Month: November 2018

In Isaiah 64, Isaiah remembers the power and majesty of the LORD when He comes, because He has already come in the past with great impact. Then he asks a powerful question: When will you return? He answers his own question: We are not worthy of your return. We are a people who are filled with sin. He tells us even their best deeds are “filthy rags.” He notes Zion has been destroyed, and the Temple has been burned. It doesn’t get any worse than this. But then He asks the LORD to return and restore the people. Because the LORD is good and perfect, hope in His love and mercy is always justified. Isaiah rightly points out the peoples’ sin, yet still holds out hope that the LORD will return to them. He holds faith in the goodness of the  LORD, not in the people’s ability to be good.

Isaiah 65 starts with strong words of judgment from the LORD. He tells us He looked for people to restore, and waited for people to return. Yet, they did not. They broke all His commands and worshiped idols. It sounds as if the hope we read about in Isaiah 64 was false hope, but then the chapter turns and the LORD tells us those who serve Him will be blessed, while those who turn away will be cursed. The blessing is more amazing than anything we have ever experienced on earth. The LORD promises a new heaven and a new earth. He promises that Jerusalem will be restored. Then He promises the wild animals and domestic animals will eat and lie down together, and snakes will eat dust. This perfect world of which we read is for all who serve the LORD. Those who continue to reject Him will be rejected, but those who serve Hi will know this incredible life and the joy it brings.

Isaiah closes with chapter 66.  In it the LORD tells us of the amazing blessing of living in His new world, and the depth of the curse of those who reject Him. Using the terms of a nursing mother caring for her infant child, the LORD tells us His children will experience the same comfort from Him. He tells us we will receive all we need, and will experience safety and blessing. The chapter and the book ends with a reminder that those who reject the LORD will suffer the most dire consequence: They will be burned and cast out to the place where the worm never dies and the first never goes out. Jesus used those very words to describe what will happen to those who reject Him. That makes tremendous sense, because Jesus is the one who will usher in the amazing new heaven and new earth of which the LORD spoke through Isaiah.

As we return to John 14, Jesus is still preparing His apostles for His death, resurrection and return to heaven. He starts the chapter by telling the disciples He is leaving them to go and “prepare a place for them.” He speaks of His Father’s house, and of many rooms. He tells them they know the way to the place He is going. Thomas speaks up and say, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus’ answer is familiar to any who have even a cursory knowledge of His life and teaching: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) What a powerful statement! No one comes to God’s presence except through Jesus, because Jesus is the living testimony of His Father’s will. When Philip continues the confused responses, by asking for Jesus to show them the Father, Jesus tells them if they have seen Him, they have seen the Father. Jesus continues by telling them the way to know Jesus is one with the Father is through His deeds. Then He offers a most incredible promise:   ¹²“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12 (ESV)   It seems absurd to imagine we can do greater works than Jesus did, but many of us have: we have travelled to countries beyond Israel and told people in those places the good news of Jesus’ salvation. Jesus never did that.   Some of us have spoken to more people than Jesus ever did. The list goes on, but the point is clear: when we believe in Jesus, He empowers us to do things He didn’t do, and the things He did. As the chapter moves to its conclusion, Jesus promises to send the “Helper” the Holy Spirit, to fill us, lead us, and empower us. He tells us if we love Him, we will keep His commandments, and He will send the Comforter to comfort and direct us. Many in our day, leave out the importance of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives as Jesus’ followers, but Jesus made it clear without the Holy Spirit, we won’t be able to do His work in the world. He promised the Holy Spirit to empower us, and He has delivered on that promise. Now, we must live into that presence and power, so we can love one another as He first loved us, and carry out the works He prepared for us to do, the greater works He has prepared for us!

 

Isaiah 61 stands as the chapter Jesus quoted when He told the people in the synagogue in Nazareth His mission. He had read the first verses of Isaiah 61 which proclaim:  ¹The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, for the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.  ²He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the LORD’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. Isaiah 61:1-2 (NLT2) The chapter continues with more good news for the LORD’s people as they are told the people of other nations will serve them, and they will know His peace and presence in their lives.

