Advent Assurance

Psalm 19:1-14                         Romans 15:4-13                         Luke 21:25-33

Advent Assurance

King Lear is probably one of the darkest of Shakespeare’s tragedies and the king’s youngest daughter, Cordelia, the most tragic of heroines. Yet, the play holds a rich store of lessons for us concerning the nature of truth as opposed to falsehood.

In Act One, the aging King Lear decides to divide his kingdom amongst his three daughters, an idea that no doubt would have shocked the original Elizabethan audience. Lear’s plan was to ensure his own future by granting the largest portion of his realm to the daughter who professed the greatest love for him. His reasoning was that the one who loved him most would take care of him best as he aged. 

Goneril, Duchess of Albany, and Regan, Duchess of Cornwall, both speak enthusiastically, falsely flattering their father and so earning his praise. In stark contrast, when pressed to speak, Cordelia, the youngest daughter, honestly and truthfully declares that while she does love and honour her father, to make him the sole recipient of her love would be false as once she was married, she would promise to love and honour her husband as well. Misunderstanding his daughter, Lear disowns and banishes her from the kingdom. He also banishes the Earl of Kent, who had taken Cordelia's side against the King.

As the disgraced Cordelia prepares to leave, she says to her false sisters: “Time shall unfold what plighted cunning hides; who covers faults, at last with shame derides. Well may you prosper!” Cordelia understood what her sisters did not, namely that in time all falsehood will be exposed for what it is. Truth, on the other hand, will always stand up to the test of time and will triumph in the end. 

In Shakespeare’s tragedy, the triumph of the truth comes at a cost. When his false daughters drive him away from their homes, Lear goes mad and wanders around in the wilderness. Goneril poisons her rival sister Ragan and then, overcome by guilt for what she has done, takes her own life. Cordelia returns with an army to save her father but is captured and hanged. Her death devastates an already frail Lear who dies of grief soon afterwards. By the end of the play the consequences of greed, ambition, and betrayal are clear, and the audience is left with no doubt as to who was right and who was wrong.

Similarly, the Scriptures and those who believe in them have often been dragged before the courts of humanity, villainously accused of various falsehoods, and yet they have emerged unscathed time after time. Many Old Testament Prophets were killed for speaking the truth. The same is true during the New Testament era…many have been martyred for their faith. Their fault in the eyes of the world is that their message conflicts with worldly wisdom, but despite the many attempts to discredit them, their words remain true. 

In our Gospel lesson for this 2nd Sunday in Advent, Jesus, having predicted the destruction of Jerusalem, added the words: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” This statement served as a solemn and grave foundation for all that he had said before. 

If you remember, one of the false accusations brought against Jesus at his trial was about this prophecy concerning the destruction of the Temple, but his execution did not prevent the inevitable. Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed 40 years later, just as he predicted. Reading the eyewitness accounts of the siege in the writings of First Century historian Flavius Josephus is like reading Jesus’ words in the Gospels. Nevertheless, my point is that the words of Jesus proved true and reliable. Banishing, murdering, silencing, mocking, or misrepresenting the witnesses to the truth, whether these witnesses be the Lord himself, his followers, or the written Word of God, will never succeed in burying, changing, or obliterating that which cannot be denied.

Now, this should serve as a great encouragement for those who trust in the reliability of Scripture. The Old Testament predictions concerning the coming of Jesus were confirmed by his incarnation. Jesus’ predictions concerning the judgement on apostate Israel and the birth of the Church were confirmed by the destruction of the remaining vestiges of the old covenant. It follows then that our Lord’s promise concerning his return to consummate his kingdom will also be confirmed in due time.

Heaven and earth may pass away but his Word in its entirety remains for ever.

In Romans 15, Paul developed this theme of the trustworthiness of Scripture by outlining its purpose. Firstly, the Scriptures were written for our learning. As Psalm 19:7 says, “The Law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” However, note that it is not only the Scriptures that teach us about the Lord. The Psalmist informs us that the heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. But also, the lives of God’s people in the Scriptures as well as in the rest of history…their faults, their failures, their triumphs, and their tragedies…all serve as examples from which we can learn.

Indeed, the life of Jesus also provides us with a model by which we can measure ourselves. And so, Paul could encourage others to imitate him as he imitated Jesus. John tells us that “whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:6). In other words, if we say we are followers of Jesus we must show that by how we behave – what we say and what we do. 

Be that as it may, all 66 canonical books of the Bible provide us many examples of how to live godly lives. As Article 6 of the 39 Articles states: “Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the Faith or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. In the name of the Holy Scripture, we do understand those Canonical books of the Old and New Testament of whose authority was never any doubt in the Church.”

However, it is important to note that the world often has no other Bible than the Church. It is what they read from the pages of our lives that inform their opinion of the one whom we profess to follow. That is why it is so important that we…the only pages the world may ever read…it is important that we read, study, memorise, and apply the Scriptures to our lives. We are to learn and to change accordingly. The words of Scripture are to shape our lives and to mould our characters and to govern our speech and our behaviour until we reflect most clearly the one who is the Word. The lives of the Old and New Testament characters provide us with sufficient evidence of the futility of resistance and the wisdom in surrender. It is in our own best interest to learn our lessons quickly.

The second purpose Paul gives us is that the Scriptures provide us with hope, both in the present as well as in the future. The Israelites of old always looked back to the event of the Exodus for comfort in times of trouble. They reasoned that if God delivered them from bondage in the past, he would most certainly deliver them from whatever their present predicament might have been. 

God has proved himself true time after time. His character and his behaviour have been consistent…he has and never will change…if God changes, well then he cannot be reliable or trustworthy…but Scripture presents him as a God who is always constant…and therefore his promises can never fail. In this light, what then, in all of creation, could ever provide us with sufficient evidence for doubt? Nothing…absolutely nothing. Indeed, let God be true though everyone were a liar (Romans 3:4).

However, Paul tells us that hope comes through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures. Even when our experiences in life appear to challenge what the Bible reveals to be true, we must endeavour to choose to believe that in which we have placed our trust. Modern godless society is no different from that of the 1st Century. How many times didn’t Jesus warn his disciples not to follow false teachings? Paul warned Timothy, among others, not to be led astray by worldly philosophies. And yet, many believers down through the ages have buckled under the pressure of conforming to what appears to be wise.

I think that one of the greatest trials we face as believers today is a lack of trust in the authority of God’s Word.  If the world can undermine this one foundational principle, then all else is a downhill slide. The collapse of many mainline denominations today in the face of modern theology, social trends, woke philosophy, and the like can be traced to this one sad fact. A failure to believe God’s Word. 

Indeed, was that not how sin entered our once perfect world? “Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?” In fact, I believe that every temptation can be prefaced with the question: “Has God really said…?” A single doubt brings in many friends. 

