The Greater Works of the Church

Psalm 2                             2 Corinthians 5:16-21                                      John 14:7-14

The Greater Works of the Church

Two weeks ago, we learned that those who are in Jesus are all together in one big house…the Father’s House. In today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus teaches us that this house is a springboard from which we, as people regenerated, renewed, and revived in him, can be catapulted out into the world to do unprecedented things for the kingdom. 

In these verses, Jesus spoke about the many great works the Father did through him during his time here on earth, but he also spoke of the subsequent greater works he would do through those who believe in him after he had returned to the Father. I believe these verses present us with one of the key thoughts in understanding our role as followers of Jesus in this world. Our role mirrors the role of our Lord during the years of his incarnation. In this respect, we are all instruments of revitalisation, renovation, and re-creation.

There are two astonishing promises Jesus made here. Firstly, he said that those who truly believe and trust him will do greater works than he did…and then, secondly, he said that he would do whatever we ask in accordance with who he is…whatever we ask in “his name”… to the glory of God the Father. In other words, powerful Christ-centred prayer coupled with audacious Christ-centred action will result in the exaltation of God.

But before we explore these remarkable promises, we need to set them in the context of the larger discourse. Remember, Jesus had just declared himself to be the only way to truth and to life…he is the only one through whom we may know what is real and what is eternal. There is simply no other way to the Father except through him. He is the door to the sheepfold. He is the stairway connecting heaven and earth. He is the resurrection and the life. 

But here Jesus reveals why he can be all those things and more. “If you had known me,” Jesus told his disciples, “you would have known my Father also.” You see, Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. (Colossians 1:15) Jesus is the brightness of God’s glory and the express image of His person. (Hebrews 1:1-2) To know Jesus is to know the Father. Look at him and you will see God. Through the incarnation, Jesus has once and for all revealed and declared the Father to us because in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. (Colossians 2:9)

In Matthew 11:27 Jesus said that no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son wills to reveal him. Now, about two sermons ago we were told that Jesus specifically chose the twelve, each to his own purpose. So, if the revelation of the Father is according to the will of the Son, then it stands to reason that he could say that his chosen disciples knew the Father and had seen him because Jesus had revealed the Father to them.

So it is no wonder that Jesus said, in reply to Philip’s question, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?” 

Now before we shake our heads at Philip, perhaps we should recall how many times we have asked similar questions during times of confusion or bewilderment. Something like, “Lord, please give me a sign that you are with me”.  Didn’t he already tell us that he is with us always? Or “Lord, show me that you love me.” Well, what do we think he did at the cross? If that’s not love, what is? I think if we listen carefully, we may hear a similar reply from our Lord. “Have I been with you so long and still you don’t know me?”

But what is behind such statements as that of Philip and ours is a deep inner craving for security. That’s why we want to see God in a form that is personally undeniable. 

I believe the origin of this craving to be secure comes from the time of the Fall. Prior to the disobedient and rebellious act of our forebears, God was known personally in a very intimate fashion. God walked with them. God talked with them. There was no hinderance, no veil, no separation. 

But from the Fall on, we see that mankind seeks for God but is not able to find him unless he reveals himself to them. (1 Corinthians 2:14) This unaided “seeking” is the basis for all sorts of idolatrous practices. For instance, in Exodus 32 the Israelites wanted to see the God who had brought them out of slavery in Egypt and so they made a golden calf and worshipped it. They wanted to see something that would provide them with assurance that God was indeed with them. But their method was illegitimate, and they were disciplined for it. 

But when Moses asked to see God’s glory in the very next chapter, God showed him his glory by revealing his character…and in Jesus’ reply to Philip, he indicated that we can only truly know someone when we know their character. Have I been with you so long and still you don’t know me? You know, I think you can get to know someone pretty well in three years, especially if they are intent on helping you get to know them beyond the exterior surface.

You see, Jesus was not a stained-glass window….he was not a painting…he had lived very closely with his followers for three long years, not just teaching them verbally about God but also revealing God to them through powerful demonstration. He had revealed to them the character of the one who had sent him. They had heard him speak, they had heard him teach, they had heard him admonish, they had heard him refute false teaching…but they had also seen him at work doing both what is mundane as well as that which is intensely profound. 

So, that which humanity has searched for ever since the Fall, now stood before them…completely and finally revealed before their very eyes. Like God before the Fall, he walked with them and talked with them. God Almighty was expressed in a form they ought to have been able to comprehend. A tangible portrait of God, if you will. The Person of the Son revealed the Person of the Father perfectly because they are not two but one.

Of course, the concept of the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit has always proved to be a stumbling block for our finite minds, so Jesus graciously anticipated this struggle and added: “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.”

If we examine the life of Jesus, we only have three basic options concerning his identity. C. S. Lewis once said that Jesus was either a liar of the worst degree, or a raving lunatic with grandiose delusions about himself, or he was who he said he was…the Lord of all creation. There can be no nonsense about him being a good man or a righteous teacher…he claimed to be God and allowed others to worship him as God. If he was not who he said he was he was neither good nor righteous. So, was he a liar, a lunatic, or was he Lord?

A liar is known to contradict himself often and to admit his lies if threatened, especially with torture and/or death. Jesus did neither of these. Liars are usually out to gain something for themselves. Jesus was always serving the concerns of others and gave his life for them. When he died, the only possessions he had were stripped from his tortured body. Besides, who would be willing to die such a death for something he knew was a lie?

A lunatic, especially one with delusions of grandeur, is always irrational, demanding to be treated with great respect by those he considers his inferiors, raging against them if they do not, calling down fire and brimstone and all manners of threats on those who reject him, and he will always try to prove his claims if challenged by performing death defying feats…like jumping off the pinnacle of a Temple. Jesus refused to let others put him to the test. Lunatics also like to be known and praised by everyone. In contrast, Jesus’ life was mostly lived in obscurity and humility, and he constantly reminded his followers not to reveal him as the Messiah.

That only leaves us with one option. He had to be telling the truth about himself. And in these verses, he offered his disciples an easy way to figure this out. His words were the same as the Father’s words. But just in case they didn’t know enough Scripture to make that connection, he offered them a second way. His works were the same as the Father’s works. Only God could change water into wine. Only God could open the eyes of a man born blind. Only God could raise to life a four-day old rotting corpse. 

The claim of Jesus regarding his divinity has been challenged by unbelievers throughout all time. By the Jews in the First Century, the Arians of the Fourth Century, all the way through to the Schweitzer’s, Spong’s, Dawkins’, and Hitchens’ of modern time. The Divine nature of Jesus is greater than human minds can comprehend and greater than what human reason and logic and language can express…but that is because he is God. If we could define and explain him, he would not be God, would he? 

