“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” – John 1:1-5 (ESV)

J.I. Packer, in his classic book Knowing God, refers to the opening section of the Gospel of John as “the deep end of theology.”  To truly mine the depths of these words – to fully unpack the impact of the simple word Logos and how, in one word, John reaches both Jews (by tying Jesus to creation and Creator) and Greeks, with their idea of Logos being the force that makes the world go ‘round – would take a much longer piece than is reasonable for a blog post.  (There are times I feel like my rambling tests those boundaries the way it is, brevity not being my gift.)  Truly, the concept – and I do not like the limitations / connotations behind the word “concept,” but it is the best I can come up with at this early hour – of Christ as the Logos, as presented in John’s Gospel, is beyond the grasp of a simple fisherman (a clear indicator of Who the True Author is here).

When I read John’s prologue (John 1:1-18), many messages about Who Jesus is ring out loud and clear.  One that has particularly stuck in my craw lately is the centrality of Jesus Christ.  In fact, I’m not sure that it is enough to say Christ is at the center of it all.  I believe it just might be best to say Christ is the center.

Consider the other Gospels for a moment.  Mark starts right off the bat with John the Baptist and his role in preparing the way for Jesus.  Luke begins with the set-up for the birth of Jesus.  Matthew does good Jewish theology by legitimizing Christ through genealogy.

But John…

John shows us Jesus all through history – and beyond.  His life did not begin in a manger in Bethlehem.  As you read John 1:1-18, understand that the apostle is telling us that the Word – the Logos – is Jesus Christ.  In other words, “In the beginning was Jesus, and Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God.”  “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, ESV).

Jesus is God Incarnate – the Creative Word, the Logos, in flesh, walking and living among us (“dwelling,” just as God did in the tabernacle with the Israelites).  Jesus provides all of us with the perfect example of how we are to live our lives.  He teaches us what it is all about, what it all means.  Most importantly, He became the sacrifice for our sins.  Without Christ, there is no life.

Without Christ, there is no life.

Let that marinate for a bit.

Right now, I am speaking to Christians.  And I am going to be as direct with you as I have been with myself lately because, frankly, sugar-frosting the message does nobody any good.  If you really saw Christ as the pivotal point in your life, the hub around which all of your existence orbited, how would you live?  How would that play out in your daily, everyday, mundane routine?  Would it still be mundane?  Would life be boring?

How would you approach your job?  Would it be a curse because of the junk you deal with, or a blessing because of what it provides?

How would your home look?  Would the stress level go down?  Would you be better equipped to cope with the spouse and the kidlets and the critters and the dripping faucet and the garage door that sounds like a freight train every time it goes up and down (and, yes, I apologize to my neighbors when we leave at 5:30 in the morning…)?

How would your church look?  How would your calendar look?  How would your checkbook look?

What would you watch on TV tonight?  What would you do with your evening?  Your weekend?

Would you be more purposeful with your assets (and I do not mean merely money)?  Would you be more purposeful about your approach to life?

What if you saw yourself as Christ sees you.  Would you stop striving for perfection and realize the only true perfection comes from God?  Would you see that it is the Lord Who enables and equips and ease up on yourself a bit?  Would you stop beating yourself up for the sins that Christ has already forgiven?  Would you stop worrying about a mistake made?

How would you view the disaster, the sadness, the stress and the troubles that come to each of us at some point in our lives?  How would you view this earthly existence in the light of an eternal perspective?

What would be important to you?

If you lived recognizing the reality that Christ is the center – if we truly saw Him as the definition of our lives, letting His presence indwell and permeate every aspect of our existence  – how would that look?  Would we be better equipped to accept trouble when it strikes?  Would the fruit of the Spirit be present in our lives?  Would people see us and be drawn to Jesus through us?

I’m not writing these things to condemn or criticize anyone.  How hypocritical would that be!  Nor am I saying we should try to be perfect.  In fact, just the opposite.  I am saying that Christ is the center of existence – He is life!

