More On The Crowd

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“The next day the crowd that had stayed on the far shore saw that the disciples had taken the only boat, and they realized Jesus had not gone with them. Several boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the Lord had blessed the bread and the people had eaten. So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for him.”
John 6:22-24 NLT

The crowd were still hanging around the next day. They must have camped out all night, because John recorded that they “stayed on the far shore”. But with the new dawn, they realised that the only boat there had headed off with the disciples, and that Jesus hadn’t gone with them. Why did they stay there and not head back home? What about their work? Perhaps there was business they needed to attend to. But in their minds they had had an encounter with Jesus, and that was worth hanging around for. How many times have we wished that we could have stayed longer in a meeting, but knowing, reluctantly, that we have to get up for work the next day? When in the middle of an encounter with Jesus time seems to stand still and we want to camp in His presence. But the cynic observing the behaviour of the people staying overnight would say that they only waited around to get another free meal. 

So where was Jesus, they wondered? Then several boats arrived from Tiberias, a town on the west side of the Sea of Galilee but further south from Capernaum. John mentioned in his account that the boats landed at the shore where Jesus had fed the crowd, so perhaps he too was wondering if it was free food that was drawing people to this remote place. 

What was this crowd of people like? Well, there would have been old and young people. Men, women and children. Rich and poor (but probably mainly the poor). Amongst them would have been some religious leaders. All in all, a good cross section of the Jewish Galilean society. Why did they come to see Jesus? John 6:2 gives us a clue, “A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick“. These people in the crowd were drawn by the supernatural events that were beyond any natural explanation. In those days, sick people generally died of their illness, unless it was a mild attack of something. There were no antibiotics capable of fighting infections. In fact, someone has researched life expectancy in those days, and come up with a figure of thirty five years. So to find a miracle healer who could heal a sick person was worth going to see, especially if you weren’t feeling very well. But it wasn’t just a sickness that Jesus healed. He also cast out demons. This is a contentious subject because we don’t generally talk about demon possession today. But if it was a problem in the Holy Land two thousand years ago, then it probably still is today. We just call a “demon” something else. Is it some form of mental illness? People often refer to dealing with their “demons”, referring to some form of oppression, or behaviour, perhaps with historical or family roots. Behavioural problems, challenging societal norms, can perhaps be due to some form of demonic influence. And certainly we can look at many practices (current gender ideologies?) that could be attributed to the devil and his minions.

Another consideration that we have with the “crowd” is that the great majority of them were not following God’s ways but instead marching along the broad way that leads to destruction. Matthew 7:13, “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way“. God in His grace gave them the opportunity to hear what Jesus was saying and teaching about the Kingdom of God. Nothing has changed today, however. Most of the people that we pilgrims know have also chosen to go with the flow, the broad way that Jesus warned about.

So we pilgrims, journeying along the narrow path, fighting our way against the tides of public and family pressures and opinions, must never give up. The society around us will persecute us, ostracise us, treat us as though we are different to them and therefore try and force us to turn back. But we stand firm. Jesus said in Matthew 24:13, “But the one who endures to the end will be saved”. Jesus taught the people in His day to focus on spiritual food that will lead to eternal life. So must we pilgrims, because there is no other way.

Father God. Thank You for Your grace and love, available without limit to anyone who comes to You. and thank You for Your Son Jesus, who so willingly came to earth to show us how much You care for us. We worship You today. Amen.

Jesus Walking on Water

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum. Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough. They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination!”
John 6:17-21 NLT

The scene opens with darkness falling, and a small boat with several men in it in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, struggling against the wind and waves. Having been in a small boat in very rough seas, I know that this can be terrifying, but these were mostly seasoned fishermen, so being in a Galilean storm would not have been an unknown experience to them. Matthew records what happened next, “About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water” (Matthew 14:25). I personally don’t doubt for a minute that Jesus did walk on the water, but sometimes I wonder about the physics of this. Were His feet in contact with the water, or was He floating slightly above? Was He bobbing up and down with the waves? Did He get His feet wet? But when the disciples saw Him, the account in Matthew grips our imaginations – “When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”” (Matthew 14:26). Well, we would be terrified as well wouldn’t we? It is not a common occurrence after all, and our minds would naturally flip into fear mode when something inexplicable in these circumstances happens. But the disciples were stuck in the boat, so flight, running away, was not an option. By the way, I think Jesus would have been walking in His own space on the water, with stormy mayhem around Him, but peace under His feet. 

