Given to Give

Ezekiel 18:21-24                         1 Timothy 2:1-6                        John 17:6-10

Given to Give

As we saw last week, this final prayer of our Lord’s incarnate life centred around the one aspect uppermost in his mind, namely a reconciled relationship between the one true God and humanity. In the first five verses Jesus’ focus was mainly on himself as the one through whom eternal life would be made possible, but in verses 6-10, his prayer centred primarily on his disciples and their relationship to God the Father through him. 

These next five verses are basically the introduction to an intercessory prayer in which Jesus presented to the Father those whom the Father had originally given to him. I think here he was more than likely referring specifically to the twelve and perhaps to the small group of women that were part of their company. If you recall, Jesus was very specific in his choice of disciples. Before he chose the twelve, he spent all night in prayer, and perhaps he was now alluding to the divine guidance behind that choice. They did not choose him, but rather he had chosen them. 

Nevertheless, in these verses, the words of our Lord were so carefully and precisely chosen that they may present us with a picture of what would become the New Covenant People of God. By using the words of his prayer here, we could divide the characteristics of any Christian community into three basic points.

Firstly, we are a community given to Jesus. Secondly, we are a community given to know Jesus. And thirdly, we are a community given to glorify Jesus.

In verse 6 Jesus prayed, “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world.” This is the first characteristic of all true Christian communities. We have been taken out of the world and we have been given to Jesus by the Father. Although Jesus’ earthly ministry was as public as ours should be, it was only those to whom it had been given who understood and responded positively to his words. For example, in Matthew 13:11 Jesus said the following to his disciples: “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.”

But this does not mean that the salvation of some and the damnation of the rest are preordained conclusions. As we saw with both our Old Testament and New Testament readings, it is the will of God that none are damned…that all come to a saving knowledge of Him. There are many other places in Scripture that express the same sentiment, none quite so poignant as God’s statement to the reluctant missionary Jonah: “You pity the plant, for which you did not labour, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” You see, in Jonah’s mind, only Israel was predestined to be the people of God. Gentiles were predestined for destruction. But here God revealed to him the divine heart for the lost.

Now, as I was thinking about what Jesus said here and how I could best explain his meaning, I thought of a film I saw about the British stockbroker Nicholas (or Nicky) Winton. In a race against time, before the Nazi occupation closed the borders, Nicky struggled for nine months to rescue 669 predominantly Jewish children from Czechoslovakia, bringing them to the UK and placing them in foster homes. He tirelessly fought to get visas for them, campaigned to raise the necessary funds, and begged families to take them in. 

However, the train carrying the last group of children, scheduled to leave Prague on the 1st of September 1939, was unable to depart. With Hitler's invasion of Poland on the same day, the Second Great War had begun and of the 250 children due to leave on that train, only two survived the war. The film showed a distraught Nicky waiting in vain on the platform of the station for those he was not able to save, and for years their fate haunted him.

Now, of course, we can hardly compare the awful fate of these children to that of unrepentant sinners, but I do think we can catch a glimpse of the agony of our God when that one train doesn’t arrive. 

We know that there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:7), but I think it safe to say that the reverse is just as true. Jesus wept over unrepentant Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). God said that he finds no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11). He wants everyone to be saved and to fully understand the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). 

Just like in this story about Nicky Winton, God has done everything possible to save us from the world…in one sense, Jesus is our visa to freedom, a visa paid for with his own blood, and we have been taken out of a perilous situation and adopted into the family of God. But we must board that train…eleven of the chosen disciples did while one clearly did not as we will see when we get to verse 12 of this chapter.

But for us who do board that train, our eternal salvation is secure. As Jesus said in John 6:37, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” And in John 10:28-29, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.”

And so, the first mark of any Christian community is that we are a people taken out of the world by the Father and given to Jesus. 

The second mark is that we are a community that knows Jesus. In verses 7-8 Jesus said, “Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.” Many people saw Jesus. Many people heard Jesus teach. Many people experienced his healing touch. Yet they did not know him. When he did not do what they wanted him to do, they abandoned him. 

Today, many know about Jesus. They know him as an historic person. They might even know something he taught or something he did. They might acknowledge him as a great teacher or a good man. But the kind of knowing Jesus was speaking about here was very specific. It is a knowledge based on receiving and accepting the words of Jesus as the truth. 

But it is more than simply knowing the Scriptures. It is also believing that Jesus came from the Father. To the unbelieving Jews, Jesus said in John 5:39-40, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” And in John 8:19, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” Knowing what they thought about an all too human Messiah was not enough.  If I may once again reference the tragic story of Nicky Winton, knowing that there was a visa and that there was enough money and that there was a family waiting for you was not enough…you had to board the train and leave. 

Truly knowing the biblical Jesus means knowing that he came from the Father – that he is divine. In order for the substitutionary sacrifice to be efficacious, Jesus had to be divine. Only someone who was both fully God and fully Man could mediate between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5). The sacrifice of a sinless life was necessary for atonement for human sins and so, because all humans have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, a perfect person…one born in the form of humanity, yet without sin…was required to pay the penalty for sin. 

Only God can reveal God…and as Jesus came to reveal God’s character and nature to humanity, he had to be divine or else he would have failed to embody the fulness of God and he would not have been able to demonstrate the essence of God. Only God can forgive sins, and Jesus came so that sinners might be forgiven. Only God could conquer death and the devil because the presence of sin would nullify any substitution. 

To know Jesus only as a man is to miss all that he came to do…it is to miss the free gift of salvation from God, through God, to humanity. So, the second mark of a Christian Community is that we know the biblical Jesus.

The final mark of a true Christian community is that it brings glory to Jesus. Verse 9 and 10 are very particular. Jesus said, “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.” As our mediator, Jesus intercedes for those who are his (1 John 2:1). In fact, he is seated at the right hand of the Father interceding for us right now (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25). 

He already warned his disciples that in the world those who follow him will experience tribulation, but this is more than overcoming the world. Jesus intercedes for us because of our own sin, because of Satan's accusations, and because we need his help to carry out our kingdom purpose. Because of his intercession, when we sin, we may receive forgiveness if we confess our sins (1 John 1:9). Because of his intercession, Satan’s accusations cannot condemn us (Romans 8:34). Because of his intercession, we are empowered to make disciples of the nations (Matthew 28:18-20). In other words, because of his intercession, we can faithfully endure to the end. Because of his intercession, nothing will ever be able to snatch us from his hands. We are his…period.

And because we are his…because we belong to him…because we no longer belong to the world, Jesus is glorified in us. Our salvation speaks of his greatness. When non-believers look at us, they see a community of people who exist because of God’s loving kindness…we exist because of his grace, his mercy, his compassion, his goodness, his faithfulness. Those of the world may boast of their achievements, but we boast only of his achievement, acknowledging and confessing that we are nothing without him. We have nothing to boast of except the cross of Jesus (Galatians 6:14). 

Our very existence as a community of the forgiven, gives all glory, praise and honour to God because of who he is for what he has done. Our existence exclaims the very opposite of a self-seeking or self-gratifying lifestyle. Our existence is centred around the Lord God whose love for us is exhibited in that while we still sinners, Jesus gave his life for ours. Everything we are and everything we will ever become is because he has given it to us. If that doesn’t deserve all our glory and praise, I don’t know what does. 

The film about Nicky Winton comes to a climax when the children he had saved in 1939 meet him for the first time as adults in 1988…50 years later. A BBC talk show host managed to track some of them down and during a live broadcast, those who owed their lives to a man they had not known face to face before were able to express their gratitude for his selfless deeds.

And so, as we participate in the meal that brings to remembrance the one who was sent by the Father to save us out from the world through his selfless sacrifice, let us reflect on the kind of people we ought to be because of him. It doesn’t matter if we are rich or poor, many or few…what matters is that, in our gratitude and humility, we give ourselves as Jesus gave himself so that others may be given the knowledge of the greatest gift of all time. 

