551. Sermon Notes on Mark 3:20 – 35. “The Unforgiveable Sin.” Gospel for Sunday 09June2024

Posted on May 8, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

In these days when we are seeing a reversal of values in people’s attitudes  throughout the world, we might wonder why that is so and how could we correct it. For example, in recent days we have seen people in western countries refusing to condemn the atrocities committed by the terrorist group Hamas. One wonders how they could call “good” what was obviously evil.

However, in our gospel reading for today, we can see how that could take place at any time in any part of the world. When some people [the scribes] were faced with perfection, they chose to ignore the obvious and attributed the good Jesus did, to an evil source. It began with the scribes denigrating the person of Jesus.

DENIGRATING THE PERSON OF JESUS. 3:20-21

Mark 3:20 ‘Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. 21  And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”’ The last phrase is also translated as  “beside Himself” [KJV] which is one meaning of [existēmi; ἐξίστημι meaning literally to stand beside oneself,  to put out of its place; to lose or be out of one’s mind.] In other words, the crowd thought that Jesus wasn’t thinking correctly. They denigrated Him and His ministry.  So His family went out to rescue Him.

BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT

How The Scribes Saw His Ministry. 3:22

3:22  And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.”  [“Possessed” is from echō; ἔχω meaning to hold or possess. Two translations use the words “He has Beelzebul” [HCSB and NRSV] but the majority have “is possessed by” or “controlled by” Beelzebul.  Both mean that Jesus was being accused of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebul.  In other words they were saying that He was an agent of Satan and was casting out demons by the power of Satan. 

How Jesus Showed The Impossibility Of That Charge Being True. 3:23-27

Mk 3:23  “And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25  And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26  And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. 27  But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.”

Jesus answered their criticisms in two ways. Firstly He stated that it was sheer nonsense for them to think that Satan would act  against himself. Using the analogies of a kingdom and a house He described how any division within them would weaken them. Secondly, He described how His Ministry was setting people free from the power of Satan. The reason He had power over Satan was that He had bound the strong man, Satan, and people could now be free through His ministry.

THE DANGER OF COMMITTING THE ETERNAL UNFORGIVEABLE SIN. 3:28-29

Mk 3:28  “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, 29  but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30  for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Jesus was saying that every sin humans commit and every blasphemy they utter can be forgiven. The writer to the Hebrews put it like this, 10:10 “And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13  waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14  For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” Jesus’s death paid the penalty for all the sins of the world. So why does He say here that there is a sin that can never be forgiven?

The sin was “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.” Jesus spoke of the coming ministry of the Holy Spirit in John 16:8-9, “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me.” The Holy Spirit would convict people of their sin and especially the sin of not believing in Jesus. Jesus’ opponents obviously did not believe in Him, nor did they respect His ministry, as they saw it coming from an evil source.  Mark emphasises this in verse 30 where he wrote, “for they were saying.” This verb is in the imperfect tense meaning that they were continuing to say, ‘he has an unclean spirit.” It wasn’t just a sudden outburst, but an ongoing attitude in their minds expressed in their  words. There was no sign that they felt any repentance for what they said. His opponents needed to repent if they were to be forgiven of any sin, especially the sin against the Holy Spirit. As Jesus said to other opponents, “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:3. While Jesus’ opponents refused to believe in Him and to repent of their sins, there was no way they could ever be forgiven. Jesus was later to say that His ministry of casting out demons was by the power of the Holy Spirit, “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” Matthew 12:28.

Jesus’ opponents saw the power of God’s kingdom at work by the Holy Spirit through His ministry and in their bias against Him attributed that power to Satan. They were calling the good that Jesus was doing by the Holy Spirit, coming from an evil source. They were in a sense calling the Holy Spirit evil and that constituted blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

JESUS’ TRUE FAMILY. It is Made Up Of All believers. 3:31-35

When Jesus was told by the crowd that His mother and brothers were outside calling for Him, He raised a question and then answered it with a very precious answer,  ‘And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. 32  And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” 33  And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34  And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35  For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”’ Mark 3:31-35.

