The Crucifiction

The Jews turned him over to Pilate. And Pilate turned him over to his soldiers. And the soldiers crucified him.

And during his time on the cross, Jesus demonstrated he had a different heart than normal people. Most people would focus on their present condition. Jesus took time to focus on:

• His mother, who he gave to John to care for her.
• One of the other thieves, who he assured was now in his family.
• The soldiers, and Jews, responsible for his death, to forgive them, and ask his Father to forgive them. 

If you are a follower of Jesus, if you have given him your allegiance, you recognize this day, that Jesus died, as the focal point of all history.

The punishment for the sin of all mankind fell on Jesus. He bore the punishment for those who give him allegiance. He bore the punishment of those who would never give him allegiance.

Father would re-boot his family making project. The way is open to reconciliation, to justification, to redemption, and to adoption.

The Holy Spirit moves closer to reclaiming mankind, marking and guaranteeing who God's children are. Filling the depths of his children's heart with his grace, his love, and his empowering. 

His followers did not realize it, but nothing in the cosmos would ever be the same. But they would soon.

The Arrest

After dinner, Jesus led the disciples to a garden to pray. Judas, knowing about the garden, also led soldiers there to arrest Jesus.

Peter took a sword, and attacked one of the servants, cutting off his ear. Jesus ordered Peter to stop, and healed the servant’s ear. Then, the soldiers took Jesus, and led him to the High Priest. And after he had questioned Jesus, he sent him to Pilate.

And after being questioned by Pilate, Pilate saw that he was innocent, and sought to have him released. But the Jews objected. So, Pilate had him flogged, and sought to have him released again. But when the Jews continued to object, in order to avoid a riot, Pilate gave Jesus to the soldiers to be crucified.

After his one act of bravado, Peter grew afraid. He denied he even knew Jesus three times. We will all find ourselves in Peter’s shoes at one time, or another. And we may succeed to stand up for him. And we may fail. But we should all be encouraged by Peter, because Jesus gave him another chance. And Peter made good use of that chance. God used him to bring the first 3000 members of his new family to him. He challenged the Sanhedrin. He brought the first Gentile, non-Jewish, people into God’s family.

God is the God pf second chances. And probably third, and fourth, chances.

I don’t think God gets excited when people are overcome by their failure, and feelings of guilt. If such feelings lead people to seek him, choose allegiance, and become part of his family, that’s good. But, being wrapped up in guilt means our focus is not where it should be. He wants our focus to be on:

• Love – service, sharing his love and good news, encouragement.
• Prayer – worship, praise, for blind eyes to see, for workers, healing.
• Thanksgiving – sonship, salvation, provision, God’s positive activity.

 

The Passover

Before Jesus was crucified, he celebrated the Passover with his disciples. The Passover was Israel’s celebration of God’s deliverance from Egypt. On that day, the Jews sacrificed a lamb, and smeared some of its blood on the lintel, and door posts of their houses. The blood marked that house as having people, who belonged to the God of Israel. Judgment would pass by that house. That night, they ate bread made without yeast. They needed to eat, but they needed to hurry, because they were preparing to leave their current life, and current home, behind.

During the meal, Jesus made several things very plain to his disciples. (Although, what he told them was so foreign to their thinking, judging by their actions in the next few hours, that the did not understand what Jesus was saying.)

First, he was going to be betrayed by one of his disciples.

Second, he was going to be delivered over to those who hated him, and killed.

Third, his death was, in reality, like the Passover lamb. His blood, like the lambs, would mark those who were his, and protect them from God’s judgment. His body was like the bread, sustenance leading to a new life.

This new Passover meal was a celebration of deliverance from a different cruel master – sin – and a transition to a new promised land.

Greatest in the Kingdom

Biblical prophecy can be like looking at a range of mountains. Individual peaks rise up, and appear to stand right next to each other. However, in reality, there is a valley between them.

When the Jews read the Scripture, they saw prophecy concerning God’s Promised One. They saw the Promised One on the throne of Israel, ushering in a golden age of peace and prosperity.

So, maybe, it’s not so strange for one woman, who believed that Jesus was God’s Promised One, and therefore, that the golden age was coming very soon, to ask Jesus to give her sons high positions in his kingdom.

She, like many of the Jews, saw the Reigning King mountain peak, but missed the Suffering Servant mountain peak. So, Jesus had an opportunity to teach two lessons.

First, in God’s kingdom, love rules. So, those, in the highest position, give the most. They are servants. Service is not just physical labor. Generosity is also service. Teaching, and encouragement, to enable people to live improved, more optimal lives, is also service. But, in all cases, a servant gives himself, and his resources, to meet needs, and to make someone else’s life better.

And that leads to the second lesson. God is a servant. And God’s Promised One is a servant. God’s Promised One in one particular way – by giving his life to ransom the world. To pay the price, so that each, and every person, living in the past, present, and future, can be delivered from sin, the devil, and the world, and brought into God’s family, and kingdom.

