John 15

We finished chapter 14 by saying that the completeness of God is interested in the insignificance of me who will come and make his home in us. Let's begin to unpack chapter 15 and see how this corporate unity of the completeness of God works out in life.

The first thing to remember about this chapter is that it is a continuation of chapter 14 and so is therefore part of the same discourse that Jesus is giving to his disciples.

Whilst he is saying to his disciples in John 14:30 “I do not have much time to talk to you” he reassures them that he and the father know what they are doing and in John 15:1 he says “I am the vine and my father is the gardener” immediately taking his disciples into a place of security where the gardener is in control and his disciples, along with us, the reader in the 21st century, can rest assured that God knows what he is doing.

Jesus then says in John 15:2 that the gardener prunes the vine by removing the dead branches and cutting back those that do produce fruit in order that the vine will produce more fruit.

It is the gardeners job to ensure that the vine produces fruit, the job of the gardener is never ending, he is required to prune, weed, water, care for and monitor the plants within the garden to ensure that the place is kept in a manner that pleases and provides a place of solace and encouragement for the owner and onlookers.

Pruning of a vine is a necessary part of vineyard husbandry and is required in order for the vine to produce a good quality and quantity of grape and also to ensure that adequate young shoots are being encouraged for next season's growth. Vines only produce fruit from shoots that are one year old and so require removing once fruiting has finished.

So what Jesus is saying is that we all need pruning continually in order for us to produce fruit and for us to be prepared for fruiting year on year.

What we observe about a vine is that a vine has a stock and branches but essentially they appear to be indistinguishable from each other, so when Jesus says in John 15:5  “I am the vine and you are the branches” what he is saying is I am the vine, you are the vine, I am the branch you are the branch. Essentially Jesus and me are one and the gardener does not distinguish between them, he selects the unhealthy branches and the branches that have already fruited he cuts off from the vine so that the vine will continue to be fruitful year on year.

This pruning process is a continual process that is applied to our lives to make us fit for purpose, the purpose of producing fruit for the vinedresser who Jesus tells us in John 15:1 is his Father.

In John 15:3 Jesus begins to piece the picture together by saying “you have already been pruned” or in the KJV “you are already clean” “because of the word or message I have already spoken to you“ Jesus is speaking here to the converted, his disciples. He is comforting and preparing his disciples for life on earth without him. He has already made it clear in John 15:1-2 that he is the vine and that every branch of his that is unprofitable is taken out by the father and destroyed and every fruitful branch is pruned in order to produce more fruit. So here in John 15:3 he assumes a point in time where the pruning process has taken place and he makes it very clear that in order for us to be fruitful we must remain in the vine and the vine must remain in us. As I have already pointed out a vine and it's branch are virtually indistinguishable and Jesus is saying that one must remain in the other to produce fruit, which is obvious, but probably overlooked by most of us at some point in our lives, one without the other renders both useless for the purpose it was intended, that of producing fruit.

The point that Jesus is also making about the importance of remaining in the vine is that he knows that his ministry on earth has been divisive because he knows that essentially “everything is spiritual”  and when a person starts from that perspective their life will be at odds with the world because it is so fundamentally different to the selfish, sinful nature of human desire that has been brought about by the fallen state of mankind, the state of man that Jesus came to restore to a right relationship to God the Father and creator of all. It is in the remaining or abiding in the vine that we find the true meaning of life. By ensuring that we remain in the vine, and as Jesus promises to remain in us by the power of the indwelling Spirit that has been given by the Father, we will produce fruit, fruit that will remain.

So Jesus is saying here, to his disciples and to anyone through the expanse of time, to those who have been made clean by the Word Jesus, (the Word that became flesh and lived among us John 1:14, the Word already spoken, the Word received and adopted) that life will work if we ABIDE IN THE VINE AND THE VINE ABIDES IN US, it is together that we work life out.

This producing of fruit is all about remaining spiritual, it is not about how many souls we have influenced into accepting Christ or how many people have joined our church or how many missionaries we support, it is all about knowing Christ and him crucified and the power of his risen life intertwined and immersed into our innermost spiritual parts so that we are able to stand firm in a turbulent and unstable world knowing that life is safe and secure in the knowledge that the vine dresser is fully committed to tending his vine so that it produces good fruit for his table.

Jesus call to action in this chapter is not that we strive to produce fruit but that we abide in the vine and remain indistinguishably joined to the root so that we can testify to the ministry of Jesus and can know a place of security in a topsy turvy world.

John 14

We finished chapter13 on a note of despair but with an observation that the only way of being able to fulfill Peter's words of “laying down a life" was to recognise that life is first and foremost Spiritual and it is that Spirituality that works out salvation.

Peter has just been told by Jesus that he will deny him three times before even the rooster crows, but here in chapter14 Jesus continues with words that give us hope.

“Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God believe also in me." This verse is crucial if we are to live a life that is spiritual, (which is in fact the only way to life a life), because Jesus is saying that I and God are one. Jesus has said this many times before and he itterates it yet again. It is reassuring to notice that Jesus is preparing his disciples for life on earth without him but leaving then with full assurance that he is going to prepare a place for us in his father's house.

It would appear that both Thomas and Phillip either don't get it or they have both mis-understood who Jesus is. Thomas says “we do not know where you are going and how can we know the way?” while Philip says “Lord show us the Father and it is sufficient for us”

Thomas seemed to be saying that in his experience life was first and foremost physical and his whole outlook was one of a physical experience unable to extend to the spiritual.. He had been with Jesus for three years and it appears he had not grasped that this Jesus was God in man and therefore was the only access to the Father.

Phillip also reveals that his experience of Jesus’s life is physical with a bolt on optional spirituality and receives a fuller answer to his question than Thomas did. In John 14:6-11 Jesus explicitly reveals the Father and the only access to Him, v6, contains one of the great “I am’s" of Jesus. These I am’s are significant all through scripture and started with God revealing himself to Moses in Exodus 3:14 where God says I AM who I AM. This one little statement declares and confirms the supremacy, the steadfastness, the reliability, the sustaining, the all encompassing nature of God. Whenever we read I am in God's word it should always fIll us with hope, a hope that does not fade or expire.

Whenever Jesus uses the words I am he is revealing and aligning himself to God. In essence he is saying “we are one."

As we move through this chapter to John 14:12-21 we read that Jesus implies that the way to know the Father requires action, our action. The action that is required is to ask and receive, here in John 14:12-18 we have Jesus preparing his disciples,and ultimately, all future generations to ask and receive, in order that we are not left as orphans or left without hope.