But what really gets me about militant atheists is that they get angry when I tell them that a God they don’t believe in, says in a book they don’t accept as authoritative, that unless they repent and believe in him, they will spend eternity in a place they don’t believe exists. How can you deny something you do not believe is real? Could it be possible that they are so scared that they are wrong that the only way they can make themselves feel right is to rant and to rave because the alternative is too petrifying to contemplate? They are very similar to a foreign tourist in a foreign country simply shouting the same foreign words louder thinking that they will be understood, because the alternative would be to accept that they are incomprehensible because they are ignorant of the foreign language of the foreign country they are visiting.

Observe the life of Jesus. Did he conform to the Word of God, or did he contradict it? Did he honour God in what he said and did, or did he dishonour him? Even his adversaries admitted that the only correct response to the works of Jesus was to give glory to God. But they simply were not willing to connect the dots, so to speak. But others did…an unfortunate Samaritan woman at a well, an unlearned blind beggar, and simple fishermen. They connected the dots because God chose to reveal himself to them. Belief that Jesus is who he claimed to be is a ravine that can only be spanned with the help of the Holy Spirit because only he can break down the barriers we have erected. 

Throughout the Gospels Jesus revealed himself to be one with the Father. For those who struggled with his claims, he offered his works…works that could only be done by God. Works which Jesus said God did through him. Works that would be continued on a greater scale by those who believe in him and obey him.

Now, it might be helpful to ask what works Jesus was talking about here. He did some pretty amazing things in his lifetime here on earth…are we meant to do more amazing things than he did? How does one beat raising the dead?

Perhaps if we look at the goal of the works of Jesus, we might begin to understand what he meant by saying our works would be greater than his. The first clue is to see that the works Jesus was speaking about here were works done by the Father through the Son. “The Father who dwells in me does his works.”

What primary work did the Father do through the Son? Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:19 that “in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself”. Reconciling the world to himself was the ultimate goal of all the works of Jesus…all his works pointed forward to his one final and great work of reconciliation. His sacrificial work of salvation on the cross. Paul describes the outcome and the purpose of this great work of Jesus in these words: “For we are his workmanship, created (or recreated) in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

So, let’s unpack his statements in verses 12-14, shall we? “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”

There are a number of things we need to take note of here. Firstly, who will be doing the works we are supposed to be doing? Yes, Jesus will be working through those who believe in him as they need to ask him and he will do what they ask. This is paralleled by the way the Father worked through the Son. So, we need to ask, what did Jesus ask for the Father to do through him? This will help us understand what we are to ask and to do.

Psalm 2:8 gives us a clue. “Ask of me,” the Father says to the Son, “and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.” Sounds a lot like what Jesus said in Acts 1:8, doesn’t it? You are my witnesses even to the ends of the earth. And Matthew 28 where he tells us we are to disciple the nations. We’ve already seen that the work of the Father through the Son was a work of reconciliation…a work that has now been given to us to complete. Jesus’ main objective in coming to the world was to reconcile God and humanity…that was his principal task.

So, when he said that those who believe in him will do, not only the same work that he did, but greater than what he did, we need to be looking to the greatest of all his works…his work of reconciliation. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:18-20, “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” 

How is it then that our work is greater than that of Jesus? Well, for one, through sheer numerical number…from Pentecost on the work of reconciliation spread throughout the world…from one disciple to another disciple to another disciple…multiplying as men and women obediently continued their work of disciple making. Isn’t that the work we were commanded to do shortly before the ascension? Jesus commanded us to make disciples of the nations. So, his work that was local became, through us, global. 

But the important thing to note here is who is the author of our works. Just as Jesus asked the Father and the Father in turn worked through him, so we too are to ask in his name and he will work his work in and through us. 

Obviously, this does not mean he is obliged to do everything we ask for simply because we add his name to our list of requests…like a signature of a deed. No, what it means to ask in his name is to ask in line with his aims. God’s goal has always been to reconcile the world to himself. From his promise in Genesis 3:15 to the present day, God’s will was and is for all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4) 

Jesus teaches us that the Father’s house is a springboard from which we, as people regenerated, renewed, and revived in him, can be catapulted out into the world to do unprecedented things for the kingdom. He told his followers to wait in Jerusalem for the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit who would empower them to be what they were intended to be…what the Church is intended to be…witness to the ends of the earth…disciple makers of the nations.

Like Jesus, we are to be instruments through which the Father does his work of reconciliation in the world. These are the greater works we are called to do. To ask for the nations for his inheritance…to be witnesses to him…and to teach others to do the same.

That, dearest beloved brethren, is the greatest work of the Church. 

Shall we pray?

© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2024

May Newsletter and Thanks

Johann and Louise: Training Disciples to Make Disciples in the Netherlands So much has happened since you last heard from us! Our Children’s Easter Outreach program on April 1 was a roaring success! As you know, every year our church members invite colleagues and friends and family to attend an Easter Egg hunt event held first in a local forest and then, after all the eggs have been found, the whole group returns to the church building for a Gospel story and lunch. Because of our new sound system (see the letter below) everyone in the hall could hear the Gospel in English and in Dutch! Our Men’s Day Outreach on April 6 and 7 was so good that unchurched individuals have invited their family and friends to come with them next year! We also had a few dechurched folks from other churches with us that our now back in church. These outreach events are expensive, but boy are they worth every penny!  Our Women’s Retreat on June 1 is going to be another blessed event. Methinks the women are so much better at organising events like these...they have all sorts of workshops planned as well as a main speaker! But the men are learning and we plan to have at least two workshops next year including one called "Old Testament Ethics for the New Testament People of God." We have also a "Men of Valor" (see: https://www.menofvalor.org/) weekend planned for January 11 and 12 and have already secured a speaker for our next Men's Day (see: https://www.eauk.org/author/phil-knox and https://philknox.co.uk/). We try to make attendance at these events free of charge and try to provide reading material for every participant to take home with them as well. Please do pray with us that we will be able to continue doing this. Christ Church, Heiloo is mostly made up of young immigrant families who are struggling to find their feet in their new home country, refugees/asylum seekers, and a growing number of local Dutch folks. Pray with us for stability in the church. My narrative commentary, Galatians: A Life in Letters has been published (see: https://www.amazon.com/Galatians-Letters-Johannes-Van-Bijl/dp/1839739207/ref=sr_1_1?crid=S3CC3VXG8MKG&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Gt4eDVohYgnjSwUXa5vO5R8xkInvBBxA8RdrHR04vM-eGBqKWBpMVjReIKELK6s4kh8Fl7p2xGpKUySozsKww1HlvQUaCNGKVablRa1L2KHaCADe7eelOCO0q9-YdmcNn4g5fCVJqc38UTxkuWv8CY6K61ykALMUO3-QR3yi0Dz28ndzYXSGME03VBv_x8sY9iUZZW4-8BsKaSbddW5_tqEtb4rxizXbOG9YN-mV_Pk.SoKjUXpKGmA-oQ8OnRryDYsehZfgzQ1oJjZ3IBZmh4w&dib_tag=se&keywords=Galatians%3A+A+Life+in+Letters&qid=1715760616&sprefix=galatians+a+life+in+letters%2Caps%2C179&sr=8-1) and an audiobook version of Breakfast on the Beach: The Development of Simon Peter has also come out (see: https://www.amazon.com/Breakfast-Beach-Development-Simon-Peter/dp/B0D3QS1V7N/ref=sr_1_1?crid=290SEOGW5OF6F&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.jAwkU9ruXdVnlYhRLH0cauRdp_klYkPAYTuBCb3jqB_GjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.veeAoefxIxgSggw_uuYMJOXQGtAD-I5Exn2DSdN0cIc&dib_tag=se&keywords=Breakfast+on+the+Beach+audio&qid=1715760714&sprefix=breakfast+on+the+beach+audio%2Caps%2C175&sr=8-1)  Langham has also recorded a few videos of me either reading the commentary or telling folks how to use it in a Bible Study setting, but that is too long to include here. Pray with us that these narrative commentaries may reach many for the Kingdom.  1&2 Thessalonians has been submitted for publication and I have already managed to translate 1 Corinthians from the original Greek into a somewhat wooden, unreadable script, but one that is ready for reworking into narrative.  We have been blessed with a number of visitors from the US since moving here, for which we are grateful. Jeff and Cinde Rawn (SAMS-USA Board Members) will be stopping with us this weekend and a few days thereafter. Louise and I will be on a study tour led by Dr Jeff Weima, following the footsteps of Paul's 2nd missionary journey in early June. This will be my first proper break in three years...but it will give me loads of ideas for the next book on Corinth! Finally, I include a letter of gratitude written by a few members of the church. Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ. As you all know we are a small church community in Heiloo, North Holland, The Netherlands. When Covid hit us in 2020 we, like a lot of other churches, had to change the way we were doing things to continue spreading the gospel. With limited means we were able to assemble a setup that enabled us to live stream services to our congregation. When we were able to meet in person again after Covid restrictions were lifted, it became evident that the use of a livestream to broadcast our weekly services is a powerful tool to spread the gospel and reach a wider audience. Since we are not fortunate enough to own our own church building, we have a dedicated team setting up the sound and broadcast equipment on a weekly basis. Over the years our system has become more and more unreliable and in March it gave up completely. The call went out and God answered our prayers through all of you that donated towards a new sound system for Christ Church, Heiloo.  We were able to purchase a new laptop, speakers and speaker stands, a fixed microphone, two portable microphones, a mixer board, new cables, and a lockable flight case to store everything in. The people of Christ Church, Heiloo want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the wonderful gift that you have given us.  The new sound system is such a blessing to the congregation at Christ Church. We had our first family service using the new system this past week and we used the portable microphones for the children to answer questions and pray.  There was no need to strain to hear them this time. What a blessing!  Setup time for the team has also decreased and no more stressing that it would stop working at any given point during the service. We also used the sound system during the Men’s Day and once again, it was a blessing to have good quality sound.  Our Women’s Day is coming up on 1 June and we are really looking forward to using the new sound system for this too. There are still some finer details to work out with regards to the live streaming, but we are confident that it will all run smoothly very soon.  One of the Church members and his son built a wooden box to securely store the whole system. Everyone who attends our services has been enjoying the sound.   Boriana and Brandon say “The new sound system has been a great addition to the CCH equipment. Brandon and I love Johann’s sermons and the new system helps carry his message to the congregation even more clearly.  Many thanks for this blessing.” Nicky says, “I serve the Church by welcoming people as they arrive for worship at the entrance doors at the back of the hall. The new speakers allow me to hear everything that is said or sung at the front of the hall and to fully participate in the service.  GOD BLESS YOU!!” Pam (a hard of hearing octaganarian) says, “I can now hear almost every word which is said from the front, and it makes all the difference.” Copyright © 2016 Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders, All rights reserved. www.sams-usa.org      Our mailing address is: PO Box 399 Ambridge PA 15003 Attention to: Johann and Louise van der Bijl Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

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The Way to Live the Truth

Isaiah 43:16-20           Ephesians 2:19-22 1 Peter 2:4-5 Hebrews 12:22             John 14:1-6

The Way to Live the Truth

When we worked in the North-eastern part of Namibia, we once visited a missionary who worked with the San people. The area was still pretty much remote with wild animals roaming around freely, including lions. One day he took us out to see some of the elephants along with one of his expert San trackers. It was quite an experience as the grass was so high, we could barely see a few metres ahead of us…and lions just happen to be the same colour as the grass.  At one point I asked our friend how the tracker knew where he was going as there was no sign of any kind of road or path.  He then translated what I had asked for the benefit of our tracker. The small man’s face cracked into a broad smile as he wittily replied: “Tell the young man, I am the road”.

In our Gospel passage for today, Jesus also called himself a road…a road which ultimately leads those who walk on it not only to truth but to life. But in what way is Jesus a road and why did he describe himself as one to his disciples? 

Our Gospel passage for today begins with the words: “Let not your hearts be troubled”. Just to set this statement in its proper context, remember Jesus had just exposed Judas, the one who would betray him…he had told them that he would be leaving them shortly and they would not be able to follow him to where he was going…and he had predicted that Peter, one of the three in the inner circle of his friends, would deny him three times before daybreak. Jesus also knew full well that his followers were about to face the apparent destruction of all their hopes and dreams. Their whole world was about to end abruptly. That same night, all their ambitions would be shattered, and they would be so terrified that they would forsake the one they called Lord and hide out together in an upper room for fear of being slaughtered. So, “let not your hearts be troubled” seems like the understatement of all time. 

But any statement taken in isolation or out of context will always be confusing and misleading. The reason they ought not to let their hearts be troubled was because they had to trust God and trust him. “Believe in God,” Jesus said, “believe also in me”. Now, this statement is in the imperative…it is a command…so it might be better translated as “you must trust or exercise faith in God and you must also trust or exercise faith in me”. 