What happened next was another example of the “fear nots” in the Bible. Jesus often had to calm the fears of His disciples, and this was one such occasion. Being around Jesus must have been an unpredictable and often unnerving experience, prompting His occasional loving responses – “Do not be afraid”.

The account of Jesus walking on the water of the Sea of Galilee is something that often catches people’s imaginations. It is a well known story, taught often in Sunday Schools, but it bears further scrutiny as to why Jesus chose to reach Capernaum that way. It was of course the most direct route, as the land-based route around the North side of the Sea was quite long.  He could have course asked another boat owner to ferry Him across the next day. But Jesus chose to do this for several reasons, one of them being that it was an important learning experience about faith for His disciples, and, consequently, for disciples ever since. 

What happened next wasn’t recorded by John, but Matthew wrote it up. “Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus” (Matthew 14:28-29). How remarkable is that? Impetuous Peter with the courage (foolhardiness?) to step out of the boat onto the rough water. With his eyes firmly fixed on Jesus he managed a few steps, but then his natural mind took over and he started to sink into the water. Jesus’ response is well know – “Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” (Matthew 14:31). John never mentioned this episode, perhaps because he was ashamed that he didn’t have the courage to follow in Peter’s steps.

I suppose we pilgrims perhaps look at this episode in a detached way, acknowledging the miracle but accepting that we don’t have the faith to follow suit with something similar. But it graphically illustrates what is possible if we have faith. We know, of course that, ” … it is impossible to please God without faith” (Hebrews 11:6a). But faith to walk on water …? Jesus taught about taking small steps of faith, as we read in Luke 17:6 “The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you!“” Faith starts as small as a mustard seed, but as we exercise that faith in doing God’s work, it will lead to bigger things.

Father God. We confess before You our poverty in faith. Please forgive us, we pray, and help us to grow more and more. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Loaves and Fishes

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!” Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?””
John 6:7-9 NLT

Andrew must have been listening in on the conversation that Jesus was having with Philip about bread, and feeding all these people, and he noticed in the crowd a small boy, whose mother had had the foresight to supply with a packed lunch, and he used that as an illustration of the problem of feeding a multitude of people. I have heard preachers use this verse in the context of bringing what we have to God for Him to use as He requires. And it is true that we hold all that we have in open hands, so that if our resources are useful for someone else then we can make them available. But perhaps in this encounter, an opportunity arose for a miracle of feeding many people. 

God has, of course, done such a thing before. We read in Exodus 16 how the Israelite slaves, now in the wilderness, were running out of food and they started to complain to Moses. God’s response was an amazing miracle, as we read in Exodus 16:4, “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions””. Manna was an extraordinary food. The “flaky substance as fine as frost” (Exodus 16:14) contained all the vitamins, minerals, proteins and carbohydrates needed for a healthy life. It was a perfect food, far surpassing anything found naturally and with it God fed the Israelites for forty years. Some people have calculated that there may have been as many as two million people. That’s a lot of meals!

But what prompted Andrew to tell Jesus about the boy with the five loaves and two fishes? Did he perhaps have a hint of faith that Jesus could do something with a little food to feed a multitude? This whole episode became a learning episode for the disciples. But it is also for us today, because it tells us much about Jesus. He cares for us. Plain and simple. Today, the world generates more food than is needed to feed the whole population, and all the time new farming methods are increasing yields and quality, but the problem is distribution. The Western nations have ended up with too much and what we call the third world too little. 