Jesus is saying that the Father is glorified in the Son and the Son will impart himself as"another Helper.” This word “another” literally means “another exactly the same as",who will be with you, alongside you and in you. This helper or comforter is the “Spirit of truth"and notice who Jesus says will receive him, it is those who know Christ v17, those who have asked and have received and acknowledged that Christ is God, those who acknowledge that life is spiritual and understand that we live a spiritual life and that it is a life lived from the inside out not outside in. Repentance is all about turning around and walking away from, walking in the opposite direction. It is this very act of physical, intellectual and spiritual repentance, this turning around and walking away from that we work out a life that is spiritual and a live that is lived from within that enables us to be assured of the promise in John 14:18 “I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you”. Jesus goes onto say in John 14:19-31 it is possible to see and know Christ because of the unity of the Father and Son, the unity of Son and Spirit and the unity of Spirit and flesh. The Christian life is only possible if the unifying elements of love and obedience to spiritual laws are adheard to and upheld. It is the moral application of the laws of existence that will be the ultimate redemption of the world.

In John 14:23 Jesus says in response to a question from Judas (not Iscariot) about Jesus being manifest to people that it is all about love,”you love me and you will keep my commandments", notice it does not say “you might” or “you could" it says"you will" implying it is a law of spirituality that is at work. Also notice in his answer Jesus uses the word “My Father will love him". this is the personal touch, the personal assurance that Jesus knows the Father. He then goes on and uses the corporate, “we will come to him and make our home with him" (just a note here the “him" is not gender specific, God created man, (the Hebrew word here is adnah, meaning mankind), in His image, male and female He created them Genesis 1:27:).

It is this personnel assurance of the corporate unity of the completeness of God who is interested in the insignificance of me that gives hope to our nation and our world. We will see in the next chapter how this unity of the Godhead works out in life.

God in the Midst 1

John 13

Following on from the previous chapter, John 12, where we introduced the concept of “God in the midst”, the idea that we have to seek the spiritual man God the Father and where we have to move from a place of knowing Jesus the man, to knowing God the Father, moving to a place that is Spiritual.

Our starting point to knowing God has to be from a place of spirituality, because “God the Father is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth” John 4:24. It is true to say that in reality “Everything is Spiritual”, it is only when we recognise Spirit that we can begin our life’s journey towards and with Jesus. As John wrote at the outset of this gospel in John 1:12-13 “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God”.

To be a Christian is not just about what we do or what doctrinal position we take or have about the theory of “God in our midst”, it is about experiencing “God in our midst” and naturally working out the great work of salvation that God has worked in us, a work accomplished through His Son who willing trod a path to a cruel cross in order that you and I could have, and experience, eternal life.

Here in John 13 we have an account of both commitment to and betrayal of Jesus, an account that demonstrates to us today the seriousness of what the cost of discipleship really means.

Our story starts around a meal table, a place where conversation takes place. Jesus is celebrating with his disciples a meal we have come to know as the last supper. It is in this place of closeness with his disciples, those he had chosen to be with him on his three years of extraordinary ministry, that we encounter the man Jesus, demonstrating what true Christianity is all about.

The narrative tells us in John 13:3 that Jesus knew “that the Father had given him all authority” and “that his time had come to return to His Father.” With this knowledge of knowing what was ahead Jesus rises from his place at the table, takes a towel and a bowl of water and proceeds to wash his disciples feet. This act is demonstrating that Christianity is about service not ritual. He is also showing that for anyone of us to be able to partake of the “Kingdom of Heaven” we need the experience of washing by the hands and life of Jesus so we can be presented to the Father, spotless, by and in the person of Jesus Christ.

We read in John 13:8 that Peter protests at this demonstration of servant hood that Jesus is modelling and the narrative gives the impression that Peter was too proud and too full of self importance to allow this man, who he had come to know and revere as friend and Lord, to stoop so low as to wash his feet, a job that would have been the task of an employed servant in an established Jewish/Roman household of the time. Jesus response to Peter’s attitude was “you don’t understand now, but someday you will” and “if you don’t allow me to perform this act of service on you then you have no part with me.” At this point in the proceedings Peter has a light bulb moment where he demonstrates and reveals his ignorance to the whole situation and says “well not just my feet then, wash all of me.” The truth is that we are all clean through the word already spoken (as we will discover in John 15:3 later) but we need to be in a place of submission where we allow our feet, the area that is symbolically in contact with the world, to be washed in order for us to continue to live in this great freedom we call salvation.

It is true to say that everyone of us has the potential to betray, and as we know even Peter, who has just made a scene over the demonstration of servant hood, would betray Jesus in the not too distant future.

Judas was a man chosen by Jesus to be part of the twelve men that He called disciples, he was a man who obviously showed promise, rising to the rank of treasurer, a role that gave him authority, respect and responsibility.

This raises questions around how Judas had aspired to the role, was he naturally good with money? Was he a manipulator working to hold some kind of power? Was he a control freak? Did he have a heart of compassion for the poor and therefore was naively entrusted with the money? What ever the reason for Jesus choosing Judas will remain a mystery except for the fact that Judas was chosen to betray Jesus, it was God’s plan, which again raises questions around who God chooses and who betrays Him.

The truth is God does not choose people to betray Him. We all have the potential to do that ourselves and we are all vulnerable when we loose focus of, or stray from Christ Himself.

We have here in John 13 the ultimate betrayal, that of a man’s life for approximately half a years wage equivalent (we can assume there was quite a bit of money at Judas disposal as 30 pieces of silver would have been equivalent to half a years wage, a lot of money for one man but divided between 12 that would equate to about two weeks wages, and he was entrusted with it on their behalf).

Betrayal is the act of being unfaithful and in our case, as Christians, that is being unfaithful to Christ and His indwelling life within us.

What John is recording here in this chapter is that Jesus had called Judas out, He had shown him up for who he was, a liar and a cheat. The reality is that Judas had already strayed in his heart and head, the act had already been committed, Jesus just says “Go and do and do quietly”. Jesus knew Gods plan and no longer needed to or wanted to procrastinate the unfolding plan of salvation. We read in John 13:31-35 words that should drive us to our knees in acknowledgement that this man Jesus is without any doubt God. What Jesus was saying in John 13:31 was ‘now my Father’s work and my work is complete, from now on you will need to support yourselves’. Jesus says follow my example of love to you and extend this among yourselves so all those around you will know you are my disciples.

