547. The Blessing Of True Sincerity In Our Lives

Posted on April 22, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

“They seemed to be sincere!” is to say something nice about a person, describing them as being perhaps trustworthy. There was an interesting term in the early days of computers which was WYSIWYG. It stood for the first letter in these words, “What You See Is What You Get.” It spoke of the time when what appeared on the computer screen was actually what you typed on the keyboard. I remember using the term when taking the funeral of a close friend. I made the point that what he appeared to be outwardly was actually what he was really like inwardly as a person. He was a person of great sincerity. 

I recently woke up during the night and began to think of my late wife Carole. One of the things I greatly admired about her was her absolute sincerity in everything she said and did. She was never two-faced in any of her relationships and all her conversations were expressed with great sincerity. I knew I could trust her because she was a WYSIWYG person. What she appeared to be, was actually what she was like inwardly. What a privilege it was to meet with the beautiful young woman of God’s choice and to be married to her for almost 54 years. She made me want to have the same sort of sincerity in my own life and ministry. 

When I awoke I decided I should read what the Bible has to say about sincerity and the following is part of that search. 

1].       SINCERITY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

Sincerity Was Commanded In Worship. Joshua 24:14. 

  • “Therefore, fear the LORD and worship him in sincerity and truth. Get rid of the gods your ancestors worshipped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship the LORD.”

Israel’s God Yahweh wanted His people to be free of all the idolatry of their former gods and to be committed totally to Him as the one true God. They fell away as they neglected to be true to God and they had no peace. But we read in 2 Chronicles 15:1 “The Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded, and he went out to meet King Asa and said to him, The LORD is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.” This led to King Asa beginning a religious reform. The people swore an oath to the LORD with a loud voice and with shouting and with trumpets and with horns. 15:14.

Sincerity Was Rewarded With God’s Rest. 2 Chronicles 15:15. 

  • 2Ch 15:15  “All Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They had sought him with all sincerity, and he was found by them. So the LORD gave them rest on every side.”

The people had acted in all sincerity on the promise “If you seek him, he will be found by you” and God rewarded them for their efforts to please Him. At last they knew the rest that only He could bring.

2].       SINCERITY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 

There are two main words in the Greek New Testament used for sincerity. Below is how they are used. [The G stands for the Greek reference number in Strong’s Concordance.]

A].       G1505   [eilikrineia;  εἰλικρίνεια] clearness, purity, sincerity, integrity.

  • 1 Corinthians  5:8  Therefore, let us observe the feast, not with old leaven or with the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity [eilikrineia;  εἰλικρίνεια]  and truth.

The Believer’s Bible Commentary helpfully comments on this verse, “As we rejoice in Christ, we must have no evil thoughts in our hearts toward others. From this we see that the Apostle Paul was not speaking about literal leaven, such as the yeast that is used in making bread, but rather he was using leaven in a spiritual sense to describe the manner in which sin defiles that with which it comes into contact. We are to live our lives with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

  • 2 Corinthians 1:12  Indeed, this is our boast: The testimony of our conscience is that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you, with godly sincerity [eilikrineia;  εἰλικρίνεια] and purity, not by human wisdom but by God’s grace.

St Paul wrote to the Corinthians to remind them that his ministry to them came from the grace of God. He and his colleagues conducted themselves with “godly” sincerity towards the Corinthians. It reminds us that there can be such a thing as ungodly sincerity, that which is not pleasing to God. It is possible  for  people to be sincere but sincerely wrong. Godly sincerity will be pure because it is based on godly wisdom and not on earthly wisdom. 

St James wrote on the difference between earthly wisdom and godly wisdom in James 3:13 -18,  “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14  But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15  This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16  For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17  But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18  And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.’

Godly sincerity requires godly wisdom.

  • 2 Corinthians 2:17  For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity [eilikrineia;  εἰλικρίνεια], as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

St Paul used the terms “as commissioned by God”, “in the sight of God” and “we speak in Christ,” to show that true sincerity is that which originates in God, is in those who are in Christ and is displayed before God. His ministry was to glorify God and not to make money for himself. Sincerity comes from pure motives and these are to be found in those who are committed to God and living by His grace and wisdom. 

B].       G572   [haplotēs;  ἁπλότης] simplicity, sincerity, purity of mind, simplicity and frankness of character. These two references are to having “sincerity of heart.”

  • Eph 6:5  Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere [haplotēs; ἁπλότης] heart, as you would Christ, 6  not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free.

Slavery was common throughout the ancient world but the coming of the Christian message that all believers were brothers and sisters in Christ sowed the seeds of its eventual demise in many parts of the world. However, when St Paul wrote there were many slaves who worked for their masters and some of them who had become believers, may have found it difficult to accept that their masters controlled their lives. So Paul reminded them that they were serving Christ in everything they did. So they were to serve their masters with a sincere faith, not just working hard when they were in the sight of their masters but doing the will of God from the heart. 

  • Colossians 3:22  Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity [haplotēs; ἁπλότης]  of heart, fearing the Lord. 

St Paul gave the same instructions to the slaves in Colossae as he gave to the Ephesians. They were to serve their masters whether they were being watched or not, and with sincerity of heart. They were to serve as fearing the Lord.

SUMMING UP

Many of us have grown up in families where sincerity was seen in relationships and heard in conversations. Some of us, in the plan and purpose of God, met and married our life partners in whom we recognised that same sincerity. So it is much easier for many of us to seek to be sincere in everything we say and do because we have been motivated by wonderful examples of sincerity in people who enriched our lives.

