Following Jesus Son of God …

And I thought I did stupid stuff …

Okay, so I do, but it never ceases to amaze me when I come across accounts such as this as I read God’s holy book: “The chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they might put Him to death.”

Amazement but not in a good way …
I can’t tell you how many times the same scenario has played out.  It happened again this morning as I read the following text.

• Luke 22:1-2 (NASB)
  Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching. [2] The chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they might put Him to death; for they were afraid of the people.

Don’t let these words escape our consciousness.  Stop the movie, hit the pause, rewind if necessary before this entire scene disappears into the familiar shadows of another Sunday School story.

The reality of that moment …
I think every time I read this I just stop in amazement.  I have been reading the Bible through for many years now, and I don’t think it changes.  I just stop in bewilderment.  It never loses it’s zing.

They knew jots and tittles but not Messiah …
The people who are holding the torch for truth, seeing to it that every jot and tittle is in place and waiting for Messiah King are now found looking for their best chance to murder him when he does come to provide salvation for this world.

And it gets better, or worse, I guess, as “they were glad and agreed to give him money.”

• Luke 22:4-5 (NASB)
  And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them. [5] They were glad and agreed to give him money.

Glad to pay …
They were very happy to pay someone to forward their plan of assassinating God’s deliverer.

Just one more thought from my morning reading …

They heard it from his own mouth.  Yes, I am the Son of God.

• Luke 22:70-71 (NASB)
  And they all said, “Are You the Son of God, then?” And He said to them, “Yes, I am.” [71] Then they said, “What further need do we have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.”

Not trying to be overly dramatic here but we cannot allow this to be just another Bible story.  It happened.

Maybe a bulleted list will help us keep this from disappearing into the zone of the familiar.

• Jesus came.
• The religious leaders thought, “Huh, he is a threat.  I wonder how we can kill him and remove the threat.”
• Yes, sir, we will be more than happy to give you money to help us with our plan.
• Guilty as charged.  The Son of God has openly admitted that he is the Son of God.

Our lesson …
Avoid the temptation to vilify the chief priests and the scribes and not see ourselves in the story.  We can easily be them and often are.  In fact this is how the human heart trends.

The default setting …
We transform our religion to fit the patterns and whims of our lives.  We make it fit.  Our religion becomes our religion, so much so that when God shows up we don’t know who he is, didn’t know he was there.

“What!  God was here?  Somebody shoulda’ told me.”

He stood in front of them and told them who he was but the concept of Messiah as a Savior and a seeker of sinners was too much for their spiritual receptors.  There was no Holy Spirit teaching them the truth of the moment because they were self-taught.

Remember …
They had the truth, the true truth as Francis Schaeffer called it, and they had the true theology of the Old Testament.  But the true truth and the true theology of Scripture had not shaped their faith.  No.  They were the shapers, not the ones being shaped.  They knew the words but their intellectual wrangling of the words had not given them even the sight to see the Son of God in flesh and blood standing before them telling them, “Yes, I am the Son of God.”  The God they served was unrecognizable to them.

Don’t think that it cannot happen to us.

End of dire warning.

• Psalm 46:10 (NIV84) Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

Only God can pull that off … Saying things like that …

Just a brief glance at the little bird plaque sun-reflector thingy in the kitchen window with this message:  “Be still and know that I am God.”

And God got me …

I did it.  I got still before my Creator as he spoke this word to me at that instant.  “Quiet your heart, place your care in my hands. Give me your sadness.  I am God.”

And I thought only God can pull that off, take his written words and sink them into my heart in trust and belief.  And only God can be God.  Only he can make and stand behind the promise and the claim.  Be still.  Know that I am God.

• Deuteronomy 4:35 (NIV84) You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God; besides him there is no other.
• Deuteronomy 4:39 (NIV84) Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.
• 1 Kings 8:60 (NIV84) So that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other.
• Isaiah 44:8 (NIV84) Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.”
• Isaiah 45:5 (NIV84) I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me,
• Isaiah 45:5–7 (NIV84) I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things.

Only God can be God.  Thank you, Father, for the reminder.

One day in heaven …

• Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9–11 NIV84).

But what about now?
That was my thought.  Yes, one day everyone will bow before the King.  But why wait?  What about now?  And I have to admit that I was thinking more of Christians at the time, those who profess allegiance to the King of kings and Lord of lords.

