Conversion Experiences

Read John 1:35-51

In this part of John, John focuses on the disciples' conversion experiences, specifically five of the 12. John demonstrates in this passage that first of all, conversion experiences differ, and secondly, the different instruments that God uses for witnessing.

We can learn a few lessons from this passage on sharing salvation. First of all, when sharing Christ with others, we see from this passage that different personalities need different approaches (we will look at this more closely in a bit). We also see that only the Holy Spirit can effectively lead us in witnessing. In addition, we see that no method or system works every time. Ultimately you have to seek discernment from the Holy Spirit for each time you are witnessing.

           

The first two men mentioned in this chapter heard a preacher (Andrew and John), Simon and Nathanael were brought to Christ by other individuals, and lastly, Philip was found by Christ himself. Looking at these five men's experiences, we see God's instruments for witnessing. First of all, God uses the preaching of his followers, secondly, he uses the personal work of individuals, and sometimes, even if the first two are present, he uses circumstances to draw his people to him. We also see that Christ's way of addressing these men who became followers of him varied according to the individuals' needs and personalities. For the first two men, he tested their motives by asking them "what do you seek?" He let Peter know that He knew all about him but would transform him. He simply commanded Philip to "Follow me." And he spoke a gracious word to disarm Nathanael.

Now, when I taught this in class, I took time here to discuss their own salvation. So, before we dig farther into each of these men's conversion experiences, I will share with you some of the applications we discussed in class. After we discussed salvation and I gave the students a chance to write their conversion experiences, we discussed some signs of salvation. First of all, upon meeting Christ, we see that the disciples wanted to be with Jesus all of the time, which is a sure sign of salvation. In addition, we discussed that sometimes your interest and desire for Christ may wane, but that we have hope in Christ and the fact that He will not let us go.

*OK, Let’s look at how Christ  met His disciples’ specific individual needs.*

Looking at John 1:40-41, we see the conversion experience of Andrew. In this passage, it says that he is one of two who heard a preacher (this preacher was John the Baptist). We assume that this is John the Apostle because the writer does not give a name. In this passage however, looking at Andrew, we see that he is satisfied with Christ and has so much joy in Christ that he immediately needs to share it with others ( a sure sing of his salvation). If you think about it, we tend to advertise the things we enjoy. So, if we are satisfied in Christ and enjoy our relationship with Christ, it is only natural that we will have a desire to share Christ with others.

Next, look at John 1:42. In this verse, Christ empowers Peter. Obviously, in this brief conversation with Christ, we see that Christ was aware of Peter's personality and his strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps Peter was thinking, "I can't follow him. I'm too weak; I curse, lie, and cheat; I'm only a rough uneducated fisherman." However, we see Christ calm those fears by telling Peter, "You shall be called Cephas," which translated means rock. Christ is demonstrating the fact that He can take a man who would be considered unfit and make him into one of the great leaders of our church.

Moving onto John 1:43-44, we see the conversion experience of Philip. If we look at Luke 19:10, we see that Philip was a doubter. However, even despite the fact that Philip had doubts in life, we see that the simple command of Christ's to "follow me," rang with so much authority and power for Philip that he simply followed Christ in blind obedience. In fact, he then sought out Nathanael, who we will come to in a minute. The incredible part of this passage is that Philip had not met Christ before, yet he left everything to follow this stranger upon Christ's simple command. Not only does this demonstrate Philip's blind obedience to Christ, but Christ's power and influence (Mark 1:22 states that Christ "taught them as one that had authority, and not as scribes.").

The last one that we will look at is Nathanael in John 1:43-51. In this passage, Christ sees Nathanael and declares him to be an "Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" Guile means to be "open and honest." Now, backing up, when Philip comes to find Nathanael, Nathanael is sitting under a fig tree. In 1 Kings 4:25 and Micah 4:4, the fig tree is used as a place of safety. This is symbolic because Nathanael is called away from the security of the fig tree to the greater security of Christ. Of course, these is a lesson in here for us in the fact that we need to learn to leave the security of our money, homes, popularity, etc, to follow Christ.

Not only does the fig tree represent security, but it was also the traditional place of mediation for devout Jews and rabbis. Because of its great shade, it was a most comfortable place to meditate on the Old Testament law. Obviously, Nathanael was a very devout Jew. So, when Philip came to him speaking of the Messiah, Nathanael challenged Philip and said, "can there be any good thing that comes out of Nazareth?" Philip, being new in his faith, handled this doubt/question well by simply taking Nathanael to Christ. When he does meet Christ, Christ answered Nathanael's objections by displaying omniscience and omnipresence, demonstrating that Christ knows all about us, including our hearts.

Reflection: Can you identify with any of these men's experiences? How did you come to know Christ? How is your life a testimony of God's instruments of witnessing?

                  

The Forefunner of Christ

Read John 1:19-34

Let's set up the story here.

Character One: John the Baptist was Jesus' cousin and was born six months before Christ. As an adult, he preached about 30 miles from Jerusalem in the wilderness of Judea. John had two purposes in preaching. First of all was to bear witness of Christ (verse 15) and second, was to reveal "the record" about Christ (verse 19).

John had an unusual way of living. We know from Mark 1:5-7 that he dressed in camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist.He also had an unusual diet of locusts and wild honey. Yummy, right? We also see that John was very humble. Even as the Jewish leaders confront him, he doesn't make great claims for himself or try to draw honor and glory for himself.

Character(s) Two: When the word Jews is used in the Gospels, it is generally meant to refer to the Jewish religious authorities.

There are two different types of Jewish authorities that we are going to focus on here.

 The first is the Levites. They were of Jewish descent, most specifically from the tribe of Levi (one of Jacob's twelve sons). They were God's chosen servants and were called specifically by God to serve as his priests and/or workers in the temple. However, by the time of Christ, they were not the devoted followers of God that you would imagine a called servant of the Lord would be. By the time of Christ they had become calloused, cold-hearted, and self-righteous. They were obsessed with tradition (think "Fiddler on the Roof") and were no longer following God out of devotion, but out of duty and routine.

The second group of Jewish authorities that we will focus on are the Pharisees. The Pharisees were a group of men who emerged during the four hundred "silent years" before Christ's birth (between Malachi in the Old Testament and Matthew in the New Testament). These men believed that because Israel did not follow God's law, this was the reason why they were taken into captive in the Old Testament times. So, they believed that to return to the true nation of Israel, they needed to bring Israel back to God by strictly following the Old Testament Laws. Was it such a bad idea that they had? What are some examples that you can think of that can be used to illustrate the Pharisees and Levites as described here?

                                                         

Now, in this passage, the Jewish leaders approach John with five questions to figure out just what this crazy man was doing and preaching to their people. What are these five questions and how does John answer them? Why do you think they came asking John these questions.

Let's look a little more closely at the Spiritual Condition of the Jewish Leaders. They are suffering from three different spiritual "ailments". The first one is Spiritual Ignorance. Isaiah 40 gives a complete prophecy of John the Baptist. In fact, it is almost verbatim in its description of John. So, the Jews should have known and recognized John as the prophesied forerunner. However, they still come and ask him "who are you," hinting at the fact that they don't recognize him even there.

They also suffer from Spiritual Pride. They come to question him because they are afraid of the power that John might have and the fact that he might steal their job. It's almost like they're saying, "who do you think you are to tell men to repent? You aren't one of us!!!! You don't have the right religious education and training, like us!" So the question becomes, did John have the right to baptize? Why? Well, John stands his ground under their pressure and confesses, first who he was, and second, he didn't deny who he was or what he was doing. He knew that he was called by God and in the right.

Lastly, the Jews are suffering from Spiritual Confusion. After questioning him and hearing his answer, they still ask him if he was Elijah ('that prophet").  Now the reason they ask him this is because at this point in time, the Jews believed that Elijah, who if you recall, had not dies but had been lifted up to heaven in a whirlwind (1 Kings), would come back to earth. So, they were thinking he was truly Elijah. As an interesting note, we see that the disciples weren't confused in Matthew 16:13-14. They knew exactly who the true Christ was, and they didn't have the educational background!

