All posts by Luella Campbell

JOHN’S GOSPEL…WHY NO JUDGMENT? – 10

Bible Study, ,

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

These words, spoken to Nicodemus, spill over into the narrative of chapter 4 in a tender and poignant story.  Let me explain.

We are familiar with the story of Jesus’ encounter with the  Samaritan woman. She was, if anything, a woman of loose morals…a “sinner” in the eyes of religious Jews. The fact that she came for water at midday spoke volumes about her place in society…shunned, an outcast, someone the people in her village preferred to avoid.  

Why would Jesus, of all people, even acknowledge her, let alone talk to her? 

I have recently watched/listened to a number of testimonies of ex-Muslims, some from the highest echelons of Muslim society, who have had a personal encounter with Jesus.  A thread runs through every story. Despite the attitude of hatred, disgust, and contempt cultivated towards Jesus from childhood, every convert encountered, whether in a dream or a near-death experience, a person of infinite love. Never was there a word or an attitude of judgment or condemnation. 

Surely Jesus, the Son of God and Creator of the universe, has the right to be incensed by the words spoken against Him, and the cruel treatment people receive when they learn the truth about Him.  Yet, He loves despite the insults, the rejection, the enmity of mere humans. 

What was it, above all else, that drew this sinful woman to an infinitely holy man? When He disclosed His knowledge about her…

“Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.””

‭‭John‬ ‭4‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…she should have run from Him in shame, but she didn’t. Were His to her words not judgment and condemnation? No! Jesus’ treatment and words conveyed, not judgment but understanding. “I know you!” If we dig deeper, we will recognise that His message  was not “You are a sinful woman,” but “You are a thirsty woman!”

She ran back to the very people who shunned her with an exciting confession…”He knows me.” Not shame but wonder! Of all the things Jesus said to her, this disclosure hit her the hardest. “Can He be the Messiah?” 

In her sinful lifestyle, Jesus recognised a heart yearning for authentic love. Five times she tried and failed. Marriage was not the answer, so why bother. Just shack up. She could walk away if it didn’t work. She kept drinking at the wrong fountain.  

Jesus saw, not her sin but her heart. 

What dos this story say about Jesus’ attitude towards those who run from Him through ignorance or those who have been taught to hate and revile Him? He knows them! His response to the vile things people think and say about Him, and even the evil things they do in rebellion against Him, is not judgment but understanding. 

This doesn’t mean that Jesus excuses sin. Far from it! However, He knows every heart. He forgave those who crucified Him in ignorance.  

The theme of God’s forbearance runs throughout Scripture. 

David celebrated…

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103‬:‭8‬-‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus declared to a Pharisee…

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Paul wrote to believers…

“…God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

 … and preached to unbelievers…

 “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.””

‭‭Acts‬ ‭17‬:‭30‬-‭31‬ ‭NIV‬‬

What lies at the heart of God’s patience and mercy towards sinners?  The CROSS! All sin was judged at the cross. The cross casts its shadow over all time. The cross paid for the sin of all people. 

Jesus offered the Samaritan woman the living water flowing freely to all people, regardless of who she was or what she had done, if she was willing to receive it.  

If I were to invent a religion to rival the truth about Jesus, the god of my imagination would have this quality above all else…he would love and understand, not judge and condemn. 

This great truth sets Jesus apart from all others. His is a love that cancels the paralysing fear of punishment. His holiness does not drive us from Him. It draws us to Him because He has dealt with, by His own intervention, the very barrier that excludes us from His holy presence. 

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins…There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬, ‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

If there is ever a reason to believe in Jesus, it’s this. 

“People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.””

‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭16‬:‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

JOHN’S GOSPEL…NICODEMUS – 9

Bible Study, ,

“Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.””

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Nicodemus, who was he? A Pharisee…a highly educated, deeply religious, greatly respected member of the ruling class, appearing by name in John’s narrative, only a few times…an enquirer near the beginning, (chapter 3), a defender in the middle, (chapter 7), and a believer in the end (chapter 19).

Among the few honest Pharisees, Nicodemus stands out as one who had the courage to meet with Jesus, albeit alone and at night, to ask honest questions. At this stage, he was trying to connect the dots about Jesus but confused by the general expectation of the Messiah…a mighty conquering king who would come to deliver Israel from Roman oppression and set up His David-style rule over His people. Jesus was no ordinary man but yet, He didn’t fit the narrative of the anticipated Messiah.

What puzzled Nicodemus was what Jesus was doing versus what the other Pharisees were saying about Him. Why did Nicodemus say, “We know…”, as though the Pharisees were in agreement with him that Jesus was from God…?

“He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

… and yet, they denied what they secretly believed.

Jesus cut short Nicodemus’ explanations…

“Forget about what you and your colleagues think about me. Let’s look at the facts. None of this will make sense to you unless you are supernaturally born into God’s kingdom.”

