R.P. Nettelhorst's Blog, page 28

Faith Statement

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. (Matthew 16:13-20)

How did Jesus teach? Sometimes he taught by telling stories. And sometimes he taught be asking pointed, open-ended questions. Asking questions the way Jesus did is sometimes called the “Socratic method.” It was a technique used by the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, who had died nearly four hundred years before Jesus was born. So sometimes when Jesus wanted his disciples to understand something new about himself, he started by asking them some questions. Jesus didn’t ask the questions because he didn’t know the answer. Rather, he knew his questions would get the disciples to recognize something that they might not otherwise understand.

Jesus’ question about his identity was one that everyone must answer for himself or herself sooner or later. Who is Jesus? Is he a prophet? A teacher? Human? Divine? The author and apologist C.S. Lewis said that Jesus purposely narrowed the possibilities. Like Jesus’ disciples, we must decide if Jesus is really God in human form or not. If he is not God, then he is either nuts or else he’s a con-man. He’s certainly not someone to follow or listen to.

So as we think about Jesus, we have no other option, just as Peter and the disciples had no real choice in how they identified him. Once you start thinking about the possibilities, you’ll understand why Peter made the statement he made. Peter’s conclusion is the only one that makes any sense given the facts.

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Temptation

Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.

During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”

But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say,

‘People do not live by bread alone,

but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say,

‘He will order his angels to protect you.

And they will hold you up with their hands

so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’ ”

Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the LORD your God.’ ”

Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”

“Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say,

‘You must worship the LORD your God

and serve only him.’ ”

Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus. (Matthew 4:1-11)

The Devil believes the Bible and takes it seriously. That’s why, when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness, most of his temptations came with biblical citations. Satan imagined that Jesus would have to do what he said, since it was biblical.

Satan’s temptations were subtle lies, the consequence of his selective misreading and misunderstanding of the Bible. Satan, like many people, ignored the context of the passages he quoted. He went to the Bible looking for phrases to bolster his point of view. He imposed his agenda on the text, rather than looking for God’s agenda.

Jesus responded to Satan by quoting the Bible back to him, challenging the Devil’s misunderstandings. Jesus was not willing to search the Bible to find a passage that would justify what he wanted to do. Instead, Jesus knew the Bible as a whole and then did what the Bible wanted him to do. It was easy for Jesus to see through Satan’s lies.

Because Satan took the Bible seriously, Jesus’ scriptural responses shut him down. Jesus’ success against the Devil demonstrated that knowing the Bible well is the best shield against temptation. Jesus demonstrated that Satan’s lies can be overcome.

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Love and Hate

After Paul was arrested in Jerusalem, he gave a speech about his conversion. “Then Ananias said ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of His voice. For you will be a witness for Him to all people of what you have seen and heard. And now, why delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins by calling on His name. ’

“After I came back to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple complex, I went into a visionary state and saw him telling me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me!’

“But I said, ‘Lord, they know that in synagogue after synagogue I had those who believed in You imprisoned and beaten. And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving, and I guarded the clothes of those who killed him.’

“Then He said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

They listened to him up to this word. Then they raised their voices, shouting, “Wipe this person off the earth—it’s a disgrace for him to live!” (Acts 22:14-22)

Paul hated Christians and the Jesus they followed. Paul was certain that Christians were a danger to the well-being of Jewish society.

But then Paul met Jesus one day and everything changed for him.

But his transformation didn’t stop with his conversion to Christianity. After Paul visited Jerusalem, Jesus told Paul to do something even more unsettling. He told Paul to preach to the gentiles. Most Jews despised gentiles. The word translated “gentiles” literally meant, “the Greeks.” Two hundred years earlier, the Greek king, Antiochus Epiphanes had tried to force the Jews to worship the Greek gods. He had even sacrificed a pig in the Temple. The Jews had revolted and driven the Greeks out. Jesus sent Paul to talk to these very people.

Years later, when Paul shared what Jesus had asked him to do, the reaction of the Jewish mob in Jerusalem that was already angry with him was unsurprisingly negative. The prevailing view among Jewish people of Paul’s time was that the Messiah would wipe out sinners. And who were the sinners? The gentiles. They were not happy to hear that the Messiah loved gentiles.

People often like to hear that God loves people. Until they realize that means not just themselves and those they like, but also their enemies and those they believe they justly hate.

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He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”

“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.

Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”

“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.

A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.

“I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.” Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.” (John 21:15-19)

Peter thought he didn’t deserve Jesus’ friendship any longer. He believed he had failed him and that he was beyond forgiveness. Peter doubted that he really loved Jesus at all. So Jesus made a special effort to show Peter that he was mistaken. Jesus showed Peter that despite everything he had done, or failed to do, Jesus still loved Peter. And, perhaps more importantly, Jesus reassured Peter that he still loved Jesus.