Now, in a sense, the first statement was something they had always done. They had always believed in and trusted on God. From their youth on, God was ingrained in everything they thought, did, or said. Unlike many Christians, every aspect of Jewish life centres around the being of God. We like to compartmentalize things. This is mine…this is God’s. This is my time…this is God’s time. This is my money…this is God’s money. God has no right to what is mine. But to an orthodox Jew, this kind of thinking is, well, unthinkable. God always comes first…in everything…work, recreation, family, friends, finances. To them, God has always been and will always be central to every aspect of life. So, in principle, faith or trust in God was not a problem.

But it was the second half of this statement that turned out to be the sticky one. Everything they had ever believed about Jesus was about to be challenged. Remember, by this time they had confessed him to be the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. But that was before they saw him arrested…that was before they had seen him dragged off bound to stand trial before the Sanhedrin…that was before they had seen him beaten to a bloody pulp…that was before they had seen him condemned to death as a common criminal by the Roman governor…that was before they saw him breathe out his last breath on the cross. 

The one they had thought to be all-powerful…remember, they had seen him cast out demons, heal the sick, raise the dead…the one they had thought would be king…remember they hailed him as such during the so-called triumphal entry…they saw him rendered powerless, pitiful, pathetic before their horror-filled eyes. Believe in him? Trust him? Have faith in him? Only a faith that stretched beyond that which could be observed by the senses could prevail in such circumstances.

They needed a faith like Abraham’s who “contrary to hope, in hope believed”. (Romans 4:18) They had to put aside what they saw and experienced and look beyond the limits of human reason and through the lens of faith keep his promises in focus despite the dread events swirling about them. While their world seemed to be exploding all around their ears, they had to hold on firmly to that which they had come to know and believe about Jesus…even though everything in them demanded denial. They had to trust in God…and they had to trust also in Jesus…not their senses, not their logic, not their instincts, not their fear…they had to trust him completely.

And then, as if to give credence to that trust he added, “In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” The terrible events about to engulf them were all part of something far bigger than they could ever comprehend…Jesus was going where no one else could go to prepare a place for them in his Father’s house. 

As I indicated last week, this is a pictorial representation of every believer’s position in Jesus. There are several things we need to take note of here. First, note the corporate nature of the image. The well-known and oft-quoted KJ version,  “In my Father’s house are many mansions”, comes to us via Tyndale from the Latin word “mansiones” which simply means small dwellings or apartments – sorry to burst any bubbles here, but those sermons on who will live in a shack and who will live in a manor house were quite wide off the mark. But the point I would like to get across is that all these rooms or apartments or dwellings are in one house: the Father’s house. In other words, those who are in Jesus are all together in one big home.

The second thing we need to take note of is that these rooms or dwellings or apartments are viewed as already existing when Jesus spoke these words. “In my Father’s house are (present indicative tense) many rooms.” This is not something Jesus has yet to build. These rooms were there before he went to the cross…but at the cross, he secured them for those who are his own for all eternity.

The third thing to note is that Jesus used the same words, “My Father’s House”, in John 2:16 when referring to the Temple. “Do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” So, it should come as no surprise to see believers described as living stones being built up as a spiritual house or a holy temple throughout the rest of the New Testament. 

For instance, in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Paul described the believer as “God’s temple” in which “God’s Spirit dwells”. But, you may object, this is referring to an individual believer. Well, in Ephesians 2:19-22 Paul wrote: “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him, you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”

Peter also described this individual yet corporate image in 1 Peter 2:4-5 where he wrote: “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood (picking up on the Temple theme), to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

But it is the author of Hebrews who called this “spiritual house” the “heavenly Jerusalem”. In Hebrews 12:22 we read: “But you have come (note that this is not a future tense) to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering.” 

John elaborated on this in Revelation chapters 21 and 22. It seems pretty clear from the context that what he was describing is no geographical city because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its Temple. Rather this is an image of the dwelling place of those who are in Jesus first described in Ezekiel 40 and following. The gates of this city, John said, are not to be closed to the nations, although they are not permitted to bring any evil into it. (Unlike what seems to be the trend in some modern churches that bring in everything worldly and ungodly!) No, this city is to provide healing for the nations…in my mind, this is referring to the evangelistic task of the Church in the world.

But these two things – the existence of both nations and the presence of sin – these two things alone should prove to us that this city is no future end-of-the-age or pie-in-the-sky-when-you-die-by-and-by reality that John was describing, but rather a very present reality to which all who call themselves by the name of the Lord Jesus have already come. 

Be that as it may, the fact that Jesus has secured for us a space in his Father’s house is a great comfort during times of adversity because it presents to us the eternal decree of God made possible by the death of his Son in our place. No matter what the devil or the world may throw at us, nothing and no one in all of creation can change this – nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:39). If we are in Jesus, we are securely positioned in his Father’s house. 

This is why Jesus told his disciples that they were to believe in him or to trust him at a time when they would be sorely tempted to think he failed them. Like us, they were to trust him because he had proved himself trustworthy in the past. 

In verse 3 Jesus promised them that he was not only going to prepare a place for them (an image derived from the custom of sending out one of a group to secure lodgings and provide necessities )…he was not only going to prepare a place for them, but he would also come back to take them to himself. Now, as I said last week, this has often been interpreted as referring to the second coming of Jesus, but not only is the “parousia” or the second coming of Jesus not a frequent theme in the Gospel of John, but the word “coming” used here is the present tense of “ergomai”, the more general Greek word for coming and going. And the present tense seems to indicate that this coming was so certain as to be already begun. 

It might be helpful to compare what Jesus said here with what he said in verses 18-20. “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come (same word, ergomai) to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more (post-resurrection appearances of Jesus were limited to believers), but you will see me. Because I live (in my mind this refers to the resurrection), you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in the Father, and you in me, and I in you (all of us together in the Father’s house).” 

The whole context of this discourse seems to indicate that the going and the coming Jesus was referring to here was his death and descent into the place of the dead and his return to life or his resurrection, events which ensure and confirm the promise of his eternal presence with his own. This coming of our Lord results in us entering a union with him as our living Lord and Saviour and consequently, through him, with the Father. In many ways, in Jesus, the future becomes the present.

This is not to deny the Second Coming of Jesus. No, this is to distinguish between the coming of Jesus to the believer in the establishment of an eternal relationship with God (and if you look at the context of the whole discourse in chapters 14-15 you will see that this is where the main emphasis lies in the coming of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to take up residence in us)…this is to distinguish between the “coming” of Jesus to the believers at the point of conversion or regeneration and the second coming of Jesus to consummate or to bring to a final close the Kingdom. 

