Why Do I Believe In The Crucifixion?

Good Friday, April 6, 2012

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
Amen.

Why do I believe in the crucifixion?

Why do I believe Jesus suffered, was crucified, died and was buried?

Why do I believe that Jesus was tortured by betrayal? A betrayal he could foresee but wouldn’t avoid. A betrayal he endured well before it became reality. A betrayal by the first apostle he called to follow him. A betrayal by the disciple who swore to follow him to the death. A betrayal that left him friendless, alone, abandoned. A betrayal by all the men who called him teacher, who called him master, who called him friend.

A betrayal by a kiss, for some silver.

A betrayal by the ones who walked with Jesus, endured the dusty roads and cold, dark desert nights. Betrayal by the ones who asked the most questions, by the ones sent out to heal and proclaim forgiveness, by the ones witness to feeding of thousands, casting away evil spirits, and welcoming sinners to dinner. Why do I believe Jesus suffered?


Why do I believe Jesus was tortured by injustice? An injustice that permeated the land, an injustice that required a prophetic confrontation from Jesus.

An injustice that had existed for the life of the nation, an injustice that crushed the widows and orphans, that took advantage of the poor and the foreigner, an injustice that flowed from the ones with power and privilege, an injustice that rolled like a river, drowning the weak and crippled, the sick and broken, the abandoned and traumatized.

An injustice that used lies to establish it’s grip, an injustice that fueled fears to sink it’s roots deeper into the community, an injustice that used misunderstanding for its gain, that used apathy to further its agenda in the nation.

An injustice that prompted God to send a prophet to confront, an injustice that God would no longer allow to reign in Israel.

Why do I believe that Jesus was tortured by violence? Tortured by clubs and swords, tortured by chains and shackles, tortured by shoves and spit, tortured by slander and mockery, tortured by ripping out of beard and tearing off of clothes, tortured by whips, by lashes of shards and spikes, tortured by thirst, tortured by exhaustion, tortured by carrying his cross, tortured by the nails in his feet, spikes in his wrists, tortured by the speak in his side, tortured by the splinters in his open wounds, tortured by the gasping for air, tortured by the searing agony of breathing, tortured by the hanging naked in public, tortured by the jeers and disbelief, tortured by the violence of humanity, tortured by the darkness.

Why do I believe Jesus was crucified?


Why do I believe Jesus was put to death on a cross by humanity? Why do I believe that Jesus was abandoned by God? Forsaken, as Jesus put it. “Eloi, eloi, lema sabachthani,” to quote the crucified and dying Jesus. “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me…” is what he whispered, what he groaned, what he felt. Why do I believe that Jesus was trusting in a Father who seemed far away, far from his cries of anguish?

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? 

My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.

Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet.
All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me.
They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.

But you, LORD, do not be far from me.
You are my strength; come quickly to help me.
Deliver me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs.
Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

God did not answer Jesus’s plea for rescue. It’s as if God turned his eyes and ears away from the bloody cries for deliverance and justice.

Why do I believe that Jesus was crucified as a blasphemer and insurrectionist? Why do I believe Jesus was killed on a cross, the sign of a cursed man in God’s eyes? Why do I believe Jesus was killed as a criminal, murdered along with two other terrorists? Why do I believe that Jesus was caught up in the execution machine of the Roman Empire? Why do I believe that Jesus let himself be crucified by the Israel he came to save? Why do I believe Jesus let himself be executed by the Romans he came to save?

Why do I believe in the crucifixion?

I believe Jesus was the Cup whose wine and blood were poured out to establish a New Covenant of forgiven sins, of shalom, agape and zoe for this life now and in the one to come.
I believe Jesus was the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world.


I believe Jesus was the Shepherd of Israel who lays down his life for his sheep.
I believe Jesus was the Servant of Israel who was pierced for our transgressions, who was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.


I believe Jesus was the Prophet of Israel sent by God to turn his people away from injustice, to return his people to the way of righteousness.
I believe Jesus was the High Priest of Israel sent by God to offer his own life as an atoning sacrifice in the Temple of God, in the Holy of Holies for the sins of Israel, for the sins of all the nations, all the peoples.
I believe Jesus was the King of Israel sent to establish the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and free his rebellious people from their captivity by proclaiming the truth and leading them in a new way.

Why do I believe Jesus was crucified? 


It’s a scandalous event. God killed by his own people. Jesus murdered by the ones he came to save. The Son of God sent by the Father, executed as a rebel king and blaspheming, false prophet. This is not how the story is seemingly supposed to go.

Historically, the crucifixion of Jesus is the most likely verifiable part of the Gospel story. It’s the one element of the tale that is most likely to be believable. And yet we find ourselves believing in the historical event without believing the truth of the event in our heart, in our life.

Do I believe in the crucifixion of Jesus? 


Do I believe in suffering as a servant of God? Do I believe that God will send me to confront injustice? Do I believe that God will call me to turn people away from their sins? Do I believe that God will ask me to live as a kingdom of priests, a witness to the words and works of Jesus? As the body of Jesus, do I believe that there are holes in the wrists and feet of my heart?

Do I believe that I have suffered for speaking truth to power? Do I believe that I have suffered for bringing love to my enemies? Do I believe that I have suffered for teaching others to forgive those who sin against them? Do I believe I have forgiven those who are crucifying me? Or do I avoid crucifixion?

Do I avoid suffering? Do I avoid confronting injustice? Do I avoid turning others away from sin? Do I avoid loving my enemies? Do I avoid caring for the widows and orphans? Do I avoid the label of blasphemer and insurrectionist? Do I avoid trouble? Do I believe in the crucifixion?

Do I believe I would have been like Peter, and sought to prevent the crucifixion? Do I believe I would have been like Judas, and sought to prompt Jesus to rise up as the new powerful king of Israel and deliver them from the Roman Empire? Do I believe I would have been like the Pharisees, irritated and threatened by Jesus’ new teachings about God and forgiveness and sin and unrighteousness and injustice and love?

