The Promise of the Father

Jesus' disciples were witnesses of God's great redemptive work--Jesus' life, death and resurrection. When Jesus appears to them after His resurrection, He takes time to instruct them about how Moses and the Prophets all spoke of Him (see Luke 24:27, 44-49). Yet, the disciples needed more than knowledge in order to fulfill Christ's command to "make disciples" (Matthew 28:18-20)--they needed the promise of the Father:

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:4-5).

The disciples needed the power that only the Holy Spirit could provided. The Spirit is the One who would enable the disciples to be witnesses--heralds of the good news of Jesus. Apart from the work of the Spirit, the disciples ministry would have been ineffective. And the same is true for us. We must not rely on our own knowledge, abilities or strength as we seek to bring the good news to others. We need the power that only the Spirit supplies.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8).

The Origin of Love

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him (1 John 4:7-9, ESV).

According to John, love originates from God. Without God, love would not exist in the world because "love is from God." Furthermore, John says that "God is love." While God is more than love--He is also holy, just, merciful, etc.--He is certainly not less than love. And the greatest news about God's love is the fact that His love has been made known to us through His only Son. In his Gospel, John put it this way:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16, ESV)

In order for us to know the love of God, we must know Jesus: "All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (Luke 10:22, ESV).

So, do you know the love of God that has been manifest in Jesus?

On His Terms, Not Ours

Have you ever noticed that when Jesus comes into a conversation, hardly anyone wants to say anything negative about Him? When was the last time that you’ve heard someone say something like “Yeah, I hate Jesus.” I do not doubt that there are some people who may feel this way, but in general, most people want to at least talk about Jesus in a positive light. Yet, in order to speak positively about Jesus, people often mold Jesus into an image that is more palatable. Some try to paint a picture in which Jesus emerges as nothing more than a highly-skilled teacher—a good, moral guide. Others describe Him as a wandering poet or a would-be political revolutionary figure. Yet, a very different Jesus is found in the gospel accounts.

In Luke 5:17-26 a story is recounted of a paralyzed man who is brought by his friends to see Jesus. According to Luke, Jesus responds like this:

When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven" (v.20, NIV)

Jesus' statement quickly puts the religious leaders on edge. They found Jesus’ words to be scandalous:

"Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (v.21, NIV)

The religious leaders realized exactly what Jesus' words implied: By claiming to be able to forgive sins, Jesus thereby claimed to be God! Jesus certainly saw Himself as much more than a great teacher, and He wanted others to see that He was more than a man: He was the God-Man...fully God and fully Man! (What a great and glorious mystery!) Luke tells us that Jesus responds to the religious leaders with a few questions of his own:

"Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?” (vs.22,23, NIV)

Yet, Jesus doesn't just speak bold words to them. He follows His words with a confirming action:

"But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." He said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God (vs.24,25, NIV).

As much as people may want to speak nicely about Jesus as a good teacher or some other image, we must each be willing to take Him on His terms, not ours. Maybe if we see Him as He truly is, then we will be able to respond to Him as we should: with awe and wonder.

Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, "We have seen remarkable things today (v.26, NIV)

From Unclean to Clean

While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him. Then Jesus ordered him, "Don't tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them" (Luke 5:12-14, NIV).

Leviticus 13 gives a detailed account of what the priest had to do in order to determine if a person had infectious skin disease. Once it was determined that a person had such a disease, that person became "unclean" and was then an outcast from the community:

The person with such an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, 'Unclean! Unclean!' As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp (v.45,46, NIV).

In his gospel account Luke records Jesus' interaction with a man with leprosy. Upon seeing Jesus, the man cries out for Him to make him clean. In response to the man's plea, Jesus does something quite surprising: "he reached out his hand and touched the man." Luke then tells us that the leprosy immediately left the man.

I believe that it is safe to say that the once-leprous-man was never the same after encountering Jesus. In an instant, this man went from being unclean to being clean, from being an outcast to being a welcomed friend, from living alone to living in community. (I can only imagine how sweet his reunion was with family and friends!). This was truly an amazing encounter that resulted in an incredible transformation.

As I read of Jesus' encounter with this man I cannot help but to think of how Jesus has transformed my life. Though I have never been leprous, I was born unclean. Though I have never felt the touch of Jesus' hand or heard the sound of his voice, I have certainly encountered Him. And for all of us who have met Jesus--by faith--I am sure that we can all testify that our lives have never been the same. At one time we were alienated from the Father but now we have been made sons and daughters. We were once dead in sin, but we are now alive in Christ. Or to use the words of the a hymn writer, "I once was lost but now I am found, was blind but now I see."

Jesus, Israel and the Wilderness

While reading Scripture do you ever have moments where you think "why in the world haven't I seen that before?" I had one of those "aha" moments while reading Luke 4. In case you don't remember, in chapter 4 Luke writes about Jesus' forty days of temptation in the wilderness:

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry (v.1,2, NIV).

Although I've read this passage of Scripture many times before, I never noticed the connection between Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness and Isreal's 40 years in the desert. (Take note of the particular temptations that Luke records.) Israel certainly struggled to follow the LORD faithfully during their time in the wilderness. Israel continually sinned against the LORD. The author of Hebrews writes:

Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief (v.16-19, NIV).

Yet, unlike Israel (and us!), Jesus obeyed the His Father perfectly. He met every temptation with a faith-filled response. Where Israel failed, Jesus prevailed! Let us praise and worship the Father for sending His Son--our perfect high priest:

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:15,16, NIV).

"He is not here, but has risen."

Luke 24: 1-12 - But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 8 And they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

Water in the Wilderness, Rivers in the Desert

"Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The wild beasts will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise." -Isaiah 43:19-21

God redeems His people and refreshes them as they return from exile. He calls them to take notice of His great acts and guides them to a new place. He raises them from death and breaths new life into them. The prophet Isaiah declares that God will do a mighty work for Israel as He brings them from the hands of the Babylonians (vs.6,14). He will once again set the captives free so that they will sing his praise. Truly, God did this for Israel. His words are true and faithful. Yet, the greatest exile and redemption has come in the person and work of Jesus.

"And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.' And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, 'Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing'" (Luke 4:16-21).

As God's chosen people, let us daily look to Christ our Redeemer. May we respond to Him with songs of praise and adoration and lives that bear witness to the grace that has been given to us. For we have been united with Christ in His death and raised with to life with Him and seated with Him in the heavenly places. Therefore, we must also consider ourselves "dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus" (Romans 6:11). So, let us go forth today and live for the honor and glory of God our Father. Let us remember the Son Jesus Christ. Let us be guided by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.