The Cost of Discipleship
There are stages to the Christian life. To enter the last stage of Christian growth is to become a fully devoted follower of Christ. It means we must count the cost of discipleship and choose to make Christ the center of our lives, to risk everything that is important in our lives for Jesus.
In Luke 14 Jesus makes perfectly clear what it means to be a disciple. You will notice that in this passage it starts with “large crowds.” Now to the world that is what we would call a success. But Jesus knew these were just the curious and the observers. Just having a crowd of people doesn’t mean you have disciples. It is interesting that rather than looking for multitudes Jesus was looking for a few good men and women. He is not impressed with size he is impressed with quality.
To be a disciple Jesus must be our first and foremost love. 25-27. He uses an over statement to get our attention. This is called a hyperbole. There are a 100 verses that indicate that God wants us to love our families yet when we compare our love for our families with our love for Jesus our love for Jesus must be supreme. All other loyalties must become subordinate to him. If there is a clash of loyalties he must win.
So here is the question: Do you love Jesus more than anything or anyone on this planet? If you say YES, then you have passed the first test of a disciple.
To be a disciple of Jesus requires a rational evaluation. 28-30. In the middle of downtown Stamford for the past 26 years there is a big hole. It just sits there year after year, decade after decade. Someone started building project years ago but never got any further than digging a hole and putting in a few foundation blocks.
Someone failed to think through the entire process of erecting a building. In following Jesus it should be the most rational decision we will ever make. It is obvious that the universe is winding down which means there must have been someone to wind it up.... the rational mind says there must be a God. The intricate design of the universe shouts that nothing here is random or chaotic. The rational mind says that there must be an artist behind this beautiful design. The rational mind knows that Jesus is the only religious leader who ever claimed to be God, showed us his great power by his miracles and then was raised from the dead on the third day. Jesus wants us to get the point. Don't rush into this decision of becoming a fully devoted follower without rationally evaluating what is involved. This is not an emotional decision. It is a rational decision to start building a life based on Jesus.
To be a disciple of Jesus demands a calculated decision. 31-33. When at war it is not easy with 10,000 soldiers to defeat one who attacks with 20,000. A king in such a position thinks hard. If he cannot see his way through the problem he does not wait for defeat, he arranges a peace while the enemy is still a great way off.
The builder of tower is free to build or not as he chooses. But the king is being invaded, he must do something. In the building story Jesus says sit down and reason with me if you can afford to follow me. In the second he says sit down and see whether you can afford to refuse my demands. Both ways of looking at it are very important. The enemies that assault us are time, death and entropy. The sands of time are quickly passing through the hourglass. The most shocking news I face each day is that I am 55 years old. I can not tell you how fast the years of my life have passed by. The Bible says that history will end with every knee in the universe bowing and every tongue confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord. Calculate this, will you bow your knee before Jesus your friend and Savior or will you bow you knee before Jesus your Judge.
To be a disciple it requires and inward change. 34-35. Salt was found in virtually every home in the Middle East. Certainly everybody used it in the Palestine of Jesus' day. Jesus would have known this since his boyhood in Nazareth. Salt used was gathered from Dead Sea. It is 4 times saltier than ocean and it would be gathered in piles. After a period of rain it would still be white but the sodium chloride would have left. A radical commitment to Jesus is more than an outward appearance of change. It is an inward change that makes the difference. The biggest problem in Christianity today is that Christians have lost their saltiness. They look like Christians on the outside but in their hearts they have lost the passion, the love, the commitment to Jesus. There is so little intensity for Jesus today in the church. So how is your heart doing today? Are you yawning about spending this day with Jesus or is there a fire inside your heart to serve him?
If the fire has gone out take some time and pray on your knees asking him to renew your heart.
Today is accountability day. Send me a quick email telling me the condition of your heart. God bless you as you become a fully devoted follower.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
November 6
We had a great celebration last night of the Bible Reading Team. Start praying about people you could ask to join us on the journey next year. Our final get together will be Wednesday Dec 30 at 7:00.
November 6, 2009
Shaking the Cages
We live in a postmodern world. The idea of religious tolerance is the credo of our day. The world says to Christ followers, “Can’t you tone it down a bit; you are upsetting the social order by your radical claims of the exclusivity of Jesus.” Well we see today that this is not limited to just 2009, this radical talk started riots 2000 years ago. It is the celebration of Hanukkah and Jesus has appeared in the temple area. An area that was large enough to hold 100,000 worshipers. So this has the potential of initiating a massive riot.