Enough about the Jewish Leaders. Let's look at what John does to place Christ in the spotlight despite the blindness of the Jewish Leaders. First of all, John calls himself a voice. This is very significant. If you remember in the beginning of John 1, Christ is called the Word. Think of it this way:

1. The Word exists in the mind before the voice utters it--Christ, the Word, had existed before John, the voice, came to announce Him.



2. A voice is heard, not seen. In other words, as we see in this passage, John didn't put himself in the spotlight, but continued to point to Christ.

3. The Word remains after the voice is silent. Even after John was silenced, Christ remains.

OK, continuing with what John did to place Christ in the spotlight. The second way is that he exalted Christ. Verse 25-27 move the spotlight from John to Christ. John even goes so far as to say he is not worthy enough to untie Christ's sandals. Why would this be a significant statement?

We see on the next day in Bethabara, or "Bethany beyond Jordan," that John continues to exalt Christ and place him in the spotlight as the Lamb of God. This is when Christ's baptism takes place. It occurs the day after the Jewish leaders had publicly questioned John. In fact, we see in verse 30, that John refers to the questions of the day before and then reveals that Christ was the very man they were looking for. However, they weren't really looking for Jesus as we know him. They were looking for a prophet, Elijah, a king. They didn't want the spiritual Savior that Christ represented. And this sets us up for the constant battle between Christ and the Jewish leaders as they reject him and all that he represents.

So, the question becomes, who do you line up with most in this story? Who can you identify with the most?

If you line up with John, what are you doing to exalt Christ and put him in the spotlight?

If you line up with the Jews, which Spiritual Condition are you struggling with the most? What can you do to escape Spiritual Ignorance, Pride, and/or Confusion? How can you help others who are struggling with these?

 

Christ's Incarnation: Wrap Up

OK, let's wrap this puppy up!

We've talked about Christ's incarnation and what is means, we've talked about Christ's glory. Let's talk about the purpose of Christ's incarnation. There are three parts to this. Christ's incarnation is meant to reveal the nature of God, the grace of God, and the truth of God.

God's Nature (John 1:18)

We've already talked about this, but until the incarnation of Christ, men had never seen God in the flesh. They had seen many aspects of God, such as the theophanies of the Old Testament, the handiwork of God in creation (Romans 1:20), and they had read about Him in the Old Testament. But now, God wants us to know Him personally! We're able to have a relationship with Him now that we had never been able to have before!!!! In this verse (18), John says that Jesus has made Him known. The verb used here means "revealed", "interpreted", or "made known." This gives us a clue as to why John calls Christ "the Word." Think about it: through words, we make our feelings known. In the same way God makes his feelings about us known to us through His Word (check out Hebrews 1:1-2).


God's Grace (John 1:14, 16-17)

In the Old Testament, man experienced God's Law and Justice. However, God was gracious still. What are some ways that we know of that God was gracious to man in the Old Testament? So, how does the incarnation reveal Christ's grace? Well, God didn't have to send Jesus to begin with. We most certainly did not deserve it. In fact, man did not even want God's love and grace! Yet, despite our rejection of Him, God still sent His son. And this is how the incarnation reveals Christ's grace.

God's Truth (John 1:14)

What's another way to think of God's truth? Maybe this will help. God loves us, but His truthfulness will not let Him overlook our sin. Sin has to be punished. So, Christ came to be punished for us. Christ's agony on the cross reveals not only the grace and truth of God, but also these three things:

1. The awful consequences of sin

2. God's hatred of sin

3. The consequences that we must pay if we refuse His substitute

So, wrapping up John 1 (and I promise we will move quicker through the other chapters), we see both the importance of Christ's preexistence to prove Christ's deity, but also the need for Christ's preexistence to help us see and personally experience God. So, why do you think John packed this much into John 1?

The Incarnation: Christ's Doxa

Take a look at John 1:14 again to refresh your memory.

We wrapped up last time with talking about the parallels between Christ and the tabernacle. The last one talked about how the tabernacle was the center of Israel's camp and how Christ should be the center of our lives. Continuing that thought process, if Christ is the center of our lives, we should see His glory, just like Israel saw the Lord's glory resting on the tabernacle. The Greek word used here for glory is the word "doxa." This word means literally "to seem." This is referring to the lofty reputation that a person has in another person's eyes. So, in this case, a man's glory is his reputation.

OK, so if glory here means reputation, then how can we "behold Christ's reputation"? Isn't that something internal? What does this mean????

Well, glory in this context means more than a person's reputation. It means that when we behold Christ, we are basically viewing God's reputation...in other words those attributes that God alone possesses and can reveal. So, in the midst of discussing Christ's incarnation, John still takes the time to make another reference to Christ's deity. Almost like he is saying, "Christ is a man, but wait, don't forget he's God too!!!"

Let's take a second and look at these attributes and how Christ is the only one as fully man to live up to these attributes. If you recall from Christianity 101, sin is our failing to measure up to Christ's perfection. In other words, God is holy and anything that we do that is unholy, we are sinning.

God is omnipresent (or everywhere at once) and whenever we try to hide from Him, we are sinning. God is omnipotent (or all powerful) and whenever we fail to trust Him, we sin. God is merciful and whenever we are unforgiving or seek revenge on others, we sin. God is patient and whenever we are impatient, we sin. God is sovereign and whenever we try to run our own lives, we sin.

WHEW!!!! Talk about conviction! We see how we fail to measure up to God in this idea of God's glory being His reputation and we see how desperately we need a Savior. Which is why (I think just from looking at this test with fresh eyes) John takes the time to reference not only Christ's deity, but the fact that He was fully man so that we would know that we are not walking this human life alone. We have an advocate whose reputation (His doxa) is flawless and can represent us to His Father. What wonderful peace we can find in this!!!!

To wrap up this week, look at Ephesians 1: 6 and 12. Look at what "we are saved to the praise of." Kind of changes the perspective in light of Christ's doxa, doesn't it.

Questions to ponder:
1. Which of the above attributes of God convicts you the most? Why?
2. What does this idea of Christ's glory/reputation mean to you?

                                                     

                                      

The Incarnation of Christ, Part 1

OK, to save this blog from getting very long, I am going to divide it into three parts. This first part is going to focus on comparing and contrasting the similarities and differences of the appearances of God in the Old Testament and the Incarnate Christ in the New Testament.

So last week we focused on the preexistence of Christ and what it means to the Christian faith and Christ's deity. Now let's talk about his incarnation. John doesn't actually reference the historical circumstances of Christ's birth. In fact, the only reference he makes is in John 1:14, where John says "and the Word was made flesh." Literally translated, this means Christ literally became flesh. So, why does John take the time to reference this? What's the big deal really???

Well, we talked a bit about this last week, and from my understanding of scripture (and of course, what was already studied for me), this is significant because this is the first time that God (who is Spirit) became flesh, or became human, and walked among us. This is why Christ is called "Immanuel" or "God with us."

It's important to recognize the fact that Christ took on flesh and became fully man because we do have other occurrences of God appearing to man throughout the Bible. Before Christ was born, God appeared to man in visual forms, but not in a human, fleshly body. These are called "theophanies." We know of at least seven occasions that God did this. However, at each of these instances, He did not appear in a fleshly body.
Here is the key to all of this and why it is important to make these distinctions. The incarnation means that God did not "dwell" in a human body. Rather, it means that He became man, what He was not before. But, it's important to remember that He did not cease to be all that He was before.

All right, now that we've established the fact that Christ was God walking among us, let's talk about John's choice of words. In verse 14, he says, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..." The word that John uses for "dwelt" here literally means "Christ tabernacled, or pitched his tent" on this earth. In other words, John wants to give the image of a temporary living quarter, or that Christ only lived here for a temporary man (33 years).

This translation reminds us of the tabernacle in the dessert and we can draw some parallels between the tabernacle of the Old Testament and Christ "tabernacling" (yes, I think I just made up a word, but you get the picture) in the New Testament.

For example, the tabernacle was a temporary thing, as was Christ. Now hold on, before that is taken the wrong way, what I mean is that Christ was only on this earth for approximately 33 years. Interestingly enough, the tabernacle was only used for about 35 years in the desert.

