THE TRUE LIGHT: UNKNOWN AND UNWANTED – John 1:9-11

Bible sermons, Dragnet T.V. series, Uncategorized

If you grew up in the 1950’s, 60’s, or 70’s, you may remember the weekly TV series entitled “Dragnet”. It was a story of crime investigation and prevention in Los Angeles. If you’ve ever watched that TV series, you may also remember these immortal words often said by the straight-faced police officer, Joe Friday: “Just the facts, ma’am . . . All we want are the facts, ma’am . . . All we know are the facts, ma’am.”

Here in verses 9-11 the apostle John is giving us “just the facts”, the plain and simple facts about the God-man, Jesus Christ. There is much more to the picture, but for now John wants us to think about and examine “just the facts”.

I. THE TRUE LIGHT (verse 9)

Referring to Jesus Christ, John makes a simple, true, and profound statement: “This was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.” The word “true” is the Greek word aleithinon, which can also mean genuine, real, valid, trustworthy and reliable. It refers to truth in contrast to appearance. It is a timeless truth because it has always been true. He is referring to someone whose words we can trust with complete confidence. You would think that we would always want to hear the truth, plain and simple. But as we shall see, that is not always so. Jesus often used the words, “Truly, truly, I say to you”. He could use those words because everything He said was true, and every prophesy He made has come to pass or will come to pass exactly as He predicted it.

Jesus “enlightens every man“. Only Jesus can be the light to every person. He is the true light not only to the Jews, not only to the Christians, not only to the wealthy and respectable, but also to every single person on this planet. He is the light to every man because every man is lost and in darkness without Him. Job 12:25 says, “They grope in darkness with no light”. Try closing your eyes tightly. Now cup one hand over your eyes, and then cup the other hand over that hand. Pretty scary, isn’t it? It’s especially scary if you don’t know where you are; if you’re somewhere you’ve never been before.

But this is not the case. God has taken the initiative to reveal Himself to us. Just look at the world around you. The order, beauty, and complexity of our universe points very clearly to a Creator (Romans 1:19-20). He has left His fingerprints, so to speak, all around us. I personally don’t understand how a person can look at this world and at himself, and yet call himself an atheist or an agnostic. God has done everything possible to make Himself known to us. In His Word, the Scriptures, He has revealed Himself personally and intimately. By the way, I think that many who call themselves “agnostics” are actually “atheists in disguise”. They “don’t know” because they really don’t want to know; but they want to give the impression that they are still seeking answers and searching. I hope that you are not in either of those two categories. If you are, I hope and pray that God is making His presence known to you now. Belief is a choice. Let’s make sure we base our beliefs on facts, not just on our own personal preferences.

II. UNKNOWN BY THE WORLD (verse 10)

“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.” This verse is apparently referring to Christ, the “Logos”, before He took on human form. It might also include the thirty silent years before Jesus began His public ministry.

From as far back in history as Genesis 1, God’s creation chose to worship other gods. After being tempted by Satan, Adam and Eve chose to worship their own gods: themselves! They turned their backs to the God who created them. Throughout the Old Testament we find the people that God created choosing to worship gods of wood and stone which they formed with their own hands, rather than the Creator-God. As the apostle Paul said: “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God . . . and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures . . . and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator . . .”. (Romans 1:21-25)

This must have grieved the heart of God. It would be much worse than the feeling you might have if somebody walked past you on a daily basis, saw you clearly, heard your greeting, yet ignored you, treating you as if you didn’t exist. In spite of the enlightenment given by God, men chose to reject that knowledge.

III. UNWANTED BY HIS OWN (verse 11)

What about the nation of Israel? How did they respond to the coming of Jesus Christ? Verse 11 says, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” The term “His own” literally means “His own things”, not “His own people”, as Christians are called. The nation of Israel is His as a man’s house and lands and goods are his own, and which he uses and possesses. But believers are His as a man’s wife and children are his own, whom he loves and enjoys. God had been preparing the Jewish people for His coming for centuries. The prophets had foretold it. But Jesus was not the kind of Messiah they wanted. The prophet Isaiah gives us this prophetic description of Jesus from the perspective of the Jewish nation: “He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised and we did not esteem Him.” (Isaiah 53:3)

We see a similar pattern in the Old Testament. Joseph had a special relationship with his father Jacob, and Jacob made him a coat of many colors. Joseph also had a special relationship with God, and God spoke to him in dreams which he shared with his family. The result was that his brothers envied him. hated him, and sold him as a slave (Genesis 37).

Early in Jesus’ ministry we sense a spirit of prejudice against Him. “Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary”. He had what was considered a poor-person’s job and came from a poor family. Nathanael said, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Jesus came from a “bad neighborhood”. In addition, the prophet may be implying that Jesus was not a physically attractive person, not only at his death but also during His life (Isaiah 52:3). He may have been called names such as “ugly”. We don’t know. He had nothing going for Him economically, socially, or physically.

Rejection hurts, doesn’t it? Have you ever struggled with rejection? Are you experiencing rejection at this time? The Lord Jesus knows what you are going through. He’s been through it Himself.

A WITNESS TO THE LIGHT – John 1:6-8

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In verse 6 the apostle John introduces another witness besides himself. He is continuing to build his case that Jesus Christ is truly the Logos, the Light that came into the world. This next witness is John the Baptist (or baptizer). Here in verses 6-9, the apostle John gives us an introductory description of him.

I. A MAN SENT FROM GOD (verse 6)

John begins his description of John the Baptist by calling him “a man sent from God”. The prophet Malachi, who lived about 450 years earlier, predicted his coming when he prophesied these words from the Lord, “Behold I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me” (Malachi 3:1). It was obvious to the parents of John the Baptist that their son was sent from God. The angel Gabriel appeared to Zecharias telling him that he and his wife Elizabeth would have a son in their old age. He also told Zecharias the name that should be given to the child, some details about his upbringing and filling with the Holy Spirit, and his occupation or ministry on this earth. What follows are some of the words the angel used to describe their son.

“Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous – to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:16-17, NIV translation)

John the Baptist was “sent from God” alright! There is no doubt about that! But there is more meaning to those words. The Greek word used here is “apestalmenos”. It was used in the Greek culture to refer to an envoy: a personal representative with full authority to represent his master. The Greeks used the word to refer to a representative of a king or of one of their Greek gods. So John the Baptist was authorized by God to represent Him. The word “apostle” comes from a form of this word.

