Tag: Christ

Follow Me (Mark 1:14-20)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
Come Follow Me, by Jorge Cocco Santángelo 

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the good news of God and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him. (New Revised Standard Version)

For all the talk of leadership, developing leaders, and being a leader, there is precious little conversation these days about becoming a follower. Perhaps we have such a dearth of leadership for this very reason, because one can only become a good leader if they experientially know what being a follower is.

The Call of Jesus

The call of Jesus is to pursue him, and he will develop us. Follow Jesus, and he’ll show you how to fish for people. All of Christ’s original disciples listened to Jesus, dropped everything they were doing, and immediately followed him.

I am wondering what would make you drop literally everything you are presently doing to pursue an entirely new life. I am curious what would cause you to follow Jesus without any conditions attached whatsoever. 

I am impressed that Peter and Andrew immediately responded to Jesus. They didn’t question Jesus as to whether this was a short term project or a long term assignment he was calling them to. They did not seek a contract with Jesus or ask how he would impact their stock portfolio. 

The first disciples simply dropped everything and left with Jesus.

I suspect they followed Jesus for the same reason I originally decided to follow him – because Jesus is such a compelling person, so gracious, interesting, and loving, that it was really no decision at all. Everything else pales in comparison with Jesus.

Read all four Gospels and the book of Acts and you will find that believers in Jesus follow Jesus; and those who do not follow Jesus are not believers. Followers follow, and those who do not follow are not Christ’s followers.

Jesus still calls people. He calls us to follow him and he will make us fishers of humanity. Maybe you are concerned about this and say, “I have no idea how to fish for people.” The good news is that Jesus said he would make us fishers of people. Jesus is not looking for people with skills he can use; instead, he calls, then develops people into fishers.

Christ always forms people with the ability to follow his call. Jesus will train us; we only need to answer the call to follow. 

When I was five years old my Dad took the training wheels off my bike and told me to ride it. I told him I couldn’t. He told me to get on the bike and he would run beside me. I got on the bike and started to ride with him holding it. When I began to panic, approaching a tree, I started talking to my Dad. But he didn’t answer… because he wasn’t beside me. He dropped out from shagging me a long way back.

We are not called to follow Jesus based on our skills, but on the lack of them so that Jesus will do in us a work of total allegiance and loyalty to the kingdom of God. 

Jesus will make sure to develop the skills we need in order to do what he has called us to do. We only need to hear and answer the call of Jesus to follow. The following is a parable about the church and being fishers of people: 

“Now it came to pass that a group existed who called themselves fishermen. Week after week those who called themselves fishermen met in meetings and talked about their call to fish, the abundance of fish, and how they might go about fishing. They discussed the importance of fishing and that fishing is the task of every fisherman.  They listened to special speakers talk about fishing and they promoted fishing and looked at all the latest equipment for fishing. They built large buildings called ‘Fishing Headquarters’ so that they could tell as many people as possible about fishing. They organized boards of people to send out fishermen to other places. They offered teaching and classes on how to fish and the best and latest fishing methods. With much training a good many persons got their fishing licenses and became upstanding members of Fishing Headquarters. There was just one thing that they did not do: They didn’t fish. When one person dared to suggest that those who do not catch fish are really not fishermen, the group became angry and kicked that crazy person out their group.”

The Message of Jesus

Jesus said the kingdom of God is near, so repent and believe the good news. For Jesus, the word “kingdom” means God’s intentions and will for this world to come true. Jesus was saying that he is creating a new society – which meant Caesar was not Lord and that people’s loyalty was not ultimately to the Roman Empire. 

The kingdom of heaven, God’s dream society, will eventually spread across the entire earth so that the whole world is God’s sacred space, devoted to love, shaped by justice, living in peace, and abounding with wisdom.  Jesus encouraged us to pray consistent with this idea saying, “May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)

If we find ourselves not really working toward Christ’s idea of kingdom, then we need to “repent and believe the good news” that God is working toward restoring all things to their original beauty and luster. The word “repent” means a change of mind which leads to a change of behavior. And “believe” means to put all your eggs in God’s kingdom basket.

None of this is a suggestion, but is rather a straightforward call to follow Jesus in his kingdom building enterprise on this earth. It would, therefore, be a travesty to simply think about the message for a while and follow Jesus if we feel like it, or get around to it.

