John 10:1-2 • Stray Cats and Thieves

The first half of John 10 is most likely a continuation of the pointed rebuke of the Pharisees by Jesus that concluded the previous chapter. But when he used the phrase, “Most assuredly, I say to you," it meant he wanted even greater attention to be given to what would follow. And what follows is a lengthy parable about the shepherd and the sheep.

A parable isn’t a riddle. It’s not meant to hide meaning. It’s meant to reveal it. When Jesus used a parable, he was painting a word picture describing images and experiences that would be very familiar to his hearers and building a bridge of understanding from something they already knew well to something he wanted them to discover.

So, he used this beautiful shepherd/sheep illustration to describe the kind of relationship he wants to have with his followers. The passage is saturated with rich significance for every believer. And even though most of us today aren’t nearly as familiar with references to shepherding culture as his original audience, the heart of Jesus and the truths he conveyed easily bridge that gap.

The first two verses introduce the hero and the villain of the story and offer the first of several stark contrasts that are made between them. As the starting point of his parable, Jesus said the shepherd enters the sheepfold – an enclosure that provides safety for the sheep – through the door, but a thief tries to gain access by other means.

He was saying that anyone lurking in the shadows and attempting to infiltrate the security of the fold is a robber, someone intent on causing harm. And although he was clearly indicting the religious elite with this illustration, I think it’s also clear he meant for us to understand that anything seeking to breach the environment of our spiritual home is a serious threat.

A couple of days ago, I woke up in the middle of the night and noticed light from our side yard security lamp filtering in through our bedroom windows. It’s activated by a motion sensor. So, I knew something was moving out there. And although it was probably just a stray cat, it unnerved me because only unwelcomed guests seek to access a home by means other than the front door.

Is anything circling your heart’s defenses today in search of an unguarded way into that sacred space? What about fear, unforgiveness, guilt, pride, self-pity, lust, depression, anger, shame, or selfishness? These aren’t just stray cats. These are actual threats to your spiritual life. Don’t just lie there ignoring the light filtering in from your soul’s security lamp. The Holy Spirit may be alerting you to something moving out there that doesn’t belong, something the shepherd wants to protect you from if you’ll let him. But remember, he comes through the door. You’ll need to open it and invite him in.

We’ve all been given the freedom to try and deal with these intruders on our own, but in my experience, that doesn’t usually work out too well. On the other hand, I’ve noticed that when I stop pretending I can secure the premises of my inner life by myself and choose instead to welcome and respond to the shepherd’s powerful presence, I’m increasingly able to rest deeply in the safety of the fold.

I’m certainly not an expert on the subject, but I’ve read that because sheep are prey animals with little means for self-protection, their natural state is a hyper-vigilance that enables them to be ready to quickly respond to danger. But their well-being can be adversely affected by living with so much anxiety. So, shepherds work hard to help them be at peace.

And that’s what Jesus wants for each of his lambs. It’s what he wants for you. He’s ready if you are. Just open the door.

John 9:35-41 • Highway of the Upright

A man who’d been blind from birth received his sight when Jesus made mud from dust and spittle, smeared it over his sightless eyes, and sent him off to wash at a nearby pool. But the Lord had already moved on by the time he returned to thank him. So ironically, the man whose eyes had been miraculously opened didn’t get the chance to actually see the one who gave him that gift.

But John 9 verses 35-38 describe the very tender scene when the two of them met again.

It happened after the man had been excommunicated for boldly standing up to the Pharisees in defense of Jesus during the intense interrogation that followed his being healed on a Sabbath day. They cut him off from his family, community, and synagogue.

When the Lord heard what happened, he searched for, found, and revealed himself to him as the Son of God. And as the man’s newly opened eyes resolved the image of his healer and messiah, his grateful heart expressed itself with sweet faith and worship.

Then, in verses 39-41, Jesus brought the lesson of this whole episode into sharp focus. He said that he’d come into this world to give sight to those who desire to be healed of their spiritual blindness and to judge those who in their pride refuse to admit their need.

I know which group I want to be in, but I don’t think my membership can be taken for granted. Here’s why. Pride is the issue. And dealing with the relentless encroachment of that temptation is an ongoing process. Whenever I give place to it, I lose something of my spiritual visual acuity. And unless I take decisive repentant action, I incrementally drift back toward that pharisaical self-deception where I don’t realize how blind I’ve become.

For instance, the other day, my wife and I were watching an online church service, and I had already made three or four negative comments about the presentation’s mediocre production values before I realized how much pride had overtaken me. It had totally blinded me to the significance of what God was doing through that church’s efforts. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit’s conviction broke through, and as I confessed my sin, I could literally feel the eyes of my soul opening back up to the beauty of the heart of God on display in that program. It was as though a dark veil had lifted.

I hope this doesn’t sound presumptuous, but I’ll bet you’ve had similar experiences. If so, you’ll understand what I mean when I say I want to stay on guard against that kind of arrogance. 1 Timothy 3:6 tells us that when we become puffed up with pride, we’re guilty of the same sin as the devil. And I want to stay as far away from that as possible.

I know you do too. So, let’s heed the advice of Proverbs chapter 16. Just before telling us that “Pride goes before destruction,” it says, “The highway of the upright is to depart from evil.” Let’s strive, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to get on and travel that highway at top speed.

John 9:24-34 • A Slap to the Face

In John chapter 9 verses 24-34, the Pharisees continued their interrogation of the man who’d been healed of blindness. They were determined to find a way to turn this miraculous event into a means of condemning Jesus by twisting it into a Sabbath violation. But frustrated by their failure to discredit the man’s testimony or use it for their purposes, they reached a boiling point. Like a belligerent attorney in a courtroom drama, they demanded that he glorify God by finally telling the truth and admitting Jesus was a sinner.