Moving on, we know that the tabernacle was God's dwelling place (check out Exodus 25:21-22). And of course, we remember the definition of "Immanuel", or "God With Us," meaning that Christ dwelt among us.

The tabernacle was where God met man. In the Old Testament, God told Moses how to build the tabernacle and said He would meet man there (again, Exodus 25:21-22). Today, Christ is the meeting place between God and man (John 14:6)

When God told Moses how to build the temple, He directed that it be placed in the middle of the Israelite camp. In the same way Christ should be in the middle of our lives. Going along with this thought, it says in the Old Testament that God's glory rested on the Tabernacle. In the same way, when Christ was walking among us, we beheld his glory.

Now, hold that thought on glory for next week. We're going to focus on Christ's glory and what it means for us and dig into some of the original Greek and meaning of the texts. For now, here are some questions for you:

1. Why do you think that John focused on Christ's incarnation if he is trying to prove Christ is God?

2. What are some of the theophanies of God that we see in the Old Testament?

3. What does Christ's "tabernacling" mean to you and how can we keep our focus on him in light of this idea?

The Preexistence of Christ

Now, let's dig in and get some meat out of John. Read John 1:1-18

We're talking Christ's preexistence, i.e., his eternal nature, this week. Why is this so important to John that he addresses it in the first 18 verses of his Gospel? Because he wants to firmly establish that Jesus was much more than just a man, he was God, the Messiah, the Christ! So, he takes the time to set his readers straight first off. The curriculum I used said it this way, "John offers no argument, apology, or explanation for what he said about Christ's preexistence." I like that. A "take no prisoners" kind of attitude.

So, verse one. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." By saying "in the beginning," John is saying when all things began. In other words, Christ was present already when all things began. The actual Greek word that John uses for "the Word" is the word "logos," which literally translated means "thought" or "expression." Look at the beautiful picture this creates. Jesus was God's Word to us, expressing who God is and what He wants to do for us. He was God walking among us.
Sticking with verse one, the phrase "the Word was with God" literally translates that Jesus was "face to face" with God. This is very key. Remember our previous discussion about Gnosticism and Docetists? John was needing to establish for His readers that Christ was more than an idea in God's mind before the world began. In other words, "if Christ was facing God," then if God saw Christ, Christ must be more than an idea in God's mind. He was God participating in the creation of the world.
Jump onto verse 3. "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made." The Greek word used here for creation is the word "egeneto" which means "came into existence." In other words Christ brought into existence something out of nothing, or "ex nihilo." Why does John take the time to talk about Christ bringing something into existence? Because he wants to establish Christ as Creator, as being part of God's work, not as being a part of God's mind.

Remember, all of this is to establish Christ's preexistence. OK, going on....
Here is what other parts of the Bible has to say about Christ's preexistence, to support John 1:
Look up John 8:58. The key phrase here is "Before Abraham was, I am." What's wrong with this sentence? That's right, the tenses are all wrong. Christ starts in the past tense and then moves onto the present tense. We're not supposed to do that in the same sentence! Jesus must not have paid attention in Hebrew class. OK, he is God. So why does he switch up tenses? He is creating this wonderful picture for us of the fact that even 2,000 years before that time, he is present. In other words, he lives outside the realm of time. 2,000 years ago, He is now, and 2,000 years from now, He already is! This is also one of Christ's claims to deity.

Look up Exodus 3:14. This is where the whole "I AM" phrase comes into play that is recorded for us. A little food for thought here. After Christ says the "I AM" phrase in John 8:58, the Jews try to stone him. In light of Exodus 3:14, why would they try to stone Christ?

OK, look up Micah 5:2. This was written several hundred years before Christ's birth. Yet, Micah foretells of one who would be born then, but has existed "from of old." All of these support the fact that Christ has existed from before the beginning of time and support John's opening chapter.

So, Christ preexisted. So what? Why is this an important part of proving Christ's deity? Let's look at some more scripture. Look up 1 John 5:11-12, Colossians 3:4, and Galations 2:20. What do these verses say that would implicate that Christ's preexistence is important enough to discuss first thing?
Think of it this way: In these verses we see that when we trust Christ, we die to ourselves and Christ becomes our lives. So, what kind of life does Christ have? Therefore, what kind of life does every believer in Christ have? That's right, eternal life. Only one who has always existed could provide eternal life.  And here's the key: because Christ was, is, and always will be, and is in us and is our life, we CANNOT lose our salvation once we are truly saved!!!! CANNOT!!!!!!!!!!! What wonderful hope that is for us! And that is the key for why we must believe in Christ's preexistence, and why John starts with Christ's preexistence. Our eternal security rests entirely on the fact that Christ lives forever and is GOD!!!!

Questions for thought:

1. What is the form of Christ's preexistence? Think about this one and we will discuss this one.
2. How did and will people respond to Christ's preexistence?
3. In today's world, we might not be fighting Gnostics or Docetists, but we do have some worldview that we have to deal with that deny the preexistence of Christ. What might those be?

The Geographic and Political Situation of Israel during Christ's Ministry

Next week we will be getting into John 1, but just to give you a little more background and to set up the book of John, let's look at what the geography and politics of Israel looked like around 30 A.D.

Location and Size of Israel:

Israel is a small country. In fact, it is 390 miles long and ranges from 30-80 miles wide. To give you a perspective from our part of the world, it is about the size of Massachusetts and Connecticut. Also, an interesting side note, Israel, when you look at a map of the world, it is roughly in the middle of the world. Coincidence or not?

The Perfect Country:

Climate:

Israel has every type of climate imaginable. It has snowy Mount Hermon, which is a popular Israelite ski spot, and then the tropical Dead Sea region. In fact, you could go skiing in the morning and then hit the beach in the afternoon!

Crops:

On the plains of Sharon, you can find crops of oranges and bananas. In Galilee, you can find grapes, cucumbers, and almost any type of vegetable imaginable.

As far as land is concerned, the country of Israel really is the perfect country. In fact, it makes sense why the area is called "the land flowing with milk and honey."

Christ's Itinerary:

Here is just a quick overview of Christ's itinerary through the book of John. Notice how much land he covered.

John 4:1-5—From Jerusalem to Galilee through Samaria: about 50 miles through hills
John 4:43-46—From Samaria to Galilee: about 40 miles through hills and coastal plains
John 4:54-5:1—From Galilee to Jerusalem: about 90 miles through coastal plains and hills
John 10: 40—From Jerusalem to beyond Jordan: about 20 miles through hills and the Jordan Valley
John 10:40-11:1-17—From beyond Jordan to Judea, Bethany: about 18 miles through hills and the Jordan Valley

John 11:54—From Bethany to Ephraim: about 25 miles through hills

Political Divisions During Christ's Time:

There are three major areas in Israel: Judea, Galilee, and Samaria. Remember, John focuses most of his gospel on Judea. Now, Rome is ruling Israel at this point, and the Roman government divided Israel into three political areas. As we look at these divisions, try to tuck them in the back of your mind for future reference when we talk about the people Christ ministered to in these areas. It will help you understand why he said what he said and did what he did.

We have Judea and Samaria, which is made up of broken hills and valleys and was good for grazing herds and flocks. Seven different men ruled this area during Christ's lifetime.

We have Galilee and Perea, which was heavily wooded in some areas during this time, received a great amount of rain and run-off from nearby Mount Hermon (about 25 inches annually), and was a rich and fertile land. Herod Antipus ruled this area.

Lastly, we have Iturea and Trachonitis, which is in the northern Galilee area. Trachonitis was northeast of the Sea of Galilee. Because the Itureans were nomads, we don't know an exact area they lived in, but are able to narrow it down to this area around the Sea of Galilee. Philip ruled this area during this time.

Now, there is one more area I'm going to include because we will discuss it. It is not a Roman province, but was under Rome's partial control and/or influence. This area is called Decapolis and was made up of 10 Greek cities.