Jesus wants to make fishers within family systems, workplaces, neighborhoods, and all the places within a typical sphere of living: This requires the following:

  1. Go where the fish are. Fishing would be easy if we could put a basket by the water and have the fish jump into them! But that is not how it works. Rather, it takes intentional activities that connect people together.
  2. Cast the nets. Peter and Andrew did more than take their boat out to the middle of the lake. To catch fish, they threw their nets into the water. Here is what I believe this means for us: We do what is fair and just to our neighbors. We extend compassion to them and are steadfast in our love, even when others are unlovely. And we do not take ourselves too seriously.
  3. Obey Jesus and walk with him. After Christ’s resurrection, Jesus came to some of the disciples, who had fished unsuccessfully all night. He told them to throw their nets on the other side of the boat – which seemed like nonsense, but they did it anyway. It resulted in a great catch (John 21:1-14). During the three years of Christ’s earthly ministry, the disciples did everything with him – they walked, talked, and ate with Jesus. And when he ascended to heaven, they acted on the Great Commission given to them by Jesus to make other disciples.

May God cleanse our lips and our lives so that we might proclaim the good news of Christ’s kingdom with glad and sincere hearts to the glory of Father, Son, and Spirit.

Eternal God, the refuge and help of all your children, we praise you for all you have given us, for all you have done for us, for all that you are to us. In our weakness, you are strength, in our darkness, you are light, in our sorrow, you are comfort and peace. We cannot number your blessings; we cannot declare your love: For all your blessings we bless you. May we live as in your presence, and love the things that you love, and serve you in our daily lives, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

“Follow Me” (John 1:43-51)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come, follow me.” Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter’s hometown.

Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”

“Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

“Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied.

As they approached, Jesus said, “Now here is a genuine son of Israel—a man of complete integrity.”

“How do you know about me?” Nathanael asked.

Jesus replied, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.”

Then Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!”

Jesus asked him, “Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” Then he said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth.” (New Living Translation)

I describe myself as a follower of Jesus. I have been for decades. I found, and continue to find, in Jesus Christ a compelling person full of grace, truth, and love.

But my early life was not characterized with knowing Christ. I certainly learned about Jesus, that this ancient guy lived an altruistic life, got tortured and killed on a cross, and that Christians believe in his resurrection from death. However, back then it was more like some strange history lesson. The information made no difference to me.

That is, until I heard a voice – not an audible one that others could hear. Yet, it was just a real as any daily conversation with another person. I heard the call of Jesus. The Ancient of Days showed up.

I know with every epistemic fiber in my being that it wasn’t an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of an underdone potato. I am sure beyond certainty that there was more of an empty grave than gravy about my experience of the risen Christ.

I experienced the call of Jesus to “follow me.” And that is really, at its simplest, the call which continually goes out to all humanity. It is a gracious and merciful call. It isn’t a summons to experience a cataclysmic event of total belief in one fell swoop. Rather, it’s a call to believe that is much more an unfolding awareness of the deep spirituality and connection with the divine within.

Important to that faith process is another call to “come and see.” Whereas there are some Christian traditions which focus solely on a singular one-time experience of saving faith in Christ, the Gospel of John displays a drama of faith with multiple layers which people move through.

There is no egalitarian zap in which God grants total and immediate understanding. Instead, faith is an ever-increasing process. It is appropriate and biblical to say that our salvation has happened, is happening, and will happen. We follow, we come and see, and we keep following, keep coming, keep seeing more and more.

Like a muscle, our faith grows, develops, stretches, and strengthens over time. To use another metaphor, we ascend a stairway to heaven, one step at a time, day after day, following Jesus and ascending to spiritual maturity.

Orthodox icon of Christ calling Philip and Nathanael

Methinks this is likely part of what Jesus was getting at with Nathaniel in today’s Gospel lesson. Nathaniel would have quickly picked up on the reference Jesus was making, way back to the first book of Genesis. The Jewish patriarch, Jacob, had an experience of seeing the angels of God on some celestial stairway, ascending and descending. It was an encounter of God’s presence with Jacob, assuring him of divine intervention into the muck of humanity. (Genesis 28:10-17)

Jesus connected that ancient portrait to himself so that Nathaniel would understand, would believe, that God has again broken into this world with a special divine presence. To look at Jesus and follow him, is to see and follow God.

