Tag: Jesus Christ

Christ’s resurrection provides answers for our hearts

“Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ ” John 20:15a

If we are going to believe in a resurrected Lord and the difference He can make in our daily lives, we need some answers for our hearts. Christ’s interaction with Mary Magdalene provides this for us. John may have been the first to believe Jesus’ resurrection (John 20:8), but Mary was the first to see the resurrected Lord (John 20:10-15a). Many students of the Bible refer to this as the greatest recognition scene in all of literature – Mary seeing Jesus unexpectedly. The incredible thing about this scene is Mary does not recognize Jesus at first.

“Then the disciples went away again to their own homes. But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb” (John 20:10-11). After Peter and John returned to their homes, Mary Magdalene returned to the tomb. She was weeping outside the tomb, stricken with grief over the death of Jesus and the confusion about His missing body. As she wept, she looked into the tomb.

“And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain” (John 20:12). Even though angels had announced to Mary on a previous visit that Jesus had risen (cf. Luke 24:5-6), Mary still did not understand because grief had overtaken her. “Then they said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him’ ” (John 20:13). These angels do not announce the resurrection of Jesus, instead they express amazement at her sorrow. “Woman, why are you weeping?” Christ’s resurrection was the least appropriate time for tears. But Mary did not understand that Jesus was alive!If she had believed the previous announcement of the angels that Jesus had risen, she would not be weeping. But overcome with grief, Mary wants to know where Jesus’ body has been taken. She had come to the tomb to complete the burial of Jesus, but even that had been taken away from her.

Look at what happens next. “Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus” (John 20:14). Why didn’t Mary recognize Jesus? Two reasons why Mary could not see the risen Jesus:

Her TEARS. She couldn’t see Jesus through her tears. When the Bible says she was “weeping” [klaíō, κλαίω] (20:11, 13), it is not talking about a little tear making its way slowly down her cheek. It is a word for wailing or “weeping vehemently.” The tears were streaming down her face and had blurred her vision. We see in Mary someone with a broken heart after all she had been through. Because of those tears she couldn’t see Jesus. The second reason she did not recognized Jesus was…

Her FOCUS. It all has to do with her sight. She couldn’t see Jesus because she was focused more on the empty tomb that was in front of her than the resurrected Lord who was right behind her. She’s peering into this empty tomb trying to find the resurrected Lord when He’s standing right there ready to give her hope.

Some erroneously conclude that Mary did not recognize the risen Lord Jesus because it was a different person than Jesus. There is nothing in the biblical text to substantiate this. The same Jesus who died is the same Jesus who rose from the dead (see I Corinthians 15:1-8). Over five hundred eyewitnesses attest to this fact.

The empty tomb is a great thing, but it is the resurrected Lord we really worship. We don’t worship a tomb. We don’t worship a place. We worship the living Lord Jesus. Anytime we allow ourselves to focus more on some tradition, some place, some ritual and we get our eyes off the resurrected Lord, we start to lose hope. So Mary did not see the risen Lord at first because of her tears and her focus.

What happened to Mary can also happen to us. There are times in our lives when the resurrected Lord Jesus is right there in front of us and He wants to give us hope, but we don’t see Him because our emotions have blinded us or we have lost focus. It is easy today to loose focus on the Person of our risen Lord Jesus because of the impact the coronavirus is having on our lives. Nearly half of humanity is confined within their homes and apartments, hoping they won’t be added to the statistics that are tracking the deadly wake of COVID-19. As I’m writing this, there have been over 1.8 million confirmed cases worldwide and nearly 115,000 people have died so far. There will undoubtedly be tens of thousands of additional deaths before it is all over.

Mary is asked two questions by Jesus to help her find the answers her heart needed. The first question is “Why are you weeping? (John 20:15a). Mary’s heart is broken after all she has been through. She sees the cross and Jesus taken to the cross. She sees Him taken to the tomb and buried. Now three days later, she comes back to the tomb and thinks His body has been stolen. Because of this, she is deeply hurt. She is crying.

Some of us may feel like Mary did. Your dreams are at a dead end like Mary’s were. Or maybe our expectations take a total U-turn from what we thought was going to happen. Or the support that we have been depending on in our lives crumbles from beneath us. We know exactly the kind of feelings Mary felt at the tomb. Jesus is asking us, “What is making you hurt?” That is what Jesus was asking Mary and now He is asking us. “What is it that is making you hurt?”

Mary is so much like us. She reminds us so much of what we need when we hurt so deeply – to listen and realize that Jesus cares about the fact that we hurt, that He cares about the struggles we have been going through in our lives. For Mary, her hurt was keeping her from seeing God’s hand at work in her life. That can happen to me and to you. God does not want our hurt to keep us from seeing that He is at work in our lives. Jesus Christ is alive.

Martin Luther who started the Lutheran Church and pioneered the reformation, was obviously not a perfect person any more than the rest of us. But he had quite a wife. One day he was in a deep depression over something that had gone wrong. On the third day of his depression, his wife came downstairs dressed in mourning clothes. He asked her “Who’s dead?” Luther’s wife said, “God is dead.” He said, “What do you mean God’s dead? God can’t die!” His wife says to him, “I just thought He had died considering the way you’ve been acting the last three days.” 

We can sometimes act like Martin Luther. Sometimes we act like Jesus isn’t alive. Yes, our world has drastically changed because of COVID-19. We are restricted to our homes most of the time. But what is more important? That, or the fact that Jesus is alive and guarantees a future resurrection and never-ending life to those who believe in Him (John 11:25-26)? Maybe some person offended you at work. What’s more real? That or the fact that Jesus is alive? Maybe you did not get something that you wanted to get. What’s more real? The fact you didn’t get something you wanted to get or that Jesus has a life for me in eternity? 

But Mary is just like us. The little things hurt us not to mention the big things. Those little things grow into bigger things. For Mary this was the biggest hurt she had ever faced. Jesus came to her and said, “Why are you weeping?” He asks us that question too. He wants to know because the resurrected Jesus Christ has an answer for our hurt. He has a hope. That’s what the resurrection is all about.

