They Didn't Recognize Him

In John 21:1-14 Jesus shows up by the Sea of Galilee where some of his disciples had been fishing all night without a catch.  Interestingly, these guys didn't recognize him.  Jesus asked how things were going, gave some fishing advice, and still…nothing. 

Why was it that the disciples didn't recognize Jesus?  How is that even possible?  Was it merely because it was out of context and they weren't expecting him?  Was it because they were too preoccupied with their own activities?  Perhaps it was because Jesus veiled his identity at first in order to build their trust and leave them with another miracle.

I’m not sure.  But I can relate to each of these scenarios.

“The man” told them to throw the net down on the right and there would be fish.  They did, and the catch was miraculous.  That the net didn't break was pretty miraculous as well.  It was then that they realized it was Jesus who was with them. 

“Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.” John 21:12

Imagine having breakfast on the beach with Jesus Christ!

At first I thought the whole “not recognizing” thing strange, inexcusable really given what these guys had all been through together.  But then I paused and realized that I probably do the same thing every day.

How often do I fail to recognize Christ’s presence because it seems out of context?  Either I’m not expecting it, or I’m expecting it to be my own way.

How often to I fail to recognize Christ because I’m preoccupied with myself, my own needs and wants, my own agenda and activities?

Does my failure to notice him in the quiet, everyday moments force him to hold out for those less frequent but grander appearances that will actually get my attention?

Where is it that God is clearly working, yet I’m overlooking thinking he’s somewhere else rather than right here with me?

Like with these disciples, Jesus is right here with you and with me.  He wants to lead us as Lord, rescue us as Savior, and just have breakfast with us as a father or a friend.

Pray for eyes that recognize him – his presence, his hand, his help.

 

PS.  In this picture, our coaches are having a great time during our year-end Durban celebration.

Who is it you want?

Jesus and his disciples went to the Mount of Olives.  Judas had already betrayed him, so a group of soldiers also arrived on the scene to arrest him. 

“Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?”  

“Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.  

"I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.” (John 18:4-6)

These soldiers were looking for Jesus, yet when they found him they shrunk back and fell to the ground.  Why?  They knew he wasn't a violent criminal; he was merely a Jewish teacher who healed the sick, helped the poor, and made wild claims about repentance and being the Son of God.  Surely he was no match for a group of well-trained, armed soldiers.

Did they fall down in fear that his claims might be true, that they might really be face to face with God himself?  And if so, were they ready for such an encounter?

While the soldiers were still on the ground, Jesus had to ask them a second time, “Who is it you want?”  “Jesus of Nazareth” they repeated.  (John 18:7)

As I read this, I pictured Christ pursuing us asking “Who is it you want?”  I also pictured the litany of responses he may have received.  People who receive him with gratitude, humility and joy.  Others who down-right reject him, wanting someone or something else for their lives.  Then those who are just not sure, wanting him but then shrinking back and falling down when he says “I am he.” 

I remember the years I spent searching for that “someone” or “something” but not really knowing it was Christ I was looking for.  I grew up thinking I was saved without realizing God had so much more to offer – love, relationship, guidance, a purpose, gifts to carry out that purpose, blessings, etc. 

So if you would have asked me 15 years ago who it was I wanted, it sure wouldn't have been Jesus.  And as Jesus lovingly, patiently pursued me, I continued to shrink back from each encounter…

Until finally I didn't…I surrendered.  I stood before my Savior and Lord and asked that his will be done in my life.

Who is it YOU want?  Don’t shrink back when you encounter Christ; embrace Him as if your life depends on it.

To Hell in a Hand Basket

In John 17 Jesus prays for himself, then for his disciples, and then for all believers.  His prayers are powerful and set the example for how we should pray for ourselves and others.

Jesus prayed that believers may be one, united in their faith in Christ, just as Jesus and the Father are one.  He emphasizes unity four times, so it must be important.  He prays for   

·         Unity in fellowship.  There is strength in numbers. (John 17:11) 

·         Unity in witness bearing.  This could mean evangelizing the lost, but more importantly I think of consistently modeling God’s Word in the world. (John 17:21) 

·         Unity in the glory of Christ.  Sharing the honor, rewards, and blessings that come from being a child of God and co-heir with Christ. (John 17:22)

·         Complete unity.  How?  Through Christ in us.  Why?  So that the world will know Him through us.  (John 17:23)

It is through our complete unity in faith and reflection of Christ as believers that the world encounters Him, learns His plan for salvation, and experiences His unconditional love.  The world will know Christ when his people stand united in their faith. 