But it is possible for all believers to become people of sincerity because they are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God who is the Spirit of truth, and who sheds the love of God in our hearts. Romans 5:5. His love frees us to become people of integrity, and to serve others with “glad and sincere hearts. ” That is what happened to the people in the early church as they embraced Christ as Saviour and committed to Him as Lord, “Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere [aphelotēs; ἀφελότης = sincerity]  hearts, 47  praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. “Acts 2:46-47.

Blog No.547 posted on Monday 22 April 2024.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Judgement, Justification, Mental Health, New Covenant, Prayer, Real Life Stories, Salvation, Sanctification, spiritual warfare, Temptations, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

546. Sermon Notes On John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15 for Sunday 19 May 2024. [“The Advantage Of The Coming Of The Holy Spirit.”]

Posted on April 19, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

Towards the end of chapter 15, Jesus warned His followers that they would face persecution from unbelievers because they as disciples followed One whom the world could not understand.  The world had persecuted Jesus and soon they would persecute His followers,  “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20  Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.  21  But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.” John 15:18-21.

However, Jesus went on to predict the coming of the Holy Spirit whom He would send to take His place. He would be a “helper” to them in ways expressed in the later verses in chapter 15 and in chapter 16.

1].        RECEIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT WHOM JESUS WAS TO SEND. 15:26-27

John 15:26  “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27  And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.”

The word “helper” is from [paraklētos; παράκλητος] meaning one called to the side of, an advocate or a comforter. John writes that Jesus would “send” [pempo; πέμπω] Him and that He “proceeds” [ekporeuomai; ἐκπορεύομαι] from the Father. Both the Father and the Son were involved in the coming of the Holy Spirit to the disciples. St Peter later expressed it like this on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the infant church, “Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.” Act 2:33. The Father “supplied“ the Spirit to Jesus and Jesus poured Him out on the disciples.

2].        JESUS LEAVING HIS DISCIPLES WOULD BE AN ADVANTAGE TO THEM. 16:4-7

John 16:4  “But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.” Jesus was about to enter the last phase of His life on earth leading to His death and burial in the tomb. He needed to prepare them for what was about to happen. 

He knew they would be sorrowful when He was taken from them but He assured them that it would be to their advantage that He went away, “But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6  But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7  Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.”  John 16:5-6. Jesus after His death and resurrection would be returning to His Father in heaven. Only then would He be able to send the Holy Spirit to the disciples and that would be to their advantage. It would mean that instead of having the presence of Jesus with them physically one place at a time, the Holy Spirit would indwell every believer throughout the world, forever. St Paul expressed it like this, Eph 1:13 “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,” AND Eph 4:30  “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

3].        THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN JESUS’ FOLLOWERS. 16:8-15

John 16:8  “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 

a].  9  concerning sin, because they do not believe in me. It is the sin of unbelief that keeps unbelievers from being accepted by God and under condemnation, “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. “ John 3:18.

b].  10  concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer.

The fact that Jesus was to return to the Father showed that His life and ministry as a human had been accepted by God and that He was righteous in the sight of God for fulfilling the Father’s will. 

By raising Jesus from the dead the Father  showed His approval upon his life and work, “and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 1:4.

c].  11  concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. Jesus’ victory over sin and death was also a triumphant victory over Satan as the ruler of the world. St Paul wrote, “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” Colossians 2:15. “Put to open shame”  is [parrēsia; παρρησία = open] and [deigmatizō; δειγματίζω = to make a show or spectacle of. ] Christ’s death on the cross was the public placarding of the victory of Christ over all the powers of darkness.  It was a judgment of and the defeat of Satan.

John 16:12  “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.” It was going to be a troubling and disturbing time for the followers of Jesus when He would be arrested and later tried, crucified and buried. But Jesus was preparing them for the coming of the Holy Spirit Who would help them to understand God’s purpose in sending His Son into the world.

13  When the Spirit of truth comes, 

a].  he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 

Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as a person, “He.” He would guide them into all the truth for He would reveal the Father’s will in the death of His Son and would speak words from the Father. His words would have the authority of God and would even clarify the future for them. 

B].  14  “He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15  All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

The Holy Spirit would glorify Jesus by declaring to the disciples the truths about Jesus. “Declare” is from [anaggellō; ἀναγγέλλω meaning to announce, disclose, make known.] The Spirit would teach them about the intimate relationship between the Father and His Son and disclose how Jesus shared everything with His Heavenly Father. 

How wonderful it is that believers throughout history from the Day of Pentecost have had access to the truths of God through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. As St Paul wrote, in 1Corinthians 2:9  ‘But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—  10  these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11  For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12  Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.”

Blog No.546 posted on Friday 19 April 2024. 

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Coping With Personal Grief, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Judgement, Justification, Lectionary Readings Year B {All Years], Mental Health, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, spiritual warfare, Temptations, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

545. “Experiencing Christian Joy.” Sermon Notes On John 17:6-19 For Sun12 May 2024

Posted on April 14, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

In what is called the High Priestly prayer in John 17, Jesus prayed for His disciples that they would know true joy and the Heavenly Father’s protection. He also consecrated Himself to the Father’s purposes so that the disciples would be sanctified in truth as He sent them into the world. We notice the following in the prayer. 

1].           WHAT JESUS HAD GIVEN TO HIS DISCIPLES. 17:6-8.

1a].        He Manifested God’s Name To Them. 17:6-7

John 17:6  “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7  Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you.”

When Jesus prayed, “Yours they were, and you gave them to me” He recognised that His Father had already chosen them to belong to Him and that the Father had given them to Him. St Peter writing about believers expressed it this way, “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” or “who have been chosen and destined by God the Father… ” 1 Peter 1:2. 

God chose them to belong to Himself knowing beforehand in His omniscience, who would respond to Him. These people God gave to belong to Jesus. Jesus had manifested God’s name [describing the character and purposes of the Father] to them and they had kept His word. They now understood that all Jesus possessed came from the Father.