Not everyone will choose to receive this gift. But there is a gift for everyone, bought, and paid for.

Lazarus

Jesus received a message from his friends – Mary, Martha, and Lazarus – that Lazarus was very sick. Scripture goes great lengths to inform the readers that Jesus, and these three, have a very close relationship. Yet, Jesus remains where he is, on purpose, for two more days.

Jesus knows that if something is not done, Lazarus will die. He stays because God will move in Lazarus’ life as a powerful demonstration of who he is, and what he can do.

So, Jesus and the disciples return to Bethany. And Mary, and Martha, go to him. They go separately, but they have similar conversations with Jesus. “If you had been here …”

Life, and wholeness, is not derived from a set of rules. Life is derived from a relationship with a person. And to demonstrate that, Jesus has men remove the stone, that covers the tomb. And he calls Lazarus to come back form the dead. And Lazarus walks out of the tomb.

Life, whole, and optimal living do not come from following a system. They come from following a person.

Religious Behavior

The religious leaders did not like Jesus, because he did not behave like a religious teacher should. He did not follow their system.

Jesus did have expectations of behavior too. He expected each person to have a relationship with Father. And each one practice it with sincerity, genuineness, and authenticity. He expected each person to live expressing love to other people.

The Pharisees – or, at least, some of them – seemed to make a habit of publicly, and obviously, demonstrating that they kept the system. Were they saying: “All this is not my fault.” ? Or were they saying: “Look how good, noble, devoted, and pious I am.” ?

People don’t do family things to be noticed. People do family things, because they love their family. Because they like to be with, and do things with, their family.

We are part of God’s family. We ought to be with him, because we love him, and he loves us. “Doing our religion” ought to be a demonstration of that love. Giving to meet needs, prayer, worship, fasting – all of these should be natural moves of a heart motivated by love.

Prayer

And Jesus discusses prayer in other ways. Once, we have given our allegiance to Jesus, we become part of his family. And, as his child, we can approach him directly. We come to him through the work of Jesus. But, now we have our own relationship with him.

And Jesus encourages us to go to him with whatever is on our hearts, our needs, and our desires. And because he is our Father, he listens to us. Really listens with 100% focused attention.

And his inclination is to grant whatever we ask. His heart yearns to fulfill whatever is on our hearts.

He obviously does not. A child may yearn intensely to have “gummy worms” every day for dinner. It is actually cruel to grant that request. No matter how much we may like, and want, “gummy worms,” a consistent diet of “gummy worms” does not lead to optimal living.

And our hearts should become like his heart. Jesus told his disciples to pray for more workers in the harvest. How often do we pray this? How often is our hearts aimed at those who do not know him? His heart yearns for in increase of his family. Does ours?

The Pharisee and The Tax Collector

Jesus told another story about a Pharisee and a tax collector.

Both went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee praised God, because of his right standing through is obedience to God’s Law. The tax collector begged for mercy, because all he saw was his own sin.

I have a theory about the Pharisees. (As it is a theory, it may be true, but it might also not be true.) They read the Scriptures, and saw all the places where God said: “You are my people. I will bless you.” Then, they looked at history: the Philistines, Assyria, Babylon, and Rome. And they said: “That’s not good. What happened?”

So, they read more Scriptures: “Obey me, and I will bless you. Disobey me, and you’re in trouble.” The, they looked at more history, and said: “Oh, yeah. My bad.”

The say that the bad, that happened to Israel, was a result of their disobedience. So, to get good results, they needed to work hard at obeying God. So, they asked: “How do we obey God?” And they studied, and they mapped it all out. They developed a system. Obey the system, you’re good with God. Disobey the system, and you’re the cause of all the bad stuff.

So, the Pharisee, praising God in the temple, is saying: “I’m keeping the system. So, I know God is pleased with me. The bad stuff is not my fault.”

They did work hard to obey God, but it was in all the superficial areas. They tithed, but the were not loving, merciful or compassionate. They should be obeying all of God’s word.

The tax collector was honest with God. He knew he sinned, and could only stand before God if God extended mercy, and grace. The Pharisee was deluded, because he only obeyed part of the Law. And the easy part at that.

The Two Sons

Then, Jesus tells another story about a family: a father, and two sons. One son was a rebel, who had no love for his family. The other son was a do-gooder, dutiful, and hardworking.

The rebel son wanted whatever property, or money, he would receive when his father died now! The only value his father, and his father’s work, had for him was how big of a party he could throw.

Amazingly, even the son practically yelled at the top of his lungs “I hate you! I hate it here! I can’t wait to get out of here!” his father gave him his inheritance. He turned it into cash, left the area, and started one long continuous party, for as long as the money lasted.

And he does run out of money … right in the middle of a famine. He can’t provide for himself. And he can’t get a job that can provide what he needs.

Suddenly, a light turns on. He remembers his father, and life back home. He knows not one of the people, who work for his father, are going hungry, or are lacking anything.

So, he packs up, goes home, and prepares to eat humble pie. He meets his father, confesses he screwed up, and all he is looking for now is a job.

