All posts by Luella Campbell

12 BY THE WAY…WHAT DID JESUS WRITE?

Bible Study, ,

There’s a story in John’s gospel that doesn’t appear in the original text…but perfectly fits the context. It’s a story about Jesus and the Pharisees…and a woman who, seemingly by chance, got caught in the act of adultery. 

If we ignore the context, we come out with a mysterious situation…and one full of conjectures and a variety of interpretations. Why did the Pharisees happen to discover this sordid situation…obviously taking place behind closed doors? Why were they so keen to drag the guilty woman before Jesus but leave the equally guilty man behind! Of course, it takes two to tango!

What was their motive for setting this up, if it was a setup? Was this about the woman and her guilt…the rightness of punishing her according the law of Moses…or about something more sinister? 

In the background, another Jewish festival was in progress…the Feast of Tabernacles, the last feast of the Jewish calendar year. Jesus arrived late for the feast after a tangle with His brothers… but just in time for the closing ceremony. The high priest was pouring out a jug of water on the ground. What did this mean?

“Pouring water during the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) was a symbolic prayer and ritual asking God for rain and celebrating His spiritual and physical provision.” (Google AI)

For Jesus, water had a far greater significance. It symbolised the life  of God, in the person of His Spirit, available and given to anyone who was thirsty. So, He called out in a loud voice and made the offer to anyone who would come to Him. 

“On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.””

‭‭John‬ ‭7‬:‭37‬-‭38‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus’ invitation was the culmination of centuries of Israel’s defiance. In the words of Jeremiah…

“This is what the Lord says: “What fault did your ancestors find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves… “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭2‬:‭5‬, ‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“In John 7:37, the “water” or “living water” that Jesus offers symbolizes the Holy Spirit, who brings spiritual life and eternal satisfaction to believers.”

(Google AI)

Let’s watch how this scene played  out. 

Not only did the Pharisees reject Jesus’ offer of ”living water” but they also planned to arrest Him for blasphemy.  They sent the temple guards to do the job…but the guards returned empty handed. They were mesmerised by Jesus’ words. 

“Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?” “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied.”

‭‭John‬ ‭7‬:‭45‬-‭46‬ ‭NIV‬‬

So, against this backdrop, the Pharisees devised a plan. 

They happened, conveniently, to find and, consequently, dragged an adulterous woman before Jesus for His verdict. Would He forgive her and in doing so, violate the law of Moses or…would He condemn her and go against His own nature?

Jesus did something else…He said nothing. Instead, He bent down and wrote on the ground.  Now, here’s the puzzle. Why did He write, with His finger, on the ground? What did He write? 

There have been many guesses at what He wrote! Amazingly enough…the Bible itself gives us the answer…and in context! Jesus knew the Word…and so did the Pharisees! After all, He is the Word! 

What Jesus wrote in the dust shocked the Pharisees so much that they quietly slunk away and left the woman at Jesus’ feet. 

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? …Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭17‬:‭9‬, ‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

There it is…as clear as daylight! What did Jesus write? The names of every Pharisee involved in the scam! What was Jesus saying…without saying a word?

“i know you. I know your hearts. I  know your guilt…and I know your names!”

Jesus knew that these men had rejected His offer of living water. They were bent on trapping Him…in the end, to kill Him. He knew their plot and the setup they had created…and the names of every one of them. 

So He wrote their names in the dust…as a warning…a verdict…and a sentence! 

The perpetrators were shocked…guilty, and terrified…so they quietly disappeared!

There was another spinoff of Jesus’ action. An indictment and a guilty verdict needed at least two witnesses according to Mosaic law…so He made the witnesses go away!

The witnesses gone, Jesus was exonerated. He could apply His mercy, forgive the guilty woman, and set her free. 

11 BY THE WAY…WHAT IS REAL FREEDOM?

Christian Life, ,

Freedom is a buzz word these days. Everyone wants to be free. Society is full of people who so badly want to be free that they break every rule in the book in the name of “freedom”! 

The trouble is that this so-called freedom may free up behaviour but it enslaves the heart to the worst kind of bondage…to sin…to a conscience that never keeps quiet …until it stops working. A silent conscience is a sinister warning…not freedom but a dangerous delusion! 

“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.”

‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In context, Paul was writing about people who taught religious scruples that had nothing to do with the gospel. In the broader context, those who follow their false beliefs with either false self-righteousness or unrestrained behaviour end up with a conscience that fails to register truth. Either way, they have traded a conscience that is programmed by truth to a conscience that registers nothing but approval for whatever they believe and do. A dead conscience is the worst kind of freedom because there is no longer any warning or caution on the downward slide towards the fire. 

So, what is true freedom and how can we live within its boundaries and experience its benefits?

