Devotional

Last time we met we saw how Jesus knows us full well, today we get to listen in on a conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus. 

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 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. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 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.”

9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 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. 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.

We have two players involved, Jesus…. Son of God and Nicodemus, Pharisee, ruler of the Jews.  The scene plays out at night. 

Nicodemus comes to Jesus with a statement.  You do signs, signs come from God, ergo you are a teacher from God. 

It seems to me an odd response by Jesus: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  Odd or not though, Nicodemus immediately responded to it by asking how a man can be born twice?   It’s not like he can crawl into his momma’s belly again.

Jesus then went on to make it clear that he is talking about spiritual birth, not physical.  “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 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. “

Do you see that Jesus doesn’t want Nicodemus to be fretting over what he doesn’t completely understand. He wants him to just understand that true faith is born of the Spirit not of blood line. 

Nicodemus doesn’t get it though.   “How can these things be?”

Jesus ends up challenging him (at least that’s how it read to me).   Nicodemus is a leader among the Jews.  Nicodemus is also a teacher.  As a teacher he doesn’t really understand this???

Jesus tells him that “we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen”.  But Nicodemus you do not receive our testimony.  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?  No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

Do you see how Jesus points him to an act of faith from the Old Testament? This would be an event that as a teacher Nicodemus would know well.  It wasn’t the bronze snake that healed people…it was the looking to it (that act of faith) that healed them.  If Nicodemus doesn’t understand this, how will he understand heavenly matters?   How will he understand when the Son of Man is lifted up.  Those who believe will have eternal life. 

 I get much of this story   Nicodemus has questions, Jesus steers him to what is most important, Nicodemus doesn’t get it, Jesus challenges him to think beyond the physical, to see the spiritual.  We aren’t told here if he ever really gets it. I have to admit…  I am just not sure I totally get all the connections. 

I need to do what I told my lad today… I need to think about what I can take away from this passage, even if I don’t understand it all. We need to come to his word seeking for truth that we can take away and become more of the people he wants us to be.  How do I find Jesus in this passage?  What truth can I take away today?  

To enter the kingdom of God is an action of faith.  Faith is believing in what we can’t see.  So even if we don’t see something we know it to be true.  Like believing that the bronze serpent would bring healing by looking at it, we know it wasn’t the snake doing the healing… it was God doing the healing by their faith in his redeeming action.  Faith matters you know?   It matters to look beyond what makes sense physically. To look beyond it and see where God is in the picture.    I need to always look for where I can find God.  

 

Today in John 2:23-25 we have a short selection on Jesus knows what is in a man.  Yesterday we talked about how the more we know, the more clarity we have. 

23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

Interesting lines aren’t they?

We know that Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Passover Feast.  

What is the Passover Feast?

The Passover is a seven day celebration of freedom when God brought the Israelites out of Egypt.  It is a time of celebration and remembrance.  There are a number of symbolic foods eaten.  People talk, remember and party remembering all that the Lord has done.   If you want to know more Tori Avey has an interesting article.

Anyways, Jesus is there for the Passover, where people are starting to believe in him because they saw the signs that he was doing.   We don’t know the signs as John doesn’t talk about them.  But he’s doing them and people are paying attention to him. 

We get this line though : But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people.

That line makes me think eh?

Jesus knew all people, ergo he did not entrust him to them.  He didn’t need anyone to tell him what people were like (no one to bear witness about man) because he already knew what man was like, (for he himself knew what was in man).

Reminds me of the conversation I had with a fellow this weekend.  How I try to spell out everything I can for people with my rabbits because “I have to assume they are stupid”.  He queried why…so I told him the number of rabbits I’ve rescued over the years that were kept in really small cages, were only fed celery or carrots or JUST hay, nails never trimmed, picked up by the ears, broken limbs left unattended and so forth.    People not using their brains to research proper care for the animals under their care.   I’d rather assume they were stupid than to think they were deliberately being cruel (though I know some people are).   No one needs to tell me that people and animals are sometimes a really hard mix. I am also very much aware that stupid is in the lowest denominator.  Most people will listen and learn and do the very best they can.  Those are the people I am to get a bunny into the hands of. I don’t always know who is who so I need to talk to people, give them a care sheet, and encourage knowledge.

I can’t say that I know people as well as Jesus did because I don’t, that would be impossible!   He’s God, I’m just little ‘ole me.. I’ve needed years of experience to understand bunny people, Jesus knew simply by being who he is.  Similarly to how I have to prepare for bunny people, Jesus knew not to entrust himself to the people around him.   He knew them and what they were capable of doing, therefore he didn’t entrust him to them.   He didn’t allow them to change who he was. 

All this has me wondering.   What all can I take from this?

How do these lines affect me personally?