Shall we pray?

© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2024

The Heart of our Faith

Proverbs 19:21                                 Acts 4:27-28                                  John 17:1-5

The Heart of our Faith

The passage we will be examining today is possibly one of the most significant of all the prayers of Jesus because it gives us an in-depth view of what our Saviour regarded as central to the Gospel. It comes at the end of the farewell discourse in which Jesus endeavoured to prepare his followers for what lay in store for them. As such it is a prayer of consecration, both for himself and the work which he, as God incarnate, was about to complete, as well as a prayer for the disciples and the Church which would come into being through their message and ministry of reconciliation that he would continue to do in and through them as the exalted King of the universe. 

This first introductory section, verses one through five, seems to have been written in a chiastic form in which the first verse and the last verse correspond like in a mirror image, the second and the fourth do the same, pointing to the central verse as the main focus. A chiasmus was a literary device which was meant to convey to the reader what the author thought was most important. So, we will first examine the verses as they parallel each other and then we will examine that which is the kernel or central part of these five verses.

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, 

A. “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 

B. 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 

C. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 

B. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 

A. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

Both verses 1 and 5 address the glory of Jesus. The first glory has reference to the cross and the resurrection and the last glory points towards the ascension and enthronement of Jesus at the right hand of the Father. Now, there are a few things I’d like to point out in these verses.

But before we do, I’d like you to notice that Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven. Why would that be important? Well, because posture is important. Too many folks have discarded all forms of biblical symbolism and embraced other non-biblical forms…such as the well-known evangelical prayer slouch (or the hair washing position). You know, we hear the words, “let us pray” and everyone assumes the slouch position. But Jesus looks up, raising his eyes toward heaven…not because God is up there as opposed to down here, but because his posture speaks of God’s majesty and his exalted status as well as the open nature of the relationship between them.

Of course, there are times when our eyes ought to be downcast and not lifted up. Common practice indicates that looking down when addressing another signifies shame and guilt, so this is the appropriate posture for us when we are convicted of our own sinfulness and depravity. But that is not the case here when Jesus addresses his Father. All I’m trying to say is that different postures mean different things…an open adoration of God’s majesty or a humble confession of our brokenness. 

Now, let’s look at the parallels: the first thing I would like you to notice is the word “hour”. Jesus said, “Father, the hour has come…” Note that he is in the hour, so this time refers to something current and anticipatory, emphasising God’s perfect timing and his perfect will. The date and time of the crucifixion was not random. Besides the fact that it was part of God’s eternal decree and purpose, it was also accomplished at a time when the event would mirror both Creation as well as the Exodus, with Jesus dying as the spotless Lamb during the Passover Festival – which is a well-known image – but Jesus also “rested” on the seventh Day or the Sabbath Day in the tomb once his re-creation work was finished and he rose from the dead on the Festival of First fruits, a biblical festival celebrating the first harvest of crops. Had Passover been on any other day of the week, this would not have been the case.

The Scriptures repeatedly show that the events of life, whether mundane or profound, are not determined by the will of man, but are rather appointed by a loving yet sovereign and almighty God. For instance, in Acts 4:27-28 we read: “…for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.” It seems the early followers of Jesus had no problem connecting their current events, good or bad, with the gracious will of God.

 Scripture presents God as the one upholding all things by the word of his power. Unfortunately, the modern Church tends to be more deistic then theistic, as if God has abdicated his role as universal ruler or absented himself from his creation. As if God is somehow removed or distant or worse, indifferent. But Scripture teaches us that as nature obeys his commands and that as demons are subject to him, both heaven and earth are his jurisdiction and therefore under his control.

In this verse, Jesus indicated that the most challenging hour of his incarnate life was an event both decreed and agreed on long before it took place. This “hour” that had come had been predetermined by the Triune God…both its onset as well as its outcome, yet by freely entering into that hour, Jesus confirmed his willingness to be the instrument through whom God’s love for the world would be demonstrated. (Romans 5:8) He was neither forced nor coerced…he gave his life of his own free will, having both the authority to give it as well as the authority to take it back again. (John 10:18) 

Then the final thing I would like you to notice in verses 1 and 5 is the word “glory”. As I mentioned earlier, in verse 1 the word refers to his death and resurrection. The cross was the ultimate demonstration of God’s loving character and, as such, it was a revelation of God’s glory in terms of his redeeming love and power. It was how the sovereign goal to restore the broken fellowship between God and humanity would be achieved. By taking our sins upon his own sinless self, Jesus as the spotless sacrificial lamb, became the doorway into the sheepfold…the entrance back into Paradise…the way into eternal life…our re-entry into his glorious presence.

But the glory of the Son does not end there. In verse 5 Jesus used the same word, but this time he was referring to his ascension and enthronement. He said, “And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” At the incarnation, Jesus took upon himself the form of a man without discarding the divine. (Philippians 2:6-7) In other words, while Jesus never ceased to be God, in his incarnation, he actively chose never to live as more than a man. As such his glory was veiled while in the flesh and only those to whom it was given could truly say that they had beheld his glory…the glory as of the only begotten son of God. (John 1:14) 

However, the fullness of the glory that he had with God before the world existed was restored at his resurrection, ascension, and enthronement. So, in these two verses we see that the glory of Jesus relates to both his humiliation as well as his exaltation. 

Now, let’s look at verse 2 and 4. The atoning work of Jesus ties in neatly with the theme of restoration, but it is explained in terms of what has been given by God the Father to God the Son. Note how many times the word “give” is used in verses 2 and 4. (2) “…since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.” (4) “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.” So, let’s look at what is given to Jesus and what is given by Jesus.

The first “give” has to do with authority…an authority given to Jesus by the Father so that he might give that which the Father wanted to give to those whom the Father gave to Jesus. Or stated otherwise, as Jesus has been given all authority in both heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18), he is able to give the gift of eternal life to those whom God has given to him. In like manner, Jesus gives the Church the authority to bring that gift to the nations so that we, in turn, may give what he has given to us to those whom God has given to Jesus. (See John 20:21)

Now, we can get a bit lost with who is giving what to whom, but the important thing to note here is the interconnectedness in the relationship of the Father and the Son as well as the interconnectedness in our relationship with God through Jesus. In everything he did in his incarnated state, Jesus remained committed to doing and asking for only that which God had given or had promised to give. As an aside, this is the key to effective prayer…ask for nothing more than what God has clearly promised in his Word.  

So, we learn here that the work of Jesus was to glorify the Father by revealing and demonstrating his loving character, which includes everything from the moment of his incarnation through to the moment of his exaltation. But here in these verses, Jesus made a clear distinction between the work done before his ascension and the work done after his enthronement. In verse 4 he said that he finished (or accomplished or completed) the work the Father had given him to do, clearly anticipating the cry from the cross, “it is finished”. 

As such the work of Jesus in terms of redemption and reconciliation is both final and complete. There can be no more sacrifice or offering for sin. And yet the result of this finished work continues in time through the medium of the Church. Those whom we disciple come into the kingdom by virtue of what was secured for them on the cross. They believe because they were given to Jesus by the Father. Their names were indelibly engraved in the palms of Jesus’ hand with the very nails which pinned him to the tree. And so, the finished work of Jesus is continually applied throughout the ages by the Church.

Which leads us to the central and focal point of this chiastic structure in verse 3. “And this is eternal life,” Jesus said, “that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” As we have already seen, both the glory and the work of Jesus had a common goal…the gift of eternal life. But what is important to note here is our Lord’s definition of this life. Eternal life is defined as knowing the only true God and knowing Jesus as the one ‘sent’ by him. Of course, this is not a mere intellectual acknowledgement of his existence…that kind of general knowledge of a god is shared by everyone according to Paul in Romans 1. 