Isaiah 62 is Isaiah’s prayer for Jerusalem. Isaiah notes Jerusalem has been defeated in the past, and forsaken, but in the future the LORD will give her a new name, and she will never again be forsaken. She will be the LORD’s “bride,” which is a powerful image, that Jesus also used of His relationship with the Church. The Apostle Paul underlined that imagery when he wrote in Ephesians 5 that the relationship of a husband and a wife are an image of Christ’s relationship with His bride, the Church. We see time and again as we read through Isaiah that much of the imagery used here is picked up or lived out in the life of Jesus. Much of the prophecy of Israel’s ultimate victory and restoration was lived out at certain times in history, but some of it is reserved for its ultimate fulfillment in the time of Jesus’ return.

Isaiah 63 promises destruction on Israel’s enemies. In gruesome terms the LORD tells us He Himself will trample them under His feet. As the chapter ends, though, the focus shifts to the people of Israel questioning the LORD for why He permitted them to turn astray. It’s as if it were the LORD’s fault for not forcing them to to His will. We must never play that card as we turn to the LORD with our sins and faults. He designed us for good, and we rebelled against Him. Now, we have the opportunity to return to Him, and live in His grace, truth, and love through a relationship with Jesus, and the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

As we return to John 13, we remember this is Jesus’ final time with the apostles before His arrest, condemnation, crucifixion, death, and resurrection. He prepares them for His death, but does so much more as we move through John 13-17. In chapter 13, Jesus demonstrated both His great love for the apostles and set an example for them to follow by washing their feet. This was the work of a servant, but no one had taken care of this cultural expectation. Thus, Jesus got up from the table and became their servant. After washing their feet, and explaining why He had done it, Jesus said, “If you know these things (my commandments), you will be blessed if you do them.” What a powerful truth: we aren’t blessed by knowing Jesus’ commands, but only through obedience to doing them.

After the foot washing, Jesus told the apostles one of them would betray Him. He eventually pointed out it would be Judas. Then Jesus gave the apostles a new commandment, one which would replace the 613 laws of the old covenant. The commandment is so simple, but revolutionary: love one another as I have first loved you. Jesus told them all people would know they were His disciples if they loved one another. What a powerful statement! Jesus didn’t say all people would know they were His disciples by the love they had for the people, but for one another. When people see Jesus’ followers loving each other, serving each other, caring for each other, the message is clear: this is God’s love and they have both received it and share it with one another.  Eventually, those on the outside want to come in and receive it, too.

The chapter closes with Jesus telling the apostles He is leaving them and they won’t be able to follow. Peter promises to go wherever Jesus goes. But Jesus tells Peter before the night is over, he will deny even knowing Jesus three times. As usual, Peter protests and tells Jesus it will never happen. But Jesus always knows us better than we know ourselves, and as we know from our previous readings, Peter did end up denying Jesus three times, but that was not the end of the story. Thank God for Peter, and for us–our denials are not permanent unless we want them to be, because Jesus is ready to forgive us and move us forward when we fail or fall.

Isaiah 58 offers us examples of true and false worship, fasting, and keeping the Sabbath. The true examples honor the LORD, put Him first in every area of our lives, and when we keep the Sabbath we enjoy Him. The most extended examples of falseness in practicing faith come in the area of fasting. In Isaiah’s day it was common to wear sackcloth and put ashes on ones head and face to show you were mourning and/or fasting.  Jesus would condemn this practice in His Sermon on the Mount, but Isaiah condemns it here. When we fast, Isaiah tells us, the attitude of our hearts is most important. After all, what good is it to fast from food, while we are abusing our workers, or dishonoring any other person? When we read Isaiah 58 and compare it with Jesus’ teaching, we see the consistent truth: True worship comes from the heart out of our relationship with God, and then moves to the outward, visible parts of our lives. Unless that happens, any outward appearance of worship is nothing more than religion.