And the accuracy or reliability of the doubt does not matter…very few will do the hard work of discovering the truth for themselves. Much easier to believe the lie as long as it sounds intelligent and researched. But the problem is that once you open the door to falsehood your faith collapses. Doubt the virgin birth and you end up with a sinful, human Jesus and no salvation…a nice moral story to be appended to a copy of Aesop’s Fables.

Make no mistake, our faith will be challenged, from outside the Church as well as from within. And yes, we do not yet see all things as they will be when all is fulfilled…but the Scriptures have been tried and tested for millennia and not once have they been found wanting. The Word of God has always held true despite the many onslaughts from many different angles.

But be of good cheer. Those who contend against the Scriptures are like chaff in the wind. “Time shall unfold what plighted cunning hides; who covers faults, at last with shame derides.” Or from another of Shakespeare's plays, the Merchant of Venice: "Truth will come to light…in the end truth will out." 

Hope is established through patient trust and by taking comfort that he who spoke all things into existence and who upholds all things by the word of his power is also well able to bring all things to completion according to his eternal decree. And as a guarantee to this trust, God has given us his Spirit who guides us in truth and whose power enables us to stand when our faith is tested. The same one who once inspired the Scriptures now illuminates them and applies them to our hearts and minds and so gives us hope…hope in a Word that has never failed and that will never fail.

The third purpose Paul gives us is that the Scriptures were given so that we might be united in truth. If you remember this is what Jesus made crystal clear in his prayer as recorded in John 17. If we are to be one in the same way the Trinity is one, then our unity must be based on the truth as contained in God’s Word because it is God’s Word that sanctifies us and makes us like him. (John 17:17) 

The Collect for this 2nd Sunday in Advent was written by Archbishop Cranmer at a time when the reading of Scripture was greatly encouraged by the Church. Taking his cue from the Romans 15 passage he wrote: “Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ.” 

The main thrust of Cranmer’s prayer is a call to conformity to the teachings of the Scriptures. It seeks the Lord’s grace to not only grant us the ability to hear, read, mark, and learn from the Bible, but also to inwardly digest it…to make it part of the warp and woof of our very existence. Again, unity in the Christian Church can only be founded upon our diligent submission to the teachings of God’s holy Word, all of which has been inspired by the same God who spoke all of creation into existence. Add anything or subtract anything and the result is error and misconduct. Truth cannot and must not be diluted if it is to be truth.

Tradition as well as the writings and deliberations of godly people and church councils are all subject to the Word of God and, in as far as they reflect the teaching of Scripture, they are to be accepted and used as the need dictates. We are not anti-reason, anti-intellectual, nor are we anti-tradition, anti-ritual, or anti-symbols…no, rather we are pro-Scripture and pro-everything that is in accord with it. We may retain all that which promotes or enhances our understanding of Scripture just as we also discard all that detracts from it or obscures the plain meaning of Scripture. 

If the Christian Church pursues this worthy goal, we will be united with each other. The like-mindedness Paul called for in the Romans passage and in other passages such as Philippians 2 refers to the humble and single mind of Jesus. Unity is founded and maintained on the revelation of that mind, and we can only be like-minded in as far as we strive to pattern our lives in accordance with his Word. Biblical like-mindedness transcends all our differences, whether they be of race, or language, culture, or practice. 

Paul encouraged both Jew and Gentile towards a mutual reception of each other especially in matters of cultural ceremonies and dietary practices, but this could only be maintained as long as both parties were committed to living according to the essentials of the Gospel. Steadfast commitment to the truth unites and builds up, while individualism leads to falsehood, schism, and ultimately to destruction.

The kingdom of King Lear was divided by pride, vanity, falsehood, ungodly gain, and selfish individualism and the result was devastatingly tragic. Self-centredness is never satisfied with one prize only…it has an insatiable lusting for more. By the end of the play, the two false sisters had not only turned against their father, whom they had professed to love so much, but they had also turned against their husbands, and eventually each other. Sadly, their treachery led to the deaths of many including Cordelia, the one who had been faithful and truthful all along. And yet, truth did triumph as all falsehood was uncovered and exposed. Lear himself died with the knowledge that he had erred and judged unwisely.

God’s Word is truth. Although many have challenged it, rejected it, attempted to disprove it, change it, or even destroy it, they have all failed and will continue to fail. The defence of Truth has also had its fair share of casualties…from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Jesus, the Apostles, and believers down through to the present. But time has proved that our assurance is not founded on sinking sand, but upon a Word that cannot be shaken or doubted. To doubt God’s Word is to foolishly challenge centuries of evidence that demands a positive verdict. Our lives are built on that which, through patience, comfort, and the power of the Holy Spirit, provides us with hope.

Shall we pray?

© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2024 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

Johann and Louise: Training Disciples to Make Disciples in the Netherlands What are you grateful for? As we are reminded of the importance of thanksgiving this season, our hearts are filled with gratitude for all that God has done and continues to do here in Heiloo.  But we are also grateful for you because you play a very important role in this work. Your prayers, your encouragement, and your generosity…these are all vital to our ministry here in Heiloo, where Christians are a small but faithful minority.  One Dutch person recently told me that the Dutch had outgrown God.  So we are also grateful that this year, God has opened numerous doors for outreach. Through community events, Bible studies, and many meaningful conversations, we’ve witnessed hearts beginning to soften to the Gospel. One lady Louise has been speaking to for a while has recently started attending our services. A gentleman we chat with on our daily doggie walks is asking questions about my sermons and our events.  It is a joy and privilege to see His Church being built, even in a place where our faith can often feel overshadowed by the overwhelming darkness in North Holland Province. Having worked in other countries where needs are obvious and so physically evident, it is hard to imagine that there are needs in a country that is considered one of the wealthiest in the world.  But the needs here are hidden just below the surface. It is estimated that over half of the Dutch population struggle with anxiety and that general mental health and stability among young people has worsened alarmingly over the past few years.  One of our young men recently gave his testimony at our All Age Sunday service. He spoke openly about his struggle with loneliness and depression before encountering Jesus. Praise God that this young man is now a witness for the kingdom! But there are so many more we can reach! Yes, the going is slow, but the results are worth the time and energy. Precious souls are coming to know Jesus!  We’re eager to continue these efforts in the coming year with events designed to share the hope and love of Christ. However, these opportunities also come with financial challenges.  If you feel led, we would deeply appreciate your support to help cover the costs of upcoming outreach initiatives. Our special projects fund is very low in funds. We really do wish 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 tax-deductible gifts to SAMS-USA earmarked for Vanderbijl Special Projects.  See here: https://give.samsusa.org/project/missionary-special-project-vanderbijl Please do check out our new website for all the events we have planned for next year: https://christchurchheiloo.nl/agenda Thank you for partnering with us in this mission. Your involvement reminds us of God’s faithfulness and provision, and we are so thankful to walk this journey with you. Wishing you a blessed Thanksgiving, Johann & Louise van der Bijl 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

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All Age Service: Preparing for Advent

Isaiah 9: 6-7          Matthew 1:20-24; 2:13-15; 2:19-23

Next week, we celebrate the First Sunday in Advent. 