In John 13;36-38 we read the well known exclamation of exuberance by Peter, who is not unlike many of us, who rushes in where fools fear to tread”. Peter utters words that no man or woman can fulfil without the indwelling, ongoing work of the “Helper”, the Holy Spirit, promised by Jesus in chapter 14.

I have said many times before in different writings that salvation is worked out daily and the truth is that none of us can utter Peter’s words in John 13:37 “Lord why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for your sake” and ever hope to fulfil them without us living a life in and through the power of the Holy Spirit. As Jesus demonstrated in John 13;31 and through His life on earth, “laying down our life” involves us willing giving up all rights to our life and accepting that a life lived in God is first and foremost Spiritual which works out Salvation in and through our circumstances and therefore glorifies God and makes Him known.

God in the midst

John 12

In John 12 I want to draw your attention to a few points rather than connect the narrative as before.

As we begin chapter 12 we find that Jesus has just arrived back in Bethany, the place  where he had raised Lazarus, and back with his friends, Martha, Mary and Lazarus. He is attending a meal that has been prepared in his honour. John, the writer, takes great care in telling us exactly what each of his hosts are doing. Martha is busy making sure that everyone of the guests are fed and watered, ensuring that everything is happening, she is so preoccupied with service, appearance and protocol that she misses out on the presence of Jesus. Lazarus was reclining at the table that Martha was busy waiting at, I want you to note that this was quite normal and not out of place at this time in history, but more importantly he was revealing how steeped in tradition he was and therefore blind to the real person of Jesus, that of “God in their midst”. Mary, on the other hand, was preoccupied with Jesus, to the extent that she took an expensive oil and anointed the feet of Jesus. Mary had recognised that this Jesus was both Saviour and Lord and He was worth making this sacrifice for. It appears she was oblivious to the fact that this ointment could have been sold and the money donated to feeding the poor, a point that Judas Iscariot made and in so doing revealed his heart, he was more inclined to appearance and self pretence rather than worship. We read that he stole from the money purse for his own ends, he was living a lie, a lie that ultimately cost his sanity, peace and his life.
The point is that before any of us can serve the poor, who will always be there, we first have to fall at the feet of Jesus and recognise Him in our midst.

Martha was pre occupied with serving, Lazarus was content to recline and eat what was served but Mary went straight to the heart of the matter and anointed the feet of Jesus and demonstrated her love, respect and reverence for a man who she realised was the Messiah, the “God in the midst” who’s life was sent to demonstrate another way.

As we move through this chapter we find many things to pass comment on and in John 12:9-11 we read that many Jews knew he was in the house with Lazarus and so dropped by in order to observe Lazarus, a man raised from the dead, a phenomenon worth seeing. We read that many people believed in Jesus on account of Lazarus and this angered the chief priests, those in authority in the synagogue. How sad it is when one great act of mercy on a fellow human becomes the object of division and destruction and in this story results in a plot to even kill Lazarus. Surly the answer is to explore and accept that “God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform” and to acknowledge that Jesus is the messiah and has come to save us all and requires us to bear witness to who he is.

As we move into John 12:12-19 we encounter a very familiar story, the account of Jesus making a triumphal entry on a donkey’s colt, a colt that had never been ridden before.

Bethany is two miles outside Jerusalem, word had spread that Jesus was coming, the man who could raise dead men from their tombs. We see from this section that those people who had witnessed the miracle of Lazarus were the ones who bore witness (v17); that is what each and everyone of us has to do “bear witness” to the goodness and greatness of “God in the midst”. When we do that many will follow Jesus just like it is reported in v19, causing the Pharisees to question what they were actually doing who came to the conclusion that they were doing nothing and acknowledged that the “world had gone after Him”. The Pharisees, those who were supposed to be able to bring people to God, had recognised their failing in being able to “show the way” mainly because they had not witnessed or encountered “God in the midst” and had hardened their hearts to what God was doing in their vicinity. We all have to acknowledge what God is doing in our vicinity, it may not be to our liking, but we need to change our heart and attitude and discern with spiritual wisdom “God in the midst” and then give support and become a witness to the great outpouring of God’s  Grace and Mercy.

As we move on into John 12:20-26 we are presented with some Greeks who want to see Jesus. They are in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. They would have been Jews or of Jewish decent who had been scattered at some point in Israel’s history and were now Greek. They would not have been in Jerusalem celebrating Passover unless they knew what Passover was and it’s significance to them as Jews.
They approached Philip with the question “sir we want to meet Jesus?” These Greeks had heard about Jesus, His fame had spread as far as Greece. I want you to notice what Philip does, he goes to find Andrew, another disciple, and together they go and ask Jesus if these Greeks can have an audience with him. Jesus answer appears somewhat strange, rather than say “yes no problem”  he replied with “now the time has come for the son of man to come into his glory”. In other words its not me the man you need to seek it is God my Father who you really should be seeking. This is true for us all, in the absence of the physical man Jesus we all need to seek the spiritual man God the Father. Jesus recognised and knew that everything is spiritual and true life comes from the source, God the Father, “God in the midst”.

Life beyond the grave

John 11

Here in John 11 we have a story that demonstrates to us in a practical way why Jesus came. It is a story that re-affirms John 10:10 “I am come that they might have life in abundance”.

This story deals with the heart of mankind and polarises those who believe in Christ the saviour and those who oppose him. The story clearly shows that it is possible to experience first hand the impossible, that is life raised from the dead and to believe or to experience second hand, by word of mouth and conclude that our experience and understanding of God is not as we assumed. Whether our experience of the power of God is first or second hand will determine our understanding of Jesus, either as the Son of God or if second hand it will cause us to question in ignorance why Christ came.

So lets start, Jesus and his disciples have just left Judea on account that the Jews were about to stone him, we can assume that they intended to kill him, not because of any miracle he did but because he had said that he and God the father were one being John 10:30.

What is interesting at the end of John 10:40-42 is that Jesus went to where John the baptist had been at the start of his ministry and we are told that Jesus remained there and that many believed the things that John had said about him were true, for it says “many believed in him there” John 10:42.

What we know about Jesus is that in his life and death mankind have been polarised by him, some believed, some didn’t. Those that believed were those that believed what he said about himself and God in heaven were true, that he and the father were one. We all have to come to this position of belief and when we do, it will revolutionise our lives, our thinking, our actions and our worship.