How?

The Lord keeps leading me back to sanctification.  While salvation occurs the moment someone accepts Christ as Savior, sanctification is a process that continues throughout the rest of a believer’s life as he or she grows in Christlike character, attitudes, behavior, etc.  Sanctification comes through knowing, hearing and obeying God’s Word.

Based on recent news, it seems the world is “going to hell in a hand basket,” and the US, true to form, seems to be going faster and more efficiently than everyone else.

The Lord prayed that His people would be sanctified by the truth of His Word.  Yet we (I’m talking about believers here, myself included) seem to make so many compromises with what God’s Word says.  Where things are written in black and white, we rationalize varied interpretations and applications.  We change God’s Word to fit our desires and circumstances.  We try to turn Christ into someone we can live with when the whole point is that God’s people should be different, set apart, unyielding, and uncompromising when it comes to His truths. 

Think about all the hot topics in our recent election campaign – gay marriage, abortion, fiscal responsibility.  Think of the undercurrents that were also being evaluated – character, honesty, integrity, morality.  God’s Word is black and white in these areas.  Yet we as Christians often waver back and forth, and like my puppy, track mud through the house until everything is a dingy grey.

We tolerate sin calling it “not judging.”  We accept sin calling it “forgiveness.”  We commit sin calling it “the way God made us” or “OK because of God’s unconditional love and grace.”  We compromise, even re-write, God’s word wearing our “tolerance”, “progressiveness”, “liberalism”, “open-mindedness” and so-called “maturity” as a badge of honor. 

Except that this not sanctification or spiritual maturity, it’s the complete opposite.  We separate ourselves from God when His heart is to unite us with him and with each other.  We kick God out of our lives and then wonder where He is when we need Him.

As the saying goes, if the shoe fits wear it; if it doesn’t, don’t.  But I have to believe we all have areas where compromise is distancing us from God, impeding His will, and muddying our witness.  Or maybe this is just for me…

So pray for yourself, for me, and for all believers – that we may be one as Christ and the Father are one, that our lives reflect Christ in such a way as to draw others to Him, and that we continue to grow in God’s Word as our guiding and absolute truth – no compromises.

Jesus Prays For His Disciples

In John17:6-18, Jesus prays for his disciples – those given to him, those charged with carrying his Word and will out into the world, those commissioned to bring glory to his name.

What did Jesus pray for them?

First, for God’s protection by the power of his name, the same power God gave Christ.  Jesus’ disciples were learning that they had the same power as Jesus himself.  Jesus had been teaching them all along that they could do the same things as he, and even greater.  Did they believe that?  And what was the goal of experiencing the power of God’s name?  So that they may be one as God and Christ are one.  A united front.  An effective team.  A witness to nonbelievers.  A formidable force in the world. 

Second, that they may have the full measure of Christ’s joy in them.  They were going to encounter some rocky roads.  The world would hate them because of him, so Jesus wanted them to be able to face those challenges with joy.  Notice that Jesus didn't intend to take them out of the world, away from the challenges and persecutions, rather he prayed for their joy and protection in facing them.

Another way I think the disciples would experience the full measure of Christ’s joy is by following Christ’s example of focusing on others above himself.  Jesus knew he was about to face a horrific crucifixion and death, yet he put the needs and welfare of his disciples above his own.  Putting others first is a way we can experience Christ’s joy, peace, compassion, power, authority, character, you name it!  When we love and trust him enough to look beyond our circumstances and focus on the bigger picture – God’s calling on our lives – we experience the full measure of Christ in our lives.  And Jesus modeled this in his prayer for his disciples.

Third, that they would be sanctified with God’s truth.  The basic meaning of sanctification is to be set apart for God.  It has a moral connotation of holiness or purity.  Whereas salvation occurs the moment someone accepts Christ as Savior, sanctification is a process that continues throughout the rest of a believer’s life as he or she grows in Christlike character, attitudes, behavior, etc.  And as Christ showed through his prayer, sanctification comes through knowing, hearing and obeying God’s Word.

