Who is God? Part 1

How great is God? Is God good or evil? Is God near or far or both? Can God be three and one? Does God have a plan? Did God really create everything that is? Does God provide today? A Greek word for God is Theos and so the study of God is called theology. Let’s discuss some questions about God as revealed in the Christian Bible.

All who study Christian theology agree that God has no gender. However, there is extensive use of masculine imagery when referring to God. For some modern gender sensitivities this may be offensive. However, for this study let us simply lay aside our gender preferences and allow the original use of language to speak to us without neutering it. Perhaps in so doing we may discover a divine purpose in gender metaphors which go way beyond our prejudices and we may also discover new revelations of who God is.

How Great is God?

God is Spirit

When speaking to a Samaritan woman, whose people believed that worship should take place only on Mount Gerizim, Jesus brought her attention to the topic of worshipping God in spirit and a true heart.

“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24 KJV)

If God is spirit, what does that say about God’s greatness? It means that physical means of worship are of much lesser importance than what happens spiritually. Worshiping in truth has a double meaning. Worship is to lead us into God’s truth and worship ought not to be faked but engaged in truthfully, free from pretense. God knows if our hearts are sincere.

Is God a Personal Being?

Is God a personable being or just an impersonal universal force of some kind? Let’s look at some characteristics that describe the personality of God. Some of these passages describe God via the Father, while others describe God via the Son or the Holy Spirit. We will discuss the distinctions in greater depth later. Let’s also discuss what His personality traits say about God’s personal nature?

God is Gentle

In the only rest command in the New Testament, Jesus invited us to come to Him, why? Because He is gentle and humble in heart, we will find the rest for our souls that a physical Sabbath day pointed to.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV)

The King James Bible translated this as “meek and lowly.” Paul used similar words of, “the humility and gentleness of Christ,” in writing to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 10:1).

God is Loving

What kind of love does God have for the world? How is it demonstrated? The word “so” in the following famous passage actually says, “God loved the world in this way.”

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. (John 3:16 KJV)

All Christians believe that God proved his love in Jesus’ death on the cross.

For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. (Psalm 100:5 NLT)

God is Kind

The relationship between Abraham and his oldest servant, named elsewhere as Eliezer (Genesis 15:2), has always been an inspiration. Had Abraham been childless, this servant would have inherited everything, but he wanted to bless Abraham and his son. In seeking a wife for Abraham’s son, this loyal servant spoke of God’s personality traits including “His mercy and his truth.”

Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord. And he said, “Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren.” (Genesis 24:26-27 NKJV)

As Jacob recognized his unworthiness to receive God’s blessings, he prayed to God of His kind mercies in the context “of all the truth.”

I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies. (Genesis 32:10 NKJV)

God has been kind to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and many others throughout human history.

God is Compassionate

Though God occasionally punished the wrongdoing of humanity, just like any loving parent, in compassion God also relented and helped even when people did not deserve it.

“... If at that time you and your children return to the Lord your God, and if you obey with all your heart and all your soul all the commands I have given you today, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes. He will have mercy on you… (Deuteronomy 30:1-3 NLT)

But the Lord was gracious and merciful to the people of Israel, and they were not totally destroyed. He pitied them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And to this day he still has not completely destroyed them or banished them from his presence. (2 Kings 13:23 NLT)

God is Faithful

In the context of Old Testament Temple worship, we learn a principle regarding what attitude we should have when entering a modern church service. We should enter with thanksgiving and praise for God’s faithfulness throughout human generations.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. (Psalm 100:4-5 NIV)

God is Forgiving

In a world of hurt and pain, one of the hardest things to do is forgive those who have done wrong towards us. Yet, God forgives and he expects us to as well.

And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” (Mark 11:25 ESV)

Jesus prayed for God to forgive people even before they had repented. Why?

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34 NLT)

Paul reminded the ancient church in Colossae, Greece that God expects that we also forgive just as the Lord forgave us.

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. (Colossians 3:13 NLT)

God is Good

God is good, as the popular Thanksgiving Psalm says.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. (Psalms 100:5 NIV)

God is Just

God does not tolerate the perversion of justice.

Fear the Lord and judge with integrity, for the Lord our God does not tolerate perverted justice, partiality, or the taking of bribes. (2 Chronicles 9:7 NLT)

All God’s ways are just. That means that he is just and fair.

He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He. (Deuteronomy 32:4 NKJV)

God is Life

God is the source of all life. Only when God breathed into the first human the breath of life did he become a living being.

Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7 NASB)

In a contrast between our mortality and God’s immortality, He is called the living God. This refers to God as the living one, the fountain of life.

For what mortal has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and survived? (Deuteronomy 5:26 NIV)

A young man once said that he used to go to church but “outgrew” God. Such a comment can only come from thinking which does not understand that our every heartbeat, our every breath is given by God. Nobody can outgrow the need for God’s life-sustaining presence. God is our life.

that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them. (Deuteronomy 30:20 NKJV)

In God is life.

In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. (John 1:4-5 KJV)

God Inhabits Eternity

Eternity is an incredible concept for us to grasp, yet God inhabits eternity. That is, He lives there.

For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones. (Isaiah 57:15 NKJV)

He created “the heavens and the earth,” a Hebrew term meaning everything.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1 NASB)

God’s purpose and grace towards us was planned out before the world began.

Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began (2 Timothy 1:9 KJV)

God promised the hope of eternal life before the beginning of time. We live:

in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began (Titus 1:2 NKJV)

Humanly, we struggle to fathom an eternity past, but in that eternity, God promised our hope of eternal life.

God is Unchanging

God’s word is settled. It stands firm in heaven.

Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. (Psalm 119:89 NASB)

God does not change.

I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed. (Malachi 3:6 NLT)

God’s purpose is unchanging. His counsel is immutable.

Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath (Hebrews 6:17 NKJV)

There is no variableness in God. He does not change like shifting shadows.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (James 1:17 KJV)

How Good is God?

God is Holy

We say that God is holy.

Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy! (Psalm 99:9 ESV)

This means that absolutely nothing else and nobody else is in the same category. He is different from anyone or anything in the world. He alone is worthy of our highest esteem and worship. We honor parents and heroes but we honor Him above all others. God is incomparable.

God is Righteous

Moderns often criticize God for allowing calamities and disasters, but Daniel did not see it that way. He called God’s decisions in regard to even disasters, righteous.

Therefore the Lord has kept the calamity in store and brought it on us; for the Lord our God is righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice. (Daniel 9:14 NASB)

By righteous, Daniel meant that God is just, blameless, right. There is no injustice in him.

God is Love

When we say that God is love.

He who does not love does not know God, for God is love... And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:8, 16 KJV)

The word love in Greek means that God has good will towards us. It means that God is wholly love, and His nature is summed up in love.

God is Just

Under divine inspiration, Paul wrote to the Christians in the Greek city of Thessaloniki, that God is just.

God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you (2 Thessalonians 1:6 NIV)

The word just or justice in this context means that God is impartial in passing judgment.

God is Truthful

By accepting the testimony of God, we are saying that God is true.

Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true. (John 3:33 NLT)

We take that from a very ancient understanding which literally means something that can’t be hidden. He cannot hide the truth through pretentiousness as we human beings do. Those who deny the existence of God are in denial of a self-evident truth. The forensic evidence is obvious.

God is Faithful

God inspired Paul to tell of His faithfulness to help the people of His Church.

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. (1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT)

What about those not in the Church? God is gracious and merciful and He will not turn away from us if we return to Him. It was explained to ancient Israel this way.

If you return to the LORD, then your fellow Israelites and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will return to this land, for the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him. (2 Chronicles 30:9 NIV)

This attribute of God is further revealed in the Parable of the Lost Son as the father who ran to compassionately greet his returning wayward son.

And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. (Luke 15:11-32 NKJV)

Conclusion

In the Bible, God is revealed as a personal Being who loves His children and wants to save all of us. Let’s get to know Him better.

Never Die?

Let’s look at a couple of ways to examine a Bible passage: solving some dilemmas and finding the Good News. Let’s examine the death of Lazarus, and Jesus’ intervention, the One who dares to call Himself “the resurrection and the life” in John 11:1-45.

1. What are some Dilemmas in the Passage?

John 11:17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.

Sometimes we pray, and God delays. Why? Perhaps the healing of Lazarus will provide a clue. When Jesus heard of His friend’s sickness, he indicated that it would all be used for God’s glory. While others panicked and were concerned, Jesus was calm in His faith. Do we stay calm?

God’s purpose was “so that you may believe.” Lazarus’ sisters said that if Jesus had only been there sooner… By this time, Lazarus had been dead four days. Again Jesus emphasized the necessity to believe. Even His prayer, which was a public prayer, was said so that hearers may believe.

John 11:35 Jesus wept.