I had been “sitting on” these thoughts for about a week and then was motivated by a friend’s Facebook post this morning.  “Kim Jong-Il and Christopher Hitchens have both discovered that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

Too late …
Too late for Kim and Christopher.  They won’t wake up from the bad dream and discover that it is Christmas morning after all.  No Scrooge experience for them.  For the first time ever their eyes will be open to the reality of life and the reality of God.  Their blind eyes now see but not until they were dead.  Now they know.  Tragically too late.

Now on a dark planet far from the throne room of the great King …

What about us?
Think of the opportunity we have as Christians to bow before God now, to live under the rule of King Jesus now in every aspect of our lives.

The ideal place to bow …
A planet shrouded in darkness, ruled by an evil despot and far from the throne room of the King is just the place to bow.  Everyone will bow in heaven but what about now?  Excellent opportunity indeed that God has presented to us.

• In a land of the blind, we see.
• In a land of the dead, we live.
• In a land of haters, we love.
• In a land of the rebels, we bow.

We bow …
We bow, we bow, we bow!  Yes and amen!  Far from the throne of God we bow and live under the rule of King Jesus.  Praise the King!  Praise the name of Jesus!

So my Christian brothers and sisters, what about now?
Are we making the most of this fantastic opportunity to bring glory to our King?  Often it doesn’t seem so.  Too much of us.  Too much of our agendas, our feelings, our desires.  Too much taking care of ourselves, too little trusting in the benevolent rule of King.

Just think for a moment how careful you will be in dealing with some of the people who profess Jesus in your life this week.  Careful not to offend, not to say the wrong thing, because you know there is a price to pay if you do.  People who don’t bow usurp the authority of the King and seek vengeance.  (See Romans 12:19 for the King’s own words.)

Do you know why we don’t bow?
Because we don’t trust the King to care for us.  And we don’t trust because we are not tasting his goodness.  And we are not tasting his goodness because we do not take refuge in him.

• O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him (Psalm 34:8 NASB95)!

The blessing comes in the refuge of the King.  We must trust God with our lives, our real lives, not merely our professions of belief and theological assent, but our lives.  We will never taste his care if we do not submit ourselves to his care.

The best place in the entire universe …
The best place in the universe is bowed before the King.  Whether still on the dark planet or in his throne room, there is no place that is as right and true as the created one bowed before the Creator, the redeemed one bowed before the Redeemer.

Now is the time to bow low before King Jesus.

All hail King Jesus!  All hail Emmanuel!

• Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other. 23 I have sworn by my own name; I have spoken the truth, and I will never go back on my word: Every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess allegiance to me.” 24 The people will declare, “The LORD is the source of all my righteousness and strength.” And all who were angry with him will come to him and be ashamed (Isaiah 45:22–24 NLT).
• It is written: “ ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God’ ” (Romans 14:11 NIV84).
• Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9–11 NIV84).

Scene One:  After hours at the bar …
“Well, Sarge, if you ever have time, there’s always room here for another screw-up.” (Loosely quoted from a recent CSI New York as the rookie was letting the seasoned veteran know that there was a welcome place for him at the bar if ever he did want the company.)

Scene Two:  Dinner at the religious person’s house …
“If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a [screw-up].”

Here is my question …

• Do we always have room for another screw-up in our churches?
  Or …
• Does the local tavern do acceptance and welcome of sinners better than the church?

Maybe someone argues that we should not be so accepting of people who have made such a mess of their lives, but we would not be in very good company.

And most importantly, we would not be in Jesus’ company.

• Luke 7:36–39 (NIV84)
  Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38 and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

A couple of things here involving tears, muttering to ourselves, love and the forgiveness of sins.

The tears of a sinful woman …
This woman was a screw-up, no doubt about it, she had lived a sinful life.  But now sobs of repentance spoke of her changed heart.  She sought out Jesus and though uninvited, she endured the humiliation of entering this hostile territory of the religious leader and presented herself to him.

• And she cried.  She bawled.  She howled.  So many tears that she could wash a Person’s feet with this river of sorrow.
• And Jesus forgave.
• And she was filled with his love.  Saved.  And blessed with the peace of God.  The breath of God, the breath of Jesus as he spoke the words, “Go in peace.”
• And the church elder got mad.

The mutterings of a righteous man …
This was inconceivable and unacceptable to the Pharisee.  Right in front of him, right in his house, Jesus had accepted and welcomed this woman; he had embraced her outpouring of tears and kisses; he had received her extravagant gift.  He didn’t once condemn her and point out the mess she had made of her life.

But this man didn’t speak to Jesus …
He didn’t bring honest questions or express his doubts and perplexity.  He didn’t ask because he wasn’t interested.