Do I believe I would have been like the mob that called for the release of Barabbas and the crucifixion of Jesus? Do I believe I would have been like the apostles who ran away from the ones sent to arrest Jesus? Do I believe I would have been like the Temple priests who wanted God to intervene and free Israel, but not in the way that Jesus commanded and demonstrated?


Do I believe that crucifixion is part of following Jesus? Do I believe that suffering is part of our discipleship? Do I believe that loving my neighbor as Jesus loves me will bring both joy and suffering? Do I believe that loving my enemies as Jesus loves my enemies will bring both peace and conflict?

Do I believe that welcoming sinners, giving hospitality to sinners, healing sinners, befriending sinners, will bring both love and hatred? Do I believe that confronting injustice with truth will bring about victory and persecution? Do I believe that crucifixion was the way of salvation for the world? Do I seek to avoid my own crucifixion? Do I work to avoid suffering or do I work in the way of Jesus?

Why do I believe in the crucifixion of Jesus? 


I believed it as a child because of the stories my parents taught me, because of the Bible lessons I learned in Sunday School, through the sermons I heard in church. I believed in the crucifixion of Jesus because it was presented to me as true. But then I grew up.

As the Apostle Paul puts it:

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.
When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 

I had my own sufferings, my own deaths, my own disappointments, my own betrayals, my own wounds, my own clashes with reality, my own attempts to love and be loved, my own sense of forsakenness by God.

And then I wondered: does it matter if Jesus was crucified or not. In this life, in this age, in my world, so what if Jesus was crucified. And so now I am on a journey, working to believe in the crucifixion of Jesus. So many people before me have believed it. Why? Why believe that Jesus was crucified? Why believe the stories of his crucifixion?


If there is a God, surely he wouldn’t do what the Bible claims God did. It’s scandalous what happened to Jesus. It’s unexpected. It rattles the status quo. It shakes our understanding of reality. The crucifixion is how we know that God identifies with our suffering. In this pain-full world, God is not immune to our cries. We have caused him to weep, we have inflicted wounds on his heart.

We shake our fist at God for the suffering we endure, the suffering we see inflicted around us – and yet God does not shake his fist at us for the torture and betrayal we inflicted upon him. In his crucifixion, Jesus asked God to forgive humanity, for we did not know what we are doing.

I believe in the crucifixion of Jesus. It reveals to me a God who is with me, for me, even when I am against him. I believe in the crucifixion of Jesus, for it is the way of deep wisdom, the way of redemptive suffering, it is the way of overcoming evil with good. I believe in the crucifixion because it is unbelievable, it is unlikely, it is unexpected, it is scandalous, it is outrageous, it is unimaginable.


The story of the crucifixion of Jesus requires a leap of faith to accept. I grew up believing it with no leap of faith. I assumed the story was true because that’s what I had been told. I had to disbelieve and doubt the story in order to believe it to be true. It takes a leap of faith for me to accept the crucifixion to be true.

There is plenty of evidence being amassed against the veracity and reliability of the crucifixion stories. On one hand, the research challenges my beliefs, it makes it harder to believe. On the other hand, the world wants Jesus to be dead, to be quiet, to fade away as a quaint historical memory. But when the story of Jesus and his crucifixion is believed, there is no power on earth that can stem the message of salvation, reconciliation, forgiveness, righteousness, agape, shalom that comes from the crucifixion.


I believe in the crucifixion because it’s not the final story of Jesus. I believe in the crucifixion because I also believe in the resurrection, because I also believe in the ascension, because I believe in Pentecost, because I believe in God’s Kingdom come to Earth, because I believe in the return of the King, Jesus and the restoration of all things, when the New Heavens and the New Earth come together and God dwells with his people.

I say why I believe in the crucifixion, but the real challenge is to live as if the crucifixion is true. I read and hear the stories of the crucifixion of Jesus – but do I live as if they are true. Too much of the time, the answer is no. I must turn to the crucified Jesus and ask for forgiveness, for help to believe, for help in my unbelief.


I believe that my starting point for the crucifixion of Jesus is disbelief, as revealed through my everyday actions. That any of us believe in the crucifixion of Jesus is an act of God, that any of us live out the belief of Jesus’ crucifixion is a sign of God at work in our world.

We must rely on God to believe in the crucifixion, we must rely on God to live out our belief in the crucifixion. We must rely on God, since there is no difference between what we believe about the crucifixion and how we live, since how we live is what we truly believe. We can confess with our mouth what we believe about Jesus and the crucifixion, but it is our works that give life to our faith – a faith that is gift of God by grace.


Why do I believe in the crucifixion of Jesus? It’s a gift of God that I do. It’s a sign of God at work in the world, in my life, that I live out the reality of Jesus’ crucifixion. It’s by grace that I believe in the crucifixion of Jesus.


And it’s only in suffering that I live out the crucifixion. Where there is suffering for loving, for righteousness, for justice, for reconciliation, for forgiveness, for peace in the name of Jesus – that is living out our belief in the crucifixion.


Why do you believe in the crucifixion of Jesus? How do you live out your belief in the crucifixion of Jesus?

May we, in our honest moments on this Good Friday, hear Jesus words to us – hear the Jesus with holes in his hands, his feet, his side, hear his words to us, hear his words to the disciple known as Peter, a disciple who like the others didn’t believe in the crucifixion, yet who was still a disciple of Jesus.

May we hear Jesus’ words to Peter, to us in our failure to believe, in our disbelief, in our running away from suffering, from God’s work in the world he is redeeming and establishing his kingdom, may we hear the crucified and resurrected Jesus’s questions to us: do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me?

Now these three remain, belief in the crucifixion, hope in the resurrection, and love in the name of Jesus. And the greatest of these is love.

How To Pray: What To Say To God

How To Pray - Review:
Week 1 - How Prayer Works
Prayer is collaboration between God and you – alignment of your will and desires with what God knows and is doing in the world.