Jesus certainly had a human family comprising his mother and his brothers but He also included in His family His followers who were doing the will of God by believing in Him. 

What an amazing truth that is, that those who believe in Jesus, are seen by Him as His brothers and sisters in His family. 

The writer to the Hebrews expressed this truth in these words, 9 “But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10  For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11  For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12  saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” Hebrews 2:9-12.

God brought many sons to glory through Jesus’ suffering leading up to His death. Those who believe in Him become His brothers, members of the family of God. Those who reject Him and the salvation He came to offer, who refuse to repent of their sins, will be excluded from the family of God, forever.

Blog No.551 posted on Wednesday 08 May 2024. 

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Judgement, Justification, Lectionary Readings Year B {All Years], Prayer, Questions and Answers, Salvation, Sanctification, Sermons and articles on the Gospel of Mark, spiritual warfare, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

550. On Mark 2:23-3:6. “Using the Law Instead Of Loving.” Gospel For Sunday 02 June 2024

Posted on April 30, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

One of the sad things in life is when some people unjustly use the law against others. They are focused on apparent breaches of the law while being guilty of breaches of love. Millions of human lives have been damaged when they were unfairly accused of breaking some law or other.

It may be no surprise that when Jesus began His ministry, He too was accused of breaking the law, the law of God concerning the Sabbath. In the first instance, the Pharisees accused Him of allowing His disciples to pluck heads of grain on the Sabbath which meant in their eyes He was condoning sin. In the second, they accused Him personally of breaking the law by healing a man on the Sabbath, which in their eyes was unlawful.

How Jesus responded gives us insight as to how we should handle the law in our modern world. 

1].        THE SABBATH LAW WAS MADE FOR THE BENEFIT OF HUMANS. 2:23-27

Mark 2:23 ‘One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24  And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25  And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: 26  how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” 27  And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28  So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”’

Jesus corrected the wrong attitude of the Jewish leaders to the sabbath laws by reminding them that God’s intention in giving the sabbath law was to make life easier for His followers. The Sabbath law was not meant to be a straight jacket imprisoning God’s people but to give them freedom to relax from work and to focus on Him. However, the Jewish leaders had added a hedge of specific commands to the law so that people might be less likely to break God’s sabbath law. But their emphasis was on their added commandments in the hedge and less on God’s actual commandments. God created mankind and later gave them the Sabbath law. He didn’t first make the Sabbath and later created mankind to fit into the Sabbath restrictions. 

Then came the final statement from Jesus that He as the Son of Man was the Lord of the Sabbath. He determined what was the correct way to observe the Sabbath.

In our modern day, we need to be careful not to judge the behaviour of others with legalistic eyes but to look upon them with love. 

2].        JESUS SHOWED HOW HUMAN NEED OVERRIDES HUMAN LAW. [He Healed A Man With A Withered Hand On The Sabbath.] 3:1-6

Mark 3:1  “Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2  And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him.” In verse 2 we might become excited to read that the religious leaders were beginning to take Jesus seriously. “Watched” is from [paratēreō; παρατηρέω] meaning to watch assiduously, to observe carefully, and the verb is in the imperfect tense meaning “they were watching” or “they kept watching.” However, our excitement would end as we read their motive, “so that they might accuse him.” How sad that outwardly good actions or attitudes often come from an evil motivation. 

Mark 3:3  ‘And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.”’ Jesus was motivated with doing God’s will even though it could put Him in danger. He knew it was the will of God for the man to be healed so He invited the man to come to Him. 

Mark 3:4  ‘And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent.  Jesus gave the onlookers the opportunity to reflect on the situation as He asked them this question. Of course, it would always be wrong to prefer to do evil instead of good on the sabbath. It would certainly be better to save life than to destroy it. However, their rejection of Jesus made them refuse to answer His question. In rejecting Him they also rejected the meaning of the Sabbath law made for the good of mankind. They were rejecting God in rejecting His Son Jesus whom He had sent into the world. 