Then the issue, the most important issue of all of history is raised. “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” There it is. This issue will divide and upset the social order both then and now. And what is Jesus’ response? “I and the Father are one.” Can there be any misunderstanding of what Jesus meant? This is the clearest statement of Jesus’ divinity he ever made. There can be no mistake about what he meant. The Jews understood exactly what he meant because they picked up stones to kill him for the crime of blasphemy. This claim is unmistakable, it is undeniable, it is as clear as the nose in front of your face.
But what is the response of modern intellectuals.
1. Michio Kushi says Jesus was a Buddhist. And I say to Michio, “You’ve got to be kidding.”
2. John Simon in Life Magazine says Jesus is the model of goodness and hope. In Jesus we see many different people, a dutiful son, an ascetic, a sage, a martyr. It all depends on our personal needs. We see Jesus in our own image. John, “Do you see a God in Jesus? How could you be blind?”
3. John Dominic Crossan of the Jesus Seminar says Jesus the Christ was just a myth. He was an ordinary man who became a legend in his time. These 200 scholars deny the virgin birth, the resurrection, the ascension, the miracles of Jesus and of course his divinity. And I say to John, “A legend developed in 30 years? It takes 100’s of years for legends to develop.”
4. The United Church of Christ has produced a new hymnal in which the word "LORD" is being replaced with “Redeemer” and “Friend.”. Linda Robinson says that the word “LORD” is loaded with a lot of patriarchal and hierarchical images. And I say to Linda, “Get a backbone girl. Jesus claimed to be Lord.”
In a post-modern world we are told that no one has the right to claim to be God. Yet the radical Jesus of the Bible does just that. “I and the Father are one” was a claim made by Jesus. It was never made by Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius or any other religious leader. This claim is nothing less than a scandal. These words rattle the cages of every post modern person. People squirm when they hear this exclusivity.
Well, we ought to squirm because either Jesus was right or wrong. Those are only choices.
I believe when Jesus was telling us of his “Oneness” he was not uttering these words out of arrogance but out of great compassion. I believe that given the undeniable miracles, the authority of his words, the sinless life he lived we would be fools for doubting this claim. And if this claim is true then Jesus’ appearance on this planet and the sacrificial giving of his life for us is the greatest, most significant act ever done in the history of mankind.
Sorry, I can’t shut up. I need to tell the whole world.
November 6, 2009
Shaking the Cages
We live in a postmodern world. The idea of religious tolerance is the credo of our day. The world says to Christ followers, “Can’t you tone it down a bit; you are upsetting the social order by your radical claims of the exclusivity of Jesus.” Well we see today that this is not limited to just 2009, this radical talk started riots 2000 years ago. It is the celebration of Hanukkah and Jesus has appeared in the temple area. An area that was large enough to hold 100,000 worshipers. So this has the potential of initiating a massive riot.
Then the issue, the most important issue of all of history is raised. “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” There it is. This issue will divide and upset the social order both then and now. And what is Jesus’ response? “I and the Father are one.” Can there be any misunderstanding of what Jesus meant? This is the clearest statement of Jesus’ divinity he ever made. There can be no mistake about what he meant. The Jews understood exactly what he meant because they picked up stones to kill him for the crime of blasphemy. This claim is unmistakable, it is undeniable, it is as clear as the nose in front of your face.
But what is the response of modern intellectuals.
1. Michio Kushi says Jesus was a Buddhist. And I say to Michio, “You’ve got to be kidding.”
2. John Simon in Life Magazine says Jesus is the model of goodness and hope. In Jesus we see many different people, a dutiful son, an ascetic, a sage, a martyr. It all depends on our personal needs. We see Jesus in our own image. John, “Do you see a God in Jesus? How could you be blind?”
3. John Dominic Crossan of the Jesus Seminar says Jesus the Christ was just a myth. He was an ordinary man who became a legend in his time. These 200 scholars deny the virgin birth, the resurrection, the ascension, the miracles of Jesus and of course his divinity. And I say to John, “A legend developed in 30 years? It takes 100’s of years for legends to develop.”
4. The United Church of Christ has produced a new hymnal in which the word "LORD" is being replaced with “Redeemer” and “Friend.”. Linda Robinson says that the word “LORD” is loaded with a lot of patriarchal and hierarchical images. And I say to Linda, “Get a backbone girl. Jesus claimed to be Lord.”
In a post-modern world we are told that no one has the right to claim to be God. Yet the radical Jesus of the Bible does just that. “I and the Father are one” was a claim made by Jesus. It was never made by Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius or any other religious leader. This claim is nothing less than a scandal. These words rattle the cages of every post modern person. People squirm when they hear this exclusivity.