OK, here's a bit more geography and then I have a great illustration to share with you. These are the break down of the geographical divisions of Israel. If you look at a map of Israel, you can draw five vertical lines through Israel to create these areas. Again, tuck these in the back of your mind for future reference when looking at Christ's ministry. Here is a quick rundown of them:

The Coastal Plains
1. It is along the Mediterranean Coast to Mount Carmel
2. It ranges from 6 to 20 miles wide
3. It contains some of the richest soil in the world
4. A large part of the most desirable land in Palestine is in this area

The Shepelah
1. Found between the Coastal plan and the central hills is a series of foothills called the Shepelah
2. It has rolling hills
3. It has low hills at 500 to 1,00 feet high
4. It is suited for growing olives, grapes, and grain
5. It is also suited for pastoral farming activities
6. It once served as a buffer zone between the Philistines and the Israel.

The Cis-Jordan Hills
1. This area is commonly associated with Israel’s history
2. Most of Israel’s cities and people are located in this area
3. The hills range from 1,500 to 3,000 feet high.
4. The elevation increases to the north, and the hills become the Lebanon Mountains in northern Galilee
5. The mountains rise to an elevation of 10,000 feet

The Jordan Valley
1. It stretches from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea
2. It represents only a small section of one of the most remarkable geographic depressions on the earth, which is fully known as the Afro-Arabian Rift Valley
3. This rift is responsible for creating the Sea of Galilee and Dead Sea in Israel
4. Due to the constant moving, between 200-300 earthquakes occur here daily!
5. Although the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea are only 65 miles apart in a straight line, the Jordan River winds through this area for more than two hundred miles
6. The Dead Sea is about 1,292 feet below sea level and 1,300 feet deep
7. 6 million tons of water flow into the Dead Sea every day from the Jordan River
8. The Dead Sea has no outlet, so the water evaporates during the day, leaving behind minerals—the Dead Sea is one of the greatest mineral deposits in the world.

The Trans-Jordan Hills
1. These hills and mountains lie on the other side (east of the Jordan River)
2. It is a high plateau that rises gradually from north (about 1,320 feet high) to south (higher than 3,940 feet)

Hopefully this helps you gain a better understanding of the area and peoples that Christ was ministering to and of the politics he was facing.

OK, here's the illustration I promised (actually, I want you to think about it, see what you come up with, and then I will share with you what I see). Look back at the description of The Jordan Valley. Think about the Dead Sea. How could we use the Jordan River and the Dead Sea to describe some Christians?

This picture isn't the illustration, I just thought it was funny!

The Purpose of John's Gospel

Last week we discussed the gospels in a big picture and the portrait of Christ that they paint as a whole. This week we will be focusing in on John and the specific reasons he wrote his gospel. He had three specific emphases that we touched on a bit last week, but here they are again:

1. To prove the deity of Christ.

2. To cause men to believe in Christ and live.

3. To supplement the Synoptic gospels and supply the details that they do not mention.

Now, in writing his gospel, he had two purposes in mind. Check out John 20:30-31. According to these verses, why did he record what he recorded? Now look at John 21:25. Did he record everything that Jesus did? So, why did John include certain facts that the other gospels did not and omit others that the other gospels included?

Exactly, he wanted to choose only the facts that aided his purpose. So, here are some of the big facts that he did include (Please note that we are going to dig deep into these as we progress through John, so this is only a quick "shout out" to them).

Miracles of Christ:

John records SEVEN key miracles (remember, we know that Christ performed at least 40 and John says that there aren't enough books in the world to record all Christ did, so this is a small number)

1. John 2:1-11: Water into Wine

2. John 4:46-54: Jesus heals a nobleman's son

3. John 5:1-27: Jesus heals a lame man

4. John 6:1-14: Jesus feeds the 5,000

5. John 6:15-21: Jesus walks on water

6. John 9: 1-41: Jesus heals a blind man

7. John 11:1-57: Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead

Of course, Christ's resurrection is also a miracle, but we put that one in a whole other ball park)

Each of these miracles shows Christ's power over the universe in a different way.

1. Water into Wine: Power over the Creation

2. Healing the nobleman's son: Power over space/distance

3. Healing a lame man: Power over time

4. Feeding of the 5,000: Power over food

5. Walking on water: Power over natural laws

6. Healing a blind man: Power over physical laws

7. Raising Lazarus from the dead: Power over death

So, looking at these seven miracles, why do you think John chose only these seven? Think about these, and let's move onto the next set of facts that John included in order to prove his point.

Words of Christ:

John records the eleven times that Christ uses the particular phrase "I AM." Why is this phrase so important that John would take the time to include this in his gospel? These eleven uses reveal fourteen different things that Christ claimed to be.

1. John 4:25-26 “I AM the Messiah”
2. John 6:35 “I AM the bread of life”
3. John 8:58 “Before Abraham was I AM”
4. John 9:5 “I AM the light of the world”
5. John 10:7 “I AM the door of the sheep”
6. John 10:11 “I AM the good Shepard”
7. John 11:25 “I AM the resurrection and the life”
8. John 13:13 “Ye call me Master and Lord”
9. John 14:6 “I AM the way, the truth, and the life”
10. John 15:1 “I AM the true vine”
11. John 18:5 “I AM He,” meaning Jesus of Nazareth

Why do you think John chose to focus on these eleven particular phrases? Before we finally get into the purpose of John, here are the last set of facts that John chose to include in his gospel to support his purpose.

Testimonies:

John recorded the seven testimonies of different people who testify to Christ's deity. Here they are:

1. John 1:34—John the Baptist: “This is the Son of God”
2. John 1:49—Nathanael: “Thou art the Son of God, the King of Israel”
3. John 6:69—Peter: “We believe and are sure that thou art the Christ, the Son of God”
4. John 10:36—Jesus: “I am the Son of God”
5. John 11:27—Martha: “Yes Lord, I believe thou art the Christ, the Son of God”
6. John 20:28—Thomas: “My Lord and my God”
7. John 20:31—John the Apostle: “These are written that ye might believe that He is the Christ, the Son of God.”

Remember, I said John used Christ's words more than his own? Take a look at number 4, there is one example of John doing just that.

So, let's talk purposes. John has two. Purpose number one, to cause men to believe that Jesus is the Christ (John 20:31). Purpose number two, to show us how to obtain life through His name (John 20:31).

Purpose #1: To Cause Men To Believe That Jesus Is The Christ.

The word "Christ" means "the anointed one." It is also the Greek word for Messiah. It was important to John to prove that Jesus was the Christ/Messiah because the Jews, the ones that God promised a Messiah to, had rejected Christ as the Messiah. They had been looking for him for 2,000 years, studying the prophets for every detail of what the promised Messiah would be like. And yet, when Christ came to earth, they rejected him. I can't help but wonder why? If they new the prophets frontwards, backwards, and upside down, how could they explain Christ away so easily? The answer is that they were spiritually blind. More than that, they (speaking of the leaders) were morally corrupt. No longer did they want a spiritual leader. They were the spiritual leader, so when Christ comes in saying they are "white washed tombs," they lost all credibility and power with the people. Not only that, but they wanted a political leader who would be their pawn and overthrow the Romans and revive Israel as the great country of David's and Solomon's days. They didn't want to bother with spiritual revival. So John had to re-establish for the Jews and the world that Christ was the Messiah, despite the fact that the very men who should have recognized him rejected him. There's purpose one.

Purpose #2: To Show Us How To Obtain Life Through His Name

John wrote his gospel in such a way as to draw a response from the reader. He wants us to not only believe that Jesus Christ was the promised Messiah, but he also wants us to put our faith in Him. Look at John 20:31; he makes it very clear that he wants each person to make a choice. Not only to believe that Jesus was the Christ, but to believe in Him and place our trust in Him.

So, those answer emphases 1 and 2. Now for emphasis 3. John also wrote his gospel to supplement the synoptic gospels, to cover and explain parts that they did not. He wrote his gospel after the other three, so it makes sense that he uses his to wrap up any loose ends. His gospel does parallel the other three, but he also includes details that are not found in Matthew, Mark, or Luke. In fact, the majority of John deals with Christ's Judean and Jerusalem ministry, while the other gospels only mention one visit of Christ to Jerusalem during His ministry, and that was for His death! So, obviously, being a Jewish man, Christ couldn't have only visited Jerusalem once. We, therefore, look to John for the other times that Christ visited Jerusalem.