But his father is so glad he is home, safe, and well, that he throws a party to celebrate.

The do-gooder son worked hard, and did everything his was supposed to do. And he gets angry when he finds out that his brother – the selfish, self-centered, brat! – has returned, and his father is celebrating.

The do-gooder son does not have the father’s heart. The father realizes that life is not all play. The father realizes that the rebel son has made decisions that have hurt his life, and negatively affected his life in all areas.

But the father loves both his sons. And the rebel son has made a vital decision: he chose to move back into relationship with his father.

The story is about God’s heart. God is serious about how people live. Their behavior, and lifestyles, affect themselves, their destiny, and how God is represented. Optimum living is derived from how close one keeps to how one is designed.

But God loves everyone. Those who walk away from him. And those who walk with him.

And because the number one, foremost item that brings wholeness, and completion, to people in life is a relationship with Father, he celebrates each, and every, one who chooses to return, and walk with him, no matter where they are coming from.

The Neighbor

Jesus challenged the expectations of what a life that pleased God looked like. One man asked him how someone achieved right standing with God.

Jesus flipped it around. “You read the Scriptures. What do you think God says?”

The man responded: “Love God first. Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus answered: “You’re correct.”

Scripture says the man sought to justify himself. “Who is my neighbor?”

So, Jesus told a story about a man who was beaten, and robbed. The robbers left the man bleeding, and unconscious by the side of the road.

Two leaders of the community passed by the man, pretending not to notice him. These two men were regarded by the community as ones who followed God the best, and were, therefore, ones to emulate. But they failed to show love to someone in need. They lacked compassion, and didn’t want to get involved in something messy.

Another man passed by, and had a different response. He provided care, food, and shelter … and paid for it.

This man was from a group of people view with contempt by the Jewish nation. Yet, he obeyed God’s command to “love your neighbor,” where the men, who should be God’s best, failed.

Life in God is not talking, or teaching, about how we should live. Life in God is about obeying God.

Jesus did not command us to make converts, or church attenders. He commanded us to make disciples. That is, persuade people to give allegiance to Jesus, and have a lifestyle that does what Jesus said, and does what Jesus did.

The Woman at the Well

Jesus was in Jerusalem. He and the disciples bean to travel back to Galilee. To do that, they had to travel through Samaria.

Samaria had at one time been part of Israel. It was part of the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh. When the Kingdom was divided after the death of Solomon, it became part of Israel, which walked away from God, and followed other Gods. So, the inhabitants had varying degrees of Jewishness, and followed lots of religious practices. And the Jews generally looked down on them, and held them in contempt.

So, the disciples prepared to camp outside one of the cities. They went into a town to get food, and Jesus waited by a well outside the town.

A woman came out of the town to get water from the well. And Jesus asked her for a drink of water. Given the contempt the Jews held for the Samaritans, as well as the commonly held Jewish belief that he would be spiritually polluting himself by drinking from her jar, speaking to the woman was astounding.

So, she began a discussion of religious practices, comparing the Jews and the Samaritans. Like the Jews, she was waiting for the Messiah, who would deliver the people, and set all things right.

And Jesus told her three important things:

• Worship would change. It would not be associated with a building, or a place. It would be connected to truth, and a heart linkage with the Father.
• The Messiah would come and set things right. He did not tell that at this time, putting things right would involve a sacrifice for sin, and a creation of a new family for God.
• And he said he had water that would quench her thirst forever. I don’t know if she realized he was speaking figuratively, but when she asked for some of this water, he revealed he knew about her home life, and marital status. (That she was not married, but was living with her boyfriend. Which means she was also held in contempt by her neighbors.)

These three things stirred her heart, and she went back into town and told her neighbors. And that stirred up her neighbors, so that the whole town walked out to the well, to see and hear Jesus. And Scripture says the whole town believed Jesus, that he was the Messiah, that worship would change, and that people would receive something from God that would quench the thirst in their hearts.

And it was not just for the Jews. It was for all people.

The Paralytic

Jesus is teaching a large group of people in a house. Many houses at that time were built around an open courtyard. The court often had a lattice over it to provide shade. (That’s what it sounded like to me. I might be wrong though.)

Jesus is probably standing in the courtyard. It could accommodate the most people in the house. And Scripture points out that there are Pharisees, and other religious leaders, in the crowd.

Some men carry a paralytic to the house, to be healed by Jesus. But it is too crowded. They can’t get near the door. So, they climb to the roof, remove some of the lattice work, and lower the man down in front of Jesus.

And Jesus, observing the men’s faith, proclaimed that the man’s sin was forgiven.

The Pharisees, immediately, got into an uproar. No one could forgive sin, but God alone. Jesus was a man, and had no such authority.

So, Jesus asked: which is easier? You’re forgiven? Or rise and walk? And the obvious answer is: you’re forgiven, because no visible, tangible response is expected. Rise, and walk, expects a paralyzed man to move.