Isaiah 59 offers a lengthy list of the ways the people of Israel have turned against the LORD. As a result the LORD has turned away from them. Isaiah reminds the people the LORD’s love and mercy are not inadequate for them, but He withholds it from those who live in willful, purposeful sin. Toward the end of the chapter, the sins of other nations are brought to our attention, but for most of the chapter it is the sins of the LORD’s own people that are cause for judgment. At the end of the chapter the LORD reminds us that He will be seen and known by all nations, and He will judge sin wherever it originates.

Isaiah 60 offers a glorious picture of Jerusalem’s future! The images push us to consider what it will be like when Jesus returns. Even though Jesus had not yet come the first time when Isaiah recorded these words of the LORD, they tell us of a time when Jerusalem’s gates will never close, and people from every nation will bring gold, silver, and other precious items to her. Having recently visited Jerusalem, I can assure you that time has not yet  come, because some of the gates are not only closed, they are sealed shut. The LORD’s promises are always true, so He offers us glimpses of what it will be like when Jesus is reigning over His eternal Kingdom. Please, read this chapter and imagine what our ultimate future will be like, as we trust Jesus and live into His future with Him.

As we return to John 12, Jesus is moving toward His “glorification,” that is his arrest, trial, crucifixion, death, and resurrection. In this chapter, Mary anoints Jesus with expensive perfume, which causes an outcry from Judas and some others. The outcry came, because the perfume could have been sold and the money could have been used to feed the poor. Jesus tells them the poor would always be with them, but what Mary had done was to prepare Him for burial. This was a hint for them all that what He had been telling them all along, about His coming to die for all was near.

We read, too, about Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. A point John tells us that isn’t found in any of the other gospels is that the crowds had gathered, because Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. After this, the Jewish leaders determined to kill Lazarus along with Jesus, because so many were leaving their ranks to follow Jesus, because of the miracle of Lazarus being raised. Jesus gets into another disagreement with the religious leaders and the people, because He told them He would be dying soon. They didn’t believe the Messiah would die, so in their minds if He died, it would prove He was not the Messiah. Jesus pointed out He was the light of the world, and He was there to fulfill His Father’s purpose. As we see time and time again, the people didn’t understand, not even the apostles understood, Jesus’ purpose in dying to pay the penalty for all our sins, and then rising to life to establish that He had authority over both life and death. We might find it easy to criticize the people for not seeing who Jesus was, but we have the benefit of living on the resurrection side of Easter. They did not yet have that benefit. Once they did, they started the movement that continues to this very day!

Isaiah 55 is filled with the LORD’s promises to His people, and of descriptions of His amazing grace, mercy, compassion and wisdom. The chapter has so many quotable verses, nearly every one! Let’s focus on this:
⁸For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.⁹For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV)  As the heavens are higher than the earth…I have often thought about that statement. When we think we understand the LORD and His ways, we must always remember that His thoughts are as high above our as the heavens are above the earth! That means He is always simplifying everything for us so we can understand it. Just as we simplify things for our preschool-aged children, so the LORD must simplify everything He says and does for us. As He explains His great love and compassion in this chapter, I fast forward in my mind to Jesus. Jesus showed us in so many concrete ways what it means for the LORD to show us His love and compassion. No greater illustration exists of those qualities of the LORD than Jesus hanging on the cross to purchase our forgiveness from sin and death.

Isaiah 56 is divided into two distinct parts. In the first part we read the good news that eunuchs and foreigners will be welcomed among God’s people. The requirements are to keep the Sabbath and to keep the LORD’s covenant. This is the same requirement as that of the people of Israel, so the LORD was using Isaiah to tell everyone of their welcome into the people of God, so long as they were willing to live as His child.  Every “family” has rules of that family. While the father and mother will love the children unconditionally, belonging to the family requires following the rules. Otherwise, chaos develops. The LORD in a similar manner promises any who are willing to follow the family rules of His people are welcome. The latter portion of the chapter is devoted to condemning the leaders of Israel who let the people away. They had been charged by the LORD with guiding His “sheep,” but they were false “shepherds,” and the LORD’s wrath and judgment would come upon them. This gives us an important reminder that when the LORD puts us in positions of authority in His family, we are held to greater accountability as we carry it out.