Mark 3:5  ‘And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. ‘ Their silence displaying their hardheartedness moved Jesus to anger. Ignoring His opponents’ negativity, He commanded the man to do the impossible and to stretch out his hand. As he did so, his hand was restored. [“Restored” is from [apokathistēmi; ἀποκαθίστημι meaning to restore to its former state.]

All the onlookers had witnessed the power of God at work in healing the man, through Jesus’ words. Would they humble themselves and accept Jesus as a messenger from God or would they continue to reject Him? They had a choice. 

3].        THE TRAGEDY OF HUMAN HARD HEARTEDNESS. [Seeking Evil Instead Of Worshipping God.]

The religious leaders made their choice. 

a].        They Formed An Evil Alliance, Mark 3:6  “The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.”  The Pharisees and the Herodians were enemies who detested each other. However now they were drawn together because they had a common enemy, Jesus. Their agreed plan was to destroy Him. 

How often throughout human history have former enemies sought the help of those enemies to take down or destroy a common enemy. Bizarre when you think of it that mere creatures were plotting to destroy the creator of the universe because they would not accept that He had been sent by God.

b].        They Formed An Evil Plan. “how to destroy him.”  “Destroy” is from [apollymi; ἀπόλλυμι which means to destroy fully.] They not only wanted to stop His ministry, but they also wanted Him dead. One wonders how the Jewish religious leaders, knowing the Old Testament stories and teachings, could ever have imagined that this action would be approved by God. 

St Paul recognised the hardness of heart and the spiritual blindness of those who could not see God’s plan at work through Jesus. He wrote of the Jewish people as a whole, “But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts.” 2 Corinthians 3:14-15. The veil of ignorance is only lifted when people turn to Christ and put their trust in Him.

This antagonism towards Jesus continued throughout His ministry and we see that later on, the same alliance was formed for an evil purpose, “And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk.” Mark 12:13.

SUMMING UP.

The value of history is that we can learn from the errors of the past. But it is only valuable if we determine not to make the same mistakes. St Paul looked back at the history of his own people and saw that there were lessons to be learned,  1Corinthians 10:5 “Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6  Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. ……. 9  We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10  nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. 11  Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. 12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.”

The Pharisees and the Herodians thought they were standing in the truth when they rejected Jesus as God’s Messiah. Seeing Him as an imposter, they tried to get rid of Him.

This passage provides a number of lessons for us in today’s world.

In the events on that Sabbath day we see the danger of using our own interpretation of the law to silence or even destroy another person who has a different interpretation. It is dangerous for us to think that we have the truth and the other person is evil for seeing things differently from ourselves. Christian agape love demands that we seek the best interests of others and that certainly means not trying to destroy them in any way. 

Another lesson comes from the healing of the man on the Sabbath. God’s original purpose in giving the sabbath law was to allow His people to have a time of rest from their busy lives and to focus on Him. He gave the law as an expression of His love for His people. Jesus expressed that love when He healed the man on the Sabbath for He saw it as doing good on the Sabbath.

There is an expression, ”When law comes in, love goes out the window.” It is true that when obedience to the law, as we see it, is demanded of a person who sees it differently, it is a breach of love. Especially when our own interpretation is faulty or incorrect. That was the problem with the Pharisees and the Herodians who rejected Jesus’ ministry. Their legalism, based on their wrong interpretation of the Sabbath law, put pressure on Jesus to conform. But He displayed the heart of God as He healed the man in need.

