Why Did Jesus Say That?

As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” John 6:53-66

INTRO: The question we have been asking is, “Why did Jesus say that?”

This episode began with the famous miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fish to feed a crowd of five thousand
– immediately afterward, the crowd decided they wanted Jesus
• more accurately, they wanted what he could do for them
– when Jesus saw they intended to “take him by force and make Him king,”
• he escaped,  but they chased him
– when they caught up to him, he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum
• the first words out of his mouth, were that they had come to him for the wrong reason

The dialogue that followed has similarities to Jesus’ dialogue with the Samaritan woman

They were angling for more bread (vv. 30-31)
– “living water” (ch. 4) and “living bread” (here)
– woman, “Sir [kyrie], give me this water …,” “Lord [kyrie], always give us this bread”

She made reference to their “fathers” and Jesus came back with “the Father”
– same here, vv. 31-32, 57-58

But this dialogue has the opposite outcome Continue reading →

Why Did Jesus Say That?

Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about” John 4:31-32

INTRO: We’re going through John’s gospel, picking out statements and asking, “Why did Jesus say that?”

In this instance, it had been a long day and Jesus had walked many miles
– so he rested near a well while the disciples went to buy food
• when they returned, they encouraged him to eat
• instead he told them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about”
– why did Jesus say that?

We have to know what happened while disciples were gone

A woman–one of the locals–had come to draw water,
– which is suspicious – women didn’t go to the well alone or at that hour of the day Continue reading →

Why Did Jesus Say That?

Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3

INTRO: I have always assumed Nicodemus came to Jesus in a home
But it’s more likely, Jesus was staying on the Mt. of Olives
– sitting on rock or bundle of clothing, their faces illuminated by the campfire,
• these two teachers opposite each other in conversation
– John tells us they met at night – this is not a simple observation or insignificant detail
• G. Campbell Morgan, generously of Nicodemus, that he “wanted Jesus all to himself”
• but John uses time and place symbolically – e.g., 13:30 “and it was night”
○ he connects night with darkness and both with being lost and stumbling around (vv. 19-21)
But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him (Jn. 11:10)
○ at the very least, John indicates that Nicodemus was in the dark — unenlightened

Nicodemus begins the conversation:

Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with Him (v. 2)

He acknowledges Jesus as a teacher
– two weeks ago when Philip called Jesus, “Rabbi,” we saw it as a clue–he wanted to become a disciple
– Nicodemus, “You may look like a rustic Galilean, Jesus, but we know You’ve come from God”
• a statement, not a question – but he leaves it hanging in the air
– the implied question: “Obviously You’re from God, so what is You’re message?” Continue reading →

Why Did Jesus Say That?

They said to Him, “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?” He said to them, “Come and see” John 1:38-39

INTRO: For the next few weeks, we’re going to look at some of the statements Jesus made and ask, “Why did Jesus say that?”

I’m not concerned with producing the best rational answer to fit the context and so on
– I’m looking for a personal answer and if possible to see inside the Lord’s head and heart
– taking what we know about Jesus and using our imagination, we will seek to understand him
• we won’t be trying to discover doctrines, but to get to know Jesus

To help make our study more manageable, we’ll stick with the Gospel of John

So . . ., Why did Jesus tell the two disciples of John the B, “Come and see”?

It will be helpful to learn how John sets up this story Continue reading →

The King of the Kingdom

They went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and began to teach. They were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Mark 1:21-22

INTRO: Have you reminded yourself this week, “The kingdom is at hand?”

[Pause, crickets chirp, preacher is disappointed, but he goes on]

It occurred to me that a good follow up to last week would be to meditate on the the King of the kingdom
– but I immediately I resisted the thought
– there are some subjects I try avoid, because they have been cluttered with so much nonsense
• a case in point is “spiritual warfare”
• elaborations have resulted in exaggerations to the point that biblical truth has been buried and lost

However, something came up on Monday that caused me to change my mind

Mark focuses attention on people’s reaction to Jesus’ teaching

He doesn’t give any explanation why Jesus was allowed to teach in the synagogue
– I imagine people coming in and asking, “Who is that guy? Why is he talking?”
• he came without credentials or recommendations
– but after hearing a few words from his mouth, they were amazed
• they recognized the voice of authority and the ring of truth
• Jesus didn’t need to present airtight arguments or play on their emotions with sentimental stories

When there was a sudden and explosive interruption, they witnessed another dimension of his authority
– his words were not only true, they were powerful

Mark continues to develop the theme of Jesus’ authority
– “the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” (Mk. 3:10)
– Mark doesn’t always use the word, “authority,” but it is obvious in his statement about being, “Lord of the Sabbath” (2:28) and in his actions when, “even the wind and the sea obey Him” (4:41)