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” – John 14:6-7 (ESV)

And I am saying this: the simple fact that Jesus is God Incarnate – Jesus Who loves us, loves you and I personally with a depth beyond our grasp, not just as an arbitrary concept but personally… that reality alone should be enough to make us leap for joy, “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained” (Philippians 3:13-16, ESV).

And what have we attained?  Eternal life through Jesus Christ, Who is the center of it all.

Somehow this feels incomplete.  I could go so much farther, so much deeper.  And will, God willing, in future posts.  But for now… have a blessed day.  Consider Christ at the center of every decision, every word, every action today.  And watch Him work through your life!

“Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved…” – John 13:23 (KJV)

It occurred to me during our men’s Bible study this morning.  We’ve started a study of the Gospel of John and were going through background material. We were discussing the Apostle John, talking about how alike he and Peter were when he was younger and the fact that John seemed to mature quicker.  The point came up that, in his gospel, John never refers to himself by name.  He always calls himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved.”  Just at that moment, as we looked at the scene at the Last Supper where John is reclined against Jesus, it struck me.

John so closely identified himself with Jesus that he truly surrendered all to the Lord – including the very definition of who he was.  He was no longer the former fisherman John, son of Zebedee and Salome and brother of James.  He was no longer one of the “Sons of Thunder.”  All of that former life was gone.  He was a new creation, so thoroughly identified in Christ that he humbly referred to himself simply as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.”  John isn’t being boastful, or claiming himself better than the others.  He is simply stating fact: he is recognizing that the love of Christ defines who he is.  After all, the true mark of a disciple is to live a life as close to your Lord as possible.

We all claim an identity.  For some of us, it is our career that defines us.  Perhaps it is our place of birth, or religious or political affiliation.  Inwardly, we often define ourselves by our self-image – whether healthy or unhealthy.  But, the simple fact of the matter is, if you are truly a Christian – a follower of Jesus Christ who seeks to do His will and follow His precepts and walk in His love – then you are defined by the Lord as a disciple whom Jesus loves.

You are not identified by what you do for a living. 

You are not identified by your former glories, or your past failures.

You are not identified by any restrictions you feel society has imposed on you.

You are not identified by what somebody said you were.

Shame does not identify you.

Guilt does not identify you.

Mistakes do not identify you.

Hear me, beloved… Christ defines you.  Your identity is found in the Lord Jesus Christ!  What exactly does that mean?  It means, if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior have confessed your sins and repented (which means turned away from your sin and turned to Christ to save you and guide you), then you have a new identity.  The old you has disappeared in the shadow of the cross.  It means you are redeemed, reborn, redefined.

It means you are loved, beloved.  Drop the old identity and let Christ so redefine you that the world knows you are His.  You were once a slave to your old identity.  Now, in Christ, “he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him” (1 Corinthians 6:17, ESV). 

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11, ESV).

Maybe you used to be identified by one of the sins listed in verses 9 and 10 above.  But, if you have turned your life to Christ, you have a new identity (verse 11)!  You are CLEAN.  You are FORGIVEN.  You are FREE FROM THE PAST.  Most of all, you are BELOVED, a child of the Most High God, Maker of Heaven and Earth. 

And if you haven’t accepted Christ, what’s stopping you?  It’s never too late – not as long as you draw breath.  There is no sin too bad that God cannot forgive, no life so far gone that God cannot restore, no person out of the reach of Jesus Christ. 

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” – Hebrews 10:19-23 (ESV)

“So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.  Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” – 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (ESV)

It is a question that has been discussed and debated and argued for eons: what exactly was the thorn in Paul’s side?  I’ve heard many explanations – some plausible, some ludicrous.  In the end, the answer is simply that we do not know.

And maybe – just maybe – that is the point.  Maybe it is supposed to vague, for now.  I love how the absolute truth and reality of the situation is presented without the details about the thorn.  In doing so, Paul has made this passage of Scripture very widely applicable (as verse 10 shows us it should be).  After all, the thorn isn’t the object of the lesson. 