What does the word “love” mean? It’s meaning becomes clear from paying attention to how Jesus used it. Peter denied Jesus three times. Therefore, Jesus asked him three times to affirm his love. Jesus was reassuring Peter that just because he failed, it didn’t mean that he didn’t love Jesus, or that Jesus loved him any less. Peter was still Jesus’ friend and still a part of God’s plan.

And what was God’s plan? Peter had said he would die for Jesus, but when the time came, he’d protected himself instead. So Jesus revealed that Peter would take care of God’s people, establish his church, and in the end, that he would die like Jesus on a cross. Peter’s love for Jesus really was no less secure than Jesus’ love for Peter.

Jesus reassured his friend that failure today didn’t mean failure for all time. God never gives up on his people, even if they sometimes give up on themselves.

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Temptation

The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.”

“That’s enough!” he replied.

 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”

He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed,  “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”  An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” (Luke 22:38–46)

I can resist anything but temptation, so goes the old joke. What is temptation? Temptation is the desire to do something we shouldn’t. It needs to be noticed that we can only be tempted—enticed—to do something that we would want to do. If you dislike liver, for instance, the offer of a steaming plate of liver and onions will do nothing for you. You won’t be tempted at all. But change out that plate of liver for something you crave—for instance a big slice of chocolate cake—and suddenly you are tempted.

Temptation is not a sin. Only giving in to the temptation is sin. And whether something is a sin is sometimes entirely dependent upon the context. After all, there is a time and place for chocolate cake.

Jesus told his disciples to pray that they wouldn’t give into temptation. Why did he ask them to pray for such protection at that particular moment? Because it had been a long day, it was late at night, and the one thing the disciples really wanted at that particular moment was something that in itself was usually a good thing: sleep. So they needed to resist their natural urge. Instead, Jesus needed them to pray for him, for what he was about to face on the cross. But the disciples didn’t understand. They didn’t know what Jesus needed from them and so they repeatedly gave into their temptation.

We don’t always recognize the temptation we need protection from—until it is too late.

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Doing Anything for Love

Judas (not Iscariot) said, “Master, why is it that you are about to make yourself plain to us but not to the world?”

“Because a loveless world,” said Jesus, “is a sightless world. If anyone loves me, he will carefully keep my word and my Father will love him—we’ll move right into the neighborhood! Not loving me means not keeping my words. The message you are hearing isn’t mine. It’s the message of the Father who sent me.

“I’m telling you these things while I’m still living with you. The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught.

“You’ve heard me tell you, ‘I’m going away, and I’m coming back.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I’m on my way to the Father because the Father is the goal and purpose of my life.

“I’ve told you this ahead of time, before it happens, so that when it does happen, the confirmation will deepen your belief in me. I’ll not be talking with you much more like this because the chief of this godless world is about to attack.” (John 14:22-30)

If you love someone, you pay a lot of attention to him or her. If you don’t, not so much. Jesus words made more sense to his disciples than they did to the world at large just for that reason.

When Jesus told his disciples that he was going away, he meant that he was about to be crucified. He told them that they should be glad because the whole purpose of his life was to die. It wasn’t for nothing, either. His death would save the whole world from sin. He was trying to explain to the disciples, that his coming death should be a cause of joy, as paradoxical as that sounded to them just then.

But he would be coming back because he would rise from the dead in just three days. Later he’d leave again for awhile, but in the meantime the Holy Spirit would come—and in fact, when the Spirit came, it would be just like he was back again, and the Spirit would explain it all to them, and remind them of everything that Jesus had ever said.

Jesus never leaves his people without comfort.

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Money Love

He explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep. (John 10:7-13)

Jesus thought that people mattered more than his own life. Their wellbeing was of greater worth than his. His love was that powerful.

Jesus sometimes spoke in allegory. In an agricultural society, his images were obvious and easy to get, though their implications were profound. Sometimes—perhaps most of the time—Jesus’ audience missed his point all together, whether that audience was the wider crowd or even his closest friends.

The picture of a shepherd taking care of his flock would have been easy for his audience to understand. But Jesus also alluded to the well-known Psalm 23, identifying himself with God as the protector of his people. Jesus was the gate into the sheepfold, so no one could get in without him knowing. Jesus was also the shepherd who took care of the sheep. He was not just a hired hand concerned only with his next paycheck. He loved the sheep more than anything.

Jesus , just like a shepherd taking care of his sheep, wanted to give every person a rich and satisfying life. This echoed the Psalm, which pointed out that goodness and mercy would be a part of a believer’s life forever. Only the lying wolf would make you think otherwise. It’s easy to lose sight of the shepherd when the wolf appears.