Well, we ought to squirm because either Jesus was right or wrong. Those are only choices.
I believe when Jesus was telling us of his “Oneness” he was not uttering these words out of arrogance but out of great compassion. I believe that given the undeniable miracles, the authority of his words, the sinless life he lived we would be fools for doubting this claim. And if this claim is true then Jesus’ appearance on this planet and the sacrificial giving of his life for us is the greatest, most significant act ever done in the history of mankind.
Sorry, I can’t shut up. I need to tell the whole world.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Nov 5
John 8, 9, 10
Jesus is God
Excerpt from C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity:
"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with anypatronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. ... Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God."
I remember clearly the first time I read John 8:48-59. In verse 58, Jesus says, "Before Abraham was born, I am." This is an incredible statement for different reasons. First, Jesus reveals that He existed long before Abraham, thousands of years before, even though He was a man of about 30 years. Second, He is making a comparison to one of the names of God. In Exodus 3, Moses asks God "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" God's response is "I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" Jesus is declaring one of the names of God as His own. I AM is not only God the Father, but also God the Son. The Jews who heard Him say this were very familiar with this same passage in Exodus and knew exactly what Jesus was claiming. Unfortunately they had the wrong response. They believed he was a liar that should be stoned to death.
It is impossible to say that Jesus was just a good, moral teacher. It's undeniable that Jesus put Himself equal with God. If someone does not believe that claim, why should they believe anything else Jesus says? That would make Him either a liar or a lunatic. Since we know and believe that He is neither liar or lunatic, the only thing left is to worship and serve Him as God and Creator of the universe and master of our lives.
Jesus is God
Excerpt from C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity:
"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with anypatronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. ... Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God."
I remember clearly the first time I read John 8:48-59. In verse 58, Jesus says, "Before Abraham was born, I am." This is an incredible statement for different reasons. First, Jesus reveals that He existed long before Abraham, thousands of years before, even though He was a man of about 30 years. Second, He is making a comparison to one of the names of God. In Exodus 3, Moses asks God "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" God's response is "I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" Jesus is declaring one of the names of God as His own. I AM is not only God the Father, but also God the Son. The Jews who heard Him say this were very familiar with this same passage in Exodus and knew exactly what Jesus was claiming. Unfortunately they had the wrong response. They believed he was a liar that should be stoned to death.
It is impossible to say that Jesus was just a good, moral teacher. It's undeniable that Jesus put Himself equal with God. If someone does not believe that claim, why should they believe anything else Jesus says? That would make Him either a liar or a lunatic. Since we know and believe that He is neither liar or lunatic, the only thing left is to worship and serve Him as God and Creator of the universe and master of our lives.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
November 4
Where's the Beef?
A few of you might remember the Wendy's commercial from the 1980’s. A couple of sweet old ladies are examining their hamburger. They look at the hamburger's large bun, and the lady who looks for more than just the obvious had a very penetrating question "Where's the beef?" She knows that there is more to a hamburger than just the bun. She wanted to know not where the externals were, but where was the internal, where was the thing that makes the burger satisfying, Where's the beef?
We live in a generation of people who are busy from birth to death. And for the masses of people they will go through life with their daily agenda filled with activities and projects. And one day they might just pause and reflect on life. During this moment of reflection they know that there is more to life then what they are experiencing, there has to be more than just the big bun externals. These people are struggling to find life, to find meaning and satisfaction. When you break it down, they are asking the same question of life that the Wendy's lady was asking: Where's the beef?
If Jesus were speaking in the vernacular of the 80’s he would have addressed the issue of the beef. We would have heard him say "I am the beef". I am the part that supplies that fulfillment, the satisfaction to life. Let’s break down the words of Jesus we read today,
John 7:37-39 “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." 39By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
Jesus starts with the word “IF.” This means not everyone is aware of their thirst. Not every one is conscious of the longings of the soul. There are many people who are going through life thinking that all is fine. Jesus didn't ram his satisfying water down anyone's throat. He offers it as a free gift.
The source of this satisfaction is Jesus himself. Jesus says we must “come to him and drink”. The drink is a personal relationship. It is not religion, it is not a big house, fancy car, having stuff, it is having Jesus. Finally he talks about a stream of living water from the Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit filling, empowering, guiding, direction and changing us, we will never find satisfaction.