The grace and power of Jesus Christ is the lesson.

Everybody has a weakness.  Indeed, if we were totally honest, we’d probably confess to more than one.  And, right now, it would be easy to sit here and tell all of you about the pain that’s been keeping up at night.  But the pain isn’t the point.  The illness (or astheneia, which the ESV renders as “weakness,” is more literally translated as sickness or disease) that has befallen us isn’t the point.  Nor are the slings and arrows we suffer for the sake of Christ (yes, “slings and arrows” is Shakespeare, not KJV Bible).  Likewise, the difficulties of life, the troubles and tragedies every human faces and one point or another, are not the point.

The point is that we have Jesus (or, more to the point, Christ has us).  No matter what we are dealing with, He is there.  God is keenly aware of what each of us is going through and He is ever present in the lives of His children.  Everything has it’s season.  There are situations God puts us in and situations we bring on ourselves.  Sometimes God is teaching and preparing us through our hardships.  Sometime we are an example to someone else.  What is important is to remember that we are to focus on the grace and power of our Loving Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Who provides just what we need, just when we need it.  However choppy the waters you are sailing, no matter how deep and painful the thorn, the Lord will see you through it.  Rely on His strength, not your own.  Even when it makes no sense.  Especially when you want to give up.  Rest in the grace and power of God through Jesus Christ!

(Jesus said) “All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:27-30 (ESV)

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:4-7 (ESV)

Tonight I was praying, asking the Lord what I should write about – for guidance and just the right words to touch someone’s heart in a very real way.  It is my prayer every time I sit down to write.  Then I looked on Facebook and saw a friend of ours had posted Philippians 4:6-7 on their wall.

Over the past twelve years, I don’t know how many times I have written on this passage.  But it is one of those passages of Scripture that we should never forget.  Why?  Because the peace of God is assurance in His love and care for our lives – yesterday, today and eternally.  And it isn’t just for us, lest we become nothing more than consumer Christians.  It is the peace that transforms us from heavily burdened people to joyful sojourners, a light to others – especially when we facing troubles.  People will see the peace of Christ at work in our lives and wonder, “Hmmm… what do they have that I am missing?”  The peace of God expressed through our lives takes Christianity from dogma to reality when viewed by others.  It strengthens and encourages fellow believers and attracts (or at least befuddles) non-believers.

So… tonight I want to begin digging into this passage and find hope for what we’re facing in life.  Understand, please, that these words come from the heart of a man who has wrestled with anxiety and doubt, knows what it is to go nights on end with very little sleep, and worry about life.  If this sounds familiar to you, read on as we unpack the Good News that is crammed into these few short verses…

1.: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”  Spring 1999 was a low time in my life – very low, very stressful, very tough all around.  We had been without a solid church family for five years.  In fact, this was – although we didn’t have a clue at the time – the last months of five years of self-imposed exile in the Chicagoland desert (a long story for another post).  We had just gotten involved in a church because of an amazing connection through some friends of ours (which is an even longer story).  One Wednesday evening, we were at a church service and the pastor was preaching on this passage from Philippians.  He was aware of what I was going through at the time and I was sitting in the pew, feeling (and I assume probably looking) particularly sour that night.  The pastor was talking about being glad, caught sight of me, walked over to where I was sitting and – index and middle fingers sticking out – reiterated the words “BE GLAD!”, punctuating his point by poking me so hard in the chest that he left two fingertip bruises on me that remained as a reminder for a few days. 

Look at what Paul is saying… “Rejoice!”  He says it not once, but twice.  Rejoice!  Now… when Paul repeats himself – whenever you see a point repeated in rapid succession anywhere in the Bible – take notice.  Pay attention.  An important point is being made.  Paul is telling us, be glad!  When should we be glad?  Always!!  Not when circumstances are happy.  Not when life is peaches and cream.  But always. 

