The Light of the World

Jesus and His disciples were walking along and came across a blind man; a man "blind from birth" (John 9:1). He has never had the privilege of ever seeing anything. The encounter led to a timely discussion. The disciples asked, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" (v. 2). That was the question most on the minds of the people. They couldn't conceive of any other reason. Someone surely sinned and this was the punishment of God.

Jesus, however, begged to differ, saying, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned" (v. 3a). He then added, "This happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him" (v. 3b). Jesus concluded with the declaration, "I am the light of the world" (v. 5b).

With that, Jesus illustrated what He meant with a real life miracle: "He spat on the ground and made clay" (v. 6a). Then "He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay" (v. 6b). And Jesus "said to him, 'Go, wash in the pool of Siloam' (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing" (v. 7).

"The neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind" (v. 8a), were downright amazed. They asked, "How were your eyes opened?" (v. 10). He answered, "A Man called Jesus" (v. 11) healed me. And the people wanted to find Jesus, but the man did not know where He was (v. 12).

Then the Pharisees questioned the man that had been born blind (v. 13). "Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes" (v. 14). That fact caused "some of the Pharisees" to conclude, "This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath" (v. 16a). "Others said, 'How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?' And there was a division among them" (v. 16b).

The Pharisees again asked the blind man, "What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?" (v. 17a). The man answered, "He is a prophet" (v. 17b).

Not believing that the man had been blind, they called in his parents (v. 18) and asked them how this could be? (v. 19). They confirmed that he was their son who "was born blind" (v. 20), but beyond that they deferred to their son, "He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself" (v. 21).

"So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, "Give God the glory! We know that this man is a sinner" (v.  24). His response: "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see" (v. 25).

They pressed him again as to how he was healed (v. 26), and he said, "I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?" (v. 27). They claimed to be disciples of Moses (v. 28), and added, "We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from" (v. 29).

The man was amazed and replied, "We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing" (vv. 31-33). Then he was cast out of the synagogue (v. 34).

Jesus came and asked him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" (v. 35). He replied, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?" (v. 36). "It is He who is talking with you," said Jesus (v. 37). "Then he said, 'Lord, I believe! And he worshiped Him'" (v. 38).

The man who was healed began to talk of Jesus simply as, "A Man called Jesus" (v. 11). When questioned, he came to say of Jesus, "He is a prophet" (v. 17b). Upon further consideration he began to realize that Jesus was definitely "from God" (v. 33). Finally, he talked with Jesus again and came to believe in Him as his Lord! (v. 38). Jesus is the Lord of the universe. He is my Lord. How about you? Amen.

Four Days Late

Martha, Mary, and Lazarus were good friends of Jesus (a brother and two sisters). Lazarus was sick (John 11:1) so the sisters sent for Jesus (v. 3). Jesus responded, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it" (v. 4). Then Jesus stayed where He was for "two more days" (v. 6).

Jesus knew what He was about to do. That is why He said, "This sickness is not unto death" (v. 4a). Though He knew Lazarus would die, it would not be permanent. It was all for the glory of Jesus. After the two days, they headed back to Judea where Bethany was located (v. 7).

The disciples questioned the wisdom of this trip (v. 8), so Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead" (v. 14). Then Jesus added, "Let us go to him" (v. 15b). So they headed out for Judea, for the town of Bethany.

Upon arriving in Bethany, Jesus discovered that His friend Lazarus "had already been in the tomb four days" (v. 17). Jesus was four days late, yet He was right on time!

Martha came to Jesus (v. 20), and said, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died" (v. 21). She continued, showing her faith, "But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You" (v. 22). Four days late, yet right on time!

Jesus told Martha, "Your brother will rise again" (v. 23). Martha knew he would rise again at the end of time (v. 24), but Jesus was referring to something a little sooner. He said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (vv. 25-26). Martha responded with great faith, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world" (v. 27).

Then Mary came and said, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died" (v. 32b). Four days late, yet right on time!

Even the Jews who had gathered said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?" (v. 37). Four days late, yet right on time!