Do real men weep? Theologians speak of Jesus as the most complete human being to have ever lived since Adam. Adam sinned. So have we. Jesus never did. He was like Adam in every regard except one — he never sinned. He had human nature in its pure, unblemished form.

He was the only man who ever lived to have untainted masculinity, as God intended a man to be. Jesus was deeply moved. In manliness, He showed feelings towards people who had little faith. Stoic detachedness is not manhood. One thing is sure: a real man was moved to tears.

John 11:39 “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

Why did Jesus delay coming? Why did disciples try to dissuade Jesus? Did Martha and Mary blame Jesus for deliberately delaying? Why did Martha doubt? Are our hopes and dreams dead? That’s the perfect time for Jesus to come. God may delay answering prayer but he’s always right on time.

John 11:41-42 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

Jesus taught us to pray in private (Matthew 6:6). Why did others pray publicly in God's house (Matthew 21:13), in small groups (Acts 1:14), by a river (Acts 16:13), on the seashore (Acts 21:5) and everywhere (1 Timothy 2:8)? Did they disobey Jesus?

The context of Jesus' instructions in the Sermon on the Mount was our motive in prayer. If our motive may be to show off spiritually or promote ourselves as super-spiritual, then it's better to pray in private. This time Jesus prayed in public to help others, that they may believe.

2. What is the Good News in the Passage?

John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die”

Jesus’ friend, Lazarus from Bethany, died. His sisters were Mary and Martha. The resurrection of Lazarus is a vision for the future and for today. When speaking to Martha, Jesus did not say that He would only be the resurrection on that final day, although He will be that too.

Jesus spoke in the present tense, “I AM the resurrection and the life.” When we believe in Jesus, we enter from death to life. Don’t live in fear of death. We no longer need to fear death, because when we believe in Him who is life, we have life too.

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” It was a claim to divinity. After all Jesus is Emmanuel, meaning “God with us.” He has the power over resurrection and life. Notice that Jesus personalized resurrection in Himself. Jesus demonstrated His authority over life and death by raising Lazarus.

Then He said, “Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die.” Lazarus’ resurrection was temporary. Jesus will resurrect all believers permanently after the death of the body. The body dies, but the spirit lives on.

John 11:44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

From the day we are born we begin to die. We are already dressed in grave clothes. Life’s greatest enemy is death. Jesus has the power over life and death. As "God in the flesh", Jesus resurrected people temporarily from death, as a foretaste of the resurrection to eternal life.

A skeptical world just can’t hear that whoever lives by believing in Jesus will never die. That’s what He said as He boldly claimed, I am the resurrection and the life. So let’s take off the grave clothes of doubt and fear. Believe in Jesus Christ and live forever.

New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Readings

Ezekiel 37:1-14

A valley of dry bones is a depressing place for those without faith, yet for those who believe in a resurrection, it is a place to ponder hope.

Psalm 130

We are to love our neighbor, but our hope is not in human beings. Our hope is in the Lord.

Romans 8:6-11

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

John 11:1-25 in Rhyme

Lazarus was sick and he died
His sisters to Jesus applied
Jesus said, It’s for God’s glory
So let’s go back to Judea

Lazarus was buried four days
Probably at the stinking phase
Jesus said that he’d rise again
I’m the life and resurrection

Believe in me and never die
Jesus wept, as he heard their cry
“Take away the stone,” about
He shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”

“Take off the grave clothes, let him go.”
The number who believed did grow

Psalm 23 The Lord is My Shepherd

We often hear the 23rd Psalm read or recited at funerals, but did you know that it does not apply to everyone, only to the sheep of the Great Shepherd. Let’s really understand this most popular of all the Psalms. Let’s go through Psalm 23 looking at some important details.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

When we look at this most famous of David’s melodies, we begin to see a Great Shepherd providing for His sheep in the midst of troubles. The traditional translation of this verse, to not be “in want” is strange to modern ears, when every advertisement encourages us to want more things in our lives, and even a counterfeit materialistic health-wealth Gospel has deceived many Christians. Yet that is not the original meaning. The Hebrew words lo ehser simply mean I won’t be lacking, or I have all my needs. We could call it a theology of sufficiency. In a world lusting for more, more, more, it is rare to hear people say that they lack nothing, that they are satisfied and need nothing more materially. Yet, that is the point of the Psalm, to be satisfied with life, and that is a truly happy life.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

When sheep are hungry or frightened they won’t lie down. This picture is one of serenity and security. How can we experience peace and safety in the midst of terrorism, pandemics, crime waves and other world problems? These can kill the body but not the soul protected by God. This is not a promise to everyone, but it is a picture relevant to those who allow themselves to come under that rod and staff of the Great Shepherd. When we go to funerals and this Psalm is read, many people just assume that it applies to them, but it does not apply to those who cannot be bothered with the things of God. It only applies to the sheep of the Good Shepherd. The Lord’s sheep experience lush pasture and quiet waters in the midst of dangerous predators.