So at the beginning of this story we are just outside Bethany, a small town east of, and within walking distance from Jerusalem. By what we read we can assume that Jesus was going about his ministry, knowing that his time on earth was yet to be fulfilled, as we are told that many came to him there. He wasn’t in hiding as in John 11:3 we are told that Martha and Mary sent for him, they knew where he was. On hearing that the sisters have requested for him to attend their brother Lazarus who is really sick, he responds with assurance and confidence by saying “this illness will not lead to death, it is in order that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” If you remember when we looked at John 9 we discovered that Jesus had said a similar thing, a man sight restored in order that God should be glorified in him John 9:3.

What Jesus is demonstrating by his words here in John 11:4 is that nothing can stand in the way of us knowing him, not even death. At this point in history Jesus was about to demonstrate that life given by him (God) cannot be extinguished. Whilst all around him, especially those he loved, Martha, Mary and Lazarus, had given up all hope, he knew that eternal life was the key and he also knew that in real terms there could be no life outside of Gods great plan of life in God, a life without the constraints of time and space. In God there is always hope, do we believe in Him?

As we look into John 11:6-15 we find that Jesus does not respond immediately but stays in situ for another two days, he knows that this miracle is not about showing people that he has the power or ability (see Acts 1:8) to heal the sick only but also to show that the ultimate separation of death has no power or authority in God. He is also showing that the right time to do something is of absolute importance and in this instance he waits for two more days. The disciples who are with him object to him considering stepping back into Judea and putting himself and those who choose to go with him at risk. I wonder where we would stand on this point? Would we be prepared to follow Jesus into hostile territory and put our lives in danger or would we , like the disciples, raise an objection like they did “only a few days ago the people in Judea were trying to stone you, are you going there again?” John 11:8. Are we putting obstacles in the way of God moving us in His direction, moving us to a place where we will witness great change and great blessing or are we demonstrating a zeal like Thomas the twin in John 11:16, “lets go too and die with Jesus”. Jesus clearly says to his disciples in response to the objection “whilst you have the daylight, walk in it” John 11:9. In other words Jesus is saying you stay with me, “I am the light of the world” John 8:12. We need to cultivate our lives so that we know and understand Gods timing.

When Jesus arrives in Bethany he finds that Lazarus had died and his body placed in a tomb and had been there for four days already. There ensues a conversation between Martha and Jesus which I think is worth looking at in. It is a conversation that deals with the reality of life even in death. Martha, who unlike her sister, was a person who was rather more “down to earth” and “matter of fact”.She appears to be less concerned that Lazarus, her brother had died and more concerned for her loss, probably due to the fact that her circumstances and quality of life were now going to be different as in Jewish culture Lazarus would have been the sister’s provider and protector. We don’t read that the sisters were married so can only assume they were still provided for by their birth family, of whom Lazarus was a key figure.

Martha’s conversation with Jesus in John 11:21 is one of desperation and “what are we going to do now” conversations. If we look closely at the Greek word that is used for “died” in this verse we find that she uses a word that shows exasperation, a word that indicates that she has failed to grasp that Jesus is life and that death has no hold. Martha's understanding of the situation was “well what are we going to now?” it was all about her. Incidentally the word she uses is the word ETETHNESKO which indicates separation or more precisely “doomed”.

Mary, on the other hand, uses the word APOTHNESKO, John 11:32, which was a word more commonly used to indicate separation of body and soul. Mary had found a deeper understanding of life that “life in Christ” or more precisely “life in God” was a constant experienced state not something that was obtained on death. Mary, it appears, was a lot less concerned about her situation and more concerned about the physical loss and sadness of her brother. There does not appear to be any tones of accusation or blame towards Jesus, just one of sadness that her brother had died. We also need to note at this point the difference in attitude, Martha came and immediately engages in a more confrontational way with Jesus John 11:32, whereas Mary came and fell at his feet John 11:32. Mary had understood and entered into an experience with Jesus that led her to be more at peace that her sister Martha, who by contrast, appears to be less at peace and therefore holding a weaker understanding and experience of Jesus “the resurrection and life”.

As we move through the story we find that some of the Jews, who had come to see the spectacle, yes it says they had come to comfort Martha and Mary, but by now their comfort had turned to cynicism and jest, John 11:37, and were saying could he (Jesus) not have intervened before it was too late. Even these Jews had failed to grasp the reality of life. The truth is that life is eternal and that death has no hold when we enter into and believe that Jesus is the resurrection and life and that any kind of life outside of this existence and experience is doomed rather than fulfilled..

In John 11:39-40 we still find Martha protesting and Jesus reminding her that if only she would believe she would see the glory of God.

What does it take for us to let go all of our gathered human thinking and perceptions in order for us to believe and accept by faith that Jesus is life and that anything outside of that which we think is life is in fact death. Mary had come to this place where as Martha had not, they both had the same opportunity, yet one still wanted control of her life while the other had abandoned control and found that her life was “hid with Christ in God” Colossians 3:1-4.

It was Mary’s life and humility that is recorded in John 11:45 where we read that “many of the Jews which came with Mary and seen the things that Jesus did, believed on him.”

I hope and pray that this will be our experience, that we come to Christ knowing that when we abandon our life to his omnipotence we then truly begin to live, and the quality of that renewed life is the experience that draws people to God.

The Shepherd and the fold

John 10

Jesus continues in John 10:1 by telling a story in answer to the Pharisees question in John 9:40 “Are we blind also?” The story goes like this “if you haven't entered into the sheepfold by using the door then you are a thief and a robber and you have no chance of discerning the shepherds voice when the gate keeper opens the gate of the fold to the shepherd who then calls His own sheep by name in order to lead them out to pasture.”
What Jesus is saying is the sheepfold is a place of safety and the way out is through the gate or door. The door is only opened to the shepherd because he is known by the gate keeper and when the door is opened the shepherd calls his sheep out in order that he can lead them to pasture in order that they can get food.

What I like about this little section is that Jesus wants us all to have the freedom to go out and come in to the sheepfold in the knowledge that there is complete safety when the shepherd is there leading the sheep. Those sheep that know the shepherd have nothing to fear as they graze freely in open pasture, content in the security that is provided by the presence of the shepherd.

As a farmer at heart I can really appreciate this story. What we know about sheep is that they are quite stupid and nervous by nature, they are not like cattle which generally, by nature are far more inquisitive and less nervous.

For example if you entered a field of sheep they instinctively will head in the other direction and huddle together and try to escape from you what ever the cost, unless of course, you are the shepherd, who they know, and who has come into the field rattling a bucket of nuts and calling them to himself, they will come running towards you because they know you and have security in your presence.