Jesus knew his disciples needed to be equipped with power and protection, to stand together in unity, to retain an attitude of joy through all circumstances, and to be ever-growing in spiritual maturity to carry out his mission for them in the world.

And what is even more amazing is that this is also Christ’s prayer for you and for me.

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,” (John 17:20)

When I read this I was compelled to go back through his words with this new perspective in mind.

We Know the Way

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me…You know the way to the place where I am going.” (John 14:1, 4)

In John 13 Jesus had predicted Judas’ betrayal and Peter’s denial, and explained that he’d soon be leaving.  Put yourself in the shoes of the disciples.  Were they sad, shocked, or fearful about what would come next?  What were they thinking?  Perhaps how could one of us ever betray or disown Jesus?  Am I capable of such a thing?  Will we ever see Jesus again?

That’s when Jesus interrupted their thoughts saying don’t let you hearts be troubled, just believe in me.  Trust in me, and trust that you know the way to where I am going.

As believers, we too know the way to God and eternal life with Him. But for all those Thomases out there, with too many doubts and too little faith, Jesus goes on to tell us in no uncertain terms. 

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (John14:6-7)

Not only do we know the way to God, but we know God as well. We’ve seen him through Christ because they are one in the same. God didn’t send Christ simply to pay for our sins; rather he paid for our sins in order to restore our relationship with him, a relationship that was broken when sin first entered the world.

Like these disciples, we also know the way to walk in Jesus’ steps here on earth.  Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commands.” (John14:15) “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.” (John14:23) Our obedience is evidence of our love and trust in him.

In real life we have seen so many twisted, imperfect, sinful examples of love, power, and authority that we cringe at words like commands and obey. And doesn’t the word if sound manipulative? Perhaps it’s been used on you or by you when motives weren’t so pure.

But Jesus isn’t trying to manipulate here. He’s telling us to put our love, faith, and knowledge of him into action. If we love him, trust him, realize that his plans are perfect, know his motives are pure, trust that he only wants what’s best for us and knows what that is…if we love him, we’ll obey his commands. 

Thomas’ question was how can we know the way?  My question is now that we know it will we walk it out?

Wash Your Feet

In John13 Jesus is with his disciples, sharing the last meal they’d have together.  As I read this passage, the word “so” at the beginning of verse4 caught my attention.  Jesus knew that his time had come, that God was in control of all things, and that His plan was being fulfilled.  Soon Jesus would be betrayed, arrested, crucified and resurrected.  “So” he interrupted the meal in progress to wash his disciples’ feet.

Why was it so important to do right then and right there?

Imagine what these guys were thinking.  Foot washing was an act reserved for slaves.  It was considered the lowest of tasks to be performed by the lowest of people.  So as mentor, teacher, and Lord, Jesus showed us that no one is above anyone else when it comes to serving.

When Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, he showed the full extent of his 

• Service and Sacrifice (Mark10:45)
• Humility (Philippians2:3-4)
• Love (John13:1, Matthew 22:37-38) 

Jesus also set an amazing example for us to model.  So this lesson was as powerful as it was practical.

But Peter didn’t get it.  He didn’t want his teacher and Lord to stoop so low as to wash his feet.  That’s when Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” (John13:8) 

What did Jesus mean by that?  Is he still talking about service, sacrifice, humility and love? 

Peter didn’t know, or care actually.  True to form, Peter was all in.  Then don’t just wash my feet, wash my hands and head as well.  You’ve got to love Peter’s enthusiasm.

That’s when Jesus responded, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean.  And you are clean, though not every one of you.”  (John13:10-11)  Now Jesus wasn’t using his spiritual gift of wisdom to “out” those who had woke up late and skipped their shower that morning.  He was obviously talking about something different.  The one who was not clean was Judas who would betray him.  The rest of the disciples were already clean, except for their feet that is.

When Jesus finished he asked if they understood what he just did.  Did they?  Do I?  This is more than a lesson in humility and service.  There is a deeper spiritual application as well. 

When we are saved we are cleansed from our sins. 

