The G4 Project - Day 3

What's in a Name

READING: John 1:35-51

SOUNDTRACK: the blissful quiet of a house before all are awake

Jesus begins to call His first disciples:

Andrew had been one of JtB’s disciples who upon hearing JtB’s declaration (the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world) that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah, literally begins to follow Him.  This interaction was enough to convince him John was right and he runs to get his brother, Simon.

“So you are Simon son of John?” Jesus rhetorically asks.

There are some British phrases which I love.  Typically in America we would say something like, “Our drummer is named Tom.”  The British would say, “We have a drummer called Tom.”

I like ‘called’ better, because as humans we love to name things: animals, cars, battleships.  I have a friend who names each new server we get at the church… we’ve been naming things since the Garden.  And while we have our chosen names for things, we call them one thing, there are many instances in Scripture where God has an altogether different idea.  My name, for instance, means ‘dark water’.  Simon, in Hebrew means ‘listening, obedient’.

Yet Jesus tells him, “You shall be called ‘Peter’” and that is how most of us know him today.  ‘Peter’ means ‘rock’ and anyone who has read through the gospels sees that if anything he was not necessarily a rock of stability.  He often was the one to lob a dumb question (from our perspective).  But a question that was most likely on the other disciples’ minds.

But then look at what happened at Pentecost after the resurrection!  Peter does become a ‘rock’ and a pillar within the first leadership of the Church.  Jesus knew who Peter would be.

As the much overplayed song on the radio says, “there is hope for me yet… God’s not finished with me yet.”  And Revelation indicates that there are least some (the overcomers) who receive from Christ a white stone that has written on it their new name – the name He knows them as.

I wonder what God’s name is for me.  Because while ‘dark water’ may be fitting on some days, I’d rather be less brooding and more useful.

What, perhaps, is God’s name for you?  Not how you see yourself, but who He knows you to be and who you will become through His grace?

Next we are told that Jesus tells Phillip to follow Him.  Phillip excitedly goes to get his doubtful brother Nathanael, telling him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

Phillip sees enough of Jesus to see that He is not just a good teacher, or a new prophet, but rather the fulfillment of the prophecies.

Nathanael retorts with, “Nazareth? Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

Nazareth at the time (I have heard) was a melting pot of ethnicities and cultures.  People from many nations; of many religions lived there.  To the upright Jew, Nazareth was seen as a cesspool of sorts – that no one of moral standing could possibly come from that degenerated area.  (Aside:  Again what a picture of the heart of God that He chooses to live in this type of area!  Not with those who have it ‘together’)

“But come and see!” Phillip insists.

Nathanael, reluctantly I am sure, goes with him.  Before he can say a word, Jesus says of him, “Look!  Here is a true Israelite in whom there is nothing false (no deceit).”  I have also read – but cannot verify – that Jesus’ words mean:  “Here is a true Israelite, whose bloodline is pure.”

Regardless, it is enough to catch Nathanael’s attention.

“How do you know me?” he asks of Jesus.

To paraphrase Jesus’ response, He says, “Before your brother told you about me, I saw you sitting under the fig tree.” It was very likely that not only had they been separated by some distance, but that given Jesus’ earlier declaration of who Nathanael was, that Nathanael may have been in prayer while under that tree.

It is enough for Nathanael to instantly declare that Jesus is both the Son of God and the King of Israel – no light titles indeed!

You can almost hear the broad smile in Jesus’ response:

Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these." And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

Greater things!

And he alludes to Himself as Jacob’s ladder – the bridge between heaven and earth – the One who would restore the rift, the broken relationship.  Ultimately this ladder finds its fulfillment at the cross.  Nathanael has met the promised One – the Messiah, God’s Son, the King of Israel.

the G4 PROJECT - Day 2

The G4 Project – Day 2

JtB & JtC
READING: John 1:19-34
Soundtrack: Nesciens mater: choral works of Jean Mouton (selected tracks)

John the Baptizer (JtB) enters the scene.  Having read Luke not that long ago, it is plain that John and Jesus are cousins – however both John’s parents were human.

John comes baptizing the people for repentance of sins.  In John and Jesus’ day the people were expecting the Messiah at any moment - and many want to be ready; to be right with God.  This expectation was due in part to the Roman occupation and the Hebrews desire to be freed from this oppression as they had once been freed from Egyptian oppression.

Naturally the religious leaders send a delegation to John asking him who he thinks he is: “Are you the messiah?  Are you Elijah? (fulfilling the prophecy in Mal. 4:5) Are you the Prophet? (whom Moses spoke of in Deut. 18:15)?”

“I am not the Christ” John responds. “I am not Elijah (though Jesus would clarify this later). I am not the Prophet.”

Then who are you?  We need an answer to take back to those who sent us!

“I am ‘the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord,”’ as the prophet Isaiah said." (Isa. 40:3)

Whoa!!!  Don’t just skip over this!  One of my frustrations with many English translations of the Bible is that the sacred name of God “YHWH” (often pronounced Yahweh) is translated to the generic ‘Lord’ and most often this connection is made by having LORD (all caps).  I think we miss something by using ‘Lord’.