Can anyone tell me what Advent is?

Advent is a special time of promise, of waiting, longing, and preparing. There are – how many Sundays in Advent? Yes, there are four Sundays in Advent with four separate candles that represent messages that make us focus on Jesus.

But what did we all learn and talk about today? 

Yes, the way God spoke to different people at different times about what he was doing or going to do in their lives as his people and what he was going to do for the life of the world.

So, now I want us to explore how the season of Advent mirrors the powerful way that God revealed his plans to some people through dreams in the Bible. Just as those dreams foretold what God would do, Advent reminds us and prepares us for what he has done in the coming of Jesus and what he will do when Jesus comes again. 

As we have already seen, throughout Scripture, God often used dreams as a way of giving people a glimpse of his divine plan. Think of Joseph in the Old Testament, who dreamed of a future where he would rise to a position of leadership. Despite the many challenges he faced, his dream revealed God’s intention to save many people from famine and starvation. 

At another time, Daniel’s interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams revealed that the human empires of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome would rise and fall, but that God’s kingdom would ultimately prevail. 

In these dreams, God’s people saw glimpses of his unfolding plan, sometimes long before it fully came to pass. These dreams were invitations to trust in what they could not yet see and reminders that God’s timing is always perfect. 

Advent is a bit like those dreams. It is a season that invites us to look backward to something God has done as well as forward to something God will still do that is greater than what we currently see. For four weeks, we light candles, read Scriptures, and prepare our hearts, not only for Christmas Day, but also for the return of Jesus one day in the future. 

But today we were reminded that Jesus’ coming was foretold not only by the messages of the prophets but also by dreams. 

Remember the dreams of Joseph in the New Testament? When Joseph was worried about Mary, God sent an angel in a dream to reassure him, saying that the child Mary bore was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 

Later, in another dream, God warned Joseph to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt to protect them from Herod’s anger. 

And then there was one more dream. Can you remember what that dream was all about?

Yes, God told Joseph to take Mary and Jesus to Nazareth as it was safer there than in Bethlehem. These dreams guided Joseph as God unfolded his plan to save his people from their sins. 

So, when we celebrate Advent, starting next week, we are invited to experience this same excitement and anticipation. Just as God communicated through dreams to prepare His people for the future, so he communicates hope through the four messages of Advent to help us prepare our hearts for Jesus. 

Each week, as we light another candle, we remember that the light of the world is drawing near. Like the dreams of old, Advent reminds us that God’s promises are not distant or abstract. They are personal and real and are meant to change us and bring us hope. 

In our world, full of uncertainty and challenges, Advent reminds us that God’s promises are steady, and that his plans are in motion, and that his plans will never fail, even if we can’t yet see the whole picture. 

So, as we continue through Advent, may we remember that, in many ways, we are like Joseph, Daniel, and all those who received divine dreams. We are waiting, trusting, and preparing for the fulfilment of the promises God has made. 

So, let’s use this time to open our hearts, to lean into the hope that Advent brings, and to prepare ourselves to receive Jesus, who once came as a child born in Bethlehem, but who will one day come again as the King of the world.

© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2024

Why Does God Allow Us To Fail?

Psalm 138                                    1 Peter 5:1-11                                 John 18:12-27

Why does God allow us to fail?

Thomas Cranmer has been called the most cautious, even indecisive of Reformers. His critics accuse him of years of hypocrisy during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Mary I, (not to forget the nine day reign of Lady Jane Grey) some claiming that he was opportunistic or driven by political survival rather than steadfast conviction. 

Historian Jasper Ridley, in his biography Thomas Cranmer,  emphasized Cranmer’s vacillation and tendency to conform to the monarch’s wishes, particularly under Henry VIII. Indeed, his total capitulation regarding his convictions concerning the Six Articles is particularly hard to understand. Ridley describes him as someone who frequently compromised his principles to maintain his position and influence. This interpretation views Cranmer as a cowardly figure, suggesting that he lacked the resolve shown by other reformers of his time, especially during moments when he recanted under pressure. 

Similarly, Diarmaid MacCulloch, in his comprehensive biography Thomas Cranmer: A Life,  explores Cranmer’s complicated character and acknowledges his moments of timidity, especially under Mary I when he recanted his Protestant beliefs before ultimately reaffirming them at and during his final trial and execution. However, MacCulloch’s analysis is more nuanced, examining the tensions Cranmer faced as a man of his time, caught between faith, political obligation, and survival. The criticisms generally stem from moments like Cranmer’s vacillation on key doctrinal matters or his failure to assert his beliefs against royal authority.

However, Thomas Cranmer must be understood against the background of his belief in the supremacy of the monarchy. Rightly or wrongly, Cranmer held a strong theological conviction in the divine authority of kings, which shaped his actions and decisions throughout his career. His commitment to royal supremacy was both religious and political, and it fundamentally guided his approach to reform and obedience within the Church of England. Cranmer believed that the king was divinely appointed to govern both the church and state, a belief reinforced by the political climate following Henry VIII’s break with Rome. 

This doctrine of royal supremacy placed the monarch as the highest earthly authority in religious matters, a principle Cranmer accepted even when it conflicted with his personal Reformed leanings. He saw obedience to the Crown as part of his duty as Archbishop of Canterbury, prioritizing unity under the monarch over theological consistency. But his submission reflected his deference to the monarch’s authority rather than a renunciation of his beliefs. He continued to hold Protestant convictions in private, even as he outwardly and publicly conformed to the Crown’s demands. In essence, Cranmer’s willingness to yield was rooted not in a lack of conviction but in his belief that preserving the monarchy’s authority was essential for the church’s stability. Thankfully, he realised and regretted his mistake as he publicly recanted his capitulations, renounced the doctrines held by the church of Bloody Queen Mary, and boldly reaffirmed his Reformed faith at his final trial and while burning at the stake. 

I realise that this is along introduction to this talk, but in the light of Cranmer’s failures, and Peter’s failure in our Gospel passage for today, I would like us to consider this question: Why does God allow his servants to fail? With all the pain and anguish that goes along with failure…why does he allow it? Has he not promised to place his Spirit within us and to cause us to walk in his statutes and to keep his commandments and to do them? (Ezekiel 36:27) Has he not repeatedly promised strength and boldness to his followers?

In our Gospel passage, we have been given front row seats to watch the failure of a man others would later call one of the Pillars of the Early Church. John’s record of Peter’s denials begin with our Lord’s willing surrender to his captors. If I am correct in assuming that the falling over backwards of the soldiers was a show of divine power, then I believe it is feasible that Jesus was once again providing his disciples with an acted parable in which he demonstrated that his arrest was completely voluntary. He could have appealed to his Father who would have immediately sent him more than twelve legions of angels. (Matthew 26:53) But without the arrest, the Scriptures would not be fulfilled, the cup given to Jesus would not have been drained, and his substitutionary death would not have happened. 