Jesus knows me.   He knows my expectations, my dreams, my beingness if you will.  He knows the plans I have and the thoughts I have concerning him.  He doesn’t holler at me and try to change me.   He doesn’t let my expectations change who he is, but he does, through the Holy Spirit, help me to change my expectations and thoughts concerning him.  You see it right?   You see how Jesus doesn’t let the expectations of people change who he is.  He is who he is. The Son of God, the Son of Man, the Word become flesh, God, Creator, the one who holds our beingness in his hands.  He doesn’t change.  He helps us to become the people that we need to be.  You remember yesterday when the disciples heard what Jesus said…how it deepened their faith?   That’s what he does with us.  He teaches us, our faith deepens, his glory is expounded upon the world.   Good that eh?

 

Last time we met we saw Jesus at the Cana wedding, today we find him at the temple in John 2:13-22.

¹³ The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. ¹⁵ And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. ¹⁶ And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.”¹⁷ His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

¹⁸ So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” ¹⁹ Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” ²⁰ The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple,and will you raise it up in three days?” ²¹ But he was speaking about the temple of his body. ²² When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

In many ways I understand what Jesus did here, you know?   

Imagine if you went to place and you knew what it was supposed to be, and then found out it was being used in a way that was so far from what it was supposed to be.   Wouldn’t that hurt your heart and therefore make you angry?  

It’s like the sorrow I felt when a church I knew in Kitchener was turned into a mosque.   And I know a building is just a building, but when it’s been used as a place of worship and now it’s a place where people don’t learn to truly love the Lord… it hurts my heart. 

I can picture him coming in, prepared to worship God with his disciples.  To teach as well.  Jesus arrives and he’s greeted by a bedlam of sales and trades and critters messing up the place.  God’s house, used by people, in a manner that it was SO not intended.  The priests and Levites should not have allowed God’s house to be used is such a manner. 

Jesus took that hurt though and did something about it.  He did it without hurting anyone.  But he made his point clear.  THIS IS GOD’S HOUSE!   Treat it like such!  

He made a whip of cords and drove the animals out.  The people would have run as well.  The tables and coins he spilled over, and told the pigeon sellers to GET OUT!   God’s house should not be used as a house of trade.

This made an impression upon the disciples eh?   For we read: His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.   

The Jews demanded to know what right Jesus had to do this when they asked “What sign do you show us for doing these things?”  

Jesus’ response was that he would show them his authority when he rose from the dead.  The Jews didn’t understand what he meant, not knowing he was talking about his own body, they just saw the immediacy of the temple in front of them.   But his disciples remembered it.  When Jesus rose from the dead the disciples believed it and all the words Jesus had spoken.

You can see the pieces starting to fit together eh?   Jesus speaks, the disciples remember and then it all clicks into place. Clarity is given.

It’s like when I read the bible, knowing certain things, and then reading other parts and then suddenly a deep clarity comes and I believe the Lord and his word all the more. 

 

Do you ever have that?   Having a deepened understanding come when you see more of God and his actions and his heart?   It’s just an amazing thing to have your faith deepened. 

Philip and Nathanael became the next disciples of Jesus the last time we met.  Today we’ll see how Jesus handled a wedding at Cana.  John 2:1-12. 

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
12 After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.

Jesus’ Humanity

One of the things this passage brings home to me is this: Jesus was a regular sort.  Just like you and I, he had a life.  He got invited to weddings, had a mom telling him what to do, and people to keep happy.  Just a regular sort of a fellow. Jesus and his disciples hanging out a wedding is how this passage starts. 

Then mom happened.  Can you see the scene?  The wine has run out, Mary obviously knows that Jesus is capable of handling this problem. She won’t want her friends disgraced for not having enough wine to last the night so she tells Jesus about it. “They have no wine.” 

Jesus begs off telling her “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”  Just makes him seem so human eh?   But do you see it?  Mary has full confidence in the fact that he will handle it.  Does she know HOW he will handle it?   No, though she tells the servants “Do whatever he tells you.”  That confidence  eh?   I’ve done similar things with my lad.  Telling him of a task that needs doing and just trusting that he’ll see it through, not always knowing, or caring, how he’ll complete the task.  Knowing that he’ll do it.   This is how Mary was with Jesus.  Handle this problem son, they are running out of wine.

Jesus’ Divinity

BUT it also shows that he is something MORE than human, did you read how Jesus solved the problem?  Water and the willingness of servants to obey him. Sometimes I wonder what the servants thought…knowing they were bringing water to the master of the feast.  I wonder if they expected to be corrected or if the water changed to wine when they poured it into cups and then were walking to the master of the feast with hearts and minds filled with amazement.   We can’t know can we?  

Just the scene though eh?  The smell of good wine, the master of the feast’s amazement at the quality so much so that he calls the bridegroom to himself commending him for such lovely wine. 

Do you see it?  Do you see Jesus’ humanity and yet his divinity?   I can’t make water become wine…and I’ve seen my hubby make wine but it always starts with some type of fruit or juice, never just plain water. Only God could do this.  This was the first of the signs that Jesus did.  His disciples saw him do it and they believed.  This sign showed his glory.   Makes sense that last eh?  Remember…the servants knew what he had done, his mom knew and so did his disciples.  This miraculous event would have been remembered well. 

After the wedding Jesus, his mom and family along with the disciples stayed in Capernaum a few days. 