As an aside, have you ever wondered when John the Baptist came to the realization that he would be the forerunner of Jesus Christ, paving the way for His ministry? Luke 1:41 tells us what happened when Mary, who was pregnant with Jesus, paid Elizabeth a visit: “And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe (John) leaped in her womb.” It’s doubtful whether John remembered that experience after he was born, but his mother may have told him about it later on. John and Jesus were probably playmates at the family gatherings. I would imagine that their parents wanted them to get to know each other. I can also imagine that as a child, John had many questions to ask his parents; questions such as: “How come you and daddy are so much older than the other kid’s parents?”; “How come you never cut my hair?”; “How come I’m not allowed to eat grapes or drink grape juice?”; “How come you gave me the name John (which means “gift from God”)?” I’m sure his parents gave honest answers to his questions and he began to gain understanding. Luke 1:80 says “The child grew and became strong in spirit, and lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.”

The defining moment came for John in Luke 3:2, “The Word of the Lord came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.” John was then given his commission, his instructions, and the spirit of Elijah. Apparently he was also told to wear the same clothing as Elijah. We will be going into more detail about John the Baptist when we study verses 19 and following.

II. A WITNESS (verses 7 and 8)

The apostle John is the only gospel writer to use the word “witness” to describe John the Baptist. The Greek word is “martyrian”. We get the English word “martyr” from that Greek word. It is a legal term, referring to the verbal testimony which is given in a court of law, and to the person who gives that testimony.

Verse 8 stresses that “John the Baptist was not that light, but was sent to bear witness to that light.” John the Baptist’s relation to Jesus is somewhat like the relationship of the moon to the sun in terms of the light that each sheds on the earth. The moon does not have a glimmer of light of its own. The work of the moon is to act as a giant reflector in the sky, picking up the light of the sun and relaying that light to the earth. The moon’s function is only temporary, for the day is coming. The sun sheds its light directly on the earth during the day, dispelling the darkness in a way that the moon cannot do. As we shall see, John the Baptist’s desire was to reflect the light of the Lord Jesus Christ. As verse 7 says, John’s objective was “that all through him might believe”.

Our lives are also God’s gift to us. What we do with our lives is our gift to God. May our lives become more beautiful and pleasing in God’s sight each day as we grow in our knowledge of Him and as we give our lives wholehearted in service to Him/

JESUS CHRIST: “Life” and “Light” – John 1: 4-5

Bible sermons, Jesus Christ: "Life" and "Light", Life, light, Uncategorized

Often, at the beginning of a work of literature or piece of music, a writer or composer will present a theme, and then allow that theme to recur again and again. John’s major themes in his gospel are “life” and “light”. The word “life” occurs 36 times, and the word “light” occurs at least 15 times in John’s gospel.

I. JESUS CHRIST: “The Life” (verse 4)

We have already learned, from verses 1-3, that Jesus Christ (the Logos) is eternal (“In the beginning was the Word”), that He is equally God along with the Father and Holy Spirit (“and the Word was with God”), and that He was involved in the work of creation (“All things were made through Him . . . “). Now, in verse 4, John carries the concept of the Logos a step further when he says, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” There is a connection between “life” and “light” in this passage of scripture, One obvious connection, in a physical sense, is that light is necessary for physical life. There are at least four things that are necessary for human life: light, air, water, and food. The Lord Jesus refers to Himself as “the Way, the Truth, and the Life”, the “Light of the world”, the “Bread of Life”, the “Living Water”, and “breathing on His disciples He said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’.”

The Lord Jesus Christ is the source of physical life, spiritual life, and eternal life. We aren’t really living until we have Christ living in us and are living for Him. I like the way that evangelist Billy Graham put it: “Jesus is Life with a capital L!” He shared this illustration about one of the greatest Christian writers of this modern age. “C.S.Lewis, a professor of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Oxford and later at Cambridge, had to do the same thing. He spent his life exploring the literature of the centuries. In his remarkable autobiography, SURPRISED BY JOY, he tells of his pilgrimage from atheism to Christianity. His turning point came with the realization that the writing with the deepest meaning and greatest content was based on a deep, personal faith in God, written by men like St. Augustine, Blaise Pascal, and George Macdonald.” Reading their writings brightened his days and pointed him to the source of their joy and convictions about life. As a result. C.S. Lewis decided to re-study the scriptures and re-consider the claims of Christ. His life was changed and his book, “Mere Christianity” is a classic. In the following quote from “Mere Christianity” you will see how C.S. Lewis’s pre-conceived ideas about Jesus Christ changed as he studied God’s Word:

“I am trying to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher. but I don’t accept his claims to be God.’ That is one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool. you can spit at him and kill him as a demon, or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great moral teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

As the “Bread of Life”, Jesus satisfied the craving that C.S. Lewis had for knowing the truth. He found that truth in a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, and his life changed dramatically because “the Life” now lived and reigned in Him.

II. JESUS CHRIST: “The Light” (verses 4-5)

The Greek word John uses is “phos”, which literally means “brightness” or “brilliance”. We get our English words “photo” and “phosphorous” from that word. The Greek gods were said to live in a world of brightness, whereas our world was one of darkness. However, according to myth, when Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to man, things weren’t quite so dark anymore.

Jesus’ life was a light to men. The Lord Jesus is not only the giver of physical and spiritual life, He is also the source of light for our journey through life. He was a revealing light. He reveals what we are in comparison to Him. Pastor and evangelist Dwight L. Moody said, “A holy life will produce the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns; they just shine.” Jesus’ light is so bright that it is meant to take the focus away from ourselves and put the focus on Him. The light of His Person and His character shows us life the way it really is; the way it was meant to be. When we have the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ living and reigning in us, we can’t help but shine.

We find this idea expressed and implied in many places in the Old Testament. God’s nearness or closeness was indicated or demonstrated by light (Exodus 13:21ff, Nehemiah 9:12, Daniel 2:22, Habakkuk 3:4) The “pillar of fire”, “the light”, “the sunlight” are among the many indications of God’s presence and holiness. and are among the many self-manifestations of God.

Secondly, the Lord Jesus is a guiding light – a Light that shined in the darkness. This may seem obvious to you, but it’s been a fresh insight for me and I’ve been thinking about it all day. It is this: Darkness cannot extinguish light, but light can extinguish darkness. No matter how dark the darkness is, a bright light will extinguish enough darkness for us to find our way. Applying those thoughts to John 1:4-5, the Lord Jesus Christ is the only remedy for mankind who is in the darkness of sin. John records these words of Jesus in chapter 8, verse 12: “I am the light of the world. he who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

The world’s difficulties and problems can be summed up in the words of verse 5: “And the light shined in the darkness, and the darkness has not understood it.” Even today, there are many in this world who are living in spiritual darkness and don’t even realize it. I believe there is a much greater number of people in this world today who have chosen to live in spiritual darkness and oppose the light of Jesus Christ. Are you in the darkness or in the light?