“How can that happen?” Nicodemus was even more confused!

“Only through the Holy Spirit.” Jesus included the Holy Spirit in the mix…the Holy Spirit into whom Messiah would baptise His people.

The subject of this conversation mystified Nicodemus and surprised Jesus. Why did Nicodemus not understand what He was telling him?

““You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?”

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Nicodemus, of all people, should have understood the spiritual truths hidden in the Old Covenant. Had he become so “religious” in a legalistic and ritualistic sense that he had lost his spiritual connection with God?

Gently, thoroughly, Jesus began to unpack some of the symbolism of events during Israel’s journey through the wilderness. Seemingly, miracles that God did for His people on their journey, like providing miracle bread and miracle water, and like a look at the bronze serpent on a pole that saved them from the bite of poisonous snakes, became pictures of what Messiah would do.

Was Nicodemus slowly beginning to understand?

“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The man whom Nicodemus admired was, after all, not just a man sent from God to do the works of God. He was none other than the Son of God! He came to do the greatest work of God…to save His people from the penalty of sin by being ”lifted up” on the cross.

The door to the kingdom of God was open, not by trying to obey God’s laws but believing what God had done through His Son. “Then, Nicodemus, this spiritual conversation will make sense to you.”

To Nicodemus, this conversation only added to his confusion. His anticipation of Messiah as king needed to undergo a radical change as Jesus added the dimension of the cross to his incomplete understanding of Messiah’s work. The “Suffering Servant” of Isaiah’s prophecy would only come into full view when Jesus was “lifted up” on the cross.

To be continued…

JOHN’S GOSPEL…DESTROY THIS TEMPLE -8

Bible Study, ,

When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.”…

“The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.”

‭‭John‬ ‭2‬:‭13-15, 18‬-‭19‬, ‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus had just driven the merchandisers out of the temple with a whip, scattering money and making mayhem of the birds and animals being sold for sacrifices. Imagine that! So mundane had their worship in God’s “house” become to them that they thought nothing of trading in the very precincts of the temple.  

Jesus was enraged. This behaviour was the most blatant expression of disrespect and lack of the fear of God.  The merchants and money changers deserved the treatment they got from Him!

The religious leaders, who were no doubt at the helm of this disgraceful spectacle for a cut of the profits, were equally enraged. Someone had dared to overstep their authority! The whole issue was not about what Jesus had done but who had given Him authority to go over their heads and do what He had done. He was in serious trouble if He had acted without valid authorisation. 

Jesus’ response was mystifying. If He said, “My authority comes from God,” they could have counter claimed…”but we have God’s authority in Israel.” It was His word against theirs. 

Proof! Evidence! 

Jesus refused to engage in a futile argument. “I’ll show you the evidence of my authority,” was His strategy. Across the whole spectrum of the gospels, Jesus, acting on the Father’s authority, provided the people with signs of His legitimate authority against which there was no argument.  He backed up His claim to be the Son of God with signs they could not explain. Who could argue with that? The Pharisees tried to identify His authority as Beelzebub but this made no sense.  

“Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see…But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.” 

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭12‬:‭22‬, ‭24‬, ‭26‬-28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Pharisees had no answer! Hard as they tried, because of the evidence, they could not disprove His claims.  They had only one alternative! Silence Him forever, so they thought!

Jesus response to their question, 

“What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” 

…prophetically pointing them to the greatest of all evidence that He was the Son of God to whom the Father has given all authority in heaven and on earth. 

So, John  concludes…

“After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.”

…the resurrection of Jesus is the final and irrefutable evidence and proof that He IS the Son of God, that He IS Lord, and that He HAS all authority in heaven and on earth. 

To be continued…

JOHN’S GOSPEL…NEW WINE -7

Bible Study, ,

“On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding….“Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.”

‭‭John‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭2‬, ‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Without going into the details of this story which we know well, let’s examine John’s reason for beginning his record of “signs”, that Jesus was both the Son of God and the Messiah, with a story about a wedding. 

Wine and a wedding? Not unusual in the context of Jewish life but significant in Jesus’ life because it symbolised the purpose of His sojourn on earth. 

Marriage is God’s idea. The Bible begins with a wedding…Adam and Eve joined together in a union authorised by their Creator, the beginning of their love story…and ends with a wedding, between Jesus and His bride, the church joined together forever in a union of love…the culmination of His love story. 

An integral part of a wedding celebration is, of course, wine! Strangely enough, wine is also God’s idea. “Religious” people might repudiate drinking wine but God chose to include it in His Word and in the context of a wedding. 

“He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate— bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread that sustains their hearts.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭104‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Wine heightens and enhances human enjoyment when taken in moderation but causes havoc when imbibed to excess. So do many other things when taken too far. 

