John 2: Our Father’s House

Today’s reading is John 2.

Jesus demonstrated Himself to be the prophet superior to Moses, turning water into wine. What do we expect Him to do next? Surely, as Moses marched into Pharaoh’s house and demanded he let God’s people go, Jesus will march into Rome and demand Caesar let God’s people go. Or perhaps He will march into Jerusalem and demand all the Romans go. But He doesn’t. He does almost the exact opposite. Instead of chasing the Romans out of Jerusalem, He chases the Jews out of the temple.

Jesus was far more concerned about the children of God distorting, twisting, and perverting the house of God, than He was about the enemies of God’s people who oppress, enslave, and persecute them. If Jesus were to show up on earth today, where would He go? Do you think He’d march into Washington and drain the swamp? Or do you think He might march into the churches and purify the springs?

When the disciples considered Jesus cleansing the temple, they recalled Psalm 69:9:

For zeal for your house has consumed me… (ESV)

Whatever David was going through at the time, his detractors looked down on him for his work on the Lord’s house. They were apparently accusing him of theft (Psalm 69:4), likely in connection with the collection he was taking to prepare for the building of the temple. He was so intent on the Lord’s house, people around him thought he had crossed lines. When the early Christians read Psalm 69, they saw Jesus. Of course, they would. After all, Jesus saw Himself there. He’ll apply Psalm 69:4 to Himself. We’ll see that when we get to John 15.

Why tell this story? John writes to explain Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. What does this event have to do with the goal? Surely, one of the big reasons people continued to reject Jesus in John’s latter days was the crucifixion. If Jesus was the Messiah, why had He ended up on a cross? John is setting the stage. Jesus ended up on a cross because, like David, He was consumed with zeal for God’s house. His Father’s house. He is crucified because He dared stand up for God, for the Father. Why didn’t anyone else stand up in that way? Because they weren’t the Son. But a Son will defend His Father and will cleanse His Father’s house.

Of course, we should make application today. We do not worship in a Jerusalem temple. But we are part of the New Covenant temple. We are part of the house of our Father. We need to have zeal for our Father’s house. We need to have the kind of zeal Jesus did. We need to be ready to drive out those who will make our Father’s house a house of trade and especially those who will make it a den of thieves. We must drive out those who will twist, distort, pervert the purpose and work of Christ’s church. And as we do, some will think we have crossed lines. If we are children of the Father, we will also let zeal for God’s house consume us.

Tomorrow’s reading is John 2.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does John 2 prompt or improve your hope in God?

Draw Near to God, Resist the Devil

Today’s reading is James 4.

Sometimes the answer we need to hear to our seemingly deep questions is just that simple. When writing to folks who are struggling with their speech, bearing the wrong fruit, full of fighting and quarrels, James provides the prescription: 1) Draw near to God and 2) Resist the devil.

The fact is too many of us only want enough God to get into heaven in the end while we hang on to enough devil to have a good time here on earth. We can spiritualize our state by saying we are being saved by grace and not our own works, but God is not fooled. We only want Him for the supposed eternity of pleasure waiting in the wings. We proclaim our lingering in sin is a praise of His saving grace. But even Paul said we must not linger in sin that grace may abound.

The devil, through the wiles of the world, wants to anchor us in worldly passions. Too often, we are complicit. God’s promise, however, is clear. If we resist the devil, he will flee from us. If we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. As Jesus said, if we ask, we will receive; if we seek, we will find; if we knock, God will open the door to us.

Are you sinning? Cleanse your hands. Are you double-minded? Purify your heart. Are your sins just so much fun that you laugh and rejoice in them? Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Get your head on straight. Don’t judge by the world’s wisdom, judge by God’s. Humble yourself before God, and He will exalt you.

Understand this. When you are drawing near the world and the devil, you are resisting God. If you continue to do so, eventually God will leave you in your desires and pursuits. You will fade away in the midst of them like the flower of the grass under the scorching heat of the sun. But if you draw near to God, He will envelope you with His grace and might. The devil will flee, not because your resistance is so strong, but because the God to whom you are drawing near is so strong. The devil can beat you. He can’t beat God.

Resist the devil. Draw near to God. Victory and exaltation will come.