Christ Jesus is the ultimate example and embodiment of God with us. Throughout John’s Gospel, Jesus presents himself as:

  • Living water – connecting to Jacob’s well (John 4:5-14)
  • The Temple of God – the place where the Lord dwells in all divine fullness (John 2:18-22)
  • Bread from heaven – linking the giving of manna to the Israelites in the desert (Exodus 16:4-7; John 6:1-59)
  • The good shepherd – fulfilling divine Old Testament imperatives of caring for people (Ezekiel 34:11-16; John 10:1-30)

In all these ways, and more, Jesus intentionally connects himself as fulfilling God’s ancient promises to people.

In whichever way we need to hear the call to follow, Jesus accommodates to us. For some, Christ comes knocking on the front door. For others, he enters the side door, or slips into the backdoor of our lives.

And, if we will come and see, Jesus will also accommodate us by being the authority over us, the teacher to us, or the friend beside us. The Lord Jesus shall shepherd us and woo us to the flock for guidance and protection.

However it may be that Jesus comes to you, it most likely will be in ways you aren’t expecting. Surely, nothing good can come from Nazareth! Yet, it did. Can anything good come from Calcutta, India, or Juarez, Mexico, or Hoboken, New Jersey, or Milwaukee, Wisconsin, or even from a small rural area that doesn’t show up on a map? Yes, it can. Because with Jesus, God has entered this world, and, as it turns out, the Lord’s presence is everywhere.

Follow me. Come and see. Two of the simplest exhortations ever uttered. Yet, two of the most gracious phrases ever said, with profound implications for us beyond what we can fathom or imagine.

Guide us waking O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake we may watch with Christ and asleep we may rest in peace. May the shape of each day be formed by the pedantic following of my Lord; and may I come and see the wonders you have done, are doing, and will do. Almighty and merciful God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – bless us and keep us. Amen.

Christ the King Sunday (Ephesians 1:15-23)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment
The 118 feet high Christ the King statue in Świebodzin, Poland

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. (New International Version)

Christ the King Sunday is intended to help us see the cosmic reality that Jesus reigns over all creation as the only rightful Sovereign of the universe. This day always comes just before Advent so that we remember to anticipate both a baby and a king.

Christ as Lord of all exposes three problems humanity faces:

  1. Building our own petty kingdoms and setting ourselves up as masters over our own small worlds.  People who have been hurt may attempt to seize power for themselves in order to avoid ever being hurt again; or in the belief that if they had power, the could stop others from being hurt. Instead of submitting to Christ’s rule, they will seek to control their little end of the world, to protect themselves from pain.
  2. Bowing to other kings besides King Jesus. When distressed, some people may rely on another ruler to address their hard circumstances – thereby expecting another to give only what Jesus can provide.  Instead of running to God, they run to politicians or pastors to fix whatever is going on.
  3. Lacking awareness of the power possessed in Christ the King. Christians reign with Jesus Christ, and therefore can exercise authority over every dominion that exists, especially the dominion of darkness.

The Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesian believers provides God’s design for the church. It’s a plan for Christians to know their spiritual blessings and exercise the power they have being united to Christ. God wants us to understand this power and authority, and to actively use it.

We have a clear understanding in Ephesians of how to pray: To know Jesus better.  There is probably no higher prayer, according to the Apostle Paul, than to pray to know Jesus better – so that we will know the hope to which we have been called, and the incomparably great power for us who believe.

The word for “power” is where we get the English word “dynamite.” When I was a kid we had a neighbor who had a fondness for playing with dynamite (especially when he drank too much!). Even though he lived a mile down the road, when he blew up a tree stump or anything else on his property, it shook our house and felt like the windows were going to break. Yet, one stick of dynamite is nothing compared to God’s power.

This divine power is for us who believe in Christ the King. It’s the same power used to raise Jesus from death, and which exalted Christ as Lord of the universe. The rule and reign of Jesus is far above any other existing authority – including powers of the dark domain.

Concerning dealing with the powers of darkness, we possess the authority of Jesus Christ. Because of Christ’s resurrection, ascension, and glorification, Christians therefore have a vital and inseparable union with Jesus.  Jesus redeemed us; we belong to God as adopted children. 