The Greek word “katelaben”, in verse 5, has several meanings. It can mean “understand” and it can also mean “overcome”. Did you do any wrestling in high school or college? Have you ever watched a wrestling match in person or on T.V.? The Greeks loved the sport of wrestling, and this word was used when a wrestler took down his opponent and pinned him to the mat. King Herod the Great tried to kill Jesus when Jesus was only a little child. He gave the order that all the male babies in Bethlehem and the surrounding areas who were two years old or younger must be killed. Yet he failed to kill the baby Jesus!

Mothers and fathers who lost their children in that slaughter by Herod must have wondered, “Is it ever going to end? How can it get any worse than this? Those were dark times!

During His public ministry, the Scribes and Pharisees tried to kill Jesus many times, but their plans failed because it was not yet His time to die. When that time came, Jesus went voluntarily and peaceably to His death. While Jesus was on the cross, darkness came over the earth for three hours, and the forces of darkness thought they had won the match. But Jesus would not go down for the count! He rose from the dead and was victorious over the powers of darkness! Jesus was, and is, a beacon in a world of darkness; a Light that has no power failures!

We are also living in dark times today. There is moral and social decline, political unrest, and spiritual decay, to name a few. The difference is that there are now many lights all over the world, shining like stars in the night-time skies. These stars are men and women, and boys and girls who have repented of their sins and invited Jesus Christ to have His rightful place in their lives as Lord and Savior. As a result, their lives have changed dramatically and the light of Christ is shining out through their actions and attitudes (Matthew 5:16).

May the life and light of the Lord Jesus Christ shine forth in your life. Maybe it’s for the very first time; maybe it has been a moment-by-moment experience for many years, In either case, stay close to Him and “be shiny”!

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“THE WORD” – THE INFINITE AND ETERNAL GOD – John 1:1-3

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INTRODUCTION:

There have been thousands of neighborhood surveys given by Christian organizations and churches over the years. Maybe you’ve participated in one or more of them yourself. A question that is often asked on these surveys is: “Who is Jesus Christ?”. The answer most often given is: “He is the Son of God”. But most of the people who give that answer don’t know what it means nor how they came to that conclusion. In a 1983 Gallup poll, Americans were asked, “Who do you think Jesus is?” 70% of those interviewed said that He was not just another man. 43% stated that Jesus was God among men, and 27% felt that Jesus was only human but divinely called. 9% stated that Jesus was divine because he embodied the best of humanity. Also, 81% of the Americans polled considered themselves to be Christians. In John 1:1-3, John gives a brief and concise summary of Jesus’ relationship to God.

I. JOHN’S USE OF THE “WORD” (verse 1)

The passage begins by using the term “Word” to refer to Christ. This term is not used in this way in any of the other gospels. John uses the Greek word “logos” because it was a familiar term in Greek philosophy and literature, and also because it had a special meaning for the Jews.

In Greek philosophy, the “logos” was the principle that maintained perfect order in the universe and controlled it. The “logos” also controlled the events of history.

What meaning would “the word” have in the minds of the Jewish readers of John’s gospel? It would turn their thoughts to the first chapter in the book of Genesis where we are told that in the beginning God spoke, and all things came into being. Genesis 1:3 says, “Then God said, ‘Let there be light’, and there was light.” If a Jew living during the lifetime of Christ on earth was asked the question: “What happens when God speaks?” His answer would have been, “The thing is instantly done or happens.” The prophet Isaiah records these words that God spoke to him in Isaiah 55:11, “So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which it was sent.”

By beginning his gospel with the use of the term “logos”, John has succeeded in creating an interest and has piqued the curiosity of both Greeks and Jews. “Who is this person you are referring to?” “How can you claim that He is the ‘logos’?” John has succeeded in grabbing their attention and they are anxious to find out what he is going to say next. Now that he has their attention, John makes four statements about Christ’s deity.

Ii. JESUS IS ETERNALLY GOD (1:1-2)

“In the beginning was the Word.” We know that as the apostle John writes about the Word, the “Logos”, he is referring to the Lord Jesus Christ because he says in verses 14 and 17: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. . . . For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” (NASB)

“In the beginning” – John begins his gospel in eternity past. In the Greek text, there is no definite article before the word “beginning”. At whatever beginning you might choose, “the Word” already existed. The following is an excuse that is sometimes used by those who don’t believe that Jesus Christ is God: “If Jesus is called the Son of God, He cannot be eternal because He is called the ‘firstborn’, and the eternal Father must be older than His Son.”

However, eternal fatherhood demands eternal sonship. Consider this question: “When did your father begin to be your father?” He became your father at the very moment that you became his child, and not before. Isn’t that correct? Therefore the eternal Father must have an eternal Son.

John is also implying in this verse that, unlike the Greek concept of the “logos”, which came along with creation as part of creation, Jesus Christ, “the Logos” existed before creation. John is stretching their concept of the logos to a much higher level. Contrary to their thinking, the logos is not a force in the universe, but an eternal Person who transcends this universe. Both the Jew and the Greek at the time of this writing would agree that the only person who could transcend time would have to be God.

III. JESUS IS EQUALLY GOD (1:1-2)

“And the Word was with God” – a unique Person, yet a common entity. He is distinguishable from God the Father, yet eternally God. It is a mystery. We cannot understand how this can be with our finite minds. Genesis 1 says, “The Spirit of God was moving upon the surface of the waters.” He is also a distinct Person, and part of the God-head.

In John chapter 1, verse 2, John says it again using different words: “He was in the beginning with God“. By writing it again, John is saying, “Yes, that’s what I said and that’s what I meant!” The Hebrew word for God in Genesis 1 is “elohim”. It is a plural noun.

There are not three Gods. There is one God in three Persons. I like this definition in the book, Christian Theology in Plain Language: “Three persons who are coequally and co-eternally God”. Expressed mathematically, the concept of the Trinity would be described, not as 1 plus 1 plus 1 equals three, but as one times one times one equals one. People have problems with the Trinity because they can’t completely understand it, but in actuality, the concept of the trinity lies behind the very nature and structure of this universe. For example, we are living in a space – matter – time universe. We express space in terms of length, width, and height. We express time in terms of past, present, and future. We express matter in terms of energy, motion, and phenomenon. Even the tiny atoms that make up our universe are composed of electrons, protons, and neutrons. These aren’t “accidents” or “coincidences” but evidences that the universe reflects the very nature of the Godhead. The apostle Paul makes this clear in Romans 1:19-20 when he says, “because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”

All three members of the Trinity were present at the baptism of Jesus. There was Jesus who had just been baptized, the Holy Spirit who descended from heaven in the form of a dove and rested upon Jesus, and there was the Father, whose voice from heaven said, “Thou art my beloved Son, in Thee I am well-pleased.” (Matthew 5:16-17; Luke 3:21-22)

Just before the ascension of Jesus into heaven, He gave His Great Commission to His disciples, and in it He mentions all three members of the Triune God. “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:18-19). So the Lord Jesus Himself declares the Trinity of God and identifies Himself as one of the members of that Trinity.