There are two steps and a progression towards freedom. The progression begins with a change of allegiance and a change of direction. There can never be freedom while the self is in control. The self will always demand gratification. Gratification will always act in self-interest at the expense of others…leading to sin…and registering guilt. 

The first step towards freedom is to answer the call to follow Jesus. Union with Jesus and obedience to Him is God’s design and the only way that works. He, in turn, leads us towards the righteousness which provides the boundaries inside which we find the freedom we crave.  

Let me illustrate.  

A toddler is a free agent…a little person who can do anything it desires if left to itself. How can a parent keep a toddler safe? By providing the boundaries within which it is free to play. A mother would never allow her little one to play in a garden without a fence and a secured gate. 

For us, who was want to be truly free, we need the “fence and gate”of Jesus’ word, provided by the relationship of true disciples…step number one in this progression…

“Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.”

‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭31‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus’ teachings form the boundary fence of our safety.  Safety from what? Safety from the bondage to sin..and the guilt, shame, and fear that follow sinful behaviour, words, and attitudes. 

Jesus’ teachings are not only the fence that keeps us safe. Following His teachings also leads us to real freedom. 

“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭32‬ ‭NLT‬‬

So, you see, to be really free…free from slavery to sin and the haunting guilt of an accusing conscience…simply knowing the truth is not enough. Real freedom is the end result of…

…following and learning from Jesus…

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬-‭30‬ ‭NLT‬‬

…and obeying His commandments…

“If you love me, obey my commandments.”

‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In the end, there is only one person who can unlock the prison doors and set us free…

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭61‬:‭1‬ NIV

Who is He?  Jesus!

“Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭34‬, ‭36‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The world says that freedom is to kick over all the traces…to live without boundaries… according to every desire and appetite. God’s Word tells us that, to be truly free, we must go back to the beginning, where God made humans to be in harmony and partnership with Him. The only way to do this is to renounce the right to self-rule…to hand over one’s life to the authority of Jesus…and to receive from Him the nature and power to become a true disciple and follower. That’s the only freedom that works. 

10 BY THE WAY…WHY DID PETER FALL?

Bible Study, ,

One thing we need to keep in mind when we read the stories of Jesus and people…we must follow the story to its end. We must let Jesus finish what He started. There is always something good that comes out of a bad situation. 

Take the account of Peter’s denial, for example. 

 Let’s be real. Many of us think that Jesus warned Peter about denying Him before it happened to show him up for what he really was…to catch him out for being a coward when the chips were down…or even, perhaps, to stop him before it happened. 

What was the real reason for Jesus’ warning? If we follow the story as it is played out, something begins to emerge. 

Peter was the cock-sure, motor-mouth, know-it-all, self-appointed spokesperson in the group. He was always the first to speak, to make a comment, to reply, to say what the others were thinking…and then…to assure Jesus of his undying loyalty when he had no idea of how real the danger was, or how much his inflated ego would expose him and disqualify him from grace. 

On many occasions, Jesus had attempted to alert His disciples to what lay ahead for Him but…they refused to take Him seriously. Peter had actually rebuked Him for daring to think that way. 

“From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

After a few years of living intimately with Jesus, seeing how His words and actions had endeared Him to the people but antagonised the religious leaders, the disciples were finally beginning to realise that Jesus was in real danger of going too far. At the final Passover celebration, the penny began to drop. 

It was in the “upper room”,  on that night when the New Covenant was revealed…and sealed, that who Peter thought he was began to unravel.  Judas had left…the mood was sombre…the disciples were uneasy, afraid, unsure of what to think…then..Jesus dropped a bomb…

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” 

Peter was startled…shocked…outraged…how could Jesus ever accuse him of doing such a thing…or even think of such a thing… he, Peter, the stone…the strong, steady, loyal, brave one?

“But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” 

No, Peter, it’s time to find out who you really are!

“Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭22‬:‭31‬-‭34‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Peter reassured Jesus that, no matter what, he would be there for Him…

…and then…it happened…just like Jesus said it would…and Peter was devastated…broken…exposed! After all his protesting and promising, he fell flat on his face…and Jesus was right. He was only a big mouth with nothing inside to back up his words. 

Why did this happen? What was really going on here? One thing is sure…Jesus didn’t make it happen but…He knew it would happen and…in His knowing, He had a plan. 

Peter didn’t know it then but… grace was at work. 

Unlike Judas, who, after his dastardly deed, finally ended his own life, Peter was on a life-changing learning curve. Devastated as he was at his own failure, he stayed the course…not knowing how it would end but hanging around with the rest of the group who were, in actual fact, also guilty of the same failure, but less dramatic…because he had nowhere else to go. 

“Then all his disciples deserted him and ran away.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭14‬:‭50‬ NLT

What would Jesus do with this cowardly bunch?