What we see in the early chapters of Mark is the kingdom of God advancing in the world
– it enters and takes over one domain after another
• illness, spirits, sin and guilt, wind and waves
– Jesus is bringing his kingdom into every human situation and every situation is changed

Many years ago, a family told me God wanted them to be missionaries

Later, they sold everything, moved to Costa Rica, and went through language school
– within a couple of years, they started a church in a small mountain village
– after some time, they wrote me to ask if I knew of any good books on spiritual warfare?
• they explained that they’d found something hidden in their home
• locals told them it was a hex and that someone had put a curse on them
– nothing in their previous Christian experience had prepared them for this Continue reading →

The kingdom of God is at hand

Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:14-15

INTRO: When we resume our Thursday night meetings in September,

We will start working our way through Jesus’ parables
– specifically, the ones that elucidate his teaching regarding the kingdom of God
– it was Barbara’s suggestion that I use this morning to provide an introduction to that topic

The Bible’s Overarching Story

There are a few stories in the Bible where everything works the way they should
– Esther is an example of this
• in the end, bad guys hang on their own gallows and the good guys rule the empire
– in Daniel, too, the various episodes turn out as we would hope
• believers who stay true to God cannot be roasted or devoured while their enemies end up as ashes or grime between the claws and teeth of lions

These snapshots show us how circumstances are resolved in a world where God is in charge
– there’s a reason these stories appeal to us
– they turn out exactly the way we would expect if God constantly intervened in human affairs

But when we come to the life of Jesus, the story is messed up — the Son of God should not be tortured to death on a cross
– we see the world not as it should be, but as it is
• people have taken control of the plot, and announced, “We do not want this man to reign over us” (Lk. 19:14) Continue reading →

He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from beginning even to the end. Ecclesiastes 3:11

INTRO: What thought pops into your mind when you hear the term “control freak”?

Do you go straight to a definition? Think of a particular person?
– someone who is compelled to take charge of their environment, including everything and everyone in it

To be fair, we all like to have things in order
– if we need to go somewhere and climb into our car, we expect it to start
• that’s what a car is supposed to do – it’s why we put gas in it and maintain it

Order meets two essential human needs: dependability and predictability

Israel’s spiritual life developed in several directions – or “branches,” such as
– law, prophecy, theology, worship, and the wisdom tradition
– Proverbs is the quintessential example of the wisdom tradition
• it implies a search for order in the world and the practical application of its discoveries to real-life situations

This is exactly where we’ve been the last few weeks the “Preacher’s” poem on timing (vv. 1-8)
– time imposes a kind of order on our lives
– but in verse 9 we hit a snag Continue reading →

A time to love and a time to hate;
A time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:8

INTRO: Doesn’t it feel like poet has saved a surprise for the end of his poem?

Hate and war are subjects that seem inconsistent with an enlightened mind
– it may simply be the differences of time and culture
– in our life with Jesus, it’s hard to find a place for hatred
• don’t we tend to see love as “good” and hate as “bad”?
• “God wants us to love; the devil wants us to hate” — but it’s not that simple
Not only does God want us to hate, but the devil wants us to love

We will have to try to solve this dilemma

Empedocles was a Greek philosopher who lived before Socrates
– his theory was that all matter consisted of four substances, but he added something
• two forces, he named love and strife – these were impersonal forces!
• love unites and creates, strife separates and destroys

Love and hate are definitely two of the most powerful forces in our lives
– think of even one novel or movie where these themes aren’t present
– so the issues at the end of the poem are as big as beginning (birth and death)
• if God had nothing to say about these themes, little else that he said would be relevant
• he wouldn’t have hand on the strongest motivators at work in our everyday lives

So what does God have to say about these “human, all too human” issues? Continue reading →

A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
A time to be silent and a time to speak.
Ecclesiastes 3:7

INTRO: Physicists argue over the possibility of time travel

I recently read a true story of a man living in 1945, who suddenly found himself in 1975
– it is found in a case history recorded by Oliver Sacks and entitled “The Lost Mariner”
• his patient suffered Korsakoff Syndrome, in which a portion of his memory as well as his ability to form new memories were obliterated
– he had not invented a time machine nor did his body jump through time
• he had passed through thirty years, aging, like everyone else, but he could not recall anything from them
• as a result, he was displaced in time
– his intelligence and skills were useless, because they belonged to the wrong era

Jews returning to Jerusalem after exile came home to a discouraging situation
– so the people began complaining, “The time has not come, even the time for the house of the LORD to be rebuilt” (Hag. 1:2)
– and God answered them, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?” (Hag. 1:4)
– God’s message to them was, “Consider your ways”
• nothing was going right for them
• they would plant lots of seed, but small reap a small harvest; put on clothes, but still be cold; make money, but put it in purses and pockets with holes in them so it would all run out
– their timing was off Continue reading →