Week 2 - Why We Pray
We pray to express concern, worry, fears, anxieties, terrors, tensions, problems; to join God in doing what is best for us and the world

Week 3 - What To Pray For
What are you willing to help answer? What will be a win-win-win for everyone involved? What have you learned about what Jesus values? What’s my motive for this prayer?

This Week - What To Say To God
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WHAT TO SAY TO GOD?

With your mouth. With your mind. With your tears.
With your attitude. With your actions. With your choices.

If we think of praying as only asking God for stuff, then we'll limit what we can say to God. But if we consider prayer as a form of communication, we open ourselves up to a wide range of opportunities. Think of all the ways you can communicate with the people around you.

Same with God. You can communicate with God through your mouth, of course - but also with your mind, he knows your thoughts. God sees your tears, which is a form of communication, and if you want, a kind of prayer. And so it is with your attitude, your actions, and your choices.

How's that saying go? Actions speak louder than words? Consider what that means for your praying.


So when you go to pray, what can you say to God? You can say anything you want to God.
Psalm 54:2 
Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth.

Here the Psalm-writer is desiring God to listen - whatever is said, he wants it heard. And so we can have confidence that God always hears everything we utter. We don't have to worry about how we start our prayers, end them, or how we express our thoughts or wants to him - God is less interested in the form and pays much more attention to our character and the content of our communication.


If you want God to hear what you say, consider your position before God – does he see you as righteous or wicked?
Proverbs 15:29 
The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

Who you are matters much more to God than what you say or do, or even what you are going through. You were created in the image of God. Humanity is the crown of creation. And more than anything, God wants righteousness to prevail on earth through you. This is what Jesus is getting at when he teaches us to pray: "Your kingdom come, your will be done."

So if you are thinking wicked thoughts, planning wicked deeds, guilty of wicked behavior - unrepentant, or apathetic, or defiant, or whatever, then don't think that God wants to hear what you have to say. If you care nothing for what God wants, there is no "right" way to say your prayer.

But, if you seek to do the right thing in God's eyes and your neighbors eyes, if you work for justice and mercy, if you care for the poor, if you forgive those who sin against you - all the things that Jesus qualifies as righteous, then you can say what you want to God with confidence.


Say “Thanks God…” and then say, “Help, God…”
Daniel 6:11 Three times a day [Daniel] got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Then these men…found Daniel praying and asking God for help.

There are two basic kinds of prayers when it comes to saying something to God. By noticing what God has done in us, for us, through us, around us - it should prompt words and actions, attitudes and choices that reflect thankfulness. Praising God for his accomplishments is an appropriate response of gratitude.

Of course God wants us to come to him for help. He's the most capable Being in the Universe! There is no wrong or right way to ask for help. Again, it's the attitude and posture behind the help - the motive. Keep it simple when it comes to what you say to God - especially when it comes to asking for help.

The length of the prayer, the urgency of the prayer, the posture while you pray does nothing to increase the likelihood of getting the prayer answered, though. Who you are effects the answer to your prayer much more then what you say. Even more, what God wants in the world to happen is way more important a factor then you using the correct words when you pray.

So, relax when you pray - don't worry about getting the words right! Don't fret about what to say to God! Just say it.


Say, “God, I don’t know what to pray for…”
Romans 8:26 
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

Sometimes you don't know what to say to God. The attitude of gratitude is so rich in your heart, words are inadequate to express what is within. That's okay - a smile goes a long way with God! And sometimes the pain and suffering in life leaves you speechless. Your rage, your disappointment, your confusion make it almost impossible to formulate a request. Or maybe, in light of how complicated life can get, you just don't know what to ask for.

What a relief it is to know that God's Spirit, which dwells within those that trust Him, knows what we need, knows what we ought to pray for - and offers up the prayers to the Father and Son in Heaven on our behalf. This goes to show you how much God wants to be in relationship with us, to be in communication with us, to have us join him in the work he is doing in the world.


A few final words on what to say to God:
The art of conversation…
Prayer may begin as simple exchanges of "thanks" and "help" - but what we want to develop is an ongoing, unending conversation with God. As we move through life, as we come to understand that God is always with us - well he's always ready to communicate with us about whatever we are experiencing. Sometimes he initiates the conversation, sometimes we do. But at some point we'll realize that our exchange with God has never really stopped - it just picks back up where it left off. Like a good friend.

Conversation implies listening - and this is the oft overlooked part of prayers. By focusing on prayers as requests, you cut off the desire to listen. You just want miraculous results from God. But God wants relationship with you, and he wants his will done on Earth. So conversation and communication, listening to and looking for Him are part of our prayers, shaping what we say.

If you ask me how to have a conversation with God, it'd be like you asking how to have a conversation with your parents, or friends, or other adults. Learning how to pray may be part of you learning how to have a conversation with somebody that isn't rooted in complaining, trashing somebody, talking about yourself, or gossip.

Learning what to say to God may enrich your ability to have constructive communication with others.


Prayer as a speech/letter/journal entry to God
Writing out your prayers has a long and rich tradition. It takes longer to communicate through writing then it does speaking - and sometimes this slowed-down process is good for our minds and hearts. An advantage of writing out your prayers is that then you can review them at a later date.

By putting down on paper what you want to say to God, or what you think you are hearing from God, can add clarity to your mind. People have learned that sometimes what is swirling around in their head gets sorted out when written down. So it goes with our concerns, questions, fears, and prayers.

What to say to God in a letter? I always start my written prayers with: "Dear Father..." and then I just write and write and write. Try it.


Prayer as a song/psalm/poem to God
So many of the prayers in the Scriptures are communicated as a song, as a psalm, as a poem. It's a sophisticated, rich, thoughtful, beautiful way to express yourself to God. For the artist in you, this may be a great way to experiment with how you pray. To fashion what you say to God says as much about what you say as why you say it. Again, it matters less what you say, and more about why you say it.


In conclusion:
There is much more to learn about praying. And you only learn by doing it. Relax when you pray. Do not be afraid of saying it "wrong." If there is any fear in you while you pray, you are sabotaging your prayers! Again and again Jesus says to us: Do not be afraid! When you pray, whatever you say, do it with confidence.