Then He asks her a second question: “Whom are you seeking?”  (John 20:15b). These questions had to do with her tears and her focus. Whom are you seeking? What are you looking for? As I read the Bible, I have noticed that God has the habit of asking great questions. The first question that God asks in the Bible, back in the book of Genesis, Adam has sinned. He’s hiding behind the bushes in the Garden of Eden and God comes into the garden and asks, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9). That’s a great question. God knew that Adam was behind the bushes. That wasn’t what the question was all about. “Where are you, Adam, in relation to Me? How come you are not fellowshipping with Me? How come you’re not close to Me?”

God asks great questions. Jesus Christ was in the habit of asking great questions. At the feeding of the four thousand He looked at the disciples and asked, “How many loaves do you have?” (Matthew 15:34). He says, “Just give Me what you have, and I will take care of the rest.” He asked His disciples, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” (Luke 9:18). Then He asked the disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” (Luke 9:20a). One of the greatest questions Jesus ever asked and He asked this one several times, “What do you want Me to do for you?” (Matthew 20:32).

Sometimes we need to stop asking God questions and let Him ask us questions. Take time to be quiet and listen to the risen Lord Jesus. Maybe He wants to ask, “Why are you hurting? Whom are you seeking? Where are you in relation to Me? What can you give to Me? What do you want Me to do for you?” Mary listened to these questions and her life started to turn around. Will you listen to God?

Some of you reading this article are restless and seeking answers for your fearful and hopeless heart. You may be seeking the Lord Jesus and not even know it. Jesus is inviting you to come to Him just as you are. Listen to His voice: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). When you come to Jesus just as you are, He will give you spiritual rest. The rest Jesus offers here refers to a state of mind that exists when a non-Christian realizes he or she does not have to earn or work for their salvation (cf. Romans 4:5; Ephesians 2:8-9). This refers to the positional rest of eternal life that is based on trusting in Christ’s finished work on the cross alone (John 3:14-15; 19:30). Christ can give you everlasting life as a free gift because He paid for it through His death and resurrection (Romans 6:23b; I Corinthians 15:1-8).

If you came to Christ in faith just now, Jesus gave you everlasting life which can never be lost (John 10:28-29). God became your Father and you became His child forever (John 1:12). Jesus now lives inside of you through His Holy Spirit who will comfort, guide, and teach you so your life will magnify Jesus (John 14:16-17; 15:26; 16:13-14). Jesus wants to be your best Friend. You can get to know Him better by spending time with Him, talking to Him through prayer anywhere, anytime about anything (John 15:7; Philippians 4:6-7). Learn to listen to His voice as you read and study the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17). I recommend you begin with the fourth book of the New Testament, the gospel of John, because it is all about Jesus and how you can have everlasting life in His name. It will also reveal to you God’s plan and purpose for your life.

Prayer: My risen Savior and Lord, please forgive me for losing focus on You and Your resurrection. I have allowed so many things to distract me from what is really important. Thank You for coming to me with questions just like You did with Mary Magdalene that first Sunday after Your death and burial. Your questions show me that You really do care about me. You care especially about my heart. You care about my disappointments, my hurts, my needs, and my worries. Your presence in my life calms my troubled heart and assures me that there is hope for today and tomorrow, and all the tomorrows You graciously give to me. Thank You for helping me refocus on what is eternal. As I quiet my soul in Your presence, what would You say to me right now Lord Jesus? I am listening. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Biblical masculinity acknowledges vulnerability

“Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to Your word to Your servant.” Psalm 119:76

God is teaching me a lot about being vulnerable before Him. Biblical masculinity does not deny vulnerability, but embraces it from a position of security and strength.

When the Psalmist asks the Lord to let His “merciful kindness be for” his “comfort,” he is being vulnerable before God (119:76). He was in need of God’s comfort after being “afflicted” by the Lord (119:75). By asking God for this he is humbly acknowledging his insecurities and pain along with his need to be consoled.

God was so impressed with the Psalmist’s vulnerability before Him that He recorded it in His Word as an example for other men. Rather than deny or cover up our vulnerability with a “tough guy” facade, we are to present our brokenness to the Lord because He is merciful and kind. He does not give us the judgment we deserve (“merciful”) and He is gracious (“kindness”) toward us.

Much of my life I have tried to protect myself by refusing to be vulnerable in the presence of others, especially men, because when I was vulnerable as a child I was taken advantage of and deeply wounded. I believe many Christian men are very guarded because of unresolved hidden wounds from their past.

It takes courage and strength to admit our brokenness and insecurities. The greatest example of masculine vulnerability is found in the Man, Jesus Christ. For example, the night before His crucifixion we are told that Jesus “rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded” (John 13:4-5). Jesus made Himself vulnerable by taking the position of a house slave to wash the dirty feet of His disciples.

Just before Jesus did this, we read, “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God” (John 13:3). Jesus knew that His Father in heaven had given Him a position of absolute authority (“the Father had given all things into His hands”). He knew His origin (“He had come from God”) and His destination (“and was going to God”). He knew who He was and where He was going. From this position of strength and security, we see Jesus taking the role of a lowly vulnerable servant. He was secure in His Father’s love which gave Him the strength to be vulnerable (cf. John 13:3-4; 17:5, 23-24).

Christ’s greatest vulnerability is seen when He was led like a lamb to slaughter when He was crucified (Isaiah 53:7). He subjected Himself to verbal, physical, sexual (publicly stripped down), and spiritual abuse when He suffered and died on the Cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins (cf. Matthew 27:11-50; I Peter 2:21-24). He became vulnerable and defenseless as our Substitute. Peter tells us He was able to do this because He “committed Himself to Him who judges righteously” (I Peter 2:23b). Christ trusted His Father to deal righteously with His persecutors.