So, Jesus responded: To demonstrate that I have the authority to forgive sins, … And he commands the man to rise, and walk. And the man gets up and goes home.

Jesus’ miracles were a demonstration of his love, and kindness, toward people. But, they were also a demonstration of his God-given authority. Authority to change the world. Authority to be the forgiver of mankind’s sin. By faith in what he did, and giving him our allegiance, we take up what he gives, and we walk in a new way of life.

The Picnic

Jesus, and his disciples, travel to the far side of the Sea of Galilee. (This quite possibly happened on the same trip, when Jesus freed the demon-possessed man The location described – the modern day Golan Heights – is approximately the same.) And, possibly, it is a different trip, and the people from the surrounding villages come to this area, because of that miracle.

The people come to a deserted place, and only one person brings any food. After discussing this problem with the disciples, he has people sit, borrows the one person’s lunch, thanks God, and proceeds to pull enough food from the one person’s lunch bag – with enough food for one person – and feeds 15,000 people with it. (The disciples only counted the men, and there were 5,000 of those. So, I am assuming an equal number of women and children.)

Somebody realizes that if they put Jesus in charge, he could provide for everyone. They were choosing to “follow” Jesus from self-interest, not love, or a realization of truth, that Jesus was God’s Messiah. So, Jesus withdrew from there.

And when the disciples returned by boat, Jesus walked on water to re-join them.

And the next day, the people also crossed the water by boat, to find Jesus. And Jesus calls them on it. The sought Jesus, not from love, loyalty, a commitment to truth, or even curiosity. They sought Jesus to avoid working to feed themselves.

Jesus urges them to seek “eternal” food. “Food” that will fill their spirit, and soul.

The people asked how to do God’s works. (Are they asking how to get right with God? Or how to do miracles?) Jesus tells them, God wants them to believe in, and follow, God’s Promised One. And they ask for a sign. This always amazes me. The just saw Jesus feed 15,000 people with one person’s lunch, and now they need another miracle. Gosh! Anything but give their hearts to Jesus. Or are they just fixated on themselves, and their needs? They cite God feeding Israel manna.

Jesus says He is true food. He is God’s provision for true life. Provision for the body is important. But it is a relationship with the Father that provides for the inner life, as well as eternity. We need that fuel at least as much as physical food. Giving our allegiance to Jesus gives access to the Father’s fuel. And mankind is short-sighted, self-indulgent, and motivated only by self-interest.

The Demon-Controlled Man

They sailed to the Gerasenes. This was outside of Israel, inhabited by gentiles. (Notice the pigs. Jesus went on a short-term mission trip.)

There was a demon-controlled man living in the area. The people in the area could not control him. He broke out of everything they tried.

The demons in the man saw Jesus get out of the boat, recognized him, and knew they were in trouble. The man ran up to Jesus, and said: “Don’t hurt us, Jesus!” Jesus allowed the demons to enter 2000 pigs nearby.

The men, who watched the pigs, ran into the city; and everybody in the city, came out. The man with the demons – who nobody could control – sat calmly, and normally, with Jesus.

And they began to get frightened, because there was something bigger than demons, and pigs, here. They begged Jesus to go home.

The man, who had the demons, asked Jesus if he could go with him. Jesus told him to go home, and tell his family and friends, all that God did for him. And the man told his story to the entire area.

God is the ideal Father. He invites all people to a stored relationship, and to return to his family. He wants to encourage, and bless, his family.

But he loves all. He wants all to be restored to relationship. And he wants to encourage, and bless, all.

Without allegiance to Jesus, there is no restoration, no relationship. Without relationship, people are not restored to fulfillment of their design. So, God could feed everyone, house everyone, and their lives would still not be complete.

But he will give healing, and provision, in order to facilitate some giving allegiance.

The man sought to follow Jesus. Maybe Jesus did not let him join his merry band, because he was a gentile, and would not be accepted among Jews. But Jesus made him whole, and gave him a mission. One he carried out, exceeding his assignment. Not all who say they follow Jesus, do half of what he assigns them.

The Storm

Jesus had spent the day teaching people along the sea. When it starts getting dark, he says to the disciples: “Let’s sail to the other side.”

They get into a boat, and begin sailing. And Jesus lays down, and goes to sleep.

As I understand it, the topography, around the Sea of Galilee, funnels the wind down to the water’s surface. So, it is possible to have sudden, fierce, storms. And that’s what happened on this trip. A bad storm strikes the small boat. The disciples – many of whom are seasoned fishermen, some on that sea, used to storms – began to grow frightened at the storm’s severity. They began to fear being swamped, and drowning in the storm.

And Jesus slept.

They woke him finally, and said: “We’re all going to die!!”

Jesus stood up, looked the storm in the eye, and said “Ssh!” And the wind, and the waves, became still and quiet.

And Jesus asked: “Where is your faith?”

People everywhere have faith. The disciple’s faith was in their experience at sea, and the soundness of the boat. But the storm was bigger than both.