Instead, he uttered the words that would inspire the most powerful line in the lyrics of one of the most recognized songs in the world, Amazing Grace. Staring directly into the teeth of the intimidating religious elite, he declared, “One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”

Still, unwilling to give up their pursuit, the Pharisees decided to start over from the beginning. They commanded the man to tell them once again what Jesus had done and how he did it. But clearly wearied by this nonsense, he responded with a question of his own, one dripping with bold sarcasm. He asked them why they wanted him to repeat himself. Did they want to become followers of Jesus?

They reacted by reviling him – which literally means they stabbed him with words – and invoked the authority of Moses to try and pound him into submission. But this formerly blind beggar punched back by schooling them on the absurdity of their position.

They retaliated with a vulgar epithet and then ended the proceedings by excommunicating him.

Being shut out of his community by the Jewish authorities was a serious price to pay. But he did so without complaint, and he’s a hero in my book. Although he was the very definition of a nobody – we don’t even know his name – he stood his ground against an assault by the powerful and walked away with his spiritual integrity intact.

I want to be like him when I grow up.

But I’m embarrassed to admit how little it takes to intimidate me into spiritual compromise. Right now, the nations of the world are dealing with a health pandemic that has also created a global economic crisis. And the other day, I caught myself becoming anxious about how it will impact my personal finances.

Really? That’s all it took to cause me to discount the faithfulness of the God who has provided for me through my entire life? Instead of standing firm in the faith that as God has miraculously cared for me through many previous challenges and will not fail me now, I literally allowed fear to adjust my testimony. I began expressing my doubts to my wife.

But thankfully, I’m married to a woman of great faith. And her trust-filled reply – like a loving slap to the face – shook me from my compromise and steadied my shaky confession.

Can I pay it forward? Is the solid ground of your God-story beginning to sway under some form of spiritual assault? If so, please let me encourage you to remember the steady faith of the anonymous man in John chapter 9. And may that reminder serve to reestablish the solid footing of your trust in the one who cannot fail.

John 9:18-23 • Church Hurt

In John chapter 9 verses 18-23, the proxy trial of Jesus for healing a blind man on the Sabbath moved into a new phase. The Pharisees decided to subpoena the testimony of the man’s parents to determine whether his story was true.

They asked them to substantiate his identity by confirming whether he was really their son, and if so, to corroborate his healing claim by verifying he’d been blind since birth. And finally, assuming they could affirm all this, they wanted them to explain how he’d gained his sight.

His parents assured them he was their son and that until now he’d been blind his entire life. But they claimed to have no answer for how this dramatic change occurred or who may have been involved.

Although it’s likely their son had shared the story of his healing with them, it appears they weren’t on scene for the actual event. So, since they weren’t eyewitnesses, they possessed plausible deniability and chose to exercise it. They refused to even offer an opinion. And we’re told why. They were afraid.

The Jewish elite had agreed that anyone confessing Jesus was the Messiah would be excommunicated. That meant they’d be cut off from the worship life of the synagogue and excluded from all interaction with their family and fellow Israelites. It was an extremely severe punishment known as the curse. And the threat of this loss of belonging was being used as religious intimidation.

Those are two words that never belong in the same sentence.

But first century Pharisees aren’t the only ones in positions of spiritual authority who’ve acted in ways that have left vulnerable people traumatized. And it deeply grieves me to consider how the Christian church and its leaders have at times also been guilty of wounding the people we've been called to serve.

For example, twice in the years of my ministry I was called on to lead a congregation through the aftermath of a previous pastor’s moral failure. And both times it was a heartbreaking challenge to wade into the pain, anger, distrust, and fear left behind in the hearts of precious people Jesus died for to try and minister his healing love to them.

Emotional wounds sustained in the context of one’s faith in God afflict the deepest part of the soul. Sadly, many people carry this type of pain. There’s even a term for it, church hurt.

Some of those who bear these scars have left the faith altogether. Others are like walking-wounded. They remain in our churches but feel distant from God and deal with trust issues that hinder their relationships with leaders and keep them from the rich fellowship with other believers we all need.

If that sounds familiar, if you’ve experienced any form of church hurt, my heart breaks for you. More importantly, God’s does. And I urge you to not allow the scars you’ve sustained to define either your relationship with him or his people. I encourage you to bring your pain to him and not allow it to keep you from him. Pause right now and let him draw you close. I assure you he’s able to heal your wounds and restore the kind of secure, loving connection with his church you long for.

John 9:13-17 • The Power of a Testimony

In 2013, my wife was diagnosed – based on the results of two surgeries, a panoply of tests, and two different types of imaging – with stage-four, untreatable, incurable, and terminal cancer. But during a third surgery performed for the purpose of debulking the cancer to provide a short extension to her life, no trace of the lesions could be found. And her scans have been completely clear ever since.

The medical community can often be quite skeptical of divine healing. But the force of my wife’s miraculous story has left many among them literally speechless and shaking their heads.

A testimony is a powerful thing.

John 9:13 opens the description of what followed Jesus’ healing of the man who’d been blind from birth. When people heard that this miracle involved Jesus making mud on the Sabbath, they brought the healed man to the Pharisees. They knew there was going to be trouble, and they wanted to make sure they weren’t in the line of fire when the religious stuff started to hit the fan.

Among other things, the Pharisees were a kind of self-appointed Sabbath-police and part of a religious system that had turned a blessing from God – a one-in-seven day of rest – into a ritualistic nightmare. And they’d already determined that Jesus should get the death penalty for a previous Sabbath infringement when he healed the lame man at the pool of Bethesda. So, they were chomping at the bit to investigate this current violation.

But they ran into a problem. The man they set out to intimidate with their interrogation – who just minutes before would have been disregarded by them as nothing more than a blind beggar – proved to be unshakable because of the power of his testimony.