Jesus is saying that is what it is like, my sheep know my voice because they have been led into the fold, through the door by me and through me. It is I that have come to lead them out in the same way that they entered. Any one else who tries to lead my sheep out by some other route is a thief and a robber.

Jesus says in John 10:16 “I have other sheep that are not of this fold, I must bring them also so they can hear my voice...” The door is the way in and out of this fold which has one shepherd and Jesus plainly says is one fold and there is only one door, the door he became through his death and resurrection.

You may be asking at this point, 'what is the fold, is it heaven or just a safe place for us to hole up when life gets tough?' I don't think that Jesus told this story with the intention of making the fold some kind of aspirational place where we can find safety at the end of our physical lives. I believe what Jesus is saying is “you want safety and security now, in this present moment, then you have to come through me into this place of sanctuary and we can walk in and out together, and find pasture that will enrich and sustain you and in the confidence and security of knowing that I will look out for you”.

Jesus is very clear with what he is saying. Remember he is still speaking to the religious leaders who are supposed to know God and who also claimed to understand scripture. They had just witnessed a blind man receive sight and yet when hearing this story about sheep in a fold waiting for their shepherd they still fail to grasp the truth. So Jesus goes on and in John 10:7 he says “I am the door of the sheep.” This fold is not some kind of place that is for the afterlife, it is not about fitting us or preparing us for a heaven somewhere else, it is all about enabling us to live freely and to confidently go in and out and find pasture in the safe knowledge that the “good shepherd” is here with us.

Jesus says in John 10:10 that he has come to give us life and not only give us life but enable us to have life in all it's fullness, a life in abundance. This is freedom now, oh what joy. It is only when we grasp this verse in all it's reality that we begin to live a life of abundance. At this point I want to be clear that does not mean a life of health, wealth and prosperity. I believe abundant life means a life that knows the purpose for which it was created. Our created life has the sole purpose through out eternity to bring glory to the non-created being we call God. We are given life in order for us to radiate God's wonderful goodness and grace.

To live this “abundant life” we first must enter through the door that is Jesus, into the fold. That implies that there are other souls in the fold who have not entered through the “door”. We then need to find our security in a world that is volatile, selfish, ruthless and violent inside this sheepfold we call home. The only way to do that is to recognise that God in all His glory has come down and has made a way so that we can freely go out and in to the fold in order to find pasture without the fear of getting lost.

There is no other way to an abundant, fruitful life than to give up the fight and scramble of trying to get into the fold by some other means but to accept Christ and enter through his wonderful provision of sacrificed life.

Isaiah 43:1 says “Jacob I have created but Israel I have formed.” Just like Jacob we are a project in formation, entering the door into the security of the fold, giving up our struggle to find happiness outside of Christ and His care is part of the formation.

Seeing Jesus (2)

Seeing Jesus (2)

John 9

There is so much to say in this story about peoples reactions to this man's miracle but I want to focus on the man and his experience from this point on.

What we we see in John 9:10-11 is that when asked how his eyes had been opened the man's reply was “A man called Jesus” and in John 9:12, in response to the question where is he?, the man's reply was “I don't know.” 

What a tragedy we have here that a man can be freed from his blindness and yet not know who it was that healed him, “A man”, “I don't know”. I would like to suggest that it is possible to be saved from a life of spiritual blindness and yet not know the source of the miracle.

Let's move to a different perspective for a moment. These people, this man's neighbours, those who were questioning him, decided to take him to the religious leaders and what we see when we read John 9:13-16 is that these men are so full of their own importance and are so blinded by religious rhetoric, that they write Jesus off by saying he can't be from God because he healed on the Sabbath (equating healing with working). 

What the Pharisees failed to recognise is that when dealing with the spiritual there are no boundaries of time or segments of days or weeks. When faced with the reality of a man born blind who can now see the Pharisees are divided, and rather than give God the glory, they continue to try to get answers for their own unbelieving hearts by reasoning away the miraculous work of God now evident in this man. I hope that we are not so blind? 

The truth is we can never know the spiritual dimensions of life unless we have had spiritual experiences. These religious leaders thought they were spiritual but in fact when faced with reality were floundering and trying to explain away the truth, the truth that “this man Jesus” was in fact a man sent from God and indeed was God in man. 

The Pharisees listened with intent to the people, the friends and neighbours of the healed blind man and weighed up there position. Here was a man going about breaking the religious law by healing on the Sabbath day, the day traditionally held as the day of rest, a day that was set in stone in Jewish custom as a day that “man” should set aside as a day to contemplate God and His creation. What Jesus is demonstrating here is that God can and should be glorified on every day of the week, not just as a ritual on one day of the week. 

When asked by the church leaders about his healing the healed man says “he is a prophet” John 9:17. In his mind it is becoming clear that this Jesus is no longer just “a man” John 9:11 he is more than that and the next best description he can muster on the spot is “he is a prophet”. What we are beginning to see is the start of a spiritual progression in this man's thought process, a spiritual process that we all need to receive from the source of all spirituality. We are beginning to see that this miracle of sight to the blind is more than just physical restoration and is much more about Spiritual awakening within the life of a being created in the image and likeness of God. But still there is resistance from the “spiritual” law makers who call the parents of the man to verify he is who he says he is and that he was actually born blind, they were just not prepared to believe the man's testimony. What a sad situation it is when we do not give God the glory when he steps into the lives of men and women and changes their outlook. 

We see that the blind man's parents weren't prepared to give much support because they were so fearful of being thrown out of the synagogue they abdicated and just said “we know he is our son and he was born blind, but for how he now sees, we don't know, ask him he is of age.” John 9:20-22.  When it comes to standing on the truth of knowing the risen Christ there are times when we will have to count the cost, this man's parents were just not prepared to do that. 

We read later on that the man himself was prepared to count the cost and categorically defends “the man, the prophet” and declares to the religious leaders that once I was blind now I see and he even goes as far as rebuking them for not knowing where Jesus is from, he concludes that after all they are the religious ones, they know the scriptures and yet they failed to see that unless Jesus was indeed God in man then there was no way he could have performed this miracle. The final straw was when he asks if they want to be his (Jesus) disciples and after a few more exchanges of words they threw him out of the place of worship. This man was prepared to take this stance because he had had an encounter with Jesus that had radically changed his life.