Jewish Feasts:

John centers his gospel on major Jewish feasts. For Jewish feasts, it was both tradition and a requirement that all able-bodied, Jewish men travel to Jerusalem to celebrate these feasts. So, John uses those feasts and Christ's visits to Jerusalem to anchor his gospel and provide his reader with a timeline. The four feasts that we are going to overview this time are the four Passovers that occurred during Christ's ministry.

Passover #1: "Lord of the Temple"

John 2:13-22

Go ahead and read the passage. This event tells us a few things about Christ. First of all, it demonstrates his courage. Why? Secondly, His strength and power. Again, why? This is one of the first major events John records and he starts off with a BANG! Picture what this event looked like and put yourself in the shoes of Christ's followers and the on-lookers. How would you have felt? What would you have thought about Christ?

Passover #2: "Lord of the Sabbath"

John 5:1-17

I want to discuss this one more, so after reading it, try to think of why the title "Lord of the Sabbath" fits Christ for this passover.

Passover #3: Christ did not attend this one

John 6:1-15

What do you think Christ was proving by not attending this Passover? Why do you think John recorded it anyways?

Passover #4: "Lord of Life"

John 18-19

This one is an obvious one. This is the recording of Christ's Last Supper, arrest, trial, crucifixion, and resurrection. we will spend the last several weeks of this study digging deep into this passage, so hold off on any major study of these chapters for now.

Again, this is a lot of material to take in. This week we will also go over a quick overview of John's timeline, but for now, just meditate on each of these ideas that John presents and think about how each one proves his point. And, like last week, after reading all of this, ask yourself the question that is at the heart of John's message,

"Who is Jesus Christ to you?"

The Background of John

OK, here goes....



Last week I said that John is my favorite gospel and I have to say again, after looking over my notes, it really is my favorite gospel! And I'm not alone. John's gospel is considered the most loved gospel of the four gospels.



When I go to heaven, the two disciples I want to meet the most are Peter (I mean, really, how many of you can identify with his "foot in mouth" approach to life? I know I can!) and John. John's passion and love for Christ are seen throughout his book and I am so excited to share with you what I have learned. Please don't judge me too much in my writing or teaching. I really hope to just share with you everything that I have learned.



As we approach this gospel, please keep in mind that the gospel of John is completely unique. It is truly John's defense for who Christ is, starting with John 1 as his "thesis statement", the rest of John presenting his points/arguments, and ending with John 21 as his "closing statement," with John ending with "This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true." (John 21:24). I LOVE THAT STATEMENT!!!! It's like "Bam! Just prove me wrong!" Or, in the words of a favorite TV show, "Lawyered!"





So, take a big breath, because there is a lot to pack into "the background" of John, so this blog will be a long one. Before I try to dig into that, here are some fun facts about John.

*Although the deity of Christ (we will get into this more later) is the theme of John, the name Jesus is used more often than the name of Christ.

*The word "believe" is used more than 100 times in the book of John, while the other three gospels combined use it only forty times.

*The word "faith" does not occur once in the book of John.

*The idea of eternal life appears 35 times in John, but only 12 other times in the other three gospels.

*The other gospels are considered "historical" gospels, while John is considered to be a "spiritual" gospel.

DATE:



The date of writing for John has been much disputed over the years. We know that it was the last gospel to be written. There have been some who have suggested as late as 150 AD, some 90-94 AD, and others 85-90 AD. Most recent discoveries now suggest that John as probably written around 80-90 AD. In fact, the oldest surviving copy of any portion of Scripture comes from John's gospel!



AUTHOR:



Of course everyone assumes that John is the gospel writer, but here is how we definitely know that he was the writer. If you read John 21:20-24, it says that the author of the gospel is "the one whom Jesus loves." Luke 6:14-16 tells us the names of all of the disciples, and these names also appear in John, with the exception of John's name, so we deduce that this "is the one whom Jesus loved." We also know that John was Jesus' cousin, the son of Salome, Mary's sister. John was most likely very young when he followed Christ, probably in his teens.



ROLE:



Let's talk about John's gospel's place with the other three gospels. The word gospel means "good news". The concept of a gospel is defined in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (go ahead and look that one up). A gospel, to be considered the good news of God, must contain three elements. What do you think they are? We will talk about this one this week.



Matthew, Mark, and Luke are all considered to be "synoptic gospels." The word synoptic comes from the Greek words "syn" (together or alike) and "optic" (to see). Basically, it means that they "see alike." Their goal in writing was to present the straight, historic facts. John, however, is an evangelistic gospel. His goal, rather than just presenting historic facts, was to cause men to trust Christ for salvation (remember the thesis paper idea?).



THE FOUR GOSPELS IN A NUTSHELL: Again, to get a good grip on John, we need to understand his purpose and it helps to see the purpose of each gospel writer. I love how they all fit together like a puzzle.

A Portrait of Christ:

Each Gospel writer had an "agenda" of sorts. He wanted to display Christ in a certain light, focusing on certain aspects of Christ's walk on earth.

Matthew: Christ as King

Mark: Christ as Servant

Luke: Christ as Man

John: Christ God

I love how each of these covers the opposite of the other, covering the full portrait of Christ when viewed all together.

Prominent Words:

These are the words that are found most often in each gospel. Do you see how each of these words line up with the portrait each gospel writer sought to display?

Matthew: Fulfilled

Mark: Straightway, or Right away

Luke: Son of Man

John: Believe

Audience:

Each gospel writer had a certain audience in mind when writing, which also explains why they sought to portray Christ in a certain role. After seeing who they wrote to, why do you think they sought to portray Christ in that specific role?

Matthew: The Jews

Mark: The Romans

Luke: The Greeks

John: All people

(we will look at in more detail this week why he wrote to all people)

Emphasis:

Each gospel writer focused on a certain action of Christ during his time on earth. Again, notice how each of these lines up with the portrait of Christ the gospel writer was presenting.

Matthew: Christ's Words

Mark: Christ's Works

Luke: Christ's Humanity

John: Christ's Deity

Outstanding Sections:

These are the specific actions that each gospel writer focused on, following from what was mentioned above. Why would these impact each people group?

Matthew: Christ's Sermons

Mark: Christ's Miracles

Luke: The Details of Christ's birth and crucifixion

John: Christ's claims to deity (both words and miracles)

UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS:

OK, as we wrap up the background of John, here are some characteristics that set John apart from the other gospels:

~John emphasized evangelism, not history.

~John only recorded seven miracles.

~John focused on Judea rather than on Galilee

~John used Christ's words about himself more than he used his own words.

I know, this is a lot to read and take in. So here are some questions to consider this week:


1. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4: What are the three elements of a gospel?
2. Why do you think John is the most loved gospel?
3. Why do you think each gospel writer focused on the above categories? What parallels can you see?
4. John presented through his gospel who Jesus Christ is to him. After presenting his thesis and argument, his question to us becomes "Who is Jesus Christ to you?"

We're One, but We're Not the Same

We are all in situations where we have to deal with other Christians and, sometimes, these situations can be difficult to navigate. Your boss is kind of a jerk, but he’s a Christian jerk, so you can’t just write him off—you have to work toward unity. A teenager says something offensive on Facebook, but you can’t unfriend him because you’re his youth leader—you have to gently confront him about it. I’m not saying we can or should be careless with our secular friends and co-workers, not at all! I’m just pointing out that it’s different. There are different expectations when everyone is a believer and, every now and then, it’s good to think about how we deal with each other.

Ephesians 4 is kind of like an Oreo cookie for Christian living. The cookies are practical words written to teach the early church (and us) how to have unity in the body of Christ. The creamy filling is a description of what our hearts need to be like in order for us to have this kind of unity in the body.

For this week, I’d like you to read all of chapter 4. It’s kind of long, so you might want to get a glass of milk. As you read, take note of the practical cookies Paul is throwing down from verses 1-16 and from 25-32 and jot down some of the things he tells Christ’s followers to do so that we can have unity in the body.

What makes this chapter in Ephesians different from the way James dispensed practical wisdom is Paul’s progression. Beginning in verse 17, he lays out what we were—Gentiles with hard hearts and darkened minds. Then we heard about Christ and we became new, righteous and holy. What made us new wasn’t that our behavior changed, it was a change in our hearts. What other descriptions of the Gentiles does Paul give? How does he describe the transition from Gentile to child of light?

