Tag Archives: sign

A PLAN COMES TOGETHER

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A PLAN COMES TOGETHER

“At first His disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about Him and that these things had been done to Him.

“Now the crowd that was with Him when He called Lazarus from the tomb and raised Him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that He had performed this sign, went out to meet Him. So, the Pharisees said to one another, ‘See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after Him!'” John 12:16-19 NIV.

Although John was writing as though he were an objective observer, we must remember that he was one of the disciples and he knew the inside story. He was one of those who did not realize that Jesus was fulfilling prophecy in front of their eyes. Once again, like all the other events in Jesus’ life, none of this would make sense to them until it was all over, and they could put all the pieces of the puzzle together and see the bigger picture under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

We cannot blame the disciples for their slowness to understand and believe. Everything that was happening was outside their experience and their frame of reference. Like the women who went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus, (and found the tomb empty and a glowing figure sitting inside who told them an outlandish story about Jesus being risen which was enough to terrify the wits out of them), the disciples could not correctly process these events until they had time to make sense of them with hindsight.  

It seems that the Lazarus incident set off a wave of popularity for Jesus that sent the Pharisees into a frenzy. Things were getting out of hand and it was time for them to take action rather than to keep meeting and planning.

In the meantime…

“There were some Greeks among them who went up to worship at the Feast. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘we would like to see Jesus.’ Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.” John 12:20-22 NIV.

Two stories are running parallel here. There were dark forces egging the religious leaders on to get rid of Jesus, stirring up the jealousy, hatred and anger that dragged them deeper and deeper into their ungodly intentions. At the same time, there were men, Gentiles and foreigners, who were moved by the stories they were hearing about Jesus. Was it mere curiosity that prompted their request, or was there a genuine interest in what they were hearing about this man because there was answering response in their hearts?

John stated the reason for their presence in Jerusalem. They had come to worship at the Feast. That put them squarely in the camp of the “God-fearers” – Gentiles who had abandoned their idolatry and had become adherents of Judaism, not yet inducted into the covenant but participating in the ceremonies and festivals of the Jewish people. Somehow, in spite of the ritualistic rigmarole of Judaism, they had been attracted to their monotheistic religion that worshipped an unseen God who received and embraced them although they were not part of His covenant people.

As the events of this saga unfold, in the sovereignty of God He was slowly moving the two camps closer together — antagonists who wanted to kill Jesus and sympathisers who were interested in what He was saying and doing. The two stories converged at the cross; the killers accomplished, in the perfect plan of God, what the enquirers would need to complete their search after God!

Only a wise and sovereign God could devise and put into action a plan so complex and yet so precise that prophecy, human hatred and divine love could meet at one strategic moment in time and effect a deliverance so great that embraces all of time and eternity and shines the spotlight on the mercy and grace of the One who put it all into action.

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

BREAD FROM HEAVEN

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BREAD FROM HEAVEN

“Then they asked Him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.’ So they asked Him, ‘What sign, then, will you give so that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”‘

“Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’

“‘Sir,’ they said, ‘always give us this bread.'” John 6:28-34.

These people were well influenced by their religious leaders and still thought and operated in the natural.

Jesus had just challenged them, ‘Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life which the Son of Man will give you.’ John 6:27a. Their response was, ‘What must we do…?’ thinking that there was something extra that they must add to their already burdensome performance to guarantee them an eternal existence beyond the grave.

Jesus’ response took them back to the simple requirement He had persistently told them which they did not seem to hear or understand. It was not about works but about faith in Him that opened the door to what He called “life”. The people clung to Moses as their model because he was the agent through whom God did mighty miracles in the wilderness and delivered them from the Egyptians.

Despite their ancestors’ grumbling against Moses and their disobedience and unbelief towards God and His miraculous interventions, God’s people still saw these mighty miracles as the sign that it was God who was with them and who led them to the Promised Land.

According to them, it was Moses who had given them the manna which sustained them for forty years in the wilderness. He didn’t multiply a few barley loaves to feed a few thousand. He gave them an abundance of manna every morning which fed millions! That was Moses’ sign that it was God who was doing it. ‘What can you do, Jesus, to better that?’

Already their unbelief was working overtime! Why did they follow Him across the lake in the first place, and then back to Capernaum when they didn’t find Him where He had been the day before? Was it because He was feeding their souls with the living bread — His word? No! He had already diagnosed their motive — a free meal at God’s expense! They were certainly “working” for that bread.