As I pointed out earlier it is possible to encounter Jesus and yet not know him. In John 9:25 we find that, upon further questions, the man clarifies that he does not know if the man who healed him is a sinner (not sure how he would know that or even how the Pharisees knew that), presumably they came to that conclusion because Jesus had continually made them feel uncomfortable and had continued to engage with people whereas the Pharisees had tried to manipulate and enforce some kind of power and fear over the people and their spiritual destiny. Interestingly what the man says is “one thing I know, I was blind and now I can see”. Spiritually, of course, that is all we need to know, “once I was blind but now I see” and when I see through God's eyes, through the indwelling life of the Holy Spirit, then everything else becomes insignificant compared to the freedom and ability we have in knowing Jesus. 

As we read on we find that this man becomes bolder in his response to the questions, he is able to give unequivocal answers about his healing. In exactly the same way we will be able to be bold and give unequivocal answers to those who try to demean or dissuade us that spirituality and belief in Jesus as God's Son is futile. It may cost us as it cost this man when they threw him out of the synagogue and out of worship.

The concluding part to this great chapter is that Jesus heard that the man had been “cast out” and in John 9:35 we read “...and when He found him”, he asked him if he believed in the Son of God. The man had enough about him to respond with the words “who is he Lord that I might believe on him” (this word on, in the original Greek is the Greek word eis which means into) so what he is saying is “that I might believe into Him”. Jesus responds in John 9:37 “you have both seen him and it is he that talks with you now”. The man's only response is “Lord I believe” and he worshiped Jesus. What is our response when Jesus opens our eyes? Is it one of thanks but no thanks or is it one of declaring the truth of Christ and standing on the promise of salvation in order that we may enter into all that God has for us, all that He purposed at the outset of creation. Remember we are alive in order that the works of God should be made manifest in us. We are here for God's glory not our own. It is time that we recognise that there is so much more to life in Christ and life lived by and in the Spirit. Let us not be like the Pharisees in this passage who, after experiencing the miracle of restored sight, ask the question “are we blind also?” and by inference they remained in ignorance of sin. It is only by recognising our blindness and our need and by falling prostrate at the feet of Jesus and declaring “Lord I believe”, that we really become free and complete to live a life that makes a difference. 

Seeing Jesus (1)

John 9
Seeing Jesus (1)

To set the scene for this chapter I want to go back into John 8:59 where we find that the hardened scholars had become so incensed that it says “they took up stones to cast at him; but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them and so passed by.” This verse leads us into John 9 where we will uncover an unfolding story of a man who was given the opportunity to see Jesus all because Jesus was prepared to stop and engage with him as he passed by.

The first thing to note in this passage is that Jesus stopped and engaged with this man who was born blind in response to a question that his disciples asked him. John 9:2 says “Master who sinned? This man or his parents?”. The understanding in Jesus day was that if you were ill or in-firmed then the conclusion was that God must be displeased with you or someone close to you and therefore you had to carry the evidence for all to see. What Jesus says in response is both revolutionary in it's concept and liberating in it's application,

He says in John 9:3 “Neither has this man or his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” What Jesus is saying is that you don't need to be like this, in this state of blindness, God can set you free so you can see Him and worship Him as Lord. I wonder what is going through this man's head as he is listening to this conversation? His primary reason for being by the gate of the temple was so that someone may just stop for a second and drop a meager amount of loose change at his feet in order that he could, at least, get some food to sustain him for a little while longer. Yet here he is listening to a conversation that seems to be saying he, nor his parents, had sinned and that he was in this state in order that the works of God could be made manifest, what on earth does that mean and was he prepared for what was about to happen? I suspect not, I wonder if we would be?

In some sense we are all in this state of blindness, not because of anything we have done or anything our parents did, we are born in a spiritual state of blindness because of the fallen state of mankind, a fallen state that has spiraled out of control to such an extent that we are reduced to a life whereby we are spiritually forced to exist on meager handouts in order to survive. The great thing for all of us is that in all of life's business and it's complications, the worlds heady arrogance and it's feeble explanations about life and our existence, in steps God in the form of Jesus, and as He passes by, stops, and speaks words that will revolutionise our lives to such an extent we will never be the same again.

What we witness next is Jesus stepping down and making clay from the ground beneath his feet and anointing the eyes of the man born blind, this was Jesus demonstrating that this man was being sanctified, being set free, in order that he could worship and testify to the greatness of God. When Jesus steps into our space and engages us in conversation we must be prepared to act in order for His words and his actions to be fulfilled. This action is called faith. Jesus says to the man “Go wash in the pool of Siloam.” The anointing on it's own was not enough to make this man see he had to believe that something supernatural had taken place and move from a place of begging to a place of freedom in order for him to be free. At this point it is important for us to recognise and acknowledge that if we want to be healed from our spiritual blindness then we have to act on what God has accomplished through Christ and move our lives in the direction that Jesus points out for us.

In our story, the blind man was pointed to the pool of Siloam and what we see is that this man's obedience resulted in him not only being able to see but also that other people started asking questions, what we begin to see is a fulfillment of Jesus words in John 9:3 “that the works of God should be made manifest.” This miracle was not just for one man but for mankind, in the same way that our salvation is not just for ourselves but for all of us collectively. 

So the question that gets asked is “is this he who sat and begged?” some said yes, some said no he is like him, but the man said I am he, one thing we will be certain of when Christ steps into our lives is that we will know who we were and more importantly who we have become.

Continue in my Word

John 8

For those of us who have seen and experienced something of the risen Christ let us look at chapter John 8:30-36.

John 8:30 says many believed on him and then in John 8:31-32 Jesus said to them “if you continue in my word then are you my disciples in deed; and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”

According to Jesus Christ, to be a disciple we have to continue in Jesus word and by continuing in his word he says "you shall know the truth and this truth will make you free". 

Immediately the Pharisees tried to justify their freedom saying that they were of the seed of Abraham and therefore did not need to be set free because they believed they were free already. Jesus cuts straight to the point and says anyone who commits sin is the servant of sin, he knows the heart of a man or women, no one else knows that except the man or woman themselves, what insight. When we truly know what we are because we have been exposed by the word of Jesus we can really do business with God on His ground. The ground that is the very depths of our being, the place of the heart, the spiritual place. What I am talking about does not take place in the realm of the natural or the realm of the intellect. If we truly want to know God and His freedom then we have to find the spiritual place in our lives and then endeavor to find God there. 

In order for that process to begin we have to let go all of our pre-conceptions and doctrines (both about God and our existence and our origins), that is everything we have accumulated through our lives in order for us to get back to the real issue, the issue of God himself, and when there we need to ask Him to reveal himself to us again in a fresh and living way.