Prayer requires belief: you must believe that God wants to hear your thanks and cry for help. You must believe that he wants to be in a relationship with you, that he wants to communicate with you, that he wants the conversation to pick up again and again and again. That he wants to hear what you have to say. Trust him in this.

Just start talking. Start reflecting with him about your life and everyday situation. Faith as small as a mustard seed is enough to get your prayers launched up to a God who is a close as the next breath.


When the disciples asked Jesus what to say to God, here's what he gave them:

Lord, Teach Us To Pray:
"Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.

"The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply.

Like this:
Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what's best— as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You're in charge! You can do anything you want!
You're ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes.

"In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God's part."

BASED ON THIS TEACHING OF JESUS ON WHAT TO SAY TO GOD, WHAT CONCLUSIONS COULD YOU DRAW?

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What else do you want to know about how to pray?

How To Pray: What To Pray For

How To Pray: Review:
Week 1 - How Prayer Works
Prayer is collaboration between God and you – alignment of your will and desires with what God knows and is doing in the world.

Week 2 - Why We Pray
We pray to express concern, worry, fears, anxieties, terrors, tensions, problems; to join God in doing what is best for us and the world

This Week - What To Pray For

Week 4 - What to say to God
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WHAT TO PRAY FOR

Or: What to listen for
Or: What to thank for
Or: What to bless
Or: What to communicate about
Or: What to discuss
Or: What to argue with
Or: What to see
Or: What to want
Or: What to ask for…yourself or others

We have to move beyond thinking of prayer as asking God for stuff. Prayer is not synonymous with requests, petitions, begging, pleading, or desiring. Prayer is mostly synonymous with communication, with conversation, with meditation, with contemplation.

If you only want to know how to pray so that you know what to pray for in order to get what you want, then there is nothing more to know about prayer.

But if you want to know how to pray, if you want to know what to pray for so that what is best, what God wants, prevails in your life, the lives of those around you, and in the world - well then there is much to learn, much that is possible.

In light of this refreshing understanding of prayer, here are some suggestions on what to pray for:

for God to be trusted as Father
for God to be seen for who he is (truth prevailing)
for God to set the world right, to do what is best for everyone
for God to give us just enough food for the day
for God to keep us forgiven with himself and forgiving others
for God to keep us safe from ourselves and evil
for God to be celebrated and honored for his work in the world
for God to be praised and enjoyed for his beauty in the world

When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray, he taught them what we call The Lord's Prayer. The above listing is a reflection on what to pray for based on what Jesus taught his disciples. Consider how Jesus' teaching on prayer gives shape and direction to what to pray for. It moves beyond a laundry list of requests and wishes, it moves to something more substantive, more God-centered, more humanity-centered, and less self-centered.


What to pray for? The desire to ask God for help is primal. We often equate praying to requesting God for stuff, whether out of habit, desperation, or prompts by the Spirit. So if we are going to ask God to intervene, give us an answer, solve a problem, what kind of thinking should influence what to pray for?

Here are four questions to ask as you ask God for help, what to pray for when you pray:
What are you willing to help answer?
Stop praying for miracles. Stop praying for ballistic missile solutions (have God solve your problems from a distance at your behest without anyone getting their hands any dirtier.) If you want God to help answer your prayers, you need to pray in such a way that you are willing to get involved in helping answer your own prayer.

God is most times more interested in what he can accomplish in your character during hard times then getting you out of hot water. When we want God to intervene, he wants to do something with us more than just give us what we want.


What will be a win-win-win for everyone involved?
To often our prayers are mostly about our own life, feelings, perspective, and values. Even when we pray for others, it is often rooted in what we want for them. When we want God to do something for us, we'd be wise to contemplate how his work would benefit not only us, and others, but also Him.

We need to think community when we pray - what are the spillover effects if God actually answers this prayer? How much is this prayer about me, and how much is this about others?


What have you learned about what Jesus values?
As Christians, we follow the way of Christ. As disciples of Jesus, we study his teachings so that we may live by them. When it comes to prayer, how do we incorporate what Jesus taught about life and prayer?

If, as Christians, we don't live as Jesus instructs, and we don't pray in the way he taught, if we don't incorporate his values into our heart, then we may not ever really know what to pray for, or how to get what we want.


What’s my motive for this prayer? Pleasure and Convenience?
Motive is everything. How many prayers, if we are honest, are more about our desire for pleasure and convenience? Instead of our prayers fueled by love for others, we pray for the pain to go away because we just want everybody to be happy. Especially us.

But God doesn't really have an interest in making our life more convenient. If he does ever make life more convenient, you can bet it is for much bigger reasons then just for the sake of convenience. Our desire for our pleasure and convenience often blind us to the deeper realities going on within us and others, and the world around us.

What's your motive? Does your motive reflect the values of Jesus? Does your motive include a win-win-win attitude? Does your motive for praying involve a willingness to help answer your own prayer?


Here's what Jesus taught when the disciples requested of Jesus...

Lord, Teach Us To Pray:"Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.

"The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply.

Like this:
Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what's best— as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You're in charge! You can do anything you want!
You're ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes.

"In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God's part."

BASED ON THIS TEACHING OF JESUS ON WHAT TO PRAY FOR, WHAT CONCLUSIONS COULD YOU DRAW?

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What else do you want to know about how to pray?

Believe Without Seeing

John 19-21

Is it more difficult to believe in Jesus now then it used to be?

Does the lapsing of time between the resurrection and our life today make it increasingly harder to have faith in Jesus? If we had been there to see the crucifixion of Jesus, would it be more likely we would have stronger faith? Probably not.

Here's how Jesus perceives the situation - it gets phrased through his discourse with Thomas the Twin: "So, you believe because you've seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing." 


Meaning: Jesus had a hard enough time getting people to believe in him while he did walk and speak and heal and celebrate with sinners. Imagine how hard it will be to get the next generation of Israelites and Gentiles to believe in a Jesus that is gone!