After His resurrection Jesus made Himself vulnerable when He asked Peter three times, “Do you love Me?” (John 20:15-17). This is a question we do not hear John Wayne or Charles Bronson asking someone. But the perfect Son of God, God Himself, asked this vulnerable question of one of His close followers.

Real men are called to be vulnerable before the Lord. They are to invite Him into the dark places of their soul where they are afraid, ashamed, and broken. Knowing Jesus’ outrageous love for them gives them the courage to let down their guard and let Him in to heal them. And when they do, they may hear Him say, “I have been waiting for you to let Me into this part of your heart. I love you and I am proud of you for taking this step. Let’s walk through this together.”

Prayer: Precious Lord, You know how insecure and vulnerable I often feel inside. I want to give You permission to walk with me through the areas of my heart where I have been deeply wounded and broken. I want to tell You my story so You can bring healing to the depths of my soul. Thank You in advance for being merciful and kind to me. Help me to trust You to lead me through this healing process. I know in my head that You love me outrageously. May Your Holy Spirit enable me to know this experientially in the depths of my soul. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Secure Forever in Christ

When a person believes in Jesus Christ for eternal life (John 3:16) he or she is secure forever in Him. Here are thirty-three reasons why this is true:

1. The Great Commitment. Matthew 28:20. In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus Christ gives His disciples the Great Commission, which is to make disciples of all the nations. Along with this Great Commission, Jesus also gives His disciples the Great Commitment, “…and lo, I am with you always (lit. “the whole of every day”), even to the end of the age.” In Matthew, the phrase, “the end of the age,” refers to the church age (cf. Matt. 13:39, 40, 49). Since Christ is guaranteeing His presence with believers until He returns at the end of the age, it is impossible for believers to lose their salvation.

2. Always Family. John 1:12-13; 3:3-8; 6:37; Galatians 3:26; I John 5:1. The moment a person believes in Christ, he becomes God’s child forever. He is born into God’s family and he cannot ever be born out of it. In John 6:37, Jesus declares that those who come to Him “will by no means be cast out.” In John’s Gospel “coming to Christ” is a metaphor for “believing” (John 6:35, 37). Just as an earthly father’s son will always be his son no matter what the son does, so too, a believer will always be God’s child because Christ will never cast him out of His family.

3. The Simple Look of Faith. John 3:14-15. Just as the afflicted Israelite could look in faith at the bronze serpent lifted up on the pole and “live” (Numbers 21:8-9), so too, the one who looks in faith to Christ who was “lifted up” on the cross will “live” eternally.

4. Secure from Perishing in Hell. John 3:15-16; 10:27-28. Faith alone in Christ alone secures the believer from ever perishing in the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:15). The moment an individual believes in Christ he has the assurance that he “shall never perish” (10:28).

5. The Eternal Gift. John 3:15-16, 36; 4:10-14; 5:24; 6:40, 47; 11:25-26; Romans 6:23. At the moment of faith in Christ, the believer can know that he or she possesses eternal life, “he who believes…has…” The gift of eternal life cannot be lost because that would be inconsistent with the nature (i.e. perpetual/eternal) of the gift. For if the gift can be lost, it would not be eternal, but temporal.

6. Permanent Thirst Quencher. John 4:10-14; 6:35; Revelation 22:17. Whoever drinks of the living water that Christ freely offers will “never thirst” again. The phrase “will never thirst” is highly emphatic in the Greek language (John 4:14a; 6:35b). The need which this water meets can never reoccur. Christ calls this “living water” eternal life in John 4:14b. Therefore, eternal life can never be lost because a believer can never thirst again for it.

7. Free from Judgment. John 5:24; Romans 8:33-34. When a person believes in Christ for eternal life, he or she possesses “eternal life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life” (John 5:24). For the believer, assurance is available at the moment of faith because Christ guarantees that there is no judgment. That is to say, there is no judgment to determine whether a believer goes to heaven or hell because the believer already has eternal life. He has passed from death to life already. When an individual trusts Christ, he is translated from the sphere of death (where a non-believer has nothing in him which is acceptable to God – John 3:18; Rom. 3:9-20; 8:8) to the sphere of life (where the believer is totally acceptable to God – John 5:24; Heb. 10:10, 14). In the sphere of life, God has no charge against the believer (Romans 8:33-34). The believer is justified (declared totally righteous) of all things on the basis of his faith (Romans 3:21-26; 4:5, 8; 8:33-34). Therefore, no one is able to threaten a believer’s eternal destiny!

8. No More Hunger. John 6:35, 48-51. Whoever eats of the Bread of life shall never hunger again. The need which this bread meets can never reoccur. Christ identifies Himself as the Bread of life in John 6:33, 35; 6:48, 51. “Eating” and “believing” are synonymous in John’s Gospel because both are the means for obtaining eternal life (John 6:47, 50-51, 58). Hence, believing in Christ satisfies an individual’s spiritual hunger forever. Therefore, a believer cannot ever lose eternal life because he can never hunger for it again.

9. Guaranteed Resurrection. John 6:37-40. Every believer in Jesus not only has eternal life, but will still belong to Christ when he or she is resurrected on “the last day.” 

10. Johannine Metaphors or Figures of Speech. The Gospel of John uses metaphors to describe the instantaneousness of saving faith and conversion: to receive (John 1:12); to be born (John 1:13; 3:3-8); to take a look (John 3:14-15); to ask for a gift (John 4:10); to take a drink (John 4:10-14); to be raised from the dead (John 5:25-29); to come (John 6:35, 37); to eat bread (John 6:50-51); to eat Christ’s flesh and drink His blood (John 6:53-54, 56-58); to follow, as in a sheep committing his safety and well-being to His Good Shepherd (John 10:1-5, 25-29); and to be bathed once for all (John 13:10). Conversion takes place at a point in time. It is not a process. Therefore, a believer can know he is secure forever at the moment of faith in Christ alone for eternal life.