So the question for today, “Are you experiencing this living water promised by Jesus?” If your life is dry today and you sense there must be more to life than what you are experiencing. Come to Jesus and drink from his living water.
A few of you might remember the Wendy's commercial from the 1980’s. A couple of sweet old ladies are examining their hamburger. They look at the hamburger's large bun, and the lady who looks for more than just the obvious had a very penetrating question "Where's the beef?" She knows that there is more to a hamburger than just the bun. She wanted to know not where the externals were, but where was the internal, where was the thing that makes the burger satisfying, Where's the beef?
We live in a generation of people who are busy from birth to death. And for the masses of people they will go through life with their daily agenda filled with activities and projects. And one day they might just pause and reflect on life. During this moment of reflection they know that there is more to life then what they are experiencing, there has to be more than just the big bun externals. These people are struggling to find life, to find meaning and satisfaction. When you break it down, they are asking the same question of life that the Wendy's lady was asking: Where's the beef?
If Jesus were speaking in the vernacular of the 80’s he would have addressed the issue of the beef. We would have heard him say "I am the beef". I am the part that supplies that fulfillment, the satisfaction to life. Let’s break down the words of Jesus we read today,
John 7:37-39 “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." 39By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
Jesus starts with the word “IF.” This means not everyone is aware of their thirst. Not every one is conscious of the longings of the soul. There are many people who are going through life thinking that all is fine. Jesus didn't ram his satisfying water down anyone's throat. He offers it as a free gift.
The source of this satisfaction is Jesus himself. Jesus says we must “come to him and drink”. The drink is a personal relationship. It is not religion, it is not a big house, fancy car, having stuff, it is having Jesus. Finally he talks about a stream of living water from the Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit filling, empowering, guiding, direction and changing us, we will never find satisfaction.
So the question for today, “Are you experiencing this living water promised by Jesus?” If your life is dry today and you sense there must be more to life than what you are experiencing. Come to Jesus and drink from his living water.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
November 3
Thursday dinner this week.... Pizza at my house at 7:00. We have a good number coming over. Write out all of your questions and get ready for a fantastic discussion. See you Thursday.
13 notes on the reading today.
1. The title “Christ” is the Greek word for the Hebrew concept of “Messiah.” (Anointed One) Jesus is the one who fulfills the 320 prophecies in the Old Testament. They finally got it. Do you get it?
2. But they didn’t get it. When Jesus foretells of the cross they miss it or fight against it. The idea of the Christ on a cross was completely rejected.
3. If you want to be a disciple of Jesus there will be a cost. You too must pick up your cross. Stop whining.
4. If you are ashamed of Jesus you are not a disciple.
5. In the transfiguration we have this great moment. Jesus, Moses and Elijah have just appeared and motor mouth Peter starts talking up a storm. God interrupts Peter and say..... Listen to him!!!! A great lesson for us. Stop talking and start listening.
6. Elijah and John the Baptist were the forerunners of the King. They both announced the King as he entered the city. This was a cultural tradition 2000 years ago.
7. In the healing of the epileptic boy the father confesses something going on in us today.... “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.” We are always some combination of belief and unbelief. Our task today is to shrink the unbelief and increase the belief.
8. Who is the greatest is not a discussion a disciple should be involved in. So become like a child today and humble yourself before God.
9. Jesus was concerned about the children, so should we. Who are you disciplining from the next generation? Christianity is only one generation away from becoming obsolete.
10. Sin is a real issue. Sin will kill you. Sin will kill you for eternity. Don’t mess with it. What sin are you facing today in your life? Kill it before it kills you.
11. Stop fighting over the small stuff. We can join ranks with everyone who confesses Jesus is God’s son come to earth to atone for our sin.
12. In every argument keep it small. Stop gossiping. If you really love people you will talk with them and not others.
13. There is no limit to how many times we should forgive a person.
13 notes on the reading today.
1. The title “Christ” is the Greek word for the Hebrew concept of “Messiah.” (Anointed One) Jesus is the one who fulfills the 320 prophecies in the Old Testament. They finally got it. Do you get it?
2. But they didn’t get it. When Jesus foretells of the cross they miss it or fight against it. The idea of the Christ on a cross was completely rejected.
3. If you want to be a disciple of Jesus there will be a cost. You too must pick up your cross. Stop whining.
4. If you are ashamed of Jesus you are not a disciple.
5. In the transfiguration we have this great moment. Jesus, Moses and Elijah have just appeared and motor mouth Peter starts talking up a storm. God interrupts Peter and say..... Listen to him!!!! A great lesson for us. Stop talking and start listening.