1b].        He Shared The Word Of God With Them.17:8

 John 17:8 “For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.”  Jesus had previously taught His disciples that His words had authority because they came from the Father, “So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.” John 7:16. AND “For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50  And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.” John 12:49-50. The disciples had learned and now believed that Jesus had been sent by God and that His teaching was from God. It was divinely inspired. 

2].           JESUS PRAYED FOR HIS DISCIPLES.17:9-12

John 17:9  “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10  All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11  And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12  While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.”

In this section of the prayer, we see that Jesus claimed these things.

  • He is praying specifically for believers whom God had given to Him.
  • He had been glorified in them as they trusted in Him.
  • He had kept them in the name of God and now He prays that the Father would keep them in His name and that they would have unity like the unity He enjoyed with the Father.
  • He had guarded them and only one was lost,  namely Judas Iscariot, the son of destruction. But that loss was no surprise. It had been a fulfilment of prophecy.

3].           JESUS COMMENDS HIS DISCIPLES TO HIS FATHER’S CARE. 17:13-17

John 17:13”But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14  I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  15  I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16  They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17  Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”

As Jesus prayed this prayer, He knew that His time to leave this world was soon to come and He wanted His disciples to experience joy. He knew the unbelieving world was hostile to His disciples because they were different. They were “not of the world”, just as He was not of the world.  In other words, they had become different through their commitment to Jesus, and the unbelieving world didn’t understand them.

Jesus prayed two things for His disciples. 

i].  He asked God not to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.  They were meant to continue to live in the world even though they didn’t really belong to it any more. While they continued to live in the world they would be attacked by the evil one and Jesus prayed that they would be protected from the evil one’s assaults.

ii]. He prayed that God would sanctify them in the truth, God’s truth. “Sanctify” [hagiazō; ἁγιάζω] basically means to be separated, cleansed or purified. Jesus had earlier told His disciples,  “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32  and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32. If they received and acted on His teaching they would be further cleansed from sin and would become more free to live for the Lord.

4].           JESUS CONSECRATED HIMSELF TO HIS FATHER’S PURPOSES. 17:18-19

John 17:18 “As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.  19  And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.”

Jesus knew that His time on earth would soon come to an end. He had been sent by His Heavenly Father and had accomplished the Father’s will throughout His life. He was about to send His disciples into the world to witness to Him. So for their sake, He “consecrated” Himself to fulfilling the plan God for His life on earth. “Consecrate” is the same word as “sanctify” [ἁγιάζω; hagiazō] and Jesus was separating Himself to do only the Father’s will for the rest of His life. This commitment to His Father’s will would enable His followers to continue to be sanctified in truth. He would remain the same and that would encourage His followers to continue to be loyal to Him.

We see in this High Priestly prayer that Jesus was committed to fulfilling the Father’s will and that He wanted to ensure that His followers did the same. He had consecrated Himself to the purpose of God throughout His whole life and would continue to do so in His final days on earth. Because He was about to send His disciples into the world, He prayed for them to know God’s protection and the ongoing sanctification in God’s truth.  

St Paul later wrote about the church of God, [the ekklesia, the “called out” ones] those whom God had separated from the world to belong to Him. He wrote that “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26  that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendour, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25-26. 

Jesus’ prayer for the church in verses 17 and 19 in John 17 [to be sanctified in truth] was answered as we see in Ephesians 5:26, “having cleansed her [the church] by the washing of water with the word.”

Blog No.545 posted on Sunday 14 April 2024.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Judgement, Justification, Lectionary Readings Year B {All Years], Mental Health, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, spiritual warfare, Temptations | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

544. John15:9-17. Loving One Another. A Reading for Sunday 05 May 2024

Posted on April 12, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

It was during the Vietnam War that a song hit the pop charts which began with  these words, 

“What the world needs now is love, sweet love, It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.

What the world needs now is love, sweet love, No not just for some but for everyone.”

People were sick of a war that seemed to be never-ending. What was needed was love, not war. Humans were meant to love one another and not be malicious towards others. The people of Israel were commanded in Moses’ time to love their neighbours in Leviticus 19:18 “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the LORD.” Jesus commanded His disciples to love one another in these words in John 15.

These words of Jesus came into my mind as I sat in an auditorium at the University of Kent in Canterbury England in 1988. I was attending a Leaders in Anglican Renewal Conference and in one of the final sessions we were asked to think about what we had learned during the conference. I was about to leave as Dean of Armidale to join the Ministry team in St Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney. Sydney diocese at that time had an unfortunate [and mainly untrue] reputation of being unfriendly towards outsiders. I had already been rejected [as being an outsider] of becoming the Rector of a large, wealthy parish in Sydney. I wondered what sort of welcome I would receive in the diocese.  I realised that it was my responsibility to reach out with God’s love to all people. Their responsibility was to do the same to me. If they failed to love me then they were at fault, if I was genuine in my love towards them. My commitment to love others proved to be invaluable when I did confront a lack of love by a few individuals in the diocese, but overall, I felt I was loved and accepted by my peers during my 18 years in the Cathedral ministry. Love conquers all, including experiencing a lack of love!

Jesus’ Disciples Are Loved By Him.15:9-11

John 15:9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10  If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11  These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

Jesus loves us. We often sang, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” And in the words of another hymn, “Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus, Vast unmeasured, boundless, free. Rolling as a mighty ocean, In its fullness over me.” It is so wonderful to experience His self-giving love for us, which should motivate and empower us to reach out in love to others.