And yet... here we are two thousand years later and Jesus still has quite a following of believers. Impressive! Jesus pronounced a blessing upon those that would someday believe without seeing. Of course, this doesn't imply that you turn off your brain, become a robotic in your obedience, and cease to ask questions. It's about engaging your mind and not just your eyeballs.

The Gospel of John is a great example of how the disciples attempted to help people believe in a Jesus they had never seen, maybe never even heard of, possibly who don't like Jews. John blatantly admits his purpose in writing this gospel:

Jesus provided far more God-revealing signs than are written down in this book. These are written down so you will believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and in the act of believing, have real and eternal life in the way he personally revealed it.

Believe without seeing came to mean: believe through hearing and reading and listening. This taps into Jesus' own ministry - his preaching and teaching required hearing and listening. Seeing Jesus - his life, even his death and resurrection - did not provoke belief, but rather denials, abandonment, and fear.

But the story of Jesus still needs to be told, and people need to be able to have the events unfolded so that we can see them in our mind.

Why was Jesus killed? That's kind of the point of the gospels that John and the others wrote. What did Jesus do that led to his crucifixion? But not just the why or how, but: what did it mean? What was the significance of the King of Israel being crucified by the elite rulers and mobs of fellow Israelites? What was the significance that King Jesus also claimed to be the Son of Man, but also understood to be the Son of God?

Be thankful that the Gospel writers gave us stories and not volumes of theological reflection. The stories of Jesus keep alive in us the powerful truths that change our life. Every generation must again, anew, go back to the stories and figure out what they mean for our day.

Seeing Jesus does not lead to believing. Reading and hearing and listening to the stories - and processing them, wrestling with them. understanding them - that leads to belief.

You must figure out the implications of what Jesus claimed, of what he taught and did. You must wrestle with it. Belief must be born out of struggle. Belief without seeing is difficult for sure. But belief born out of listening and contemplating and striving to understand - that is a gift, rare and precious.

How To Pray: Why We Pray

How to Pray: Review
Week 1 - How Prayer Works
Prayer is collaboration between God and you – alignment of your will and desires with what God knows and is doing in the world.

This Week - Why we pray

Week 3) What To Pray For

Week 4) What To Say To God
**********

Why We Pray
* To get what we want? To get God’s help? To get God to fix my problems?

* To get God to heal a sickness, to be with me, to keep me safe, to bless our food?

OR...

* To focus on God

* To learn what we need

* To be with our Father in heaven

* To join God in his work to set the world right

* To remember our reliance upon God for everything we need to live and love

* To express gratitude

* To express concern, worry, fears, anxieties, terrors, tensions, problems, etc.

* To get help accepting forgiveness and giving it to others

* To get intervention from God in deflecting self-harm and the sin of others

* To remember and reflect on God’s greatness and goodness.

* To join God in doing what is best for the world


Our tendency is to pray for stuff. When we are in need, we ask God to intervene. But outside of our own personal suffering or concern for the welfare of others, we don't usually pray. Maybe an occasional attitude of gratitude towards God, and some complaining about how unfair life is. Too often that is the extent of our praying, and it leaves us frustrated and empty.

If we pray to pretty much only get stuff from God, we'll give up after awhile, since it seems that God rarely answers our prayers.

The solution, then, isn't to figure out how to pray so that we can get God to give us what we want. It's not as if God is folding his arms, resisting our requests because we didn't ask the proper way.

The remedy for unanswered prayers is to reflect on the purpose of prayer, to better understand why we pray.

And Jesus ought to be the first place to go on knowing why we pray.


The list above is my reflection upon the Lord's Prayer on why we pray. Below is the teaching that Jesus gives us on why we pray. Read it and then write down in your own words what Jesus teaches you about why to pray. It will help us imagine fresh and renewing ways of praying that add to our life with God and others.


Lord, Teach Us To Pray:
Here is what Jesus had to say on why we pray -

"Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.

"The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply.

Like this:
Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are. 

Set the world right; 

Do what's best— as above, so below. 

Keep us alive with three square meals. 

Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. 

Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. 

You're in charge! 
You can do anything you want! 

You're ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes.

"In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God's part.

Based on this teaching of Jesus on why to pray, what conclusions could you draw?

*

*

*

*

*

What else do you want to know about how to pray?

Do You Finally Believe?

John 16-18

For whatever reason, the disciples were having a difficult time understanding Jesus. His explanations about his life, his work, his upcoming death - well it just made everything more confusing. It was difficult to grasp back then, and so it still is today.

Patiently Jesus answers their questions about his identity, his mission, his future. Jesus explains to them about the coming Holy Spirit, the upcoming crucifixion, and God's will for everything. Finally, the disciples cry out that they get it, the grasp what Jesus is saying. Jesus shocks them with this question: Do you finally believe?

At this point Jesus goes on to tell the disciples how they will abandon him. But then Jesus prays for them. And so it is with us today - we struggle to understand who Jesus is and what he has done and is doing in the world. When we get close to grasping it, we still get challenged by Jesus himself: do you finally believe? 

Jesus challenges us like he did his disciples then - reminding us that we can't believe in Him apart from His Spirit. We need Jesus to pray for us, to help us keep believing - and obeying. And that's what Jesus' prayer is all about - spelling out the relationship between the Father and the Son, the Son and the Disciples, the Disciple and Disciples, and the Disciples and the Father. Love. Unity. Mission.

It was one thing for the disciples to declare their faith and trust in Jesus while praying in the Garden. It was severely tested there in Gethsemane when the soldiers and priests showed up with clubs and swords.  The light had seemed to dawn for the disciples earlier, only to have it chased away in the dark of night. And so it goes for us still - we have moments where we finally get it... and then it's overwhelmed by the forces at work in the world.

