Life Project Blog

John 13:18-38

The scene continues from last time, it is the last supper in the upper room.  Jesus and His disciples are reclining at the table as Jesus continues his remarks after washing their feet. He has just said that if they follow the example that he set when he washed their feet, they would be blessed.  Now he modifies that by saying that one of them would not be blessed; He will send Judas on his way shortly…

Jesus is concerned that His coming betrayal and death not be understood as His mission being thwarted.  Instead he attempts to convey that everything is proceeding according to God’s amazing, if counter-intuitive plan.  In short, creating the community of believers, the church, was the whole point of Jesus’ ministry and not an accident or a “fall back” position.

The time for Jesus to leave subtle hints and illusions has passed; He tells them plainly that one of them will betray Him; they are shocked.  It would appear that Peter asked John to find out from Jesus who the traitor was and John’s question and Jesus’ answer was in a whisper.  He indicated Judas who was next to Him on the other side from John… (vv. 21-26)

Jesus gives the bread to Judas, who accepts it.  It is hard to imagine that Judas has not heard what has passed between John and Jesus… and he accepts the bread when he could have repented.  So completely did Satan win out in Judas’ life that John refers to it as satanic possession.  Judas leaves the room immediately; it would seem that nobody other than John understands what has happened, and John keeps quiet. John ends this with a chilling sentence: “And it was night.”  This has much more meaning than simply noting the time of day, for Jesus has spoken of the coming night before.  It was literally the beginning of the most beastly occurrence in human history, when Satan had stolen away a disciple of the Son of God to bring about the murder of the Son of God to silence the truth and darken the light once and for all.  Paul noted in 1 Cor. 2:8 that if the rulers of that time and place had understood what was going on, they would never have put Jesus on that cross!

Verses 31-32 are a little confusing for their use of “glorify” so many times in quick succession together with the indefinite pronoun “him” and it requires a little sorting out.  Here’s a paraphrase:  The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified (recall that Jesus has been using this term to describe his crucifixion all through John) So then, we would say, starting over: “The time has come for the Son to be crucified and God will be glorified in him (By completing His plan for redemption). If God is glorified in the Son by what He accomplished on the cross, then God will glorify the Son by the Son’s resurrection and ascension to glory (as King of kings and Lord of lords).  What comes next is inconvenient for certain end of the world theorists: “and will glorify him (the Son) at once”. That is to say not at a time which has still not come.

Jesus repeats here what He has previously told the Jews, that they cannot come where He is going, referring to the right hand of the Father in heaven.  This is a statement that establishes His authority, and is followed by a new commandment: Love one another.  As you might expect, the Greek word used here is agape which is a godly, unselfish love.  It is a commitment to serve and value one another with no expectation whatsoever of anything in return.  It is just what the unbelieving world will notice, for it is seldom if ever found amongst them.  By this sign all will recognize the difference between the Christian and everyone else. This is the most important lesson from today’s text: We must love one another.  Imagine what the reaction of the rest of the world would be if they saw this kind of powerful love at work in the lives of millions of Christians: Would you like to ‘change the world’?  Love one another!

Peter doesn’t seem to soak up the new commandment and wants to go with Jesus.  The exchange leads directly to Jesus’ prediction of Peter’s denial of Him. I guess there’s a little bit of Peter in all of us.

John 13:1-17

This is the beginning of the second section of John’s Gospel; there are no more scenes of Jesus teaching the crowds.  The pattern of chapters 2-12 where there is a miracle or sign followed by Jesus giving an explanation are replaced by Jesus explaining the greatest sign of all, His death, burial and resurrection before it happens.  These are called the “Farewell” or “Upper Room Discourses”. The scene opens just before the Passover meal on the night that Jesus would be betrayed.  Jesus demonstrates an act of humility that would normally be done by a slave; the washing of the feet of the dinner guests.

John uses these verses to set the scene by placing the time at the very beginning of the meal.  They had not yet begun to eat, Judas had already been prompted to go astray, and yet Jesus was confident in his destiny and had received all power from God.  It is particularly pointed that John mentions this fact: Jesus had received all power, had everything placed in his control and was about to return to God… when all of the sudden what did He do?