He instead muttered …
Under his breath he accused the Forgiver of sins of allowing a sinner to (gasp) touch him.

Does anyone else see the irony?

The Father sent Jesus to seek and save the lost, the foolish, the screw-ups.  And this man – a key representative of the Father in the eyes of the church and the community –  from his little small, bitter world could only mutter under his breath.  The Son of God was sitting at his dinner table but instead of bowing, he belittled.

Blindness and darkness …
The religion in which he had invested his life had blinded him.  He couldn’t see the woman for who she was.  Don’t miss this as you read the following.

• Luke 7:44–50 (NIV84)
  Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

The beauty and audacity of it all …
This screw-up, this woman who had led a sinful life found the love and forgiveness of Jesus Son of God, right in front of the guy who couldn’t do anything but mutter to himself.

Jesus turned to the woman as he probed the darkness of Simon’s heart and said, “Do you see this woman?”

“Do you see this woman?”

And that was the whole key.

Simon only saw a sinner that he wouldn’t dare to even let touch him.

Jesus saw a woman ready for the salvation of God, once lost but now found, no longer a sinner but a picture of redemption.

So now let’s take a moment and stare at the picture.  Look at the world around you as our loving God would.

Our coworkers, the people at the gas station, our neighbors …

Do you see this woman?

Jesus knows life on the planet, and he wants to talk about it.  

With me …

With you …

“Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood.”

Jesus is big picture and little picture.  
He sees everything from the perspective of God because he is God.  And he sees everything from a human perspective because he is human.  Perfect human.  Unlike any of us but still human.  Jesus was born into this world as a little boy.  Mary’s little boy.  And he grew to be a man.  Yes, God, Savior, Lord, Creator, but still human, still a man who experienced life on this Earth two thousand years before any of us were even thought about.

Jesus knows life here because he lived here as one of us.  And we mustn’t forget that.

It absolutely had to be that way!

• Hebrews 2:14–18 (NLT)
  ¹⁴ Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had* the power of death. ¹⁵ Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. ¹⁶ We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. ¹⁷ Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters,* so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. ¹⁸ Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.

My dialogue with God …
I tend to carry on a conversation with God throughout much of my day.  I “caught” myself doing this a few mornings ago, talking with God , and it occurred to me what a great thing this was.  I was able for a few moments to see myself from a more outside perspective let’s say.

A good thing …
And at that moment God spoke this message to me.  “Dave, do you realize what a good thing this is?”

And I thought, “Now that you mention it, I do realize what a good thing this is.”  Even though my dialogue, my conversation, at times seems to be dominated by my confession of  sin … again … or how little time I have spent in prayer … or how I haven’t read the Bible as much as I would like …

God is there living and working in me.  He has planted deep in my heart a desire to serve and please him.  I do good things that I would never do apart from his work in my life.

Sometimes I am so wonderful, and sometimes I am not.

But even when it isn’t so great, I still talk …
What is better, or maybe I should frame the question as what is worse?  Talking to the only Person who completely understands me and loves me unconditionally about my sin? Or avoiding the conversation and pretending?  Or worse avoiding this Person who deeply loves me until I have it all together?

That won’t happen because he is the One who puts us together.

My struggle is part of my witness that I am God’s …
What I am trying to say is that even when I struggle, that struggle to walk in the light of my God, even when I fail and don’t do this enough and or do that too much …

That very struggle speaks to God living in me and transforming my life.  My struggle speaks to God’s involvement in my life.

My sin isn’t good …
And my failure to obey isn’t good.  But getting back up time after time and believing that God will do what he says he will do and forgive my sin and cleanse me from all unrighteousness, that is a very good thing.  That is faith; that is the journey; that is the path of the righteous.

• 1 John 1:9 (NKJV)
  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

We must never rationalize our sins and our poor choices, but we must always confess them.  God had this written down in his holy book because we are reluctant to believe that he could or would do such a thing.  So he put it before us in black and white.  He is faithful and just.  He forgives.  He cleanses.

And Jesus cleanses because he knows that life here on the planet tends to get a person dirty.  He knows what this life is about.  He knows what it takes.  It takes him, a living, breathing, intimate relationship with the Son of God.

It takes a conversation, a dialogue between friends.  I, as Abraham, am a friend of God.  I am right up there with the best and the worst of them.  Sinners saved by grace.

And friends talk.  About everything.  And friends listen.

• Philippians 2:12–13 (GW)
  My dear friends, you have always obeyed, not only when I was with you but even more now that I’m absent. In the same way continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. ¹³ It is God who produces in you the desires and actions that please him.