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Tag: John

  • 12 Men Texting as their Messiah approaches – Part 2

    12 Men Texting as their Messiah approaches – Part 2

    A Context to Texting

    You may find the photo headline of this post somewhat whimsical, but my incongruous placement of 21st century communications devices into first century Jewish hands comes with a purpose. Just imagine yourself in this scene of controversy.

    The very irony of our recent look back at the seriousness of what Daniel had to say about the future coming of the Messiah of Israel adds to divisions of thought by first century Jews.

    Any anachronistic imagery of the last days by Prophets like Daniel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Micah and many more must have met with diverse interpretation.

    texting group - and you can be part of one to Talk of JESUS Christ in social media - 3-part series.

    Suppose the twelve Apostles and religious rulers of Jerusalem had communication tools such we do.

    Would they have been texting ahead as the Messiah Jesus approached?

    Of course these historical events did take place in the first century, but what if Jesus approached our city now?

    What do you think would happen?

    Consider the motivations of those in John’s Gospel as if they could communicate as quickly as we do in this 21st century A.D.

    The Jerusalem Jesus approached

    Jerusalem is a city under Roman imposed rules suppressing their world through might and mitigated right imposed by compromising captive national and local leaders. Their religious leaders convened as the Sanhedrin.

    The Sanhedrin‘s beginning is to be placed at the period in which Asia was convulsed by Alexander the Great and his successors. The Hellenistic kings conceded a great amount of internal freedom to municipal communities, and Palestine was then practically under home rule, and was governed by an aristocratic council of Elders

    John 12:

    google earth image of hills between Bethany and Jerusalem and Ephraim to the north

    You may recall the context of these parting paths from Jesus – Traveling to and from Bethany.

    The Twelve Apostles and many other Jews have just witnessed the Lord Jesus raise Lazarus from the grave!

    After returning to Bethany from Ephraim in the hills far-removed from Jerusalem’s public eye, they return to the home of Lazarus.

    Mary, sister to lazarus pours expensive oil on Jesus’ feet and one of the Twelve objects.

    5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”

    We then followed the separate path of the Messiah and His Apostles away from the amazed public eyewitness of this great sign in Bethany.

    Good News / Bad News?

    Just image the Good News of the texts between those traveling with Jesus and the mourners of Bethany!

    Who did they tell of this confirmation of Israel’s Messiah?

    Last time we followed the storyline of the Good News (as Jesus retreated to the hills one last time). But now we will return to Bethany and follow the thread of bad news (no doubt texted ahead to the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem). Now we turn to a divergent path headed in a different direction.

    Path of the Betrayer

    6 Now he [ Judas Iscariot ] said this, not because he cared about the poor [for he had never cared about them], but because he was a thief; and since he had the money box [serving as treasurer for the twelve disciples], he used to pilfer what was put into it.

    7 So Jesus said, “Let her alone, so that she may keep [the rest of] it for the day of My burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.”

    The impulse of betrayal

    What does a zealous follower of a powerful man do when spurned by his idolized leader who fails to take the path he had expected?

    (Perhaps this is not so irrelevant to these times and leaders as well.)

    Judas would have texted other zealots he knew in the capital, those in the palaces of power.

    Roger Harned- talkofJesus.com

    John 13:

    Once more, jumping ahead to follow Judas after the Messiah’s triumphal entry to the gates of Judah’s capital:

    2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him…

    To Peter the Lord said:

    … You are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For he knew who would betray him. This is why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

    Judas’ Betrayal Predicted

    You’ve entered the Holy gathering at the Table with the Lord.

    HAVE YOU CHECKED YOUR CELL PHONES?

    You just can’t wait to tell your friends back home and waiting in the public square what has just happened. But just for a moment you allow Jesus to lead the events in the room.

    “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”

    22 Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake.

    After a murmuring among those present John tells us that after the urging of Peter he asks the unspoken question on everyone’s mind.

    6 Jesus then answered,

    “That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.”

    So when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.

    A devil revealed reacts

    John has already witnessed in his Gospel that Judas is a devil of a disciple who will betray Jesus. He has also witnessed that Jesus called the leaders of Jerusalem by the same.