No, this kind of knowledge is specific. It is knowing the only true God as well as the one who was sent by that one true God to redeem sinners. This kind of knowledge can only be attained through special revelation given to us in the Scriptures and in Jesus. It is a knowledge based on a relationship with God founded upon the reality of his Person…a knowledge closely defined by the use of the words “only” and “true”. 

According to Augustine, God created us for himself, so that our heart is restless unless (or until) it finds its rest in him (Confessions, 1.1), which tells us two things: Human beings are created with an innate longing for God and consequently true peace and fulfilment can only be found in a relationship with him. However, it also tells us that this relationship, if it is to be the source of eternal life, must be very specific. It must be a relationship with the one true God through the one sent by him, namely, Jesus.

The knowledge Jesus alludes to in this verse is the kind of knowledge that differentiates between the biblical God and the gods of human invention. It is a knowledge that is only satisfied with him as he has revealed himself. Those who seek the divine outside that specific realm of God’s special self-revelation will endlessly grope and search for things that can never satisfy. Although they may appear to be content for a time, and may even say they are fulfilled, the emptiness will return time and time again if the God-shaped vacuum is repeatedly filled with what is temporary and false. 

So, by using the chiastic literary structure, Jesus revealed that which is the heart of Christianity. Eternal life based on a biblically informed relationship with the one and only true God…a life only made possible by believing in the one who was sent to purchase it with his own blood. The final prayer of Jesus’ incarnate life centred on this one single reality even as he faced the hour of his most intense suffering…a suffering that would give eternal life to those given to him by the Father. 

But, as we will discover later when we expound the rest of this passage, Jesus was not just praying for his final work of atonement…he was also praying for those through whom he would continue to apply that which he had achieved on the cross. His principal point throughout this prayer was to make eternal life available, and for this reason, the principle point of his Church ought to be the same. We, dearest beloved breathren, exist to be the bearers of the greatest gift of all time…the gift of eternal life.

Which begs the question: if one was to examine the behaviour of the modern Church, would one be led to believe that this is the principle point of our existence? In his book, Eternity in their Hearts, veteran missionary and well-known author Don Richardson wrote: “Significant numbers of non-Christians have proved themselves ten times more willing to receive the Gospel than Christians have been to share it.” 

What is the focus of your life as a follower of Jesus? Does it mirror the focus of Jesus’ life? Everything we do in life has eternal consequences. But how much of what we do daily is of any positive eternal value? If we were to stand before our God, whose character is demonstrated chiefly through the one event that revealed most clearly that his main priority was to make a life-giving relationship with him possible…if we were to stand before his God, would we be able to say that our main priority is the same as his? 

If the very heart of our faith is that we might know and make known the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent, do we even have a pulse?

Shall we pray?

© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2024

Peace in Him

Isaiah 20:3-4                       Psalm 22:1-2; 23-24; 27-31                        John 16:25-33

Peace in Him

One of the problems with the speed of technical advance in our modern era is that old proverbial statements become obsolete. One such statement is that someone who keeps repeating themselves sounds like a "stuck record" (which, for the uninitiated, refers to a vinyl record needle stuck in one groove, causing the same sound to repeat endlessly). In digital terms, I believe a similar idea would be "glitching" or "looping", terms that capture the idea of something stuck in a repetitive, unintended loop—just as a stuck record once did, but now in the context of digital media like video games, software, or streaming.

Now, the phrase “you sound like a stuck record” or “you are like a stuck record” was often used for those who appear to be stuck on one train of thought without the ability to move on. Some folks will continue to be stuck in or to hold to a position even when proved wrong, just because that was what they were taught or that was the way it had always been done before.  

For instance, how many folks still believe that if you go outside with wet hair, you will catch a cold? I was always told that shaving makes your hair grow back thicker. Fat lot of good that did me. Or how about the belief that cracking your knuckles will cause arthritis? Or that you should starve a fever and feed a cold? Or that eating carrots will improve your eyesight? Or you’ll get warts from touching a toad? Or here’s one for you mum’s present: Sugar makes kids hyperactive. Multiple studies have shown that sugar does not cause hyperactivity in children, but we still believe that don’t we? 

But why do we hold on to our outdated ideas when we are presented either with truth or more evidence or a more viable explanation? Well, there are several psychological and emotional reasons: One is what we call cognitive dissonance: When new information conflicts with our existing beliefs, it creates discomfort. To resolve this, we often reject or rationalize the new information rather than adjusting our beliefs. Holding on to familiar ideas helps avoid the mental tension caused by conflicting viewpoints. 

Another reason is confirmation bias: We tend to seek out and favour information that confirms what we already believe, while disregarding evidence that contradicts it. This bias makes it easier to maintain outdated ideas, even in the face of more accurate explanations. 

Then of course there is our own identity and ego: Our beliefs are often tied to our identity, culture, or community. Letting go of them can feel like a personal loss or a threat to our sense of self. We may resist new ideas because accepting them might challenge our core identity or make us feel inadequate for having believed otherwise. 

Another more common reason is fear of change: Change can be unsettling. Old ideas provide comfort and familiarity, while new ideas can seem risky or uncertain. People might resist the truth because it requires them to step into the unknown or change their behaviours. 

Another common one is social or peer pressure: We are influenced by the beliefs and norms of the groups we belong to. Changing or adapting our views could result in social rejection or tension, especially if those around us continue to hold on to concepts or ideas we no longer hold to be true or self-evident. 

And then finally, for some it may be a question of emotional attachment: Some ideas carry deep emotional significance. Certain religious, political, or cultural beliefs may be tied to personal experiences, making it harder to let go of them, even when presented with contradictory evidence. 

Now, in the case of the disciples, it may be a combination of any number of these reasons. From the age of three when they first started to attend Hebrew school, they were taught certain things about what to expect regarding the coming Messiah. In the synagogue and at home they were more than likely told by local and itinerant Rabbis as well as their parents that the Messiah would be a conquering political King like David who would defeat their oppressors and restore the kingdom to Israel. 

While it is important to note that these expectations were not by any means uniform because different Jewish sects had varying opinions, I do think it safe to say that all the first century beliefs regarding the Messiah reveal a radically different view from who Jesus was and what he came to do. That is why many in the crowds…even people that at one point wanted to crown him king…that is why they turned away. He just did not fit the mould they had cast for their messiah. 

So, one can appreciate why the disciples had such a hard time understanding his idiomatic comments about “leaving” and them not “seeing” him…and then his “returning” and them “seeing” him once more. They had been told the Messiah would remain forever (John 12:34), so what was this about him going somewhere? For this reason, Jesus’ statement in verse 25 must have come as a relief. Here he basically told them that a time would come when his present obscure symbolic and metaphoric speech would become more straightforward. 

Now to be fair, unlike the crowds, there were several things the disciples did understand. There is a difference between struggling to understand on the one hand and not understanding at all on the other. For example, the disciples had grasped the truth concerning the person of Jesus. When others walked away because they failed to understand, the disciples stayed despite their struggle to understand because they had come to know that he had the words of eternal life…that he was the Holy One of God (John 6:68). But they still struggled to understand because Jesus’ present perplexing predictions did not match their previously pre-packaged presuppositions. This is why Jesus said here: I know you are struggling to understand now, but you will get it in the future. So, hang in there.

The second thing to note is that we are finite and limited and therefore some things about God and his ways will remain in the realm of mystery. However, this does not mean we must roll over and play dead. God has graciously granted us inquisitive and inquiring intellects and so we ought to continue to dig deeper in God’s Word using all the tools available to us. Recent discoveries and advances in cultural anthropological studies, philology, archaeology, papyrology, and epigraphy open the ancient world to us in ways formerly not possible. Many previously perplexing passages become clearer when we understand the meaning of words and practices specific to that particular era or area. 