Now that we are children of light, living with new hearts, we are to play nicely with the other children of light. As we work daily to preserve peace and unity within the body, we are growing and building the body, with the ultimate goal being verse 15, “…we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”

Last Call...

If you have read the last two chapters in Isaiah you know that it concludes with a discussion of two groups:
1) Those who are humble will be saved
2) those who will not be saved because they rebelled the Lord.

Isaiah was talking to a remnant of God's people who had been faithful. Who understood that without him they were nothing. "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word."

He was also talking to a large group of people who thought they were covered. They "offered sacrifices in the gardens and burned incense on alters of brick" He says these people are, "a smoke in my nostrils" Basically they are annoying. They are not good for anything. " They have chosen their own way and their souls delight in their abominations; so I will choose harsh treatment for them and will bring upon them what they dread."

The important thing to note about these closing words are that Isaiah made it clear that the saving was going to be for everyone. This is what He is saying in 65:1. Paul used this argument in Romans chapter 10:19-20. God opened up the doors of salvation to all mankind. In a big way Romans ten is the best commentary on Isaiah 65. I will not try to write a better one.

Chapter 66 is about the birth of a new nation. The definition for those who God calls, "His People" is changed in the light of what Christ is going to do. It's not about sacrifices and following the law. It's about a contrite heart. This isn't new. David understood this a hundred years before Isaiah spoke to the people. He said, " You do not delight in sacrifices or I would bring it..the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, O God, you do not despise."

There is more that I am chewing on about picture painted in 66 but I haven't finished chewing on it and I don't know yet how to put it into words. So before I make a bigger mess of things I will just leave it at that.

Check out the homework in Joy's post and we will see you Thursday night!

Season Finale--Homework

It’s our last week with Isaiah! Katie will be bringing you some commentary to go along with your reading of chapters 65 and 66. My job is to give you some homework.

As we’ve been working through Isaiah, we’ve run into certain themes over and over—for instance, God’s judgment. We’ve seen these themes apply to Israel as Isaiah is writing and to us in the present and to the future establishment of Christ’s kingdom.

So, for each of the themes below (and others if you think of any), try to find a verse from any part of Isaiah that represents the theme. To the best of your ability, determine how it applied to Israel, or applies to us or to both.

Creation
Redemption
Judgment
Justice
Messiah
God’s glory
Restoration
Comfort
Outsiders (other nations, non-Israelites)

If I were to continue with my example judgment, I would reference Isaiah 65:6-7 which says, “’See, it stands written before me: I will not keep silent but will pay back in full; I will pay it back into their laps—both your sins and the sins of your fathers,’ says the Lord.” He was talking to Israel, specifically to the people who had broken His law and promising them that their sins wouldn’t go unpunished. This verse can also apply to us because it shows us that God takes sin seriously and demands that sin be punished. It also speaks to a coming judgment. I could keep going, but hopefully you’ve got the idea.

Our vision for Thursday is a discussion of these themes, where and how we see them playing out and what they teach us about God’s character and His plan. We are also envisioning chart paper, maybe a chalkboard. So please come ready to discuss!

Also, one last piece of homework. Respond to this question in one sentence: What have you learned from Isaiah?

Isaiah 63 & 64--Finding Balance

Scripture has this amazing power to bring our lives back into balance. We swing from extreme to extreme, but God’s word is true, steadfast, unchanging. This is why we can trust it to ground us when we find ourselves drifting too far to either end of the emotional spectrum.

On one end is the dark place. In this place we pity ourselves, we can’t imagine anyone loving us or any reason why they ever might. Sometimes we stop by this place for a few hours in the middle of the week, sometimes we bring our tents and camp in this place of despair for a season. Unloved. Forgotten. Abandoned. Persecuted.

Isaiah’s audience was camped out in this place of despair as their nation crumbled around them. They believed God had turned His back on them and left them to be swept up by their enemies. The opening verses of Isaiah 63 paint a very different—and gruesome—picture. God has not abandoned His people and left their fate in Edom’s hand. Instead, He reveals a Messiah who will fight Israel’s enemies with His own hands, who will trample them and destroy them, soaking His own garments with the blood of His enemies.

When we are feeling downcast and defeated, that same Messiah will fight for us. He declares us worthy, precious, loved.

The other place we go is to the mountaintop of arrogant pride. From this vantage point we can see how badly others are screwing up. We can appreciate all the great things we do. We are successful. Competent. Independent. Of course God loves us, what’s not to love?

Israel was guilty of this too. They were unrepentant, proud. They went through the motions of worship and sacrifice, but their hearts were hardened. And so Isaiah 64:6 brings us the oft-quoted reality check:
“All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”

As impressive as Israel thought its worship was, as great as we think our actions are, God sees filthy rags. And that’s our good acts.

God’s word is the fulcrum that keeps us balanced between these sinful extremes. It tells us we are loved and worth fighting for. It reminds us that we haven’t arrived, that our ultimate redemption has yet to come and that it is completely out of our control.

1. The Holy Spirit is mentioned a couple times in these chapters. What do we learn about Him from them? How can His work keep us balanced?

2. Of these two extremes, which one are you more likely to camp in? Think about why and about what truths can pull you back.

Isaiah 61--Waiting for the World to Change

Isaiah 61 and Luke 4:14-28

A friend told me today that her brother and his wife are expecting a baby. A few years ago, this brother was diagnosed with a brain tumor. After extensive chemotherapy, his life, and his MRIs, are back to normal. To top it all off, there is now an against-all-odds baby on the way.

When we hear stories like these, we sigh and we think of our God who gives us beauty for ashes; the God who softens painful memories by leading us to good ones. We think about our Redeemer.

And yet, some of our brothers don’t have miraculous baby stories. Sometimes our brothers lose three babies, only to lose four more the following year. Sometimes it seems like God gives us ashes for ashes. I hate to tell my sad story again, girls, but this is where I was when I fell in love with Isaiah 61. I was among the grieving, the mourning, the desperate. I wondered how God could leave us empty-handed and broken-hearted twice. I was waiting for my Redeemer to come.

On a much larger scale, Israel had to wonder the same things. During Isaiah’s ministry, the northern kingdom fell to Assyria and was sent into exile. The southern kingdom watched and waited for Assyria to keep on marching and take it as well. Judah would eventually fall to Babylon, and more of God’s people would be exiled. They would languish in a strange land, waiting for redemption. They would return, rebuild the temple, only to be taken over by the Romans—all the while reading this text in their assemblies, waiting, wondering when their Redeemer would come.

So imagine that day in Luke 4. The carpenter’s son goes into His hometown synagogue. He unrolls the scroll, finds the place He’s looking for and reads,
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Then, He sits down and tells His audience, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Can you imagine? Just reading it makes my heart soar. I want to yell, “That’s my Jesus!!” The Sabbath crowd in Nazareth reacts differently. What they’ve been waiting for—for generations—is in their midst, but they don’t realize He is the One Isaiah proclaimed. They’re looking for something that matches their idea of redemption—a great political leader, an overthrow of the Romans—not the carpenter’s son.

I have my own plans for redemption too. I want the divine quid-pro-quo. If my suffering is loneliness, I want fellowship. If my suffering is loss, I want gain. If my suffering is injustice, I want cosmic lightning bolts to strike my enemy.

But God’s picture of redemption doesn’t match mine. God’s plan to redeem His people is much grander than the daily tit-for-tat I often long for. God’s plan came to its apex when Jesus died. It was by this act that He freed the captives and released the prisoners. When we are broken-hearted and desperate for redemption, we don’t have to wait for our Redeemer to come. We can point to the cross and know that redemption is done.

At the same time, we also hope and wait for the year of the Lord’s favor; for the ultimate redemption and restoration we will experience when Christ returns. Some stories will have happy endings in this life, some will not be resolved until His return.

Knowing this, how do we wait for the Lord’s favor? Where should we place our hope in the meantime?

What were the Israelites hoping for? Why did they miss Jesus when He was sitting in their synagogue? What can we learn from their example?