Providing manna for millions of people every day was a small miracle compared with the greater miracle of God coming in person to provide “bread” that would sustain them forever, but they could not see it. The life He offered them was not simply an extra-long biological life on the earth but a supernatural quality of life in union with Him that freed them from the fear, guilt and shame that drove them to hide from God because of their sin.

The “bread” of which Jesus spoke was a symbol of the bread, Himself through His word, that would nourish and sustain their spirits in an unbreakable connection with Himself. Since He would do away with the barrier of sin which had disconnected them from God and left them unprotected against the judgment of God, they would reconciled to God. They would be able to live in fellowship with Him without the sacrifices and mediators they were forced to go through now.

Once again, their response revealed their misunderstanding of His offer. The Samaritan woman thought He was offering her a supply of water that would relieve her of the burden of carrying water from the well every day. They thought that He would give them bread, like the manna, which simply fell from heaven and saved them the labour of having to bake their daily supply.

Since their minds were locked into the natural, as we shall see, their unbelief mirrored the unbelief of their ancestors and they forfeited the opportunity to receive this “bread” and enter the fullness of the life Jesus offered.

Have you “eaten” this bread? Have you confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believed in your heart that God raised Him from the dead? If you have, you will be saved.

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

THE GOSPEL OF MARK – BE ON YOU GUARD

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BE ON YOU GUARD

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”

5 Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 6 Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 8 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. Mark 13:3-8

The brothers must have taken to heart what Jesus had said to them because they came back to Him later with this question, “When is this going to happen?” and “What sign …how will we know when the end is about to happen?” They were aware that this present order of things must come to an end. There was a hope in them that the imperfect with its suffering and evil would not be the final state of affairs.

Jesus had indicated that there was no permanence in their temple but it was also true that there was no permanence in a corrupted creation with its wicked oversight. Wars and natural disasters would continue and even escalate and so would the number of deceivers that would arise in the world. The problem is not with those who come from the ranks of politics and false religions. They are easier to recognise than those who come from within the church.

Because people are lazy or reluctant to study the Scriptures for themselves, many are ill‑equipped to discern the deception which is subtle and closely resembles the truth. Deceivers may be dazzling, popular and convincing but they are dangerous and deadly. To follow their teaching is to veer off course and to move farther and farther from the truth. Jesus’ words to His disciples and to us are, “Be on your guard. You have been warned.”

There are at least two categories of teachers that undermine the two main parts of Messiah’s identity   prosperity preachers who feed on the ‘yetzer harah’, a Hebrew term that refers to the attitude of person who is selfish and self-centred, and prophecy interpreters who undermine the nature of our ruler-ship with Christ now. Peter was guilty of misunderstanding the content of his confession. He saw Jesus as one who would overcome Rome and restore Israel’s political glory. Jesus came to teach us how to rule over our own unruly hearts first. He came to teach and demonstrate obedience and submission to the Father, even if it meant suffering and loss in this life. Anything that contradicted the heart of Messiah’s disposition was deception.

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – THE SIGN OF JONAH

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THE SIGN OF JONAH

“As the crowd swelled, He took a fresh tack: ‘The mood of this age is all wrong. Everybody’s looking for proof but you’re looking for the wrong kind. All you’re looking for is something to titillate your curiosity, satisfy your lust for miracles. But the only proof you’re going to get is the Jonah-proof given to the Ninevites, which looks like no proof at all. What Jonah was to Nineveh, the Son of Man is to this age.'”  Luke 11:29-31.

It seems that human nature has never changed. Jesus had issues with the people of His day because they had a lust for entertainment. To many of them, He was nothing but a great entertainer. They followed Him in droves to watch what He could do and to get what He could give but, when it came to the tough decision to identify with Him and take the flak for being a follower, they opted out because the price was too high.

Their excuse was that they wanted ‘proof’ but, no matter how much proof He gave them, they were always demanding more. What did they mean by ‘proof’? Proof of what? Jesus offered them one sign, which He called ‘the sign of Jonah.’ What was the sign of Jonah? Jonah spent three days and nights in the belly of a fish because of his reluctance to offer Nineveh God’s mercy. God was merciful to him. He sent him to Nineveh a second time to warn them of His coming judgment because of their wickedness. Why did God want to warn them? Why not just dump judgment on them? Was it not because God was merciful? He wanted to give them an opportunity to repent.