Jesus gets up from the table, takes off his clothes, grabs a towel and begins washing the feet of the disciples.  It is important to note that even though the NIV adds the word “outer” to garments, there is no such indication in the Greek.  Commentators rise to this and many describe Jesus as in his “undergarments”.  Undergarments for men were invented around the time of George Washington and were not widely worn until the late 19^th century; they did not exist in ancient times.  If Jesus had indeed removed an outer garment, then it would have been a cloak, comparable to a modern-day coat, and obviously this is not likely.  I do not join the NIV in protecting modern-day sensibilities here because it is vital that we get an accurate picture of exactly what was going on in order to get the full value of what Jesus is demonstrating in this act of humility, for it is in total and complete contradiction to what was stated in verse 3, and it actually becomes the whole point of this incident.  Jesus was not only washing the feet of men who weren’t qualified to carry his briefcase (so to speak) but he had utterly and totally humbled himself in the process!  (Can you imagine yourself doing this?) The NIV also states that He had a towel wrapped around him, while the KJV says he “girded” himself with the towel.  Was the towel providing a modesty covering, and at the same time being used to dry their feet after washing?

HOMEWORK:  Do an experiment at home.  Wrap a towel around yourself, as to cover up, get down on the floor and try to dry something also on the floor in front of you.  You will discover the answer. Once you have the answer, then remember that Jesus also washed the feet of the one whom he knew was about to betray him: Now you will understand what this scene means; you will also have some real insight into the metaphor of being naked before God.

Peter seems to have understood that he was not worthy to be treated in this way by Jesus who was so much greater than he.  Jesus’ reply to him is also understood… sort of.  Well, in that case, how about washing my hands and head too.  Peter believed Jesus when he told him that he must be “cleaned” by him, but he still didn’t quite grasp the metaphor that was playing out in that room.

Jesus’ comments in verses 10-11 refer to the fact that a person attending a dinner would bathe before leaving their house, so that when they arrived at the dinner, only their feet would have gotten dirty on the walk to the dinner venue; thus the custom of having your feet washed by a slave prior to reclining at table.  Remember that dinner tables were not like the ones we use today, and the “reclining” was literal.  The comment that not all were clean gives us a hint that Jesus is not really concerned about hygiene, for He knew what was afoot with Judas; His concern was that they be spiritually clean.

Jesus gets dressed and resumes His seat; then He explains what He has done.  He has set for them an example, a twofold example.  First, we as His servants must be willing to humble ourselves in His service.  Do we dare humble ourselves as He has done?  Second, our service must be to clean the filth of sin from one another, to help one another to obey all that He has commanded us, and to be willing to dirty our hands in the process.  We can never do this by glorifying ourselves; we can only accomplish this mission by humbling ourselves:  We are to follow His example.

John 12:20-35

We pick up the story after Jesus has entered Jerusalem; His “Triumphal Entry”.  The news of His having raised Lazarus has spread like wildfire through the region and people are flocking to Jesus like never before, some just to have a look and others in faith.  The reaction of the Pharisees in verse 19 is classic:  “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!” Yes, they must put a stop to this business, pronto!  Our text begins with some Greeks who are present for Passover who approach Phillip asking to meet with Jesus.  It would seem that they were not Greek speaking Jews, but Gentile Greeks.  Notice that they approach Phillip who goes to Andrew.  Phillip and Andrew are not only from Galilee like these Greeks, but they have Greek names, the only two amongst the disciples.  They are “Hellenized” Jews which is to say that they have adopted Greek culture while remaining Jews.  Thus, it is believed that they took Greek names and most likely are Greek in dress and hair style.