Isaiah 57 is also divided into two distinct parts. In the first, the LORD condemns those who continue to practice idolatry. In explicit terms, He identifies their sin, and tells them they will be held accountable. Then the chapter turns and the LORD promises to forgive and receive those who are contrite in heart. This is always the way with the LORD. He cannot look on sin, nor does He ignore it. Yet, when we repent and turn to Him, He does not hesitate to receive and restore us.

As we return to John 11, we come to one of the most powerful accounts in the entire gospel, the account of the raising of Lazarus. Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha, are mentioned several times in the gospels. From the descriptions we find there, we know they were special friends of Jesus. Yet, when Lazarus became ill, and Mary and Martha sent for Jesus, Jesus din’t come. He let Lazarus die before He came to their home. In one of the most powerful interactions recorded in the gospels, Jesus speaks with Martha. She tells Jesus if He were there her brother wouldn’t have died. As they talk Jesus tells Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever, believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” Then Mary comes and is overcome with grief. We’re told in the shortest verse in the English Bible: Jesus wept. But it didn’t end there. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, which amazed everyone…everyone but the religious leaders. They realized Jesus’ power was going to eventually cause a conflict between Him, those who followed Him and the Romans. They decided then and there to sacrifice Him on behalf of the entire nation. They didn’t realize how that was the precise purpose for which He had come, and not only to be sacrificed for the nation of Israel, but for the entire world!

Isaiah 52 starts with a promise of the LORD’s redemption of Israel. In poetic language we are told that while she went into slavery without a cost, she will be redeemed without cost as well.

As we move to Isaiah 52:13, we see a great example of the truth the original scrolls of Isaiah were without chapter or verse markings, because Isaiah 52:13-53:12 is a unit. It is the clearest demonstration of the Suffering Servant being Jesus. As we read the text, we see example after example of how what the servant was going to do reflects what Jesus did. This model of the Messiah as a suffering servant was not at all what the people expected or hoped for in the time of Jesus. Many had given up hope the Messiah would come. Others anticipated the Messiah’s coming as the moment when the LORD would liberate Israel from the tyranny of Rome, and reestablish her as the focus of world power. As we read through Isaiah 52:13-53:12, we see the LORD’s focus was much deeper, and while on the surface “weaker” in the end much more powerful. Jesus came to set all of us free from sin and death, and to heal us at the deepest level–spiritually, emotionally, physically, in every way.  Read these verses together and thank the LORD for fulfilling this promise through Jesus!

Isaiah 54 tells us the LORD will establish an everlasting covenant with His people. While He was angry with them for a time, and rejected them, the time is coming when He will restore them and that restoration will never end.

As we return to John 10, Jesus uses the image of shepherding to show us who He is and what He is like. He offers two images: 1) He is the Door of the sheepfold; and 2) He is the Good Shepherd. Through the first image He tells us He protects us (the sheep) from harm, whether it be from natural predators or thieves. When He tells us He is the Good Shepherd, He brings to mind Psalm 23 where King David told us the LORD is our Shepherd. Jesus made it clear time and time again in John’s gospel that He is the Messiah, and He is God. The most powerful statement Jesus made about His work in John 10 is The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come that you may have life in all its abundance! (John 10:10) Again, Jesus’ clear statement about who He is and what He came to do caused an argument between Him and the religious leaders. They wanted to kill Him for His proclamations and for making Himself equal with God. Jesus countered that His works demonstrated who He was, but the religious leaders wouldn’t accept Jesus’ claims. We are left with the same choice as the religious leaders: accept who Jesus is, because of what He has done, or reject the evidence and Him. When people tell us our faith is unreasonable, they are the ones being unreasonable. While it does take faith to trust Jesus as Savior and Lord, the evidence that He is both is overwhelming!

Isaiah 50 offers us the comparison of Israel’s sin and the suffering servant’s obedience. We start with the stark reality of Israel’s disobedience to the LORD, and how the LORD punished her. Then we turn to the suffering of the LORD’s servant. We have specific mention of the servant’s willingness to suffer. He offered his back to those who would strike him, and his beard to those who would pluck it out. Both of these offenses happened to Jesus. While scholars have pointed to the Jewish people as a whole as the suffering servant, this chapter makes that untenable, because the people are unfaithful, while the servant is faithful.  We can’t say with absolute certainty the passage references Jesus, but we can say Jesus fits the description better than any character in Jewish history!