All of our sins are forgiven – past, present, and future.  When we use the term “born again”, it’s our spirit that gets born again, not our minds or our bodies.  The unrighteous, sinful spirit that we inherited from Adam gets recreated when we accept Christ.  That’s what restores our right-standing or relationship with God.  Water baptism is a symbol of that process.  We get submerged as old creations, and we rise up as new creations washed clean.

Just like after you take a bath or shower, you are clean.

However, walking in this world pollutes us with sin.  Dust and dirt clings to our feet.  As Christians walking in this world we are defiled by things like nasty talk, looking at unholy things, working with ungodly people.  That’s why it’s so important to guard what you see and hear each day.

And it’s not only the world, those external forces around us, that pollute us.  We also pollute ourselves when we make selfish choices, entertain temptations, and sin.

These are the things that cling to us like dirt on our feet.  Even though our bodies are clean as believers in Christ, our feet are always getting dirty as we walk in this world.  That is why we need to constantly wash them.

Spiritually, that cleaning takes place with the washing of God’s Word.  As we read it, study it, hear it, discuss it, and do what it says, we are cleansed from the sinful influences around us.

If we neglect God’s Word, we remain soiled and those sinful influences begin to take their toll in our lives.  We grow less concerned about sin, more tolerant.  We compromise on what we know to be true.  We rationalize overlooking sin.  We justify our own sins.  And sin escalates from there.

This what Jesus meant when he said unless I wash you, you have no part with me.  While saved, and hence clean, we need to stay that way by remaining in Christ and his Word.

He was also challenging us to serve one another.  Practically, but also spiritually.  We can help keep each other clean through continued fellowship over God’s Word, sharpening each other, teaching and learning from each other, holding each other accountable, lovingly exhorting each other from Scripture.

In the words of Christ, “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John13:17)

“For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” (2Corinthians 2:15)

I don’t know about you, but I prefer a pleasing aroma over stinky, dirty feet any day.

Leave Her Alone

“Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.  Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor.  Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.  Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair.  And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”  (John12:1-3, emphasis added)

I’m sure the dinner guests were shocked, but it was Judas who said what everyone else was thinking.  Why such a waste?  Couldn’t this expensive perfume have been used for something better like selling to give to the poor?

His point was valid, even if his motives were less than altruistic.

As a missionary serving the poor in South Africa, it’s challenging to steward resources and meet all the needs around us.  The never-ending needs drive us to sacrifice more and more.

I’ll admit, sometimes I feel deflated, defeated, even depressed because I can’t help everyone.  Another temptation is to become cynical, distrustful, or hardened to the needs that can’t be met.  And sometimes in my desire to serve, in that conditioning to sacrifice everything, I take my eyes off Christ as my number one priority.

Whether talking time, treasures or talents, Christ must get our first and full devotion.  After that, everything else will fall into place.

Yes.  Mary “wasted” a year’s wages to anoint and honor Christ – our Lord, Savior, Redeemer, Provider, Creator, Sustainer, Helper.  Do you see where I’m going with this?  How can that be considered a waste?

Sometimes faith isn’t practical, but it’s always priority.

And look what Jesus says next…”Leave her alone”.  (John12:7)

She was just following her heart, obeying her prompting to honor him, fulfilling God’s purpose for what she possessed.  That perfume was intended for Christ.  Jesus goes on to say “You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”  (John12:8)

Jesus isn’t discounting the needs of the poor or his love for them.  He's teaching a more important lesson.

About priorities.

There will always be needs swarming around us.  We’re called to do what we can, with the spiritual always taking priority over the practical.  Otherwise our sacrifice, our serving, our giving becomes more about us than Christ. 

And maybe “do what we can” is better said as “do what we’re told.”  That’s what Mary did, and now her example is eternally commended in God’s own Word. 

This was a divine reminder that I can’t do everything, only something.  Fortunately God has the power to multiply that something into something pretty major.  Through my small efforts and those he calls to partner with me, we are making a huge difference. 

And we’ll continue to do so as long as Christ remains our priority.

The picture above is a devoted cook and social worker with the Maluti Child Care Program.  MCCP feeds 500-600 children per day from kitchen containers just like this one.  They can’t reach every child in need, but the 4500 they do receive a nourishing meal served with the love of Christ.