Jesus’ faith was in the Father, who is bigger that all things.

People have trials, problems, issues, frustrations, storms, emergencies, and catastrophes. They have faith in their skills, plans, bank accounts, and support system. (And it is not bad to have any, or all, of these. Indeed, Father thinks it is wise, and good, to have these.) And some have faith in their God-experiences. But they are all-finite. Because they are finite, they will all fail at some point.

Only one will not fail. Only one is worth putting our faith on.

Jesus’ trust, and reliance, was ultimately in his Father. God puts us into family, gives its, talents, and abilities. All this to support and help us. But, we need to view these things as temporary gifts. Our faith needs to rest on God, our eternally present Father.

The Fast

After John’s anointing, Jesus went into the wilderness. He fasted for forty days. As he had a practice of getting alone to pray, it seems likely that this was an extended time to prepare for his upcoming ministry.

While in the wilderness, the enemy cam to tempt him. Scholars generally divide temptation into three areas. Scripture gives three examples of the temptations. Jesus faced one for each area. And Jesus responded with quotes from Scripture.

Scripture says that Jesus was tempted in every way that people are tempted. Yet he did not sin. Because he was without sin, he was a sacrifice without spot or blemish. Because he was without sin, he was our example in dealing with temptation. (Prayer and scripture.)

Jesus began his ministry demonstrating how to defeat the devil. And demonstrating how he is able to defeat the devil for all of us.

The enemy deceived the first people to break their connection with Father. It is God’s heart to bridge that connection, restore right relationship with his family.

He is ready, willing, and able to defeat the enemy. And he is preparing to take that step.

The Herald

God has revealed his plans with prophetic words, and pictures. God has revealed the Promised One with fulfilled prophecy, and a army of worshiping angels.

And God said he would send a prophet to be a herald of the Promised One.

John proclaimed the need to choose a new life path. And he proclaimed that another of God’s messengers was coming. John immersed people in water, as a symbol of this choice they were making. The Promised One would immerse people in the Holy Spirit, as a result of the choice, and as an enabling to live a new life. The Spirit is the primary component of man’s restoration to his original design, as well as the primary component of man’s restored relationship to the Father.

Jesus came, and was baptized by John, though Jesus never sinned, but to declare Jesus’ alignment with the Father, and to declare Jesus’ position as God’s Promised One. For, as he arose from the water, God declared, and John heard an audible voice: “This is my Son.”

Although, John did not fully understand God’s plan, he did recognize God’s choice, and he continued to proclaim Jesus as the Promised One.

God does not want his children to walk in the dark. He wants them to know who to follow, and who to trust.

The Birth

Finally, the moment in history arrived. The angel, Gabriel, appears to Mary, and proclaims that it was time for God to send the Promised One. And, because God said in Scripture – a prophetic indicator – that the Promised One would be born of a virgin, the Holy Spirit would come, and create the baby in her womb. And Mary agreed in obedience.

Then, because of a Roman ordered census, she and Joseph, her espoused husband, traveled to Bethlehem – another prophetic indicator. The baby was born in humble circumstances. Mary needed to use, an animal feeding trough as a cradle.

In one way, it must have seemed that nothing of consequence had happened. An ordinary birth, in an ordinary town, to ordinary parents. But an angel army appeared to a group of shepherds. A star appeared to a group of scholars in the East. And prophetic words were spoken to two older people, proclaiming the arrival of God’s Anointed One.

In reality, the world system has just flipped upside down, and inside out.

The Prophecy

God has promised, since the day man fell, to send One, who would crush the works of the enemy. It is not God’s desire that man walks in the dark. He has given several ways, times, and events, that reveal his intentions.

He sent another man with a message for the people. The message was about the One, who God was sending.

God exalts this Person, and held him in high esteem. But, he is not someone the people would expect. He would be lowly in life. People would not esteem him. Indeed, people would even consider that he was rejected by God.

But the message specifically says that he was pierced, crushed, and struck down. All this, because of our sins, and transgressions. All of the punishment for our rebellion fell on him.

He did nothing wrong. He did not sin. So, he became the perfect sacrifice for sin. He became the complete sacrifice. When we give our allegiance to Jesus, and the Father, this sacrifice is credited to us. Our account is forever paid in full.

Our lives are changed, because our hearts are changed. Moving to, and growing with, our God-given design becomes full, and satisfying. Sin grows distasteful.

God’s heart is for love, joy, and peace. Sin leads to selfishness, misery, animosity, and commotion. Our relationship with Father is vital, central, and necessary to move us toward God’s heart for us. This act of service, and sacrifice, of this Person was the watershed moment of history. The ability of an individual to recognize it is the watershed moment of that person’s life.

The Song

There is a large section of the Bible, that is a collection of songs and poems. One of the more well-know poems is a comparison of God as a shepherd, and God’s people as sheep.