The account of the loaves and fishes is important in that it tells us that God is interested in every aspect of our life here on earth. We sometimes take food for granted and instead elevate our minds into lofty Heavenly places, or get involved in other earthly pursuits. Food only becomes important to us when we don’t have any. But perhaps we need to review our whole person, with all its needs, physical and spiritual, and bring them into line with God’s perspective. Perhaps a little less natural food, and a little more spiritual food would go some way to ensuring God’s people are properly balanced, body, soul and spirit.

Father God. Thank You that You are interested in every part of mankind. Please help us to lead spiritually and naturally healthy lives, to Your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Over the Sea

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick. Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him. (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.)”
John 6:1-4 NLT

As written in the previous chapter in John’s Gospel, Jesus had been in Jerusalem for one of the Jewish Feasts, and while there He had healed a paralysed man lying next to the Pool of Bethesda. Jesus’ instructions to the healed man were recorded in John 5:8, “Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”” The Jewish leaders took exception at the healed man doing work on the Sabbath (they considered that carrying a mat was “work”) and this initiated a conversation between the hostile leaders and Jesus, where He explained His authority and mission. We now move on into John chapter 6, where we find that Jesus had travelled back northward to Galilee and then across the Sea of Galilee to a more remote region on the other side. He did this because, as we find out later, He probably wanted some peaceful quality time with His disciples. But the crowds kept following Him. They were huge crowds, John wrote, made up of people wanting to see the miracles of healing that Jesus was committing. 

Jesus had become a celebrated figure to the people in Galilee. Imagine the popular music stars of today, followed around by adoring fans and the newspaper photographers, never able to get any time on their own. Followed to their gigs. Followed to their hotels. Never a let up and never any privacy. But unlike the pop stars of today, Jesus never turned anyone away. Healing the sick was not the only reason why Jesus was in the Holy Land at that time. He knew His time on earth was not going to be very long, and He was desperate to train up the young men who were His disciples. So He climbed a hill with them, and we read that he “sat down with his disciples around him”. In those days Rabbi’s sat down to teach their disciples.

Matthew 4:23,25, “Jesus travelled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. … Large crowds followed him wherever he went—people from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River”. This was perhaps Matthew’s account of what John was recording in his Gospel. But Matthew continued with, “One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them” (Matthew 5:1-2). Helpfully, Matthew recorded what Jesus taught about and we can read the Beatitudes and Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters 5-7.

We pilgrims also have a mission here in our societies and nations. The Good News about Jesus and His love and saving grace, must be shared with those around us. And in the Great Commission we are told to make disciples. Not of us, or course, but of the wonderful Saviour, Jesus Christ. It is unlikely that huge crowds will be following us, but it is quite likely that distractions will try and pull us away from what we should be doing. Things like extra shifts at work, or lots of emails. Perhaps it is the golf course tugging us away from our mission. But whatever it is, we must be self disciplined just as Jesus was. But Jesus never stinted having quality time with His Father in Heaven and often He arose early to go out on His own to spend time in prayer. 

Do we pilgrims prioritise spending time in prayer and reading God’s Word in the Bible? For me it has to be early in the morning as otherwise the pressures of the day invade my personal space and it becomes too late. Jesus was in constant communication with His Father, and through that received guidance and spiritual sustenance for His mission. We pilgrims need to be constantly filled with the Holy Spirit who resources us for the day ahead and leads us into all truth. and as we listen to what He has to say, perhaps the day before us will become less of a hassle than we otherwise would have expected.

Dear Father God. We thank You for all Your resources and encouragement. We pray again today for more of the life-giving water of Your Spirit. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Teachings and Miracles

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“John was like a burning and shining lamp, and you were excited for a while about his message. But I have a greater witness than John—my teachings and my miracles. The Father gave me these works to accomplish, and they prove that he sent me. And the Father who sent me has testified about me himself. You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face, and you do not have his message in your hearts, because you do not believe me—the one he sent to you.”
John 5:35-38 NLT

John the Baptist had one God-given mission in life, and he was prepared for it almost from the time of his birth. We read in John 1:6-9, “God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world“. When pressed by the religious leaders to explain who he was, he quoted the Scripture from Isaiah 40:3, “Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!” In  His conversation with the Jewish leaders, Jesus made mention of John and his witness that Jesus was the Messiah the Jews had been waiting for. But He then said that He had a greater witness than John to His authenticity. Jesus said His teachings and miracles were enough to prove who He was, and then He went further. He said that because of the works He accomplished, this proved that he had been sent by His Father in Heaven, God Himself. 