An important point: rejoice comes from the Greek word χαίρω (chairō).  Despite being translated as “rejoice” – a word that, in English, indicates some sense of excitement – chairō actually denotes a more peaceful prosperity of soul, what Strong’s calls “calmly happy or well-off” (Strong’s G5463).  It is the manifestation of the peace of God in our countenance, our actions, our reactions, our example.  And Paul says that, as Christians, that is our “reasonable” (re)action to life. 

That seems perhaps far-fetched.  After all, isn’t it only reasonable to worry – worry about our kids, about the economy and the state of the world, about our jobs, our security, etc. etc. etc.?  Not according to Jesus:

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” – Matthew 6:25-34 (ESV)

What is more reasonable – being twisted up in knots over situations we have little or no power to change and being unable to think straight because we’re nerve-wracked, guilt-ridden and exhausted from anxiety, or trusting in the ability, might, love and grace of the Eternal Creator God Who exists outside of every barrier that hems humanity in?  Personally, it took beginning to realize that God loves me – me, sinful, useless me – despite my failures and faults to begin getting some peace in my life.  Not only that, but understanding exactly what the agapē love of God is (and that I could never earn it or deserve it, which is fine because I didn’t have to!) helped me to see that the peace of God is, in fact, the reasonable response to whatever situation I face in life. What have I to worry about?  “The LORD is at hand.” 

Do I succeed in keeping God’s peace all the time?  Hardly.  But, that’s ok.  I keep coming back to God and His Word.  It isn’t a matter of losing faith, but of being human and needing the reassuring reminder from time-to-time of my Father and His love for me.  After all, even Peter had his thorn to keep him tuned in.  Sometimes we need a bruising thump in the chest to remind us that God is at hand.  Rejoice and be a light by letting others see your reasonable response of God’s peace!

Which is where we will leave this for tonight.  We’ll pick up on verse 6 next time around.  Rest well, be at peace, and know you are loved and blessed.

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” – Colossians 3:15 (ESV)

Peace.  It is a word that goes beyond the absence of struggle or war or trouble.  According to Stromg’s Lexicon, the Greek word εἰρήνη (eirēnē) means quietness, prosperity of one’s soul.  It also refers to being joined as one.

Think about that as you look at the words “peace of Christ.”  What does that mean to you?  It says to me, “Be so at one with Jesus Christ that He rules and reigns over your heart, and there you will find stillness and rest.” 

Likewise, and the verse continues, we are to be unified with Jesus as the body of Christ.  It is corporate as well as individual.  We are called to live at peace in unity with other believers, in the common bond of love through Jesus Christ.

One of my favorite promises for our life on earth is, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27, ESV).  Let me ask you: what is robbing you of peace today?  What has you unsettled?  Whatever it is, remember: the peace of Jesus Christ is yours.  It belongs to every believer.  Have faith and rest in Him. 

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8  Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:7-8a, ESV).  Don’t give in to the temptation to worry, doubt or be anxious.  Accept in faith that God is firmly in control.  Let go of the troubles that draw you away from the Lord.  Drop them, “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8  Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9  Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world” (1 Peter 5:7-9, ESV).

Do it tonight.

Do it now.

And be thankful.

You are loved.

You are loved.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” – John 1:1-5 (ESV)

Today I noted on my Facebook page that the word for the day was logos.  I had a friend ask why.

Here is my woefully inadequate answer:

There are passages of Scripture that are so rich in depth that I hold them in absolute awe.  This is one of those passages.  As I consider just exactly what John is saying, the words sink deeper into my soul.  The Bible is absolutely astounding in it’s richness, if you stop and take time to let the Word soak into you. 

“The Word” is translated from the Greek term λόγος (logos).  Logos is a word found throughout the Bible.  According to Strong’s, it can refer to a thought or idea, or reasoning (Strong’s, G3056).  But, when John uses the term, it takes on a much deeper meaning.