Blog 550 posted on Tuesday 30 April 2024.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Healing, Holy Spirit, Judgement, Justification, Lectionary Readings Year B {All Years], Mental Health, New Covenant, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, Sermons and articles on the Gospel of Mark, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

549. ANZAC DAY. 25th April. Some Thoughts On The Significance Of That Day.

Posted on April 24, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

Every year in Australia, the 25th April is observed as a day to reflect on the sacrifices made by those original ANZACS [Australian and New Zealand Army Corps] who gave their lives for King and country at Gallipoli. Eventually it became a day of remembering all those who died or were maimed in battle in wars to the present day. My own father served in the 41st Battalion of the Australian Army  in France and Belgium from 1916 to1918 enlisting when he was almost 20 years of age. Praise God that he was uninjured and returned home in 1919 physically fit and mentally strong. But every year he would march in the Anzac Day marches to honour friends he had lost in war. 

I would like to include an article written by my good friend and colleague in ministry John Wyndham who has just turned 90 years of age who served as a chaplain in the Vietnam War. 

Below is his story 

John Wyndham on ANZAC DAY. 2 Samuel 23:17 

I grew up with the ANZAC story embedded in my life. My mother lost her brother and her fiancée at Lone Pine. I was given my second baptismal name after that brother. I served in Vietnam as a chaplain. 

While I have many personal stories, let me share one from World War II that Paul Brickhill included in his book The Dambusters. 

On the evening of 13 May 1943, a squadron of 19 Lancasters took off from RAF Base Scampton in Lincolnshire in three waves. Their destination was the Ruhr Valley in Germany. Their targets were the Moehne and Eder Dams. The aim was to destroy the German war industry. 

It was a successful raid due to a bomb designed by Barnes Wallis which would bounce over nets that protected the walls of the dams. but seven aircraft failed to return and 51 crew members died. Wallis felt responsible for the deaths of the Lancaster crew members 

In 1946 Barnes Wallis was awarded £10,000 – a reward for his part in the war effort. 

He was horrified because of his anguish over the deaths of the airmen and decided to set up a trust to fund the education of the children whose RAF and RAAF fathers had died during the conflict. 

In doing so, he quoted the David’s words 2 Samuel 23:17.

“Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this!” he said. “Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?” And David would not drink it. 

As I read about this in the book my curiosity was aroused. I looked up the reference to discover its context and read of an incident in the life of David. 

“During harvest time, three of the thirty chief men came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the LORD. “Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this!” he said. “Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?” And David would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men. [2 Samuel 23:13-17] * * * * * * * * 

David was under attack from Philistine armies after Absalom’s rebellion. The Philistine garrison at Bethlehem occupied the approach to Jerusalem. David took refuge in a cave in the mountains near the Dead Sea with a loyal band of 37 men and was forced to engage in guerrilla warfare. In his predicament David longed for his hometown of Bethlehem and voiced a longing to taste the sweet water from the city well. 

So great was their love for their king that three of David’s warriors determined to risk their lives, as they often had, to fulfil his desire. They planned and mounted a commando raid to achieve this goal. 

It is not unlike many incidents experienced by men and women of our armed forces in many of the conflicts of 1914-18, 1939-45, Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam and other theatres. 

But note David’s response or reaction. He was humbled by his warriors’ act and while he appreciated what they had done, he refused to drink the water. He regarded it as too sacred and poured it out as a sacrifice to the Lord. His men would have understood.

Barnes Wallis reaction was similar in 1946. Men had gone forth in jeopardy of their lives to protect their king, their countries, their homes, their families. The men and women of our nation went forth and many paid with the loss of their lives or with permanent injury. They made a sacrifice that we might be free. 

These sacrifices of husbands, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbours, friends and comrades were greater than words can express. Those who died are often referred to as having paid the supreme human sacrifice. 

As we commemorate the Anzac landing and pause to remember it this week, let us give thanks to God for them!

But as we give our humble thanks to God for those who died that we might have freedom in this land, let us not forget another sacrifice which we celebrated less than four weeks ago – the greatest sacrifice of all. 

I speak of Jesus Christ who died that we might be eternally free! 