Jesus wants His disciples to abide in Him [John 15:4] and here He commands them to abide in His love. We have the choice in every moment of our lives to be either open or closed to the love of God. Jesus wants us to make the effort to be open to receive His love and to appropriate what He has done in His love for us. It means keeping His commandments and in doing so, continuing to abide in His love. Disobeying His commandments is a rejection of His love. Abiding in Jesus and in His love brings joy [and the fulness of joy] to those who do it.

It is interesting that Jesus here links love and joy together but it reminds us that they are the first mentioned in the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” It is possible to exhibit love and to experience joy when we are filled with the Holy Spirit of God. That comes from abiding in Jesus and in His love.

Jesus’ Disciples Are Commanded To Love One Another.15:12-15

John 15:12  “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13  Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14  You are my friends if you do what I command you.  15  No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”

Loving one another is not an option. It is a command from the lips of Jesus. And it is to love in the same self-giving way that Jesus loved His disciples. Great love is seen in the willingness to lay down one’s life for a friend which Jesus was shortly to do. This is the first time that Jesus called His disciples His friends. They were not just servants but friends also. He went on to explain the significance of that. Servants are not privy to all the purposes of the master but Jesus has revealed the purposes of God through His Son. Only to friends could He reveal those purposes. We can call ourselves the friends of Jesus because He took the initiative in declaring that we are His friends.

Jesus’ Disciples Are Chosen By Him To Bear Fruit. 15:16-17

John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17  These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”

We may think that we chose to believe in Jesus and so become Christians. However, the reality is that He chose us to belong to Him and appointed us to go forth and bear fruit that should abide. If we are faithful in doing so, we can ask prayers in Jesus’ name and the Father will answer them. This is a repeat of the promise He made in 15:7, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

If we are abiding in Jesus, it will mean that our prayers are according to the will of God and therefore be answered. 

Finally comes a command from Jesus, 15:17  “These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”

It was W.S. Gilbert  of Gilbert and Sullivan musical fame who coined the phrase, “It’s love that makes the world go round.” However, the real truth is that when love is shown forth among humans, the world can live in peace. A refusal to love brings discord, enmity and even war. How the world needs to hear this message that came from the lips of Jesus and come to abide in Him and in His love so that the world may live in peace and bring glory to the God of all the earth. And it begins with us as individuals!   “Love one another as I have loved you!”15:12.

Blog No.544 posted on Friday 12 April 2024. 

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Judgement, Justification, Lectionary Readings Year B {All Years], Mental Health, New Covenant, Prayer, Real Life Stories, Salvation, Sanctification, Sermons on John's Gospel, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

543.  On John 15:1-8. The Necessity Of Abiding In Jesus. A Reading for Sunday 28 April 2024

Posted on April 11, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

In the short passage Jesus taught His disciples some very great truths. He spoke of how His disciples were joined to him by their faith. That faith-union already existed but could be deepened as His disciples drew nearer to Him. Jesus Himself would help them in that process. There was danger for those who refused to abide in Him. However, there would be a blessing for those who committed themselves to Jesus and to His words.

The theme here is of abiding in Jesus. But what does ”abide” mean? It comes from [menō; μένω] and has these meanings, to remain, await, continue to be,  to remain regarding a place, a time or a situation.

1].           Believers Already  Abide In The True Vine. 15:1-3

John 15:1  “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2  Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3  Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.”

In these verses Jesus shares with His disciples that they are branches attached to Himself as the vine. The Father as the vine dresser wants the vine to grow and so He removes the branches that don’t bear fruit. But He also prunes the vines that do bear fruit so they may become more fruitful. 

It reminds us that sometimes there are difficulties we face in our Christian walk. Often it is the Lord Himself who is arranging circumstances so we look for Him for His help. Fathers need to discipline their children and our Heavenly Father disciplines His children so they might live more fruitful lives. The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews put it like this, “If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9  Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10  For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11  For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:8-11. The Lord’s discipline is done in love and for the benefit of those who receive it as they are made more holy. 

That came a word of encouragement from the lips of Jesus, “Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.” 15:3.  “Clean” is from [katharos; καθαρός] meaning ceremonially and morally clean, pure, unsoiled, upright, virtuous. Believers had already been cleansed by accepting and acting on what Jesus had spoken to them.”

2].           Jesus Wants Believers To Abide In Him More Deeply. 15:4-5.

John 15:4  “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5  I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

The invitation to abide in Christ is also a command. The great truth is that Jesus does abide in His disciples and gives them the motivation to remain in constant communion with Him. But humans have to make the effort to be open to Him. Only when the branch is abiding in the vine will it be fruitful. Jesus then affirmed the truth that those who abide in Him will bear much fruit.  They cannot be fruitful apart from Him and can do nothing of eternal value while they are separated from Him.

We need to ask what is meant by the word “fruit” in this passage. Fruit is the natural outflow of the life of the vine, so the fruit God desires is that which is produced in us by the presence of Christ living in our lives. It is the outflow of His life through us as we abide in Him. 

St Paul expressed a similar concept when he wrote Philippians 2:12-13, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13  for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Believers to need to work out in their lives what God is working within them. He gives them the willingness and  the ability to please God in their lives. Their lives are an expression of the life of God within them. The fruit is the outward expression of the work of God in our inner being and God is glorified when it exalts His name. 

3].           The Danger Of Not Abiding In Jesus. 15:6.

John 15:6 ”If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.”

This is a strong warning from the lips of Jesus. Unless people continue to abide in Jesus they will wither like branches and will be destroyed. There are many different interpretations as to what these words mean but they can be summed up in the sense of believers must abide constantly in Christ. Jesus has made it possible for believers to continue to abide in Him because He abides continually in them. Jesus later prayed to his Heavenly Father, “I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:26. Not only could His disciples know the indwelling presence of Jesus, but they could also experience His divine agape love.

4].           The Blessing Of Abiding In Jesus. 15:7-8.