11. The Secure Grip. John 10:27-29. The believer is securely held by both God the Son’s and God the Father’s hands and they will never let him go. Nor is anyone, including the believer, strong enough to escape God’s grip. So the believer’s eternal security is not based upon his or her grip upon God, but upon God’s forever grip upon him or her.

12. Guaranteed Destiny. John 11:25-26. Christ guarantees the eternal destiny of every person who believes in Him. He promises a future resurrection and never-ending life to those who believe in Him.

13. The Eternal Comforter. John 14:16-17. Jesus promised that the “Comforter” (lit. “called to one’s side, called to one’s aid”), the Holy Spirit, would personally take up residence in the believer’s body “forever.” Therefore, there is never a time when a believer is without the God of the universe living in him or her.

14. Finished Work. John 19:30. Immediately prior to His death, Jesus referred to His finished work on the cross when He said “It is finished” (tetelestai). This verb is in the perfect tense, which denotes existing results to the present from a completed action. This means Christ made the full payment for our sin debt when He died on the cross and it remains paid in full to the present. Therefore, a believer’s salvation is just as complete and secure as the work upon which it rests.

15. The Promise of God. I John 2:25; 5:9-13. Believers can know they are saved forever because they have God’s promise of eternal life. Remember, God cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:17-18).

16. God’s Love. I John 4:9-10. God manifested His love toward us when He sent His Son so that we may possess eternal life through Him. This love was not a response to man’s love, but was God’s initiative. God’s Son became the “propitiation” (lit. “satisfaction”) for our sins. Therefore, eternal life cannot be lost by the believer because Christ has satisfied God’s holy nature forever by taking the punishment for our sins. Because of Jesus’ death, God’s holy character is free to pour out His love (His best) on those who believe in His Son.

17. The Irrevocable Gift. Romans 11:29. The gifts of God, including eternal life, are irrevocable, i.e. incapable of being recalled or taken back by the Giver.

18. It is Logical. Romans 5:8-10, 15, 17, 20; 8:32. God did the most for us when we were His enemies and will do much more for us as His beloved child.

19. The Inseparable Love of God. Romans 8:35-39. No one and nothing and can separate a believer from God’s love in Christ. Remember, “any other created thing” includes “you.”

20. Fruitless Believers Are Secure for Eternity. I Corinthians 3:11-15. At the Judgment Seat of Christ, a believer’s works will be tested by fire to determine what, if any, rewards the believer will receive (I Cor. 3:11-15; Romans 14:9-12; 2 Cor. 5:10; I John 4:17; Revelation 22:12). A believer whose works (“hay, wood, straw”) are all burned up does not lose his salvation from hell, “but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” (I Cor. 3:15).

21. The Body of Christ. I Corinthians 12:12-27. The Head of the body, Christ (Ephes. 1:22-23), cannot ever say to any member of His body (believer) He does not need him or her. He cannot reject His own body.

22. Unlimited Forgiveness. Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; 2:13; 3:13; Hebrews 10:17-18. Christ’s death provides unlimited forgiveness for the believer. All sins we have ever done or will do were future looking from the cross – everything is forgiven.

23. Sealed Until Delivered. Ephesians 1:13-14. When an individual believes the truth of the gospel, he or she is “sealed” by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption. There is no power greater than God who can break the seal (not even Satan or the believer himself). Something that is sealed by God is as secure as God’s promise, and in the case of the believer His promise is to keep the believer until he is safely and securely delivered in to the presence of God forever.

24. Seated with Christ. Ephesians 2:6. Believers are described as being made (by God) to “sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” The aorist indicative of the verb sugkathizo, “to cause to sit down together,” portrays this event as taking place in past time. So from God’s viewpoint, believers are now seated with Christ in the heavenly places. Therefore, the certainty of a believer’s eternal destiny is underscored by the fact that they are already seated with Christ in the heavenly places.

25. Completed Salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9. The use of the perfect tense verb conveys existing results to the present from a completed action (“you have been saved”). Therefore, a believer’s salvation exists in a finished state which cannot be altered or taken away.

26. Citizens of Heaven. Philippians 3:20. The apostle Paul gives a positive reason why believers should follow his example of spiritual progress (3:12-17) and it is because their citizenship already exists in heaven. Since Philippi was a Roman colony, its residents were “citizens” of Rome who enjoyed the same rights and privileges as if they were living in Rome. So Paul is arguing that just as the believers were Roman citizens even though they were not living in Rome, so too, they were citizens of heaven even though they were living on earth. This citizenship is not future, but it already exists for the believer because the copula verb “is” (huparchei), stresses actual existence. The believer’s eternal destiny is so certain that their citizenship in heaven already exists.

27. Certainty of Future Not Based Upon Morality. I Thessalonians 5:9-11. Whether believers live watchfully (“we wake,” gregopeo is defined as moral watchfulness in 5:5-7) or unwatchfully (“we…sleep,” katheudo is defined as moral unwatchfulness in 5:5-7), their future with Christ is certain.

28. God’s Faithfulness. 2 Timothy 2:13. If we don’t believe in Christ any longer (“we are faithless”), God “remains faithful” to His promise of eternal life. He “cannot deny Himself” including believers who are members of His body.

29. Unfaithful Believers Are Still in God’s House. 2 Timothy 2:17-21. Although some believers’ faith may be overthrown by false teaching, their eternal destiny is not endangered, “the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His.’” God “knows” intimately all those who have a relationship with Him, including believers with faltering faith. For God’s house is composed of both faithful (“vessels of … honor”) and unfaithful believers (“vessels of … dishonor”).

30. Disobedient Believers Who Are Assured of Their Salvation. The apostles Peter and Thomas, who denied knowing the Lord or doubted His promise to rise from the dead (John 13:10-11). The Corinthians, who were factious, immoral and prone to drunkenness (I Cor. 1:2, 4-9; 6:11, 15, 19-20; 15:1-2, 11, 51-58). The Galatians, who were lapsing into the worst form of legalism (Galatians 1:2-5, 8-9; 3:1-5, 26-29; 4:1-9, 19; 5:1). The audience of James, who were arrogant, argumentative, slanderous, and temperamental (James 1:1-2, 16-18; 2:1; 5:7-9).