The writer, David, was a king of Israel. But growing up, he was a shepherd, responsible to watch, and care for, his family’s sheep. He knew what was necessary to care for sheep. He knew what they needed to be whole, and healthy. And he knew the bad habits, wrong attitudes, and mindsets of sheep. And how they got into trouble without a shepherd – a good shepherd – to watch over them.

Sheep need good, healthy grass. Sheep will destroy and entire meadow by eating every last morsel of plant life. The meadow will become a desert, and a wasteland. And the sheep will remain in the former meadow, looking in vain for anything green.

So, a wise shepherd will move the flock from place to place. This keeps the sheep well-fed, and the pasture land remains healthy.

Sheep need good, clean water. They will drink the water, but also use it as a lavatory. So, the shepherd needs to encourage the former, and – to keep the flock healthy – discourage the latter.

Sheep also need still water. Apparently, sheep frighten easily. They have been know to stampede, if while they are drinking, a sudden gust of wind causes ripples on the water. (I seem to remember someone saying that sheep can be frightened, when they go to drink, and they see their reflection in the water.) If the sheep scatter out of fear, the shepherd needs to track them down, repair any damage they do to themselves in their panic, and gather them together again. All sorts of damage, and problems, can occur, because of panicked reactions.

The poem goes on to underscore disease prevention, and treatment, protection from enemies, and maintaining the environment. In all of these situations, it is the presence, and the actions, of the shepherd that make the difference between life and death. Safety, peace, and security as opposed to disaster. Health and wholeness as opposed to pain, disease, and suffering.

Like sheep, people are designed to function better, when they are in relationship to the Shepherd. We need to move, while in connection, and communication, with our Shepherd. Itg is best if we think, speak, and act, in ways that do not disrupt the connection, but rather enhances the connection.

The Sacrificial System

Scripture says that sin breaks the relationship between God and man. People are unable to live out their design. Sin degrades the meaning, and significance, of man’s life. The God-man relationship, which is the main, and essential, factor for meaning and significance is broken.

The Old Covenant said: if someone sins, when they recognize the sin, they should offer a sacrifice to repair the broken God-man relationship.

People sin. Sometimes intentionally. Sometimes unintentionally. But intention does not matter. Any sin breaks the relationship between God and man.

These sacrifices show the seriousness of sin, and the broken relationship. A sacrifice should be made for each sin. And sacrifice is costly. But it is not God’s final solution.

In the Old Covenant, sacrifice was God’s method of dealing with sin. But sacrifice only covers sin. It only hides sin. Man’s sacrifice is not strong enough to satisfy God’s justice. Man’s sacrifice cannot remove sin.

If man’s sacrifice was sufficient, it would completely, and permanently, meet God’s requirements. But, both the giver and the gift are imperfect. But, there is God’s final solution.

NOTE: God gave the Law to reveal to people the completeness of sin. In other words, people cannot say: “Yes, I mess up in this area, but I do pretty good in these areas, and I’m really good in these areas.” In reality, we are broken in all areas.

God gave the sacrificial system to reveal to people the extent of sin. In other words, people cannot say: “Yes, I sin in all areas, but only a little.” In reality, we sin more than we realize, and, certainly, more than we admit.

The Law

God’s people have fled a natural disaster to a land of refuge. Then, they left that land, which became a land of oppression, after the Lord delivered them. Then, they returned to the land given to them, to build God’s family.

God brings them to a mountain, where they will stay for a time. They will prepare to enter into a covenant with God.

A covenant is similar to a contract. But it is different, in that a contract is based on legal penalties. A covenant is based on promises. Marriage is the most commonly understood covenant. And it is becoming more like a contract, because of pre-nuptial agreements. But, covenants are based on the character of those keeping the covenant. So, God is eternally faithful, and completely, and totally, honest. He will always keep his promises. He will always uphold his covenants.

People not so much.

Even when people enter covenants sincerely, fully intending to keep them, they cannot always do it. Circumstances often work against them. They are simply not strong enough, no matter how hard they try.

The covenant that Israel entered into, with God on that mountain, was based on their desire to follow God, and their agreement to follow his Law.

God’s Law falls into two basic parts. One, to honor, and worship, the one true God alone, above all other gods. Two, to honor other people in thought, word, and deed. And no matter our good intentions, and desires, no one — not Israel, not us — has successfully completed that covenant. There are passages in the Bible, where the writers explain that this covenant was made to demonstrate our failure to keep it. It was made to show our need for another, different kind of covenant.

God Illustrates the Plan #2

The family of the man and woman began to grow. But, while it was still relatively small, the needed to move to Egypt for refuge, because of a natural disaster.

And, because God warned the family about the natural disaster, the family was able to warn the nation of refuge, who were then able to prepare.

But, after a time, the family grew to nation size, and “what have you done for me lately?” was a popular mind set, even back then. So, the nation of refuge began to view the family/nation as a threat. And the nation of refuge became the nation of oppression.

So, God’s family/nation began to seek his help. And God acted. He began to show that he was superior to this nation, to their gods, to their king, and their army, by a series of disasters. Culminating in death going to each household, that did not identify with God, by using a sign that God specified. The blood of a sacrificed lamp on the door, marked those who identified with God.