Verses 14-16 describe the beginnings of what would become a proxy trial of Jesus and reveal the impotence of pride and doubt to ultimately resist the story of a life impacted by him. Even before the proceedings really got rolling, cracks began to form in the solidarity of the Pharisees. This formerly blind man’s opening statement of the simple facts was so powerful that it caused some of them to begin reconsidering their negative perceptions of Jesus.

The impact of this used-to-be-blind man on some of the Pharisees wasn’t the result of a well-crafted theological argument. In fact, in verse 17, when the man was asked his opinion about Jesus, the gaps in his still-developing Christology were revealed when he described him as a prophet not as Messiah. He didn’t have all the answers yet, but he did have a story.

Let me repeat myself. A testimony is powerful thing. And if you’re a Christ-follower, your testimony is a powerful thing. It may not include a dramatic physical healing. But the impact of Jesus’ touch on your life and the progressive healing he’s daily producing in your soul as you pursue him in faith is incredibly potent and cannot be disputed. It’s your story.

Remember that the next time life challenges your faith like a group of Pharisees sitting in judgement. You have a testimony that’s unshakable because it’s rooted in the one who’s immovable.

John 9:6-12 • A Man Called Jesus

Verses 6 through 12 of John chapter 9 describe Jesus performing a breathtaking miracle of healing. He gave sight to a beggar who’d been blind his entire life. The Lord didn’t just restore something the man had lost. He gave him something he’d never had.

But he accomplished it in a very odd way. He started by spitting on the ground. Yep, you heard that right. Read it for yourself. He made some mud using the saliva, smeared it over the man’s eyelids, and told him to go wash it off at a nearby pool. Then we’re told the blind man groped his way to the Pool of Siloam, washed, opened his eyes, and saw the world for the first time in his life.

I can’t begin to imagine the joy he must have been experiencing and expressing as he returned from the scene of his miracle. His excited outbursts clearly caught the attention of the people in the area, and they began debating whether he was the same guy they knew as the local, blind beggar. But once he’d convinced them he was and could now see, they wanted to know how it happened.

So, he recounted the story. But before he told them how he told them who. He began with these words: “A man called Jesus.” And we can’t allow ourselves to ever forget that he is the fountainhead of everything that flows to us from the goodness of God. Without the who, the how is meaningless.

I’m sure the people in the crowd were anxious to know if it was the spittle, the mud, the water from Siloam, or some combination of all three that produced the healing so they could know how to replicate the result. We usually focus on the recipe – the steps we need to take to secure God’s attention and action: read this scripture, pray this prayer, stop this behavior, start that one, get this person to lay hands on us, be anointed with oil, etc. But Jesus never follows a predictable script. He addresses each individual and their needs uniquely.

As the agent of creation (John 1:3) who spoke the universe into existence (Genesis 1:1-31), he could’ve simply pronounced the man healed and moved on. Instead, he purposefully employed this series of surprising steps. And although no one can say why, maybe he did what he did in order to emphasize the fact that he wasn’t establishing a procedure. His care for us is never the product of a formula. It’s always personal.

So, if you’re in need today, stop trying to discover the how. Turn to the who, “A man called Jesus.”

John 9:1-5 • A Matter of Perspective

The way we perceive things depends on our perspective. For instance, if someone believes that donuts are unhealthy, then that perspective will color the way they perceive donut shops. They will be more likely to view them with disdain. On the other hand, if a person thinks of donuts as a delightful treat, they will probably be seen smiling broadly when a new shop opens in the neighborhood.

Now, I don’t mean to trivialize the point, but the opening five verses of John chapter 9 demonstrate this principle in a profound way.

The chapter opens with Jesus on the move after escaping an attempt on his life and tells us he saw a man who’d been blind from birth. That word, saw, means more than just the casual result of human eyesight. It’s translated from a word meaning, to know by perception. And the following passage reveals that Jesus perceived him differently than the disciples did because he viewed him from a different perspective.

They viewed him from a punishment perspective. They believed the bad things people experience in life are the consequences of the wrong they’ve personally done. So, they assumed the man’s blindness was the result of some specific sin, and they asked Jesus to explain who was at fault, the man or his parents.

The Lord’s answer in verse 3 must have surprised them. He said that neither the man nor his parents had sinned. But he wasn’t saying they weren’t sinners. He was trying to explain that the brokenness in the world is caused by every one of us. We’re all sinners and are all responsible for the horrors we’ve unleashed.

He wasn’t excusing anybody for their sin or it’s fruit, but he was introducing a better perspective. Focusing on cause and effect results in seeing ourselves and others through the lens of blame, judgment, guilt, and fear. Instead of perceiving the man’s blindness as punishment, Jesus was introducing a change in perspective that would allow them to view it as an opportunity for the works of God to be revealed.

If we all experienced that dramatic change, it would result in a different way of responding to need. If our default response was to see it as an opportunity to invite God to show up instead of looking for fault, we would experience more of his power breaking through in our challenging circumstances. And that’s what the rest of John 9 describes – the miraculous healing and salvation of a man who had been blind his whole life.

In verses 4 and 5 the Lord said the light of his presence transforms each day into a time for displays of the works of God. And although he also said a time of darkness would come – clearly referring to his crucifixion – he didn’t mean the time of his power-working would end. The resurrection resulted in the dawning of a whole new day of the miraculous.

So, instead of looking for fault today, let’s welcome the Lord to change our perspective that we might perceive the needs around us as opportunities for the works of God to be revealed.

John 8:56-59 • Mic Drop

The eighth chapter of John’s Gospel begins and ends with the Jewish elite wanting to throw stones. They came after the adulteress first, and Jesus was able to skillfully diffuse that situation. But then, after spending the rest of the chapter unsuccessfully arguing against his claim to be the son of God, they became so frustrated they prepared to heave rocks at him instead.