The sequel to this story is the revelation of the real Jesus…the one of whom Isaiah spoke centuries before He came. 

“He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭42‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In the face of gross cowardice, Jesus gently restored His fallen friend…three times…one question for each denial…beside a charcoal fire…at the spot where it all began…not with accusation…or discipline…or probation…or a warning.  Just, “Peter, do you love me?”

That was it! The past was wiped out with a simple question…asked three times, one for each denial…to clear his debt.  Did Peter get it? Would he ever forget? There were always three triggers to remind him…a charcoal fire…a crowing rooster…a lakeside breakfast! 

For the whole group…a shared meal…the symbol of reconciliation…camaraderie…togetherness!

What a life-lesson for fickle, failing, fallen saints! Jesus doesn’t interfere or halt the process. He allows it to play out to the end. He doesn’t disqualify…retrench…fire! He doesn’t put us on probation…rehabilitate…demote! He loves without faltering. Then He asks, “Do you love me?”  After the failure, not disqualification but a new assignment…three times!

Love is the only enduring qualification that obliterates failure and begins again…sets a fallen follower back on the road and keeps him going to the end. Love is the only powerful bond that holds Jesus and His people together through thick and thin until they reach the destination…together. 

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins….We love because he first loved us.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭9‬-‭10‬, ‭19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We all need this lesson because we know how quick the accuser is to cash in…to condemn…to crush with guilt…to separate with shame…when we fall…but not Jesus! Failure is a better teacher than all the warnings. It’s on-the-job training…a life-lesson on steroids! 

When we feel the pain, we don’t forget. Do we disappoint Jesus? No! We trigger His grace…forgiveness…restoration…and the sober awareness of who we really are. Yes! Gone for good the hot air…the inflated ego…the false notion that we can go it alone…and there is no better lesson that we can learn! 

9 BY THE WAY…WHY WAS JESUS CONDEMNED TO DIE?

Bible Study, ,

There were many players in the plot to crucify Jesus. Some were in the forefront of the scheme…others in the background but…in actual fact…representatives of all the people groups of the world throughout all time…were responsible. 

The Jewish leaders were the prime movers. The gospels make this clear. John records, on more than one occasion, that the religious hierarchy wanted Him dead. They tried to have Him arrested many times but, for Him, the time wasn’t right. 

Jesus still had allies among the people…the many whom He had healed, delivered, and blessed with His love but…they were also fickle and unpredictable. The Jewish leaders still had to manage the unruly population, and turn the tide of opinion against Him. 

The Jewish expectation that the Messiah would rescue them from Roman occupation still ran high. The religious leaders had already decided that Jesus was not who He claimed to be. The situation was delicately poised. One miscalculation, one wrong move could ruin their chances of success. 

The Romans were also players in this game…headed by Pilate. Jerusalem during Passover was a powder keg. Jews came from every corner of the Roman Empire. Thousands swelled the population of Jerusalem. If they rioted…and it would not take much to set them off…the situation would be catastrophic. 

The Jewish leaders…the Roman occupiers…these were the main players in the death of Jesus. There were others behind the scenes…the Jewish people, followers, not leaders…but skilfully manipulated by their religious overlords. 

The entire scope of human life…from the first pair who jumped ship to side with evil… to the last person who ever lives on this planet…condemned Jesus to death. We are all guilty before God, alienated and condemned…and needing a sacrificial substitute to rescue us from eternal destruction. 

Strangely enough, it was the Father Himself who orchestrated this travesty of justice. It had to be to fulfil His plan. 

Predicted by the prophet…

“Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know…”

…executed by the Jews…

…”This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭22‬-‭24‬

…and endorsed by the Father. 

…”by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge…”

So, what was the charge that ended Jesus’ life?

At the crux, the heart of the accusation…the charge…was this claim…not that He was the Son of God but that He was the Son of Man. At face value, the title “Son of Man” seems innocent. What was wrong with His calling Himself a son of humans…an ordinary man…which is exactly what the people of Nazareth thought He was when He claimed to fulfil Isaiah’s prophecy? 

“He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked…”

 In the synagogue in Nazareth,  at the mention of the Gentiles, the mood changed…

“All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬-‭22‬, ‭28‬-‭29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

So, what was the real issue for Jesus’ accusers?

This title “Son of Man”, which Jesus used of Himself more than any other title, represented the pinnacle of royal power, authority, and sovereign rule over the nations, according to Daniel’s vision. Jesus claimed the title for Himself…in the courtroom…in front of the judges…on trial for His life. What else could the Sanhedrin, the highest court in the land, do but declare Him guilty… but for one omission…evidence!

Across their entire Scriptures, from cover to cover, was the prophetic blueprint of the Messiah, the Son of Man. All they had to do was to match the evidence with the blueprint… but they refused…chose prejudice in place of justice and condemned Him to death and…by implication, condemned themselves. 