4a].        Our prayers will be answered. 15:7.

John 15:7 “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

It is not enough just to have some picture of Jesus in our minds as we pray. We have to be led in our prayers by the teaching Jesus has given to His disciples. Then we are praying in accord with the will of God and such prayers will be answered. As St John wrote in1 John 5:14-15, “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15  And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” Jesus can be trusted to hear His people’s prayers and to answer them as they continue to abide in Him.

4b].        God Will Be Glorified. 15:8.

John 15:8 “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”

In the Westminster Shorter Catechism, the first question asks “What is the chief end of man?” The reply is, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.” It sums up the truth of 1 Corinthians 10:31: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”  That should be the aim of every believer and the indwelling Christ can enable that to happen. It should be the characteristic of every believer to show forth fruit and so prove to be His disciples.

St Paul expressed the same truth but in different words in 2 Corinthians  3:17 “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” The term “beholding the glory of the Lord” could be likened to “abiding.”  The word “beholding” is from [katoptrizō; κατοπτρίζω] meaning to behold as in a mirror or to reflect what is being beheld. When our focus is continually on Jesus and His glory [abiding in Him],  a change is taking place in us. It is called a “transformation” from  [metamorphoō; μεταμορφόω meaning a change in external form, also translated as “transfiguration.” We begin to reflect in our lives the glory of the Person we are beholding, becoming more like Him. And this is an ongoing process wrought in us by the Holy Spirit, “from one degree of glory to another” as we behold Him or abide in Him. The more we reflect His glory, the more He is glorified. 

Blog No.543 posted on Thursday 11 April 2024.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Judgement, Justification, Lectionary Readings Year B {All Years], Mental Health, New Covenant, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, Sermons on John's Gospel, spiritual warfare, Temptations | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

542. Sermon Outline on John 10:11-18 “Jesus The True Good Shepherd”  A reading for Sunday 21 April 2024

Posted on April 4, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

One of the most famous hymns sung in churches begins with the words, “The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll not want.” It is based on the Shepherd Psalm 23 but also on the words of Jesus in John chapter 10 where Jesus described Himself as the Good Shepherd. We look at the latter to see what He meant.

Jesus The True Good Shepherd.10:11-15

John 10:11 “ I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12  He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13  He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14  I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me 15  just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

“Good’ is from [kalos; καλός] meaning beautiful, valuable, virtuous, of great value. Jesus as the good shepherd was much superior to other so-called shepherds who were supposed to care for the sheep. 

“Hired hand” is from [misthōtos; μισθωτός]  means a wage worker, someone hired to perform a duty. Because they have no relationship with the sheep, they have no desire to risk their lives when caring for the sheep. When danger appears they flee because they care nothing for the sheep.

The contrast is made with Jesus as the Good Shepherd. He knows those who belong to Him and they know Him. This is a personal knowledge that Jesus compares to the knowledge the Father and Himself enjoy of one another. Jesus knows His sheep and cares for them, being willing to die for them.

Jesus Speaks Of Other Sheep. 10:16

John 10:16 “And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”   It must have seemed a bit strange to Jewish ears to hear that Jesus was interested in bringing people from other nations and cultures into the believing community. God had declared that Israel was His chosen people so why was Jesus talking about having a mission to bring others into God’s fold? However, God’s purpose was to bring the message of His forgiving love to a world that desperately needed it. Jesus had brought his message to the Jews, and now was the time to take it to the Gentiles, the non-Jews. There were other sheep outside the Jewish community whom Jesus knew would respond to His message. Many of them would listen to His voice and respond to Him. They would then become part of the one flock of God’s people with Jesus as their shepherd. 

Jesus Claimed To Have Power Over Life And Death. 10:17-18

17  “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

Jesus had just spoken of laying down His life for His sheep and now He declares what that would mean. Even though He was shortly to go through human death, it was something He chose to do. Humans wouldn’t just kill Him as a powerless victim. Rather He would willingly lay down His life. Then He would take it up again. This was the authority that God had given Him. 

It’s great to know that Jesus was not a helpless victim of human brutality. Even when facing death He was in charge. He willingly surrendered his human life when dying on the cross. Matthew records in Mat 27:50 “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.”

Then three days later He took it up again in His resurrection. Jesus conquered death and humans can be the beneficiaries of His triumph.

Jesus Gave His Followers A Commandment To Love One Another. 15:12-14

John 15:12-14 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.”

Jesus showed the greatest love in laying down His life for His friends, meaning His disciples. They could prove to be His friends by obeying His commandments. The commandment was to love one another in the same way Jesus loved them. There were two aspects to this. 

A willingness to lay down one’s life for others in the same way Jesus was to lay down His life. 

And a willingness to love one another in the same way He had loved them. 

St John captured both those aspects when he wrote, 1 John 3:16 “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.”

St Paul did likewise in Ephesians 5:1, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

The writer to the Hebrews shows how Jesus expressed His love for His followers as He became both the High Priest and the victim as He offered His own blood as an atoning  sacrifice for His people, Hebrews 9:12 “He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.” Motivated by love, He chose to enter into the holy places and He chose to offer His own blood to redeem lost sinners.

It is an amazing truth that Jesus laid down His life for sinners. I remember my theological college principal the late Dr Leon Morris saying, “We need to remember that we are people who have been died for, and died for by none other, than the SON OF GOD HIMSELF. “

Blog No.542 posted on Thursday 04 April 2024

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Judgement, Justification, Mental Health, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, Sermons on John's Gospel, Temptations, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

541. Some Articles On The Meaning Of Good Friday

Posted on March 27, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

As we approach Good Friday this week, our minds might have a question lurking deep within them. Why on earth could such a day be called “Good”when the most vile incident in earth’s history took place. Miniscule humans took their Creator and nailed Him to a cross in a display of sheer hatred and rejection. It is surprising to read that this was part of God’s earthly plan for His Son and that Jesus willingly submitted and committed Himself to fulfilling it, as St Paul wrote in his epistle to the Philippians, “Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:6-8.