31. Unconditional Acceptance. Hebrews 10:10, 14. Christ’s completed work on the cross makes believers unconditionally and completely acceptable (“perfect”) to God forever. To be “sanctified” means to be “set apart” from our guilt and shame forever. Note the perfect tenses (“have been sanctified,” in verse 10 and “has perfected” in verse 14).

32. A Permanent Helper. Hebrews 13:5-6. Believers are to be content with what they have because they will always possess the permanent assistance of the Lord: “I will never leave (lit. “abandon or desert”) you nor forsake (lit. “to leave helpless”) you.” Since the Lord will never turn His back on the needs of believers, it is impossible for them to be without God’s security forever. 

33. Eternal Names. Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:15; 21:27; Luke 10:20; Philippians 4:3; Hebrews 12:23. When the world was created, God wrote the names of those who would receive eternal life in the Book of Life in anticipation of Christ’s death (Rev. 13:8; 17:8). Every believer’s eternal identity rests on the fact that his name is written in heaven (Luke 10:20). Revelation 3:5 affirms that an overcoming (victorious) believer will not have his name erased from the Book of Life. Since this phrase is a figure of speech called a litotes (i.e. a positive affirmation expressed by negating its opposite), John is saying that an overcoming believer’s eternal name is supremely secure. It is not logical to conclude that a non-overcoming believer will have his name erased from the Book of Life because a litotes is not making a negative affirmation, but rather a positive one. The overcoming Christian’s honored name will never be erased. For the overcoming Christian, his reward is anything but the loss of his eternal name. This relates to his or her eternal reward as seen before and after this part of the verse: “they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels” (Rev. 3:4b-5). Revelation 3:5 is not commenting on whether some name will or may be erased, but rather that certain names shall in no way be erased, but confessed or recognized for faithful service before God the Father and His angels. Revelation 3:5 is not talking about salvation, but rewards for discipleship. This can be seen in Revelation 3:4 as only the worthy ones will walk with the Lord in white, and so in 3:5 only those who are worthy will have their name publicly recognized before God the Father and His angels.

Conclusion: The security which God provides believers forever is intended to motivate them to faithfully live for Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit until they go to be with Him (2 Corinthians 5:14-15; Galatians 2:20; 5:16-26; I John 4:19).

Have you been rejected by religious groups?

“Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, ‘Do you believe in the Son of God?’” John 9:35

The Jewish leaders “cast” out the former blind man from the synagogue because he demonstrated with his own testimony (9:25) and logic (9:30-33) that Jesus was from God. This is probably the best thing that could have happened to the man because now he would not have to listen to the works-salvation message of the Jewish religious leaders. He was now more prepared for his next encounter with Jesus. God can use the rejection of others to make non-Christians more open to hearing the gospel. 

Unfortunately, more and more churches are preaching a “faith plus” salvation message instead of a “faith alone” salvation message today which makes it more difficult for church goers to get saved. They teach that you are saved by what you do, not by what Jesus has already done (John 19:30). But all is not lost. Jesus seeks those who are disenchanted with churches today. When Christ heard that the Jewish leaders “cast” the former blind man out of the synagogue, He sought him out and asked him, “Do you believe in the Son of God” (9:35)? This is the purpose for John’s Gospel (cf. John 20:31). John recorded these miracles of Jesus, so people could believe in Him as the Christ, the Son of God. If the man believed that Jesus was the Son of God, the God-Man, he would have life in His name. This personal response is necessary for receiving the gift of eternal life (cf. John 3:15-16, 36; 5:24; 6:40, 47; 11:25-27). 

Many people today believe that Jesus exists and died for them on the Cross, but they are not trusting in Him alone for His free gift. The former blind man is willing and ready to believe, but he is ignorant. He wants the Son of God to be identified so he may believe in Him (9:36). After Jesus identifies Himself as God’s Son (9:37), the former blind man immediately responds in faith: “Lord, I believe”(9:38a)! Jesus used the physical healing of this blind man to prepare him for his spiritual healing. Out of gratitude for his physical healing, the man believed in Christ as the Messiah-God, which meant he now had eternal life (John 20:31). This is the climax for the man in a process that has been taking place throughout the whole chapter.

After believing in Jesus, the former blind man “worshiped Him”(9:38b). He honored Jesus as God (cf. 5:23). The former blind man could no longer worship God in the synagogue, but now he could worship Him to His face. And Jesus will never “cast” this man “out” of His family (John 1:12; 6:37). 

Have you been rejected by religious groups because you did not live up to their requirements for membership? Please understand that Jesus is not offering you religion. He is not giving you a long list of rules to follow to become a Christian. Jesus is freely offering you a personal relationship that can never be lost. All He asks is that you come to Him in faith, just as you are (Matthew 11:28). You don’t have to try to clean up your life. You do not have to give God your life to be saved. Salvation is not giving God your life, it is receiving His eternal life by faith alone (John 3:16). So simply believe in Jesus and He will give you everlasting life which can never be lost (John 3:16; 10:28-29). He will place you in God’s family forever and never reject you (John 1:12; 6:37). And you can worship or express your love for Him anytime and anywhere (cf. John 4:21-24).

How does the Light of the World effect those who refuse to believe?

“And Jesus said, ‘For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.’” John 9:39

Jesus came into this world to bring “judgment” based on how people respond to Him. “Those who do not see may see” (9:39a) refers to those who admit their spiritual blindness and sin and call out to Christ to heal them of their spiritual blindness so they might see and believe the gospel. Christ will give spiritual sight to those who admit their spiritual blindness and their need for God’s forgiving grace. He will forgive those who come to Him in faith. 