Isaiah 51 offers a severe mercy from the LORD to Israel. It starts by reminding us the LORD established Israel from Abraham and Sarah, a couple who were barren until He worked in their lives. From one person “Zion” became many, multitudes of people sprang from one. This was the LORD’s plan, but the people of Zion rebelled. The result? That had to drink the wine of the LORD’s wrath. This came in the form of pagan armies, famines and wicked leaders of their own. Isaiah doesn’t tell us that plainly, but it is implied in the poetry of the chapter. Nevertheless, the LORD has determined Zion will not end by drinking the LORD’s wrath, but they will be comforted, and restored. This is always the LORD’s message: You rebelled, but I will restore. We see that so clearly in our own lives as Jesus’ followers. We rebelled against the LORD, and He sent Jesus to restore us. We can choose to reject the solution, the redemption, the restoration, but the LORD’s work is to redeem and restore us.

As we return to John 9, Jesus and His disciples encounter a man who had been born blind. The disciples asked a question we might ask, “Who sinned? This man or his parents that he was born blind?” After all, being born blind must have been someone’s “fault.” But Jesus responded no one sinned. The man’s situation was so God could be glorified. Jesus healed the man, by spitting on the ground, making mud, and placing the mud in his eyes. Then he told the man to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. When the man did so, he came back seeing!  This caused quite a stir, but not for the reason we might think. While the man was enthusiastic about his healing, the religious leaders were less so. Why? Because Jesus had healed the man on the Sabbath.  They contended Jesus was a sinner, because he healed on the Sabbath. The man pointed out that God isn’t in the habit of answering sinners. When the Pharisees debated with the man further, he gave them the most amazing and simple answer: This I know. I was blind, but now I see. What a powerful testimony. We who know Jesus all have the testimony. I was spiritually blind, but now I see. I was angry, but now I am at peace. Jesus came to restore us to health and vitality. He does that physically, spiritually, emotionally, and in every way. The results are not always as immediate as with the blind man, who gained his sight, but the results are always there. Over time, we become more and more like Jesus as we live with Him as Lord and Savior. Whatever area of life is our area of need, Jesus calls us to turn to Him to receive wholeness.

Isaiah 48 is a reminder to Jacob and Israel that the LORD chose them, and called them to Himself. They were rebellious even before their birth, and as a result the many blessings the LORD had for them were short-circuited. In those days, the LORD’s covenant with the people was a conditional covenant. It was conditioned on their obedience. That meant they seldom received the full blessings of the covenant. While the LORD had promised David one of his descendants would sit on Israel’s throne forever, the LORD also made it clear that disobedience would be punished. The LORD brought up one of His promises, which was made to Abraham, that the descendants of Israel would be a great multitude, but it didn’t happen because of their disobedience. If we want to experience the fullness of God’s blessing in our lives, we must remember that while God’s love for us is unconditional, our obedience is required to receive the fullness of God’s blessing toward us.

Isaiah 49 offers us another servant song. Some contend the servant is all of Israel, but the prophecy speaks of the servant as being the one who delivers Israel. As we read this poem, we see once again the LORD’s great love for Israel and the lengths He was going to go to restore her. We have seen her partial restoration throughout history, most recently in 1948 when the nation of Israel was formed. But a time is coming when all of God’s people who have trusted His servant Jesus as Savior and LORD will be gathered forever as one, and in that day all the positive prophecies and blessings of the entire Bible will come to us, to those who are the citizens of heaven by virtue of our divine rebirth through the blood of Jesus.