When Jesus stood before the tomb, He said, "Take away the stone" (v. 39a). Martha said, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days" (v. 39b). Four days late, yet right on time!

Jesus, speaking to Martha, said, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" (v. 40). So "they took away the stone" (v. 41a). Then Jesus prayed, "Father, I thank you that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me" (vv. 41b-42). Then Jesus cried out, "Lazarus, come forth!" (v. 43). And Lazarus waked out of the tomb, or more likely hobbled out of the tomb, as he was "bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth" (v. 44a). And Jesus said, "Loose him, and let him go" (v. 44b). Four days late, yet right on time!

And what happened? "Many of the Jews," having "seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him" (v. 45). Salvation all around! Four days late, yet right on time!

Often when we pray, it seems Jesus delays in answering our prayer. We are impatient and we think Jesus is late, maybe four days late, maybe longer. But when the answer does come, when Jesus acts, maybe even answering our prayer with a miracle, we realize that Jesus was right on time. Jesus is never late. He is always right on time. Amen.

A Borrowed Tomb

Joseph of Arimathea, "a council member," was "a good and just man" (Luke 23:50). But he disagreed with the rest of the council (v. 51). He acquired the body of Jesus after He was crucified and saw to His burial (vv. 52-53). The "Sabbbath drew near" (v. 54). The women planned to return after the Sabbath to finish preparing His body (vv. 55-56)

The grave was easily identified. But after the Sabbath, "on the first day of the week" (Luke 24:1), everything had changed. When they came to Jesus's tomb they were shocked by what they found. The stone had already been "rolled away" (v. 2) and Jesus wasn't there! The tomb was empty! He "is risen!" (v. 6).

Yesterday we celebrated Easter Sunday, or what I prefer to call Resurrection Sunday. We celebrated the great gift of the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That Friday Jesus gave His life to pay the penalty for our sin. On Sunday He rose from the dead defeating death and providing us with eternal life. What a joyful gift this is!

Now is the day. Trust Jesus as Savior and as Lord. In Him is salvation. As the saying goes: By grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone is salvation. Amen.

The King Is Coming

There is a great old hymn of the faith entitled, The King Is Coming. I love that old hymn. It really gets my blood flowing. I am always looking forward to that great day when Jesus will return and gather His faithful people together and take us home with Him to spend eternity worshipping at His feet. Oh, what a glorious day that will be!

Although that hymn is looking forward to the Second Coming of Christ, the Old Testament saints had a similar view of the future as they looked forward to Messiah's first coming. To them also the King was  coming! Check out Zechariah 9:9 where he speaks of and prophesied about the coming of Christ:

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! 

Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! 

Behold, your King is coming to you; 

He is just and having salvation, 

Lowly and riding on a donkey, 

A colt, the foal of a donkey.

When Messiah comes, Zechariah declared that He would arrive like a king. In ancient times, when a king arrived home from war, having won a great victory, he would often lead his captives into the city while riding on a donkey, or more accurately, "a colt, the foal of a donkey" (v. 9b). People would celebrate along with the king by spreading cut branches and their coats on the road before him.

That is what Jesus did nearly two thousand years ago. He came riding into Jerusalem on the colt of a donkey like a victorious king. Afterall, He was about to claim victory over Satan. The only thing was His victory would come by way of a cross and a grave from which He would rise again. But the people didn't understand.

Today is Palm Sunday, the day we celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. We celebrate the salvation He brings. We should celebrate this day because this is the day when Jesus came to Jerusalem to die for you and me. He came specifically to redeem us from our sin. He came to ser us free. He came to draw us to Himself and make us one with Him. Enjoy this great day. Amen.

Have a Great New Year

Isaiah encouraged the people of Israel to turn the corner in life and to have a great new year.  He wrote:

                Do not remember the former things,

                Nor consider the things of old.

                Behold, I will do a new thing,

                Now it shall spring forth;

                Shall you not know it?