He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

For most people, the right track in life is one of the ways of the world. It may be a favourite political party, a gender issue, the quality of foods we eat or the worldview that schools teach our children. However, the ways of the world often deceive us. They cannot guarantee a full and happy life, but God can. The word righteous is not popular today, but it simply means the right track and there is only one who can lead us there. Here it is often translated as the paths of righteousness, meaning the right tracks picturing the ways of justice and fairness. Anyone who has experience with sheep knows that they create and follow well-worn tracks. As God’s sheep, if we follow the Good Shepherd, he will lead us down the right track.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

The two tools of shepherding mentioned here were a rod and staff. A sling was not mentioned. The rod was often a club used to protect the sheep from predators, but also to discipline them for their own good. Jesus’ rod is also a vehicle of comfort, even though momentarily perhaps a little painful. Discipline is for our good. The staff was a bent piece of wood that could be used to catch and rescue sheep. In our age of mass manufacture we imagine that they were all of the same model as pictured in our Sunday School books. But that is unrealistic. They were homemade and just about anything that would do the job was chosen. There are many times in life that we need Jesus to rescue us, and He sees that as His job.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.

David, under divine inspiration, pictures a table prepared right in front of our enemies. All his life David faced antagonists, from those in his own family to Saul the king of Israel, and when he was king, to enemies roundabout. In the midst of our own enemies we seem strangely shocked by the news of world troubles. It is as if we cannot accept that this has always been and always will be until Jesus’ returns and brings about world peace. From the first murder of a brother by a brother to Viking terrorism to the most recent world troubles God has made a promise: that in the midst of all this, he would set a table for those in His sheepfold. The choice is ours. Who is our Lord? Is it this world or is our Lord the God of heaven?

Here is also a metaphor of anointing our heads with oil. Understanding the original language and culture helps us see the deeper meaning. When a shepherd came in from the fields as did David when he was to be chosen king, he would have been rather dusty and perhaps even have dirt in his hair. Just as many moderns prefer to cleanse with perfumed oils rather than soap today, so did the ancients. The original language actually says you “remove ashes” from my head with oil. As David was ill-treated by his brothers, and ashes on the head symbolizes mourning, this removal also symbolizes the Good Shepherd healing our emotional pain. Also, the anointing was to make David king, and symbolizes God lifting us up high after humiliation by others. Most importantly, God anoints us with his Holy Spirit.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.

David is confident that goodness and mercy will follow him all the days of his life. So too, can we be confident that after repentance, we are forgiven. On the cross, Jesus asked for forgiveness for others, even before they had repented, because they did not know what they were doing. Surely even the most highly educated and highly intelligent in our world do not know what they are doing. Knowing that, we can practice lives of goodness and mercy. The highlight of our week ought to be hearing God’s Word preached in a church that is attempting to be faithful to the Word of God. The longer we live, the more precious those words become, and it is our desire too, to dwell with the Good Shepherd, where we are well taken care of, in the house of the Lord forever.

If we can truly say that the Lord is our Shepherd, then we’ll be satisfied with what He provides. If we are one of those lost sheep, or someone who previously chose cruel shepherds, look for Jesus, and He will save you. Only He can give us peace and safety in a troubled world. Only He can lead us down the right track. Only Jesus will protect and rescue us. We can relax in the midst of all enemies and be well fed. He will lift us up after humiliation and anoint us with the oil of His Holy Spirit. Why would we want to live anywhere else but with such a Good Shepherd forever!

New King James Version (NKJV) Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Blind See

We often don’t know what we cannot see, because we’ve never seen it. There is a way to gain spiritual sight. What is it? How can we see what we are blind to in our world? Let’s learn what Jesus taught about it in John 9:1-41.

Fault-Finding

John 9:1-5 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 2 “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” 3 “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. 4 We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. 5 But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”

When confronted with blindness, the disciples looked for fault! To avoid all sickness we could begin by choosing parents free of genetic weakness. Then we could avoid all contact with people, animals, any processed or tainted food. Yet still, some believers today criticize the sick as sinners or lacking faith.