Since all earthly and spiritual powers are subject to Christ, they are also subject to us. The imagery of Jesus as Head, and Christians as the Body, means that we have an inseparable union together. Since we are united with Christ, we share his authority over all spiritual powers.

It’s one thing to know this information; it’s another to use it. We are to experience Christ’s power through exercising our authority as believers. We can link faith and knowledge together in a confident use of spiritual authority because we have rights as blood-bought children of God.

All the pronouns used by Paul in Ephesians are plural. This means that tackling the forces of darkness needs to be a communal activity; going it alone is dangerous. The following is a prayer we can pray together, that boldly exercises our authority in Christ:

Almighty God, we bow in worship and praise before you, and thank you that the Lord Jesus Christ is King over all creation, and the rightful Sovereign of the universe. We are grateful that we have power together with Jesus.  We therefore surrender ourselves completely in every area of our lives to You. 

Since Christ’s authority extends over every dominion, including the dominion of darkness, we take a stand against all the work of Satan that would hinder us in prayer. We address ourselves only to the True and Living God, and refuse any involvement of Satan in our prayers.

Therefore, Satan, we command you, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to leave our presence with all your demons. We bring the blood of Jesus Christ between us.

Sovereign God, we recognize you are worthy to receive all glory, honor, and praise. We renew our allegiance to you and ask the Holy Spirit to help us pray. You have loved us from eternity past; and you sent the Christ into the world to die for us. So, we are thankful for complete forgiven; for adoption into your family; for eternal life; and for your daily help and strength.

Glorious God, open our eyes so that we will see how great you are, and how complete your provision is for today. The victory of Christ’s cross and resurrection has given us a seat in heaven. We take our place with Jesus, and recognize by faith, that all wicked spirits and Satan himself are under our feet.

Thank you, gracious God, for the spiritual armor you have provided. Therefore, we put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of peace, and the helmet of salvation. We lift up the shield of faith against all the fiery arrows of the enemy; and we take in our hands the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. We use your powerful Word against all the forces of evil, living and praying in complete dependence upon you, Holy Spirit.

Lord Jesus, we are thankful that you disarmed all power and authorities, triumphing over them by the cross. So, we claim victory for our lives today by rejecting all the insinuations, accusations, and temptations of Satan; affirming that the Word of God is true; living in the light of God’s Word; and choosing to obey you. 

Open our eyes, blessed God, and show us the areas of our lives that do not please you. Cleanse us from anything that would give Satan a foothold against us. We stand into all that it means to be your adopted children; we welcome all the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives today.

By faith, and in complete dependence upon you, we put off the old sinful person and stand into all the victory of the crucifixion where the Lord Jesus Christ provided cleansing from the sinful nature. We put on the new person and stand into the victory of the resurrection and the provision Christ has made for us to live above sin. We put off the old sinful nature with its selfishness and put on the new nature with its love.  We put off the old nature with its fear and deceit; and instead put on the new nature with its courage and righteousness.

We are thankful, mighty God, that you have blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ; and with new life into a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, so that today we can live filled in the Holy Spirit with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. Since we recognize and affirm that this is your will for us, we therefore reject and resist all the attempts of Satan and his demons to rob us of God’s will.   

We are thankful, blessed Holy Trinity, that our spiritual weapons have divine power to demolish demonic strongholds, arguments, and every pretention that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. We therefore take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ; we tear down the strongholds and smash the plans of Satan that have been formed against us; we affirm that you have not given us a spirit of fear but a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline; and we choose to make right decisions of faith. 

Powerful God, show us the ways Satan is hindering, tempting, lying, and distorting the truth in our lives. Help us to be aggressive in prayer and faith; and to think rightly, and actively practice Your Word. We cover ourselves with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and pray that you, Holy Spirit, would bring all the work of Christ’s crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and all your work of Pentecost into our lives today.

In the name of Christ the King, we surrender ourselves to you, O God; and we refuse to be discouraged because you are the God of all hope. You have proven your power by resurrecting Jesus from the dead. Therefore, we claim this victory over all satanic forces in our lives, our families, our neighborhoods, our workplaces, and our faith communities; through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ with thanksgiving, we pray. Amen.

Who Is Jesus? (John 7:40-52)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment
The Light of the World, by William Holman Hunt, c.1853

On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.”