“Those who [think they] see may be made blind” (9:39b), refers to the self-righteous, like the Pharisees, who refused to admit they were spiritually blind. They thought they already could see spiritually. Jesus came to show unbelievers like these religious experts that they were spiritually blind. Their works-salvation was spiritual blindness. Christ does not forgive the self-righteous because they do not see their need to come to Him for forgiveness. Instead, they are deceived by their own sin into thinking that they can be saved by their own works.

The deceitfulness of sin often makes self-righteous people,who are in the greatest need of God’s help, think that they are the most spiritually enlightened people. Only God’s Spirit, using God’s Word, can break through that deep darkness, to bring conviction of spiritual blindness, and to create an openness to the gospel.

Christ says to these spiritually blind religious leaders, “If you recognized your spiritual blindness and acknowledged your sin and guilt, you would have come to Me for forgiveness. And I would have forgiven you so “you would have no sin” (9:41a). But because you claim to have spiritual sight and deny your own sin, and refuse to come to Me for forgiveness, “your sin remains” (9:41b). These leaders refused to admit their sinfulness and need for a Savior. Therefore, their sins remain. They were swollen with pride. They loved the darkness and hated the Light. 

Someone once said, “The same sun that melts butter, hardens clay.” Light gives sight to some and it blinds others. Jesus has the same effects as the Light of the world (John 8:12; 9:5). The physical and spiritual healing of the man born blind reveals the healing power of Jesus Christ toward those who respond in faith toward Him (John 3:36a). But it also reveals the condemning power of Jesus Christ toward those who refuse to believe in Him (John 3:36b).

How can I believe Jesus is God?

In the first part of John chapter 5, Jesus had healed a man on the Sabbath and the Jews sought to kill Him all the more because He not only broke their Sabbath traditions, but He also claimed to be equal with God (5:1-18). When people heard Jesus’ claims, many of them asked, “How do we know He is telling the truth? What evidence does He give?” Knowing the hearts and minds of the religious leaders, Jesus proceeds to call upon five witnesses to back up His claim to be equal with God the Father (5:31-47).

According to Jewish law, self-testimony was not accepted in the court of law (Deut. 19:15). There must be witnesses who will confirm another’s testimony. This is why Jesus said His Self-testimony was not valid (5:31). So He calls upon five witnesses to back up His claim to be equal with God:

1. THE WITNESS OF GOD THE FATHER (5:32, 37-38). The word “another” (5:32) means “of the same kind as Myself.” Jesus is referring to God the Father. The reason Jesus is so bold about His equality with God is because He is conscious of His Father’s continual confidence and support. God the Father’s witness of Jesus (5:37) is seen when He spoke from heaven at Jesus’ baptism: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). These religious leaders are ignorant of God the Father’s testimony of Jesus because of their unbelief. So Jesus’ claim to be God is valid because there is no higher court of appeal than God the Father Himself.

2. THE WITNESS OF JOHN THE BAPTIST (5:33-35). When John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness, he said three specific things about Jesus: He is “the Lamb of God”(1:29), He is the One “who baptizes with the Holy Spirit”(1:33), and that Jesus is “the Son of God” (1:34), or God Himself.  

3. THE WITNESS OF JESUS’ MIRACULOUS WORKS (5:36) which included changing water into wine (2:1-11), healing both the nobleman’s son in Capernaum (4:46-54), and now the lame man at the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem (5:1-15). In fact, the people listening to Jesus saw this lame man rise out of paralysis into strength and walking again. He was standing before them so that they could not deny the miracle. Christ’s works were superior to John’s words. Only a supernatural Person could perform supernatural works. 

“But,” you say, “that was 2,000 years ago. If God would only witness like that again today I could believe in Him.” Well, God does witness like that today. Jesus still performs miracles today. We have seen Him heal people of cancer…broken relationships. We have watched Christ liberate people from drugs and alcohol. He has transformed sinners into forgiven saints!

4. THE WITNESS OF THE SCRIPTURES THEMSELVES (5:39). The Jewish religious leaders devoted their whole lives studying and memorizing the Old Testament because they thought the knowledge of Scripture would give them eternal life (5:39a). There are people like this today, students and scholars who search the Bible, but never find Jesus. Yet Jesus Himself declares, “They [the Scriptures]…testify of Me”(5:39b). Jesus is the main subject of the Old Testament! You will find Him on every page appearing as a type or shadow of things to come. For example, the animal sacrifices pictured Jesus’ death. What an amazing claim this is, “They testify of Me.” 

Muhammed, the prophet of Islam, who studied the Old Testament, never claimed that the Old Testament witnessed to him. Buddha knew some of the Old Testament, yet he never claimed it was a witness to him. Gandhi, a modern-day Buddha, never claimed that Scripture talked about him. But when Jesus makes that claim no one calls Him crazy. There is an acknowledgment of the justice of His claim, there is evidence in support of it.

It’s possible to study the Bible, to even give your whole life to it, and never see Jesus. Like many people today, these people thought that knowledge is power, education is life, and if you get knowledge of what God does you will have eternal life. What is the problem? How can people hear and see the truth, study the truth all their lives, yet never come to Christ?

Jesus tells us: “But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life” (5:40). The problem is the will. The reason they don’t find Christ in their study of the Bible is because they choose not to do so.

Jesus goes on to tell us why someone can read the truth, know it to be truth, know that it speaks of Jesus, know Him to be who He claims to be, and still refuse to come to Him in faith. It is because they are looking for their own advancement. They are out to please themselves and to please other people (5:41-44). 

 There are two ways to study the Bible: (like the Pharisees) you can study it with your mind made up or (like Jesus’ disciples) you can study it to let it make up your mind. The choice is yours.

5. THE WITNESS OF MOSES (5:45-47). It is amazing that the very one the religious leaders of Israel are using as their excuse to persecute Jesus, will instead become their accuser. Moses will finally tell them they have ignored his words about Christ. 

 Many people are like this today. They say, “When I stand before God I will have a lot of things to say to Him. I don’t think He has treated me very fairly. I’ve had a bad deal in life and I’m going to tell Him so.” But on that day, they will stand absolutely silent before God, their own memories will testify that He is right, and they are wrong.