IV. JESUS IS ESSENTIALLY GOD (1:1)

“And the Word was God.” In His essence, in His real nature, and in His attributes, Jesus Christ is God. There is at least one religious sect that says that Jesus Christ is not God because John 1:1 says “The Word was a god“, since there is no definite article before the word “God” in the Greek text. To show the error of this thinking, let’s insert the definite article into the Greek text. Now the English translation would read, “The Word was the God”. This would imply that no divine being existed except Jesus Christ. Such a statement would contradict the previous phrase, “The Word was with God”. It would also contradict Genesis 1, where God says, “Let us make man in our image”. So John purposely did not put the definite article in his text because he wanted to imply that Jesus Christ is God. He is divine, but there are also other divine Persons, namely the Father and the Holy Spirit.

After verse 1, the apostle John never uses the term “logos” again. Why? Because the concept, the force, the spoken word is the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. And as the eternal Son of God, He has been the true “Logos” from all eternity. From now on John’s focus is on the Lord Jesus Christ because He and “the Logos” are the same.

This has been a “deep theology lesson”, and I’m no theologian! But John realizes that this is a necessary introduction if we are going to understand his purpose for writing this Gospel. Knowing this basic theology will help us to understand the signs Jesus performed, the words Jesus said, and the responses He received as a result, as recorded by the apostle John.

V. JESUS IS THE CREATOR-GOD (1:3)

It is natural, when we think of God, to think of His power to create. Thus John says in verse 3, “All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being”. If we were to look through the most powerful telescope, we would see galaxy after galaxy, and worlds traveling at incredible speeds. Yet their orbits are so mathematically precise that we can predict an eclipse or a comet’s appearance years in advance. If we were to look into the most powerful microscope we would be able to see the atoms that are the building blocks of all matter. An atom measures about 150 millionths of an inch in diameter. Though they are so small, atoms are like a miniature solar system, with a central nucleus and a number of electrons flashing in orbit around it.

Hopefully, the following illustration will give you a sense of the vastness and complexity of God’s creation. If the molecules in just one drop of water could be converted into grains of sand, there would be enough sand to build a concrete highway, half a mile wide and one foot thick, all the way from New York to San Francisco. That’s about 3000 miles! And God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit made them all – every single atom in the universe!

CONCLUSION:

I encourage you to take some time to reflect upon the vastness, complexity, and order of our universe. Take a walk or drive to a secluded spot and observe the foliage and the animals. Or draw the curtains, pull up the shades, open the windows and take in the sights, sounds, and smells. Reflect also upon yourself and how you are made. There is no one like you. You are unique. Your fingerprints, your voice, your hair, and your DNA are unique to you. All of these things that you observe and consider point to a Creator. Do you know Him? Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Do you know Jesus Christ personally and intimately? If so, your life will be filled with joy, and your actions will give testimony to His presence in you.

You are also welcome to read other sermons I have placed on this site. There are over 70 of them now! May God’s Word provide direction and enrichment to your life.

BEHOLD YOUR GOD – Background and Survey of the Gospel of John

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FORWARD:

This study through the Gospel of John is going to keep us busy for over a year, and possibly over two years. The apostle John says in I John 1:1, “From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in – we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! (The Message).

Have you ever wondered what it must have been like to see the Lord Jesus face-to-face, to hear His voice, to hear Him call you by name, to embrace Him, to watch the expressions on His face, and to observe all the things He said and did while He was on this earth? Does thinking about that fill your hearts with joy and excitement? My desire is to try to imagine and simulate that first-hand experience as I study the text. I plan to incorporate more of the Old Testament scriptures and the other three Gospels into the study, where appropriate, so that we might see Him in as much detail, and with as much clarity as possible.

I. INTRODUCTION:

Was there ever a time in your life when you asked yourself the question: “Which book of the Bible should I read first?” Has anybody ever asked you that same question, seeking your advice? A question that is often asked by Bible translation teams is “Which book of the Bible should we translate first?” The answer to those two questions is often the same: the Gospel of John.

William MacDonald made this observation: “The Gospel of John is the most familiar and perhaps the best loved book in the Bible. Charles R. Erdman says of this Gospel: “It has induced more people to follow Christ, it has inspired more believers to loyal service, it has presented to scholars more difficult problems, than any other book that could be named.”

II. WHY ARE THERE FOUR GOSPELS?

That’s a commonly asked question also: “Why are there four gospels?” Actually, there is one gospel, written from the perspective of four different men who were moved by the Holy Spirit to write what they wrote.

Matthew, formerly named Levi, was a Jewish tax collector who became a follower of Christ. His purpose in writing was to demonstrate to his fellow-Jews that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the “anointed One”, whose coming was prophesied in the Old Testament scriptures. He begins his gospel with a genealogy of Jesus going back to Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation. Matthew also quotes from the Old Testament scriptures more often than any other gospel-writer. His intention is to show that Jesus fulfilled the prophesies that were written concerning the coming Messiah.

Mark, also called John Mark, focuses on the Lord Jesus as a servant. A theme verse is Mark 10:45 where Jesus says, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His live as a ransom for many.” (NIV) We find no genealogy in Mark’s gospel, but we see Jesus involved in the lives of people.

Luke is writing to the Greeks, and looks at Jesus as a man. Many of the Greek gods and goddesses had a pretty-sordid history and didn’t relate well to people. The genealogy in Luke’s gospel goes all the way back to Adam, showing that Jesus was truly a member of the human race. Luke also gives more insights into the birth and childhood of Jesus than any other gospel writer.

John looks at Jesus as God. He focuses on the deity of Christ. John’s gospel contains no details about the birth or the childhood of Christ. It also contains no parables, no temptation scene, no Gethsemane, and no mention of scribes, publicans, lepers, or demoniacs.

III. WHO WAS THE AUTHOR?

The writer of this account of the life and teachings of Christ was John, the son of Zebedee. He and his brother James were fishermen along with their father. While James and John were mending their nets, Jesus came by and called out to them, asking them to come and follow Him (Mt. 4:21-22; Mk. 1:19-20; Lk. 5:9-11). They both immediately left their nets and followed Him. John outlived the other disciples and wrote three letters. He also wrote “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” while living as an exile on the island of Patmos. In this writing, John gives a message to each of the seven churches in Asia and writes down a description of the visions he received from God

IV. WHAT WAS JOHN’S PURPOSE?

We find John’s purpose for writing his gospel near the end of his book. John 20:30-31 says, “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” (NIV) John’s purpose was to provide the answer to these two questions: First, “Who is Jesus Christ?” And secondly, “What is to be our proper response to Him on the basis of who He is?”