Walls of Salvation and Gates of Praise

Today I do not want a palace. I do not want golden rings, diamond earrings, or a new shirt from J. Crew. Today I crave peace, I yearn for righteousness, and I am dying to just be like Jesus. I feel keenly the need for gifts that are eternal.

Reading Isaiah 60 I start to question God's promises-- of herds of camel, silver and gold, the wealth of nations, captives, and people that bow before me. As valuable as these things are, I cannot help but think that I'd far rather have the house of wood and stone, with a peaceful chimney poking out of it, than all of the bronze doors and silver pillars to adorn a castle (ref. verse 17).

Then I read it again. "Although you have been forsaken and hated," and I realize I have not necessarily been forsaken by man but by my own wayward heart, hated not by man but by the ways of the world, "...with no one traveling through," and I realize that a desolate pride roars through the halls of my heart like a vagrant wind carring debris and dead leaves, "I will make you the everlasting pride and the joy of all generations," and here the Voice crescendos and tells me that my soul will be full of the wealth of my God.

Isaiah is not promising an earthly kingdom to all the generations to come, but rather a spiritual kingdom. Ladies, this is not a promise of what is to come but of what IS. This is Jesus speaking to my marrow and telling me that while I bask in the sunshine it could be taken away and still His holiness would fill me. "The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory."

Meditate on that, sistas.

Some further thought...
1. Read verse 20, "Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end." Is this a promise for the future, or is it a promise for now? Think about how Katie has encouraged us to consider Heaven being a present reality.

Isaiah 56:9-59: Savage Grace

“And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from this time forth and forevermore.” ~Isaiah 56:21

This is the crux, the converging of two roads. In Isaiah we witness the cosmic, raw, and savage dance between our sin and God’s redemptive hand. To read it is to open up deep wounds in our hearts, and to accept it is to cry out much like Eustace did when the scales were ripped from his dragon body. It is simpler to reconcile these two contending themes when we understand God’s ultimate goal: His restored relationship with us via our understanding of His majesty.

What is it that makes us unable to look at our own sin? Do we not joke with each other about our imperfections constantly, even gloat about the ways in which we are imperfect? Read Isaiah 56:11. “…They have all turned to their own way, each to his own gain, one and all.” I think perhaps looking at our sin is much deeper than looking at our flaws, looking at our sin is acknowledging that there is more wrong with us than simple failures. We can gloat about not getting the laundry done right because ultimately it says nothing of our heart, and we can mock ourselves for being lazy because at the end of the day we know weren’t really that lazy.

If, however, we read Isaiah 57:11, “Whom did you dread and fear, so that you lied, and did not remember me,” we are called to account. This is the true nature of our sin, not our everyday failings but the fact that we fear something, anything, more than Him.

God knows how we are, He knows us and He takes us in anyway. It is more than acceptance that which He offers, it is welcome. We must understand our evil nature to understand how truly welcoming He is. When I cry out, “Lord, take me as I am,” it is not a humble request but rather a desperate and foolish begging.

Enter Isaiah 58. Once we understand how profoundly messed up we are, the notion of being righteous is a bit laughable. Read verses 1 & 2 and notice the “as if”. The prophet continues, describing what the Israelites call fasting and honoring the Sabbath, and makes Israel see that even in these rites they are failing. The truth stings like a hornet—you aren’t all you are cracked up to be.

Can there be an “and yet”? I have to accept that after stripping me of all my self-esteem there could be something left to be hopeful about. Most days I can’t accept that, and I continue to strive for His approval of my own accord. Isaiah 59 contains the most beautiful reality, but it is also painful like hydrogen peroxide in its sizzling purge of our iniquity.

“He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him.” ~Isaiah 59:16.

God takes care of it. He sees our ugliness, he sees our failings and our futile striving for righteousness, and He sends a Savior. The hardest and most precious truth is this: You don’t have to save yourself, in fact you can’t. But God, as Isaiah says at the beginning of Isaiah 59, hears and understands. He comprehends our struggle and takes care of it. Do I accept that?

In summation/application:
1. Separate your emotions from the truth you read in Isaiah. First figure out how this makes you feel… what is your gut response to Isaiah 56-59? Second, what is the reality? For instance, do you feel deflated and sad yet recognize the grand gift? Sometimes our emotions are deceptive and hide from us the reality that is written in the Bible.

2. Read Isaiah 57: 1-13. What title does your Bible give this section? What are the idols being described?

3. Read Isaiah 59:12-15. What truth is lacking? How has it stumbled?

4. Read Isaiah 59: 21. What is the promise? Why is it good?

Isaiah 55

It has been a really hard day. Alden's had that tummy bug that going around and has spent most of today making that horrible wining noise that makes me want to jump off the balcony. He has had two naps both about thirty minutes long. When I finally got him down this evening I went into the bathroom turned on the shower sat on the floor and cried. In the midst of crying I realized that I have to post this week. So I pulled it together and here I am.

I know these eight verses very well because I always made my 7th graders memorize them. We had hand motions for the whole thing. They especially liked the part where we pretended to sipped wine daintily and then chugged milk and wiped our face with our sleeve.(Verse 1) But I as much fun as we had with this passage I tried to really point out it's importance as well.

These verses are OUR story. Those of us who are not Jewish(I think that's everyone in our study) are the ones Isaiah is addressing. We are those "endowed with SPLENDOR" I have to say that's not how I felt twenty minutes ago sitting on the floor in the bathroom. Go ahead and read through the 13 verses of this amazing song.

In these verse the Gentiles are urged to come and seek and worship. That is so fitting to where I am right now. There is no better place to come when the day has made you weary. We can sit at the feet of Jesus not because of our Labor but because of his Love. He freely pardons us despite our race.

In verses 8-9 he talks about how God's ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. How have you seen evidence of this in your life? How has God's plan surprised you lately? (That doesn't have to have a positive answer, be honest, he can take it.)

There is a beautiful picture in the rest of the chapter of what God's word does in our life. Read 10-13 again. I feel kind of like this is Isaiah's version of Louis Armstrongs, what a wonderful world. You know, "I see tree's of green, red roses too, I see um bloom for me and you, and I think to myself...what a wonderful world!"

I have had times in my life where I felt like that song was playing in the background but the beauty in what Isaiah is saying is that no matter where we start that if bring our hearts to the Word it will transform of thinking to see things the way God does. To understand that he is working out all things for the good of those who love him.

I love all the grace that we learn in studies these days and how important it is not to turn our relationship with the Lord into a todo list. But although the guilt of not spending time in the word daily shouldn't shame you into doing it, the transforming power for life should. This is the stuff ladies. This is where the changing happens. It's how we get from the bathroom floor to the song of worship.

Me personally, I'm going to go out in joy, led forth and peace and listen to the music of the trees because I have been endowed with splendor. It's nice to know that's not something I am just saying but the miracle of the word.

Read through 56:1-8. I'll have some questions when we meet.

I apologize for how late this post is. Look forward to seeing you Thursday!

Taking back His bride

Please read Isaiah 53 on your own.

Everyone loves a good song. Music, rhythm, dance are all things that are written into our being. Isaiah was all about the music. He referenced singing or song over thirty times in his book. Chapter 54 is a song, a love song to be more specific. It's about the restoration of Israel.

God had set up for his people a theocracy. He was their king. He handed down the law and asked his people to obey it. Of course they couldn't obey it and they couldn't stand following something they couldn't see so first they tried to make an image of God and then they asked for a king.

In Samuel chapter 8 the people come to Samuel and ask him to appoint a king to rule over them because they feared his sons and they wanted a king "such as other nations have." The Lord told Samuel, "Listen to all the people are saying to you, it is not you they have rejected but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do." Samuel lays out for the people all the terrible things that a king will do to them. Read 1 Sam 8:10-18.

Even after they have heard these things they still asked for a king so they could, "be like other nations with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." God gives them what they ask for and the kings do all that He said they would.

God talks about how they are going to cry out to him but he isn't going to listen to them (1 Sam. 8:18). This is what He is talking about in Isaiah 54. God talks about how yes he was angry and he hid his face but that is in the past. Just as he will never again flood the earth, he will never again hide his face from his people.