Now, in verse 4 Jesus told his disciples that they knew where he was going and that they knew the way. We need to remember what he had told them on numerous occasions. For instance, in the parable of the Good Shepherd, he had likened himself to the way into the sheepfold. At the raising of Lazarus, he had called himself the resurrection and the life. These are only two examples, but think about how many times he told them he would be betrayed, handed over, crucified, and resurrected. So, they should have known

But dear Thomas, ever the picture of a well-meaning yet undiscerning individual, said: “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” As we’ve seen before, they were so locked in the physical that they missed the spiritual dimension of the Kingdom. 

And so Jesus replied: “I AM the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Again, in context, this refers to the death of Jesus on the cross through which access to the Father is made possible.

In Isaiah 43:16-20, the prophet had predicted that God would provide a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert for his people. This is, of course, an allusion to what God did in the Exodus but it also points forward to what God would do in Jesus through the Holy Spirit. In the Exodus, God provided a way of deliverance for the freed Israelite slaves…so in Jesus, God provides a way of deliverance for freed sinners. 

I also think this statement may refer to the Fall where the way to God (or more specifically the way to the Tree of Life) was barred because the truth had been rejected resulting in life being cut off. From a deceitful question, “Did God actually say you shall not eat of any tree in the garden?” Satan quickly moved on to total contradiction: “You will not surely die.” Eve then chose to believe lies over truth.

But now, faith and trust in Jesus who is the truth leads us back to the way to life. Jesus alone is the way and the truth and the life…there is no other way to the Father except through him. 

This statement makes Christianity at once both exclusive as well as inclusive. God alone is the source of truth and of life, both of which are incarnate in Jesus. As such, he alone is the way. There is no truth apart from God…there is no life apart from God…and neither of them are available apart from Jesus.

The disciples would shortly be faced with a dilemma. Was Jesus telling the truth or was he lying? Was he who he said he was, or was he a fraud? Or was he delusional? When the way they thought they were travelling suddenly became rough and rocky, what they believed in their hearts about the one they had confessed to be the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, was all they needed to carry them forward.

They would have to choose whether to trust him who is the road or to abandon faith in him. Jesus was trying to help them to face this choice with a strong conviction that he who was able to cast out demons, heal all manners of diseases, and raise the dead, was also able to overcome what to them, must have seemed “unovercomeable”. 

We too have to make choices when our life turns upside down. When things go horribly wrong, we must learn to trust him who can and who has and who will overrule all things…trust that he can and has and will bring us through whatever crisis we might have to face. The pie-in-the-sky-when-you-die-by-and-by robs you of your assurance of his present presence with you now. You are seated in heavenly places with Jesus. You are securely situated in the Father’s house. The Holy Spirit lives in you now and is building you up together with other believers to be the Temple of the Living God. Believe that. Trust the Truth. Remember, you are following the one who is the road.

Shall we pray?

© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2024

The Measure of Love

Exodus 33:18-23; 34:5-7               Romans 5:6-11                 John 13:31-38

The Measure of Love

A little boy once wanted to tell his daddy that he loved him, but his daddy just happened to be reading a rather serious book at the time and didn’t want to be disturbed. Frustrated with the impatient grunts and snorts from his otherwise unresponsive father, the little boy jumped onto his father’s lap, threw his arms around his neck, and exclaimed: “Daddy, I love you and I’ve just got to do something about it!” 

Jesus shows us clearly in our Gospel passage for today that love must be expressed if it is to be understood as such, whether it is reciprocated or not. Now, I think it may be helpful at this point to remember, just momentarily, the agony our Lord experienced with the exposure and removal of Judas as well as the selfish indifference of the other disciples – even though Jesus had chosen Judas with the full knowledge of what he would eventually do, he was deeply troubled by his disciple’s refusal to repent. The loss of any soul is indeed an awful thing which should never be taken lightly.

However, it was after Judas had totally surrendered himself to Satan and had abandoned the group – turning his back on three years of close friendship – that Jesus explained the true meaning and measure of love to his remaining disciples. And he began with a powerful demonstration of what love really looks like.

From verse 31 through verse 32, Jesus used the verb “to glorify” five times each time referencing what he was about to do on the cross. Now, one might have expected him to use a different verb when referring to the cross…perhaps the verb “to humiliate” rather than “to glorify” as the cross was his ultimate humble act of obedient submission to the will of the Father. But he didn’t use that verb, did he? 

Was Jesus humiliated at the cross? You bet he was. The Holy Son of God was falsely accused, falsely sentenced to death as a criminal, mercilessly flogged, and paraded through the streets carrying the very instrument by which he would be executed…he was publicly stripped naked and nailed to a cross in full view of everyone. But the worst thing of all was that, as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God”. (NIV) That was the ultimate humiliation…at least from our perspective.

But here Jesus said that, in what we see as humiliation, he was, in fact, glorified and that God the Father was glorified. What did he mean by this? How was he and how was the Father glorified in the cross? 

Well, in Scripture, the revelation of God’s glory is often linked to the revelation of his character.  In Exodus 33:18, Moses asked to see God’s glory…and God agreed to his request, but in Exodus 34:6-7 we are told how his glory was shown. The Lord passed before Moses and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.”

So, how did God reveal his glory to Moses? Well, by revealing his character.

So, if the revelation of God’s glory means the revelation of God’s character, what does it mean that Jesus was glorified on the cross and that God the Father was glorified in him? How was God’s character revealed to us on the cross? 

In Romans 5:8 Paul tells us that God revealed or showed or demonstrated his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Jesus died for us on the cross. God demonstrated his love on the cross. 1 John 4:8 tells us that God is love. That is his character. And through the substitutionary death of Jesus, his love finds its ultimate expression. As Jesus said in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (ESV)

So in these two verses, Jesus set the parameters of his love, a love that supremely reveals itself through self-sacrifice for the ultimate good of others…by giving everything there is to give.

But the cross is not just the ultimate evidence of God’s love…no, indeed the cross reveals all his attributes.  Do you want to see God’s holiness, his righteousness, his justice, his mercy, his goodness, his kindness, his graciousness, holiness, and his sovereignty? Look to the cross. 