So, the lesson for the disciples and, indeed for us, is that even though God is all powerful to help us in times of distress, there are times when his aid is withheld or restrained to fulfil a higher purpose…a purpose, mark you, that may very well be hidden from us at the time. Sadly, it certainly seems obvious from their different reactions that the purpose of his arrest, trial, and execution was totally lost on the disciples. 

After the arrest, Jesus was first taken to a man by the name of Annas, one of the most influential and powerful Jewish leaders at the time. He had held the high priesthood from AD 6 to AD 15 when he was deposed by the Roman governor Valerius Gratus who wanted to control religious leadership in Judea to maintain stability. The Romans often replaced high priests to curb the concentration of power within any single person and to ensure loyalty among the Jewish elite. However, even after being deposed, Annas retained substantial influence over Jewish religious and political life, largely due to his role as the patriarch of a powerful family. Several of Annas’ relatives, including five of his sons and his son-in-law Caiaphas, later held the position of the high priesthood, indicating that the Romans may have viewed the family as a stabilizing force despite rotating individuals through the high priest role. 

Caiaphas, who served as High Priest from about AD 18 to AD 36, was married to Annas’ daughter. As Annas’ son-in-law, Caiaphas continued the family’s influence over Jewish religious matters, with Annas likely exerting significant control behind the scenes. Like many leaders up to the present day, Annas simply could not give up control. However, this arrangement served the Romans well because Caiaphas was seen as politically cooperative and adept at maintaining order, particularly during times of high tension, like the period of Jesus’ ministry and trial. Annas’ enduring influence, even without the official title, is evident from the account we have before us, which portray him as a key figure in the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus.

It is interesting that John reintroduced Caiaphas here as the member of the Sanhedrin who had advised his peers that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people, rather than have the whole nation perish. (John 11:50) This replication once again draws our attention to the fact that although things seemed to be going horribly wrong, God was still very much in control, fulfilling what he had promised previously in the Scriptures.

Now, the Mishnah (a redaction of the earlier Oral Law in writing, completed in around AD 200) tells us that trials in capital cases must be held during the day and concluded during the day. It also implies that courts should not convene on the eve of the Sabbath or a holy day because of the need for careful deliberation that might extend into the next day. It also outlines that a verdict of guilt in a capital case cannot be reached on the same day as the trial. If the court finds the defendant guilty, it must wait until the next day to issue the death penalty. This requirement allows time for reconsideration and emphasizes the value of caution in capital cases. Acquittals, however, were permitted on the same day. 

But not only did the Sanhedrin go against their own rules, they also knowingly brought in false witnesses, had Jesus beaten during the trial, and had him delivered to a pagan authority, claiming that they only had one king, namely Caesar. 

Interestingly, John interrupted his record of the trial of Jesus with two accounts of Peter’s actions. It is possible that he wanted to show that there were actually two contrasting trials taking place here. In one, Jesus’ main concern was not to preserve his life, but to give up his life as a sacrifice for us. But in the other, unlike Jesus, but like Thomas Cranmer, it seems Peter’s main concern was to preserve his life even if that meant retracting his promises and his convictions. 

However, as we read through Peter’s denials, we must see them in the light of Jesus’ predictions. In Luke’s account, Jesus said to the disciples collectively and then to Peter individually, (I will emphasize the plural and singular usages of the word ‘you’ as I quote): “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you (plural, i.e. all the disciples), that he might sift you (plural) like wheat, but I have prayed for you (singular, i.e. Peter) that your (singular) faith may not fail. And when you (singular) have turned again, strengthen your (singular) brothers.”

So, here I believe that we have at least two reasons why God allows us to fail.

The first reason God may allow us to experience failure is to deepen our empathy and equip us to help others who are struggling. When we face failure ourselves, we gain firsthand understanding of the frustration, disappointment, and growth that come with it. This experience builds compassion and humility, reminding us of our own limitations and the support we needed in those moments. With this awareness, we can approach others with kindness, patience, and practical guidance, offering them the same encouragement we once needed. In this way, Peter’s failures transformed him into a source of strength that enabled him to strengthen and support the other disciples…and, no doubt, to encourage everyone who reads his story.

But another reason is that Peter’s pride and his presumptuous personality stood in the way of God’s intentions for him. Filled with bravado, Peter paraded his pious resolve above that of his fellow disciples, even going so far as to argue with and correct Jesus. Countering Jesus’ prediction that all his followers would fall away the night he was betrayed, Peter proclaimed that even though they all fall away, he would not. (Mark 14:29) So, it seems Peter needed to fall face first in the mud of his own making and grovel in it for a while so that he might be transformed into a caring and understanding leader of other mud grovellers…that he might be more like the Good Shepherd who feeds his lambs gently. As such, Peter’s lesson is a lesson in humility. 

When we return to the trial, we are immediately confronted with yet another glaring contrast – this time between Jesus and his accusers. When Jesus spoke in his own defence, one of Annas’ officers hit him. Now, we must presume that Jesus was still bound as he was bound by the soldiers in verse 12 and again sent bound from Annas to Caiaphas in verse 24. In other Words, the officer hit a defenceless tied-up prisoner. So, it soon becomes obvious that it is the righteous being tried by the wicked. Whereas Jesus’s actions were all done lawfully, openly, and above board, his accusers endeavoured to do all things unlawfully, underhandedly, and secretly.

From Annas Jesus was sent to be tried by the Sanhedrin, which would include the man the Romans had installed as High Priest. The Sanhedrin was the supreme court of Israel, so it is unfortunate that they were assembled under false pretences. Remember, they had already declared Jesus their adversary and had already decided to kill him. The outcome of this kangaroo court had been determined long before that night. So, this trial was little more than a sham and a farce.

Which, of course, is no surprise here for John’s readers, but what does come as a surprise is that when we return to the scene in the courtyard, Peter is still there! Despite having been released by Jesus in the garden, in spite of having been warned that he would deny Jesus, in spite of having just done so, Peter still draws in closer to those who had been with the group who arrested Jesus…those who had been witnesses of his failed attempt to rescue Jesus. In his foolish dismissal of his first denial, Peter set himself up for the second and the third denials and ultimately the greatest failure of his life. 

By pridefully pushing beyond the boundaries set for him by Jesus, Peter left himself wide open for his final humiliation and total capitulation as, in fear for his life, he denied his deepest convictions and his dearest friend. Luke’s record of this event is probably one of the most poignant passages in all of world literature. As the rooster crowed, “the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.’ And (Peter) went out and wept bitterly.”

But this event was one that no doubt contributed to making Peter the man he later became…one of the pillars of the Early Church.

Now, like Peter, Archbishop Cranmer failed. He denied his deepest convictions in an attempt to uphold his strange faith in the divine right of royalty and to save his own life. But to be fair, this was a terrifying time to be alive as many people all around were losing their heads and being burned at the stake. After a long imprisonment and many interrogations by Bloody Queen Mary’s churchmen, on the 21st of March 1556, Cranmer was brought out of prison to speak before a packed and excited crowd assembled in what is today the University Church of St Mary the Virgin at Oxford. But his speech did not follow the previously agreed text. Rather than denying the truth, he denied, and I quote, “all such bills and papers which I have written or signed with my hand since my degradation”.  All his recantations, in other words.