Jesus pointed out that no matter what they face, the shepherd is always with his sheep. They are never alone. It should be comfort enough to know that we have a good shepherd with us.

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Party Favor

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. (John 2:1-11)

Jesus was at a party. They ran out of wine. He made more. Jesus’ first miracle tells us something surprising about him.

Jesus’ mother knew he was the Messiah. She asked him to take care of a rather mundane problem. He warned her about the consequences of her request, but she insisted. With his obedience, he began the public ministry that would lead to his crucifixion.

No problem, however inconsequential, is beyond mattering to Jesus. Jesus loved his mother and what was important to her was important to him because she was important. Jesus cared that the people at a party had fun, and that the hosts not be embarrassed.

For some Christians, realizing what Jesus did at that wedding may be profoundly disturbing. But instead, it should be comforting. People enjoyed spending time with Jesus, where they did not enjoy spending time with religious leaders. In fact, religious leaders criticized Jesus heavily for his relationships with sinners. In the minds of many of the religious leaders, Jesus was not religious at all.

And that is precisely the point. Religion does not and cannot fix the problems of the world, but a relationship with Jesus does. Even if the problem is only a lack of wine at a wedding.

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Speaking Truth to Power

Some Pharisees approached, saying to him, “Go away, leave here, for Herod wants to kill You.”

And He said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I reach My goal.’ Nevertheless I must journey on today and tomorrow and the next day; for it cannot be that a prophet would perish outside of Jerusalem.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!

“Behold, your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you will not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ” (Luke 13:31-35)

Jesus did not always speak with kind and gentle words. Jesus purposely insulted the tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, Herod Antipas. This was the same Herod who had killed John the Baptist. According to Jewish tradition, foxes were cunning, but lowly animals.

It’s also worth noting that Jesus, as the Messiah and a descendent of David, had a legitimate claim to the Jewish throne, while Herod did not. He was illegitimate, serving at the whim of the Roman occupiers. The law of Moses prohibited the cursing of a ruler, while New Testament authors spoke against saying evil things about one another. However, those prohibitions were not intended to prevent legitimate criticism of rulers by God’s prophets, apostles and people.

Jesus did not fear for his life. The Pharisees’ attempt to scare Jesus away failed. No human being could thwart his ministry or purpose. God’s will cannot be resisted, after all. And yet, Jesus bewails the fate of Jerusalem, a city he wanted to save and comfort, but whose crooked ways and resistance prevented any solace then. Did this mean that Jerusalem could resist God’s will? No. Jesus knew that his will for Jerusalem’s redemption and peace could be achieved only by sending it through some dark times first. Its destruction by the Romans a generation later was part of his will, too.

God’s will is accomplished in his timing. It usually takes awhile for God to do what needs doing. God believes a slow cooked sauce is preferable to the instant variety.

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Grateful Love

A Pharisee invited Jesus to have dinner with him. So Jesus went to the Pharisee’s home and got ready to eat.

When a sinful woman in that town found out that Jesus was there, she bought an expensive bottle of perfume. Then she came and stood behind Jesus. She cried and started washing his feet with her tears and drying them with her hair. The woman kissed his feet and poured the perfume on them.

The Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this and said to himself, “If this man really were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him! He would know that she is a sinner.”

Jesus said to the Pharisee, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”

“Teacher, what is it?” Simon replied.

Jesus told him, “Two people were in debt to a moneylender. One of them owed him five hundred silver coins, and the other owed him fifty. Since neither of them could pay him back, the moneylender said that they didn’t have to pay him anything. Which one of them will like him more?”

Simon answered, “I suppose it would be the one who had owed more and didn’t have to pay it back.”

“You are right,” Jesus said. (Luke 7:36-43)

For Jesus, nothing ever happened by accident. Jesus knew that a disreputable woman would come to the party, he knew what she would do, and he knew how the Pharisee named Simon would respond. In fact, Jesus was counting on it.

Pharisees were one of the four major sects of Judaism in the first century, sort of like modern denominations within Christianity. The Pharisees were considered the progressives of their day. They believed that the Bible included all the books of the Old Testament, not just the five books of Moses. They believed in angels and demons and Satan. And they believed in the resurrection of the dead. They took the Bible very seriously and they believed that it was critical for the people of Israel to obey the laws of God completely and consistently in order to avoid a repeat of God’s judgment.

So when Simon saw a sinful woman touching Jesus, he was appalled. How could a prophet endure the presence, let alone the touch, of such a human being? Jesus used the situation as an opportunity to instruct a well-intentioned but misguided individual about the wonder of God’s love and forgiveness. Simon took God for granted. Sometimes, like Simon, we need reminding about how great it is to have God’s forgiveness.

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