John 12: Not to Judge, but to Save

Today’s reading is John 12.

Jesus is the light of the world. But we must understand, Jesus turned on the light not to uncover the evil of men so they could be condemned. He turned on the light so people could see the pathway of righteousness and get on it. How silly it is for us to walk in the shadows where we will get lost because we cannot see the path and stumble because we cannot see the obstacles in front of us. Instead, let us come to the light, walking on the path illuminated by Jesus’s own footsteps.

With that in mind, we grasp Jesus’s teaching about salvation and judgment. Jesus didn’t come into the world to bring judgment. He didn’t come into the world to cause us to lose our way or stumble over obstacles. He could have. He could have come to wage war on every sinner on the face of the earth. But that was not why He came. He came to save the world. He came to show the way. He came to offer the sacrifice. He came to defeat the real enemy who wants to have us condemned.

Of course, He explains, if we do not walk in His light and listen to His direction, we will be judged. Judgment is coming. Jesus warns us judgment is coming. When Jesus warns of the coming judgment, He does not do so because He delights in the coming judgment, but because He wants us to know what is at stake. He wants to save us from that coming judgment. And if we are judged, it will not be because Jesus wanted to judge us. That wasn’t His goal. It will be because we refused the salvation He offered.

Here we are drowning in our sin and Jesus tosses the life preserver. He warns us, “Grab hold and hang on. Don’t let go or you’ll drown.” And we get mad that He is judging us for not hanging on to the life line instead of grabbing hold and praising Him for making and showing the way.

At the same time, let us understand our own place in this. Sadly, it seems to me too many of us take delight in expressing the coming judgment on some. We too often and too easily want others to see our superiority. Instead, we should be like Jesus. Our goal is not to condemn. Our goal is to save. Certainly, those who refuse will be condemned, and they will be without excuse because they did hear the truth about the consequences. However, this outcome saddens us because we don’t want sinners condemned, not even the ones who sinned against us, we want them saved because Jesus wants them saved. Rather than proclaiming their condemnation, let us make sure we are showing the way to salvation.

How badly does Jesus want salvation instead of condemnation for the whole world? He wants it so badly, He went to the cross to make atonement. Will you accept His sacrifice? Will you take hold of the salvation He offers? Or will you push back and walk headlong into judgment and condemnation? The choice is yours.

If we can help you choose salvation, let us know in the comments.

Tomorrow’s reading is John 12.

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 12 prompt or improve your hope in God?

Psalm 98: The Ends of the Earth Have Seen His Salvation Again

Today’s reading is Psalm 98.

His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
…
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.

Psalm 98:1b, 3b (ESV)

We read something similar in Isaiah 52:9-10.

Break forth together into singing,
you waste places of Jerusalem,
for the LORD has comforted his people;
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The LORD has bared his holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God (ESV).

Yesterday, we saw this imagery used to look back to the exodus from Egypt. Here, Isaiah uses this imagery to foretell the return from Babylon. Recall Daniel 5, in which God conquered Babylon and Belshazzar by the Medes and the Persians. Babylon fell, but Daniel, God’s prophet, continued on.

More than that, Cyrus the Great, ruler of Medo-Persia released as many Jews as would go to return to their homeland with the following proclamation throughout his empire:

Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel–he is the God who is in Jerusalem.

Ezra 1:2-3 (ESV)

God knows how to deliver His people. He knows how to deliver His people in a way that all the world knows He did it. Granted, a great deal of time occurred between the exodus from Egypt and the return from Babylon. God doesn’t exercise that kind of marvel every day. Between these two major events many things happened. Sometimes God intervened decisively, other times He worked more behind the scenes if you will.

But what we learn in both circumstances is simply this. God knows how to rescue. Do you want rescue? Hang on to God. He delivers decisively when the time is right.

Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 98.

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 Psalm 98 admonish you?

Greater than Jonah and Solomon

Today’s reading is Matthew 12.

Here’s an interesting thing about Jonah. He never preached repentance. He simply preached coming judgment (see Jonah 3:4). However, that prompted the Ninevites to repent. Jesus came offering repentance as an option, but most of the Jews rejected Him.

Jesus was greater than Jonah for more than just His preaching. He was also greater because of His love. Jonah preached judgment because he wanted Nineveh judged. They were the enemy. Jonah didn’t love the enemy. He wanted the enemy destroyed. Jonah spent three days and nights in the belly of the fish because he hated his enemy. Jesus spent three days and nights in the earth because He loves His enemies. Jesus is greater than Jonah. That is good news for us.

Of course, one of the very interesting points is Nineveh eventually did get judged. Nahum prophesied their demise. But their penitence allowed them to remain long enough for God to use that Gentile nation to judge Israel. The Jews should be paying attention here. The underlying point is if the Jews won’t repent, they will face a judgment from the Gentiles again. In Jesus’s teaching, it will be on the day of judgment when the Ninevites of Jonah’s day testify against them. However, under the surface is the intimation that just as Nineveh brought judgment on Israel, Rome will do the same thing.

Jesus is also greater than Solomon. His wisdom is to be heard, revered, followed. Remember, Solomon’s wisdom cried aloud in the streets (Proverbs 2:20-33). Solomon’s wisdom proclaimed if the hearer would listen to her, she would protect them. However, if the hearer refused to listen, then one day calamity would come. In that day, the folks would call out to her, but she would laugh and ignore their calamity because they hated knowledge.

Solomon himself fell prey to that folly. He married foreign wives who led him to foreign gods. He and Israel were judged for it. Jesus, however, is greater and has greater wisdom. He did not fall prey to folly. He is the ultimate Son of David. We can listen to His wisdom and be saved. If we do not, even the Queen of Sheba will stand testifying against us in the judgment.

Jesus is greater than the temple, greater than Jonah, greater than Solomon. Let’s listen to Him.

Tomorrow’s reading is Matthew 12.

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 great was Jonah?
3. How great was Solomon?
4. What does it mean then to you to learn Jesus is greater than both of these men?
5. What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?