We do this by abiding in “The Word” and “The Word” will set us free. Paul points out in Romans 6: 12-13 where he says “let not sin reign in your body”, “neither yield your members (you as a whole person) as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive....” So what we learn here is that by continuing in “the word”, “the word” will set us free. To 'continue' requires an action on our part, Christ died for Sin once for all but for us to live in that freedom requires us to make daily choices to yield to God in order for us to live in the truth that has set us free.

In John 8:28 Jesus says “when you have lifted up the son of man then you shall know that I am (for clarification the word 'he' is not in the original text). Here in this verse Jesus is talking about his death, he came into this fallen world, as a man, with the full knowledge and understanding of His purpose. What he says here, to the Jews, the people who knew all about the one true God, but who did not know God, (every Jew would have been taught this from a very young age and know who God was. Deuteronomy 6:3 “Hear O Israel and observe to do it...” and more importantly Deuteronomy 6:4-5) is “then you shall know that I am”. 

At this point let us refresh our memories and go back to Exodus 3:1-14 to the man that God chose to lead His people out of bondage and the slavery of Egypt. When God attracted the attention of Moses by means of a burning bush, a man who had fallen from exceptional grace and privilege from the Pharaohs inner circle to the place of a wandering shepherd in the desert where he was shepherding sheep for his father-in-law.

The burning bush in it self was not exceptional, what was exceptional was that the bush was not consumed by the fire. It was this that caught Moses attention and he turned to observe and it was in the 'turning to observe' that God spoke to him. What follows is a dialogue between the two of them that includes the phrase “I AM THAT I AM” part of the phrase that God requires Moses to say to the children of Israel in response to Moses question “who shall I say has sent me?” God says you say “I AM has sent me” Exodus 3:14. God then follows on in verse 15 and says “The Lord God of your fathers......has sent me” and “this is my name forever”. So we see in the passage in John 8 that Jesus is saying you shall know that I AM. It is Jesus saying I and the father are one.

It is when we begin to acknowledge and accept that Christ has been crucified and has risen that we then begin to understand that He is the I AM. It is then that Jesus says to those who believe “if you continue in my word then you are my disciples indeed: and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you FREE.” So we see salvation is first about belief in a crucified and risen Christ then about continuing in Jesus word. It is about abiding on a daily basis, minute by minute, hour by hour, always giving God the glory and praise in everything we do and say so that others might come to see the crucified and risen Christ. It is not about working out the theology, it is about accepting that Jesus is I AM and that I AM has come down in response to the cry of longing that has gone up for truth and freedom.

When God revealed that His name of I AM to Moses was to be His name forever in the meeting at the burning bush God also revealed that He had seen the afflictions of His people which are in Egypt (notice I use the present tense, God always sees the afflictions of His people in Egypt, a place of bondage and slavery), He had heard their cry, He knew their sorrows and that I AM come down to deliver them, to bring them out in order to bring them in to something far greater. This 'I AM come down' is denoted in the original Hebrew as being permanent in the past with certainty and permanency in the future. This 'I AM come down' is important for all of us, it is God with us, IMANUEL.

Do we know and appreciate this Jesus today? Are we one of those who believed into Jesus, into the one who said before Abraham was I AM John 8:58 or are we like those Pharisees just trying to argue away the truth and in so doing blind ourselves and those around us.

Let us purpose in our lives to find this I AM and continue in his word in order that the truth will set us free.

Who is Jesus

John 7

Now that we are moving into chapter 7 we find that many people are now questioning Jesus authority. In verse John 7:25-27 we see the inhabitants of Jerusalem questioning among themselves that maybe, just maybe, their leaders know or even have a hunch that this man could be the Christ, the AV puts it like this “Do the rulers know indeed that this is very Christ?”, drawing attention to the fact that the Jews thought they knew what 'very Christ' meant. The Jews had been taught about the living God and His rescue package for centuries and now that it was here under their noses very few recognised it. I suppose the question for us today is do we recognise and know the Messiah or are we conditioned to think that He will appear in a certain way or do we just think He has arrived and that we do not need to do anything else?

I suppose chapter 7 shows us that many people were divided as to who Jesus was. There were those who perceived that he was demon possessed John 7:20. Some thought he was the messiah but doubted even their own thought because they had fixed ideas that the messiah would come in a certain way and they would not know where he came from John 7:27. 

The real problem that people had was that the establishment, the leaders, the Pharisees, did not believe and therefore cast doubt on the whole question. The Pharisees believed that they had the answers, after all they had studied intently, the trouble was they listened to men and not to God. They couldn't even get it right when it came to the tradition of circumcision, believing that it was Moses who instigated it when in fact it was God through Abraham (John 7:21-24) that was the architect of the act in order to seal the covenant between Himself and Man. It was Moses who declared, through spiritual insight, that this act was indeed an act that needed to be accomplished in the heart not in the flesh.

The key to knowing Jesus lies in John 7:17 where Jesus says “If any is willing to do his will (Gods) he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself.” Here in this verse we have Jesus pointing out spiritual truth. The key to John's gospel has been to point men and women to Jesus now here in John 7:17 we see Jesus pointing out that what he speaks is of God and can only be known by those who will do his (Gods) will. The original Greek for 'will' has the present continuous tense and the word 'do' has the infinitive mood so when put together there is a sense of urgency in the will do, it is a constant continuous action, one that changes our direction and understanding. It is in the 'will do' that we know whether the doctrine is of God. The 'will do' is quickened by faith. As everything is spiritual the 'will do' has to be a spiritual action. Spirit communes only with spirit.

In John 7:28 Jesus point out that the people can know who he is and where he is from, that is physically, yet he says “the one who sent me is true and you don't know him”, that is they did not know him in the now, in the present, spiritually. Do we know him and where he is from in the now, spiritually?

In John 7:31 it is recorded that many believed because of what Jesus had already done, why is it that some people take more convincing than others?

In all of this confusion and muddle at the end of the feast Jesus stood up and cried saying “if any thirst let him come to me and drink” John 7:37. He also says in John 7:38 that belief in him will result with a flow of LIVING WATER, a baptism that had not yet been witnessed but would come at Pentecost. Have we heard the cry “If any thirst” and if so do we believe and are we witness to the LIVING WATER flowing out of our depths that not only changes us but changes and enthuses those around us? Do we still doubt who Jesus is even though we have had him pointed out to us or are we those who have said YES I see him, believe in him and will follow him whatever the cost?