So this year instead of writing another article, I have collated previous articles which can be accessed by clicking on the links below.

475. THE GOOD FRIDAY CROSS THAT DIVIDES HUMANITY. Luke 23:39-43. [Paradise or Lostness] Posted on April 7, 2023 by Jim Holbeck

We know that Good Friday is called “Good” because of the good news associated with it. It is the good news that Jesus died on the cross to take away our sins and to bring guilty sinners back to a … Continue reading →

273. “Good Friday!” What the “Good” God did for an undeserving world. The truth in Isaiah 44:22 for today! Posted on March 30, 2018 by Jim Holbeck

“I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you.” Isaiah 44:22.  “Will that heavy cloud ever lift?” That was the question in my mind as I drove our … Continue reading →

208. Good Friday. Good for whom? God’s wrath “satisfied”? Posted on April 13, 2017 by Jim Holbeck

Should we sing these words on Good Friday and at Easter? They are these words “‘Til on that cross as Jesus died,  The wrath of God was satisfied.” They are from the beautiful hymn “In Christ Alone.” Many people would … Continue reading →

148. The Inescapability Of Good Friday For Humans (Part 2 Of 2) Posted on April 16, 2014 by Jim Holbeck

Good Friday. Jesus died on a cross. A long time ago. So what! This is probably how many people regard Good Friday in today’s world. How could someone’s death so long ago have any relevance to the modern man or … Continue reading →

147. The Inescapability Of Good Friday For Every Human. (Part 1 of 2). Posted on April 14, 2014 by Jim Holbeck

“You have been died for! And died for by none other than the Son of God Himself!” I still remember those words ringing out in the Chapel at Ridley (Theological) College in Melbourne, Australia. The preacher was the late Dr … Continue reading →

020. FORGIVENESS. Why “Good Friday” Is “Good”. God blots out our sins. Isaiah 44:22. Posted on April 21, 2011 by Jim Holbeck

“Will that heavy cloud ever lift?” That was the question in my mind as I drove our daughter to school on many mornings. We lived at an altitude of over 3000 feet and heavy fogs were frequent. Sometimes it was … Continue reading →

Wishing you all a very blessed Good Friday and the peace and joy that the Easter message of Jesus’ resurrection brings to those who trust Him.

Blog No.541 posted on Wednesday 27 March 2024.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Healing, Holy Spirit, Justification, Lectionary Readings Year B {All Years], New Covenant, Prayer, Questions and Answers, Real Life Stories, Salvation, Sanctification | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

540. Luke 24:36-49. “Resurrection Joy!” Notes On The Gospel for Sunday 14 April 2024

Posted on March 21, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

What does it take for humans to believe in some fact or other? Very often it is compelling evidence that is needed. But how compelling does it have to be? In this passage, we read of a group of men [the eleven apostles and some other disciples] who had received evidence we would have thought was pretty compelling. They had been told by Mary Magdalene and later by two Emmaus disciples that they had seen Jesus risen from the dead, but the apostles didn’t believe them. But the apostles needed to know for sure that Jesus was risen from the dead. He convinced them by appearing among them. 

Jesus Appears to His Disciples. 24:36-43

Jesus Was Seen And Heard By Them. 36-40.

Luke 24:36  ‘As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37  But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38  And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39  See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have. 40  And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.’

There is an expression, ”It’s too good to be true!” Sometimes the news we hear is just too wonderful to believe it actually happened. Faced with the resurrected body of Jesus, the disciples found it hard to believe it was Jesus. They thought they were looking at an apparition, a spirit. Jesus invited them to touch Him to make them realise that it was Jesus in a body. A body that bore the wounds of the crucifixion.  Even then it seemed to be too good to be true as they were filled with joy. But Jesus had another proof that He had risen from the dead. 

Jesus Showed Them That He Was The Crucified, Risen Saviour. 41-42. 

41  ‘And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marvelling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?”  42  They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43  and he took it and ate before them.’  Jesus asked them for something to eat. And taking a piece of broiled fish he ate it before them. There was no doubting now that this was none other than the Risen Christ!

Jesus Explained The Significance Of  His Resurrection. 24:44-48.

44  ‘Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45  Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46  and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47  and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48  You are witnesses of these things.”’

The Believers Bible Commentary has these words, “Jesus opened their understanding to comprehend all these Scriptures. In fact, this is a chapter full of opened things: opened tomb (v. 12), opened home (v. 29), opened eyes (v. 31), opened Scriptures (v. 32), opened lips (v. 35), opened understanding (v. 45), and opened heavens (v. 51).” 

This was another privileged Bible Study like the one given to the Emmaus disciples, as He opened their eyes to understand how the Old Testament scriptures pointed to Him. He had fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies and now the disciples were to take that message to the whole world. 

Jesus Commanded Them To Wait Until They Were Empowered By God. 24:49

49  “And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

The “promise of the Father” is, of course, the promised Holy Spirit. Jesus had foretold His disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit to take His place after His ascension, in verses such as these,  John 14:16-17, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17  even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” AND John 14:26; “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

At a later time, Jesus said to His disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8. 

Jesus wasn’t just trying to encourage His disciples to take the message to the world but telling them that they would be divinely empowered to do so. We see that happened on the Day of Pentecost as the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to boldly witness to Jesus as God’s long-promised Messiah and Saviour. 