As we return to John 8, we return to a story that exemplifies Jesus’ compassion: the story of the woman caught in the act of adultery. While the earliest manuscripts of John don’t have this passage, it is fully consistent with Jesus and the way He taught and lived. When the woman was brought by the religious leaders as a “test” for Jesus, they thought that had Him for sure. Because the woman was caught in adultery, the Mosaic Law required she be put to death. But the Jews had not authority to put anyone to death. That meant if Jesus condemned the woman, the Jewish leaders would turn Him over to the Romans. If He said to release her, they would say He was breaking the Mosaic Law. It was a lose-lose for Jesus. Except it wasn’t! Jesus told them to go ahead and stone her, but to have the one among them who had never sinned cast the first stone. We’re told they walked away from the oldest to the youngest. I’ve always appreciated that detail, because as a 61 year old, I’m quite aware of my sin, and remember my zealous younger days when I could easily overlook then when I was on my latest crusade.  When the woman was left alone with Jesus, He asked her where her accusers were. She said no one was left to accuse her. He said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” What a perfect mixture of truth and love. I don’t condemn you–love. Go and sin no more–truth.  We can only hope the woman took the mixture of truth and love and started a new life of truth and love in Jesus name.

After this Jesus spoke of Himself as the light of the world. This raised another argument between Him and the religious leaders. The end result of that was the religious leaders wanted to kill Jesus, because He called Himself “I am,” which is the name for God. Every chapter for the last several, we have been faced with the question, “Do we believe Jesus is who He says He is?” We must answer the question, because Jesus leaves us no choice.  Here we must come face-to-face with the question of whether Jesus is the Son of God, and if He is, then He is worthy of our worship and obedience!

Isaiah 45 shows us the LORD uses the leaders of other nations and their armies to bring about His will in history. It was King Cyrus of Persia who is mentioned by name in Isaiah 45. God selected him and used him in judging other nations, and in sending some for he people of Israel back to their native land from exile. They would rebuild the walls of Jerusalem as well as the Temple. While he was reigning over them, he required them to offer sacrifices on his behalf, but the end result was the nation of Israel was restored. As we look throughout history, the same has happened. The people of Israel have been scattered and decimated, but always the LORD brings them back. The remainder of the chapter reminds us once again that the LORD is their Savior, and He will always be with them.

Isaiah 46 reminds us the gods of Babylon, which King Nebuchadnezzar had proclaimed were the source of his might and strength, were destroyed. (Undoubtedly by the coming of the Persians, as in that day every conquering nation destroyed the idols of those they conquered, or collected them to show they were superior.) Once again the LORD reminds us of the futility of worship gods, even gods made of gold, because they are inanimate. They have no power, no ability to speak or act. Only the Lord is God and we must worship and serve Him alone.

Isaiah 47 is a brief condemnation of Babylon. The LORD reminds the Babylonians they thought their sorcery and their gods would uphold them forever, that they would never be cast down. Yet, the LORD tells them they will be destroyed and their women will become childless widows, which they said would never happen. The moral of this account is never trust in yourself or in your own ingenuity, but trust in the LORD and Him alone.

As we return to John 7, we find the crowds and the leaders once again debating over whether Jesus was or was not the Messiah. Jesus was not going to go to the Feast of Tabernacles, because He knew the Jewish leaders were out to get Him, but at the same time, He needed to go and teach the people. While He was teaching the leaders came against Him, but they didn’t arrest Him. When they sent the Temple Guard to arrest Him, these men came back saying no one had ever taught like Jesus! The leaders debated among each other, but Nicodemus spoke up and asked whether they condemned people without a hearing. The other leaders held him in contempt, but at the end they didn’t arrest Him for as the text tells us: His time had not yet come. Jesus’ time, His time to die on the cross for all of us was coming, but not at the moment, so He lived to teach, heal, and deliver for another day!

Isaiah 43 makes it quite clear that the LORD is Israel’s only Savior. Isaiah speaks eloquently of all the ways the LORD has shown Himself as Savior and deliverer of Israel. He considers Egypt a ransom for her. He makes a powerful statement that before Him there was no god, and after Him there shall be no other. He alone is God, and He has chosen Israel as His people. Despite Israel’s sin, despite their constant turning away, the LORD has not abandoned them.