They couldn’t tolerate a sinner or a savior. Their perverted religious system had become all about attaining and preserving positions of spiritual privilege. They couldn’t afford to offer grace to the woman without exposing their own sin, and they couldn’t acknowledge Jesus to be their Messiah without humbling themselves. Ultimately, that was the issue. Jesus was a threat to their self-righteousness and sense of religious entitlement.

In verses 56 through 59, the Lord brought the chapter-long debate regarding his divinity and their descendancy from Abraham to a close with a dramatic statement. It was an absolute mic drop. He said, “…before Abraham was, I AM.” And at that point, they started grabbing stones and would have tried to silence him with death had he not hid himself and escaped.

They understood what he meant. I AM was the name God used to describe himself to Moses at the burning bush. By adopting that sacred name and claiming to exist before Abraham existed, he was declaring his divinity with emphatic clarity. And it completely undermined the foundations of their religious regime.

For us, it’s just the opposite. Our faith has power precisely because Jesus is God in flesh. The cross has no meaning apart from the fact that the penalty for our sins was paid there by the sinless Messiah.

And because he’s the eternal one without beginning or end, it also means that he is in my was – redeeming my past – gathering up the debris of my broken history and creating from its fragments a work of art. He is in my will be – shaping my future – making a way forward from the barren desert of my own making into the lush landscape of his fulfilled promises. And he is in my am – moving in my present – infusing this very moment with the sweetness of his undeserved grace.

There’s so much power and promise in what Jesus said about himself in this passage. But it may be that you haven’t yet been able to rest in its truth. If not, please hear my heart. The time has come. Let the mic drop.

John 8:51-55 • The Journey Continues

When my wife and I moved to the Los Angeles area, I began power walking down to the Manhattan Beach pier on most days. That’s a three-mile round trip from our home and involves climbing several steep hills.

At first, the trek was quite taxing, and I couldn’t imagine going any farther. In my mind, I saw that pier as my terminus, the point where I had to turn back if I was going to have the energy to make it home. But an interesting thing happened. Over time, as my fitness increased, I began to see beyond the pier. I found myself able to walk farther along the beach before heading back. And now, I no longer see that pier as the end of my route. It’s just a landmark on a longer journey.

As a Jesus-follower, a similar thing happened regarding how I see death. Because of the grace of Christ, I no longer view it as the end of my life. It doesn’t mark the conclusion of my hopes, dreams, expectations, and desires. It’s just a milestone I will pass along my eternal journey. And that’s what Jesus was referring to in John chapter 8 verse 51.

He was continuing his response to a verbal assault from the religious leaders. He told them that anyone who keeps his word will not see death. And I’d like to stop and consider the three key words in that statement: anyone, keep, and see.

First, take note that he addressed the promise to anyone. And that had to include the Jewish leaders he was addressing and had just accused of seeking to kill him. Imagine that! Even after exposing their hatred toward him, he still offered them a pathway to the grace of God. And if that’s true, then his invitation clearly extends to every one of us.

Second, this promise is available to those who keep his word. Jesus was clarifying that there’s a difference between those who receive his message and those who keep it, between those who hear it and those who hold on to it. It’s not enough to just be acquainted with it, we need to embrace it.

And finally, he said those who do will not see death. It’s clear from the following verses (52-55) where he ceded the point that Abraham and the prophets have all died, that he wasn’t saying his followers wouldn’t die physically. Instead, he was promising that they would no longer see death in the same way. They would view their lives as extending beyond it into eternity. Instead of marking life’s final boundary, it would be seen as merely a mile-marker along a wondrous journey in relationship with him toward an infinite horizon.

Hebrews chapter 2 verse 15 tells us that part of the victory of Christ’s cross was the release of all those who have been bound by a fear of death. Jesus has defeated it on our behalf and made it possible for us to see beyond it and experience the security that comes from knowing the journey continues.

Through faith in Jesus, we can all find rest in the peace of that promise right now.

John 8:48-50 • Sticks, Stones, or Words

As a kid, I learned to repeat this little schoolyard rhyme as a means of countering the verbal cruelty of other children: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Sadly though, it didn’t take long before I discovered that words could cause pain, and the wounds they inflict can be deep and lasting.

Have you ever been subjected to verbal abuse? Jesus has. And one of those occasions is found in John chapter 8 verse 48 where the religious elite – having been stung by what Jesus exposed about them in the preceding passage – struck back with name-calling and a false accusation. They labeled him a Samaritan and accused him of being demon-possessed.

The Jews held the Samaritans in deep disgust. They considered them interlopers, half-breeds, perverters of the sacred faith, and more. They knew that Jesus wasn’t ethnically a Samaritan, but they used that term as a slur meant to carry a heavy payload of defamation. And by also describing him as demonized, they sought to discredit him along with his very-public exposure of their wicked hearts.

They did what insecure bullies do when their masks are pulled down and their vulnerability is exposed. Instead of responding with humility and repentance, they punched back and with as low a blow as possible. And if you’ve ever been on the receiving end of that kind of attack and have the scars to show for it, paying close attention to how the Lord reacted in verses 49 and 50 may provide you some much-needed wisdom, perspective, comfort, and healing.

First, he didn’t respond to the name-calling. I know it’s hard to resist, but it’s almost impossible to win a war of verbal mudslinging. And if you do, the battle fatigue and shame you experience afterward usually exact a heavy emotional and spiritual toll. It’s best to follow Jesus’ example and deprive the attack of any traction by just ignoring it.

Second, he made the choice to remain focused on honoring his father instead of defending himself against their slander. He simply made a straightforward statement rejecting their accusation and then refused to become distracted by it. He trusted God with the promotion and defense of his reputation. And when we follow in his footsteps, we discover that the Heavenly Father is faithful to do the same for us.