However, the cross also reveals to us the goal of his love. The goal of Jesus’ death on the cross was to set us free from slavery to sin so that we might be slaves to righteousness. Through Jesus’ death on the cross, we have been set free from all that hindered us from loving as he loves and from living as he lives. At the cross, the penalty for sin was fully manifested and its payment was fully displayed. At the cross, sin was blotted out. Satan was defeated. All was restored to order, and all was renewed. The record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands was cancelled. Principalities and powers were exposed and overcome. (Romans 6:19-23; Colossians 2:14-15)

But with this emancipation comes responsibility. Just as God required the freed Israelite slaves to obey him, so too God requires us to live according to who we are in him. You see, even though Jesus would soon be physically removed from the view of the world at the Ascension, he would continue to manifest his character and exercise his power through his followers. 

So, here he said to his disciples: “A new commandment, I give to you, that you love one another.” Now you might be wondering how this commandment was new because in Leviticus 19:18 God commanded the Israelites to love their neighbours as themselves. So how was this commandment to love new? 

Well, I purposefully left off the last bit of Jesus’ words. “Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” The measure is no longer “love your neighbour as you love yourself”, but more specifically “love one another as I have loved you.” To love as Christ loved is to love even your enemies…to do good to those who hate you and abuse you and spitefully use you. 

This new commandment takes the old commandment up quite a few notches because Jesus’ love for his own was demonstrated through his self-sacrificial life and death. His love for his enemies was demonstrated through his amazing forbearance and infinite patience. 

Similarly, our love must be expressed through sacrificial service if it is to be like Jesus’ love. In so many ways, Jesus has given us an example to emulate. We are to love as he loves. If we do so, it will be obvious whom we follow. If we love as Jesus loves, all will be able to identify us as his disciples because they observe in us the same kind of love that was revealed through Jesus on the cross. As such we, as the followers of Jesus, are defined by the law of love and consequently by the character of our God.

As Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.” (ESV) 

Sadly, all too often, we followers of Jesus miss the commandment to love as Jesus loved because we are preoccupied with other matters. This is exactly what happened with Peter here. It is as if Peter got stuck at “Where I am going you cannot come.” It is as if he did not hear the new commandment to love at all. So, he asked, “Lord, where are you going?” Amazingly, Jesus did not rebuke him but rather met him where he was at. Jesus answered his question, repeating his earlier statement with a little comforting expansion. “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow me afterwards.” 

Now this statement has often been thought to be referring to Peter’s martyrdom, but I am not convinced. In John 14:2-3 Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” 

Now, either Jesus entered the building trade post ascension, or this promise to prepare a place for us was fulfilled at the cross. We must ask ourselves: where did Jesus prepare a place for us in his Father’s house? Well, I believe he did that at the cross. And his coming again to take them to himself, I believe, happened at the resurrection. So, this promise is not a future pie-in-the-sky-when-you-die-by-and-by…no, this is a present reality for those who are in Jesus. 

Just as Paul says in Ephesians 2:4-7, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – and (now listen carefully) raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (in other words, he has come back from where he prepared a place for us to take us to be with him) so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.” 

My understanding, if you put these two statements of Jesus and Paul side by side, is that what Jesus meant here was that he would shortly be going to the cross to die for his own…no one could follow him there. But after he had prepared a place for us by overcoming sin, Satan, and death on the cross, he returned from the dead, taking us to be with him in heavenly places. No one could follow Jesus to the cross – only he could do that – but because of his triumph on and through the cross, we can follow him now and be with him now.

But because Peter and the other disciples were still locked in their own understanding of what the Messiah ought to be and do, Jesus’ leaving to them was disastrous. To Peter, it must have seemed as if Jesus was going to go into hiding again…that he was going to retreat…a retreat which was, in his opinion, not necessary…after all, he was willing to take up arms for the cause and to die if need be. 

But our Lord lovingly yet firmly revealed to Peter the true nature of his heart. Deep inside, Peter still did not understand. That understanding would come later, and Peter would, indeed, die for the cause. But for the moment, he was not ready to die for Jesus. 

Now, Peter’s arrogance – his presumption to know better than his Lord – is yet another opportunity for us to see Jesus’ love in action. Even though Jesus knew full well that Peter would deny him, not once but three times, he still loved him enough to die for him and to return to restore him. Jesus patiently put up with Peter’s false self-confidence without rejection and without ridicule. He lovingly yet firmly corrected him and continued to prepare him for the devastating moment of self-realization that was soon to come.

What Peter and the others would come to realise post-resurrection is that the cross was the apex of God’s revelation of his character and the manifestation of his glory. As I said before if you want to know anything about God…who he is…what he is like…look to the cross. That is where he expressed his love for the world…there his glory is seen in the demonstration of his self-sacrificial love. And this is the measure of love that ought to be reflected in those of us who call ourselves his disciples. The world will only know that we are followers of Jesus if they see and experience us loving like Jesus. 

To err they say, is human…to love, divine. Love does not come naturally to fallen broken people such as we are. Love comes through journeying closely with the one who is love and through a daily choice to love others, not only as we love ourselves, but to love them as Jesus loves us and gave himself up for us. 

Easy? No, he never said that. It wasn’t easy for him, and it will most certainly not be easy for you either. 

What Jesus said was by the measure that he loves you, so you are to love too. The cross reveals the depths of Jesus’ love for you…his love for you cost him everything. Is your love like his love?

Shall we pray?

© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2024

Memorial Service for a sister in Jesus

I am sure everyone here remembers the days when we used paper maps and tour books to get around. They were not always user-friendly, and we would often take the wrong exits especially when encountering perplexing spaghetti junctions in large foreign cities. Then some genius invented an electronic navigation system and travel became a lot more hassle-free, but still not without the odd quirky routing glitch here and there. 

Now, in many ways, life can be compared to travelling. Sometimes, the navigation system is easy to follow…and then there are times when the GPS loses a satellite signal, or the system has not been updated for a while and then things can get rather interesting. XXXX began her journey on the 14th of January 1955 in Southern Africa. Her life’s journey took her to Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, the UK, and the Netherlands. I am sure that there were a few miscalculations and several interesting moments along the way, some scary, some painful, some beautiful. But twenty-three years ago, her path crossed with YYYY’s and a new adventure began.

Photographs and documents will continue to testify to the many journeys of the past, and they will bring with them tears, laughter, and good memories. But the most important journey XXXX made was the one that took her into the very heart of Jesus. 

Navigating life is never easy, but when one walks with the Lord, his presence provides meaning and strength and courage and purpose. When our navigation system takes us down the wrong road, an exit too early or an exit too late or an exit missed entirely, his company helps us deal with anxiety and fear and ultimately, he leads us back to the path we ought to be travelling. 