They approach Jesus with the request of a meeting and Jesus answers oddly by going straight to the subject of His impending death.  Using the example of a grain of wheat, Jesus will now teach those around him that life (eternal life) comes from death.  The use of the example of grain is designed to overcome the fact that this concept is entirely counter-intuitive to humans who have not seen the glories of Heaven.  The message is obvious in His case, now that we know the rest of the story, but the implication for us is quite serious:  Any of us who holds on to our lives in this world too selfishly will not inherit eternal life, for we will not follow Jesus at all.  This idea is seen in verse 26 where Jesus equates losing or “hating” this worldly life with serving Him and thus serving God.  Thus, we “lose” our life by serving God rather than serving ourselves.  I cannot over emphasize the importance of this idea, for this is the Christian life!

Verses27-28 reveal that Jesus was troubled by what He was about to face in going to the cross to die a horrible death.  Remember that He is both Divine and human and had the same instincts of survival that we all have.  How would you feel about things if you knew that you were soon going to be taken away for torture and death?  I would be on my way out of town! Jesus has a different response, for this is the very reason He has been brought to this point.  It is interesting that John tells us about this encounter that is begun with the arrival of the Greeks.  Maybe Jesus was tempted to go off with them and take His message to a whole different audience to avoid His date with the cross… In any case, He will not be swayed from His purpose, and God confirms His approval with a rare vocal endorsement.

The people heard the voice and stunned, await some clarification.  Jesus explains that the voice was for their benefit, so they would know that everything is going according to God’s plan.  Then, He demonstrates the point in three amazing ways:

First, the time has come for “judgment on this world”.  Since the Greek word rendered “judgment” is krisis, if we leave it un-translated, the statement would read “Now is the crisis of this world.” A crisis for this world would surely come when Jesus is murdered in front of everyone when all were aware of His total innocence.  This would expose the sin that has the entire world in its grip for all of its stinking rottenness. Second, it is the time when “the prince of this world will be driven out.”  Satan, who has the world in his pocket through their slavery to sin, will lose his grip on those who will follow Jesus, those who will be set free from bondage to sin.  Third, that Jesus will die by being “lifted up” gives His listeners the method by which all of this will be accomplished; He will die on a cross.  The result of this will be that all peoples who look to the cross in faith will see not merely a method of execution, but the means by which they can be saved from sin and death.

We reach a major turning point in John’s Gospel at this point.  The crowd has come to discuss national liberation from Rome, and Jesus is talking about death and redemption.  They object and refer to Daniel 7:14 which teaches that the Messiah will be with them forever.  Jesus doesn’t engage.  He does offer one last bit of advice: Darkness is about to descend, their only hope is to believe in Jesus (“trust in the light”) which will enable them to resist the oppressive spiritual darkness, for they will become “sons of light”.  With that, Jesus slips away.  The rest of the Gospel will describe Jesus’ answer to the question they have posed: “Who is this Son of Man?”

John 12:1-11

The scene for this text is set at six days before Passover when Jesus and his group reach Bethany.  This is also right after he has raised Lazarus from the tomb and Lazarus, Mary and Martha are in attendance at this dinner, a Sabbath dinner at the home of Simon who is a good mutual friend, as we discover from the Synoptics.  We can infer the close relationship between Simon and Lazarus, Mary and Martha from the fact that Martha is one of those serving the dinner, and it is interesting to note that the word used to describe her service in verse 2 is the word from which we get the English words “deacon” and “minister” meaning “servant” and is also used to describe Martha in Luke 10:40.

Mary suddenly begins an unusual foot treatment for Jesus by applying a large amount of nard to his feet. Nard is a highly-prized ointment imported from India that was prized by both men and women in the ancient world.  It had a sweet-woody odor that was very heavy and likely to fill the entire house.  The “pint” that she applied to Jesus’ feet would be worth something in the area of $20,000.00 today.  Mary held nothing back in using so much of the very expensive luxury on Jesus, even mopping up the excess with her hair, a gesture of pure humility in front of mixed company; in short this was a shocking scene, and yet it shows us that Mary was holding nothing back in her service to Jesus.  I daresay that there is a lesson in this for our time, for how many of us would pour $20,000.00 on Jesus’ feet?  It seems likely that Mary understood that Jesus would soon be taken from them, and she was not going to stand by His grave and wish she had told him how much she loved him.