Now the LORD is taking back his bride. She whored herself out to kings, idols; in general, she sold out to the ways of men. Nonetheless, God will have her back. “For your Maker is your husband—the LORD Almighty is his name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. The LORD will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit—a wife who married young, only to be rejected…” (54:5-6).

God is treating her not as a divorced woman who is shamed and despised, but as a woman who was rejected as a young bride and now mourning as a widow. Instead of giving Israel what she deserves, God is giving her a fresh start and a new hope.

Application:
1. Read the first verse. How can it be that a barren woman should rejoice? What is God communicating by saying that a “desolate” woman has more children than one with a husband?

2. Read verses 7 and 8. Does this image of a wrathful God compete with the image of God you have in your head? How do we respond to the fact that He is at once wrathful, vengeful even, and loving and compassionate?

3. Do you tend to think of yourself as one deserving judgment or one deserving sympathy?

Hindsight is 20/20

How often do I forget the way God has moved in my life? How often, as an adult, have I cried out in frustration and shaken my fists at the God I believe in? There is a pride that comes with age, this is the dark secret they do not tell you, a pride that comes along with the wisdom of age and it is dangerous like a cancer. Believing fiercely that I have a handle on my circumstances—that I perceive them as they are and that my emotions are appropriate to the moment, I often become desperately frustrated or even angry that God is not swooping in to fix it, change it, or tell me I am right.

In Isaiah 49-52 we see the prediction of the coming Messiah as God’s promise to redeem Israel, a call to the Israelites to rise up and prepare for His coming, and a prediction of the “Servant’s” suffering. Woven through all of this is a reminder of God’s goodness in the past to His people.

When I read through these passages the first time the thing that jumped out at me was Israel’s blindness. They will not look to the past nor hope for the future, but only seem to complain about the present. "The LORD has forsaken me, the LORD has forgotten me," (49:14). I want to be angry with them and point my finger at all the passages that remind these silly Israelites of God’s provision, but the truth is I identify with them. Just two nights ago I was laying in bed telling God that amidst all of his chiding and guilt tripping it would be nice to just hear that I am loved. Girls, I cannot tell you how often God has reminded me of his love for me. Nonetheless, the other night I was tired and my feelings were hurt and in the moment I felt justified.

My heavenly Father must sigh patiently, for I know He is patient, but I imagine it is a long sigh quietly breathed out through parted lips. He refrains from rolling His eyes at me and instead the Holy Spirit reminds me of old and new blessings. This is what God does in Isaiah as well. As you read through chapters 51 and 52 find these reminders. Of what does Isaiah remind God’s people? Can you think of other miracles or signs he had already given them in their past?

The incredible gift of being God’s own is the promise, the hope of the future. Whenever I get so overwhelmed with my own self that I can’t see past the swirling tornado of selfishness that stretches up further than I can see, God reaches in and shakes me. Then He reconfirms His commitment to work in me. I feel those carpenter’s hands molding me and making me new. I am reminded of the ultimate end, and the purpose for which I am here. All through Isaiah 49-52 is promise. Chapter 49 is a beautiful depiction of Jesus, can you see it? If you don’t at first then you will understand the Israelites’ plight. Then there is the description of restoration, where God holds nothing back. This kind of passion almost makes me uncomfortable. “I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh; they will be drunk on their own blood, as with wine,” (49:20). Not only is God’s love immense and capable of redeeming a wayward people, it is also fierce and almost feral. I don’t want to run off on a tangent, but another question arises here. Am I willing to be loved with untamed and uncut passion?

Finally, at the end of this selection, there is the mention of . “…[My servant’s] appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness…” (52:14). I hear these words from Isaiah like a quiet whisper, the overlooked prediction that sums up the restoration and future glory of Israel. We know from the New Testament that Jesus was rejected. Why?! In heaven’s name, why are they not ready for him? Read John 25-33, where we hear a summary of all that is said here in Isaiah.

You are an Israelite if you think about it. You are the one to whom He has poured out promise on promise, you are the one who wants to focus on here and now. You are a critic, a skeptic, and you and I have to recognize that as we think about these truths in Isaiah.

Conclusion:
1. Where has God already moved mightily in my life that I tend to overlook?
2. What things do I complain to him about now that are largely of my own doing?
3. What hope have I in my own future and how should I redirect my focus from present complaints to future glory and gratefulness for what has already been done?

"I AM" strikes again...

Here is a picture of what's left of a temple where the Babylonians went to worship Nebo. Their god of wisdom and writing. This isn't what it looked like when Isaiah was writing chapter 46 but it's the picture he saw in the future and described to his listeners. We split up chapter 45 and 46 so you need to go back in your mind and note that they really go together. In chapters 45-48 Isaiah explains that God is greater than our enemies. Specifically the Babylonians. They already know that the Babylonians are going to come and destroy Judah but now they are getting to see the happier part of that story. In the end God is going to rise up someone to overthrow Babylon and restore the Temple.

In chapter 46 there are two verse of prophecy followed by eight verses where God once again establishes his authority, reminding his people who he is and why they should listen.

46:3 I have upheld you since you were conceived, carried you since your birth
46:4 I will sustain you to the end of your days and I will rescue you
46:5You can not compair me to anyone, there is no one that is my equal
46:6-7 No one has ever been saved by something they created
46:8 You have rebelled
46:9 I am God there is no other
46:10 I can tell you how it ends before it begins because I am the author of life, therefore my plans never fail.

In the last part of the Chapter the Lord once again explains his plan that ends with the ultimate goal: "I will bring Salvation to Zion, My splendor to Israel"

Question: In verse 12 who are the "stubborn hearted, those far from righteousness"?

Chapter 47 is more of the explanation of what God is going to do to Babylon.
Chapter 48 describes the stubbornness of Israel.

Read both chapters. Note God's tone in both chapters. After reading these what would you say is the basis for the different fates of these two peoples. On the one hand you have people who will be destroyed and on the other people who will be saved. What is the difference in between them? Knowing God is the same yesterday, today and forever, how do your conclusions make you feel about your own salvation?

P.S. I wrote out a long thing about how Cyrus leads to Jesus but somehow it got deleated after working on it for the past two hours...so just come ready for a good dose of history Thursday night. :)

All By Myself

Read Isaiah 44.

Throughout the Old Testament we hear God telling Israel, His chosen people, to be holy. Israel had its own laws and restrictions that were given by God for the purpose of keeping them from being like the outsiders living around them. As Isaiah is prophesying about the coming exile—a time when the Israelites will be forced to live among foreigners, when they will be the outsiders—he gets specific about some of the ungodly behavior they will encounter.

In verses 6-23, Isaiah describes those who make and worship idols. I’m always pleased when scripture is a little sarcastic and this passage gets a little snarky. A man takes a tree and with half of it he makes a fire, then makes some bread, then thinks to himself, “What should I do with the rest of the wood? I know! I’ll make an idol and worship it.” God wants His people to see the futility of worshiping something they create, how absurd it is to bow down to something they could use for kindling.

It’s as if God is saying, “That’s not a god. I’ll show you God.” God wants Israel to be different from the idol-worshiping culture around them because He is different from the idols men worship.

1. As you’re reading verses 24-28, write down some of the qualities of God that are described; attributes that distinguish Him from the other loser gods.

One quality I don’t want you to miss comes in verse 24,
“ I am the LORD,
the Maker of all things,
who stretches out the heavens,
who spreads out the earth by myself”



Did you catch it? Everything God has done, He’s done by Himself. He is not dependent on the arm of the blacksmith. He doesn’t need us to get things moving here on Earth. God is independent. We weren’t created because He was lonely. Like Israel, we were created by Him to be separate, to reflect His glory.

Just like the Israelites, we Christians are supposed to be distinct. We are called to be different because our God is different. It is no small thing to live a life that glorifies God and to resist the temptations offered by our culture. But we have an advantage the people of Israel didn’t have. In verse 3 God promises to “pour out” His Holy Spirit. Our ability to worship God doesn’t come from our strength or creativity; it comes from His Spirit that He chose to give us. By Himself.

2. Verse 28 is pretty epic. Why is it significant that Isaiah was talking about Cyrus?

3. These chapters of Isaiah have already showed us many attributes of God. One thing God is not is passive. Read chapter 45 and list all the things God is actively doing.