XXXX’s journey finally brought her to the place we all must go eventually, but when we prayed together two weeks ago, she acknowledged that she knew he was with her, even as she walked through this final valley of death. That valley can be scary as it may feel like our navigation system has led us down an unknown road we would prefer to have avoided. We yearn to have it recalculate and lead us to an alternate route. But our Lord knows that this life is temporary…he has gone before us to prepare for us a place in his Father’s house where there is no longer any darkness, sorrow, pain, tears, or fear…only peace and joy and light.

But our journeys don’t happen in a vacuum…they are always intertwined with the journeys of others. And so, while XXXX’s earthly journey has come to an end, our respective journeys continue. While she lives on in endless bliss, we must continue to find our way in the labyrinth of life until we are led to the same destination she was Thursday before last. And then, our journeys will once more intersect. But until that time, it is for us to travel on with the Lord as our companion and our guide, as he continues to lead us into an ever-deepening relationship with him and with each other, so that our journeying may prove to be a blessing to those with whom we connect. 

With that thought in mind, I’d like to end with a poem written by Linda Ellis. It is called simply, The Dash.

The Dash

I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend

He referred to the dates on the tombstone from the beginning...to the end.

 

He noted that first came the date of birth and spoke the following date with tears,

but he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.

 

For that dash represents all the time that they spent alive on earth.

And now only those who loved them know what that little line is worth.

 

For it matters not, how much we own -- the cars...the house...the cash.

What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash.

 

So, think about this long and hard. Are there things you'd like to change?

For you never know how much time is left that can still be rearranged.

 

If we could just slow down enough to consider what's true and real,

and always try to understand the way other people feel.

 

And be less quick to anger and show appreciation more,

and love the people in our lives like we've never loved before.

 

If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile,

remembering this special dash might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read with your life's actions to rehash,

would you be proud of the things they say about how you spent YOUR dash?

Let us pray.

Cutting out the Cancer

Psalm 139:1-6, 23-24                          Romans 9:6-8                         John 13:18-30

Cutting out the Cancer

Of all the dreaded diseases in the world, I think I can safely say that cancer is feared the most. The worst thing about it is that it can be living and thriving inside you without you even knowing that it is there. It can be with you for a long time, slowly stealing your life away, while you remain oblivious to its presence.

However, if it is discovered in time, it can often be safely removed from the body putting an end to its destructive design. If it is operable, it must be discovered, exposed, isolated, and removed with the least amount of disturbance to the immediate surrounding areas. This is not to say that the rest of the body doesn’t suffer from this procedure…indeed the stress on the entire body is immense, especially if some kind of radiation or chemotherapy is involved…but this procedure ultimately does protect the rest of the body from being adversely affected in the future. To ensure future health and vitality, the body must suffer temporarily to remove the immediate threat to its continued well-being.

This procedure could be compared with how Jesus dealt with Judas in the closing hours of his earthly ministry. If you recall we discussed how in the foot-washing incident Jesus commissioned his disciples to a sacrificial, servanthood-based ministry of disciple-making. In a sense, he shod their feet with the Gospel of Peace. Judas too had had his feet washed, but his feet would carry him in a very different direction. 

In this passage, Jesus revealed that while all were called to fulfil a purpose, not all were clean. Just like the reprobate King Saul had been called to be Israel’s first king, chosen by God himself, and as the pagan king Cyrus had been commissioned by God to be the instrument by which the exiles would be released from bondage in Babylon, so Judas seems to have been specifically chosen by Jesus to be his betrayer. 

In John 6:64, we are told that Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray him. The Lord reinforced this statement in John 6:70 when he said, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” (ESV)

In one sense this is very comforting and reassuring. Scripture tells us that our Lord knows those who are his own…he knows his sheep…but here we are told that he also knows those who are not his, indeed, even those who will betray him. Jesus chose Judas knowing full well that he would be the instrument through which he would be delivered up to be murdered. Yet in no way was Judas coerced to betray his master. Indeed, he was given more than ample time to repent, but he steadfastly refused even when he was finally exposed at the table. Never make the mistake of placing man’s responsibility over and against God’s sovereignty. Scripture knows of no such contradiction. Instead, the Word repeatedly presents the two as complimentary. An antinomy if you will. Two apparent contradictions working together. 

A New Testament example of this would be Peter’s statement in Acts 2:23. “This Jesus,” Peter said, “delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.” (ESV) Who delivered him up? Judas? Who took his life? The Jews? In John 10:18 Jesus said about his death on the cross: “No one takes (my life) from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.”

Although the crucifixion of the Lamb of God was predestined before the foundation of the world, those who were responsible for putting this decree into motion were held accountable by God and were required to repent. 

However, the exposure of the nature and calling of Judas at this point in the Gospel serves not only to make his act of betrayal more unjustifiable but it also serves to protect the other disciples…that they might not be shaken by his actions and that they might persevere all the more despite his apparent fall. And, indeed, it serves as a warning to all believers – we ought to frequently examine our own hearts to see if any wickedness lurks beneath the surface. 

This exposure can be likened to that first cancer diagnosis where a patient and their family are told about the presence and existence of this sinister killer. How long had Judas not been with them as a friend? 

However, the knowledge that Jesus knows those he has chosen and for what purpose, should also encourage us when we are confronted with “cancer” in the Church. It teaches us that despite our frailty, despite our faults and our failures, our Lord knows us and upholds us. It teaches us that all the schemes of the evil one and his minions cannot prevent us from persevering to the end. The primary difference between believers and unbelievers is that the former are drawn to salvation by the Spirit of adoption, whereas the latter are drawn away by their own rebellion. Indeed, the disciples and believers down through the ages differ from Judas solely by God’s grace and not by our own goodness or merit. 

Furthermore, our Lord reveals that Judas’ betrayal was a fulfilment of Scripture, in this case, Psalm 41:9. “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.” (ESV) The quotation serves to heighten the tragedy behind this action. Judas was no stranger. This was a friend who walked with Jesus, talked with Jesus, and shared life with Jesus and the disciples …for three years. As such his behaviour is all the more reprehensible. 

The metaphor of lifting the heel comes from Genesis 3:15 where the seed of the serpent is said to bruise the heel of the seed of the woman as his heel simultaneously bruises its head. That this image was used of Judas indicates that through him Satan once again attempted to usurp Jesus’ authority with a view to universal control, but even as all the powers of hell rallied against Jesus – acting through Judas, the Sanhedrin, the soldiers, and the Roman government – all of them served merely as instruments that would contribute to the accomplishment of God’s plan for salvation through the death of Jesus.