The religious leaders did not believe Jesus. Some did, and more would after the resurrection. The Roman bureaucrats and soldiers did not believe Jesus. A few did, but not enough to intervene and stop the condemnation to torture. Crowds of people had been fed by Jesus, healed by Jesus, loved by Jesus, taught by Jesus - but they did not believe Jesus. They were willing to let him be silenced.

Where are you at with Jesus? Do you struggle to hear and obey his words? Do you have a hard time making sense of his life and teachings? Is it difficult for you to believe? Can you see in your own life where you've denied or even betrayed Jesus? When we come to Jesus and let him know that we finally believe, he's probably going to push back a bit. Not to be mean, but but because he wants to give us the truth in love.

Jesus wants us to believe him. He prays for the Spirit to help us believe him. But we should be aware that our declarations of belief may get challenged by Jesus himself. That's his gift to us. Belief shouldn't be easy. Which is why faith is a gift of God to us. And we must rely on Jesus' Spirit to help us keep trusting him. We don't have to do it all by ourselves.


Do you finally believe?

How To Pray: How Prayer Works

How To Pray

This Week - How prayer works

Week 2 - Why We Pray

Week 3 - What To Pray For

Week 4 - What To Say To God
***********

How Prayer Works
According to Jesus' Teaching on Prayer:

Prayer is always initiated by God.

Prayer is communication between God and you.

Prayer is more than just words: 
attitude, actions, ideas,
thoughts, feelings,
body language,
choices,
lifestyle

What is your understanding of what is prayer and how it works?



Prayer is influenced by our image of God as Father – and our relationship with him (and our father) at the time of our praying...

Prayers are always heard by God.

Prayers are not needed in order for God to know what you need.


Prayer is collaboration between God and you – alignment of your will and desires with what God knows and is doing in the world.

Prayer works in connection to the work you put into helping answer your own prayers.

Prayer is as much hearing from God as it is talking to Him.


We tend to think of prayer as either thanking God or making requests to God. We need to think about prayer as communication within a relationship to God.


Prayer is way more than just words, way more than just asking God to do stuff for us or others.


Prayer works - not according to whether our eyes are open or closed, whether we are on our knees or in a pew - but in accordance to our heart and God's will.


Prayer becomes less about getting what we want from God and more about learning what God wants for us.


When the disciples asked Jesus how prayer works, here is what he taught them:

Lord, Teach Us To Pray
"Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.

"The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply.

Like this:
Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what's best— as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You're in charge! 
You can do anything you want!
You're ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes.

"In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God's part."

Based on this teaching of Jesus on how to pray, what conclusions could you draw?

*

*

*

*


What else do you want to know about how prayer works?

How To Read The Bible: Lesson Four - The Gospels

How To Read the Bible – And Get Something Out of It

Lesson One – Get To Know Your Bible

What Are You Reading - Understanding What You Are Reading

Lesson Two –  First Testament

How to Read the Torah

Lesson Three – First Testament

How to Read the Writings & Prophets (Hebrew Poetry)

Lesson Four – New Testament

How to Read the Gospels

Lesson Five – New Testament

How to Read the Letters (of Paul, Peter, James, John, Jude)

Lesson Four –  New Testament

How to Read the Gospels

Who were the Gospels originally written to? Knowing who the audience was helps aid in our understanding of what is in the Gospels. The four Gospels all had different authors and different audiences.

Matthew: written to a Jewish community

Mark: written to a Roman community

Luke & Acts: written to Theophilus

John: written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

The Synoptic Gospels

Matthew, Mark, Luke – many similarities: stories & teachings

Possible use of a common source – “Q”

You'll notice as you read the four gospels that the first four have a lot of similarities. Hence the name: Synoptic Gospels (synoptic meaning similar). Lots of studies and theories try to explain it all. The most common understanding is that there was a common source called "Q" that Mark used to write his Gospel. Then it is thought that Matthew and Luke each separately used Q and Mark to write their Gospels to their respective audiences.

The Passion of Jesus

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John – about 1/3 of each book is spent on the Passion week of Jesus. Each author sets up the events of Jesus’ life leading up to the Passion in a unique way. And each author has their own accounting of what happens after the Passion.

What Are You Reading?

Genre of literatures in the Bible:

Myth                Poetry             Biography

Narratives        Genealogy        Letters

Lawcodes         Wisdom            Apocalyptic

Songs              Prophecy          History

Understanding What You Are Reading

So what is the Gospel? It's a unique kind of literature - it has some similarities to other ancient writings, but it sets its own agenda and form. 

Gospel as History: recounting of events that led up to the Passion of Jesus

We think of history in very modern terms. To the ancients, however, recounting history was always in the context of political, religious, or cultural realities. We must understand how history was used back then to make sense of it now. It is important to note that while there is historical information in the Gospels, they were not written to be a pure history of Jesus.

Gospel as Biography: retelling of the life of Jesus

Whatever we think a biography ought to be, the Gospels fall short. While we can read the Gospels to learn something about the origins, childhood and adult life of Jesus, it is only bits and pieces. It is very difficult to reconstruct the life of Jesus of Nazareth from the Gospels. There are biographical elements in the Gospels, but the purpose of them lie elsewhere.

Gospel as Narrative: reconstructed story of Jesus in the light of the story of Israel as part of God’s Story.

All the Gospel writers are telling the story of Jesus as a retelling of the story of Israel. They understand Jesus to be the King of Israel, the Messiah who will deliver them from evil. To understand the story being told about Jesus, it is crucial to understand the story that had been told about Israel and their relationship with God. To get something out of the Gospels of Jesus for our life today, it will be helpful to understand what the Gospels met to those Israelites who lived then.

As you read the Gospels, here are some key chapters and stories you'll want to be familiar with and appreciate.

Matthew: King Jesus & Kingdom of Heaven

Birth Story (Chapters 1-2)

Sermon on the Mount (Chapters 5-7)

Healings & Miracles (Chapters 8 & 9, 14 & 15)

Parables & Wisdom Teachings (Chapters 13, 18-20)

The Passion (Chapters 21-28)

Mark: Jesus Christ is Son of God & Kingdom of God is Gospel

Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.