And God inaugurated the first holiday for this family/nation. Each year, they were to set aside time to remember the oppression, and God’s extraordinary acts of deliverance.

The family/nation was in a position of being slowly, but surely, destroyed. If they acted on their own, they would have only accelerated the destruction. They were helpless, and hopeless.

God’s motivation, intention, and plan is to bring peace, joy, and love to the peoples of the world. Ultimately, this means restoring his original plan, and people’s relationship with him.

This is another picture. God delivering the helpless, and hopeless, when they identified with God, through the blood of a lamb — a substitute.

God Illustrates the Plan #1

So, the man and his wife moved to the land God directed them to. And, after many years, the man and the woman had a son.

And God told the man, that he would build his family through this son. Through the son’s children, God would produce the people group to represent him. Through the son’s children, God would produce that one person, who would become the way, and means, to a restored relationship between God and man.

But then, God commanded the man to offer his son as a burnt offering.

This must have been very confusing. God says it’s wrong to kill the innocent. God says this boy will be the start of a large people group, and the ancestor of God’s Savior. And God says, give this boy as an offering.

Did God lie?

It is against God’s nature to lie. So, the man believed God’s promise. And he believed God’s command. So, how could God create a family, and a people, through this boy, if he was sacrificed? It says in another part of Scripture, that the man knew God created the world. If the boy was killed, as a sacrifice, and his body burned, God was able to re-assemble his atoms, and breather life into the boy. In short, God could keep his promise, and he could obey the command, because God would restore him from the dead.

So, he acted to obey God. And when the son asked, why didn’t they have a lamb for the sacrifice, the man responded that God would provide.

But, instead of raising the dead, God told the man to stop, just in time. And he provided a ram for the sacrifice.

Sometimes, God’s commands are difficult to obey. God never contradicts his Word. God will never command sin. He will only command what will complete his design, and give life. Scripture says that love fulfills his commands. So, he will only command what shows love.

Sometimes, God’s commands are difficult to obey. But people are able to obey them. People will always be better off, if they obey them. And the world will be better if people obey God’s commands.

NOTE: Throughout history, God gave pictures of his heart for people. Here the picture of man, who rebels against God, and his ways. Each one will pay with his life for that rebellion. Except God provides a substitute. The substitute is sufficient to meet the requirements of God’s justice, and the depth of man’s helplessness. He gives us his sufficiency.

The Start of the Solution

Then, God begins a plan to rebuild his family. A plan that will take thousands of years to complete.

God chooses a man to begin his family. He sends the man, and his immediate family, to a place far from his birth family. He sends them far away, so his birth family would not have a controlling effect on what he will do.

God tells the man that his family will become a large people group. And this people group will bless all people groups everywhere.

God intends that this people group will represent him, and demonstrate who he is. The world will see the nature of the one Creator God in this people group. And from this people, God will produce a man, who will be the bridge between God and man. This man will enable all mankind to move back to a restored relationship with Father.

God is able to build this bridge. And the man will be able to cross it. The relationship that defines what life was intended to be, and what man was designed to be, can, and will be, rebuilt.

In reality, we see that the people does a pretty poor job of demonstrating who Father is. They fail, because they are broken, like all people are broken.

But, they do produce God’s bridge. The man, who by his life, and his choices, enables all mankind to have restored relationships with the Father.

Continuing to Fall

After  the Fall, Scripture continues wit the story of God, man, and God’s work to reclaim, and rebuild, is family.

Mankind chose to walk away from God’s way. And the world broke. And mankind continued to walk away from God. So, the world grew darker. Violence increased and expanded.

Scripture says God looked at the state of the world, and found virtually everything was bad. The only place he found any good was in a man named Noah.

Noah found favor, because he continued to seek relationship with God. Mankind still has the power to choose. Though, polluted, and broken, we can choose to move God’s way, and walk with him, even if we stumble, and stub our toes the whole way.

So, with the possibility of God’s family, and God’s way, being wiped out in a flood of brokenness, and rebellion, God decides that a cleansing, and a reboot, are in order.

So, thousands of miles from the sea, God tells Noah to build a boat. A really big boat.

“Hey, Noah! Wotcha building?”

“You’re building a what?!?!”

Scripture says it took Noah 120 years to build this boat. And each day, he was given the opportunity to explain what he was doing, and why. And each day:

• People though Noah was crazy.
• They rejected what he said.
• They ignored God, and what he said.
• And maybe, they even liked the way things were.

But no one joined Noah. No one agreed things were bad. No one chose to walk God’s way.

So, when the boat was finished, God sent a pair of every kind of animal. And they went into he boat. Then, Noah and his family went into the boat. And God sealed them in safely.

Then, God sent torrential rains which flooded the earth, and destroyed all life … except for what was preserved in the boat.

God reveals his heart in this story. His heart is for preservation. His heart is for people to live out their design, in relationship with him, and other people.