Let’s look a little further into John 1:

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ( John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.” – John 1:14-18 (ESV)

When John speaks of the logos, he is referring to Jesus Christ.  In these two passages, John is sharing with us the uniqueness of Christ.  He is, with one Greek term, telling what it means that Jesus is God Incarnate – God humbling Himself enough to be trapped in flesh and walk among His people. 

I love how John begins his gospel in terms that would resonate loudly with the Jews, harkening back to the creation account of Genesis 1 with the words “in the beginning.”  Likewise, the word logos would have held special meaning to the Greeks as well.  It was a term coined some 500 years before Christ that referred to “the reason of God.”

As the logos who was there from before creation, Jesus – God Incarnate – has always existed!  (And, by inference, we can conclude always will!)  He was there at the beginning, not merely with God but God Himself as part of the Trinity.  That means the way of salvation was there before man ever existed. 

And Jesus wasn’t merely a passive witness to creation.  “All things were made through Him.”  Consider the repeated motif of the Genesis creation account: God spoke, and it was; God spoke, and it was.  The term logos refers to the words, thoughts, creative works God would have expressed.

We also see Jesus as the overcomer of sin, the result of the fall.  He is “the light that shines in the darkness.”  Jesus is the embodiment of holiness.  Just as the day and night separated light and darkness in Genesis 1:3-5, Jesus also separates the light (the essence of God, which is good in every imaginable form) from darkness (the essence of sin, which is evil).  It is in the Light that we find life, and in sin, death (“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” [John 10:10, ESV]).

By referring to Jesus as the logos, John is also telling us that Christ is the very essence of God Himself.  This is an idea Jesus Himself bore out several times in Scripture (“I and the Father are one” [John 10:30]; “…the Father is in me and I am in the Father” [John 10:38]; “Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one” [John 17:11]; “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” [John 14:9, all ESV]). 

Now… just let this marinate for a while.  God – Creator of all the universe, Holiness Himself, almighty, all-knowing, ever-present, transcendent of time and space – became man so He could walk with us, empathize with His creation, provide a way for us by sacrificing Himself in an unimaginably horrific, painful, shameful fashion (an undeserved, publicly humiliating death by execution). 

Wisdom walked with us.

Perfection walked with us.

Purity walked with us.

Love walked with us.

And He did it all because He loves us.  He didn’t have to.  He’s God! 

Jesus is the logos – the very essence of God Who because of His great love came to earth to die – and overcome death – as the perfect sacrifice and propitiation of our sins.  Jesus was not the leader of some new first century Jewish sect.  He is the fulfillment of Old Testament Jewish Scripture, the coming Messiah they have so long awaited…

I could go on, but I have to stop somewhere.  I feel like I’m stopping short.  When I try to wrap my mind around the great, amazing depths of God – His will, His love, His Word – it’s difficult – no, impossible – to fully grasp.  I pray that I always find great wonder and amazement when mining His Word, knowing none of us has any hope of ever reaching the bottom of it all.  How wondrous is our God!  And how amazing (and humbling) to rest secure in the knowledge that He would love me – a wretched sinner like me – enough to send His Son, the logos, to die for me that I may live eternally.

Praise God!!

“Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” – John 13:1-18 (ESV)

The term “Maundy Thursday” – the day we remember the Last Supper – derives from the Latin word mandatum, translated to English as “mandate,” or “commandment,” as in:

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” – John 13:34-35 (ESV)

This is exactly what Christ exemplified throughout His life – in His every action, every word, every deed, every step… Jesus Christ personified authentic Love (after all, God is Love and Jesus is God Incarnate).  And, as we all know, authentic love is not the stuff of poems and pop songs.  It is a verb. It is agapē, which is also translated as “charity.”  Strong’s defines it as “affection or benevolence.” 

How telling it is that Jesus chose to begin saying His earthly farewell to the disciples by performing such an act of authentic love, showing them – and us – the way to live our lives, and then teaching them the meaning behind it, as well as promising provision for their (our) eternal future!