Immediately…

Healings & Miracles

Parables & Wisdom Teachings

The Passion (Chapters 11-16)

Luke & Acts: Jesus as King of Israel & the Kingdom Coming Through an Ekklesia of Believers

Introductions (Luke 1:1-4 & Acts 1:1-5)

Origins of Jesus (Luke 1-4)

Origins of Disciples & Apostles (Luke 5 & 6, 9 & 10)

Jesus & the Pharisees  (Luke 11-18)

Jesus & Jerusalem (13, 19, 21)

Passion of Jesus (Luke 19-24)

Passion of Paul (Acts 21-28)

The Beginning of the Church (Acts 1-5)

The Gentiles Entering the Church (Acts 6-8)

Introduction to Paul (8-9)

The Leadership of Peter (9-12)

The Ministry of Paul (13—20)

John: Jesus is the Logos, Life Unto the Ages

Introductions to Jesus (Chapter 1)

The Eight Signs (2:11, 4:54, 5:15, 6:14, 6:20, 9:7, 11:41-42, 20:9)

The Passion (12-20)

The Conclusions (20:30-31, 21:24-25)

Love One Another

John 13-15

The story that's being retold in the Gospel of John has shifted its focus - it's moving toward the betrayal and arrest, the crucifixion of the main character: Jesus. This section begins with the Passover Meal - an event rich in stories, theology, culture and history. Jesus takes this event and adds even richer significance to it - he will be come the lamb that is slain by his own people, atoning for their sins and delivering them from death. It will come through betrayal. And yet Jesus will insist that the disciples love one another. 

To demonstrate Jesus' love for his disciples, he washes their smelly, dirty, crusty feet before dinner. And then Jesus insists that they must do this for others. It's one of the ways that the disciples as leaders can express love to their community and family.

I wonder: what would be the equivalent of washing feet today? What would be something that pastors and leaders could do that equates with the humility and gentleness, the tenderness and love of washing the feet of others?

Following dinner Jesus talks for awhile - making sure his disciples understand what is going on. To underscore his main message, he goes over the basics again: love one another. The command is: love one another. Obeying the commands that Jesus gives us reveals our love for Jesus.

How do we know if we love Jesus? When we are working to love one another. How do we love one another? In the same ways that Jesus loved us. This will require meditation on the way of Jesus. And it will require courage when it comes to those in our life who are difficult to love. Even when you have a Judas in your life. Or a Peter.

It's a daunting challenge that Jesus gives his disciples. Maybe he can see the shock in their eyes. To comfort them he promises that the Holy Spirit will always be with them to help them. Where will the power and insight come from to love others as Jesus loved us? 

It will come from the Spirit of God in us. Our love for God opens us up to His Spirit, which empowers us to love others. He can't make us choose to love, but he can influence us in that direction - and once we make the choice, he gives us the capability.

So often we find that our hearts are too small or too tired for all the love that seems to be required of us. We will always need the help of God to love others like Jesus loved us. And the more we yield to the influence of God, the more people he will bring in our path to love.

This is the challenge, 
but this is also a gift 
- to love and be loved, 
this is the greatest thing 
in all the world!

Now Jesus Wept

John 10-12

When a good friend dies, you cry. That's what we do, and that's what Jesus did. It's an interesting story about him and Lazarus and his sisters. He has been working to convince his fellow Israelites to believe him and to believe in him. He's been performing miracles, teaching wisdom with authority, and pouring out compassion on the poor and outcasts.

Jesus is working to save Israel from coming destruction at the hands of Rome. He's got a few people who are understanding him and trusting him. But not enough of the leaders are willing to have faith in him and his words.

When it comes to the Lazarus story, Jesus delays coming to his friends side. By waiting, he lets his friend die. Mary and Martha know that Jesus took longer then is normal to come when they requested. They know that had he come earlier, Lazarus would still be alive. But they don't expect Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead. That is what Jesus is planning on doing, but nobody is hoping for it. 

So why does Jesus cry? If he knows that he can raise Lazarus from the dead, why the emotional outburst? Is it because Jesus is against death just as much as us? Is it the sobbing of his friends that gets to him? Is it connected to his coming execution?

Mary and Martha come across as brilliantly observant, tender-hearted, trusting, and wise. They believe Jesus, they believe in him, and they love him. Yet they are really frustrated with him. Jesus is patient with them, for he knows more about what is going on then they do. And so it is with us. We get frustrated with Jesus. But he's working his plan, which is bigger then us - but includes us.

Jesus wanted another sign for Israel about who he is, what God is doing, and what they need to do. Lazarus' death and resurrection became a catalyst for salvation. People chose to put their faith in Jesus, to listen to his words of warning and instruction.

Just as Jesus was facing the threat of death from the Pharisees, so Lazarus became a target of their hate. But Jesus wouldn't back down from his work, and Lazarus bravely went a long in support. In the midst of the strife and controversy, Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey, hailed as its king. This raised the tension in the air up - not only religiously, but politically, economically, and militarily.

Jesus is provoking the ones with power, goading them to try to kill him. He knows that if he speaks the truth, calls Israel to love their neighbor and enemy, and insists on wisdom and integrity from its leaders, he'll get crucified. His call to righteousness was too provocative, too dangerous, too revolutionary. But rejection of Jesus and his teachings would result in destruction from Rome. Within a generation, Jerusalem was ravaged.

Jesus wept for Lazarus. Jesus wept for Mary and Martha. Jesus wept for his own death. Jesus wept for all the men, women and children who have died. Jesus wept for those that rebel against their Father in Heaven. Jesus wept for those that oppress and crush humanity. Jesus wept for those with lonely, broken homes and hearts. 

Jesus wept for sinners. Jesus wept for his followers. Jesus wept for the dying and sick. Jesus wept for the powerful and wealthy. Jesus wept for those who don't know what they are doing. Jesus wept out of compassion. 

Now Jesus wept out of loving-kindness.