Since John’s Gospel was the last to be written, and the others were already being copied and distributed, it makes me wonder whether Matthew, Mark, and Luke might have met with John concerning certain events which were not included in their accounts. If so, the apostle John did a good job of “filling in the blanks” as well as focusing his attention on the deity of Christ!

There are three key words in John 20:30-31, and they need a bit of an explanation:

“Signs” – John recorded six miracles that are not recorded in the other gospels: the water changed into wine (chapter 2), the nobleman’s son healed (chapter 4), the paralyzed man healed (chapter 5), the healing of the man born blind (chapter 9), the raising of Lazarus from the dead (chapter 11), and the second great catch of fish (chapter 21). Each one of these miracles, or signs, demonstrates Christ’s deity and authority. These signs were performed on other people or for the benefit of other people.

“Believe” – is the response that these signs were intended to produce. The word is used 98 times in John’s gospel and refers to a personal commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord. We find in John’s gospel that those who believed in Jesus Christ became His followers, whereas those who refused to believe became His opponents.

“Life” – refers to the result that belief brings. In John 5:24 Jesus said, “i tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” (NIV) Eternal life begins at the moment that we invite Jesus Christ to come into our lives and be our Savior and Lord. John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full.” Jesus said that we can have an abundant and fulfilling life right now if we belong to Him.

V. WHAT WERE JOHN’S METHODS?

John records the testimonies of seven eye-witnesses:

John the Baptist – “After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me. . . . And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” (John 1:30-34)

Nathanael – “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel” (John 1:49)

The Samaritan woman – “Come, see a man who told me all the things I have done; this is not the Christ, is it”? . . . And from that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all the things that I have done.” (John 4:29, 39).

Peter – “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. And we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69).

Martha – Yes, Lord, I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.” (John 11:27)

Thomas – “Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God’ “. (John 20:28).

John – “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God”. (John 20:31)

Each of these people had personal conversations with Jesus and proclaimed that Jesus was God.

John also records the seven “I am’s” of Jesus, (Jesus reveals Himself seven times using the words “I am”).

“I am the bread of life” (chapter 6)

“I am the light of the world” (chapters 8 and 9)

“I am the door” (chapter 10)

“I am the good shepherd” (chapter 10)

“I am the resurrection and the life” (chapter 11)

“I am the way, the truth, and the life” (chapter 14)

“I am the true vine” (chapter 15)

In each of these descriptions of Himself, Jesus points to His deity, and thus His ability to meet their deepest needs. Also, each time Jesus uses that format to describe Himself, He is bringing to their minds the question that Moses asked the voice that was coming from the burning bush, and the answer he received. In Exodus 3:!3, Moses said to God, “behold I am going to the sons of Israel, and I shall say to them, ‘the God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ “Now they may say to me, ”What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” In verse 14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, “I AM has sent me to you. That was God’s covenant name to the Jewish people, and Jesus is using it to refer to Himself (YHWH, usually pronounced as Yahweh or Jehovah).

Finally, John records 27 personal interviews with Jesus. Some of them were extensive and some were very brief. The Lord Jesus wanted people of all belief systems and all walks of life to know who He really is, and that He cares for them.

If the things that John is saying about Jesus Christ are hard for you to believe at this point in your life, you are not alone. John will be giving more and more evidence to verify Jesus’ claims. Please continue to study this book with me and give it some thought and reflection. I have personally observed that many people, including myself, have had an unclear concept of Jesus Christ and His teachings. The Gospel of John, more than any other New Testament book, cleared my mind and changed my heart. That is one of the reasons why I want to study it again.

It’s time to move on to the next construction site: John 1:1-3. I hope to see you there!

OPERATION RESTORATION – James 5:19-20

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INTRODUCTION:

We’ve come to the final two verses of James’ letter to the Hebrew Christians scattered all over the Roman Empire and beyond. It’s not the typical conclusion of a letter, such as the ones written by the apostle Paul, or Peter, or John. There are no parting words of farewell, and there is no closing prayer. But James has a reason for ending his letter with the words he uses. We will soon see, as we fit these parting words into the context of the rest of the letter.

Having served as a chaplain in a hospital setting for many years, and having been “under the knife” several times myself, I’ve become somewhat familiar with the procedures that are followed in some operations. I think that there are some elements of comparison, and I will be pointing them out as we look at James 5:19-20 in the light of what has preceded it.

Here are two translations of this passage of Scripture, James 5:19-20:

“My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth, and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins.” (NASB)

“My dear friends, if you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them. Get them back and you will have rescued precious lives from destruction and prevented an epidemic of wandering from God.” (The Message)

I. THE UNHAPPY WANDERERS (verse 19a)

James calls them “brethren”, meaning that they are either believers, or at least members of the congregations. “If anyone strays from the truth”. The word “if” implies that there are some in these congregations who have strayed, and there are others who haven’t strayed from the truth. He is saying that straying from the truth can happen and has happened. The word translated “strays”, or “wanders” is the Greek word “planao”. We get our English word “planet” from this word. It was generally believed, in those days, that the planets wandered around in the skies, and appeared in different places and at different times. They didn’t realize that these planets are in an elliptical obit around the sun, as is the earth.

James has been describing and dealing with these “wanderings” throughout his letter. Many of his readers and hearers have been guilty of impatience, misuse of their tongues, self-centeredness, greed, or other evidences of failing to practice the truth. The following saying is so true: “If truth isn’t applied, we’ve either wandered from it, or never possessed it.”

It’s a scary thing to wander from the truths of God’s Word. It usually happens slowly, imperceptible at first. Then we realize that we have not only wandered from the truth, but we have also drifted away from our closeness to the Lord Jesus Christ and to other believers. Feelings of guilt, fear and embarrassment may keep us from seeking help and turning back. We may begin to feel that our lives are out of control and that the situation is hopeless.

Have you ever been in a helpless situation because of a physical injury or infection? When I was in my early 20’s I felt pain in my lower abdomen. Within minutes I was doubled over, and the pain was so intense that all I could do was to cry out for help. My mother heard my cries and took me immediately to a nearby hospital. I was given a shot to ease the pain and told that I was having an acute appendicitis attack. I would be going into surgery immediately. My family doctor arrived, and told me that he would be performing the surgery. I would be sedated and would not be awake or feel any pain during the surgery. His presence and assurances relieved much of the tension I was experiencing. When I awoke there was a scar, stitches and minimal pain. The inflammation was gone and I was feeling much better. One of my aunts died from a ruptured appendix when she was a teenager, so my fears were real. I look back at that event as a life-saving experience, thanks in part to the immediate action by my mother and the doctor.