We live in a world filled with spite, prejudice, malice, and just plain old meanness. And it’s impossible to avoid being the target of some of it. But Jesus taught us how to keep from becoming what I call prickly – always in a defensive posture when it comes to how others perceive us. Owning the responsibility for bearing the burden of retaliating when we’re slighted, mocked, denigrated, or maligned usually results in a life stained with bitterness, exhaustion, and isolation. How much better to run to the refuge of the one who daily honors us with his love and provides a shelter of absolute security against any sticks, stones, or words.

So, let’s meet him there today. And from within the safety of his strong embrace, let’s stay focused on bringing honor to him by the way we release with forgiveness all those who’ve hurt us and trust him to promote and defend our reputations.

John 8:37-47 • A Family Resemblance

I have often been struck by the deep need people have for assurance of belonging. And this is nowhere more evident than in the way we’re driven to locate ourselves and others within families. For instance, when a child is born, I’ve noticed that an immediate and almost involuntary search is engaged by people to identify and catalog the traits and characteristics that link the baby to his or her relatives. Evaluations are made about eye and hair color along with shape, size, and a multitude of other qualities that note similarities with parents and other members of their clan. And it always amazes me to observe the sweet peace that seems to settle over people when they’re able to rest in the confidence of the child’s connection to the tribe.

In the section of John chapter 8 bounded by verses 37 and 47, Jesus responded to the assertion by the Jewish leaders that they held a privileged connection to God. They laid claim to being Abraham’s descendants. But Jesus pushed back by saying if they really were, they wouldn’t be seeking to kill him. And when they responded by taking things a step further and insisting God was their father, Jesus strongly contradicted them and flatly stated that in fact the devil was.

That must have stung! But the Lord wasn’t just trying to antagonize them. He was pointing out that as surely as our physical characteristics connect us to our birth families, there are qualities that reveal our spiritual families as well. He said they had inherited their desire to kill him from Satan who was a murderer from the beginning. And he pointed out that their inability to perceive the truths he was teaching was because they were offspring of the father of lies.

But in this same passage, Jesus also pointed out two traits that are common among those who are part of God’s family. In verse 42, he said God’s children love Jesus. Then in verse 47, he said they also hear God’s words. And he wasn’t just referring to the vowels, consonants, and syllables. He meant the message the words convey.

The Lord was describing a couple of very key elements of family resemblance among his kids. And that makes me want to pause, look myself in the mirror, and sincerely ask, “Does my life bear the characteristics of the family of God? Do I evidence a sincere love of Jesus in the way I live, and am I quick, thorough, and joyful in the way I respond to what God has said?”

According to Jesus, these are the traits that settle the question of belonging. They bring into sharp focus what defines the only family relationship that ultimately matters.

And the most wonderful thing about this is that no matter what characteristics we’ve inherited from our physical families we all have the same opportunity to experience a new birth through faith in Christ, his cross, and resurrection that reshapes everything about us so that we can start to look more like our heavenly father.

It doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen.

I was born with features that were noticeably similar to my dad’s. But with every stage of my physical growth, those similarities have become more pronounced. And in the same way, as we progress in a born-again relationship with God, our resemblance to him increases.

So, let’s make this our prayer: “Lord, may my love for Jesus and responsiveness to your message cause me to reflect your image into this world with increasing clarity today and every day that follows.”

John 8:30-36 • Free Indeed

Following our honeymoon back in the spring of 1974, Sue and I made a home together. Until then, we were building a relationship. After, we were living in one. And although aspects of the building process continue to this day, when we began living out our love under the same roof – abiding with each other – we began to discover the liberty that results from knowing and being known by someone in the context of loving intimacy. And that’s what calls to me from John 8:30-36.

It tells us that many of the Jewish bystanders overhearing Jesus’ clear, firm, direct, and poignant responses to their leaders in the preceding verses chose to place their faith in him as a result. And that isn’t surprising. The words of Jesus are always deeply compelling. But he challenged these new believers to become followers not simply fans. He invited those who’d been moved by what he’d said to become true disciples by living in his message. He welcomed them to abide in it – to linger, dwell, be present, and make their home within its depths.

And he went on to describe the powerful progression that results. He said that abiding results in knowing and knowing produces freedom.

From it’s opening verses, John’s Gospel has revealed Jesus to be the word of God made flesh – the message of God in person. So, abiding in it means much more than intellectually exploring a set of principles or philosophies. It means daily exposing your deepest self to the Lord’s influence. He said that exposure results in a type of knowledge that’s far more than just comprehension or understanding. The Greek word translated here as know describes a relationship, and not just with truth in the sense of ideas or concepts. In fact, in John 14:6, Jesus described himself as the truth.

When we live under the sway of the living word of God, our relationship with him becomes deeper, more intimate, more, well, personal. And Jesus was saying relationship with him is what produces true freedom in our lives.

That provoked a strong rebuttal from the religious leaders who shouldered their way back into the conversation at this point. They were offended that Jesus would insinuate they needed to be set free from anything. They claimed that as Abraham’s descendants they had never been in bondage.

This is both comic and tragic. It’s funny in the sense that they seem to have forgotten about the Jews’ long history of various periods of enslavement including the hundreds of years they were captives in Egypt not to mention their current status as subjects of Roman authority. The tragedy is, their insistence on a delusion of freedom kept them from being incented to pursue the real thing.

This is all too familiar. For most of us, our pride makes it very difficult to admit we could be bound by anything even though we are. And the Lord went on to explain how. He said that every time we sin – behave in ways that dishonor God, pollute ourselves, or hurt others – we demonstrate the depth of our bondage. Even though we’d like to think otherwise, our actions reveal that we are powerless against our own fallen natures.

But in verse 36, Jesus declared his authority as the Son of God to end our captivity and liberate us fully. When we walk the path that leads from believing on to abiding in and, ultimately, to experientially knowing the love of the one who is truth, the dark deceptions that grip us collapse and we experience true release.