True, God’s Word is and always will be our only true guiding light, but a lack of historical contextualisation – where content and context and culture are engaged together in an attempt to fully comprehend the meaning and application of the text – a lack of historical contextualisation can lead us to embrace practices that were either culturally and historically specific or it can lead us to enforce practices that are actually contrary to the original intention. Jesus’ teaching was often an attempt to dismantle entrenched misunderstandings. Remember the sermon on the Mount? You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour (biblical) and hate your enemy (not biblical and yet taught by the Rabbis)’. But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” Down through the centuries, people have used the Bible to justify their bad behaviour…just think about the theological justification for apartheid. So, we need to humbly seek to understand and humbly seek to change should we ourselves be weighed in the balance of truth and be found wanting.

But this should not discourage us. Delving deeper into God’s Word may be challenging not to mention time consuming – always remember that real Bible Study is far more than simply pulling a single text out of a Precious Promises box – but the digging and discovering is so rewarding! There are so many reputable resources available to us in print and on the internet…of course there are many not so reputable resources too, so the rule of thumb should always be to use Scripture as the criterion and the standard. But my point is, we ought to be excited by the hope of gaining a fuller understanding of Scripture through comprehensive study of all helpful material! 

And never forget the presence of the Holy Spirit – the one who inspired what was written in the first place. As you study the Scriptures in the light of all the information available to us today, allow him to do what he does best…to lead you in truth, always keeping in mind that he will never contradict what has already been revealed as he does not speak on his own authority. 

From the promise of fuller understanding, Jesus moved on in verse 26-27 to tell them about a new freedom and effectiveness in prayer resulting from a new relationship between God and humanity. Jesus’ “leaving” and “returning” would bring about a freedom of access to the real Holy of Holies – the very throne room of God himself. Because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross, those who are in him may now approach the throne of grace with boldness and confidence because Jesus has opened the way by removing the wall of separation that was once between us. Therefore, we can approach the Father directly in the Name of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit, both of whom constantly intercede for us.

Prayer is a great privilege too often misunderstood in the Church. According to our Lord, prayer is the language of love. We can pray to the Father because he loves us…a love that is chiefly demonstrated in that while we still sinners, Jesus died for us. “Greater love has no one than this,” Jesus said, “that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) Prayer is an interaction made possible by God’s deliberate initiative to be reconciled with his estranged creation. And so, prayer ought never to be used as some magical method of manipulation. As a language based on God’s kind of love, we ought always to pray for him to do what he wills as his will is always expressed in terms of the love he has for the world. 

Through Jesus’ substitutionary death on the cross, we are restored in our position before God as well as in our understanding of things spiritual because the death and resurrection of Jesus restores us to our original, pre-Fall dominion status. God created humans to exercise delegated authority over God’s earth. As Jesus is both God and Man – two natures united into the one Person of the incarnate Son, never to be divided – and as his resurrection was a bodily resurrection and his ascension was a bodily ascension, he reigns at the right hand of God the Father as the Man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5). Jesus is the sinless second Adam, enthroned in paradise just as the pre-Fall Adam had been enthroned in the Garden of Eden. 

Therefore, through Jesus the Church exercises the dominion once given to the first humans. As Jesus is the new representative of the renewed humankind, all authority in both heaven and earth has been given to him, so all those who are under his headship have the royal right to bring the nations into subjection to their rightful King. As such, believers are his co-regents over a world that will, someday by the grace of God, be filled with the knowledge of the Lord’s glory, just as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14).

At this point, the disciples had an “aha!” moment. They seemed to have recognised that Jesus was divine – that he had come from the Father because, ultimately, he and the Father are one. This much they seemed to have grasped and so they enthusiastically assumed that the time Jesus was speaking about in the beginning of his statement had already come. “Now we can see,” they said. It seems that they thought they had made some progress and so they gleefully agree that Jesus’ statements were no longer completely unfathomable. 

However, Jesus was quick to point out that even though they thought they had understood everything, they would nonetheless still be thrown into turmoil and confusion in the very near future when the unthinkable happened. In a sense they were deceived into thinking that they were wiser than they were.

So, Jesus reminded them that in their human fallibility they should not endeavour to attempt to understand what was beyond them. As I said before, there are certain things about God and his ways that will remain unknowable. And that’s fine because these inexplicable and incomprehensible things remind us of our total dependence on God. Our faith in his greatness and goodness ought to triumph over our discombobulations. Here Jesus told his disciples that although they thought they had it all figured out, the cross would prove to be too much for them and they would desert, disown, and ditch him completely. 

But what Jesus said next has caused many a scholar to spill copious amounts of precious ink. “You,” he said, indicating the disciples, “will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.” Liberal scholars triumphantly point out that Jesus was obviously mistaken at this point regarding his faith in the Father’s permanent presence with him despite the desertion of all others because, on the cross, he clearly believed that God had, in fact, forsaken him. Jesus believed that the Father would never abandon him – and yet, apparently, on the cross he found out that he was mistaken – his trust was betrayed when he most needed his Father’s presence.

Now, it is here that I believe cultural studies help us unravel this apparent contradiction. Quoting the first line or a portion of Scripture was a typical training technique in which the Rabbi would expect his disciples to recall the teaching of the whole passage.

For this reason, several New Testament scholars now believe that Jesus' cry from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46), references the first verse of Psalm 22 as a way of pointing his disciples to the larger context of the Psalm, which ultimately corrects the initial feeling of desertion. In fact, the Psalmist himself indicated that his perception of abandonment was not accurate as in verse 24 he wrote, “For he (God) has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.”

In other words, Jesus' use of the Psalm was a teaching moment for those present. As the master teacher that he was, Jesus was drawing attention to the Psalm's real message. Despite its dismal opening line, Psalm 22 actually affirms God's presence and deliverance even in the midst of suffering. In other words, Jesus' citation of Psalm 22:1 was for the benefit of those witnessing his crucifixion who, without a doubt, were thinking that God had abandoned them, encouraging them to recall the message of the whole Psalm and to reflect on its full meaning. 

In fact, I believe that everything Jesus said from the cross was didactic…everything he said was instructive, all the way through to his final statement “It is finished” that echoed the word used in the Greek translation of Genesis 2:2. Using the exact same word, “tetelestai”, Jesus linked the completion of God's creation of the world with the completion of his work that ushers in the new creation. He then rested in the tomb on the seventh or the Sabbath Day and rose triumphant on the first day. 

Do you see how knowing the cultural habits and the typical training technique used by Rabbis at the time, helps us to counter the assumption of liberal scholars regarding this particular verse? Jesus was not mistaken. His Father did not forsake him, nor did he forsake his disciples even though they must have thought that was the case, nor did he nor will he forsake you.

Now, in verse 33, Jesus revealed his real intention behind this discussion with his disciples. He had told them these things so that in him they might have peace. Many distresses and troubles lay ahead hidden from the present view. So, Jesus told them what was about to happen so that when the storm hit, they might be able to weather it by holding on to his promise that it would only be a little while before they would see him again. Yes, it would feel as if God himself had deserted them, but if they recalled and reflected on these words, they would be encouraged to anticipate a victorious outcome. 

Jesus did not hide the fact that while we are in this world, we will struggle. But the world will never be able to overcome us because he has overcome it. That is why we can be at peace “in him”. It is like being in the eye of a hurricane. As long as we remain in that eye, we will not be swept away by the chaos in this fallen broken world. Even when we feel totally overwhelmed by trials and troubles, we can be at peace if our minds are fixed on the one who ensured by his substitutionary sacrifice that every promise of God toward us are yes and amen. (See Isaiah 26:3-4; 2 Corinthians 1:20)

In closing, allow me to tell you what I am told is a true story about a British missionary named Eric Barker. Eric served in Portugal during the Second Great War. As the war intensified, it became too dangerous for his family to remain with him in Europe. Therefore, he made the difficult decision to send his wife and their eight children (along with his sister and her three children) back to England for safety. 