II. THE RESTORERS (verse 19b)

The end of verse 19 contains five simple words: “And one turns him back” (NASB). The Message uses the words, “Go after them. Bring them back.” In verse 20 James gives a more detailed description of the wanderer’s condition when he says “turns a sinner from the error of his way.” James uses the Greek word “hamartolos”, an archer’s term meaning, “missing the mark”. But the word is also used to describe a traveler who has left the familiar road and is following winding, twisted paths that cause him to lose his way. He has chosen to go his own way, and this choice has affected his thoughts, words, actions, and attitudes. We are either walking in God’s truth or in our own way. Those are the options. The “turning back” is descriptive of the acknowledgement of one’s sin, confession of it, turning from it, and once again walking in fellowship with God and in obedience to God’s truth.

The apostle Paul, in Galatians 6:1, wanted to make sure that his readers knew what their attitude should be in the restoration process. He says, “restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, lest you too be tempted.” I have an anonymous poem in my collection of illustrations, and it brings tears of regret to my eyes every time I read it. I hope it has a similar effect on you.

Pray don’t find fault with the man that limps

Or stumbles along the road,

Unless you have worn the shoes he wears

Or struggled beneath his load.

There may be tacks in his shoes that hurt

Tho’ hidden away from view,

Or the burden he bears placed on your back

Might make you stumble too.

Don’t sneer at the man who’s down today,

Unless you have felt the blow

That caused his fall or felt the shame

That only the fallen know.

You may be strong; but still the blows

That were his, if dealt to you

In the selfsame way at the selfsame time

Might cause you to stagger, too.

Don’t be too harsh with the man that sins,

Or pelt him with word or stone,

Unless you are sure – yes, doubly sure –

That you have no sins of your own.

For you know perhaps if the tempter’s voice

Should whisper as soft to you

As it did to him when he went astray

It might cause you to falter too.

In order to effectively turn another believer back to fellowship with God through gentle reproof and correction, we will need to have that kind of an attitude toward the wanderer and toward ourselves. The hymn writer, Robert Robinson, expressed his inner struggles when he said: “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love.” (Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing). The wanderer will need love, concern, and encouragement in order to confess the sin which has dragged him down, and redirect his focus toward the God who loves him and wants to forgive him and welcome him back. You might say that God is calling us to be part of the “welcoming committee”.

III. THE JOYFUL RESULTS (verse 20)

At the end of verse 20, James describes the results of the restoration process. First, “He . . . will save his soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins”. These words can be confusing if taken out of their context, and without a grasp of the Hebrew concept of sin and death. The word “he” refers to the restorer, as he is used by God. The phrase “save his soul from death” is probably referring to physical death, not spiritual death. As a doctor often saves his patients from the harmful and continuing affects of an infection or an injury, the restorer has the responsibility and privilege of saving a wandering Christian from the continuing effects of his sin. In the Old Testament scriptures, sin is often associated with physical death. When Adam and Eve sinned, one of the penalties was eventual physical death. Moses and a whole generation of the children of Israel spent 40 years wandering in the desert and dying because of their sins. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire because of sin, and only Lot and his family were spared. The recipients of his letter didn’t need an explanation. They already knew the record of God’s dealings with His people.

The other result of the restorer’s ministry is “the covering of a multitude of sins”. By his own loving, listening, and forgiving attitude, the restorer mirrors God’s love and forgiveness, and becomes a model of forgiveness and acceptance to other believers in the fellowship. As it says in Proverbs 10:12, “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all transgressions.” King David said in Psalm 32:3-6, “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me. My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to Thee, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’; and Thou didst forgive the guilt of my sin.” As a restorer, God gives us the privilege of sharing in the joy of that forgiveness (covering) of sin and return to fellowship. They say, “Misery loves company”. Well, relief-from-misery loves company also, and we’re invited to the celebration! If you’ve ever had a restoration experience, whether you were the restorer or the one who was restored, you know that it was a joy-filled experience for both parties!

IV. SUMMARY AND PERSONAL APPLICATION

Pastor and Bible teacher Warren Wiersbe concludes his commentary on the epistle of James by asking a series of questions to help us examine our hearts and evaluate our own spiritual maturity. Let’s reflect on each question and be honest with ourselves and with God as we answer them.

Am I becoming more and more patient in the testings of life?
Do I play with temptation, or resist it from the start?
Do I find joy in obeying the Word of God, or do I merely study it and learn it?
Are there any prejudices that saddle me?
Am I able to control my tongue?
Am I a peacemaker rather than a troublemaker? Do people come to me for spiritual wisdom?
Am I a friend of God or a friend of the world?
Do I make plans without considering the will of God?
Am I selfish when it comes to money? Am I unfaithful in the paying of my bills?
Do I naturally depend on prayer when I find myself in some kind of trouble?
Am I the kind of person others seek for prayer support?
What is my attitude toward the wandering brother? Do I criticize and gossip, or do I seek to restore him in love?

May the Lord give you diligence as you pursue godliness and divine wisdom. May He also provide strength and a loving friend if you should begin to stumble or falter.

“But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” (James 1:22)

PRAYING LIKE ELIJAH – A True Story in Africa in the 20th Century

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John C. Wengatz was a pioneer missionary to Africa for 42 years, serving in Liberia, Angola, and the Congo during the early to mid-1900’s. In his book, Miracles in Black, Dr. Wengatz tells of an African convert who was left at a new mission station to carry on the Lord’s work with a cannibal tribe. It was the dry season when Joao Mbaxi took over, but soon the tropical rains would be coming. Month after month went by, however, without a cloud appearing in the sky. Then came the time for the normal dry period. By now everyone was suffering, and many were on the brink of starvation. In all the years they had worshiped their ancient gods, the rains had never failed them, and so Joao was told that he must leave the country and take “the white man’s God” with him. The courageous Christian refused to go. Then, flushed with anger, the chief sullenly warned, “If your God is as good as you say and so powerful that he rules the sky, why doesn’t He send us the needed showers? If it doesn’t rain by sunrise tomorrow, we will drink your blood and eat your flesh!” Recalling the biblical account of Elijah, Joao went to his hut and prayed for divine help with the same urgency as that ancient prophet. Meanwhile the members of the tribe waited for the dawn when the Christian leader would become the victim of their horrible feast. Just before daylight, thunder was heard in the distance, lightning flashed across the sky, and abundant rain refreshed the entire region! As a result, the believer was able to continue his work for Christ.

GOD’S REPEAT PERFORMANCE OF I KINGS 17:42-45 IN ANSWER TO BELIEVING PRAYER.

God glorified Himself in answer to prayer and answered their challenge: “If your God is as good as you say and so powerful that he rules the sky, why doesn’t He send us the needed showers?” Are you faced with a seemingly-impossible challenge in your life today? God would like to hear from you about it.