He came into this world with no thought for Himself. He sacrificed His life that we might be free from the penalty and bondage of sin. And, all human beings are sinners in need of salvation as Paul reminds in Romans 3:23. 

. . . all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God 

By His death on the Cross, Jesus offers salvation – a right standing before God to all. 

The men of Anzac Cove, the men of Lone Pine, the men of Villers Bretonneux, of Pozières, of Fromelles, of Ypres and Beersheba. The men of Crete, of Tobruk, of El Alamein, the men and women of Malaya and Singapore, of Sandakan, of Milne Bay and Kokoda, of the Coral Sea and other naval battles, of Borneo. The men and women of Korea, of Nui Dat and Long Tan, the Peacekeepers, those fighting terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan did not die in vain although sometimes it may seem so. 

As Lawrence Binyon wrote in his poem The Fallen, one stanza of which is now known as The Ode –  

They went with songs to the battle, they were young. Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow. They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted, They fell with their faces to the foe. 

These men and women gave, and many still give, us and others a freedom which we accepted and still accept. 

But what of Jesus Christ? What of the greatest of freedoms that He offers? Redemption from the penalty and guilt of sin; reconciliation with God the Father 

Have you accepted Him and the peace with God that He offers? 

AND IT’S FREE 

Blog No.549 posted on ANZAC DAY EVE 24 April 2024.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Coping With Personal Grief, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Glorification, Healing, Justification, Mental Health, Politics, Prayer, Real Life Stories, Salvation, Sanctification, spiritual warfare, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

548. Sermon Notes on John 3:1-17. “To Perish Or To Have Eternal Life?” [Gospel for Sun 26 May 2024]

Posted on April 23, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

[A version of this was published in 2018 but republished here for new readers.]

The speaker at the small mission hall finished his sermon and asked those present (mainly homeless and alcoholics) to come to the front if they wanted to let Jesus come into their lives to change and heal them. One man, John, came forward in tears and kneeling gave his life to Jesus. The speaker was really chuffed that God had apparently used him to bring John to Christ. In his excitement he later asked him, “What part of my message was it that got through to you.”  He was duly humbled when John replied, “Wasn’t nuthin’ you said guvn’r. It was the text on the wall behind you”.

The speaker turned to see the text, John 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.” The word of God is powerful when it is preached (or read on a wall). God had used the text to invisibly touch John’s life and to open his heart to Jesus.

In many churches throughout the world there will be sermons based on readings from the Gospel of John during this year. Just a quick look at one such passage from John 3:1-17. Some points to consider:-

1).  Every Human Needs To Be “Born Again”

We see this in John 3:1-8. To be “born again” is needed in order to understand the gospel and to enter into the Kingdom of God.  That’s what happened to John in our story. He read the text on the wall. The Spirit of God made the words come alive to him. He was “born again” as he put his trust in Jesus.  Even Nicodemus as the teacher of Israel needed to be born again in spite of his great knowledge of the Old Testament scriptures. He wondered how it was possible to be born again. Did it mean another physical birth?

Jesus in reply described the two births. John 3:5  Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” That birth “of water” is common to all humans. However to get into the kingdom of God one has to be also born of the Spirit. Jesus compared the hidden nature of this new birth “of the Spirit” with the hidden nature of wind. One can’t see wind in operation but one can see and hear the effects it produces, John 3:8 “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” The birth of the Spirit is hidden from human eyes, but one can see the outward effect in the life of the person who has been born again.

Jesus challenged Nicodemus,  John 3:11 “Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.” Nicodemus had been unable to grasp what Jesus was saying about the wind and the new birth. Heavenly realities don’t come naturally to humans. However, Jesus as the Son of Man who had descended from heaven in His incarnation could reveal “heavenly things” to those who would receive His teaching.