Despite the joyful as well as angry commotion in the church, Cranmer continued to shout above the din, refusing the Pope’s authority and rejecting the medieval doctrine of transubstantiation. At this point he was pulled from his platform and dragged through the streets of Oxford and taken to the place where Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley had been martyred only a few months earlier, on October 16, 1555. As the flames began to engulf him, Cranmer held his right hand directly in the flame, fulfilling his promise made in the church that the hand which had written contrary to his heart…the hand that had signed the many recantations…would be punished first. He only removed it once to wipe his face. 

Although Thomas Cranmer had denied his basic convictions before, he stood his ground when it mattered most and, as such, he stands as a martyr to the truth. He may have been a frail and feeble man, but he denied his denials as a witness to all.

Now, I must admit that it is men like Cranmer and Peter that encourage me most. I find great comfort in knowing that greater men than me have fallen face first in the muck and have yet been rescued and restored by the Lord to not only continue on the road of life, but to serve as examples to weak lambs like me. 

So, I believe that God allows us to fail to remind us that we are fallible and fallen human beings so that we might learn to humbly and dependently rely on his strength, not ours. He uses our failures as tools in the life-long process of sanctification and of conforming us to the image of his Son so that we might be more compassionate and considerate shepherds of his sheep. But God also uses our failures to encourage others who desperately need to know that face-first-in-the-dirt experiences are not uncommon…and that they are not alone in their humiliation and that the humiliation is the crucible in which they are being purified to shine more brightly the light of Jesus.

Shall we pray?

© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2024

"Whom Do You Seek?"

Psalm 27:1-6                      Malachi 3:1-5               John 18:1-12

“Whom Do You Seek?”

I once heard a story about a young girl who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her five-year old brother who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies she needed to combat the illness. 

The doctor explained the situation to her little brother and asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. He hesitated for only a moment before taking a deep breath and agreeing to the procedure. As they lay side by side, his blood flowing into her veins, the little boy smiled as he saw the colour return to his sister’s pale cheeks. His smile slowly faded as he turned to the doctor and asked in a trembling voice, “Will I start to die now?”

Apparently, he had misunderstood and had thought he had to give his sister all his blood…his life for hers. 

With Jesus there was no such misunderstanding. In verse 4 John clearly recorded that Jesus knew what was about to happen to him…he knew he was the one sacrifice that would cover the nakedness of the world…he was the lamb of God, who was sent into the world to die for the world and to take away the sins of the world. His life for ours.

Having prayed for his disciples and for all those who would believe in him because of their witness to him, he now turned his attention to the event for which he had come into the world. In John’s Gospel, the transition from preparation to implementation…from words to action…is quite abrupt. Unlike the other Gospels, there is no interlude…no agonized prayer in the Garden…we simply walk with the group from the Upper Room to a garden on the other side of the Kidron Valley and directly move on to the arrest. 

As such, we move suddenly from the sublime heights of Jesus’ prayerful revelation of God’s love to the abyss of betrayal, violence, desertion, denial, religious hypocrisy, political manoeuvring, brutality, and the grisly execution of an innocent man. But it is out of these dark depths that the unity prayed for in the previous chapter emerges. Without chapters 18-20, chapter 17 would forever remain an unrealistic and unfulfilled ideal.

In John’s record of the arrest of Jesus, we have an echo of another event in another garden where the clash between light and darkness also resulted in judgment, just in reverse order. In one, God judged Adam…in the other, the sons of Adam judged God…a judgement soon to be reversed yet again as Jesus took upon himself the judgement that is ours. In Genesis 3, God came looking for Adam, but Adam hid because he was afraid. Here, the sons of Adam come looking for the 2nd Adam, namely Jesus, God-incarnate, but instead of hiding he revealed himself causing them to retreat and fall over from fear. Any form of deceitful behaviour, whether it be disobedience or dishonesty or deviousness, always leads to a shame-filled fear.

Also, just like our progenitors, Judas was tempted to act against God…to betray his unique relationship with Jesus by taking that which seemed pleasing to the eye and desirable to the flesh. Jesus too was tempted to side-step God’s plan…to betray the Father’s trust, if you will…but unlike Judas and our progenitors, he did not succumb to the temptation. He triumphed over it through humble submission and obedience to the will and wisdom of the Father. 

And finally, like the two animals who had to die in Genesis to cover the nakedness of our forebears, so Jesus would die to cover ours. 

But, as we have come to expect from John, there are multiple layers to this tightly worded section. One of these layers appears to connect Jesus’ statement of self-identification (usually translated as “I am he”, but in Greek it is simply “I AM) with the divine name, “I AM” …the divine self-identification of God signifying his eternal, self-existent nature which he revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14. 

Now, by using this divine name here (as he did at other times as recorded in the Gospel of John), Jesus implicitly claimed this divine identity, an identity that ought to evoke awe and reverence, but here it appeared to physically impact those present. Indeed, like in Psalm 27, the enemies of Jesus quite literally stumbled and fell at the mention of his name as they began to advance against him. 

It seems that it was only when Jesus allowed them to come and take him, that they could do so, but only on his terms. His willingness to be arrested was contingent upon the soldiers allowing his followers to go free. Now, you must remember, that all the followers of those claiming to be Messiahs in the past had been mercilessly slaughtered by the Romans together with their leader. So, Jesus allows his arrest to take place, but only on the condition that his followers are allowed to go free.

Now, interestingly, in 2 Chronicles 5:14, we are told that when the glory of the Lord came down on the Temple, “the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.” (ESV) Also, in Isaiah 6:1-5, Ezekiel 1:28, and Daniel 10:9, the three prophets were overcome when they experienced visions of God’s overwhelming glory, the latter two quite literally falling to the ground. All of these accounts illustrate human reaction to encountering the divine presence—a mixture of awe, reverence, and, as in the case of the priests, Ezekiel and Daniel, physical collapse. 

But, since John described Jesus in John 1:14 as the Word who became flesh so that he might “tabernacle” (usually translated as “dwell”) among us, we may also hear an echo of 1 Samuel 5:3-4 where the Philistine idol, Dagon, fell and broke before the Ark of the Covenant. This scene may parallel the soldiers’ reaction to Jesus, suggesting that just as Dagon could not stand before God’s presence, so too no human power can stand before Jesus, who embodies God’s presence in a similar yet greater manner than the Tabernacle or the Ark of the Covenant once did. 