Listen to Jesus’ words: “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words” (5:47-48)? If the Jews believed Moses (and they didn’t), they would believe Jesus because Moses wrote about Him. Moses was highly respected by the Jewish nation and Jesus was saying Moses would condemn them because they rejected the Person he wrote about. Jesus is telling us if we don’t believe the truth we know now, we won’t believe when we hear even more truth. 

Where does that leave us? We have the witness of the Father, of John the Baptist, twenty centuries of testimony about the power of Jesus to heal people, to turn them around and make them whole, the witness of the Bible, and the witness of Moses. Five witnesses were sufficient to condemn the Jews for their unbelief. The Jews were claiming a legal ground for unbelief (5:31) and Jesus shows them there is no legal basis. Where does that leave us, if we continue to pursue the empty voices of the world and seek for positions of power and influence apart from the will and the glory of God?

If you are a Christian, will you submit to Jesus Christ as God and let Him direct your life even if it means being led up onto a hill to be crucified or serving Him in another part of the world? Are you willing to live for Him and not yourself? 

If you are not a Christian, is there anything keeping you from trusting Christ right now to get you to heaven? Because He is God, He is the only One who can give you eternal life. Take Him at His Word when He says, “He who believes in Me has everlasting life.” John 6:47

Prayer: For years I have rejected You my Lord Jesus as a mere prophet or good moral teacher. But now I have been convicted that You are truly God and can give me everlasting life. Please forgive me for the terrible things I have done and said. I come to You now as a sinner who deserves eternal condemnation. I believe You died for me and rose from the dead. I am now trusting in You, Jesus (not my religion, my good life, or prayers) to give me everlasting life and forgive all my sins. Thank You for the everlasting life and forgiveness I now have. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

No One Like Jesus Christ

“And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!’” Luke 9:35

Jesus’ identity was revealed through His authority and power to heal demon-possessed people (8:1-3, 26-39), to transform lives through His teaching  (8:4-21), to calm storms at sea (8:22-25), to heal what man could never heal (8:43-48), to raise the dead (8:40-42, 49-56), to change ordinary men into dynamic messengers of the gospel (9:1-6), to captivate political leaders (9:7-9), to miraculously provide food for the multitudes (9:10-17), to persuade His followers of His true identity (9:18-20), to predict the future (9:21-22), to demand sacrificial allegiance (9:23-26), and to reveal His future glory as King over all the earth (9:27-34). 

God the Father identified Jesus as His “beloved Son” (9:35a). Because of who Jesus is, we are to “hear [and obey] Him!” There is no one else like Jesus Christ. This is why more books have been written about Jesus and more songs have been sung about Him than any other person in history. Even Islam’s sacred book, the Quran, mentions the name of Jesus more than its founder, Mohammed. 

No one else can come close to matching Jesus’ credentials and influence. He is the God-Man (John 1:1, 14) who died for the sins of the world (John 1:29) and rose from the dead (I Cor. 15:1-6)! “Hear Him” when He says, “whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). He is “the truth” (John 14:6) and cannot lie. He always keeps His promises. 

When you believe in Him for His free gift (Rom. 6:23), He gives you everlasting life which can never be lost (John 10:28-29), He places you into God’s family forever (John 1:12; 6:37), and He comes to live inside of you forever through His Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11; Gal. 2:20; Heb. 13:5). He wants to be your best Friend. Spend time talking with Him in prayer (Phil 4:6-7) and learn to listen to Him as you read and study the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Find a church that preaches God’s Word and makes disciples of Christ, so you can grow with other believers in Jesus (Heb. 10:24-25). Let Jesus teach you how to share His gospel message with those you love and care for (Matt. 4:19). You will never be the same as you grow closer to God’s “beloved Son!”

Do our Priorities reflect God’s?

“But to the tribe of Levi Moses had given no inheritance; the Lord God of Israel was their inheritance, as He had said to them.” Joshua 13:33

When Joshua prepared to divide the land of Canaan that they had already conquered among the tribes of Israel, he writes, “But to the tribe of Levi Moses had given no inheritance; the Lord God of Israel was their inheritance, as He had said to them” (13:33). The tribe of Levi would receive no specific land inheritance as did the other tribes because “The Lord…was their inheritance.” (cf. Num. 18:20). However, this did include the sacrifices or offerings for food (13:14), the priesthood (18:7), and the Lord Himself (13:33)! Could there be a greater inheritance than God!?!

As Christians, we can place a lot of emphasis on material possessions, including the purchasing of land or the building of buildings. Churches can preoccupy themselves with buying land on which to construct a building. While there is nothing inherently wrong with owning land or building a building, do we think we are lacking if we have no land or building to call our own? The truth is since we are believer-priests in Christ (I Pet. 2:9), the Lord is our inheritance and we are also His inheritance (cf. Rom. 8:17a; Ephes. 1:11, 14, 18). No amount of land or buildings can compare to Him! Jesus Christ is eternal and unchanging (cf. Heb. 13:8), but buildings and lands are changing and temporary. Natural catastrophes can wipe them out in an instant. While we cannot lose our relationship with Christ once we believe in Him (cf. John 3:16; 10:28-29; Heb. 13:5), we can lose land or buildings in a moment of time. In fact, the Bible tells us that in the future all earthly things will be destroyed by fire (cf. 2 Peter 3:10). 

Knowing this should cause us to invest more of our time, talents, and treasures in what is eternal, not that which is temporary (cf. Matt. 6:19-20). Our hearts will follow what we value – “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). The more we invest in temporary material possessions, the more our hearts will focus on them. But the more we invest in the Lord and His work (Mark 16:15; Matt. 28:19-20), the more our hearts will focus on what is eternal.