Tomorrow’s reading is James 4.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family

1. What are your initial reactions to the chapter and the written devo above?
2. How can we resist the devil?
3. How can we draw near to God?
4. How do we humble ourselves before God?
5. What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?

Once for All

Today’s reading is Hebrews 9.

Aaronic priests entered the Holy of Holies in the earthly tent having followed the appropriate regulations for worship once per year on the Day of Atonement. They did that every year, again and again and again. Not only that, but the priests in general went daily, weekly, monthly to the temple to offer sacrifices of bulls and goats. Over and over and over they offered sacrifice. In fact, with just the bare minimum of sacrifices as seen in Numbers 28-29, more than 1200 sacrifices were offered every year. Those are just the sacrifices the priests had to offer no matter what. That doesn’t count the families who came to bring thanksgiving, votive, sin, and burnt offerings. Think about that. Over 1200 sacrifices every year. We’re talking millions of sacrifices offered in the tabernacle and temple of the Lord.

But then Jesus, the priest after the order of Melchizedek came. How many sacrifices did He offer? One. He offered once for all the sacrifice that can truly forgive sin. He offered one sacrifice which all people can access. He didn’t offer a sacrifice for Jews and then another for Gentiles. He didn’t offer one sacrifice for Americans and then another for Russians. He didn’t offer one sacrifice for black people and then another for white people. He offered one sacrifice for all.

Further it was once for all time. He didn’t have to be sacrificed again the following year, decade, century, millennium. He didn’t offer a sacrifice for the pre-modern era and then need to offer a different one for the modern era and post-modern era. He didn’t have to offer a different kind of sacrifice. He offered one sacrifice for all people once for all time.

You can only draw near to God through that sacrifice. There is no other way. He made the preparations so we can come into God’s presence and worship. No doubt, we are not simply allowed to say Jesus’s name over whatever we want to do and call it drawing near to God or worshiping Him. However, we must recognize the first regulation for worship under this new covenant is to be in Jesus, to do whatever we do in His name and by His authority. There is no other way. Can we help you enter Christ? Let us know in the comments below.

Are you in Christ? Praise the Lord! Our high priest offered one effective sacrifice once for all.

Tomorrow’s reading is Hebrews 9.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family

1. What are your initial reactions to the chapter and the written devo above?
2. Do you know what kinds of sacrifices they had to offer repeatedly under the first covenant? List as many as you know.
3. Are you glad you don’t have to offer sacrifices in order to worship God under this New Covenant in Jesus? Why or why not?
4. What does Romans 6:1-4 say about how we enter Christ? Have you done that?
5. What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?

He Wills

Today’s reading is Matthew 8.

The leper of Matthew 8 intrigues me. He kneels before Jesus, but he doesn’t ask, “Lord, please heal me.” Instead, he makes a declaration. “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” It is a declaration of faith. “I know you can heal me.” The leper’s “question” is not about ability, but about willingness. “If you will…” That is, “If you want to…”

How long was the moment between the declaration and Jesus’s response for that leper? The leper was full of hope, but unsure of outcome until “Jesus stretched out his and and touched him, saying, ‘I will; be clean.'”

He wills! How glorious. How amazing. How joyful. How comforting. He wills. He touched the leper. He touched the unclean. He was not only willing to cleanse the leper, but to touch him. What joy for that leper.

We come to the Lord. We wonder, “Would Jesus be willing to associate with an unclean sinner like me? Would Jesus be willing to touch an unclean sinner like me? Would Jesus be willing to cleanse an unclean sinner like me?” “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” And we wait. It seems like an eternity. But Jesus responds, “I will; be clean.”

Please, grasp that. Jesus wants us to be clean. Jesus wants to cleanse us. And this points out what was true all along. The question is not about Jesus’s ability. But neither is it about Jesus’s willingness. Actually, the question is about our faith. Will we turn to Jesus? Will we bring our uncleanness to Him, declare our faith, allow Him to touch us, allow Him to cleanse us?

He is able. He wills. Praise the Lord!!!

Tomorrow’s reading is Matthew 8.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family

1. What are your initial reactions to the chapter and the written devo above?
2. How do you know Jesus is able to cleanse you of your sins?
3. How do you know Jesus is willing to cleanse you of your sins?
4. What comfort and joy does knowing Jesus is able and willing to cleanse you of your sins bring you?
5. What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?