6. Elijah and John the Baptist were the forerunners of the King. They both announced the King as he entered the city. This was a cultural tradition 2000 years ago.
7. In the healing of the epileptic boy the father confesses something going on in us today.... “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.” We are always some combination of belief and unbelief. Our task today is to shrink the unbelief and increase the belief.
8. Who is the greatest is not a discussion a disciple should be involved in. So become like a child today and humble yourself before God.
9. Jesus was concerned about the children, so should we. Who are you disciplining from the next generation? Christianity is only one generation away from becoming obsolete.
10. Sin is a real issue. Sin will kill you. Sin will kill you for eternity. Don’t mess with it. What sin are you facing today in your life? Kill it before it kills you.
11. Stop fighting over the small stuff. We can join ranks with everyone who confesses Jesus is God’s son come to earth to atone for our sin.
12. In every argument keep it small. Stop gossiping. If you really love people you will talk with them and not others.
13. There is no limit to how many times we should forgive a person.
Monday, November 2, 2009
November 2
We doubt Christ. We doubt His miracles. I loved what Steve said yesterday: 'How often too that our present reality obscures our trust in God's power!' We read of another example today of Jesus feeding multitude of people with a miracle. And yet again, before Jesus performed the miracle, the disciples doubted. They said: "But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?" It sounds like they thought it was impossible.
When we are faced with an obstacle in our life, do we turn to Jesus and say: Provide a miracle Lord, display Your power! Or do we say: Based on all the logical evidence and based on my life experiences, I really expect Jesus to do only about so much. Or, do we go even further: I don't expect Jesus to do anything because a solution is impossible? I've fallen in the latter categories. Somehow I've assigned limited power to Christ in my life and stopped asking for miracles and that in anything and everything He will display His power in my life! The Pharisees did not believe at all. They doubted whether Christ is the Son of God so they asked Him to perform a miracle. But they were testing Him in their disbelief, to which Jesus would not answer. I think He wants us to ask Him for a miracle with faith in Him, believing that with Him all things are possible. But also notice that we are not inactive in His miracles: the disciples were told to serve the baskets of bread and they did so. I hope that we will learn to say to the Lord 'Feed the 4 thousand Lord,' instead of 'How could they possibly be fed Lord!' I also hope that we will ask Him to do miracles through us.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
November 1: Miracles and Multitudes
Today's passages provide a look into the changing nature of Jesus's ministry, at least from the perspective of His disciples. From our retrospective vantagepoint, it is important to remember the disciples' preconceptions and how His words either confirmed or redirected those expectations. Jesus displays His great power and gives insight into what commitment He demands from His followers.
1. Feeding the 5,000. This miracle, the only to appear in all four Gospel accounts, touches upon several key themes of Jesus's ministry. First of all, He had great compassion for the lost of Israel: "When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things." We have a Lord Who sees the trials and tribulations of His people, not a being that is distant and disengaged. Out of His great love for us, God is indeed engaged and brought to compassion for His children.
In the actual miracle, we see Jesus's focus on multiplication. The small amount of "human" elements, the loaves and the fishes, become a great feast for more than 10,000 people; the Jewish reckoning of the crowd just included the 5,000 or so men. Expressing the sentiments that we likely would have had in the situation, Philip acknowledges the great challenge of feeding so many people: the disciples would need to pull together eight months' wages to feed such a crowd! Our human understanding falls to the limitations in such a circumstance, not to God's power. Jesus's motivation lay in bringing glory to the Father. As with the healing of the man born blind, Jesus indicates that some circumstances "happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."
2. Walking on water. In order to escape the crowd's monarchial urges, Jesus crosses the Sea of Galilee by walking on water. In the process, an emboldened Peter asked Jesus to invite him to walk on water too. In the experience, Peter faces the wind and begins to doubt: "But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out: 'Lord, save me!'" How often too that our present reality obscures our trust in God's power! Jesus reaches out to Peter and rescues him, and, upon returing to the boat, Jesus calms the storm. The disciples then worship Jesus for His power. These verses call to mind the worshipping throngs in Revelation 5:13: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb,/be praise and honor and glory and power,/ for ever and ever!"
3. Discipleship and opposition. After seeing Jesus's miraculous power, the disciples wish to know how they may follow Him. Jesus explains that, instead of searching for human bread, they should seek the Bread of Life: "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous sings but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you." Of course, they wish to know how to accomplish this work. Most likely, the disciples anticipate a laundry list of commandments, such as those the Pharisses and Saducees had prescribed. Instead, Jesus offers this clear statement concerning eternal life: "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." Jesus then explains that He is indeed the Bread of Life.
