presentation to the world, the love of God for the world in presenting him, and ending with the simple message that God is made manifest in the flesh. The remaining six all have to do with Christian sanctification: that we should love one another, that we should strive to keep ourselves separate from the things of the world, and that, in the last two, we should be found “dwelling” in the Word of God. I also note that Timothy was twice blessed with powerful 3:16 verses, one describing the gospel and teaching Timothy the simple gospel, and the other describing the power of the Word of God. Perhaps Paul was teaching deliberately to Timothy a simple way of presenting the gospel with the admonition to have it all bathed in the richness of the Word of God.

I cannot explain the mystery of the 3:16s, and I do not know if we might choose some other verse address that might be meaningful, but I do rather doubt that any other address should have this complete of a foundation for the Christian. A study of these verses should provide a rich reflection of the glory of God presented in Christ Jesus.

And it is altogether fitting that I should close this very short reflection with a salutation from 2 Thessalonians 3:16, “Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.” May it be so!