Tag: John 1

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Slow Down and Look

 “And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

John 1:34

Do you know Jesus? That sounds like a question someone who just knocked on your door might ask as they try to evangelize you. I don’t mean it like that. What I mean is, “Who is the Jesus you know? What’s He like? When I was a little boy I thought I knew Him. But the Jesus I knew then is different than the Jesus I know now. No, not that He has changed, but I have. I have learned to intentionally spend time with Him to get to know who Him better. As a little boy, I saw Jesus as someone far off, a God, definitely the one in whom I was to look for salvation. But he wasn’t the close, personal, friend he is now. I think that’s why I love the season of lent so much. During Lent, I take the time to get to know Jesus better.

You must spend time with someone to get to know them personally. Lent is a season for spending extra time with Jesus through fasting, prayer, and meditating on His Word. The busyness of life will keep us from getting to know Him if we aren’t intentional about it. Our lives are so busy. We fill them up with everything but Jesus, it seems. Then, if we have time, we spend a minute or two reading scripture and say a quick prayer. We don’t mean to leave Jesus out, but it just happens. Nobody wants to admit that we live as such – but we do.

So, as we begin this season of Lent let’s listen to the words of John the Baptist as he gave testimony of knowing Jesus. In the beginning of his words he said he didn’t really know him (Jn 1:30). But having been called, he obeyed and did the work God called him to do –  baptize. It was in his obedience to do as God had called him that John came to know Jesus. He knew that if he was obedient to do as God had called him, that eventually Jesus would be revealed (Jn 1:31) In verse 34, John was able to give testimony of Jesus. Seeing him coming to the river, he knew it was Him, the long expected one.

Have you seen Him? Do you have a testimony of personally knowing Him. Oh, I know John the Baptist saw him in a physical way and being there at his baptism, seeing the dove descend upon him, and hearing the voice of God it was hard to miss; it was a miraculous event. While we can’t see him today physically, we still can see Him. We see him in our spirit, as He is revealed when we study and meditate upon His Word. We can see him in the church as we worship Him and feel his presence through the gift of the Holy Spirit. And most importantly we can see him in the faces of others in whom He shines through. But it only happens, if we’re looking for him.

This Lent, will you slow down and look for Jesus? He’s all around you. As the prophet Jeremiah said for the Lord, “When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, 14 I will let you find me, says the Lord” (Jer. 29:13,14a)

My daily Lenten prayer – “Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and sustain in me a willing spirit. ” NRSV

Shalom,

Pastor Brad

 

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What Are You Looking For?

Day 29 – What Are You Looking For?

A Countdown to Listening to Jesus in the Land of the Bible

When Jesus turned and saw them following, he asked, “What are you looking for?” They said, “Rabbi (which is translated Teacher), where are you staying?” He replied, “Come and see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.

John 1:38

 

come-and-seeIn John’s gospel, the first recorded words of Jesus are in the form of a question to two men who are following Him. We know the two men were Andrew and Simon Peter, brothers who became the first of the twelve to follow Jesus. Knowing the two were following, Jesus turned to them and asked, “What are you looking for?”. What a great question.

As pilgrims on a journey, do we know what we’re looking for? If we don’t then we aren’t really pilgrims, we’re just nomads. Nomads wander around with no particular destination in mind, no purpose that compels them towards something. But, disciples are followers. As disciples of Jesus we want to follow him wherever He goes. That’s what Andrew and Simon wanted.

Andrew saw Jesus first and went and found his brother Simon to tell him he’d found the Christ. Wow! Who wouldn’t follow the coming King of prophecy? The One all Israel anxiously awaited? Apparently, many didn’t follow Jesus that first day. Scripture doesn’t record a great multitude observed him and then followed along with Andrew and Simon. In fact, the great crowds didn’t begin following until they saw him work miracles.