In His next part of the conversation with the Jewish religious leaders, Jesus then delivered a warning and a challenge. He told them that because they failed to believe that Jesus was who He said He was, the Son of God, they had rejected God Himself. It is true that the Pharisees had reached a position in their religion where they believed that just keeping the Law and its associated rules was enough to ensure their salvation, and they therefore neglected the intent behind the Law, a relationship with God. And Jesus exposed this before them by saying “you do not have His message in your hearts”. 

The teachings of Jesus have underpinned our faith ever since He walked the Palestinian paths, and when He delivered them, they clarified the intent of the Law, as well as exposing how negligent the Jewish religion had become. Through Jesus’ teachings we find a God who desires a relationship with His people, Jew or Gentile. Once He was asked asked which of the commandments was the greatest, and he replied, saying,  ” … ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40). The meaning of the word “love” is clear, and our love of God, and His love for us, underpins our faith.

Jesus also said that His miracles were a witness that he had come from God. Through them His Father in Heaven testified about Him. And there is no doubt that these miracles became a stumbling block to the Jews. On one occasion the people were so excited by a miracle of healing that Jesus had performed, that they said,  ” … Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?” (Matthew 12:23b). But in the same event, the Pharisees stated that Jesus could only cast out the demon by the power of satan. And ever since, people have had to try and explain away the miracles Jesus performed, because otherwise they would have to admit that He was indeed the Son of God, with far-reaching consequences for their lives of sin. 

We pilgrims know our God and wonder with gratitude about the miracles Jesus performed, and the miracles performed ever since in His Name. But, in the words of the famous hymn, He “saved a wretch like me”. That must be the greatest miracle of all.

Dear God. With an inexpressible gratitude we bow before Your throne today. We were heading down the broad way that leads to destruction and death, but through Jesus we found a new way that leads to life. We worship You today. Amen.

Testimonies

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“If I were to testify on my own behalf, my testimony would not be valid. But someone else is also testifying about me, and I assure you that everything he says about me is true. In fact, you sent investigators to listen to John the Baptist, and his testimony about me was true. Of course, I have no need of human witnesses, but I say these things so you might be saved.” John 5:31-34 NLT

Jesus was still in the middle of a long conversation with the Jewish leaders. We don’t know if they were interacting with Him, but, so far, Jesus has spoken about His mission, His miracles, His authority to give life to anyone He chooses, His power to raise the dead, His authority to judge, and His relationship with His father in Heaven. A lot of ground covered. But now Jesus must have been responding to a question or comment about His authority. If He can make all these claims, who is there to witness to their truth?

Jesus admitted that to testify about Himself, and who He was, would not be acceptable or valid. But He pointed out that John the Baptist spoke the truth about Him. We read in John 1:5-6, “God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony“. He continued, ” ….. “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’” From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us” (John 1:15b-18).‭‭ The Jews considered John to be a prophet, and many people were baptised by him in the Jordan. He was greatly respected by both the Jewish leaders and the people, so what John said was taken note of. Jesus, however, reminded His listeners that He didn’t need the benefit of human witnesses, but if He had one, that would help these leaders to be saved.

At Jesus’ trial before the Jewish High Council, the Sanhedrin, the Jewish leaders tried hard to find someone who would substantiate a capital charge against Jesus. We read in Matthew 26:59-61, “Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death. But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, they could not use anyone’s testimony. Finally, two men came forward who declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days’“”. A trumped up charge hardly sufficient to bring about a death sentence and based on what Jesus said, not on what He did. To an outsider, a statement like that is hardly a crime at all. But before we 21st Century people say that such a thing couldn’t happen today, we should take note that we have to be careful about certain things we say, things that could be defined as “hate speech”, and which are likely to cause other people offence. Street preachers particularly have to be careful about the content of their messages and avoid being drawn into discussions about issues such as homosexuality. As in Jesus’ day, what we say can be misconstrued and lead to prosecution.