By washing the feet of the disciples, Jesus is showing us in a very meaningful, tangible way, what love is: it is service to others, regardless of status.  Peter was aghast at the notion of Jesus – the Only Son of God Almighty – daring to stoop to wash his feet.  Peter felt himself unworthy, and also felt it was beneath Christ to perform such a lowly act.  But, Jesus set Peter straight.  Which brings us to:

Lesson #1: Authentic Love Makes Us Worthy

Sometimes we need to swallow our false humility and accept the love of God.  Christ died for our sins, which is why we celebrate the Easter season.  None of us deserves salvation.  Be grateful God does not give believers what we deserve (eternally speaking).  So often we sound like the two characters in “Wayne’s World” when some rock star has stumbled into their Aurora Illinois basement: “We’re not worthy!  We’re not worthy!”  Truth is, we’re really not worthy – in and of ourselves.  It is Jesus Christ Who makes us “worthy,” makes us clean, makes us whole, makes us alive! 

Lesson #2: Authentic Love Doesn’t Hold a Grudge.

Whose feet did Jesus wash?  Those of the disciples.  Including Peter who, within a few short hours, would fall from professing a willingness to die for Jesus (John 13:36-38) to publicly, vehemently denying any association with Him.  Also included: Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Jesus.  And Jesus, as John 13 makes abundantly clear, was well aware of exactly what Peter and Judas were about to do.  There shameful actions were imminent.  And yet, Jesus still washed their feet.  He still exemplified love for these sinful men.  If that doesn’t give us hope…

Lesson #3: Authentic Love Knows No End

Take a look at John 13:1. Jesus “loved His own… to the end.”  Which, as John 20 shows us, was less an end and more an eternal beginning! 

Lesson #4: Authentic Love Has No Strings Attached

Jesus didn’t need the apostles to understand Him in order to love them.  He didn’t need a reason to love them.  They didn’t earn it.  They didn’t have to.  Jesus loved them – and loves us – because He is Love.  We can’t earn authentic love. 

Lesson #5: Authentic Love Shows Us We Need A Bath

My four year old son does not like bath time.  He holds a (very mistaken) belief that one bathed, always bathed.  However, try as he might, after a hard day of playing, the evidence is clear: the boy needs a bath.  He’s dirty.  He smells like a musty squirrel.  He just might leave a crud ring around the bath tub.

Oft times we, too, hold a “once bathed, always bathed” approach to our spiritual lives.  Try as we might, after a hard day, the evidence is clear: we need a bath.  We’re dirty.  Spiritually, we smell like a musty squirrel.  We just might leave a crud ring around our souls. 

We need to take time every day – every day – for God.  We need to pray.  We need to be in His Word.  We need to ask, seek, knock.  Daily.  And we need to be there for others, serving, listening, reaching out in authentic love.  Authentic Christianity requires both inward and outward components – learning, growing, and reaching out.  Let the authentic love of Jesus into your heart, but don’t just keep it there.  Let it out!  “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16, ESV).

Can you think of a better way to celebrate “Maundy” Thursday?

“After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table close to Jesus, so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?”  Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.” – John 13:21-30 (ESV)

They make an interesting comparison.  Peter and Judas, two very different men who ended up at opposite ends of the passion story.  For Peter, he would go on to fulfill his God-given call: “…you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18, ESV).  Judas, however…  his fate was far less noble.  His name will forever be an epithet that means “betrayer.”

In essence, Peter and Judas were guilty of the same sin: both turned their backs on Jesus Christ.  Both would feel great shame for their actions.  But that is where the similarities end (at least within the framework of the events of Holy Week).  The reason boils down to what so much of what we learn in Scripture comes down to: heart, motive – why did they do what they did?

All the evidence seems to point to Judas having a weakness for money.  He was, after all, the treasurer for the twelve.  And he traded his eternal reward for around half-a-year’s wages – enough “blood money” for the temple officials to buy a plot of land to use as a cemetery (see Matthew 27:3-10).  Judas felt great remorse for his actions, and dealt with his guilt and shame the only way he knew how: he returned the silver to the temple priests, then went off alone and hanged himself. 