    So what will these devils of conspiracy against all righteousness do?

    What would they do in this day?

    Communicate! — “TXT ME“

    After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”

    John 13:27 NASB – Judas Iscariot and the command of Jesus

    IF you were the betrayer, wouldn’t you immediately go for your communication device?

    We have to post an ‘update‘ to our ‘friend‘ network in the world we love?

    So did Judas!

    30 So after receiving the morsel he went out immediately; and it was night.

    Returning to Jerusalem

    Judas has left the Lord Jesus on a different path. (I pray that you have not left the presence of the Lord as well, claimer of Christ your savior for this brief life.)

    The Messiah Jesus called Judas a devil – διάβολος diábolos

    • prone to slander, slanderous, accusing falsely
    • metaph. applied to a man who, by opposing the cause of God, may be said to act the part of the devil or to side with him

    Do you follow anyone like that?

    (Better not text them or pay much attention to their media campaigns pointed at you and their ‘followers.’)

    Do you believe that men and women like Judas claim authority as “followers of the Lord?“

    You will always have the poor and you will always have those who do evil in the eyes of the Lord!

    False leaders must ultimately promote a lie of their own false traditions and compromised purity. John uncovers the motives of these ‘leaders.’

    Judas had hoped Jesus would overthrow Jerusalem’s autocratic, aristocratic religious leaders and their Roman allies violently, but the Messiah chose a sacrificial path.

    Now we return to the capital of the land in an earlier visit.

    John 8:

    We have examined this defendant of the devil before in Before Abraham was, I AM! Jesus had called these same leaders with false interpretation of Scripture and devious leadership to their own cultural ends, ‘devils!’

    37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.

    42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God…

    “You are of your father the devil, G1228 and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks [fn]a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of [fn]lies.

    45 But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me.

    Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death.”

    The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon.

    John 8:51-52a NASB

    What do you think?

    What BREAKING NEWS will you TXT ahead?

    • Will you remain with the Messiah, essentially following obediently as commanded as did the eleven?
    • Or will you betray your only Hope of cleansing of your sin (and text ahead to the world that the Messiah isn’t what you thought?)

    Perhaps you’ve been listening to distorted news of the powers you seek from principalities you cannot touch. You need to identify with these ‘leaders’ of the world and in the world.

    What is your reaction to the Messiah Jesus approaching in these last days?

    To be continued...
  • Jesus – Traveling to and from Bethany

    Jesus – Traveling to and from Bethany

    Departing Bethany

    Jesus the Messiah has just given the Jews of Judea a sign proving that He IS the Son of God. For after traveling some distance on foot to Bethany the Lord arrived to find his friend Lazarus dead. Then to the amazement of all, Jesus calls Lazarus from the tomb.

    The Messiah gives back to a man dead in the grave life itself!

    We pause once more in the chronological events in Jesus’ journey to the Cross and His own resurrection to look back briefly at Bethany, the town of this miracle, from Luke’s Gospel.

    Luke 10:

    Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come…

    “Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.

    This was Jesus’ caution to seventy disciples following Him. Do not be so innocent as to think that because God will save you that God’s enemies of this world will not harm you.

    “The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”

    Luke 10:16 – Commission of the Messiah Jesus to followers
    topical map of Israel from sea of Galilee, valley of the Jordan

    Jesus travels these roads between Galilee, Samaria and Judea. The Lord’s disciples know the dangers of travel in these places.

    “Who is my neighbor?”

    Jesus tells the Parable of the Good Samaritan to listeners familiar with a distrust of other travelers. The villains, however, turn out to be just the type of religious officials we look up to at church!

    Luke makes his point from Jesus’ parable most likely told to crowds coming to Jerusalem, then proceeds to introduce us to the family of Lazarus in Bethany.

    photo of Bethany
    Bethany

    38 Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word.

    But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said,

    “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.”

    But the Lord answered and said to her,

    “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

    Luke then moves on with another time and place without providing detail about their brother Lazarus, who presumably is at work somewhere away from this scene.

    Returning now to the home of Lazarus, Mary and Martha on the Lord’s later journey witnessed by John.