This is no generic 'god' being spoken of!  This is The One and Only, True and Living God Who revealed Himself and His sacred Name to Moses in the burning bush!

John was not saying I have come to prepare the way for a great religious teacher or a new rabbi.  John was saying, “I am here doing what God has called me to because God Himself is coming!”

Powerful words!

John the Baptizer goes on to say that the One Who is coming is so great that he (John) is unworthy even to the most humiliating of tasks assigned to a slave of that day – untie a sandal!

John (author) skips over JtB’s baptizing of Jesus, but it is fascinating when you read the Gospel accounts together.

Since JtB and Jesus are cousins I firmly believe that when JtB said to Jesus “You should be baptizing me” it was not because he yet recognized Jesus as the Christ.  JtB knew his cousin was a very righteous man and that for that reason Jesus should be the one doing the baptizing.

However in the G4 we see when the realization hits JtB:

"I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but He (God) who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God."

Only after Jesus is baptized by JtB does JtB realize that his very own cousin is not just Jesus bar (son of) Joseph, but Jesus the Christ (JtC) – Son of God!  Even Yahweh enfleshed!

“The next day (after JtB had baptized Jesus) he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said 'After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.' I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel."

The Hebrews… Israel… had been awaiting a Messiah to deliver them as Moses once had.  JtB, directed by the Spirit, tells them that not only will Jesus bring them deliverance – but that Jesus Himself will be the Passover lamb for this deliverance and coming exodus.

Here comes the all-powerful Word of God, creator of heaven and earth, come to demonstrate the heart of the Father... to help us 'see' and know God... and to be slaughtered like a passover lamb, so that flagrant, rebellious offenders deserving of separation and anguish and flame would be forgiven and adopted.

THE G4 PROJECT - Day 1

[Due to illness, this project is starting 2 days later than originally planned.]

The G4 project is an experiment in daily blogging.  As I make my way through the book of John, the 4^th Gospel (hence G4) I’d love to have you journey along with me and feel free to comment as we go.  My goal is to post daily (M-F) as I read and meditate on the Gospel of John.  My goal is not a chapter a day, but rather to read until something strikes me.  With that said… here we go….

Day 1
Chapter 1, vss. 1-18

Soundtrack: The Choir Of Trinity College Cambridge - Vocé

The Word.

These opening verses of John are like an intense, poetic, kaleidoscopic explosion of attributes of Christ.  Nouns, adjectives and verbs used like brilliant colors to highlight His glory painting a cathedral using words as the medium to describe The Word.

And Truth!  Truth about Christ shines forth so stunningly beautiful here.

Many of us have read this passage – and many times at that.  How powerful to be refreshed once again by the truth that Christ has existed eternally with the Father from eternity past; that all things were made by Him; that in Him is life and light!

He is perfect beyond comprehension.  He is powerful beyond comprehension. He is glorious in His being. He is Life; He is Light.

Our world seems to get darker by the day – and yet here again the reminder that the darkness cannot overcome Him Who is the Light!  Ah… sweet Hope come quickly!

Here is the One who is Creator and giver of all good things and yet His creation rejects Him.  He came to those He had made and they disowned Him, they refused Him – though not all.  The ones who turn, trust and receive Him He calls His children!  There is much talk about how we, simply by being human, are all “God’s children”, but God, through John makes it clear that the right to be called a child of God is not inherent, but comes through belief in Him alone as Savior & Lord; comes through rebirth by faith.

His children – dearly loved.  Adopted, chosen, held closely, loved immeasurably!

Verse 14 is one of my favorite Scriptures.   “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”  This is no disassociated God – no far off deity watching ‘from a distance’ (sorry Bette Middler fans).  He is a God who is immanent, who is close, who draws near, He who humbles himself in ways that seem paradoxical to Deity.  (More on that in Advent. )

He is a God who wraps Himself in human flesh to make known the lavish grace of God – that mercy and forgiveness are available – freely!  He comes full of grace and truth… not just bringing or carrying these virtues… but entirely full of them.   He is a God Who dwelt among us to shows us visibly the Father’s heart toward us.

It is impossible for mere mortals, for us creations, to see the fullness of the triune God of the Scriptures.. but God, the only God, who is at the Father’s side has made Him known to us. (v 18)

What a powerful statement of Jesus’ divinity! God - who is seated at God's side. The eternally existent second member of the Trinity – the Son – comes to visibly show us what God is like.  The Greek says, “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is in the bosom (heart) of the Father, He has made Him known.”

The Word – the full expression of the heart of God – who came to repair the rift, and to show us again God’s character, Who God is… His grace, mercy, forgiveness and love.

And from His fullness we have received grace upon grace.   Grace piled upon grace.

Grace multiplied exponentially!

Take a moment to be in awe and thanks.