Isaiah 44 offers us an interesting “sandwich.” I call it a sandwich because the “bread” is the LORD’s explanation that He is the Savior, redeemer and creator of Israel. The “meat” inside the sandwich is an explanation of the futility of idols. He explains that a carpenter takes a tree, albeit a special tree of cedar or oak, and uses half of it to heat his home and cook his food. The other half he fashions into an idol that he worships. How absurd, right? Yet, in our day, we often worship money, or success, or fame, or beauty, or ______ you fill in the blank with people or things that are no more gods than the piece of wood used by the carpenter in Isaiah’s illustration. There is only one, true, and living God. He created all things, He redeemed the world through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and He lives in all who call on Him through the Holy Spirit. Let’s be certain we don’t laugh at the foolishness of those who worshipped hand carved idols, while forgetting to worship the living God ourselves!

As we return to John 6, we return to one of the most challenging passages in Jesus’ teaching. First, Jesus feeds the five thousand (men, and many more including women and children) with only five loaves of bread and two fish. Afterwards, the people proclaim Jesus a prophet. Jesus leaves the crowd to pray. Meanwhile, the disciples cross the Sea of Galilee in a boat. Jesus comes to them at night walking on the water. The next day, the crowds find Jesus by walking around the lake. They ask Him how he got there? But Jesus cuts right to the point: You came not because of the miracles, but because I fed you.  The get into a long disagreement with Jesus, which ends with nearly everyone leaving Him, because He told them they had to “eat” His “body” and “drink” His “blood.” We understand Jesus was using a figure of speech, but they did not, so they left. Jesus made it clear once again, He was the Messiah, the Son of God, but the people weren’t receiving it. Finally, Jesus turned to the disciples, and asked, “Are you leaving, too?” Peter responded by saying Jesus had the words of life. Where would they go? We must also respond in the same way. Jesus’ teachings are sometimes hard, and it’s alway hard to follow Him as a humble servant, when the world calls us to flamboyant lives of indulgence. Nevertheless, Jesus’ way is the way, so we must choose whether to follow Him, to believe in Him, to do the Father’s will in that way and to receive eternal life, or to follow the world’s way, which ultimately leads to death both physically and spiritually.  Jesus never leaves us the middle road. He doesn’t permit us to stand on the fence. It’s either “Follow me,” or “Reject me.” Which do we choose today?

Isaiah 41 is a proclamation to Israel not to fear, because the LORD is with them. With many vivid images, we are told of how the LORD will restore His vanquished people. Perhaps the most vivid of all for me, having just returned from Israel, where much of the land is desert, the LORD says,
¹⁸I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys.I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. Isaiah 41:18 (ESV)  The LORD is always there to  meet our needs, and His love for the people of Israel is a sign to us that He will never leave us nor forsake us. Whatever trouble we might be experiencing right now, read Isaiah 41 and remember: fear not the LORD is with you!

Isaiah 42 offers us one of a number of “Servant Songs,” in which we see images of Jesus being prophesied. As we read through the entirety of Isaiah 42, and hear of the blind seeing, and the deaf hearing, we know the message was for those of Isaiah’s day, but was also for the people alive when Jesus walked the earth, and it is for us as well. We must be aware that Jesus, the Messiah, works wonders in every arena of life: the physical, the emotional, the spiritual, and even the social. After all, one day He will come and establish a new society, an everlasting Kingdom, where all the promises of Isaiah 42 will be yes, and amen.

As we return to John 5, we read again of Jesus healing the lame man by the pool of Bethesda. That miracle was amazing, yet the religious leaders took offense at it, because Jesus performed the miracle on the Sabbath. We have seen in our reading of the other gospels that the Pharisees were more concerned with Jesus “breaking” the Sabbath by healing the sick on it, than they were that the sick were sick in the first place. Here in John 5, Jesus offers a long discourse on His position in relationship to the Father, His authority to do what He does, and also the reality that even Moses testified to His coming, and His work among them. Jesus’ words made it clear to anyone who was listening that He was claiming to be the Messiah, and claiming to be equal to God. This was enough for the Pharisees to condemn Jesus, because they did not believe Him. That is always the case when it comes to Jesus: we must affirm Him for the God He is, or we must seek to destroy Him. No one can ignore one who claims to be the author of life, the God of creation. He is either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord as has been said by many over the centuries. Jesus can be ridiculed or lauded, but ignoring Him is not an option.