What lie of Satan and/or prideful self-delusion constrains your life and holds you in a cycle of sin you can’t seem to escape? Jesus invites you to move beyond baseline belief and learn to abide in him so you can know the truth that will set you free…free indeed.

John 8:27-29 • That Beacon of Hope

The religious leaders who dialogued with Jesus as well as the people who overheard those exchanges, just couldn’t seem to grasp what he’d said about his relationship with the Father. He’d made several attempts to explain that he’d been sent by God and was in all ways and at all times representing him. But their hardened and sin-scarred hearts were deaf to those truths. So, in verse 28 of John chapter 8, he lamented that they wouldn’t understand until after they’d lifted him up, or in other words, crucified him.

How sad that it would require the aftermath of his sacrifice to open their eyes to see who he was and why he’d come. But the reality is, much about Jesus can’t be fully grasped except in the light of the cross. That icon memorializes the loving Father and submitting Son settling the sin issue and purchasing our salvation. It possesses the power to penetrate our spiritual blindness and illuminate the magnitude of God’s gift of grace in Christ.

The cross defines God’s strategy and story of redemption as he purposefully pursued the rescue of our fallen race. It confirms the identity of the Seed of the woman described in Genesis 3:15 as the one who would crush the serpent’s head. It’s what elevates John 3:16 to towering heights as a majestic expression of God’s love. It’s what empowers the offer of complete forgiveness recorded in 1 John 1:9. And it’s the key that unlocks chains of bondage and sets free the souls of repentant sinners like me.

When viewed through its lens, the life, words, and ministry of Jesus come into a focus that ignites understanding, overwhelms with humility, releases faith, and inspires the kind of worship captured in these words penned in 1912 by the hymnist, George Bennard.

On a hill far away, stood an old rugged cross
The emblem of suffering and shame
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain

The cross of Christ stands forever as the unique and unparalleled symbol of a saving God. And if you, like me, stand today within its glow as a lost-one-now-found, let’s pause together at the foot of that beacon of hope and offer there our humble praise.

John 8:26 • Spirit-Led Restraint

In John 8:26, Jesus followed up his response to the question posed by the religious elite in the previous verse about his identity. After making it clear he’d already said all that was necessary about himself, he commented that there was much more he could say about them. But he refrained from doing so and told them why. He said he would only speak what he heard his Father saying. He would go no further than the boundaries set by the one who sent him.

I wish I could say the same. More than once, I’ve found myself on the wrong side of a divinely-set boundary where I’ve said more than God was saying or done more than he was doing. And every time I’ve trespassed beyond those thresholds, I’ve regretted it.

It’s like the time when I was a kid visiting a friend who lived on a large ranch out in the country. One day, he and I were shooting targets with small caliber rifles. Later that evening, my friend’s father was confronted by a group of angry men who showed up at the house. And we learned that our target practice had nearly cost them their lives. Unknown to us, they’d been pinned down by our fire after they’d crossed a posted boundary and trespassed onto the ranch. Their failure to recognize and respect that boundary created problems they couldn’t anticipate.

And that’s what happens when I fail to exercise Spirit-led restraint in my life. Whenever I choose to step anywhere but within my Lord’s footprints, I end up somewhere I shouldn’t be.

When I succumb to the temptation to believe that a situation is dependent on what I have to offer – my timing, my creativity, my words, my skill, my wisdom, or my passion – rather than trusting that God knows how to handle things, I’m in danger of crossing a line and creating unintended consequences.

If a musician in an orchestra plays notes the composer hasn’t written, the resulting sound is either inappropriately cluttered or distastefully discordant. I want to be careful to play only the music God is conducting. And I’ll bet you do too. So, let’s stop, take an honest look at ourselves, and make sure we aren’t improvising beyond the arrangement.

Let’s make fresh commitments today to follow our Savior’s example and be careful not to venture beyond the Father’s directions regarding what we say, to whom, and when as well as the actions we should or shouldn’t take in all the affairs of our lives.

John 8:25 • Prayer and Pitching

Jesus had just warned the religious elite with hard truth about the spiritual dead end they were approaching because of their unwillingness to believe in him. Their response, recorded in John 8:25, came in the form of a question. “Who are you?” they asked. The Lord answered by referring them to the transcript of everything he’d been saying since he began his ministry. He’d already declared himself to be the bread of life, the light of the world, the Messiah, the Son of God. There really was nothing more to add.

This wasn’t the first time this question had been asked and answered. The problem wasn’t that they hadn’t heard, they just didn’t like what they heard.

And that reminds me of baseball. Don’t worry, I’m not losing my mind. Just let me explain.

I love baseball because it involves so much drama. Like pitch selection for example. With the batter standing in, the pitcher stares from the mound down the 60 feet to home plate and looks for a sign from the catcher indicating which pitch he should throw – fastball, sinker, slider, curveball, changeup, or cutter. But if he doesn’t like the signal, he’ll shake his head no and wait for another sign. This back-and-forth will continue until the pitcher gets the sign he wants. In a sense, he keeps asking the question until he gets the answer he’s looking for.

And I’ve caught myself doing that with God. Here’s an example:

Early in my adulthood I was asking God if I should leave Bible college to pursue music ministry full time, but he seemed silent on the subject. So, I decided to drop out of school, quit my job, and rehearse with my band anyway. And although I did spend a few years performing, touring, and recording, it just never seemed like God’s full blessing was on it.

The reality wasn’t that God hadn’t answered my prayer, I just didn’t like the answer he was giving. I didn’t hear him saying, “No,” because I was listening for a, “Yes.”

The rest of the story is too long and complex to tell now, but ultimately, I had to abandon that dream. But when I did, I discovered my calling. I went on to complete my Bible training and become a pastor. And I’m so thankful for the patient kindness of God that made it possible for me to spend my life doing what I was made for instead of what I desired.