Judas raises what seems to be a logical objection to all of this extravagance pointing out that the money could have been put to a better use; very reasonable indeed.  However John points out in the text that Judas may have had an ulterior motive for his objection as he has been known to embezzle their funds in his keeping.  Notice that John does not reveal how or when they became aware of this, but it does show us a glimpse of the character of the man who would shortly turn traitor.  One thing is clear; it wasn’t the poor that Judas was mourning for.

Jesus will have none of this criticism.  He points out that she had saved it for His funeral, and even though the funeral hadn’t come about, it would within the week, and Mary would prize her act even more on that day.  As for the poor, Jesus commented on that as well, although his comment has been misinterpreted by many since.  He was not giving justification of those who would ignore those in need, but rather that there are times when service to God trumps everything else; even good works.  How many Christians over the centuries have been so concerned with good social works that they have missed out on a closer relationship with the Lord!  He comes first in all things, even doing good deeds.

News of the raising of Lazarus and Jesus’ arrival in Bethany reached near-by Jerusalem very quickly and many came out to see both Jesus and Lazarus.  Of course amongst the curious were also their leaders who had different things in mind.  Their hatred of Jesus was all the greater for so many more were prepared to follow Him and to discontinue following their leaders.  From their point of view, this had to stop for their position was being severely threatened; Lazarus must go as well as Jesus. Thus, the stage is set for the final drama of Jesus’ last week and the most seminal event of all human history.

As this text comes to its close, there are two main threads to the story, and two sub-plots. The two main threads can be summed up as support for Jesus, and opposition to Jesus, and the sub-plots are holding back and murderous intent. On the side of support, we see the gathering crowds that have come to see Jesus and Lazarus, many of whom are ready to follow Jesus. On this side also is Mary, standing above all the rest, for Mary has given everything to Him, while the rest remain somewhat less committed, probably at various stages of comprehension as to what it really means to follow Jesus.

On the other hand, we have Judas, who for various reasons of his own doesn’t see the value in what Mary has done. He does have a valid point; that the Nard could have been sold and many good things done with the money, not to mention a few bucks in his own pocket; Judas doesn’t seem to quite comprehend what following Jesus really means. Then of course, we have the Pharisees and the other leaders of the people, who see that despite their efforts, the crowds keep growing larger, along with the threat to their positions; something must be done, and quickly.

If we take a step back from the narrative, we might also discern that not only is this is not only the climax of Jesus’ ministry, it is also where we approach the climax of our own lives. On the one hand, Mary has given her all to Jesus, and in doing so has essentially thrown down the gauntlet to all of us: Will we follow her lead? On the other hand, those who prize their worldly positions have also thrown down a gauntlet: Will we join with them in their quest to stop Jesus at all costs?

Like those in the room with Jesus that day, and those gathering outside, most of us are somewhere in between the two camps, and this is where I believe that God is leading us to a decision. Is God speaking to you in this text? If so, what are you going to do about it?

John 11:1-44

This is a famous story about the miracle that Jesus performs in raising Lazarus from the tomb, but it is much more than that.  Jesus will reveal much about His own death and the hope that we will have as a result.  It probably begins in Perea where Jesus went after the last attempt to stone him, and opens with the news that His dear friend Lazarus was near death.  Jesus’ reaction seems surprising, since one might expect Him to rush off to help, but He delays instead…

Jesus announces to His disciples that it’s time to get on to Judea.  Assuming that He means to return to the temple to resume his teaching, the disciples voice the concern that His safety would be in question.  Jesus uses the metaphor of day and night to tell them that it is still safe for Him to go, but the implication is that the time is short.  Then He tells them that they will be going to see about their friend Lazarus and corrects the misunderstanding about him being “asleep” for Lazarus is dead.  Good old Thomas is optimistic as always…

Verses 17-22 set the stage for the miracle:  Lazarus has been in the tomb four days, Martha comes out to meet Jesus on His way, and there were many people in town who had come because of the death and funeral who would be witnesses for what would happen.  Martha, upon meeting Jesus both scolds and demonstrates great faith.  Whether or not her faith extended to raising her brother from the grave is a matter of interpretation, but she was certainly disappointed that He hadn’t intervened in the illness, which is a thought many of us have had at one time or another…

Clearly Martha’s understanding of Jesus’ assurance in v. 23 was along the lines of “funeral words” that are often spoken to give comfort to the grieving, but Jesus was talking about something else.  He delivers a stunner, an “I Am” statement, double-barreled at that: “I am the resurrection and the life” (v. 25) meaning that Jesus is a living resurrection.  Martha’s reaction is just what Jesus was looking for; she shows that she has believed His promise of eternal life; little does she know that she was about to see it demonstrated with power.