“But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” They all condemned him as worthy of death.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭14‬:‭61‬-‭64‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“The Son of Man”! Why was this title such a hot potato? 

Daniel!

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

‭‭Daniel‬ ‭7‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ NIV

In the midst of the chaotic scenes of fearsome beasts…representing worldly kingdoms rising and falling, Daniel saw God’s throne room…and one who looked like a “son of man”, a human but with supreme authority and power…receiving from “the Ancient of Days” the authority to reign over the kingdom of God. 

The Jewish leaders were incensed. This was blasphemy, worthy of death, from Jesus’ own mouth…just what they needed to seal His fate. All their accusations of blasphemy came to a head in this one statement…and by His own admission. The gavel fell…guilty and condemned. 

Every other accusation…treason by Rome… rabble-rouser by the people…was swallowed up in His own words…

…and so He had to die!

8 BY THE WAY…ONE THING

Christian Life, ,

There are three people and three occasions when the expression, “One thing” is used in Scripture. Three people…these are the most illustrious, the most well known of all the people in Scripture…

David…the model king and forerunner of Jesus, Israel’s final and eternal king. David was the human ancestor of the Messiah, who was born of David’s human dynasty…Jesus, the son of David. 

“One thing”… When did David speak these words? He wrote them as an expression of desire and purpose in one of his most beautiful psalms…a prayer to which God responded…and will always respond. 

“The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭27‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This prayer has an answer and a sequel which I will explain in a moment. 

The Hebrew words David used to express his longing give us the breadth of his idea. He wanted to sit down, to settle in God’s house…the place where God lived…to gaze at and contemplate God’s splendour with delight…and to (“plough”, literally) inspect the capacity of His palace or temple. 

David’s desire might have been to remain forever in the place where he met God…but the temple had not yet been built…and the tabernacle was in Shiloh, not in Jerusalem… so David had set up tent of worship in his home city, Jerusalem. I think that what he really wanted was to be in God’s presence, to be aware of Him, always, wherever he was. 

At this point in the history of God’s people, His presence, in their understanding, was confined to a place…the tabernacle in the wilderness…then in Shiloh… and, eventually, the temple in Jerusalem. 

God’s answer came in a simple invitation…

“My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭27‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

David was to learn that God’s presence was not in a place but wherever he was, a breath and a call away, not someone he could see but someone whose voice he could hear. 

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The second time this expression was used was in the mouth of Jesus Himself…an accolade to Mary of Bethany. Martha, the older sister, was resentful towards Mary, demanding Mary’s presence in the kitchen while Mary had chosen to sit at Jesus’ feet.  

Jesus’ rebuke was kind, gentle, but telling. “Many things, Martha…you have chosen to give your attention to many things…distractions…ordinary things. Mary has chosen one thing!”  

What was the difference? Martha’s attention was split among many things.  Mary’s was focused on the one thing that mattered. Did this mean that Mary would do only one thing her whole life? No! This meant that Mary would build her whole life around one thing. 

However, Mary had one lesson to learn before she could offer her devotion to Jesus completely, without strings attached. 

Fast forward to another scene in Bethany. Lazarus was dead. Mary was devastated, disillusioned, her faith in Jesus utterly destroyed. The one on whom she had pinned all her hopes had failed her. He didn’t come in time to save her brother. 

Her rebuke was loaded with accusation.  

“When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

‭‭John‬ ‭11‬:‭32‬ ‭NLT‬‬

…the same words as Martha had used but uttered from a broken heart. 

Jesus wept, His heart bleeding for the woman who had lost her “one thing” before He could finish what He had started. She had not yet learned to trust Jesus for who He was, not for what she wanted. 

Now look at “the Mary” after Lazarus was given back to her, alive and well…her “one thing” confirmed and sealed. 

“Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.”

‭‭John‬ ‭12‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

…not the odour of death and loss but the fragrance of pure devotion. 

Mary was His forever, pouring out her best on Him…unconditionally bound to Him by a faith that could never again be shaken. 

The third “one thing”…the one that completes our understanding of where the “one thing” must land…comes from the pen of Paul…

“No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“The end of the race”…”the heavenly prize “…the language of the Olympic Games…not a laurel wreath but a crown…crowned.with righteousness…the new nature…a new image…a perfected identity…a replica of Jesus Himself

In John’s language…

“Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT

 There three “one things” are going somewhere. David wanted to gaze. Mary wanted to sit. Paul chose to strive…to reach the goal.  They all wanted to land at the same place…the image of Jesus…and the process was the same…being in the presence of Jesus. 

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Gazing…contemplating…the key to being transformed…becoming…full circle…everything that God intended for His sons and daughters to be from the beginning…just like Jesus.