Others said, “He is the Messiah.”

Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?” Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.

Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”

“No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied.

“You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.”

Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?”

They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.” (New International Version)

Orthodox Christian icon of Jesus Christ

There was a lot of buzz in Christ’s day of who Jesus really was. Prophet? Messiah? And, if Jesus really is a big deal, would he really come from Hicksville Nazareth? What about his credentials? His class? His pedigree?

Opinions on Jesus haven’t really changed all that much from the ancient world. They are still just as diverse now as when he was on this earth.

Unlike today, ancient people could not simply “Google” Jesus and find out where he was born and grew up. And they had no access to doing background checks in a matter of minutes to find out all kinds of things about him. Had the religious authorities bothered to do their homework and investigated Jesus, they would have found that, indeed, he was born of the Davidic line and in Bethlehem.

The short of it is that a chunk of the people simply assumed they knew Jesus wasn’t of proper Messiah credentials. They assumed and did not investigate because they did not want to know. No one can be faulted for ignorance. However, purposeful ignorance is perhaps the greatest of all sins, betraying a deep egoism of pride and prejudice.

In their hubris, the religious leaders sent the temple guards to bring Jesus in. Yet, in a clear demonstration of heavenly authority, the guards actually listened to Jesus and saw for themselves who he really is. Their simple confession testifies to Christ’s credibility. If one would but just see and listen for themselves, and engage in a genuine investigation, they could walk away finding truth.

6th-Century Byzantine mosaic of Jesus

Opponents of Jesus for the past two thousand years assume that Christians have been duped into taking the opiate of the people. Many think that followers of Christ were manipulated by religious hacks trying to gain power over others. But that’s a curious opinion, considering Jesus continually did just the opposite of that and was a champion for the poor, the powerless, and the marginalized persons of society.

When professional people with recognized degrees and competence do not believe you, nor take your own experience and learning seriously, what do you do?

Well, you could listen to them, or you could listen to your own gut telling you that you’re being gaslighted by a bunch of highly intelligent simpletons who are unfamiliar – are ignorant – of the faith you are familiar with.

What’s more, there are always smart and experienced people in the room who know better. Nicodemus was such a person. He was a serious scholar, and chose to speak up about these things. Authorities and credentials matter, yet of first importance is to know how to go about any sort of inquiry – rather than just passing over an objective investigation and assuming you know better.

Ethiopian artist depiction of Jesus teaching

For decades, I have (graciously) challenged others who do not believe in Jesus to actually read the Gospel accounts and at least engage in some minimal investigation – rather than giving opinions based on limited knowledge and secondary sources.

After all, as Nicodemus pointed out so long ago, shouldn’t we first give Jesus a fair hearing before we start dismissing him as nothing more than a religious figure that a bunch of people follow?

And I must also point out that this applies to us Christians, as well. Rather than waving aside Buddha or Muhammad or any other religious figure as false, don’t you owe their followers the basic respect of hearing them out before you dismiss them as fake, or in some cases, worse than that?

If you accuse another point of view, which is different than your own, as wrong or not real, without first hearing the accused and gathering objective evidence, then we really have no business getting uppity when another person accuses or dismisses our own faith.

Sadly, the colleagues of Nicodemus chose not to answer him but to instead engage in the age old practice of ad hominem argumentation by attacking the person, thereby deflecting having to give an answer.

People attack other people out of fear. And, in this case, it seems to me the religious leaders were downright afraid of investigating Jesus and giving him an honest hearing. Because if they did, they just might have their world turned upside-down; and they wanted the status quo to be maintained, at all costs, even if it meant ignoring the truth.

Jesus Washing the Feet of His Disciple, by Japanese artist Sadao Watanabe (1913-1996)

You don’t have to take my word on any of these things about Christ or Christianity. Read the Gospel of John for yourself – in one sitting if possible. Ingest the words. Drink in the experiences. Then, come and have a conversation with me.

Jesus, Lamb of God, have mercy on us.

Jesus, Bearer of our sins, have mercy on us.

Jesus, Redeemer of the world, give us your peace.

Jesus, Light of the world, shine in our hearts.

Jesus, Hope of all, be our companion on our way.

Jesus, Great Physician, heal our broken lives.

Jesus, Beloved Son of God, kindle within us the fire of your love. Amen.