As the prophet Jeremiah said to the Lord God, “Are there any among the idols of the nations who give rain? Or can the heavens grant showers? Is it not Thou, O Lord our God? Therefore we hope in Thee, for Thou art the one who hast done all these things.” (Jeremiah 14:22)

GOD, THE RAIN-MAKER : A true story from the life and teachings of Watchman Nee

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Watchman Nee was a church leader and Christian teacher in Mainland China during the 20th century. As a new Christian, I read two of his books: The Normal Christian Life, and Sit, Walk, Stand (a commentary on Paul’s letter to the Ephesians). Both books were a real encouragement to me because they both talk about the basics of the Christian life. Nee had an experience similar to that of Elijah, as noted in my previous post (The Power of Prayer – James 5:16b-18)

In his book, Sit, Walk, Stand, Watchman Nee describes a preaching mission to an island off the South China coast. There were seven in the ministering group, including a 16-year-old new convert whom he calls Brother Wu. The island was fairly large, containing about 6000 homes. Nee had a contact there, an old schoolmate of his who was headteacher of the village school, but he refused to house the group when he discovered that they had come to preach the Gospel. Finally, they found lodging with a Chinese herbalist, who became their first convert. Preaching seemed quite fruitless on the island, and Nee discovered it was because of the dedication of the people there to an idol they called Ta-wang. They were convinced of his power because on the day of his festival and parade each year, the weather was always near-perfect.

“When is the procession this year?”, young Wu asked a group that had gathered to hear them preach. “It is fixed for January 11th at 8 in the morning”, was the reply. “Then”, said the new convert, “I promise you that it will certainly rain on the 11th.”

At that there was an outburst of cries from the crowd: “That is enough! We don’t want to hear any more preaching. If there is rain on the 11th, then your God is God!”

Watchman Nee had been elsewhere in the village when this confrontation took place. Upon being informed about it, he saw that the situation was serious and called the group to prayer. On the morning of the 11th, there was not a cloud in the sky, but during grace for breakfast, sprinkles began to fall and these were followed by heavy rain. Worshipers of the idol Ta-wang were so upset that they placed it in a sedan chair and carried it outdoors, hoping this would stop the rain. Then the rain increased! After only a short distance, the carriers of the idol stumbled and fell, dropping the idol and fracturing its jaw and left arm.

A number of young people turned to Christ as a result of the rain coming in answer to prayer, but the elders of the village made divination and said that the wrong day had been chosen. The proper day of the procession, they said, should have been the 14th. When Nee and his friends heard this, they again went to prayer, asking for rain on the 14th and for clear days for preaching until then. That afternoon the sky cleared, and on the good days that followed, there were thirty converts. On the crucial last day, Nee says: “The 14th broke, another perfect day, and we had good meetings. As the evening approached we met again at the appointed hour. We quietly brought the matter to the Lord’s remembrance. Not a minute late, His answer came with torrential rain and floods as before.”

The power of the idol over the islanders was broken; the enemy was defeated. Believing prayer had brought a great victory. Conversations followed. And the impact upon the servants of God who had witnessed His power would continue to enrich their Christian service from that time on. (Sermon Illustrations, PRAYER, answered)

As in the case of Elijah’s prayer, God once again brought rain in answer to prayer. God demonstrated that He was truly God, and there are no other “gods” like Him.

SCRIPTURE READING; Now Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of the roar of a heavy shower.” So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he crouched down on the earth, and put his face between his knees (as he prayed). And he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and said, “There is nothing.” And he said “go back” seven times. And it came about that at the seventh time, that he said, “Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, so that the heavy shower does not stop you.’ ” So it came about in a short while, that the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy shower. (I Kings 17:41-45)

THE GOD OF ELIJAH IS OUR GOD! HE STILL LIVES AND ANSWERS PRAYER!

THE POWER OF PRAYER – James 5:16b-18

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Have you ever made a statement and wanted a good example to back up your words? You wanted an example that came from a person whom all your readers highly respected; and an example that could not be refuted. James makes this statement in verse 16: “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” (NASB)

“That’s quite a statement!”, his readers and listeners must have been thinking, “You had better be ready to back that up!” Let’s examine that statement carefully first, and then we’ll see how he backs up his words.

I. THE STATEMENT (verse 16b)

The word translated “prayer” is the Greek word deesis. It usually refers to specific prayer of petition for specific needs, and this is the only time that James uses this word. The “righteous man” is the person who is committed to God and desires to do His will. This kind of petition has power because it is unwavering, trusting that God is more than equal to the task and will be honored and glorified through it. The word “effective” literally means “energized”. The context before this statement of James relates to praying for one another, but the example that follows seems to be referring to prayer for God to show Himself strong in situations where His existence and His power are being challenged by those who don’t believe in Him and make a mockery of Him. So the statement may apply to both situations.

The “Message” (The Bible in Contemporary Language), says it this way: “The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.”

II. THE EXAMPLE (verses 17-18)

His readers and listeners are wondering who James is going to use as an example to back up his statement: “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective”. (NIV) He chooses the prophet Elijah, and immediately his statement gains credibility in the minds of his audience. Elijah is the Old Testament prophet of God who is mentioned in the New Testament more times than any other Old Testament prophet. He and Moses were beside Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration.

The Hebrew people considered Elijah to be one of their greatest “super-heroes”. He was remembered as one who wore unusual clothing and did powerful deeds. His fearless words and awesome feats brought fear to the hearts of kings and Baal -worshippers. Even the Hebrew Christians addressed in this letter had a tendency to put their focus on the man, Elijah, rather than on the God who inspired him and empowered him. That’s why James begins verse 17 with the following words: “Elijah was a man with a like nature as ours” (NASB). He was a human being also, with all the weaknesses and struggles that we possess, and faced with the same kinds of temptations. So why aren’t we all like him? I think that British evangelist Leonard Ravenhill captured the difference when he said, “Elijah was a man of like passions as we are, but alas, we are not men of like prayer as he was!” Leonard is the author of the book, “Why Revival Tarries”, and is also quoted as saying, “A man who is intimate with God is not intimidated by man”, and “No man is greater than his prayer life.”

It’s interesting that I Kings 17 does not say that Elijah prayed before he made the following statement to King Ahab: “As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years (three and a half years), except by my word.” The Spirit of God must have given James that insight. However, after God gave Elijah that prophesy, which could mean instant death for him, there must have been a prayer in his heart as the prophesy was spoken by his lips! Wouldn’t you agree? And he said those words with conviction. There was no doubt in his mind that God would fulfill His promise.

But the Scriptures also give us a record of Elijah’s “humanness”. When Jezebel said that she was going to take his life,” Elijah “was afraid and arose and ran for his life . . . and sat down under a juniper tree” (I Kings 19:3). However, verse 4 tells us that he prays to God and repents of his actions. He asks the Lord that he might die, and says, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.” God lovingly responds by giving him rest, food, and strength for the journey and ministry ahead.

If you examine Elijah’s public prayers during his ministry, you will find those prayers to be short and to the point, giving glory to God. He wasn’t trying to impress God or others by his prayers.