Now, these Old Testament parallels may highlight the fact that Jesus’ declaration of “I AM” in verse 6 was not just a reply to their answer to his question, “Whom do you seek?”, but rather a powerful assertion of His divine identity…an assertion possibly meant to encourage his disciples. But as the soldiers’ reaction—falling back in awe or fear—mirrors the reactions of those who encountered God directly in the Old Testament Scriptures, as well as the toppling of the idol Dagon, Jesus’ assertion and their reaction underscores his authority and links him to the God of Israel, who revealed Himself as “I AM” thereby commanding reverence from all creation. In other words, even as he stood, seemingly defenceless before his armed enemies, Jesus, as God incarnate, was in complete control.

However, Jesus’ declaration and the possible parallels with Old Testament events, appear to have been lost on the disciples. To be fair, we must remember that, after a heavy delicious roasted lamb dinner and a few cups of wine, they were more than likely very sleepy. Plus, it was probably somewhere between midnight and 3 AM when this arrest took place. 

Also, unlike Jesus who was awake and who appeared to be prepared for this turn of events, they were rudely roused from their slumber by the noise of the approaching armed soldiers. Nevertheless, Peter’s rash and reckless response to the arrest, Jesus’ reaction to that response in the form of a rebuke and an explanation of what was really happening here, as well as the healing of the wounded Malchus, all served to expose the chasm that often separates limited human comprehension from the infinitely wise and omniscient divine will. 

But before we judge Peter too harshly here, perhaps we need to ask ourselves how many times we haven’t displayed a kneejerk reaction to negative events instead of displaying a calm assurance that God is in sovereign control of all things? How many “ears” haven’t we “cut off” in our self-righteous response to other’s whom Jesus seeks to heal? How many times have we not shied away from the purifying experience of drinking the cup the Father gives to us? We blunder and bluster through life thinking that we are right in wielding our proverbial swords, when it would be better for us to rather humbly allow our Lord to reveal to us his divine perspective.

In this sense, Jesus’ question, “Whom do you seek?”, addresses us all. When it comes to our views about God humans tend to swing between two extremes. Either we believe in a God who is totally flexible or in a God who is totally rigid…a God who flips and flops whichever way we wish or a graceless God who is without compassion or mercy. 

But Scripture reveals to us a God who humbles himself and takes on human form so that he might shed his blood for us…he was willing and determined to drink the cup given to him by the Father…he was willing and determined to give his life for ours.

So, we need to ask ourselves the question. When the Lord whom we seek suddenly steps forward and reveals himself to us in all his glory, will we be able to endure his coming…will we be able to stand before him? Or will we too need to feel his refiner’s fire so that we might be purified like gold and silver?

Shall we pray?

© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2024

Definite Distinction

Ezekiel 36:20-23                          2 Corinthians 6:14-18                             John 17:20-26

Definite Distinction

I recently watched a BBC series called “The Inside Man”. The main story is about an English Vicar who was arrested on a charge of kidnapping, aggravated assault, as well as attempted murder. Now, of course, the story did not begin there…rather, it began with the vicar foolishly, yet ‘innocently’, agreeing to temporarily hide a computer memory stick belonging to a vulnerable yet perverted young man he had been counselling, because the said young man was terrified of his mother discovering the pornography stored on the device. 

Things began to spiral out of control when the vicar’s son accidently found the device lying in a drawer together with his father’s keys, and innocently gave it to his math tutor to use for the tutorial. When she opened the device, both father and son witnessed the horrified expression on her face. Now, at this point, only the math tutor knew that the device contained child pornography which is a criminal offence. Still not knowing what was actually on the device, the son attempted to protect his father by saying the device was his while the father attempted to protect his son by first claiming that it was his, but then that it had been given to him by a counselee whose name he was not at liberty to divulge. 

Of course, the math tutor still believed that the device belonged to the son and made it clear that she was going to the police. One thing led to another, and the vicar ended up imprisoning her in the basement of the vicarage. When the troubled young man, the original owner of the device, committed suicide, all hopes of proving his son innocent vanished and so the vicar, together with his wife, plotted to asphyxiate the math tutor. 

When he was finally caught and prevented from killing the tutor, he justified his actions by stating: “Don’t you dare judge me. I have acted out of love. I have acted out of duty. I have done my best, and nothing, none of this – none of it is my fault.”

Yes, this is a fictional story, but it does demonstrate how even the best intentions, in this case the protecting of family members, can spiral out of control once morally dubious lines are crossed and the consequent wrong actions reinforced with twisted logic. The character of the vicar exemplifies how far people might go to uphold their decisions once made even when the consequences compromise their own ethical standards.

Such decisions can have disastrous results. For example, when well-intentioned people in the Church try to navigate difficult moral territory, actions meant to protect or include could unintentionally lead to consequences that challenge foundational beliefs and create irreparable division. This shift, while sometimes motivated by compassion and a debateable idea of unconditional love, at some point always spirals out of control alienating and villainising those committed to upholding biblical standards. 

But, I think, the saddest part of it all is when those who have abandoned the Church’s biblically defined moral compass justify their actions by claiming to hold the higher moral ground because they, they claim, are acting out of love and out of duty. This warped sense of reasoning, caused by an abandonment of Scripture as the standard for faith and practice in the Church, ultimately obscures the glory the world is meant to see in us…and then, instead of revealing a holy and a righteous Father, we present the world with a god fashioned in our own image thus blaspheming his name before unbelievers.

The Church described by Jesus in his prayer is one that is based on the unity of the Father and the Son. As we have seen before, this unity is defined by the obedience of the Son to the Father, as well as the character of the Father as revealed to us in and through his Word, a Word that is meant to sanctify us so that we might be like the one in whom we are united. The Church can only be one inasmuch as we abide in the holy and righteous God revealed in Scripture, because it is only this God who has sent his Son to make a way for us back into his presence. Anything else is counterfeit and therefore false and eternally impotent. Ethnic or cultural or societal or relational agreement cannot unify us in a faith founded on truth as revealed to us in the person and practice of the God of Scripture.  

Jesus’ prayer for unity is not vague or ill-defined. It is very specific. When he prayed for the unity of those who would believe in the message preached by the disciples, he had already clearly described the character of the messengers as well as the content of their message. “Sanctify them” he prayed in verse 17, “in the truth; your Word is truth.” The disciples were united in the holy and righteous God revealed in his Word by the Son who was sent to reveal him to them. 

If we remove any one of these elements, we obliterate and obscure the message we have for the world. We may be ever so sincere in our motive, but if we change the Word of God for whatever reason, we set off a chain of events that will eventually lead people away from belief in the one, true God. Instead, we will present to the world a version of a god who is both in the world and of the world, and once we have reached this point, we effectually cease to be united in the God described here by Jesus.

The whole point of what Jesus prayed here is that although the Church is in the world, it is not of it because it is united to the one not known by the world. We are meant to be different from the world because we have been taken out of the world. Trying to be more acceptable to the world by being more like the world is the exact opposite of what is revealed here. Such an action denies the very essence of what the Church is meant to be. 