However, there is a lesson for us in this and that is that if Jesus suffered at the hands of an intimate friend, we too may need to be prepared to face a similar agony. History teaches us that all too often our worst enemies are those within our own hallowed halls. Like the cancer cells that are often undetectably present in the body, wolves in sheep’s clothing or in clerical clothing, for that matter, lurk in our midst waiting for the opportune moment to attack. They will be known by their fruit. 

As painful as this betrayal must have been for Jesus, it did serve in promoting the cause of God in the fulfilment of prophecy, the ultimate demonstration of his love for the world, as well as the final revelation of Jesus as the great I AM. Jesus is not just the author of our faith and salvation. He is the finisher of it too. He directs our steps. As the one who was sent, he is the sender of all and therefore all who receive those whom Jesus sends out into the world, receive him. I don’t know about you, but this encourages me no end when I think about evangelism. Every one of us has been chosen to perform a specific task…to play a specific role. So, pray and ask him to show you the task he has given to you to complete in this life…pursue it, embrace it, and do it wholeheartedly to his glory and his glory alone.

Now, as I said before, knowing the plan and heart of Judas did not make the reality any less painful for Jesus. The idea of an intimate friend, one who outwardly showed all the signs of true “regeneracy”, one who purposefully maintained an aura of respectability in order the further his own goals, one who seemed to be a follower of Jesus…the idea of such a one now turning and unashamedly revealing his true colours, troubled our Lord deeply despite its inevitability. True, Judas did not hesitate to criticize Jesus even publicly on occasion, but those were only the outward symptoms of a far greater disease…a far more serious inner condition which was now uncovered and laid bare. 

The exposure of a cancerous growth is not to be taken lightly…it is painful and potentially fatal and needs to be dealt with decisively and immediately. Procrastination due to the fear of the painful procedure only serves to prolong the danger and the agony. And so, as Jesus confesses here, that agony was very real…at least it was to him.

The disciples seemed to be oblivious to their master’s pain. All they were concerned about was their own reputation…in other words, am I the bad guy? I don’t want to be the bad guy. Is it me? It can’t be me…it must be you! 

So, the Lord’s needs and his pain were blocked from view by their own preoccupation with wanting to look good. Even here, before the trial, before the crucifixion, our Lord stood alone in the strain and in the fight with the enemy.

But neither did Jesus’ distress bother Judas in any way. Peter’s motioning, rather than speaking, requesting John to ask Jesus who the betrayer might be, seems to indicate noise of some kind. Possibly an argument or vehement denials or accusations…so it is possible that Judas did not hear much of what was said, but if one examines his character…one who habitually stole from the communal purse…one who could feign interest in Jesus’ teaching…who could feign friendship with the group despite his apparent agenda…if one examines his character then one sees a man determined to hear nothing except what furthered his own goals. Indeed, there was no remorse until after the grisly deed was completed, but then, because time is linear, it was too late, and he could not undo what he had done. 

How often haven’t I wished to turn back the hands of time? If only I hadn’t done this or if only I hadn’t said that. And the worst of it all is that I never seem to learn from my mistakes.

In answer to John’s enquiry about who the betrayer might be, Jesus exposed Judas by handing him a piece of his own bread dipped in his own bowl. To appreciate the full impact of this action, you need to realise that this is possibly the same bread that Jesus would use later in the institution of the Lord’s Supper…or, at least it was bread that came from the same Passover Table broken and given by the same Lord Jesus. Either way, it is a sign of fellowship…of an understood connectedness…of a friendship, the reality of which is rejected by Judas. In his heart, Judas knew that he was not part of the fellowship and by accepting the symbol of such a connectedness he portrayed an amazing insensitivity and a total inability to discern the unity of the Lord’s body…as such, he ate the morsel of bread to his own damnation.

It is at this point of callous indifference that Satan was permitted to enter Judas and to harden his heart beyond any possible repentance, because, by his own resistance, Judas had chosen to make his own state incurable. This final act of friendship…this final act of love…this offer of a chance to repent…this final reaching out became the decisive instant of judgment. This is Judas’ final capitulation to the forces of darkness.

It is a terrible, terrible tragedy and not one to pass over too quickly. We ought to pause here and ask our all-knowing Lord to examine our hearts to see if there is any wicked way in us. All too often, like the disciples, we too look around us at others, when we ought to be looking within – at ourselves. 

As Paul tells us in Romans, not all are Israel, which are of Israel…just because they are the seed of Abraham, does not mean that are they all children…children of the flesh are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. So, not all who claim to believe are believers. Many are born in the church, live in the church, and participate in the Church for years, but are never one with the Church. 

As Jesus did not wish to prolong the agony, he made a clean and permanent cut to effectively remove the cancer from their midst. With the deftness of an expert vinedresser, he clipped off the fruitless branch and cast it outside. His instruction to Judas was plain and simple: “What you are going to do, do quickly.”

There comes a time when pretence becomes an insult and the inevitable becomes the imperative. Judas’ internal character is brought out to the exterior as Jesus asked him to leave the fellowship he was never part of. Without repentance, without any protestation, without an attempt at reconciliation, there was only one thing left to do. 

The fact that the other disciples remained unaware of his unmasking shows the remarkable depth of his deception. He managed to live his life in such a way that he fooled even those who were closest to him. Every Judas throughout history has had this uncanny ability to cloak his real nature with the wool of the Lord’s sheep.

The conclusion of this tragedy is the removal of the cancerous growth, a shutting out and a closing of the door. Judas, under cover of the darkness that is symbolic of his life, left the fellowship to set in motion the forces that would lead to the arrest, trial, torture, and crucifixion of Jesus. As such, Judas became the prime example of someone who walks with the Lord yet never walks in step with the Holy Spirit…ever living in obedience to all that is contrary to life in the Spirit.

To us, this passage serves as both a warning and a comfort. Like all true believers, we ought to regularly examine ourselves to ensure that we do not take the Lord’s goodness for granted. As Paul warns us, even the smallest piece of yeast will eventually permeate the whole dough. Healthy introspection reveals a spiritually sensitive soul…something that was apparently absolutely absent in Judas. He was so senseless in his malice that he remained untouched by Jesus’ words.

Cancer in any form is an awful thing and, once discovered, its presence ought not to be tolerated. Indeed, even a moment of indecision may very well be the difference between life and death. Likewise, cancer in the Body of Christ must be dealt with decisively and speedily. Delay only serves to aggravate the situation or worse…delay can lead to a deadly form of forbearance, an unhealthy toleration of what the Scripture calls ‘evil’, and eventually to a spiritually lethal compromise. A fruitless branch must be removed for the good of the vine. Cancer must be irradiated for the health of the body. And what must be done, must be done quickly.

Shall we pray?

© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2024