I sometimes wonder if we are too harsh on Judas Iscariot.  Granted, he put pay to Paul’s teaching that the love of money is the root of all evil (not the money itself, but that’s another lesson for another time).  The greed that Judas harbored was the weakness the enemy needed to slip in and do his work.  (John makes sure to point out twice – in 13:2 and 13:27 – that this was the work of Satan done through Judas.)

We will later in the week take a closer look at Peter and his denial of Christ, but – here comes the spoiler – there is an essential difference between the two men that I want us to see today.  While Judas and Peter both felt remorse and shame, their reactions were very, very different.  We see both men sidelined by what happened to Jesus.  Judas fell victim to his sin. 

But Peter repented.  All through the gospels, we see the repeated Petrine motiff of trying and failing, trying and failing… He loved Jesus.  He didn’t understand it all, but he was faithful.  He believed, despite his triple-blunder in the courtyard during Jesus’ trial.  Both men messed up – big time.  But it comes down to heart.  Peter was faithful.  His actions didn’t save him.  His love for the Lord and acceptance of Christ brought him salvation. 

Judas succumbed to greed.  “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24, NLT).  Peter and Judas each chose their master.  And each received their due reward.

A cautionary lesson for all of us as we go through Holy Week. 

“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:14-15 (ESV)

“The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,

“Fear not, daughter of Zion;

behold, your king is coming,

sitting on a donkey’s colt!”

His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, ‘You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.’” – John 12:12-19 (ESV)

This isn’t an original sentiment.  Far from it.  Still, it bears repeating: we have our holidays backwards.  Culturally speaking, everybody loves Christmas (or, as the world prefers to call the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, “the holidays”*).  Christmas gets celebrated with great abandon and historical inaccuracy that makes the notion of Columbus discovering America and George Washington chopping down an cherry tree look like fact.

By comparison, Easter seems to come and go without as much notice.  But – as Christians – shouldn’t Holy Week be commemorated and celebrated with an even greater fervor than Christmas?  I mean, talk about gift giving…

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” – John 3:16-21 (ESV)

You can’t buy salvation at Amazon.com, ship it, wrap it up and toss it under a tree.  “Billy, what’d you get for Christmas?”  “A new fire truck!  What’d you get, Tommy?”  “Eternal Life!”  “Cool!  Is that for PS3 or Xbox?”

The problem (as if we have only one problem) – and I am speaking culturally here – is the same problem that existed 2000 years ago. 

We just don’t get it.

If you roll your eyes upward from your Bible a bit when reading the opening passage, you’ll see John 12:9, where we learn why “the large crowd of Jews” had gathered in the first place.  “They came not only on account of (Jesus) but also to see Lazarus” (ESV).  They came to see the formerly dead guy, and the man who had raised him.  They were amazed, they were astounded.  They were looking for a Messiah who would overthrow the government and take over.

But they just didn’t get it.  These were the same people who, by week’s end, would be calling for Christ’s execution.  Some came for the curiosity.  Some came for the show.

Many of us come for the show.  I believe God calls us where we are.  Our problem, as I said, is the same as the first century Jews’ problem: we come with our ideas, our preconceived notions, our God-in-a-box, our hopes of Who we want Him to be.  And then discover that he is Someone quite different than our creation of who God should be.  In truth, He is far greater than we could ever imagine. 

Take a moment and read John 12 for yourself.  These people could not see Jesus for Who He is.  They declared him King of Israel.  We get so wrapped up in our earthly lives that we do not truly stop to see Jesus in eternal terms.  Not like we should.  We understand the concept (to varying degrees), but we want to simply apply what we know of God to our pains and needs in the here-and-now.  And – do not misunderstand me – we need to do that!  We need to see God at work in our lives, meeting our needs and the needs of others, caring for His people, loving us, guiding us, directing us… But we also need to have an appreciation and right understanding of the eternal God.  This life is a blink of the eye in comparison to eternity.  And God spans all of eternity!!