Martha runs back to town to get Mary, who had departed so suddenly that the visitors follow to see what’s up.  When she reaches Jesus, her greeting is the same that Martha’s had been.  This time Jesus simply asks her where Lazarus was buried, and then He wept.  The reaction of the onlookers is interesting, with some noting how much He loved Lazarus and others grumbling as usual.

Arriving at the tomb, Jesus orders the stone removed.  There is an objection: Lazarus has been in the tomb four days and will stink; Jesus reminds all of them that he had made promises about eternal life.  The stone is removed and Jesus thanks the Father in a way that demonstrates where the glory for the miracle belongs and also shows why this was all being done: So that they might believe. Lazarus is summoned, comes out and Jesus directs the burial wrappings be removed so the man can go free; free from the grave just as all who believe will be set free from the grave.

The fact that Lazarus had been dead four days is a demonstration of God’s power and a way of authenticating the miracle.  He was not sleeping, nor was he in a coma; he was dead.  There is no earthly way to rejuvenate someone who has been dead four days; not then, not now: Lazarus was a dead man and Jesus called him forth from his grave… and he came forth… and so shall we!

John 10:22-42

This passage is a continuation of the discussion regarding who the Jews’ father was. In that passage (9:13-34) the discussion was about the opponents of Jesus and their “father”, while today’s passage sets out very clearly whose Son Jesus is.  It has often struck me as interesting that over the centuries people who deny the Lordship of Christ will often claim that He neither claimed to be God or the Son of God.  In fact, there are groups who call themselves Christian who are confused on this point today.  Here, Jesus is clear and precise about exactly who He is. Please note that while the discourse of the text follows 10:1-21, the occasion has shifted to the Feast of Dedication which is now known to us as Hanukkah, a celebration of the driving out from Judea of the Syrian Greeks.  It celebrates the rededication of the Temple after it had been refurbished after that occupation, a nationalistic celebration of the (former) glory of the nation…

John sets the scene and then the dialogue begins; are you the Christ?  Jesus responds by indicating that He has identified Himself by His miracles, but they have refused to believe because they are not His sheep, going back to the analogy from the previous text.  Since they are not His sheep, they do not believe what He says even though He has confirmed His sayings to them.  Those who are His followers (sheep) hear His voice and believe.  While many have taken this to mean all kinds of things doctrinally speaking, what is very clear is that when a person decides to follow Jesus, understandings clear up considerably.

Jesus amplifies what He said in verse 10, that His sheep would have “abundant life”, to add that they will have “eternal life”.  Eternal life would appear here to have two characteristics:  First that they cannot be destroyed, i.e. that they will live forever.  Second, they cannot be stolen away from the Father’s hand, which is to say that no one, human or otherwise can steal eternal life from you.  In verse 30, Jesus makes a statement that is theologically so significant that it cannot be overstated.  “I and the Father are one.”  This is a type of “I am” statement, only here it is “We are”.  In doing this, Jesus is alluding to the name of God: I AM. By placing Himself into this title, he has added a new dimension to the Shema of Deut.  6:4, “Hear O Israel: The Lord our God. The Lord is one.”  This is the monotheistic foundation of their faith and Jesus has just included Himself into it monotheistically.  He is not doing this in a mystical way of somehow having achieved divinity, but as a foundational premise reminiscent of John 1:1. While doing this, He continues to maintain a distinction between the two; He did not say “I am the Father”.

Quite naturally, they want to kill Him at this point.