An Application For Today

This passage has been very helpful in encouraging believers throughout all generations to believe that Jesus who died on the cross, rose again on the third day. It shows how humans can come from unbelief to a real belief in the Bible’s message of redemption. It also shows why these early disciples were so successful in spreading that message. They were divinely empowered to take that message to the world as they were empowered by the Holy Spirit to do so. 

It means that believers today can know the Holy Spirit’s empowerment to spread the gospel message.  That message is centred on Jesus Christ Who was crucified on a cross, was buried, but rose again on the third day. Humans today can come into a personal relationship with God as they put their trust in this Jesus. Just as Abraham was made right with God by his faith, so people today can be declared righteous before God through their faith, “It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” Romans 4:24-25.

But there is another aspect to Jesus’ resurrection that is comforting for believers today. Many of us have lost loved ones and feel that loss very deeply. But we are comforted to know that we will see those loved ones again when Jesus returns, “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”  1 Thessalonians 4:14. What joy to be with them in the presence of Jesus for eternity! Our prayer then for the present is, “[Maranatha] Come, Lord!” 1 Corinthians 16:22 as we await that glorious hour!

Blog No.540 posted on Thursday 21 March 2024. 

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Coping With Personal Grief, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Judgement, Justification, Mental Health, New Covenant, Questions and Answers, Salvation, Sanctification, Second coming of Jesus, Temptations, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

539.  Jesus Rose From The Dead And Is Alive. John 20:19-31. [Notes on the Gospel Reading for Sunday 07 April 2024]

Posted on March 19, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

Millions of people throughout the world say these words about Jesus in church every Sunday as part of the Nicene Creed, “For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.” This Creed was adopted by churches at the First Council of Nicaea in 325AD and amended in 381AD at the First Council of Constantinople. Christians have been repeating this Creed since that time. 

The gospel passage today shows how someone who doubted that truth about Jesus being risen from the dead, came to firmly believe it. 

1].           Jesus Appears To The Disciples. John 20:19-23.

John 20:19  “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.”    The apostles had previously been told by three witnesses they had seen Jesus risen from the dead, but they failed to believe them. Now comes unmistakable proof. 

a]. Though they were securely locked in a room, Jesus suddenly appeared among them and said, “Peace be with you.” They saw Him for themselves in this supernatural appearance.

b].  Jesus proved that it was He as He showed them His hands and His side. His body bore signs of the wounds He had suffered when He was crucified. It was indeed the crucified Jesus risen from the dead.

c]. Jesus recommissioned His apostles as He had previously commissioned them in Luke 9:1-2., “And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2  and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.”  This time it was with the promise of the Holy Spirit to help them, “Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.’ 22  And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. 23  If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.’” 20:21-23.

There are two things to note in this passage. 

1.  When Jesus said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” did they actually receive the Spirit at that moment? We normally think of the Holy Spirit being poured out on the disciples at Pentecost, several weeks later.  I believe it was one of the proleptic sayings of Jesus where proleptic means “the assumption of a future act or development as if presently existing or accomplished.” Jesus was speaking of a future event as we can see from the following verses. The apostle John wrote that the Holy Spirit would not be poured out until Jesus had been glorified, “Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” John7:39. His glorification involved His death, resurrection, ascension and being seated at the right hand of God.

The apostle Peter explained the scene at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the apostles as being the result of Jesus ascending to the Father, there receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit and then pouring Him out on the apostles. Act 2:33 “Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.”

2. There may be some misunderstanding regarding verse 23, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”  If we understand the words to mean that those in church leadership can stop others from being forgiven, then that cannot be true. The truth is contained in the words in 1 John 1:9  “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Anyone coming before the Father, confessing their sins and sincerely asking for His forgiveness, will be forgiven. 

Perhaps a better explanation may be this. The word “withhold”  is from [krateō; κρατέω] meaning to hold fast or retain. It could refer to believers who can forgive those who sin against them or they could refuse to forgive them. In the latter case, they are retaining the sins and not letting them go. In other words, a believer who chooses not to forgive someone who hurt them, retains their sins by not forgiving them. However, the person who has asked for their forgiveness may already have confessed their sins to God and been forgiven by Him. Unforgiveness is a sin that punishes those who refuse to forgive and mars fellowship between believers. 

2].           Jesus And Thomas. 20:24-29

i].             The Depth Of Thomas’ Doubt That Jesus Had Risen From The Dead. 24-25

 “Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25  So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.’”  John 20:24-25.

Perhaps when the apostles shared with Thomas that they had seen the risen Jesus, it sounded too good to be true for him. He wanted to be sure that what they had seen was not an apparition. So he would have to see the body of Jesus and the wounds from His crucifixion to really believe that Jesus was risen.

ii].           The Depth Of Thomas’s Faith In The Risen Jesus. 26-29

The risen Jesus challenged Thomas personally. “Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27  Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 20:26-27. They all saw Jesus but He addressed Thomas individually and asked him to fulfil the demands he had made before he would believe. We are not told if Thomas did touch the body of Jesus but now his doubt was gone, ‘Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”’  20:28. His declaration was an act of willing submission to the risen Lord.

Jesus responded with a general statement that has been a blessing to millions throughout the history of the church, ‘Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”’ John 20:29. Millions since that time have believed in Jesus even though they have never seen Him. They are encouraged by His words that they are blessed.

3].           The Purpose Of This Book. 20:30-31

John tells us why he wrote this gospel. John 20:30  “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31  but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

Though Jesus had done many miracles or signs during His ministry, John included in his gospel many that would help people to understand two main truths. Firstly, that Jesus is the long-promised Messiah or Christ [the Anointed One] as well as being the Son of God. Secondly, that by trusting in Jesus, people could gain life in His name. “Life” here is [zōē; ζωή] which occurs 36 times in this gospel. Perhaps the most well-known verses are 3:16,  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” AND 6:47  “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.”

