Come
All you who wearily
Toil, tire and tear
For the lost and the saved
Shelter awaits your frailty
Receive His yoke, flee the burden
Leave it all
Quiet the soul in lowly plea
Request, Reveal, Revere
His Spirit is easy, yours is heavy
Breathe His silence
Exhale your saddle
Decree His goodness
Inhabit His sanction
Rest in the quarters of His love
Then, rise up, press on
Enliven His upward call
Until your will has rusted
And His runs a blazing
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Signs Don’t Satisfy-The Gospel Does
I struggle with wearing glasses. To be honest, I can’t stand them. They do help me see, but they feel weird on my face. I have never really liked any glasses including sunglasses. So, what do I do most of the time? I deal with seeing everything with a fuzzy form. I accept only seeing things partially clear, even though “fuzzy seeing” is frustrating and actually harder work as I try to squint to make objects more visible. My lack of obedience to wearing my glasses actually has become a stumbling block to seeing life with clarity. The Jews were a lot like me. They seem to only see Jesus through "fuzzy eyes" (signs); it seems easier to seek a sign vs. the Son. But the problem with signs is they only give us the partial of Jesus, not the whole. And it’s actually harder and less satisfying to live a life seeking and performing signs than it is to live a life following Jesus.
Jesus was authenticated by the signs he performed; however, our faith is not authenticated by them, nor is salvation found in them. Even the people that took part of the feeding of 5000 in John 6 realized that through the miraculous provision of bread and fish, Jesus’ identity was revealed but their faith was not strengthened.
Listen to what they said, “When therefore the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, ‘This is of a truth the Prophet who is to come into the world.”(John 6:14). They realized that Jesus was different; the signs validated this about Him. What they did not want to accept is that Jesus was more than a Prophet, He was and is the Son of God.
We see that their faith was not strengthened by this miracle, because not long after feeding the 5000 with bread and fish, they went looking for Jesus. The question is, were they seeking the Son or personal gratification? When they found Jesus, He knew they only wanted more bread; they wanted more experiences that made them feel good. He rebuked them with:
“…Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal." (John 6:26-27).
Notice two points in what Jesus said to the multitude:
1. Don’t work for the food which perishes. Signs feed personal gratification and they come and go. Signs only authenticate Who we believe in; they do not give sustenance to our faith.
2. Jesus told them the food that endures is Jesus. It is Jesus that God has set His seal, not the signs and wonders He performed. It is Jesus who satisfies and none other. They were not seeking Jesus because of the signs, they were seeking Him because of the experience.
I love what God told Peter, James and John at the transfiguration. They see Elijah, Moses and Jesus. Peter, yet another caught up in the experience, wanted to build tabernacles for all three of them. But God stopped him in his tracks and boomed from heaven, “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!” (Mark 9:7). God wants us to listen to His Son, Jesus. It is Jesus that we seek not the signs He performs. It is relationship with Him that we develop not the ability to work miracles.
Jesus goes on to explain to the Jews in John 6 what the true work of God is:
“Therefore they (the Jews) said to Him, "What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." (John 6:28-29).
These people still don’t get it. They choose to see partially with their eyes. They still want to do signs; they seek their own glory not the glory of God. Jesus answers their question. He tells them that the work of God that He desires is to believe in Him!
Patiently, Jesus continues to speak truth into their hearts:
“So they said to Him, 'What then do You do for a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'HE GAVE THEM BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN TO EAT.' Jesus then said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world." (John 6:30-33).
I can’t even believe that they asked the question, “What then do You do for a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work to you perform?” My question to them is, “What have you already seen?” These Jews prove that seeking signs only leads to seeking more signs. The Jews were stumbling over their own lack of faith in Jesus. Isn’t this like us to focus on the need, the remedy, and man’s ability vs. Jesus? Doing this, we lack faith; we become an evil and adulterous generation that Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for in Matthew 12:39. Why did he call them an evil and adulterous generation? Because they craved signs and were not seeking Him.
Jesus, with great care and clarity, continues to explain Who He is to the people:
“Then they said to Him, 'Lord, always give us this bread.' Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." (John 6:34-40).
I don’t know how clearer Jesus could be for these Jews. Jesus points to the true bread of life – Himself.
Jesus tells them that if they behold Him (carry Him in their very souls) and believe in Him, they will never hunger or thirst; they will have security; finally they will have eternal life.
What a great promise! What a great destiny! But what do the Jews do? They fumble on one statement that Jesus makes, “The Jews therefore were grumbling about Him, because He said, ‘I am the bread that came down out of heaven.’ (John 6:41).
I think these Jews needed glasses! They needed to stop fumbling over the bread, their physical hunger, and their pride. They needed to stop seeking more signs that gratified the physical; they needed to believe the truth that stood right before their very eyes. They knew the prophecies of Jesus; they knew He fulfilled each one. They still did not believe. What blinds people like this? Pride and self-gratification.
These Jews wanted to be the self-righteous ones; they did not want to bow to Jesus; they wanted to be god of the people. They wanted to do signs, so they could be glorified and meet their want for honor and self-esteem. The sin of pride filled their heart causing them to see Jesus with “fuzzy eyes.” Pride hungers for more signs, but humility hungers for Jesus!