There are two things here for us pilgrims. Is there anyone who can testify to our faith, and what is our testimony? An example much overworked is the question – “If I was arrested for being a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict me?” Would the prosecution be able to produce one or more witnesses who would testify that I was a believer? John testified great things about Jesus, but what would our witnesses testify about us? The second thing concerns our testimonies. What would people say about us? Would who or what we are be identifiable as appropriate for people who believe in Jesus? And do we have testimonies that will lead to people being saved? 

Jesus’ approach to the Jewish leaders was one where He didn’t pull any punches. He told them the truth about Himself, and His life was totally in line with His testimony. No hypocrisy. No lies. No sin. Jesus was the only perfect Man who has walked on this earth, so what else can we do than praise Him?

Dear Lord Jesus. It is difficult to get our minds around the fact that the Son of God left Heaven and came to this planet at just the right time with a plan for the salvation of mankind. We can only thank and worship You today. Amen.

Jesus’ Judgement is Just

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment. I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.”
John 5:28-30 NLT

In His discourse with the Jewish leaders, Jesus spoke much about the life to come, after people have physically died, and how this life would be fairly and righteously compartmentalised into a future either in Heaven of hell. Simply put, those people who believe in Jesus will end up experiencing eternal life, and those people who continue in their sinful and evil ways will experience judgement. But what else is God to do? Our spirits will live forever, and somehow God has to determine how they should be separated. As a holy and righteous God, He cannot have any evil introduced into Heaven. The purity and holiness of the place where eternal life will be experienced cannot be violated. So what else can He do with all these people who refuse to accept His free gift of salvation and prefer to stay in their sinful and evil ways? They have made a choice, which is that they don’t want to be with Him in Heaven.

There are of course those people who mistakenly claim that regardless of their behaviour they will end up in Heaven anyway. They prefer to follow and believe their feelings rather than the hard facts and truths contained within God’s only written work, the Bible. There are others who claim that if there is a Christian God, then He is too loving to consign anyone to eternal death and punishment. Some people feel that the punishment of eternal death does not fit the crime of a finite time spent in a human life of sin, so God cannot be fair at all. Even others claim that being thrown into the lake of fire results in instant annihilation, much as what would happen if someone was thrown into a pool of molten lava. But most people seem to be unengaged and disinterested about their post-death life, and don’t even want to think about it; a head in the sand response.

There may be some people who have created in their minds the thought that there is a third area between Heaven and hell, reserved for people who don’t think they have been bad enough to warrant eternal punishment. People like my neighbour who is convinced that he will just join the “big party downstairs”. After all, he hasn’t stolen anything significant, or murdered anyone, so his thoughts go. But it is significant that this intermediate place is not supported at all in Scripture. It doesn’t exist.

So, we end up with the words of Jesus. Those “who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment“. And Jesus told the Jewish leaders two things – He does the will of His father in Heaven, and His judgement is just. We know from Revelation 20 that God has books that record every action and thought committed by people. So, we have nothing to fear about false testimony or legal loopholes. Everything will be exposed exactly as it happened before God, and everyone else standing there, and there can therefore be no complaint at all that the process lacks justice. The outcome might not be what people want, but the choice is their’s.

Dear Father God. We praise and worship You here on earth for Your love and justice. As the psalmist wrote, “Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens. You have done such wonderful things. Who can compare with you, O God?“ Amen.


The Graveyard Dead

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“And he has given him authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man. Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment.”
John 5:27-29 NLT

Some ominous words from Jesus. To the Jewish leaders, He said that He had life-giving power and because of that, all those who had died and were in their graves, no matter where they were, would hear His voice. And the result was that they would rise again. I expect the Jewish leaders were seriously looking for a way out of this conversation and were probably regretting that they had bothered to pick Him up for a minor misdemeanour about telling someone, who Jesus had just healed, to pick up His bed and walk. 