And God spent a lifetime – 120 years – trying to persuade people to change what they followed. He is patient. He is persistent.

And man reveals his heart in this story. Some will realize God’s design is best. And some will pursue that design, which will mean choosing allegiance to him.

And some, even in the face of disaster, and decaying circumstances, will continue to pursue their own way. Which does not work.

The Fall

Of course, things did not stay perfect. One look at the world should convince everyone of that.

The serpent came to the woman, and asked: “Did God really say?” In reality, he calls God a liar. He is saying God is not trustworthy.

The woman listens. And the man does nothing. The woman is convinced, and breaks God’s one, and only, law. And the man listens. And he breaks God’s one, and only, law.

And everything changes. And everything breaks.

God finds out, and brings it to the man and the woman. And they push the blame elsewhere.

All that is bad, broken, or corrupt, follows from this law breaking. And the brokenness pervades all creation.

Relationships are strained. Men and women strive for control. (With men prevailing, because of greater physical strength.) Natural functions, and processes, become difficult and painful.

The fuels of life are still necessary, but no longer satisfy. Because of the labor needed to produce, the physical fuels are less effective. Because of broken relationships, the spiritual fuels are polluted, and therefore, less fulfilling. Community is broken. And the primary relationship between Father and his children is broken. We can see some health, and wholeness, in people, because there is still love, beauty, and community. But these things are polluted. They can only be purified by our relationship with Father. And as it is broken, all other spiritual fuels ae less effective.

The only ray of hope is a sort of obscure promise God gives, that the woman’s offspring will crush the head of the serpent, even though he will be bitten in return.

Creation

God created the universe. The bible says he created part of creation, each day, over several days. He could have created everything at once. But following this process, he established a pattern of work, and rest, within creation.

And God created everything good. “Good” encompasses a lot of things. God made creation pleasing to the senses. Of excellent quality. Beneficial in effect. God is not just a creator. He is a brilliant engineer, a master planner, and a master artist. What he creates provides for the body, the mind, and the soul. And creation perfectly takes care of, and sustains, itself.

Creation was a perfect place. It had all that men needed, or wanted.

On the last day of work, God created man. Then, he created a garden, and put man in it. He put man into a perfect environment. It not only satisfied their physical needs, it satisfied the needs of their inner man. There were physical fuels. And there were spiritual fuels.

In order for people to function optimally, the need both physical and spiritual fuels. The need sufficient protein, vitamin C, vitamin D, and zinc. The also need sufficient love, purpose, beauty, community, and meaning.

And the garden had sufficient supply to feed the body. And it had beauty. There was meaningful work in caring for the garden. There was community: first with the Father, and then, with other people. Love, and meaning, came with that community.

Mankind had all that it needed, physically and spiritually. Creation was perfect.

The Vine

The last message is: “I am the vine.” Jesus sets up a metaphor that compares God’s family to a vineyard, specifically a grape vine.

Jesus himself is the vine. And all God’s children are branches off the vine. And the purpose of God’s children — or the purpose of the branches — is to produce fruit.

The fruit is connected to the branches. The branches are connected to the vine. And all are connected to the root. It is this connection that provides everything a branch needs to thrive, to grow, and to produce fruit.

So, what is fruit? One way to define fruit is: Effects of the Holy Spirit, and God’s love, flowing through people. Another way is: Anything you can think of that you can say “this is what God wants.”

Does God want a bigger family? Does God want children who are whole? Physically? Emotionally? Psychologically? Spiritually? Does God want love, and peace, between people? Locally? Globally? Did God create a perfect environment, so people would have something to mess up?

If you are a child of God, you are a branch on the vine. If you are a branch, you are supposed to bear fruit. And according to this passage, the key to having the Spirit, and love, of the Father  flow through you to produce what God wants, is connection.

Part of connection is the Spirit of God making his home in a person’s inner core. But, lifetime patterns of sin blocks, distorts, or filters out God’s Spirit. God’s love is polluted by our sin. God makes his home, by his spirit, in our lives, as his guarantee that we are members of his family. One goal of God’s children is to allow the Spirit to flow from our lives freely, and purely.

So, God made the initial connection, when we gave him our allegiance. How do we maintain that connection? Sometimes, we need to renew, or refresh, that connection. How do we do that?

Restoring, refreshing, or enhancing our connection with Father should be continual, and on-going. Followers of Jesus have traditionally prescribed a daily reset. Prayer, reading, and meditating on, Scripture are the center of this reset. Some people practice personal worship. Each step of these spiritual disciplines should be one more pin hole in a person’s sin life, allowing Father’s Spirit, love, and grace, to flow into the world.

Scripture encourages continual prayer. Which highlights the importance of maintaining connection, and regular resets during the day. And something God will use different experiences to also poke holes in the sin life.

It seems a little counter-intuitive. The effect of God’s family in the world is not related to how much time, money, work and energy are expended. (Though the reality of the connection will be demonstrated through those areas.) It is related to our connection to God, and how freely we let him flow through us.