Are you desperate to hear from God today about something but he seems silent? Perhaps the issue is more about whether you’re willing to hear what he’s saying. Maybe now would be a good time to settle in for a few quiet moments of prayer that surrender your agenda for his. If you do, you’ll discover the fulfillment that results when you throw the pitch he’s signaling rather than insisting on the one you desire.

John 8:21-24 • Two Worlds

Jesus invaded the world beneath from the world above in order to provide – by means of faith in his sacrifice – the only bridge leading back. In John 8:21-24, Jesus described the impassible chasm sin has opened between the two worlds and repeated the warning he’d made to the religious leaders in the previous chapter concerning the urgency of their need to place trust in his messiahship.

His message was straight and strong. But their jealousy and pride had produced a faithlessness that continued blinding them to the light of the world – as Jesus had described himself in verse 12. They refused to grasp the simple clarity of his words. Instead, they chose to accuse him of being suicidal and completely ignored the offer of salvation he was extending by confronting them with the consequences of their unbelief.

So sad…

But there are at least two things described in these verses that should stir us to deep gratitude.

First, Jesus didn’t give up on the jewish leaders. He certainly could have, and I certainly would have. Yet, twice in as many days, he warned them that his time among them was short and that the path of unbelief they were travelling would lead to eternal separation from God. Instead of dismissing or damning, he was urging them to change course while he was still physically in their midst.

What a demonstration of our Savior’s love, pursuing to the last even the hardest-hearted that they might turn from their sin and know his grace! It’s humbling to realize we’ve been loved like that. The forgiveness that secured our eternal destiny is not the result of anything we’ve done but is the fruit of his relentless pursuit of our lost souls.

Second, the Lord’s statements that he is not of this world and would be returning to the world above when his redemptive work was done brings such peace to our lives. In John 16:33, Jesus said that we can be of good cheer because he has overcome the tribulations of this world on our behalf. In other words, His triumph over all the brokenness in this world beneath has become our victory too. He is our bridge to the heavenlies not just for the day we pass from this life but for the many days we’re tempted to lose hope in the midst of it.

Let’s allow our spirits to fill and our worship to overflow with praise for the one who refused to give up on us and who is daily introducing us to the joys of a life focused on the world above.

John 8:13-20 • History, Destiny, and Identity

Who are you? That’s the incredibly important question John 8:13-20 can help answer.

Unwilling to allow it to stand unchallenged, the Pharisees tried to discredit Jesus’ claim that he was the light of the world by invoking a legal argument. According to their law, two independent witnesses were required to establish the truth of a matter. So, they insisted his self-description was invalid.

In response, Jesus repeated what he’d already made clear in chapter 5 – that the Heavenly Father is his corroborating witness.

And that’s all that needed to be said. But he chose to add something here in verse 14 I find fascinating and believe was intended for our benefit. He said that even if his testimony regarding this aspect of his identity stood on its own, it would be true. And then, he explained why – because he knew where he came from and where he was going.

Perhaps you’ve noticed that people frequently self-describe in ways that are misleading, inaccurate, or incomplete – presenting themselves as someone they’re not. I know I’ve been guilty of this. I’ve caught myself shaping my persona, backstory, and identity to fit my own aspirations, the expectations of others, or my circumstances instead of my personal truth not because I was trying to be deceptive, but because I didn’t really know myself.

And the daily task of trying make sure I was wearing the right costume for the right situation was exhausting. It’s a burden none of us are built to bear. We are meant to simply be ourselves and confidently present ourselves as ourselves.

Who knew it could be that simple?

Well, it is simple. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. It requires an honest assessment of our history alongside a clear-eyed sense of our destiny. Like Jesus, if our internal and external statements of identity – what we believe about ourselves and present to others – are going to be true, we need to know where we’ve come from and where we’re going.

What does that mean?

To start with, it means confronting the influences of our past – those relationships and experiences that have shaped us – and allowing the Lord to address with his loving truth any distorted concepts of our personhood that have resulted. This healing of our souls is what provides a healthy understanding of how God sees us so we can embrace his perspective as our own.

Next, we need to get clear about where we’re headed. And it’s more about knowing who will determine that than it is about having all the details mapped out. The question regarding who’s been assigned the driver’s seat in our lives is what needs to be answered. Once that’s settled, life’s twists and turns can be navigated without an undue weight of concern for what others think. We can just enjoy the ride.

So, let’s take a few minutes right now to invite the Holy Spirit to reshape – by the power of his grace – those aspects of our identity that have been falsely distorted by our past, and to take control of setting the course for our future so that we can live in the solid assurance of who and whose we are.

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John 8:12 • Light of the World

My wife and I lived for a couple of years in California’s San Joaquin Valley. And between November and March each year, that region experiences a weather condition known as tule fog. It can last for weeks at a time and is so thick it can block out most of the sun’s light.

I had an extremely hard time coping with it. And sometimes, when I just couldn’t take it anymore, I’d get in my car and drive up into the foothills of the nearby Sierra Nevada Mountains to a small town called Three Rivers located at an elevation above the fog just so I could see and feel the sun again. I can still recall the joy of bursting through into the light. It was amazing!

And that brings me to John 8:12 where the same kind of dramatic breakthrough awaits. John’s gospel contains seven I am statements Jesus made. And we encounter the second of these here at the conclusion of the incident regarding the adulterous woman when he said, “I am the light of the world.”

This self-description is not offered randomly in isolation. It’s anchored to the context. Jesus meant for us to consider its implications in the flow of what was happening at the time. After wading through a passage where the dark ugliness of this sin-corrupted world was on full display, the powerful light of our savior shines forth in stark contrast. And that’s the point he was making.