Declaring ‘right’ what the Scriptures declare ‘wrong’, makes a mockery of the life and death of Jesus. The “sentness” of Jesus reminds us that he is the lamb of God who came into the world to take away the sins of the world. The glorious truth revealed by Jesus to his disciples is intrinsic to our being united as one community in him and because this community is founded on God’s holiness and righteousness we can have no partnership with what the Bible calls sinfulness. Light cannot be in fellowship with darkness and consequently, a believer can have nothing in common with an unbeliever. (2 Corinthians 6:14-16)

As our unity is a gift we receive from God because he has given us to Jesus, it is something we have rather than something we create. But the purpose of this unity is so that through us the world may believe in a closely and carefully defined holy and righteous Father…a Father who expressed his love for the world by sending his Son into the world to deal with that which ultimately separates the world from him…namely sin. And so, any attempt to make sin normal or tolerable is to render this prayer absurd. 

The ultimate desire of Jesus as expressed in this prayer is that the disciples and those who believe in him through their message live in his glorious presence for eternity. But God is completely holy…he is entirely set apart from all of creation…he alone is completely righteous and just…and he knows that the sinful cannot live in his presence, so he made a way for us to be sanctified through his Son. But that means we cannot redefine the love of God to accommodate and assimilate that for which Jesus died. 

In this passage, Jesus prayed for all believers, past, present, and future, expressing His desire for unity among His followers – a unity modelled on the perfect and harmonious communion between himself and the Father. This prayer for unity is both spiritual and relational, as Jesus asked that believers be one as he and his Father are one. As such, he emphasized a unity founded on love and truth…a unity that would reflect God’s character and consequently, a unity that would make his love visible to the world, praying that we would be united with him and with one another so that the world might believe the truth as revealed in Scripture.

And so, dearest beloved brethren, as we come to partake of the bread and the wine in Holy Communion, let us remember that this meal is a sacrament that both signifies and actualizes the unity Jesus prayed for. In this holy meal, we are drawn into everything the life and death of Jesus signifies, because it represents our intimate connection to God the Father through the substitutionary death of Jesus and, in him, to one another. 

But it also provides us with a vivid picture of what the oneness Jesus desired looks like. The sharing in the Cup of Jesus defines us as a cleansed covenant community that is distinct and detached from the world and all that the world represents. And in uniting us with every other true participant as members of the one Body of Jesus on earth, it makes us witnesses of his holiness and his righteousness.

To deny this distinction is to deny the world of a witness and to deny the world of a witness is to render the Church irrelevant, inconsequential, and apostate.

Shall we pray?

© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2024

In the World, For the World

Isaiah 57:15                  Hebrews 9:11-12 and 10:19-23                      John 17:11-19

In the World, For the World

As we’ve already seen in the opening lines of our Lord’s prayer in John 17, his initial; thoughts were primarily focussed on the status of those whom the father had given to him. But, as he continued to pray, his emphasis began to shift from the disciples as recipients of God’s gracious act of salvation to their task in the world out of which which they had been taken. Although they, like us, were not of the world, they were to remain in the world to be witnesses to the world. 

But for the disciples, it must have seemed as if there was one glaring problem with this arrangement. Jesus had just told them that he was about to leave them. Their reaction and their questions indicate that this imminent departure was one of the top thoughts on their minds. Initially they had just followed him, listening to him and watching him…but then he began to engage them in his teaching and his work…then he sent them out two by two on their own…but he had always been there. Now his prayer echoed his startling revelation: “I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.”

Perhaps then, his words in the second half of verse 11 were meant to calm their fears. “Holy Father, keep in your name those whom you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.” Now, the term, ‘holy Father” is used only here in the whole of the New Testament. It is an interesting combination of words as “holy” indicates an otherness, a separateness, a transcendence…whereas “father” conjures up an image of connection and relational immanence. However, the grouping of these words is quite fitting as this section of the prayer concludes with a plea for sanctification…the divine act of making us children holy as he, our Father, is holy.

The request of our Lord for the disciples to be “kept” in the name of the holy Father highlights this act of sanctification. In the Ancient Near East, as still in many places today, a name often reveals an aspect of the bearer’s character. In this case, it is the holiness of the Father in particular. It is in this name…in this character trait of being holy…that the disciples will be kept and therefore enabled to, not only persist in the truth as revealed to them by Jesus, but also enabled to apply that truth to their own characters and thus be changed and conformed to the image of the Son (Romans 8:29).

And, according to Jesus, it is in this name…it is in this definite divine character trait of holiness that we find our unity. “Holy Father, keep in your name those whom you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.” The Trinity is, of course, our supreme example of unity…of oneness…of singularity of thought and purpose…but our oneness centres not around our collective selves, but rather our oneness is a direct result of our being united and kept in one name…the very particular name of the holy Father. 

Although there are many different and varied expressions of our faith, the fact remains that those who abide in the name of the holy Father are one. All those who are distinct from the world through their being united to this one distinctive God…all who follow him and demonstrate that following through obedience to his Word…they are one as they are all united in who he is. The unity of the Church is in essence a unity of spiritual character…a unity that reflects the one in whom we are united. As such, our Lord’s request was not for an organic unity even though a lack of such unity does tend to bear a negative witness to the world.

Now it is possible that the term “Holy Father” may have been used by Jesus to also invoke the idea of our entry into the holy of holies. As the book of Hebrews tells us, Jesus not only opened the way into the innermost sanctuary, but because of his entry those who are sanctified by him may also enter the very holy presence of God. Just like the High priest was sanctified before being allowed to enter the holy of holies, so too those given to Jesus by the Father are secured for eternal redemption by the blood of Jesus and are therefore able to draw near with full assurance of faith. 

In other words, we are not simply one because we claim that unity in Jesus. No, we are one because of our relocation…because of our new position…we are no longer outside, but rather we are inside the Holy of Holies because Jesus has opened the way and taken us in with him.  As Paul tells us in Ephesians, because God raised Jesus from the dead, so we too have been raised in him from the dead and we are seated together with him in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:4-6). There is no longer a dividing wall between us and our Holy Father because we have been sanctified by Jesus and brought in with him. 

We are one because we are united in the name of the holy Father and because we are united in his name, we bear the likeness of our holy Father. And because we are sanctified by the truth our unity is founded upon the truth revealed to us in the Scriptures. And we abide in Jesus because we have been given to him by the holy Father and kept by him in his name. You see, our unity is very specific. 

Interestingly, Jesus’ statement that he had guarded or protected them is set in the context of tragic loss and of tragic betrayal by a friend. As such this very short declaration presents us with a startling contrast. Unlike those who were kept in the name of the Holy Father, Judas’ action exposed him as one who had for a time appeared to be united with the others, but at this crucial point in time, his rejection of the truth ultimately proved that he was not in the Father at all. He was the son of perdition.  Judas thus serves as an image of those who do not keep the word…his deed reveals a shocking alternative to trust and love. If those who are in the Holy Father are there because of their being sanctified by the Word of truth, then those who are not in the Holy Father are not there because they are not sanctified by the Word of truth. By rejecting the truth of the Word, a very specific Word in this case, they have sealed their eternal fate. 