2).           Jesus Came To Save 

God made provision for people to be saved.  Jesus came to save sinners. Joseph had been told by an angel about the child to be born to Mary, Matthew 1:21 “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”  How would it happen? Jesus Himself tells us, John 3:14 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15  that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” 

The lifting up would be the “lifting up” of Jesus on a cross. As the Israelites turned to look at God’s provision (the bronze serpent) to be saved (the story is in Numbers 21:5-9) so humans needed to look in faith to Jesus (God’s provision) as the crucified One, in order to be saved.

3).           God’s Gift. The Human Choice. Perish or life?

John 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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

The love of God was so great towards humans that He gave them a gift. The gift of His Son! A gift that was meant to be received! However it was possible for humans using their freewill to reject the gift.  But there were consequences if they did!  Here were the two choices God gave.

a).           To believe and to gain eternal life.  There are 43 references to the term “eternal life” in the New Testament. The apostle John records its use 23 times in his gospel and first epistle.  The verses showing that eternal life is gained by believing in Jesus are verses 15, 16 in this passage and also John 3:36, 5:24, 6:40, 6:47 and 1 John 5:13. [see Note 1 below].

The same truth is seen in what St Paul wrote in 1Timothy 1:16, “But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.”

b).          To not believe and to perish.   Perish? Perish the thought! But a little reminder might be helpful. God as the creator of the whole universe sets the rules for life on this world. We don’t. He does! He tells us about reality, as it really is in His sight.  From this passage we see that until people trust in Jesus they are “perishing”. Verse 18 states that until people trust in Jesus they are “condemned”, John 3:18 “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already… .” Why are they condemned already?  John finishes the verse saying, “because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

The God who “so loved” is the God who tells us in love that in His sight we are perishing and already condemned.  Would Jesus Himself actually say that people could perish? Yes, He would and He did, in these verses in Luke 13:3-5, “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.“ Some had been asking Jesus why some people had suffered in persecution and in a building disaster and others hadn’t. He used the opportunity to warn them that they had to get right with God in case disaster struck at any time! They could be prepared by getting right with God by repenting of their sin and trusting in Jesus as the One Whom He had sent to deal with sin.

 The human choice. They had a choice. To trust in Jesus and gain eternal life or to ignore or reject Him and perish.  What did God want them to do? Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

That’s what God wants people to do. To repent of their sin and to trust in Christ for salvation. What if they don’t do that? Perishing? Condemned already?  It doesn’t bear thinking about! Wait a minute! If that is the choice God offers to all of us, it DOES bear a LOT of thinking about. And ACTING on!

A PERSONAL NOTE

Almost 65 years ago I was faced with a choice as I read these words in the Bible. I could ignore them as most of my friends had done. I could rubbish them by saying that I had no intention of trusting in a God who would allow people to “perish”, whatever that meant.  I could hide my head in the sand and say I hadn’t seen these verses, so therefore I couldn’t be seen to be guilty of not acting on them.  OR I could take them seriously as coming from a God who really did love me (because He sent His Son to die for me). Not only that but who went to the trouble of telling me in His word that He didn’t want me to “perish.”

I chose life by choosing to trust in Jesus as the One Who died on the cross in my place. [see NOTE 2 for details of my personal testimony at the end of article 248.] Only later did I come to appreciate the graciousness of God in opening my eyes to understand these things as I turned to Him. Only then did I come to understand that though the words, “perish” and “condemned”  may seem to be a bit upsetting to some people, they are nothing compared with the reality behind the words.  I was glad, humbled and relieved I had made the right choice. The new birth gives rise to a whole new life lived in a living relationship with Him, who loves us and wants us to love Him in return.

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[NOTE 1.] Additional verses mentioning “eternal life”. 

John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

Jn 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”

Jn 6:40 “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

Jn 6:47 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.”

1 John 5:11 “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.”

[NOTE 2]. My personal testimony about being “born again” is to be found at the end of article No.248.

Blog No.548 posted on Tuesday 23 April 2024.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, 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, spiritual warfare, Temptations, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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