Can we really avoid all contact with sickness and suffering? The roads to sickness are varied and many. How should we look upon the sick? Jesus' first thought was to lift the man up, not put him down. And then the super religious criticized Jesus for healing on the Sabbath.

Creative Healing

John 9:6-7 Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. 7 He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!

The church’s approach to healing is from James 5:14-16. Elders pray and anoint with olive oil. Is this the only right way? Jesus gave several other examples of different approaches to healing. In our Gospel text, He spat in some dirt to create mud to heal a blind man.

The military theory of “last orders” would preclude anything prior to James, but that is not a biblical teaching. Where there is no ban, we have freedom in Christ and follow His example. We may approach requests for healing in a variety of ways including the traditional anointing with oil.

Blind Know-it-Alls

John 9:24-34 So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.” 25 “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!” 26 “But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he heal you?” 27 “Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”

28 Then they cursed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! 29 We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.” 30 “Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? 31 We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. 32 Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.” 34 “You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue.

Some people think they know it all, but are blind to the truth. We see it in blind bigotry, one-eyed politics and denominational prejudice. In our Gospel text, Jesus gave a man sight to his eyes and to his soul. Like the Pharisees, some religious intellectuals are blind to divinity.

Many cannot see the obvious all around them. Their eyes were on their interpretation of the Sabbath law. Jesus emphasized the far greater spirit and not the letter of the law. Blinded by their own legalism, by keeping the letter of the law they could not see the real Jesus.

Spiritual Blindness

John 9:35-41 When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.” 37 “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!” 38 “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.

39 Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.” 40 Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?” 41 “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.

Can we be spiritually blind and not even know it? Outside the church, people are blind because they either believe church is irrelevant or because they are afraid. When we in the church are spiritually blind, the tragedy is even greater. Denominational blindness is believing only our denomination is right.

Christians overwhelmingly agree on essentials. Man-made traditions are non-essentials which can blind us to the essentials. How do we gain spiritual vision? Like the blind man, perhaps we ought to just keep it simple. This one thing I know. I was blind but Jesus touched me and now I see.

Examples

One area of blindness is “a culture which devalues life and devalues the care of other people and our care for one another.”[1] Over 300 times the Bible demands we care for the poor. When we turn our backs on the poor, we turn our backs on Christ.

[1]https://www.democracynow.org/2007/6/14/sicko_interviewees_tell_harrowing_first_hand

Another area of blindness is our own sins. It may be the sins of our preferred political party, our nation, our family, our driving, our church,

It is Christ’s mission to give spiritual sight. If we want to truly see, we need to ask Him to heal our blindness.

Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Publishers Inc.

1 Samuel 16:1-13

God does not choose leaders using human standards.

Psalm 23

Is Jesus our Shepherd?

Ephesians 5:8-14

May Christ shine on each one of us.

John 9:1-41 in Rhyme

That man is sick. He's got a tick
Let's throw a brick. Give him a kick

There must be sin Somewhere therein
His next of kin? Where to begin?

To criticize, Or to apprise
This man's demise And his blind eyes

Jesus just bent, Without judgment
Gave his consent, Healed his torment

Evangelism at a Local Watering Hole

Who can spread the Gospel? Let’s see that the Gospel is spread by ordinary people who have had an encounter with Jesus. Let’s examine the woman at the well in John 4:5-42.

An Unbiased Savior

John 4:5-9 Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”

Sychar is between Gerizim (“rocky mount”) and Ebal (“bald mount”). On “rocky mount” Israel shouted the blessings and on “smooth mount” the cursings (Deuteronomy 11), picturing how blessings may look rocky and cursings seem the easy way. St Photini Church is built over Jacob’s well, named for this Samaritan woman.

Jesus broke several taboos, talking with a Samaritan woman alone, entering a Samaritan village despite local bigotry. Sychar is possibly a nickname meaning “place of drunkards,” like Sin City or Filthadelphia. Would we enter a neighborhood with a sinful reputation or a biker bar for the sake of the Gospel?

Living Water

John 4:10-15 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water?” “But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

Jesus aroused the woman’s curiosity by speaking about living water, a term for flowing water. She assumed he meant good water from the well. But she was about to find out that he was speaking metaphorically about something entirely different, deeper truths which the whole world desperately needs to know.

Unlike well water, living water is like a stream or river. It flowed from the woman’s encounter with Christ into her community as the Gospel flows into our communities. We were all once enemies of Christ, drinking still water. Jesus offers us living water that quenches regardless of our background.