This time, Jesus doesn’t slip away; He asks them to justify their desire to kill Him.  His opponents tell Him they are not doing it because they deny His miracles, but because He has committed blasphemy in claiming to be God.  Isn’t it odd that so many “scholars” think He never made that claim?  According to the Law, these opponents had a point (Lev. 24:16), however they overlooked the possibility that He might be telling the truth. Then He added this:

Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”’? If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father.  But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.

John 10:34-39

OK, let’s be honest: This is a difficult passage. Jesus’ quotation of Psalm 82:6, “I have said you are gods” can make you crazy if you aren’t careful, and much has been written and argued about it.  I prefer to take a simpler look at it… Consider the fact that it is a parenthetical side comment that is not expounded on because it isn’t the main part of the argument Jesus is making.  The structure of the argument made in vv. 34-38 points to a conclusion that looks like this:

1. In the context of Psalm 82, the term “gods” is not a term denoting divinity, but humans were referred to as “sons of the Most High” (Psalm 82:6b).
2. These “mere men” received the Word of God, yet they died as mere men.
3. Scripture (the Word of God they received) cannot be broken (thwarted).
4. I have been sent to you as the Living Word by God.
5. I am God’s Son
6. My true identity has been proven by the miracles I have performed

Therefore:

1. You can only deny me by denying the truth of Scripture
2. You should pay me greater honor than anyone in your history before.
3. You must believe the miracles you have seen
4. I am the Son of God (Messiah)

Well dear reader, I guess that about sums up the foundational premise of all Christian Theology.

John 10:1-21

This passage is figurative. (John 10:6) There are 8 components of the extended metaphor in this section: The shepherd is the caretaker and owner of the sheep. The sheep (flock) are the animals that the shepherd loves and cares for.  The thief is the one who tries to steal the sheep away from their rightful owner, the watchman is the one who opens the gate only for the shepherd, the hired hand watches the sheep, but lacks the dedication of the shepherd.  The wolf is a predator that terrorizes kills and scatters the flock, and the sheep pen is the protective enclosure in which the flock is kept for safety during the night.

He begins in 1-6 with the thief; the thief enters the pen by any manner other than through the gate.  He sneaks in by some form of subterfuge for the express purpose of stealing the sheep away from the flock. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd, who is recognized by the watchman as the legitimate shepherd.  In addition, he is also recognized by the sheep who love and trust him.  He calls them by name (has a deep relationship with them) and they will follow him where ever he goes.  They will not follow anyone who is not the shepherd, because they are strangers to the sheep; they only follow the shepherd.

Jesus begins to make His point beginning at verse 7.  Jesus Himself is the gate; no one enters the flock except through Him.  If they enter the pen through Jesus, they will be saved and have life to the full.  The thief on the other hand, enters the pen by a means other than Jesus; his motive is to steal, kill and destroy: The sheep do not follow such a person.

Jesus is not only the gate, but He is the Good Shepherd.  He is the “good” shepherd because when all others run away, He will lay down His life for the salvation of the sheep. His caring is so great for His sheep that He will die for them.

In this final section, vv. 14-18, Jesus sets out the theology of His coming sacrifice on the cross.  He will willingly lay down His life for His flock.  No one will take it from Him, for His act is voluntary.  It is authorized and ordained by His Father in Heaven, for it will result in the redemption of all mankind.  This act will not only seal the salvation of His sheep, but redeem mankind back to fellowship with God, something that has been absent from creation ever since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden.  This will also highlight the separation of those within the flock, and those without the flock; nothing will ever be the same again.

We find the reaction of the people in 10:19-21; the reaction of the crowd is typical. His opponents, unable to refute what He has said seek to marginalize Him with ridicule. Once again they claim He must be demon-possessed and ask “Why listen to him?”  What else can they do if they insist on opposing Him?  The others (v. 21) say exactly the words that their leaders fear, pointing out that Jesus is not saying things a demon-possessed person would say, and then dropping their trump card: “Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” There is nothing that the opponents of Christ can say to that. These people who believe Jesus have had their eyes opened; now they can really see… and Jesus isn’t quite finished, as we will see next time.