According to the story, Eric Barker was preaching on the Sunday after the ship had sailed. During the service he told the congregation that he had just received word that all his family had arrived safely home. He then proceeded with the service as usual. Only later did the meaning of his words become known to the congregation. He had received a telegram informing him that the ship had been torpedoed by a submarine, and all of the passengers had perished at sea. And yet, Eric was at peace, even amidst profound personal loss, because he knew that he and his family were in Jesus. 

Life can hurl every conceivable trial against us…it can howl and batter us until we feel we can take it no longer…until we may even be tempted to think that God has abandoned us or that he is ruthlessly punishing us. 

But what Jesus wanted his disciples to know then and what he wants you to know today is simply this. In Him you will always have peace. 

Shall we pray?

© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2024

Autumn Newsletter 2024

Johann and Louise: Training Disciples to Make Disciples in the Netherlands Summer is over and life in Europe returns to...well, it returns. Everything shuts down here from July through September as folks try to recharge their vitamin D batteries.  I must confess that my two favourite seasons here are Spring and Autumn. This past summer was hot and, if Austria and the Czech Republic are any indications of what lies ahead, this winter is going to be cold. But there is a lot to look forward to as we plan ahead with our amazing team at Christ Church, Heiloo. We have hosted a number of visitors through the summer, including pastors who needed a break but couldn't afford exorbitant B&B costs. Christian families on vacation from other European countries also attended several of our services.  Johann had several opportunities to help at other chaplaincies as their pastors were either on vacation or on sabbatical. He even conducted a funeral in Dutch!  Our Men's and Women's Bible Studies (there are three) and a Care Group have started up again and are excited to read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the Word once more. Our children's ministry continues to grow and flourish. Parishioners got together and hosted our very first VBS this year as well! We now have more kids in the church than adults! Organic church growth! Every six weeks or so, we hold a Family Service in which the children are active participants. Please pray for our children as they are often the only believers in their classes. Peer pressure is always a difficult thing to deal with. Please pray for our Sunday School teachers and our parents! Johann will attend a Church Leaders Meeting on October 16. This is a time when Christian pastors and lay-leaders in the area get together to share events, ideas, prayer requests and to discuss how we may better work together for the kingdom in North Holland. Work in this particular province is tough and we need to stand together as believers.  Do pray for us as we reach out to other churches in the area and try to plan events together. On November 16, Dr Caroline Crocker (https://ramblingruminations.com/) and her mum will be stopping with us to talk about her book "Unforgivable". The book is about her half-Jewish father who was placed in a Dutch orphanage during the Second Great War. We hope to host a brunch event and are in the process of inviting believers and nonbelievers to the event. The topic will be on forgiveness. December will be full of various Christmas themed events and services including 9 Lessons and Carols and a Christmas Pageant.  Then on January 11-12 Brad Smith and his team from Men of Valour (https://www.menofvalor.org/) will be challenging our men to be disciple makers. We hope to make this an open event for believers and unbelievers alike.Thankfully folks are open and curious and will attend events if invited. Our annual Men’s Day will be held on April 5-6 with Phil Knox as our main speaker. Click on these links for more information. (https://www.eauk.org/author/phil-knox) and (https://philknox.co.uk/) As with all our free events, this event will be open to believers and nonbelievers alike. Last year a number of unchurched and dechurched people attended our Men's Day with very positive results. Our annual Women’s Retreat with Jo Frost as our main speaker will be held on May 17. See here: https://www.eauk.org/author/jo-frost Last year so many women signed up we had to close registration after 100! The women's ministry is powerful at Christ Church and many unbelievers have been reached through their faithful witness.  Louise and I are beginning to plan a trip to the USA around September 2025. The New Wineskins Missions Conference is scheduled to be held September 17-20 and we would like to attend if possible. We have no set plans yet, but hope to visit churches and individual supporters we have not seen for a long time, especially those on the West Coast. But we do welcome invitations to share more about our ministry here in North Holland, so please do let us know if you would be interested! Louise and I are still waiting for our DAFT Visa renewal...our residency permits expired this past Friday, but we are still legally fine as our application is being reviewed. Please do pray for a positive outcome of this process.  Please do pray for the events mentioned above as well as all the others not mentioned. Pray for our evangelism and discipleship efforts in the larger community as well.  Pray also for the funds needed to host all our outreach events. I want to keep these events free of charge so that there will be no hinderance for participation. If you would like to contribute to these outreach events, please do send your gifts to SAMS-USA earmarked for Vanderbijl Special Projects. See here: https://give.samsusa.org/project/missionary-special-project-vanderbijl Louise and I are doing well on so many levels. While this is still one of the most challenging assignments we have had, the rewards are many. One really stands out as a believer here as there are so few of us, but that in itself is a blessing. We need to know what we believe and why, and we need to live it out so that folks can see the hope that is in us! Please pray that the seeds we and members of Christ Church, Heiloo have sown over the years may germinate, grow, and bear abundant fruit for God's glory. We remain grateful for your personal participation in this ministry...home teams are every bit as important as go teams! You are truly appreciated! Love, hugs, and blessings Johann and Louise Support Us Johann and Louise spent two years helping to develop the St. Frumentius Seminary in Gambella, Ethiopia. They then worked in Southern Africa, serving in seven southern African countries, while continuing to work with the Diocese of Egypt, North Africa through engaging in a disciple making movement in order to grow the body of Christ. They are now serving in Heiloo, the Netherlands. We are sent  through the Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders, a missionary sending community, engaging in building relationships with the worldwide church to experience the broken restored, the wounded healed, the hungry fed, and the lost found through the love and power of Jesus Christ.  Support SAMS 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

Hearts to Perceive

Hebrews 2:8-9                   Isaiah 26:17-20                  Romans 8:24-28             John 16:16-24

Hearts to Perceive

Very few people seem able to face the various hurdles of life with an anticipation of a good conclusion. They cannot imagine anything good beyond their current struggle, suffering, or sorrow. 

The Israelites are a good example of this. Even though they had experienced the miraculous and supernatural liberating power of God – the ten plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, the annihilation of their enemies, the repeated miraculous interventions – and despite God’s obvious presence and provision – the pillar of cloud and fire, the manna, the supply of water, the theophanic manifestations at Mount Sinai – despite all this their faith and trust in God still broke down with each new challenge in the wilderness…a failure that eventually led to their fear-filled revolt following the negative report of ten of the twelve spies at the border of the Promised Land…and the divine judgment that consigned that generation to 40 years wandering in the wilderness.

In Deuteronomy 29:2-4, Moses provided the reason for this habitual breakdown as he addressed the people of Israel: “You have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, and those great wonders. But to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear.” According to Moses, despite all they had witnessed firsthand, the people did not respond appropriately because of their inability to make the connection between the events and the sovereignty of their God. This and other similar stories in the Scriptures expose the major flaw in the signs and wonders movement. Miracles do not necessarily produce faith and trust.  

God performed one miracle after the other throughout their journey from slavery in Egypt to liberty in the Promised Land, and yet their response to every challenge remained anxiety ridden and fear driven. Similarly, even though Jesus did so many signs during his lifetime, most of the people still did not believe in him. (John 12:37) You see, people don’t believe even when the humanly inexplicable stares them right in the face, because spiritual sight is only possible once the heart is changed. 

In our Gospel passage for today, we see a very similar situation unfolding as Jesus continued to teach his uncomprehending disciples. Like all those who were eyewitnesses of Jesus’ authority over both the natural as well as the supernatural and all those who had heard his teaching, they too struggled to understand because of their preconceived ideas. Their entrenched false presuppositions hindered their ability to perceive the truth.