Worshiping in Spirit and Truth

John 4:16-24 “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her. “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth! But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

Who was the woman Jesus met at the well? Let’s not read more into the story than it says. She’d had five husbands. Whether simultaneously, sequentially, divorced or widowed we don’t know. What is clear is that Jesus did not condemn her. Without bigotry, He taught her about true worship.

Outward things like music, languages, robes, crosses, gestures and liturgies are NOT worship. They may accompany worship, but true worship is in spirit and true or sincere. We do not need to conform to any outward show of religion. We are free to worship the Father in spirit and truthfully.

Photina of Samaria

John 4:29, 34, 42 “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” … Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work… Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”

The best evangelists are ordinary people. The Samaritan woman may have even been a loner, who fetched her water at a time when the crowds were not there. The best evangelists are often new people and those from the fringes, but always those who have had an encounter with Jesus.

Like Jesus, our food is also to do the will of God and finish His work. A harvest is ready to be reaped. God has already prepared that harvest in our community. Hearts are ripe for harvesting a new crop of Christians. Even lone Christians can tell others about Jesus.

According to tradition, the woman was baptized by the apostles with the name Photina, also known as Saint Photina and Saint Svetlana. She and her family became evangelists, moved to Carthage to preach the Gospel where her elder son Victor was taken prisoner to Rome where he converted his jailer.

Somewhere out there is a future evangelist waiting at a local watering hole for us, waiting for the living water that flows from heaven through us. Is our food to do God’s will, or do we hide the words that others need to hear? Let’s be about our Father’s work.

Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Publishers Inc.

Readings

Exodus 17:1-7

The one who does not complain or grumble is indeed a rare and precious person.

Psalm 95

The disobedient will also not enter the eternal promised land of rest.

Romans 5:1-11

We were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, and saved through His life.

John 4:5-42 in Rhyme

Near Samaria’s town Sychar
By Jacob’s well came a dipper
So Jesus asked her for a drink
She said, Jews avoid us I think

Jesus spoke of living water
You’ll never thirst again daughter
It’s water of eternal life
To five husbands you’ve been a wife

Sir, you are a prophet, she said
But you Jews say we are misled
We worshiped here on this mountain
Jews worship in Jerusalem

Worship the Father in Spirit
And truth is worship with merit
She said, Messiah is coming
Jesus said, “I am” is speaking

The woman told the townspeople
They came out to him quite peaceful
The disciples urged him to eat
His food was a work to complete

Many Samaritans believed
And as a guest He was received
They told the woman their neighbor
This man is really the Savior

A Visitor in the Dark

What does it mean to be born again? How are we born of water and the Spirit? Let’s understand the newness of a spirit life in John 3:1-17.

Nicodemus

John 3:1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.

Nicodemus was a senator in the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin. He appears three times in the Gospel of John (John 3:1–2; John 7:50-51; John 19:38-39). Jesus explained to this wealthy and popular Jewish leader the mystery of regeneration as was taught in the prophets.

Nicodemus was not offended at Jesus’ teaching but received it in all humility. He later defended Jesus against the Pharisees, assisted at his burial. History reveals that he was eventually kicked out of the synagogue for believing in Christ, and then later retired to a country home where he died.

A Lampholder comes to the Light

John 3:2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

In the dark of night Nicodemus came to the Light. Others also wanted to understand. He said, “we know.” God’s word is a lamp to our feet (Psalm 119:105). It leads us in a dark world to the Word made flesh, Jesus the Sun of Righteousness (Malachi 4:2).

Born from Above

John 3:3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

Born “again” also means born “from above,” from heaven, regeneration. According to the Opportunity Index, those born poor are less likely to have earthly opportunities. Everyone has better opportunities in God than anything on earth. To be born from heaven above is to belong to heaven, a child of God.

Literal or Spiritual

John 3:4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

Nicodemus heard “born again” instead of “born from above,” a literal understanding not a spiritual meaning. Early Christians focused on literal circumcision, not circumcision of the heart (Romans 2:29). Even in old age like Nicodemus, life in Christ is new. We have every reason to live with youthful joy.

Born of Water and the Spirit

John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.”

We enter the kingdom of heaven. Baptism in water is only complete with the transforming power of the Spirit. Christian baptism is both the water and the Spirit. The waters of baptism can picture our physical birth waters and also our birth from above with the baptism of the Spirit.