Do we take what Jesus said literally? I think we can because He Himself was dead in a grave, and was resurrected. Lazarus, His friend, was dead in his grave and had been there for four days, and Jesus, through His “life-giving power” raised him from the dead. In His own case, Jesus’ resurrected body was superficially just like His old one, but it also had special supernatural powers enabling Him to walk through walls, amongst other things. And then there was that day when He ascended into Heaven. The Apostle John recorded at the end of his Gospel, “This disciple is the one who testifies to these events and has recorded them here. And we know that his account of these things is accurate. Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written”. All the accounts about Jesus post-resurrection, and recorded in the Bible, actually happened before reliable witnesses, so we can therefore, I believe, take what Jesus said to the Jewish leaders in a literal way. 

So, to all those people who believe that when we die we will experience a transition into nothing – people who are referred to as Annihilationists – are in for a nasty shock if what Jesus said is true. These people believe that there is no after life, with their consciousnesses being extinguished, and their physical bodies eventually returning to the elements from which they were formed. However, such a belief is not supported by Scripture, and Jesus warned people repeatedly that they will eventually be held to account for their sins. God had the power to raise His Son from the dead, and that same power will one day raise everyone from the dead too. Jesus said, “Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment”. The “good” Jesus referred to wasn’t good works – doing things for others that could be defined as being “good” – but the good of believing in Him. Ephesians 2:8-9, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it”. 

When we die, our spirits go to a place of waiting. We know from Scriptures that those who die as believers will go to a place called Paradise (read what Jesus said to the repentant criminal on the cross next to His), or a place of torment (read Jesus’ account of the Rich Man and Lazarus). And then one day everyone who has ever lived will receive a resurrected body. Acts 24:15, “I have the same hope in God that these men have, that he will raise both the righteous and the unrighteous”. After which, there is to be a time of judgement. Revelation 20:13, “The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds”. Jesus very clearly told the Jewish leaders what the results of His judgement would be.

Jesus, the Son of God, came to this world as God’s plan for dealing with evil and sin, and human beings have a choice before them. They either believe in Jesus and receive God’s forgiveness, or they don’t. The outcome of the choice made was made very clear by Jesus in His conversation with the Jewish leaders.

But in the meantime, and while there is still time, we pilgrims have the opportunity to tell people about God’s love and grace, and His plan for their salvation. Surely we owe it to our friends and families and anyone else we come in contact with?

Dear Father God. Please go before us and prepare the way for the conversations You wish us to have with people who need to hear about You. Open their ears, we pray, and help us to say the right words. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Jesus Tells the Truth

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.”
John 5:24 NLT

This must have been an astonishing statement in the religious context of those days. Standing in the Jewish leaders’ shoes, we would have heard this ordinary looking man making the assertion that He had been sent by God and claimed that all who believe in Him “will never be condemned for their sins”. We know there was nothing special about Jesus’ appearance from Isaiah’s prophecy, “My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him” (Isaiah 53:2). However, Jesus was a divisive figure. He challenged the status quo and left the people of His day with a choice to make. They either had to believe that he was who He said He was, the Son of God, or they had to reject Him as yet another person to be pitied, a person deluded and mentally deranged. But what about the miracles? Could a person making these false claims have healed a man who had been paralysed for thirty eight years? A dilemma both for the Jewish leaders and the ordinary people.

We often think that God is omnipotent, i.e. that He can do anything. But there are in fact some things that He cannot do. One of them is to tell a lie. Everything God says and does is truthful and righteous. And the same applies to Jesus because He was, and is, the Son of God. So when Jesus said that what He was about to say was truthful we who believe in Him need to sit up and take notice. Jesus said that we must listen to His message, and believe in God, who sent Jesus to this world. And if we do, then the result is that we will pass from death to life. Eternal life. 

We pilgrims have an opportunity to echo what Jesus said to those around us. Witnessing about Jesus and all He has done for mankind is something that I am passionate about, and do at every opportunity. The message is simple but takes a lifetime of application as we start to live out the reality of moving from a kingdom of death to God’s Kingdom of life. But Jesus was focused on why He came, as we read in John 10:10, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly”. More truths from Jesus’ lips. 