Expose The Evil Behind The Pretensions

John 7-9

Why did Jesus get killed? He was a nice guy. Taught people to love. Always told the truth. Healed people. Fed the hungry. Welcomed the lonely and alienated. A friend to all. What's to hate about a man like that?

Jesus intentionally provoked the religious and political leaders by exposing the evil behind their pretensions. What was behind the Pharisees objections to healing on the Sabbath? Why did they hate Jesus for being a Sabbath-breaker? Why did they protest his dining with tax-collectors and prostitutes? Was it truly a concern for purity? When Jesus taught Torah in the Temple, what got the other teachers of the law all riled up?

Jesus came to save Israel. This is a very political statement. He came to save them from Rome, much like Isaiah came to save Israel from Assyria. The reason that Assyria and Rome were brutalizing Israel was connected to failure to keep Torah - as outlined in the punishment sections of Deuteronomy. If Israel would repent and seek forgiveness of their sins, then God would hear their prayers and cleanse them from all unrighteousness. He would heal their wounds and make shalom prevail.

Jesus came with this message, from God, as the Son of God. And part of his work to save Israel was to expose the evil behind the pretensions. Just as Jeremiah was unable to convince the kings of Israel to repent and save their nation, so Jesus failed with the High Priest and Sanhedrin.

If Jesus were to come to America today, he would do similar work of exposing the evil behind the pretensions. What do you think would happen to Jesus if he always told the truth about people and situations in the USA? About our military? About our economy? About our culture? About our churches? About our faith?

In Jesus' work of revealing the Father to people, of healing them, and forgiving sins - he would undermine the authority of those with power and prestige. The more Jesus taught from Torah and expounded on the Great Commandments to Love God and Love Neighbor - the more enemies he would make. Jesus would destroy our illusions about how well we love. He would blow up our cover ups and deceptions with his truth-full observations. His gentle yet unyielding holiness would reveal our filthiness - and for those that prided themselves on purity, they will be enraged.

Jesus, if he showed up today, would only be able to get a few followers. Who are the tax-collectors of our day? Who are the prostitutes of our day? Who are the blind, lame, diseased, dying of our day? Who are the outcasts and judged ones of our day? They would get most of Jesus' attention, and give the most affection. How well would you tolerate Jesus' intense presence of love? How well would you receive Jesus' focused word of truth? Would he humble you or harden you?

Heads In Your Bibles

John 4-6

This gospel is unique - it has long, extended sermons by Jesus. Lengthy, interactive teachings with individuals and crowds. Each section is preluded by a very interesting event: The Woman at the Well, The Sickman At Bethesda Pool, Feeding of the Five Thousand. And it's three different audiences: first it is the disciples and some citizens of Samaria, then it is religious leaders in Jerusalem, and then it is disciples and crowds in Galilee.

Included in there is the second sign - the healing of the official's sign. There will be seven signs altogether in this gospel - look for them! Actually there is eight - can you figure out the significance?

A big point that is weaved into these events and stories is the centrality of Jesus to God's work in Israel and the world. Jesus continues to point everything back to himself. He does it without being arrogant or cocky. He wants people to live, to love, to be free from their sins - this is why he has come, if only they will believe him, follow him.

It's really interesting, at one point in his confrontation with the religious leaders, he acknowledges that they constantly have their heads in their Bibles. Jesus points out that they are looking for the key to eternal life - but when Jesus shows up, offering eternal life, they miss the point. Jesus goes out of his way to reiterate: the Scriptures are about me!

So, as you get your head in your Bible, let each major section of Scripture - Torah, the Writings and Prophets, the Gospels, the Letters - teach you more about Jesus. Whether it's the background and history of Jesus' nationality and religion, whether it's the political and economic realities, whether it's the laws and commands, all the Bible helps us understand Jesus.

And Jesus is the one we want to get into our heads, into our hearts. We don't read the Bible just for knowledge of Jesus though, we read it as a way to help us follow Jesus. We follow Jesus by believing him when he says to love God and love our neighbor, to forgive those who sin against us. If reading the Bible doesn't help us love in the way of Jesus, we have missed the forest for the trees.

This Is The One!

John 1-3

This Gospel or "Good News" of Jesus is unlike the other three. There are some similar stories - baptism, miracles, teachings, crucifixion and resurrection. But John includes perspectives and angles and insights into these events from a different point of view. Not only that, but he has a lot of original material. The purpose of this gospel, as John states it is this: "...so you will believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and in the act of believing, have real and eternal life in the way he personally revealed it."

You can see this purpose at work in the first chapters. Chapter 1 includes the declaration that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God. Chapter 2 includes the first sign - turning water to wine at a wedding. Chapter 3 includes an invitation to believe and the promise of eternal life. As you read through John, you'll be looking to see how the case is built for why Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God, and why he is worth trusting, worth believing in.

It was quite the controversial claim to make that Jesus was the Messiah. Israel was awaiting their "anointed one" to come and save them from the Empires. They wanted their Deliverer to free them from political and economic oppression so that they could be back on top again, like in King David's day. They wanted vengeance for all the terrible atrocities that had been committed against them. They wanted vindication - if we really are the people of God, then when will this benefit us? As you can imagine, there were big expectations for Jesus. 

But more than that, it was outrageous that the disciples of Jesus were proclaiming him as the Son of God. This was blasphemy! This was religiously unacceptable. It was also a political claim. The Caesars had been claiming the title of Saviour, of Son of God, of Prince of Peace. John was putting onto Jesus the title of the Emperors. This was a sure way to attract the spear-point of Rome. And it was a guaranteed way to fuel the wrath of the religious leaders.

We're so used to hearing Jesus referred to as the Son of God and as Christ (Greek for "anointed one") or Messiah (Hebrew for "anointed one"). But John lays out a sophisticated, nuanced, layered, dramatic, compelling, intriguing, memorable gospel for how we can believe that Jesus is indeed the Son of God and the Messiah. We all start in the dark about God. He comes as the light. What will we do with what he hear, with what we see?