Spiritual Life

John 3:6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

Each of us who is born flesh will die. So will each of us who is born of water and the Spirit live forever. The Christian life is a spiritual life, is permanent and cannot pass away. Only by being born from above can we enter the hope of eternity.

Born of the Spirit

John 3:7-8 “You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

The means of entering the kingdom of heaven is being born from above. The new Spirit-born life is as mysterious as the wind. We cannot tell where the wind came from or where it is going. Christianity is a life of faith trusting God where His Spirit is blowing us.

Heavenly Things

John 3:9-12 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. 10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?

The discussion changed to, “we tell you.” Who is the we? Does this include the prophets, heaven or the disciples? All Christians can only testify to what they have known and seen, and no surprise, some will not believe.

Who is in Heaven

John 3:13 “No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man, [who is in heaven].”

The tense is not of Jesus ascension into heaven after the resurrection, but present and completed, “I have ascended.” Omitted is, “who is in heaven.” Jesus is the bridge between heaven and earth. Jesus reveals heavenly secrets to Nicodemus because he “has come down from heaven” and “is in heaven.”

Lifted Up on a Pole

John 3:14-15 “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

God punished Israel with poisonous snakes (Numbers 21:4-9), then instructed them to look at a bronze snake on a pole and they would live, provoked them to repentance and faith. Jesus was lifted up on a pole. If we will keep our eyes on Him we will also live.

How God Loved the World

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

The words “so loved the world” mean “in this way” or “in this manner” God loved the world. We could also say that God loved the world in this manner. How did God love the world? By lifting up his son on the cross as Moses lifted up a serpent.

Saving the World

John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

We either condemn or condone sins. Jesus neither condemned a woman caught in adultery, nor condoned her sin. He did not come at that time to condemn the world. At the judgment things will be different. We are not qualified to condemn or condone sinfulness, but are commanded to love.

Nicodemus was a visitor in the dark. He only had the lamp of the law, which lit the way for his feet to come to the brightest light of all, Christ, to learn about being reborn. The old birth was a temporary life ending in death. The new birth brings a total change in character, lifestyle, affections, and goals beginning an eternal life.

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Readings

Genesis 12:1-4

According to traditional history, a large following rejected Nimrod and went with Abram to worship the one true God.

Psalm 121

A song of degrees sung while ascending the temple steps to celebrate a feast of the Lord, pictures looking up to heaven from where our help comes.

Romans 4:1-5, 13-17

Abraham who was before the law, revealed a righteousness not of the law, but a righteousness by faith, the righteousness that Christians also pursue.

John 3:1-17 in Rhyme

A Pharisee, Nicodemus
Saw Jesus at night to discuss
The signs prove you are not a fraud
But you’re a teacher come from God

Jesus replied, “truly I say
No one can God’s kingdom survey
Unless they are then born again.”
“Someone old reborn? Please explain!”

“Return into their mother’s womb?”
“Truly the kingdom has no room
Unless water- and Spirit-born
For flesh gives birth to flesh we learn

The Spirit gives birth to spirit
Don’t be surprised and don’t limit
My word, ‘You must be born again.’
Where the wind blows is not quite plain.

You hear its sound, but cannot tell
Where it arose or where it fell
So are those born of the Spirit.”
“How so?” Nicodemus queried

“You’re Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus
“And you don’t understand these things?
We speak of what we’ve known and seen
But still you don’t accept our creed

I spoke to you of earthly things
You don’t believe what my word brings
How can you possibly believe
Or of heavenly things conceive?

None has ascended to heaven
Except he who came from heaven
The Son of Man, who’ll be lifted
As Moses’ snake has depicted

So that everyone who believes
Eternal life in him receives
For God loved the world in this way
He gave his only Son to die

That whoever in him believes
Not death, but ceaseless life receives
Because God did not send his Son
To condemn the world, everyone
But the world might be saved through him

Temptation

Life is filled with trials and temptations. Sometimes we fail. Jesus was also faced with great tests, but he succeeded. Let’s learn how Jesus battled temptations and won. Let’s look at the testing of Christ in Matthew 4:1-11.

Led by the Spirit

Matthew 4:1-2 1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

Jesus was tried. Did he love God[1] with all his heart, soul, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5)? Jesus’ responses[2] come from the Shema Yisrael (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). The Greek word for tempted also means tested. Jesus was being tested after a preparatory time of fasting. Would he pass?

[1] Brown, Fitzmyer & Murphy. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall. 1990. 638.

[2] R. T. France. The New International Commentary of the New Testament. The Gospel of Matthew. Wm. B. Eerdmans. 2007. 124-136.