I no longer live in the San Joaquin, but you and I both live in a world that can seem very dark, clouded by selfishness, hatred, bigotry, perversion, arrogance, and suffering of every sort. And when the fog of despair starts to roll in, the Lord wants us to be assured that his light overcomes. It attracts, it warms, it comforts, it guides, it exposes, it cleanses, it nourishes, and it empowers.

Our world needs to experience more of the light of Christ. Don’t you agree?

If you do, then we need to consider something else Jesus said. Matthew 5:14 captures him telling a crowd of followers, “You are the light of the world.” He was clarifying that he intends his to be a reflected light, illuminating the darkness through his people. And that’s kind of a heart-stopping, jaw-dropping realization. Jesus wants to use the reflective surface of our lives as his means for brightening this needy planet.

And if that’s going to happen, it means we need to allow the Holy Spirit to polish us up. My life’s got a lot of smudges that need his attention if the mirror of my soul is going to be of much use.

Maybe that’s true for you too. If so, let’s partner in prayer together today inviting the Lord to do whatever he needs to make us shine brighter for him.

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John 8:7-11 • Redirecting Your Future

In John 8:7-11, the confrontation of Jesus by the Jewish elite over their arrest of an adulterous woman concluded in an unexpected way as the Lord demonstrated the dramatic difference between condemnation and conviction.

The religious leaders continued insisting that Jesus take a stand on the issue of the woman’s punishment. Her guilt was not in question. She’d been caught in the act. This was about whether she should be stoned to death for her crime. And it seemed Jesus was hesitating because of the cleverness of their trap. If he agreed with their judgment, he would alienate the crowds. If he didn’t, he would be guilty of not upholding the law. Either way, the scribes and Pharisees would win. So, they pressed him for a response.

But he refused to play their game. Instead, he issued a statement that acknowledged the seriousness of the sin without joining the chorus of condemnation. He simply invited anyone who was guiltless among the accusers to throw the first rock. Then, he went back to writing in the dirt.

Stunned by the power of what he’d said, verse 8 tells us everyone who heard it was convicted and began to quietly slip out one by one until Jesus was left alone with the woman. And after confirming that no one was left to condemn her – without condoning, excusing, or turning a blind eye to what she’d done – he sent her away into the hope of a different future than the one she’d arrived with by saying, “Go and sin no more.”

And that’s what conviction always does. It creates the potential for a different outcome when combined with our confession and repentance. Condemnation passes judgment on sin for the purpose of punishment. Conviction acknowledges sin for the purpose of redirecting future behavior. The Lord refused to condemn. But his direct confrontation of the sin of both the leaders and the adulteress resulted in conviction that changed the course of their actions.

Condemnation only deepens patterns of iniquity. Conviction empowers redemption. Condemnation is used by the Devil to imprison us. Conviction is used by the Holy Spirit to set us free (John 16:8).

Two nights ago, I was jolted awake by the realization that I’d left a restaurant that evening without paying the bill. My heartrate climbed with the realization that I’d stolen from that business. I began imagining what the waitress must have thought of me and worse, the damage I’d done to my gospel testimony with the people at the neighboring table I’d had a conversation with about Jesus. And even though my failure was not intentional, suddenly, there it was – condemnation.

But just as I could feel that wave of shame about to break over me, I found myself responding to the hope-filled voice of conviction instead. Before God, I confessed my irresponsibility and formed a plan of repentance that involved returning to the eatery as soon as they opened the next day to make things right. As I did, my soul settled, and instead of spending the night in restless guilt, I was at peace.

The next day, when I went back to straighten things out, not only was the staff not angry, they actually thanked me and remarked several times about how impressed they were with my honesty – clearly a different outcome than I deserved.

If you find yourself coming under the weight of condemnation today, reject it. On the other hand, be quick to respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and you’ll find him redirecting your future.

John 8:3-6 • Handwriting Analysis

The precious scene described in the first two verses of John 8 turned just about as dark and ugly as can be imagined when the scribes and Pharisees showed up in the next verse. They shoved a woman to the center of the crowd who’d been caught in the act of adultery and demanded to know whether Jesus would support enforcing the death penalty in her case.

But the passage makes clear that they really weren’t concerned about the law they were citing. Otherwise, the man involved would have been dragged out of bed and paraded through town to be judged as well. Adultery does require two sinners.

No, their misogynistic, crude, and cruel behavior was focused on one thing only. They were trying to set a trap for Jesus. They were certain that if he agreed with their brutal enforcement of the law, the crowd would turn against him, and if he responded with mercy, they could accuse him of violating Scripture. Either way they were sure they had him cornered.

But as usual, our Lord did the unexpected. He submitted his response in writing.

Verse 6 tells us that Jesus stooped down – refusing to join the crowd in gawking at the woman – and wrote something in the dust on the floor of the Temple. We’re not told, so we can’t know the content of his inscription. But the fact that this is the only description of a handwritten communication from Jesus is worth contemplating.

He wasn’t just doodling. The original language used here is clear about that. He was saying something. The hand of God had engraved on a tablet of stone (Exodus 20:14), “You shall not commit adultery.” And now, the hand of the Son of God was writing a response to the merciless enforcement of that command.

Was Jesus undermining the seventh commandment? Clearly not. Through this entire episode he never once exonerated the woman or rejected the validity of the proposed punishment. But he did refuse to condemn her. And that’s exactly what he’d said was part of his divine commission. He told Nicodemus in John 3:17 that, “…God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.”

We are all guilty of sin. Romans 6:23 says every one of us is under the death penalty for our rebellion against God. But I’m glad that’s not the end of the story. That same verse also describes the gift of eternal life available to us in Christ.

What was Jesus writing in the dirt on the floor? I don’t know, but I’ll bet handwriting analysis would reveal it to have been the work of the same person who stooped under the weight of a cruel cross refusing to gawk at or condemn us in our sin and instead penned our names in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 21:27). Let’s live today with grateful hearts for the overwhelming grace and mercy of the one who loves us that much.