One difficulty Christians can experience is what to do about people who make certain claims about their mission in life. Jesus Himself warned about such people in Matthew 24:24, “For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones“. Earlier in Matthew, Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act ….” (Matthew 7:15-16a). And yet, if we reject someone, there is the possibility that we have rejected a messenger sent by God. Thankfully the Holy Spirit will help us discern who is right, and who is to be avoided. One question I ask is about who the person in question is accountable to. A man or woman only accountable to themselves are in danger of being in error, no matter how sincere they are.

Jesus backed up what He said by constantly asserting that He was accountable to His Father in Heaven. And the words He said, His teachings and parables, were supported by miraculous signs and wonders. His selfless and sinless life spoke for itself. No appeals for money. No lavish lifestyle. No mansions and private jets. Jesus came from Heaven and returned there after His death and resurrection. There is only one Messiah and He is our Lord Jesus Christ.

Dear Father God. Thank You for sending Jesus to this world, to fulfil Your plan for the salvation of mankind. We praise You today. Amen.

Judgement

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“In addition, the Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge, so that everyone will honour the Son, just as they honour the Father. Anyone who does not honour the Son is certainly not honouring the Father who sent him.”
John 5:22-23 NLT

God’s judgement isn’t a popular subject, particularly amongst people who don’t believe in Him. After all, they say, isn’t this God all about His love for people, and surely such a God of love would never judge and punish anyone. Even Christians, sitting in our pews, won’t hear many sermons preached about God’s judgement. But Jesus spoke often about God’s judgement and the verses before us today are such an example. Jesus said that He had been given “absolute authority to judge” so we seriously need to take note of this. It is very true that God is a God of love. But He is also a God of righteousness and justice, as we read in Deuteronomy 32:4, “He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He”. Psalm 9:8, “He shall judge the world in righteousness, And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness”. So we mustn’t be surprised that Jesus warned the Jewish leaders that He had the authority to judge.

We see the evil and sinful ways of the people in the societies in which we live, and can mourn the fact that there are many people who, at first sight, would seem to be evading the consequences of their sins. People who commit crimes but are never caught. People who lie and cheat their way through life. People who treat their spouses and families in violent and despicable ways. But God knows what is going on, and we should not be surprised that one day there will be a time of reckoning. It may not happen in our lifetimes but happen it will.

According to the Bible, there are two judgement occasions – one for believers and the other for unbelievers. For believers, we read in Romans 14:10b,12, “ … For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. … So then each of us shall give account of himself to God”. This will not affect our salvation – this is assured by faith alone – but it is to bring out into the open an account of all the things we have done, or haven’t done, for God. So, our lives will come under the spotlight of Jesus’ gaze, and we will be rewarded for the good things we have done. Everything else will be burned up, as of no consequence.

For unbelievers, however, there is a terrible time coming, as we read in Revelation 20:11-12, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books”. 

God is a God of love but we have to overlay that truth on the fact that He is also a God of righteousness and justice. Everyone has an opportunity to turn to God and respond to His love but there are consequences for those who don’t. We are perfectly free to make choices, but we need to be aware that by doing so, we also choose the consequences for the choices we make. If we choose to follow Jesus, then we are assured that we will spend eternity with Him. If we turn our backs on God, and don’t believe in Him, then we will find ourselves facing the consequences in front of a Great White Throne.

Jesus exposed some hard truths before those Jewish leaders who dared to harass Him for telling a healed man to carry his sleeping mat home on the Sabbath. We don’t know how they responded in the end, but if they continued to reject Jesus and His message then there was a time coming when they would have to stand before Him to account for their choice.

We pilgrims must take every opportunity to remind our listeners that God loves them. But if our Good News is rejected and we are harassed and ridiculed for sharing it, then we can remind them of the Great White Throne. Perhaps our gracious words will lodge in their hearts and one day will bear fruit as another soul born into God’s family.

Dear Father God. We thank You for Your grace and mercy – where would anyone be without it? We continue to pray for our friends and families, that none will have to experience Your throne in person. In Jesus’ name. Amen.