In believing in Christ, however, the disciples would face opposition. Eating His flesh and drinking His blood would entail following His path of self-sacrifice and dying to self. Jesus would "lose none of all that [the Father] has given me," but "no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him." Clearly, both God and man play a part in salvation: God reveal His truth and offer of eternal life, but man must commit to following Him, in spite of the costs.
Many disciples turn away at the hardness of the teaching. Because of God's call on their lives, the Twelve do not turn away. Peter explains: "Lord, to whom sall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." While they were simple fishermen, their fatih and trust, both in heart and head, made them fully qualified to honor and serve Jesus.
4. Heart, not tradition. Finally, Jesus addresses how the Pharisees' traditions had supplanted their faith. Jesus argues that serving God is less about outward appearance than inward reality. What did their hearts say about them? The Jews had great concern over the dietary restrictions but allowed enmity to fester in their hearts. Jesus re-prioritizes the state of the heart as above obedience to external regulations.
QUESTIONS
1. What limitations are you currently seeing or placing on your life or God's work? How can you look beyond them?
2. How do you recognize God's power? What can you do to remind yourself?
3. How can you more fully embrace the Bread of Life, in spite of the costs of discipleship?
1. Feeding the 5,000. This miracle, the only to appear in all four Gospel accounts, touches upon several key themes of Jesus's ministry. First of all, He had great compassion for the lost of Israel: "When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things." We have a Lord Who sees the trials and tribulations of His people, not a being that is distant and disengaged. Out of His great love for us, God is indeed engaged and brought to compassion for His children.
In the actual miracle, we see Jesus's focus on multiplication. The small amount of "human" elements, the loaves and the fishes, become a great feast for more than 10,000 people; the Jewish reckoning of the crowd just included the 5,000 or so men. Expressing the sentiments that we likely would have had in the situation, Philip acknowledges the great challenge of feeding so many people: the disciples would need to pull together eight months' wages to feed such a crowd! Our human understanding falls to the limitations in such a circumstance, not to God's power. Jesus's motivation lay in bringing glory to the Father. As with the healing of the man born blind, Jesus indicates that some circumstances "happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."
2. Walking on water. In order to escape the crowd's monarchial urges, Jesus crosses the Sea of Galilee by walking on water. In the process, an emboldened Peter asked Jesus to invite him to walk on water too. In the experience, Peter faces the wind and begins to doubt: "But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out: 'Lord, save me!'" How often too that our present reality obscures our trust in God's power! Jesus reaches out to Peter and rescues him, and, upon returing to the boat, Jesus calms the storm. The disciples then worship Jesus for His power. These verses call to mind the worshipping throngs in Revelation 5:13: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb,/be praise and honor and glory and power,/ for ever and ever!"
3. Discipleship and opposition. After seeing Jesus's miraculous power, the disciples wish to know how they may follow Him. Jesus explains that, instead of searching for human bread, they should seek the Bread of Life: "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous sings but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you." Of course, they wish to know how to accomplish this work. Most likely, the disciples anticipate a laundry list of commandments, such as those the Pharisses and Saducees had prescribed. Instead, Jesus offers this clear statement concerning eternal life: "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." Jesus then explains that He is indeed the Bread of Life.
In believing in Christ, however, the disciples would face opposition. Eating His flesh and drinking His blood would entail following His path of self-sacrifice and dying to self. Jesus would "lose none of all that [the Father] has given me," but "no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him." Clearly, both God and man play a part in salvation: God reveal His truth and offer of eternal life, but man must commit to following Him, in spite of the costs.
Many disciples turn away at the hardness of the teaching. Because of God's call on their lives, the Twelve do not turn away. Peter explains: "Lord, to whom sall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." While they were simple fishermen, their fatih and trust, both in heart and head, made them fully qualified to honor and serve Jesus.
4. Heart, not tradition. Finally, Jesus addresses how the Pharisees' traditions had supplanted their faith. Jesus argues that serving God is less about outward appearance than inward reality. What did their hearts say about them? The Jews had great concern over the dietary restrictions but allowed enmity to fester in their hearts. Jesus re-prioritizes the state of the heart as above obedience to external regulations.
QUESTIONS
1. What limitations are you currently seeing or placing on your life or God's work? How can you look beyond them?
2. How do you recognize God's power? What can you do to remind yourself?
3. How can you more fully embrace the Bread of Life, in spite of the costs of discipleship?
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