Over and over Jesus condemns the religious leaders for seeking a sign. Jesus goes on to say to them that the only sign they will be given is “…the sign of Jonah the prophet, for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12:39-40). Jesus pointed the religious leaders to the gospel, the atonement that Jesus would perform for their salvation. This atonement was and is the greatest sign of Jesus. It is only through our humble lens looking to the gospel that we will see Jesus clearly. His death and resurrection is the only sign that will save us; we must stop looking to the miracles and start looking to the Son.
Jesus was authenticated by the signs he performed; however, our faith is not authenticated by them, nor is salvation found in them. Even the people that took part of the feeding of 5000 in John 6 realized that through the miraculous provision of bread and fish, Jesus’ identity was revealed but their faith was not strengthened.
Listen to what they said, “When therefore the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, ‘This is of a truth the Prophet who is to come into the world.”(John 6:14). They realized that Jesus was different; the signs validated this about Him. What they did not want to accept is that Jesus was more than a Prophet, He was and is the Son of God.
We see that their faith was not strengthened by this miracle, because not long after feeding the 5000 with bread and fish, they went looking for Jesus. The question is, were they seeking the Son or personal gratification? When they found Jesus, He knew they only wanted more bread; they wanted more experiences that made them feel good. He rebuked them with:
“…Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal." (John 6:26-27).
Notice two points in what Jesus said to the multitude:
1. Don’t work for the food which perishes. Signs feed personal gratification and they come and go. Signs only authenticate Who we believe in; they do not give sustenance to our faith.
2. Jesus told them the food that endures is Jesus. It is Jesus that God has set His seal, not the signs and wonders He performed. It is Jesus who satisfies and none other. They were not seeking Jesus because of the signs, they were seeking Him because of the experience.
I love what God told Peter, James and John at the transfiguration. They see Elijah, Moses and Jesus. Peter, yet another caught up in the experience, wanted to build tabernacles for all three of them. But God stopped him in his tracks and boomed from heaven, “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!” (Mark 9:7). God wants us to listen to His Son, Jesus. It is Jesus that we seek not the signs He performs. It is relationship with Him that we develop not the ability to work miracles.
Jesus goes on to explain to the Jews in John 6 what the true work of God is:
“Therefore they (the Jews) said to Him, "What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." (John 6:28-29).
These people still don’t get it. They choose to see partially with their eyes. They still want to do signs; they seek their own glory not the glory of God. Jesus answers their question. He tells them that the work of God that He desires is to believe in Him!
Patiently, Jesus continues to speak truth into their hearts:
“So they said to Him, 'What then do You do for a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'HE GAVE THEM BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN TO EAT.' Jesus then said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world." (John 6:30-33).
I can’t even believe that they asked the question, “What then do You do for a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work to you perform?” My question to them is, “What have you already seen?” These Jews prove that seeking signs only leads to seeking more signs. The Jews were stumbling over their own lack of faith in Jesus. Isn’t this like us to focus on the need, the remedy, and man’s ability vs. Jesus? Doing this, we lack faith; we become an evil and adulterous generation that Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for in Matthew 12:39. Why did he call them an evil and adulterous generation? Because they craved signs and were not seeking Him.
Jesus, with great care and clarity, continues to explain Who He is to the people:
“Then they said to Him, 'Lord, always give us this bread.' Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." (John 6:34-40).
I don’t know how clearer Jesus could be for these Jews. Jesus points to the true bread of life – Himself.
Jesus tells them that if they behold Him (carry Him in their very souls) and believe in Him, they will never hunger or thirst; they will have security; finally they will have eternal life.
What a great promise! What a great destiny! But what do the Jews do? They fumble on one statement that Jesus makes, “The Jews therefore were grumbling about Him, because He said, ‘I am the bread that came down out of heaven.’ (John 6:41).
I think these Jews needed glasses! They needed to stop fumbling over the bread, their physical hunger, and their pride. They needed to stop seeking more signs that gratified the physical; they needed to believe the truth that stood right before their very eyes. They knew the prophecies of Jesus; they knew He fulfilled each one. They still did not believe. What blinds people like this? Pride and self-gratification.
These Jews wanted to be the self-righteous ones; they did not want to bow to Jesus; they wanted to be god of the people. They wanted to do signs, so they could be glorified and meet their want for honor and self-esteem. The sin of pride filled their heart causing them to see Jesus with “fuzzy eyes.” Pride hungers for more signs, but humility hungers for Jesus!
Over and over Jesus condemns the religious leaders for seeking a sign. Jesus goes on to say to them that the only sign they will be given is “…the sign of Jonah the prophet, for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12:39-40). Jesus pointed the religious leaders to the gospel, the atonement that Jesus would perform for their salvation. This atonement was and is the greatest sign of Jesus. It is only through our humble lens looking to the gospel that we will see Jesus clearly. His death and resurrection is the only sign that will save us; we must stop looking to the miracles and start looking to the Son.
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