However, Jesus said that Judas’ action fulfilled Scripture. This is most probably a reference to Psalm 41:9: “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.” But…and this is important…the prediction of his betrayal does not make God the author of the action of betrayal. Although nothing happens save that which is ordained by God, wicked people do wicked things because they are wicked, not because their deeds have been preordained.

The only reason believers in Jesus refrain from and are repulsed by their own sin, is because although they are in the world, they are no longer of it. Verses 13-16 focus primarily on the disciple’s lives after the ascension…after Jesus had returned to reign at the right hand of God the Father. 

The first thing Jesus asked for in verse 13 is that “they may have (his) joy fulfilled in themselves”. In John’s Gospel, the joy of Jesus is very much the mark of the true believer. His joy is not a joy found in external things – if it was those in the comedy industry would possess it in abundance. But comedians are often the saddest people of all. No, rather the joy of Jesus is found in the revelation and acceptance of the truth. 

Unlike the joy offered by the world, it is not a manufactured humour that needs to be excelled to elicit a constant upbeat response. No, our Lord’s joy comes from knowing that although the world and the evil one may hate us, we are kept safely in a place out of which nothing in all creation can remove us. 

As hymn writer, Maltbie D. Babcock wrote:

“This is my Father's world: O let me ne'er forget

That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet.

This is my Father's world: Why should my heart be sad?

The Lord is King: let the heavens ring! God reigns; let earth be glad!”

You see, the joy of Jesus is a joy founded on the unchanging nature of our almighty Father whose will cannot be thwarted by anything or anyone.

Of course, you must know that the moment the Word of Jesus touches your innermost being and you respond positively to it, you are declaring yourself at odds with the world. Our embracing the truth of Scripture indicates that we are no longer “of the world”. As sheep purchased by the Good Shepherd, we are led out of one sheepfold into another.

But as Jesus prayed here, we are not to be removed from the world because we have a very important task to complete.  As he taught in the Sermon on the Mount, we are to be both salt – a common ancient Near Eastern image of judgement (Judges 9:45) – and light – the image of blessing and of revelation. So, instead of removal or “rapture” from the world – something some dear fellow believers hope will happen soon – Jesus prayed for our protection from the world and from the one behind the hatred of the world, the evil one himself, because we are to remain in the world as witnesses to him! 

You see, God does not promise his children a life free from hardship, anxiety, opposition, or labour. He rather provides us with a joy that helps us to withstand these challenges. True, we may face danger, suffering, and persecution, but God’s grace keeps us from being overcome by evil. 

Modern Christianity seems to have forgotten that we are to remain in this world for a reason. The Father did not give up on his creation…Jesus did not give up on his disciples…the Holy Spirit certainly does not give up on us…so why is it so easy for us to give up on those who do not yet know Jesus? Because we are not of the world does not give us license to ask, contrary to our Lord’s prayer here, to be removed from the world. Neither does this provide us with an excuse to withdraw from the world…rather we are to be in the world to engage the world. 

Although our Lord was not of the world, he came into the world to save the world. To the hard-hearted, he was a constant irritant and a reminder of their falseness, their hypocrisy, and their ultimate destination. But to those who had ears to hear, he was a demonstration of God’s amazing and unconditional love for his creatures.

However, with his departure from the world, the Church as his body on earth has been given the same role as he had been given when he came to the world. As Jesus was sent into the world, so he now sends his followers into the world. For this reason, he asked for us to be sanctified in the truth. The word “sanctify” was usually used in the Old Testament to indicate a special dedication of a person or an object to God for special service. A sanctified person or object would then be declared holy …set apart by God for God. The various rituals surrounding the process and pronouncement of sanctification would attempt to show in temporal terms an eternal reality based upon a divine decree. 

In his prayer, Jesus appears to indicate that sanctification is a product of an alignment with truth…but a very specific truth…truth as it is revealed by God in his Word. This idea is as basic to godliness as error and deception are basic to wickedness. According to Ephesians 5:26, it is the Word that constantly washes us and cleanses us from innate impurity. 

The error in believing in a God that is dynamic…in other words, a God who, contrary to the teaching of Scripture and the faith held by the historic Church, is changeable, malleable, adaptable, or even pliable…is that if God alters or adjusts to suit the fluctuating deviations of the world, then the counter cultural message of every book of the Bible becomes baseless, meaningless, pointless, and irrelevant.

God uses His Word, not human ideas or opinions, to set us apart from the world for his special purpose. If we were like the world, we would not reflect the otherness of God or the holiness of God…and for this reason, our values, goals and actions ought to be different from the world.

But the main reason for this plea for sanctification is because the followers of Jesus are not only to be like their Lord, but they are also called to do the work of their Lord. In verse 18, Jesus said that as the Father had sent him into the world, so he, in turn, sends his followers into the world. As such, Jesus is the supreme example and pattern of what the Church should be. Every true follower of Jesus ought to be like him in his “sentness”. Not sharing the truth of the Word with the world means not being like Jesus. 

Now, of course, part of being sent into the world like Jesus is learning to pray like he did. Prayer is central to what it means to belong to God while living in the world.

But my point is that we have been chosen out of the world for the world for a reason and a purpose. We have been left in this world for the world for a reason and a purpose. We have been sanctified by the Word for the world for a reason and a purpose. As Jesus was sent to the world, so we are sent to the world. We are salt, we are light, we are witnesses, we are ambassadors of truth. 

For this to become a possibility, Jesus had to first sanctify himself so that he might sanctify others. Now, obviously, Jesus didn’t need any moral or spiritual improvement, but he was set apart by God for God. The imagery of the High Priest entering the Holy of Holies with the blood of the sacrifice to make atonement for the people is once again helpful here. As our great High Priest, Jesus was at once both the sacrifice as well as the one sacrificing…as we have seen before he had authority to give his life…no one took it from him…and he had authority to take up his life again. So, he is both sacrifice as well as the one sacrificing. He was sanctified or consecrated or set apart to complete this task of atonement.

But, unlike the High Priest, Jesus entered in with his own pure, undefiled, unblemished blood thereby establishing an eternal, once for all, atonement and reconciliation between God and humanity. One Lord…one sacrifice…one atonement…one way…one truth…one life.

In the world, but not of the world because we are in the world, for the world. The prayer of our Lord Jesus shows that we are indeed a special people…a chosen people, a holy people, a set apart people, a sent people. Yes, we are called out of the world to live in the presence of the Holy Father…but even so, simultaneously, we are to remain in the world so that the world may have a perpetual witness to what life was meant to be like…what life might indeed be like in the light of God’s merciful and loving character. 

So, I echo the words of our Lord as I pray for us. May the Holy Father keep us in his name. May he sanctify us in his truth. May he sanctify us by his Word. And as he sent Jesus into the world, so may we be sent into the world. In the world, not of the world, but for the world. 

Amen.

© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2024