In verse 16, Jesus once again attempted to show them the glorious victory that lay beyond the event of the cross. His ‘leaving’ and his ‘returning’ involved a multi-step process. The crucifixion was the first step in his divine design to nullify sin and death, and thereby defeat the devil…but beyond the crucifixion lay the resurrection and the enthronement of Jesus and his eternal reign over a renewed and renewing creation. 

But between the crucifixion and the resurrection lay a short yet soul-shattering period in which the disciples would no longer “see” Jesus as the one they had assumed him to be. Instead of a conquering king, they would see an apparent convicted criminal…instead of a liberating messiah, they would see yet another casualty of oppression…instead of a source of eternal life, they would see a dead body wrapped in a shroud and entombed in a borrowed grave. 

But then there was the promise. After the statement, “A little while, and you will see me no longer;” Jesus added: “and again a little while, and you will see me.” They would see him die…they would see him buried…but then they would see him resurrected! They would see him ascend to heaven to be crowned King of kings and Lord of lords. And they would see him fulfil his promise to send them his life-giving Holy Spirit. 

So, what Jesus was trying to explain in this verse was that the cross…his ‘leaving’… was the necessary means to the throne. The cross was the zenith of his ministry on earth and the focal point of his incarnation. But beyond the cross, all authority in both heaven and earth would be given to him…all things would be placed in subjection under his feet. The cross was inextricably linked to the crown. The cross was the glory of the throne.

The author of Hebrews linked the two as one in chapter 2:8-9. “Now in putting everything in subjection to him, (God) left nothing outside his control. (Of course,) at present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him….but we (do) see him [who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus,] we do see him crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” 

You see, there is no crown without the cross. Of course, the disciples only understood this after the fact as at this point in the Gospel story, all they saw was their messianic hopes and dreams and aspirations slowly crumbling away. 

And like a group of seminary students, all wanting to know more, but afraid to be the first to ask the question for fear of appearing to be senseless or stupid, they turned to each other and vainly pooled their ignorance. “What is he talking about?” “What does he mean?” Or if these were some of the students I have studied with, they would more than likely have said something like: “Could you, perchance, elucidate or extrapolate the metaphysical implications of his utterance as it pertains to the grand tapestry of existential inquiry.”

But God knows our inward thoughts even before we think them…even before there is a word on our tongues, he already knows it completely. (Psalm 139:1-6)…so Jesus knew they were extremely eager to enquire. Their reluctance to question him did not fool him…nor does ours, for that matter, and so, in the verses that follow, Jesus explained something we all struggle with from time to time. The mysterious connection between suffering and true everlasting joy.

Jesus told the disciples that initially, during the first while when they would see him no longer, they would experience real sorrow which would, no doubt, include the full range of emotions associated with grief. Shock, disbelief, profound sadness, numbness, a sense of unreality, anger, guilt, fear, insecurity, and blame. To them it would seem as if their whole world had been turned upside down. The wicked would appear to have won a great victory and the disciples would be plunged into a nightmarish existence as all their dreams were sealed up in a rock-hewn tomb with the dead body of their one-time Rabbi. With their cause apparently lost with no foreseeable future in view…with all their hopes and desires dashed on the rocks of a cruel reality…with no obvious way of picking up the pieces of their shattered lives, what else could they do but weep and lament?

What could be more final that death? While he was alive, there was hope…but once he breathed out his last there was nothing more to hold onto. Its over…pack up the fragments of what’s left of you and move on to somewhere else. That is what the devil would have wanted them to believe…that’s what the world would have wanted them to believe…but Jesus promised them that their sorrow would soon be overtaken by something far beyond their wildest imaginations.

To illustrate his point, Jesus used the analogy of a woman in childbirth. He likened their momentary sorrow with that of a mother in the throes of labour. Once her labour was completed, the trial or her “sorrow” of her previous hours faded as she embraced her bundle of joy.

Now the analogy is complete in and of itself, but Jesus used this particular picture for a specific reason. In Isaiah 26:17-18 we read: “Like a pregnant woman who writhes and cries out in her pangs when she is near to giving birth, so were we because of you, O Lord; we were pregnant, we writhed, but we have given birth to wind. We have accomplished no deliverance in the earth, and the inhabitants of the world have not fallen.” 

Can you see the connection here? Can you hear hope being dashed to pieces by despair? In both accounts, there was an anticipation of new life. There were definite symptoms pointing in that direction. But when push came to shove, pun intended, it all appeared to be hopeless…everything seemed to have been in vain…the pregnancy failed to deliver…instead of life it was flatulence. 

The disciples had been anticipating the kingdom…they had laboured for it and were willing to give their lives for it…but instead…they were defeated and deflated with nothing to show for their hope-filled three years with Jesus.

But Isaiah’s words did not end there. In verses 19 and following he continued with a great promise: “Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. (So) you who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.”

By using the analogy of a mother in childbirth, Jesus was purposefully redirecting his disciples’ muddled minds to this messianic promise. Scripture must always interpret Scripture. There is a reason why we have all the books in the Bible. There is a reason why Paul said, “ALL Scripture is profitable…” And remember that he was referring to what we now call the Old Testament as the New Testament was still being compiled at the time he was writing. 

If we believe that the New Testament is dissing or dismissing the Old Testament, then we have bought into a heresy. I cringe when I hear people say, “Oh, but that’s Old Testament”. What on earth is that supposed to mean? That it has ceased to be the very Word of God? That God got it wrong the first time and now he needs to correct himself? 

And no doubt someone will throw in a dietary law or a law relating to the rituals and sacrifices…as if that is supposed to be an intelligent argument. But it only proves a superficiality at best and an ignorance at worst. We would do well to understand that there is a difference between the word “fulfilment” and the word “abrogation” or “abolishment” (Matthew 5:17). We must assume a basic continuity between the Testaments unless there is a clear indication of discontinuity. So, we must ensure that we know all of Scripture so that we can rightly discern and interpret Scripture.

End of rant…

So, by using the analogy of a mother in childbirth, Jesus was purposefully redirecting his disciples’ muddled minds to this messianic promise in Isaiah. What seemed to them to be no more than wind, was, in fact, the very breath of God giving birth to the Church through the resurrection of the first born. Together with the body of Jesus, those in him would be raised up by the Holy Spirit in a way reminiscent of the creation of the first human. As God breathed life into Adam’s lifeless form, so too the Spirit breathed life into, not only Jesus’s lifeless form, but ours too. 

As Paul said in Romans 8:11, “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies” and again in Ephesians 2:6-9, “he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”…and if we endure, he said to Timothy, we will reign with him. (2 Timothy 2:12)

Because of what Jesus did…because he “left” and then “returned”…because he died and was resurrected…because we are resurrected with him through the power of the same Spirit that breathed life into the first Adam…because of who we are in him and where we are in him, we can, as Paul says, “rejoice in our sufferings” because we know that “suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”  (Romans 5:3-5) 

Nothing, dearest beloved brethren, nothing in all of creation can ever rob us of the joy Jesus gives to us because the cross was not some isolated or concluding event…the cross impacts all of existence as it was the beginning of the new creation, an age in which we who are in Jesus can know that constant presence of God which had previously only been possible in the Garden of Eden before the Fall. Life for those who are filled with God’s Spirit is a life shared with the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

Once again, in an attempt to get the disciples to see the glory behind the sorrowful event about to overwhelm them, Jesus revealed to them the kind of joy they were to expect. First, there would be a joy of understanding. There would no longer be the need for these sorts of difficult explanations for those who walk in the Spirit because the indwelling Spirit would lead them in truth. The cross would rend open the heavens and grant us direct access to the very throne room of the Monarch of the universe. So, our joy, even in the midst of suffering and sorrow, is founded upon the knowledge that in God everything has a glorious goal and purpose.