For example, I have observed churches in America spend millions of dollars to purchase land and build buildings, and that becomes their primary focus because they are investing their treasures in those things. Their prayers, their meetings, their conversations, activities, and giving revolve around the purchasing of land and the building of buildings. There is no outreach or disciple-making taking place. However, I have also observed churches who invest the majority of their money in the Lord and His work. As a result, their hearts are more focused on the things of the Lord. Their prayers, conversations, activities, and giving revolve around who the Lord Jesus is and leading people to faith in Him, discipling or equipping them, and starting churches. They also send missionaries to other parts of the world to make disciples of Christ. Yes, they have land and buildings, but those temporary things are used to enhance their primary mission (making disciples), not detract them from it. 

Where we invest our treasure influences where we focus our hearts. Do our priorities reflect this biblical truth? Does the way we manage the money God has given us reflect that the Lord and His work are our inheritance?

Rahab and God’s Grace

“Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, ‘Go, view the land, especially Jericho.’ So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there.” Joshua 2:1

When Joshua sent two spies to secretly assess the land of Canaan, they “came to the house of a harlot named Rahab” who hid them on her roof to protect them from the king of Jericho’s men who sought to kill them (Josh. 2:1-7). Rahab was a woman of faith (cf. Heb. 11:31; James 2:25) who trusted in Israel’s God knowing that He had “given” Israel “the land” and He would bring it to pass since she “had heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for” them and had defeated “the two kings of the Amorites” for them (2:8-10). After Rahab pleaded to the spies to deliver her and her family from death, the spies instructed Rahab to tie a scarlet cord in the window through which she let them escape to identify her house for rescue, and if she and her family stayed in her house which was on the city wall, they promised to spare her and her family when the city of Jericho was destroyed (2:12-21). Amazingly when the walls of Jericho fell flat, Rahab’s house stood firm and she and her household were saved from physical death (6:22-25).

Like Rahab, all of us have sinned with our thoughts, words, and actions (Rom. 3:23). We all deserve to die forever in hell. But God loves us just like He loved Rahab. Her story is filled with pictures of Jesus Himself. Rahab’s scarlet cord pictures the safety we can have through Christ’s blood from God’s eternal judgment (2:21; cf. 2 Cor. 5:21; I Pet. 3:18). In Rahab’s case, the scarlet cord would have been visible to the Israelite army as they marched around the city of Jericho before the walls fell flat because Rahab’s house was built into the city wall. The scarlet cord not only spared Rahab’s house and those in it from God’s judgment on the city, but it also marked her and her family out to be brought into God’s family. Just as God’s judgment passed over Rahab’s house because of the scarlet cord, so God’s eternal judgment passes over every believer because of the blood of Jesus Christ. 

Rahab’s story reminds us that no one is TOO BAD for God’s grace to save. Will you choose the Lord today to save you from your sins and give you eternal life? Jesus promised, “whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16b). Now is the time to trust in Christ alone because later may never come.

Moses and Jesus

“But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.” Deuteronomy 34:10

At the end of the book of Deuteronomy, we are told after Moses died that “there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.” There had never been a prophet like Moses who had a unique relationship with God (“whom the Lord knew face to face”) and through whom God performed “all the signs and wonders…in the land of Egypt” (34:10-12) until Jesus Christ came to earth. Many who have studied Moses’ life have observed several similarities between Moses and Jesus Christ, including (taken from Dr. Tom Constable’s Notes on Deuteronomy 2015 Edition, pp. 127-128):

1. Both men were divinely chosen deliverers (Exod. 3:7-10; John 3:16; Acts 7:25). 

2. Both were born into a godly home at a difficult time in Jewish history (Exod. 1:15—2:10; Matt. 2:1-12). 

3. Both of their lives were threatened when they were infants (Exod. 1:22; Matt. 2:16). 

4. Both were protected in Egypt (Exod. 2:1-10; Matt. 2:13-15). Both gave up wealth to benefit others (Heb. 11:24-26; Phil. 2:6-8). 

5. Both experienced rejection by Israel initially and so turned to the Gentiles (Exod. 2:11-15; Acts 7:23-29; 18:5-6; cf. Acts 28:17-28). 

6. Both gained a bride during their rejection by Israel (Exod. 2:16-21; Matt. 12:14-21; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:30-32). 

7. Following his period of rejection, Moses again appeared as Israel’s deliverer and was accepted, as Jesus will be (Exod. 4:29-31; Zech. 12:10—13:1; Rom. 11:24-26; cf. Acts 7:23-36; 15:14-17). 

8. Both did mighty signs and wonders (miracles; Deut. 34:11-12; Matt. 4:23). 

9. Both were servants of the Lord (Deut. 34:5; Isa. 53). 

10. Both were prophets (Acts 3:22-23), advocates (Exod. 32:31-35; 1 John 2:1-2), intercessors (Exod. 17:1-6; Heb. 7:25), and leaders or kings (Deut 33:4-5; Isa. 55:4; Heb. 2:10; Rev. 19). Both were meek men (Num. 12:3; Matt. 11:28-30). 

11. Both were mighty in word and deed (Acts 7:22; Luke 24:19). 

12. Both experienced glorious transformation—Moses’ face, and Jesus’ entire person (Exod. 34:29- 30; Matt. 17:2). 

13. Both enjoyed an intimate relationship with God (Deut. 34:10; John 17). 

14. Moses was faithful as a servant over another’s house, whereas Christ is faithful as a Son over His own house (Heb. 3:5-6). 

15. Both finished the work that God gave them to do (Exod. 39:42-43; 40:33; John 17:4).

16. Both went to heaven after dying (Deut. 34:5-6; Acts 1:9). 

17. Both left trained successors behind who continued their work (Joshua, and the apostles). 18. However, Moses sinned (Num. 20:11), but Jesus did not (1 Pet. 2:21-24) because Jesus is fully God and fully Man (John 1:1, 14)!

Praise God for Moses who was a foreshadowing of the greatest Person to ever live – Jesus Christ! Let’s worship Jesus and make Him known to a lost world (Mark 16:15)!