Here is my point: I am thankful there is no Easter tree.  I’m not prepared to skin the Easter Bunny, but I think we need to be far more thoughtful and reflective about Holy Week.  Not just the celebration of Easter, but the events of the week.  Try to figure out the depth of what it means that God became man, walked amongst us, and died for our sins that we may have eternal life.  Understand how, in less than a week, the palm-waving throng of admirers would turn on Jesus.  Understand how Peter, who had walked intimately – perhaps most intimately of the twelve – with Jesus for three years, could turn his back on His Savior by denying Him three times in one night. 

I’ll be prayerfully spending the week in the last 10 chapters of John, asking the Lord for a deeper, more meaningful walk with Him.  This week more than any other, I sense a deeper desire – need – for more of God in my life.  This week is the perfect time for us to seek Christ in our lives, and seek a deeper understanding of what Jesus did for us, what it means to be a Christian, and what we each need to surrender in order to see Him more clearly.

*By the way, this week (Holy Week) is also Earth Week.  Anyone else see the irony there?

“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.  But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” – Hebrews 3:12-14 (ESV)

There is a reason wild animals often travel in packs (or flocks, or gaggles, or schools, or what have you…)  Simply put: there is safety in numbers.  The first Christians clung together because they had to.  It was a survival tactic – safety in numbers.  These people knew persecution, particularly from the ruling Romans.

Here in the United States, we do not truly know persecution on the scale the early church experienced.  We are free to worship where and how we please, comfortable in the knowledge that our government is not going to crack down on us for openly praising Jesus.  (Please… no political comments.  Not gonna go there…)

However – and can we be blunt here? – being a Christian isn’t always easy.  We meet plenty of opposition from the enemy on many fronts in many ways (and, as a side note, we must remember that ‘we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” [Ephesians 6:12, ESV]).  At home, when we don’t let the kids watch the trendy TV show or wear the trendy clothes because of the immortality of it all.  At work, when we refuse to laugh at the dirty joke or get involved in the office gossip or – forbid it! – we slip up in a moment of stress and say something we otherwise would not have uttered.  At social functions, when we refuse to tip a drink like everyone else.  At any setting where we dare to mention Jesus to an unbeliever who is less than receptive to the Truth.

Folks, true Christianity is tough.  Our values are completely at odds with those of the world.  And, get ready, because stepping up in your faith is going to bring some opposition your way.  Be prepared to be treated differently.  Accept that there will probably be some who call you a “Jesus freak,” “hypocrite,” or “narrow-minded” (some openly, but most behind our backs). 

This is why it is so important to be part of a community of believers.  By this, I do not mean merely attend church services on Sunday.  I mean plug in.  Get involved.  Serve.  Get involved in a small group and build meaningful relationships.  We need one another – for growth, for support.  If we’re going to follow Christ – in reality, not just playing lip-service to the notion of being a “Christian” –  we need to be surrounded by people who have our backs.  We need to “exhort one another every day.” 

I love that word “exhort.”  It comes from the Greek term παρακαλέω (parakaleō) which Strong’s defines as “to call near.”  As brothers and sisters in Christ, as fellow believers in community with one another, we are called to draw near to one another as a support system, to help keep one another on track.  And with all the opposition and temptation we face as Christians – and, trust me, the enemy is not going to let up until his defeat is complete – we need each other.  We need to be in community with one another.  We need Godly influence and help on a daily basis.

Today, I want to encourage you – to exhort you – if you are not plugged in a church somewhere, get plugged in – involved, active in the community of believers, serving the body of Christ.  The blessings of being plugged into a small group or other ministry within the church far outweigh the stuff that is stopping you.  Don’t let past hurts or hang ups or busyness stop you from getting involved.  Make being an active part of the body of Christ a priority in your life.  Rephrase: the priority.  After all, when everything else is gone, what is left?  God.