Second, there would be a joy of efficacious prayer. Because of his victory on the cross, we can boldly approach the source and sustainer of all life through Jesus because he is the one and only true mediator between God and humanity. (2 Timothy 2:5) Jesus is the fulfilment of all the Old Testament laws pertaining to mediation…because he is both our sacrifice as well as our great High Priest, we no longer need doves, lambs, oxen, or other human mediators, regardless of how righteous they may be or may have been. 

As Hebrews 9:23 and following states: “(Jesus) has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.” And so, our prayers are directly directed to the Father through the Son with the ever-present aid of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26-28).

Beyond the sorrow lay a permanent joy. But looking at their crucified friend, the disciples would have seen nothing of the glory nor of the victory Jesus had told them about. Like their ancestors in the wilderness, their hearts could not perceive, neither could their eyes see, or ears hear. 

Can you identify with the disciples? How often haven’t we looked at something in life and seen nothing but darkness and despair? At that moment, it feels like life has taken us down a dark alley filled with all manner of terrors and joy is the furthest thing from our minds.

I think Jesus understands that. Notice that he never chastised the disciples throughout these dark predictions. He simply warned them that they would experience intense sorrow, but then added that their sorrow would turn into joy. (See Jeremiah 31) To them, that first night and that long seemingly endless Sabbath must have felt like years. Looking back, of course, they only saw three anxiety ridden days, but at the time, seconds must have dragged on like a lifetime. 

The worst struggle of all at times like these is that we search for answers…for reasons…for any kind of explanation that would help us comprehend why we have been overtaken by such unbearable grief. Very often, such an exercise is most unhelpful, as even if there was a reason, we would fail to fully understand it. Trauma is not usually alleviated by reason or logic or, cruellest of all, pep-talks. 

So, what do we do at a time like this? Jesus’ advice is that we firstly embrace our sorrow…truthfully and honestly and fully acknowledge it. In other words, do not deny the presence of the elephant in the room. We will experience sorrow – we will weep and lament – we will mourn and grieve. All too often we are told to ‘buck up’ or to ‘pull ourselves together’ or to ‘get a grip’ or to ‘fake it till we make it’. That’s appalling advice and the exact opposite of what Jesus says here. 

There will be sorrow, but as we grieve or struggle with whatever difficulty or insurmountable circumstance we have collided with, Jesus here encourages us to walk through the dark valley holding on to his promise of purpose. I truly believe that this is one of the reasons why God revealed himself to us through the stories of men and women just like us. There isn’t a human difficulty that we cannot find in the Bible, at least in principle. And that great cloud of witnesses help us to limp through our own personal tragedies because we know that if God never deserted them, so he will never desert us. 

The Lord who loves us promises us that every event in life, good or bad, is like a tool in his hand that he uses for our benefit. He can promise that because he has done so himself…he endured the cross because of the joy that he kept in focus throughout the ordeal. He pressed on through the pain because he knew the cross would give way to the crown. Yes, it is true that not all suffering or sorrow or strife may be removed in this life…not all will be healed, not all will be relieved…but we have a sure hope that will not fail and an eternity that nothing and no one can ever take away from us. 

God is not a man that he should lie (Numbers 23:19).  Whatever he has promised he will do. Whatever he has spoken, he will fulfil. Every word of God has proved true through the witness of those who have found refuge in him. But for us to be able to experience this truth, we need hearts to perceive. 

So, as you partake of the elements that remind us of the event that guarantees our eternal joy, pray to your Father, who gives generously to all who ask him, to grant you hearts to perceive his promises that triumph over suffering and sorrow.

Shall we pray?

© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2024

Why Do We Exist?

Judges 2:1-3                          1 Corinthians 15:20-26                        John 16:5-15

Why Do We Exist?

A philosopher was once approached by one of his students. “Teacher,” the student said, “I’m no longer sure that I exist. Please, tell me, do I exist?” Without so much as an upward glance, the philosopher replied, “Who wants to know?”

Asking the right questions is part of growing up to maturity. As Proverbs 18:15 says, “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” God created us to be inquisitive, to seek knowledge, to pursue the truth. But, all too often, rather than discovering and creating a biblically inspired masterpiece ourselves through careful studious dialogue with the Word and the Holy Spirit, we opt for blindly following a paint-by-numbers lifestyle that is handed out to us by others that ultimately makes us forget why we exist as the Church.

Last week we spoke about the blindness of the world, but today I’d like us to think about the blindness of way too many believers. 

Prominent 20th-century Jewish theologian and philosopher, Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote in the introduction of his book, God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism: “It is customary to blame secular science and anti-religious philosophy for the eclipse of religion in modern society. It would be more honest to blame religion for its own defeats. Religion declined not because it was refuted, but because it became irrelevant, dull, oppressive, insipid. When faith is completely replaced by creed, worship by discipline, love by habit; when the crisis of today is ignored because of the splendour of the past; when faith becomes an heirloom rather than a living fountain; when religion speaks only in the name of authority rather than with the voice of compassion--its message becomes meaningless.”

In this work, Heschel discusses the nature of religious experience and criticizes the ways in which organized religion can sometimes become stagnant and disconnected from its spiritual roots. He argues that religion loses its relevance and vitality when it becomes overly focused on ritual, authority, and tradition at the expense of genuine spiritual experience and moral engagement. 

While this may certainly be true of Judaism, is it not, at least in part, equally true of the modern Church? Have we perhaps forgotten that it is not about what we believe as much it is about whom we believe? To understand life, it is necessary to understand certain things about our Creator…and the best way to get to know our Creator is by getting to know Jesus because he is the clearest portrait we have of God…he is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. (Hebrews 1:3) 

Recent research from the Cultural Research Centre at Arizona Christian University, specifically the American Worldview Inventory 2024, revealed that only 4% of American adults and 6% of self-identified Christians hold a fully consistent biblical worldview…with most Americans embracing a syncretistic approach, blending elements from various worldviews to form a personalized belief system.  

To bring this closer to home, according to Joep de Hart and Pepijn van Houwelingen’s study on Christians in the Netherlands: “Where certain tenets of faith are still endorsed, they are endorsed selectively, with little willingness to embrace Christian doctrines in their entirety.” 

The Scriptures reveal a God who is near…a God who is intimately involved in every aspect of his creation, ever moving towards restoring what had largely been lost in the Garden of Eden. But like the believer who limits God to the realm of ritual and rules the disciples seemed to have had an inadequate view of what Jesus was doing and what he would be doing in and through his followers, post-ascension. For the most part, 1st Century Judaism had retreated into the synagogues, the Temple, their oral laws, and their ethnocentric nationalism, and so one is not surprised when the Jewish followers of Jesus asked if he had come to restore the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6). 

When Jesus first started to speak about leaving them, they peppered him with questions, but when his answers did not follow the paint-by-numbers system, they stopped. Which explains why he said in verse 5, “None of you ask me, ‘Where are you going?’” They had asked. He had explained. But because his explanations did not fit within the confines of their inadequate theology, they had not understood and consequently they shut down. 

I am sure you know the adage: “When at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.” Well, the same is true about the Christian life. When we stop asking questions, we stop learning, and when we stop learning, we stop growing, and when we stop growing, we stagnate, and when we stagnate that’s when we start to embrace a shallow one-dimensional faith…and it often shows in our willingness to conform to a non-biblical culture.

Jesus appears to indicate that the reason why they stopped asking questions was due to their sorrowful response to his earlier statements. What were they sorry about? More than likely they were sorrowful because he did not fit into the box they had assembled for the Messiah. He was leaving…which meant he was not about to overthrow the Roman oppressors and reestablish Israel to its former glory under David and Solomon. According to them, their Rabbi had missed his socio-religious cues and rather than exchanging their truncated nationalistic vision for his global vision, they stopped learning. It is hard to think outside the box when the box is of your own making.