Jesus’ presence at this wedding and His subsequent intervention to provide wine endorses both marriage and the drinking of wine.   However, it has an even greater significance, as John points out, in our understanding of Jesus’ mission on earth. 

Among the many miracles Jesus did, John chose this one to introduce his readers to Jesus’ glory. This is a mystery. How can a wedding and some wine cast light on Jesus and magnify His character and attributes?

We must dig deeper to find the significance of Jesus’ action in these human activities. The entire record of Jesus from Genesis to Revelation is a love story…of a Father seeking a bride for His Son.  After wooing Israel, His chosen people, to no avail, the Father sent His Son in person to purchase, save, and set apart a people for Himself.  

The purpose of the Son was to espouse to Himself a people who would be filled with the “new wine” of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit would restore the joy of the true and eternal union of God and His people. 

Paul endorsed this symbolism in his encouragement to the Ephesian church….

“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The ”sign” of the abundance of the “best wine” at the wedding in Cana of Galilee was the greatest possible way of introducing Jesus to His people… the glory of the God who came in person to find a bride and to fill her with the joy of His own presence in her forever. 

So, this story heads the list of “signs” because it starts with a picture of the end result, the marriage supper of the Lamb and the union of Jesus and His bride forever. We celebrate the anticipation, sealed and filled with the “new wine” of the Holy Spirit, we await the moment of our marriage to our eternal bridegroom on that day when He returns to take us to Father’s house to be with Him forever. 

JOHN’S GOSPEL…FOLLOW ME – 6

Bible Study, ,

“Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter)…

John’s record of Jesus calling His disciples differs from the stories told by Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Why is this? Does it mean that the Bible is inaccurate or contradictory? Not at all! What if John was recording what happened before Jesus officially ratified His choice of the Twelve after a night of prayer?

“The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭40‬-‭45‬, ‭47‬-‭49‬ ‭NIV‬‬

 Jesus’ call to follow Him was both general and specific. 

“One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬

From a larger group, He chose twelve men who would follow Him, walk with Him, live with Him, learn from Him, trust Him, love Him and, except for one defector, Judas, eventually carry on His mission across the known world… and some would even die for Him. 

What convinced Jesus’ first followers that He was indeed their Messiah, however they understood, at that moment, what “Messiah” meant?

It happened as a chain of events.

  1. John pointed two of his disciples to Jesus. 

True to his calling, John the Baptiser turned his attention away from himself to Jesus. Two of his unnamed disciples got the message and went after Jesus to discover for themselves who He was. One of these two turned out to be Andrew. 

“When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.”

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭37‬-‭39‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Why did they want to know where He was living? Was it a veiled request to spend time with Him?

A whole day with Jesus! What did they learn that cemented their conviction that He was indeed their Messiah? It would be impossible to spend a few hours with Jesus without coming away convinced that He was far more than just a man!

  1. Andrew went home and told Simon, his brother. 

 Of course Andrew couldn’t keep quiet! How could he when he had found the very person the whole of Israel was anticipating with eager longing. What a find!

“The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus…”

John 1:41 NIV

If Andrew’s story didn’t convince Simon, surely Jesus’ first words to him must have blown his mind…

“Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).”

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭42‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  1. Jesus noticed Philip

On Jesus’ way to Galilee, Philip caught His attention. How? Where? We don’t know, but it happened. 

  1. Philip found Nathanael

Nathanael was more than convinced. He was gobsmacked, sold out. How did that happen? 

Jesus made a strange comment…

“When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭47‬-‭48‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“I know who you are! I saw you under the fig tree! I know what you were doing! I know why you came to me…because Philip told you!” What more did Nathanael need to convince him that Jesus was no ordinary man. 

Let’s unpack Jesus’ words…”an Israelite in whom is no deceit…” “I know you!”Jesus affirmed Nathanael’s character…a genuine, honest man. 

“I saw you…” Not only did Jesus see into him, He also knew where he was, “under the fig tree…”, symbolically still under the yoke of Judaism, locked into a system of slavery to the law. Was Nathanael faithfully praying the ritual prayers of Judaism “under the fig tree” both literally and symbolically since the fig tree was a symbol of Israel? Was Nathanael hoping that even in his faithfulness to his religious practices, someday Messiah would come to free him from the law to something much better?

Nathaniel’s response to Jesus’ affirmation was an explosion of excitement, anticipation, and hope! 

“Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭49‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus concluded His revelation with words that would resonate in Nathanael’s spirit…a fulfilment of his great ancestor, Jacob’s dream. 

“Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭50‬-‭51‬ ‭NIV‬

Jesus…the ladder between heaven and earth!

The chain is growing longer! Andrew, Simon, Philip, Nathanael…four men convinced that Jesus was the Messiah!

To be continued…