And they did.

Jesus spent three days and nights in a grave because of God’s mercy to all mankind. He rose from the grave as a witness that He is who He said He is, the Son of God and that God is merciful to all who believe in Him. Because of Jesus’ suffering and death, God can offer mercy and forgiveness to every person who responds to His offer and receives Jesus as Lord. Faith in Jesus involves active participation in His life, following, imitating and obeying Him as Lord.

But nothing has changed. Whether it is secular or spiritual, people generally love to be spectators; sport, TV, pop festivals, no matter what form it takes, we sit on a seat somewhere, in front of the TV, in a sports stadium or a concert hall or even a pew in church and watch. Christian TV is big business. TV channels are mushrooming. Which are the most popular and lucrative – those that offer the most entertainment and the biggest rewards for ‘sowing into their ministry’?

Jesus’ solution is simple but radical. ‘Whoever does not take up his cross daily and follow me, cannot be my disciple.’ The Jonah-sign demands an active response of trust and obedience, getting up off the seat and following Jesus, right to the death of the self-life and into a life of self-giving for the sake of others.

Beware The Leaven

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BEWARE THE LEAVEN

The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test Him, they asked Him for a sign from heaven. He sighed deeply and said, ‘Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.’ Then He left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side (Mark 8:11-13).

Good move, Jesus! Get as far away as possible from these people. They are nothing but a hindrance.

These Pharisees had no interest in believing in Him. They already had all the signs they needed if they would just open their eyes and their hearts. Everything Jesus said and did were signs of His origin, His identity, and His mission. John recorded only seven miracles which he called “signs” and which he especially chose so that his readers would come to faith in Jesus as many of those who received His miracles did.

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. ‘Be careful,’ Jesus warned them. ‘Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.’ They discussed this with one another and said, ‘It is because we have no bread.’

Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them, ‘Why are you talking about having no bread? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketsful of pieces did you pick up?’ ‘Twelve,’ they replied. ‘And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketsful of pieces did you pick up?’ They answered, ‘Seven.’ He said to them, ‘Do you still not understand?’ (Mark 8: 14-21).

How clearly the disciples displayed their “footpath” hearts! Using the exact words of Isaiah which Jesus had quoted in His explanation of the parable of the sower, He exposed the hardness of their hearts. The “signs” of the feeding of multitudes with a few loaves of bread and fish should have alerted them to the identity of their rabbi. These signs pointed to the truth that He was the Messiah, the Son of God, and the Father’s authentic representative. If He had taken care of the physical needs of many thousands of people, surely He would take care of them as well.

What did He mean by His warning to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees? Leaven in Scripture was a symbol of the permeating power of evil. One whole feast was dedicated to this picture. After the Feast of Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread was celebrated for seven days. All leaven was removed from their homes and their bread was baked without yeast – symbolically speaking of an aspect of Messiah’s work – the removal of sin after the sacrifice for sin was made. Jesus was the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world.

What was the leaven of the Pharisees? Their pernicious unbelief. Just like leaven in a lump of dough, their sin of unbelief not only affected them but it also infected others. The danger of unbelief was that it spread among the people like an infectious disease. The most glaring example is the story of the Israelites after the twelve spies had returned from the Promised Land. O yes, it was a good land alright. Didn’t they have the fruits of the land to prove it? But the giants! Ten of the spies were convinced that the giants stood in their way and they were too big and frightening to overcome.

Only two of the spies did not see the giants as obstacles but as opportunities because they had the promises of God. What an opportunity to put God’s promises to the test! They had many months of His faithfulness behind them as a sign of His intention. He was there to take them into the land because He had promised it to Abraham centuries before.

Wherever the Pharisees went, they sowed seeds of doubt by their questioning and arguing. No doubt the people around them were infected by their unbelief. Where were His supporters when the religious leaders were baying for His blood? In the end He died alone. Not even one of those He had healed or rescued from demons stood by Him to plead His innocence.

How important that we stay away from the sceptics and the critics. Their influence is as pernicious as the Pharisees. To remain hot, we must stay in the fire. Coals removed from the fire will soon cool off and die.

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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