In an attempt to help them step out from their trenches, Jesus then explained that what he had just told them about his leaving was actually to their advantage because his ascension would indicate the beginning of his universal reign. It would declare that, as the obedient second Adam, he had overturned what the disobedient first Adam had done. You see, by believing Satan rather than God, our collective ancestors had lost their right to exercise dominion over creation, but because of his humble and submissive life and death, Jesus, the God/Man, won back all authority in both heaven and earth and reissued the original creation mandate to bring the whole earth back into subjection to him (Matthew 28:18-20). And by pouring out the breath of God on his followers, Jesus would essentially create a renewed and renewing humanity with him being the new head and chief cornerstone of the new creation. 

 You see, like Adam, the followers of Jesus were meant to conquer and rule…not by the sword, but by the Spirit. Sadly, a failure to obey would result in a similar fate as that of Israel of old…compromise would lead to assimilation, to syncretism, and eventually to capitulation. Of course, the question had always been how such a tiny group of people could do what God required…the Israelites asked that question…the judges asked that question…but what Jesus was trying to get his disciples to understand here was that God’s people are never alone in their assignment. 

Through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, the world is confronted with an absolute authority given to Jesus by virtue of his victory on the cross. And this confrontation comes in the form of a conviction…a conviction focussing on three main areas. Sin, righteousness, and judgement.

The world may think that they sit in judgement of God and his people, but in reality, the truth is quite the reverse. The work of the Holy Spirit in and through the Church is in many ways the trial of the world. The call to the dock is a summons to repentance. 

As the Church proclaims by word and deed the truth of the Gospel, so the world hears the evidence against them. In the light of the truth as opposed to the lie they have embraced; their sin is exposed for what it is. The victory of the second Adam clearly points to the failure of the first. Only a fool would claim that there is not something wrong with the world. The brokenness of humanity is clearly evident in every one of us. We all malfunction at some or other point. 

But the proclamation of the Gospel exposes this glitch in the matrix, so to speak…it exposes sin for what it is…a rejection of the truth, not the ignorance of it. As Augustine apparently once said: “He who denies the existence of God, has some reason for wishing that God did not exist.”  The world rejects truth because truth demands change, and the world is not willing to change. When the Gospel is proclaimed, their blatant rejection is exposed, and the world is convicted of its sin.

Through the living testimony of the Church, the world’s inadequacy and insufficiency is revealed. The great cry of the Enlightenment was the seemingly infinite potential of humanity. As man had come of age, they thought, nothing could stop him now. But one global calamity after another dispelled that myth. We have been forced to look deep into the abyss of human depravity as we continue to butcher each other with a cruelty that reeks of sulphur. 

The so-called “innocence” or “rightness” of humanity is revealed as nothing but an empty lie. Righteousness is something that can only come through the cross of Jesus. Because his sinless sacrifice cancelled the penalty for sin, his righteousness is gifted to all who believe in him. The preaching of the Church declares a righteousness that can only be received, never attained.

The final area of conviction lies in the realm of judgement itself. The Gospel claims an exclusivity as far as salvation is concerned. No one can come to the Father except through the Son. By rejecting the free offer of salvation through Jesus alone, the world resigns itself to judgement. 

I think it really is a no-brainer to say that to resist God is futile. The ruler of this world was conquered at the cross…the principalities and powers of darkness were defeated and publicly humiliated. No matter what the devil may do today, his cause is lost. So, by rejecting Jesus the world willingly submits to following an impotent fool for a god. What’s more, this submissive affiliation implicates the world in the judgement that took place at the cross. By siding with Satan, the world becomes equally guilty of the murder of Jesus (see Acts 5:30). 

Now, the world might well ask, What authority do we have to say such things? In an age when tolerance means an inability to say anything of consequence, what gives the Church the right to confront the world with absolute truth? 

Well, basically, we have the authority to preach the Gospel because what we proclaim is the word of the Creator and Owner of all that exists. If the Church faithfully declares the word of God as revealed in the Scriptures, then we are his messengers and ambassadors. But we enter into perilous waters when we begin to proclaim our own word. Then we strip ourselves of his authority and open ourselves, not only to ridicule and mockery, but also prosecution and condemnation. 

As Paul said in Galatians 1:8, “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” In other words, let him be lumped together with the devil and his followers. A false representation of the Gospel, even if it has the best of intentions as its motive, carries the highest penalty of all as it is akin to murder of the soul. We do not have the liberty to change the Gospel in our attempt to make it more palatable to the world.

Not even the Holy Spirit speaks on his own authority! He only speaks what he hears! The Holy Spirit does not suffer from celebrity status syndrome! His role, as ours, is to point the world to Jesus whether they accept him or not.  As he is the Spirit of truth, he only reveals what is true, and, according to John 14:6, Jesus is the truth…but, according to Jesus in his high priestly prayer in John 17:17-19, it is God’s Word that is truth. While I do not wish to deify the Bible, I do think that it is impossible to separate what has been spoken from the speaker himself. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why John started his Gospel with the Word…in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

Nevertheless, my point it that a Gospel that deviates from that Word is no Gospel at all. A denial of what is revealed in Scripture and in Jesus robs the message of its efficacy. There are many warnings in Scripture that tell us not to remove or add to God’s Word. Deuteronomy 4:2, “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.” Proverbs 30:5-6, “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.” Matthew 5:19, “Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” 

The Holy Spirit is not free to lead the Church in a new direction to suit the whims and fancies of the world. His task is to glorify Jesus and to take what is his and the Father’s and declare it to us. And as he guides us in the truth, we would do well to do the same. Also, as the truth will offend because it convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, so we should be prepared for a scornful or even a hostile response, but fear of such a response should not temper our proclamation of the truth. We must proclaim what we have received…no more and certainly no less.

However, it is important to note also that it is not our task to convict the world…that is the task of the Holy Spirit. It is our task to proclaim what he reveals to us in and through the Word. For this reason, the study and proclamation of God’s Word must always be directed by the same Holy Spirit who inspired it in the first place. 

Like our philosophy student whose faulty reasoning led him to ask a self-answering and self-evident question, it may be that our misdirected foci and our selective and syncretistic approach to a faith devoid of a genuine spiritual experience with a living God, has rendered us impotent and therefore incapable of fulfilling our Lord’s Commission despite having the most powerful force in all the universe living within us. Sadly, like the Israelites of old, the Church has largely failed to make disciples of the nations because it has forgotten the God who is with us…the God who has supplied us with all we need to complete the task… the God who leads us in all truth and who speaks to and through us, convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. 

We have forgotten that our God has chosen to bring about change through us, his Body, the Church as we have embraced a defeatist theology by retreating from the frontlines, begging God to remove us from the very place in which we are meant to shine as his light bearers. 

So much of what we say and do as the Church speaks of a decisive victory…but we live as if we are still in slavery. Every time we participate in the Eucharistic meal of Jesus, we are proclaiming his death…we are proclaiming his triumph over sin, death, and the devil…we are proclaiming his current universal reign until he comes again after he has placed all his enemies under his feet through the work of his heirs and co-regents.

What questions are we asking, dearest beloved brethren? Are we asking why we exist? Why we are here on planet earth? Why we are here in North-Holland? Or are we as resigned as the disciples and have stopped asking? 

If you are still astute enough to pursue the truth, I would like you to ponder a very simple question: Do you exist? If you are asking for guidance in truth, who is it that wants to know? Who are you in Jesus? Once you can answer those questions you will know why we are here in planet earth…why we are here in North Holland…why we, as the Church, exist.

Shall we pray?

© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2024