    John 11:

    … Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

    45 Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him.

    map from Bethany ascent to city of Jerusalem

    The Apostle John proceeds to witness the motives of the Jews who sought to kill their Messiah.

    Two paths leaving Bethany

    (God-willing, we will return to this while considering Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem, completing that for which He was sent by God the Father.)

    A road through Bethany to the Cross

    Now let’s depart Bethany with Jesus as the Lord left after healing Lazarus from death itself.

    google earth image of hills between Bethany and Jerusalem and Ephraim to the north

    54 Therefore Jesus no longer continued to walk publicly among the Jews,

    but went away from there to the country near the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim; and there He stayed with the disciples.

    Returning to Bethany

    Then as the Passover approaches many leave for Jerusalem with other pilgrims traveling to the Temple to purify themselves.

    John 12:

    Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.

    2 So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him.

    Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair.

    And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

    The Apostle John adds further description of the fragrance, adding the reaction of Judas with witness of his motives:

    “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”

    “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”

    Dining with dear friends

    Jesus and the Twelve have returned to Bethany from the small city of Ephraim in the hills to the north full-well knowing of the plot of Jerusalem’s religious leaders to kill them all.

    Yet for a brief evening, they share precious mortal time together. No man knows the value of this more than Lazarus, their host and the Son of Man who must soon depart for Jerusalem one last time.

    Lazarus come forth - photo of sunrise and Bible

    How they must have discussed the experience of DEATH.. and of RESURRECTION…

  • Lazarus – the Dead Man came out!

    Lazarus – the Dead Man came out!

    Witness of a Dead Man

    What must it be like to be dead? (Have you ever thought about it?)

    You get sick and perhaps pain increases. Your loved ones begin to look at you in a different way than when you participated in life with them.

    Although John’s Good News focuses on Jesus, dear friend of Lazarus (who just happens to be the Messiah), the mourners present for this funeral now would see Lazarus in a new light. He becomes a dead man walking out of his own grave!

    The Messiah Jesus, after having been to Jerusalem for a festival (and likely Bethany) receives a message from Mary and Martha asking for help. Jesus continues His mission while returning to Bethany, arriving four days after Lazarus’ death. The Messiah mourns publically the death of His friend.

    But then a turn of events for the dead man unexpected by the mourners of Lazarus.

    John 11:

    38 Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.

    It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.

    Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”

    One does not go into the place of the dead to pray for their soul. And what else can a mere man do to help one that has died?

    Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”

    40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”

    This goes back to their conversation about death and resurrection when Martha first spoke with Jesus as He and the Apostles approached Bethany.

    “If only you had been here, Lord,” said Martha, “my brother would never have died… “Your brother will rise again,” Jesus replied to her.

    John 11:21-23 excerpt PHILLIPS

    41 So they removed the stone.

    Witness of a prayer

    Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said,

    “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.

    I knew that You always hear Me;

    but because of the people standing around I said it,

    so that they may believe that You sent Me.”

    Does God hear you?

    If the Lord God hears you, then your public witness to the world around you had best be true.

    43 After Yeshua had said this, he shouted as loudly as he could,

    “Lazarus, come out!”

    The Messiah Jesus (Yeshua) has just shouted into an open tomb to a dead man!

    Does God the Father, Whom Jesus thanked for hearing Him, hear the Lord Jesus’ loud cry to Lazarus? Can a man dead for four days hear the loudest shout of earth or heaven?

    Resurrection of a dead friend

    “Lazarus, come forth.”

    44 The man who had died came forth…

    … bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth.

    A dead man walking. This very sight of Lazarus bound in the wrappings of death must have terrified those present!

    These sort of things do not happen.

    “Now unbind him,” Jesus told them, “and let him go home.”

    Some brave soul complied with the command of their Lord and Lazarus, a man dead in the grave, would walk weakly in amazement to the door of his own home, his sisters Martha and Mary at his side.

    The Messiah Jesus, his friend, would accompany the one He had just saved from a death already experienced.

    … for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth;

    those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life,

    those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.

    John 5:28b-29 NASB– the words of the Messiah Jesus
    You with ears to hear, 
hear the voice of Jesus 
calling out to your dead soul...

To be continued...