The First Test: Physical Food

Matthew 4:3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

The tempter tries to incite Jesus to do his bidding. He should not need to lack food. His appetite is tested. Would he use his heavenly powers to satisfy the lusts of the flesh? Would he pass the test? Do we follow the tempter’s untrustworthy words or God the Father’s?

The First Response: Spiritual Food

Matthew 4:4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

This quote from Deuteronomy 8:3 tells us God fed ancient Israel so they would learn to be fed by Him and not their own efforts. Jesus had the power to make bread from stones, but waited for His Father’s timing to be revealed, rather than follow the devil’s timing.

The Second Test: Foolish Risks

Matthew 4:5-6 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Would Jesus be tempted by the pride of life and take a foolish leap from a Temple wing perhaps 50 meters above ground? How often do we take foolish chances without praying to do God’s will? How often do we confuse a foolish jump with a Spirit-led leap of faith?

The Second Response: Don’t Tempt God

Matthew 4:7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Jesus wasn’t fooled by someone twisting Scripture. He quoted Deuteronomy 6:16 where Moses and Aaron had taken glory to themselves for a miracle, instead of giving God the glory (Numbers 20:7-12). Jesus only wants to bring glory to the Father. Do we trust God or our presumptuous self-will?

The Last Test: Worship Evil

In Matthew 4:8-9 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

This is not as subtle as the others. Would Jesus be tempted by worldly power? Satan rules this world (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 6:11-12; 1 John 5:19; Revelation 12:9-17). How many people have received great power from the devil?

Who does God allow to rule today’s world? Satan is the ruler (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), god of this world/age (2 Corinthians 4:4). We are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, evil spirits (Ephesians 6:11-12).

The world is under the sway of evil (1 John 5:19). The devil deceives the whole world (Revelation 12:9-17). Jesus received all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). We are rescued from the kingdom of darkness and transferred into God’s eternal kingdom (Colossians 1:13).

The Last Response: Worship Only God

Matthew 4:10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

Notice that Jesus substitutes the word fear from Deuteronomy with the word worship. The “fear of God” means “worship.” Jesus also calls Satan by name, the adversary. In passionately telling the devil to get behind him, Jesus reveals his total aversion to gaining worldly power through compromise with any evil.

The Alleged Discrepancy

Matthew records the events in a different order than Luke. Is this a biblical contradiction? History is often written climactically or topically rather than chronologically. Matthew seems to have written chronologically by using the word “then,” whereas Luke seems to be thematic judging by his use of the word “and.”

Summary

Matthew 4:11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Three times Jesus said, it is written, using the sword of the Word (Ephesians 6:17). Some would call that using the Bible as a club, believing the Old Testament is myth, male chauvinist patriarchalism, metaphor or something other than truth. Yet, Jesus and the apostles consistently defended the scriptures.

Three things test our love of God, “love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5). Life’s great temptations are, “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16).

Failure in these temptations are markers of false religion, which is known for misusing miracles, foolish risk-taking and the pursuit of materialism disguised as claims to spirituality. The Temptation of Christ was a victory in the wilderness far away from watchful crowds. How faithful are we when we are alone?
Jesus battled the devil’s tactics and won. We can learn from him. He skillfully used the Bible. He submitted to God and told the devil to leave. God inspired James to teach us, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Readings

Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7

Temptations have similar hallmarks, believing a lie, false claims which incite short-sighted desires and sin.

Psalm 32

Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven.

Romans 5:12-19

Contrasting Adam and Christ and the opposite legacies they left humanity, reveals how wonderful this gift is which comes through Christ.

Matthew 4:1-11 in Rhyme

Jesus was led by the Spirit
To the dry wilderness limit
By the devil He was tempted
Forty days food was rejected

Afterwards he was quite hungry
The tempter came to that country
If you’re really the Son of God
Tell these stones to become your bread.

Jesus answered, It is written
Just bread alone is not living,
Live on every word spread abroad
Coming forth from the mouth of God.

The devil said on the temple,
If you’re God’s Son take a tumble.
For, His angels have this command
They will lift you up in their hands

You won’t strike your foot on a stone.
Jesus said He wouldn’t condone
To put the Lord God to the test
So the devil tried his last quest

He took him up to the mountains
To show Him all the world’s kingdoms
All this I will give you, he said
If you’ll worship me as your god-head

But Jesus said, Leave me, Satan!
Worship the Lord God, it’s written
Serve only him. The devil fled
And angels made sure He was fed