James was also a man of prayer, as was Elijah. Tradition tells that he was nicknamed “camel knees” because of the callouses on his knees from spending many hours on his knees in prayer. Did you know that the epistle of James, for its size, has more to say about prayer than any other book? At least 14 verses are devoted to prayer or principles of prayer. That’s about 15% of the book!

Let’s continue to take a good look at our God as He describes Himself in His Word. May our prayers reflect His sufficiency and our total dependence on Him.

MAKING OATHS – James 5:12

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INTRODUCTION:

There are so many ways of making an oath. You’ve probably heard many of these, and maybe you’ve used a few yourselves. Oaths that use words such as “I swear”, “I swear to God”, “I swear on a stack of Bibles”, “as God is my witness”, “may God strike me dead if I don’t”, and the list goes on and on. As a kid, an oath that I heard quite often was “I swear to God, hope to die, stick a thousand needles in my eye”. That’s a pretty gross oath! In the Boy Scouts a favorite oath that was used after making a promise was “scout’s honor”. Is there a particular formula that you have used in order to let people know that you were telling the truth? Is it necessary to go through that rigmarole so that our word will be trusted?

Here in verse 12, James seems to come from out of the blue to talk about this subject of swearing and oaths. As we dig into this verse I think we are going to find some connections with what has been said earlier in this letter. This is a verse of Scripture that is easy to misunderstand and misinterpret if we don’t look at it from the context of the Old Testament Scriptures, the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the historical setting and culture into which these Hebrew Christians had been immersed since childhood.

I. THE REPROOF (verse 12a)

The first three words are : “But above all”. James is changing topics and letting his audience know that this new topic is of the utmost importance. He uses a familiar address to them, calling them “my brothers” or “my brethren”. By doing so, he is including himself in the words he is about to say to them. His command is “do not swear”. James is not talking about using foul or dirty language. The original meaning of the Greek word was “to grasp tightly (holy objects)”. In many places in the Classical Greek writings ( Homer, Xenophon, Aristotle, and others), this Greek word, omnyo, referred to grasping something and raising one’s hand as a way of taking an oath publicly. However, in this case James is not speaking of the taking of oaths, as in a court situation, but of the making of oaths by people in order to convince others that they are telling the truth, swearing “either by heaven, or by earth, or with any other oath”. James remembers the words of the Lord Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount, because his words are in such close agreement with those of Jesus. It’s as if the Spirit of God brought these words of Jesus to mind, so he wrote them down. Below is a comparison of parts of the two passages, so that you can see how close in wording they are.

“But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet , , , but let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’, or ‘No, no’; and everything beyond these is of evil.” Matthew 5:34-37

“. . . do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but let your yes be yes, and your no, no; so that you may not fall under judgment.” James 5:12

There are many Old Testament scriptures related to the taking of vows, but there is one passage in the book of Numbers that must have come to the minds of both audiences immediately: Numbers chapter 30, the “law of vows”. The entire chapter is devoted to vows!

The Jews during the time of Christ and James had turned oath-making into an “art form”. People made lots of oaths in those days. It appeared to be a form of bragging, drawing attention to themselves by the frequent and elaborate oaths they made. They figured that if they didn’t put God’s name into their oath, they wouldn’t be bound by that oath, because God wasn’t being called upon to bear witness to it. So they came up with elaborate ways to make their oaths sound very binding to others, when, in their own estimation, the oaths weren’t binding at all! This was one of many reasons why Jesus called them “hypocrites” (ones who wore a mask to hide the real identities).

II. THE CORRECTION (verse 12b)

James corrects their misuse of oaths by saying, “let your yes be yes, and your no, no.” Our honesty and integrity should be such that we don’t need to say anything more. That’s all it should take for people to believe you. Lewis Carroll used the following words in his book, “Alice in Wonderland”: “Say what you mean, and mean what you say.”

Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer and illustrator, best known for authoring children’s books under the pen name Dr. Seuss. You may have read some of his books yourself. In 1940 he wrote a book entitled, “Horton Hatches the Egg”. In this book, a bird named Mayzie (“lazy Mayzie”) asks Horton the elephant to sit on her egg for her, saying that she will be right back. But she never returns! Horton made a promise, and he says to himself, “I meant what I said and I said what I meant. An elephant’s faithful, one-hundred percent.” In the pouring Spring rain, and in the freezing cold winter, Horton continues to sit on that egg and say those words. In spite of the laughter and jeering of the other animals, Horton is undaunted. In the face of death, and a trip over the mountain and across the sea, for fifty-one weeks, Horton continues to sit and say, “I meant what I said and I said what I meant. An elephant’s faithful, one-hundred percent.” Would that we could each make such a statement about ourselves, mean it, and verify it by our actions!

By the way, the book does have a happy ending. You can find several renderings of “Horton Hatches the Egg”, along with pictures, on You-Tube.

III. THE REASON (verse 12c)

James now ends this warning by giving the reason why personal oath-making is a waste of time in God’s sight. He says, “so that you may not fall under judgment”. James said the same thing in verse 9: “Behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.” God is all-knowing and all-present (Psalm 139; Jeremiah 23:24). Therefore, any oath we make, we are making in His presence, and He holds us accountable for every oath we make.

How good is your word? Can people depend on what you say? Do friends, family members, co-workers, neighbors, classmates believe you and trust you without question? Dennis DeHaan put those desires into the words of a poem and prayer:

Lord, by Thy Spirit, grant to me

A deep desire for honesty,

So that, when I must give my word,

No one will doubt what he has heard.

A HEAVENLY PERSPECTIVE:

There is Someone whose faithfulness and credibility is unsurpassed. In Genesis 12:1-3, God made a promise to Abraham, and at the end of verse 3 God said, “And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” In Numbers 23:19 God told Balaam to say these words to Balak: “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” In Deuteronomy 7:9, God gives these words to Moses: “Know therefore that the Lord your God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments . . . “

Joshua says the following words in Joshua 23:14, “Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word of all the good words which the Lord your God spoke concerning you has failed; all of them have been fulfilled for you, not one of them has failed.”

Can God be trusted to keep His promises? You know He can! He’s been proving it over and over again! He promised to send a Redeemer, His own Son, as a sacrifice for our sins. Isaiah describes Him in chapter 53. John the Baptist said of Him, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” When the price had been paid, Jesus cried out on the cross, “Finished!” The masterpiece of God’s sacrificial love was completed,

God has made you a promise, in case you haven’t claimed it yet. John 1:12-13 says, “But as many as received Him (Jesus Christ), to them he gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” Faith is taking God at His Word, and acting upon it. Are you ready to give Him your life in exchange for His? If you are not a child of God through faith in the finished work of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, you don’t know what you’re missing! You can take His Word and my word for it!

\ There is still more work to be done!