                I will even make a road in the wilderness

                And rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:18-19)

Isaiah begins by encouraging God's people to forget "the former things" (v. 18a), "the things of old" (v. 18b). Why? Because God plans to do something new on their behalf. "I will do a new thing" (v. 19a), God tells His people through Isaiah. Deliverances of the nation in the past will pale in comparison with the future deliverance the Lord will give His people.

In the Messiah's future kingdom, the barren places of Israel will be well-watered. "I will open rivers in desolate heights, And fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, And the dry land springs of water" (Is. 41:18) and "to give drink to My people, My chosen" (Is. 43:20).

What God is saying through His prophet Isaiah, is to let go of the past and look ahead to better times in the future. God is looking to bless you greatly in the new year. Be forward looking and God will greatly bless you in the new year. Amen.

Merry Christmas!

The birth of Jesus as recorded in Matthew and Luke fulfilled many of the promises given to David, Abraham, and other prophets long ago. You can see elements of the Old Testament throughout the story. Matthew even tells us directly, "So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:  'Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which is translated, 'God with us'" (Matt. 1:22-23).

When Christ came, the people of Israel had not heard a word from the Lord in centuries. In fact, the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, was written around 440-400 B.C. The people were longing to hear from God, waiting for Him to fulfill His promises. And then Christ was born and everything changed.

When I give it some thought, I am taken back by the truth that everything indeed did change at the birth of Jesus. As He lived and grew, He soon took on the purpose for which He was born—to die on the cross for us, for our forgiveness. What a Savior!

So, as you gather around the Christmas tree this morning, remember the real meaning of Christmas and worship the Savior who was born that first Christmas morning. Amen.

Love

What do you think of when you hear the word "Love"? Assuming you are married, I'm sure you love your husband or wife very deeply. If you have children, I'm sure you love them as well. Children tend to love their parents and grandparents. But take it to a whole new level and a question arises: do you love Jesus? Do you know Him as your personal Lord and Savior? If you do, then you should love Him deeply with all your heart.

Sunday, December 24 will be the fourth Sunday of Advent. The Bible theme this Sunday is LOVE. Again, there are several different directions I could go with this, but as I thought about love, I thought about the greatest love there is. Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends" (John 15:13). That means the greatest love ever shown to us was when God the Father Sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our forgiveness.

With this being Christmas, That truth sends me to Isaiah 9:6-7:

For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

Of the increase of His government and peace

There will be no end,

Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,

To order it and establish it with judgment and justice

From that time forward, even forever.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

 You might ask, "what have theses two verse to do with love?" God loves us so much He sent us Jesus. He was born in a stable and laid in a manger (feeding trough for the animals) for comfort (Luke 2:6-7). An angel announced His birth to shepherds who were watching their flock at night. They immediately  ran to Bethlehem to witness this great event (Luke 2:8-16).

Isaiah 9:6-7 kind of tells the whole story of God's great love for us. "For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given" (v. 6a). That first Christmas morning so long ago was the beginning of God revealing how much He loves us. He loves us so much that Jesus, the Son of God, set aside the glory that was His in heaven and became one of us (Phil. 2:5-7). He was born that morning so long ago to walk this earth with us and to die on the cross to provide salvation for us (v. 8). That is true love.

As you follow through these verses, they take you through His life, His death on the cross, His resurrection the third day, and His ascension back to heaven. Isaiah then jumps ahead to the time just after His return, His Second Coming. It is then that the "government will be upon His shoulder" (Is. 9:6b). Then "His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (v. 6c).

He will then reign in peace, to which "there will be no end" (v. 7a). He will sit on David's throne and rule "over His kingdom" (v. 7b). He will bring "justice from that time forward" which will last "forever" (v. 7b). It will all be carried out by "the zeal of the Lord" (v. 7c).

Among the Christmas songs and hymns, there is one from the late 1800s entitled, "Love Came Down at Christmas." Starting at the incarnation, the birth of Christ that first Christmas morning, God  has shown how great a love He has for us. You might say that God poured out His love when Jesus was born that first Christmas morning. Amen.