How about you? Why do you follow Jesus? Is it because like Andrew, you know you’ve found the Messiah? Or, is it because that’s just what church going people do? In 29 days, we will begin a pilgrimage to follow Jesus. We will literally retrace His steps and walk where He walked. Not just because it’s a fun and exciting thing to do, like the crowds who wanted to see miracles. Rather, we follow because we want to see Jesus. Like the Greeks who found Philip and said, “Sir, we want to see Jesus?” (John 12:21)

In response to the request that the Greeks wanted to see Him, Jesus replied, “If anyone serves me, he must follow me” (John 12:26). We follow Jesus Christ the Risen Lamb, the Savior of the World. As such, we must also serve Him. As we follow Jesus to the land of His birth, ministry, death, and resurrection, we follow as servants who desire to better learn how to serve Him in this world.

As we countdown the days to our pilgrimage let’s be sure we can answer Jesus’ question – “What are you looking for?” Then, let us hear Jesus calling to us as He did to Andrew and Simon… “Come and see”

Day 29 has begun…

Shalom,

Pastor Brad

image credit: http://www.giveliveexplore.com/2012/10/05/the-art-of-the-pilgrimage/

https://wn.com/andrew_simon_feldman

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Raised from the Ashes: Holy Week – Thursday

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

John 1:5

Read John 1:1-13

Holy Week By Pastor Brad msc-1

A Night of Shadows

(From my Tenebrae Service Homily)

As we gather tonight in the shadows, we hear the words of scripture and we let our hearts and minds meditate on what it might have been like for Jesus and his disciples that Maundy Thursday night so, long ago. Everything they believed in and had spent three years learning to build, seemed destroyed in a matter of moments.

Of course we know it was not destroyed. Rather, it was changing…changing from an earthly, regional ministry of proclaiming the gospel, (which itself had to give way to death, in order to be raised up) into a life transforming ministry that would sweep the world for all of time to come. That change was only three days away, but must have seemed like forever as they scattered into the shadows in fear.

But, that night, the night on which Jesus was betrayed and arrested, there was only shadows…shadows of betrayal, agony, accusation, and death.

Tonight as we remember, let us contemplate the shadows that may be looming over our own lives. Perhaps some of you tonight have been living in the shadows. The shadows may be many; pain, disappointment, fear, broken relationships, perhaps even the shadow of death. Tonight, let us remember that no shadow can exist for long in the light of Christ’s presence.

It only seems as if the shadows have overcome us, but in John 1 we are reminded that, “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcomea it.” (John 1:4-5)

John goes on to speak about our fellowship with this great light in his first epistle. He says it is the message he heard from Jesus himself, and he is now declaring it to those who read his letter, and he declares it to us tonight.

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John: 5-7)

We Must Choose to See the Light

John tells us we have a choice tonight. We can choose to walk in the darkness that inevitably falls upon us in this fallen world…or, we can choose to see a light that pierces the darkness. By faith we can claim the light of Christ and know that that light will shine in ever increasing measure in our lives as it dispels all darkness, until one day, one day we find ourselves in the light of his everlasting glory for all eternity. But, until that day comes, the choice is ours.

Tonight let us choose Light, even though we shall leave this room in a little while in darkness. And, just as the darkness didn’t last forever in the lives of the disciples, so too it will not last forever in our lives. We must choose to look for the light. I assure you…it is there. It is here.

There is however, one shadow in which we must forever stand. We stand in it because it’s shadow covers the known world, it’s inescapable. It’s the shadow of the Cross of Jesus Christ. God has shone his glorious uncreated light down upon the cross that all would see it and have hope.

It is in that shadow, the shadow of Calvary we come tonight in this service to bring all our others shadows, all our darkness and despair, all our sin and shame, and we sacrifice them to His Cross.

And, it is in that shadow that the blood of Calvary still flows, and the tide of that flow will raise us from the ashes.

Grace & Peace for a Holy Week,

Pastor Brad

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Matthew 5:6