Where is Jesus

John 6:22-29
Are we looking for Jesus in the right place?
The people that Jesus had slipped away from the evening before suddenly realised that Jesus was not with them. Where as the disciples had not waited for him, these people couldn't find him, although it didn't take  them long before they realised that the only boat available for them to cross over lake Galilee had been taken by the disciples and for some reason they knew that Jesus had not gone with them. In the event they managed to secure passage across the lake to Cappernaum to look for him using some boats that were "passing" by. For what reason were they trying to find him, I wonder? However, Jesus wasn't under any illusion as to why they followed him and searched for him, in a very straight forward way he tells them they only wanted to find him for what they could get from him to satisfy their physical bodies. he then goes on to say don't spend your energies on acquiring materialism, but rather seek eternal life that I (Jesus) can give.
These people were no different to people today in that they asked the question what must we do?" John 6:28. Jesus answers "believe on Him whom He has sent" John 6:29. So often we think we have to earn God where as really all we have to do is believe, trust and obey that our lives are in God's hands. Belief is salvation because it is not what I do that saves me but what God has done for me.

Jesus left behind

What happens when Jesus is not with us?

Lets look at this section in John 6:15-21.

After the great miracle that Jesus had accomplished with very little resource he became aware that the people wanted to exalt him to something he never came to be, an earthly king, a god to be bowed down too and eventually an idol that would misplace mankind's need for salvation by something that could become some kind of talisman and superstition, he withdrew himself to the hills.

How long was it before anyone missed him? After all they were full and satisfied, they had no need for him just at that moment. We read eventually the disciples left and went down to the shore to wait for him but alas as darkness fell the need arose for them to continue on without him. How often do we wait and then get impatient and press on without God with us?

We may have very legitimate reasons to press on but to do so without Jesus is often fool hardy and tragic.The disciples pressed on, got into their boats and left Jesus behind, a situation that could have cost them dearly. However, Jesus being God was able to come to their rescue. After they had been battling a storm and had rowed some 3 – 4 miles just trying to get to land and safety there was Jesus in the middle of the storm. Notice it is Jesus that calls out to them not the other way round, they did not have to do anything other than let him into their boat and all was well.The lesson here is make sure that Jesus is with you before you push your boat out to sea. Life has unexpected ways of rocking the boat and without Jesus in our boat life can be incredibly tiring, all the needless rowing too and fro. Even in the event that you or I push out to sea without Jesus and life becomes some what turbulent Jesus by God's mercy will find you and bring peace and calm to the situation.

Where is the food

-->

Why do we follow Jesus? At the beginning of this chapter we find many people following Jesus, by the end of it the number has dwindled. In John 6:2 the passage tells us that a large number followed because Jesus healed the sick. They got personal and physical benefit . Now don't misunderstand me I believe God can heal and that is the point because Jesus says in this chapter that actually it is God who brings people to him John 6:44. Each one of us needs to believe in the one God sent John 6:29 not for physical healing alone but for eternal life.

Are we following Jesus just because he fed us with a morsel of bread and a piece of fish? Are we following for some physical or material gain or so that our lives can be transformed into something that God can use for His glory?

Lets go back a bit to the point where Jesus asks Philip “where they can buy bread for food to feed all these people” John 6:5. Andrew pipes up, resourceful Andrew who just believed that all things were possible, his experience of God was big. Remember he had bought his brother Peter to Jesus with the words “we have found the anointed one, the Christ”. Something had happened in his heart, in his innermost “spiritual” part when he had spent time with this man, Jesus John 1:39. He had witnessed changed lives and knew that God was with this man Jesus, in fact he recognised that Jesus was God in man not man in God. “We have five loaves and two small fish” he says, “but what are they among so many”? At least he spoke up and didn't limit God before he had given him a chance. How many of us do this? We look at the insignificance of what we have and say it is not enough, it is impossible. Remember Mary in John 2:5 who just said “do what ever he says”, she was not phased by the scale of the problem. Andrew was the same, he was not phased by the scale of this insurmountable task. It's at that point that Jesus takes over and uses what little we have or what is available and produces something magnificent. Remember it is not what we have that makes us useful to God it is what we don't have that makes us a resource that God can use for His glory and whereby many can benefit from food that sustains them. But beware, people will follow for what they can get not for what they can give. The true cost of discipleship is recognising that all we have is from God alone and what we bring and what we share is for the benefit of the wider community.

What are you waiting for?

John 5 1:16


For some reason Jesus had gone to the sheep gate and more specifically to the pool named Bethesda.
Was it by chance that he went to the pool or was it on purpose because he knew that this is where the weak, the poor and the sick people would be?
Bethesda means "house of mercy" and mercy is defined as "compassion which causes one to help the weak, the sick or the poor." I think Jesus went to the pool of Bethesda because mercy compelled him too.

The passage homes in on one man, a man who had been at the pool side for 38 years, a man who had lost all hope of being healed, a man who had given up trying. Even when asked the question by Jesus in John 5:6 "Do you want to be made well?" he couldn't even answer a resounding yes, he came up with an excuse, "I don't have anyone to help me, someone else always gets there before me." When Jesus enters into our lives and our life space, he has no time for excuses. John 5:8 sees Jesus cut to the chase and say "Rise, take up your bed and walk." When Jesus speaks faith is imparted.

What we see in John 5:9 is that the man immediately takes up his bed and walks. It does not appear that this man debated the theory or question how this was possible. The faith imparted by the spoken word of God quickened this man physically so he was able to get up and walk.

The passage continues to tell us that this man had no idea who had healed him. He was put on the spot and needed to testify to how he had been healed John 5:10-13. It is possible for us all to be in that situation, we can experience God in wonderful ways and yet still go on blindly living, not knowing who has intervened by mercy.

The great thing is that we read in John 5:14 that Jesus found him, Jesus does not just leave this man to flounder in his ignorance. He finds him and extends Grace for the forgiveness of Sin. Notice that Jesus says "Sin no more", not sins. Jesus died to abolish Sin not sins, He died for the cause not the result, the root not the fruit. He died for the rebelion and disobedience to God our creator. Having our Sin forgiven puts God in His rightful place in our lives and re-establishes a right relationship to God.

The passage brings together Gods great Mercy and Grace. For men and women to be lifted out of their despair  to be given hope, they need to be shown compassion. Compassion in itself does not get us into a right relationship with God. Grace on the other hand does.

Paul writing to the Ephesian church in Ephesians 2:4-5 combines both Mercy and Grace.

"But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!)"

So what are we waiting for. God has shown Mercy, let's receive His Grace and live and move forward into all that God has for us.