 

Do you remember yesterday we learned about the first disciples of Jesus?   Today we’ll learn about some new disciples in John 1:43-51.

⁴³ The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” ⁴⁴ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. ⁴⁵ Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” ⁴⁶ Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” ⁴⁷ Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” ⁴⁸ Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” ⁴⁹ Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” ⁵⁰ Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” ⁵¹ And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

We know that Andrew and Simon Peter are disciples of Jesus.  Now Jesus is on his way to Galilee and finds Philip.  Do you note that it doesn’t say he went looking for him, or accidentally met him along the way, he FOUND Philip.   He said “follow me” and Philip did.  Then Philip found Nathanael and told him the news “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph“.   Nathanael, being a typical Jewish man (I’m assuming Jewish though I’m not specifically told here), asked if anything good could come out of Nazareth.  This article points out some reasons why Nazareth had negatives overtones to it. 

Philip’s only response to him was “come and see”. 

Ah look.. Nathanael is Jewish… Jesus calls him “an Israelite in whom there is no deceit”.  CAn you imagine it?  Imagine if Christ greeted you saying “Look, it’s Annette… a Canadian in whom there is no deceit”.  I would be FLABBERGASTED!   Seriously.   It’s not like Nathanael had met Jesus before this, and before Nathanael had even been introduced to Jesus, Jesus called that greeting out.   It’s no small wonder that Nathanael asked how Jesus could know that detail…and note… Nathanael didn’t deny what Jesus said. No false modesty, no blushing, just how did you know?

Now catch this remarkable thing….Jesus knew who Nathanael was because he saw him under a fig tree.   Can you picture the shock?  Knowing this, Nathanael’s faith blossomed.  To me it seems like he blurted out “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”  For someone to know that much about you without being there?   A mind blowing experience for Nathanael.  

Jesus makes him a promise that he will see far greater things than this.  Nathanael will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.   Quite the promise eh?  I wonder what that meant for him?

Have you noticed two things?

In our last reading Andrew brought the next disciple to Jesus.   In this passage, Philip brought the next disciple to Jesus.  Two men, convinced of who Jesus was, and they both brought someone to the Lord.  I see that truth and it makes me sad…. I haven’t done this I think.  I know a child in VBS, I talked to that child about the Lord and he made a commitment, but I don’t know what happened beyond that.  But as adult, have I brought someone to the Lord, to introduce them to the Saviour and then have the Lord change their life.   I’ve become too insulated I think… to fearful of being honest about my faith, to afraid to face the hard questions from people who need to know the Lord and will ask questions I don’t know the answer to, or will be too sure of myself in my faith that I come across too harsh or unmoving.  These days are the days of asking questions, of helping people see the truth that God hides within us. 

The questions before me today (and before you perhaps) is this: how can I be more like Philip and Andrew?  Knowing that Christ is Lord, who can I bring to meet him? How will I do so?  It’s not like I can say Hey.. come meet this guy.  So how can I introduce people to Christ? How do I let them see Christ living in me?

How can I be more like Simon Peter and Nathanael.  Seeing Christ in action and knowing who he is. Acknowledging that fact. Living out a day to day existence with Jesus and letting that exposure change who I am and how I relate to the people around me. Let my heart be open eh?

Oh, last week we left off with John Bearing Witness to who Jesus was.   Today in John 1:35-42 we’ll see the first disciples of Jesus come. 

³⁵ The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, ³⁶ and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”³⁷ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. ³⁸ Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” ³⁹ He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. ⁴⁰ One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. ⁴¹ He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). ⁴² He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas”(which means Peter).

Jesus has been baptized, and now John the baptizer is standing with two of his disciples when Jesus walks by.  John calls out “Behold, The Lamb of God!”  This exclamation was heard by those two disciples and they followed after Jesus. 

I read those words and my heart smiles.  I don’t know why. But I’m just sitting here picturing John and those disciple chatting away and John notices Jesus and makes his exclamation and those disciples turn away from John and start following after Jesus… I know.. I know, I”m repeating myself.. but I smile because John has obviously done his job well. He has been expounding to his followers that Jesus was coming, how Jesus is better than he is. So when Jesus comes by, the disciples turned and followed Jesus instead.  My heart smiles.

Anyways, Jesus sees them following and turns to talk to them.  It seems to me an odd question “where are you staying?” Jesus doesn’t put them down though, he just invites them to come along and see.  They came along and stayed with him.

You know what? After Andrew stayed the day with Jesus he went and found his brother Simon Peter and brought him along to see Jesus

Now we know that Andrew and Simon Peter (now called Cephas) were Jesus’ first disciples. Don’t you find it interesting that Jesus’ first comment to Peter was “you are Simon the son of John.  You shall be called Cephas”.  Not just hey Peter, glad to meet you.  But simply that he was shortening Simon Peter’s name to Peter.   Makes me wonder if Peter felt like Jesus saw through to the core of who he was.  We can’t know…it just, tonight makes me wonder cause it’s seems like an odd greeting.

I also kinda wonder who the other disciple was, but we aren’t told here.