This passage of scripture places pressure on those who read it or hear it, to personally submit their lives to the Risen Jesus Christ. Then they can join those blessed ones who have not seen Jesus but believe in Him. If they fail to do so then the words of John 3:16 apply to them. Having rejected the grace of God in the gift of Jesus, they will perish until they repent and receive Him as their Saviour and Lord.

Blog No.539 posted on Tuesday 19 March 2024.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Justification, Lectionary Readings Year B {All Years], Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

538. JESUS IS ALIVE! Mark 16:1-19. Gospel for Easter Sunday. 31 March 2024

Posted on March 15, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

We read these words in Mark16:14, “Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.” At first sight, it seems out of character for Jesus to be confrontational in His approach to His disciples. The word for ”rebuke” is [oneidizō; ὀνειδίζω] meaning also to reproach, revile, upbraid. The reason for His rebuke was the unbelief and the hardness of heart of the disciples. Some followers of Jesus had seen Him after He had risen from the dead and had excitedly shared the news with the apostles. Imagine their surprise and their disappointment when the apostles did not believe them. 

What was the news they rejected?

i].        It Was News Some Disciples Were Afraid To Share.  16:1-8

The first people to know Jesus had risen from the dead were three women who had gone to the tomb to prepare Jesus’ body for burial, “When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2  And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3  And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4  And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5  And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6  And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7  But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” 8  And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.” Mark 16:1-8.

What a wonderful message they could have shared with the apostles and others. An angel told them that the crucified Jesus whose body had been placed in a tomb had risen from the dead and was going to meet with Peter and the disciples in Galilee. There was no need for them to be afraid. But they were afraid. Afraid of the unknown factors behind the supernatural and mysterious event that had taken place. It was beyond human explanation and experience. They had been told facts not theories but were afraid to share what was true.

There may be many in today’s world who likewise are afraid of what doesn’t concur with their human reasoning and experience. Because they have not experienced miraculous power they rubbish it or deny the possibility. But the Bible contains facts given by God in His word that humans are meant to accept and act on.

ii].       It was News Mary Magdalene Shared With The Apostles. 16:9-11. 

Mary Magdalene had seen the empty tomb and heard the angel of the Lord tell her and the other women that Jesus had risen. But she later had a personal visitation from the Lord, “Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10  She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept, “But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.” Mark 16:9-11. 

The angel had told her and the other women that Jesus had risen from the dead but she and the others were too afraid to share the news. Suddenly Jesus appeared before her. Now she believed He was alive. Jesus was later to say to someone [the apostle Thomas] who had been disbelieving until he personally saw Jesus, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29. Once Mary Magdalene was convinced that Jesus was alive she immediately went to share the good news with the apostles. What a shock it must have been to her when they would not believe what she told them. 

iii].      it was News Two Disciples Shared With The Apostles. 16:12-13.

“After these things, he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. 13  And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.” 16:12-13.

Luke records what happened when these 2 disciples were joined by Jesus as they travelled towards Emmaus.  They invited Him to stay with them and as they began to eat together the following happened, “When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31  And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32  They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33  And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34  saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35  Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.” Luke 24:30-35.

But as Luke puts it, “…. but they did not believe them.” 16:12-13.

There were now 3 separate witnesses who told the disciples that they had seen Jesus now risen from the dead. Why didn’t they believe them?

iv].      It Was News The Apostles Believed When Jesus Appeared To Them. 16:14

Mark 16:14  “Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.” 16:14.

The apostles had to admit Jesus was alive when He appeared among them. But He chastised them for their unbelief and their hardness of heart. They were accountable for their attitude of unbelief. They should have been expectant that Jesus would rise from the dead on the third day because He had foretold exactly this, “From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” Mat 16:21.  AND in Mat 17:22-23, “As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, 23  and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed.”

So there was no excuse for them when they rejected the testimony of Mary Magdalene and the 2 Emmaus disciples. 

v].       It Was News The Apostles Were To Share With The World. 16:15-19 

Did Jesus see the disciples as a lost cause? No, He commanded them to take the message about Himself to the whole world, “And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17  And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18  they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” 19  So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.” Luke 16:15-19.

Praise God that He can overcome human failures as those humans recognise the claims of the risen Christ on them and submit to Him as their Saviour and Lord!

THE CHALLENGE FOR US TODAY

This passage reminds us that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead and is alive today, seated at the right hand of God in glory. There is also the testimony of millions of people throughout the world and throughout history to the fact that He is alive because they have entered into a personal relationship with Him.

It also reminds us that every human in every generation needs to put their trust in Him, for as Luke 16:16 records Jesus saying, “Whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

There is a tendency among humans today to try to be tolerant. But we cannot be tolerant when people’s lives are at risk or when they are facing eternal punishment for refusing to believe in Jesus. Every human in every age needs to hear the gospel in order to respond to it and accept Christ as their Lord and Saviour.u

That means praying for all our family and acquaintances that their hearts would be softened by the Holy Spirit so that their hardness of heart and their unbelief might disappear and they might give their lives to the Risen Jesus Christ. Then they will be able to sing the words of this hymn by an anonymous composer, 

“Jesus Christ is alive today

I know, I know it’s true

Sovereign of  the universe

I give Him homage due.

Seated there at God’s right hand 

I am with Him in the promised land 

Jesus lives and reigns in me

That’s how I know it’s true.”

Wishing you all a VERY BLESSED EASTER and may you experience the presence and the power of the risen Christ in your lives as you open your hearts wide open to Him.

Blog No.538 posted on Friday 15 March 2024.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Justification, Mental Health, Prayer, Real Life Stories, Salvation, Sanctification, Second coming of Jesus, spiritual warfare, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment