Jesus Is in Control (John 18:6-8)

Lesson #295

In the last lesson Jesus responded with “I AM [he]”. We learned that “he” was added in translation for the sake of English. When Jesus responded with “I AM” it went forth with power. “When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground” (John 18:6 ESV). When the translation is written “I am he” it loses the impact of saying “I AM” and how you might interpret the action of them drawing back and falling down. I believe this is one more example of Jesus demonstrating who he was and giving proof of his power. We are not told what there was about the stance of Jesus when he addressed them, but there was something they experienced that caused them to pause and draw back as though afraid. Was it his boldness, lack of fear of them, power of his spoken response, or something else that momentarily overpowered them? In Job 4:9 (ESV) we read: “By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of his anger they are consumed.” Did they experience some of this in their soul when Jesus spoke?

Because of their falling back, Jesus speaks again: “So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”” (John 18:7 ESV). Jesus did not hurt them with his words and now Jesus seems to invite them to get up and proceed with their mission. He repeats the question to them of who they were after. Repeating this question demonstrates that Jesus had no intentions of trying to escape or to resist. He was delivering himself into their hands because it was now time to do that. Up until now when anyone came to arrest him he would manage to escape them, but now he turns himself over to them. Having recovered, Judas and those with him, with hardened hearts intent on wickedness, set aside Jesus display of power and do not respond with “We seek the Messiah!”, but instead they again say, “Jesus of Nazareth.” to which “Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” (John 18:8 ESV). Following the authority of Jesus saying “I AM”, I believe when Jesus spoke “let these men go” he was expressing authority, not an entreaty. Jesus was turning himself over to them, but he made it clear that in exchange his disciples were to be free to leave unharmed.

There is no question about whether Jesus could avoid them taking him in, but that was not the plan. Jesus was sent by the Father to lay down his life for the sheep so that he could show them mercy and extend grace to them. Under the power of Jesus, the soldiers and others were restrained from harming the disciples. They needed to leave the garden and wait for further direction to be received from Jesus after his resurrection.

Prayer

Father, I find it interesting and encouraging how Jesus was in control when Judas came with those who wanted to arrest him. Jesus knew when they would arrive, received them with power that caused them to fall to the ground, and gave directions to let the disciples go without harm. Jesus then gives himself to them. There may be times when we may need to submit into the hands of the enemy and suffer as Jesus did. There may be other times when we will be protected and sent on to finish our work for him. Father, I am so thankful that you have a plan for me, that if followed, will produce the results you want from me. Thank you that the Holy Spirit is in control. 

I AM [he] (John 18:5)

Lesson #294

In the last lesson we ended with Jesus asking the question: “Whom do you seek?” “They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them” (John 18:5 ESV). John does not mention the kiss of Judas to identify him and so we don’t know if it occurred before or after this response. Jesus makes it clear that he is the one they are after by saying, “I am he.” Most translations weaken his answer by adding “he” to “I am” for English clarity, but in the Greek, Jesus said: “I AM”, identifying himself as part of the Godhead. We will see the impact of Jesus saying “I AM” in the next verse.

Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with those he brought to capture Jesus. What a contrast we see here with Judas. A short while ago he was at supper with Jesus and the rest of the disciples and now he is with those intent to destroy Jesus. This reminds me of Psalm 1 (ESV): “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” Judas clearly left the place of blessing and went and walked in the counsel of the wicked, stood among sinners, and sat with scoffers and as we follow his life we will find that he like chaff will be driven away into destruction. Those who stay with Jesus and delight themselves in the Word will be like a tree planted by streams of water and will yield its fruit, even in times of drought.

One must stop and think hard about Judas. How did he get from being a disciple to walking with those seeking to destroy Jesus? Is it possible for you, if you experience some major tragedy or disappointment, to get really upset with God and turn away from him? If you were to experience severe persecution and were about to lose everything, maybe even your life, how would that affect your walk with the Lord? Be sure of your salvation and decide how you will respond if that time comes and how to prepare for it. Study those under persecution and learn from them. Find verses that relate to persecution and learn the proper interpretation of them, not the western view. As you experience any form of suffering now, learn from it as your first priority, even at the expense of comfort. If persecution comes you will lose your idols of comfort, convenience, safety and security. How will you live without them? Will you continue to walk with the Lord or maybe tend to follow Judas?

Prayer

Father, we each need to clearly determine who we are standing with. It is Jesus or some form of Judas and are there conditions that help us determine that? Father, I believe that this is a serious question to be asked here in the west where we are not standing in the face of active persecution against our faith. If our faith was tested what score would we receive? At what cost would we say enough and turn away like Judas? I believe we need to determine if we are willing to die for our faith as Jesus died to make faith possible. 

The Beginning of the Execution (John 18:3-4)

Lesson #293

The stage has been set and now comes the action: “So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons” (John 18:3 ESV). Judas, the betrayer, enters the garden with a band of soldiers. How large this band was, is uncertain so I will not speculate. The soldiers were probably those Roman soldiers given by the governor for the defense of the temple and the officers were those belonging to the Sanhedrin.

These came with lanterns and torches and weapons. At this time in the month of Nisan there should be a bright full moon, so why the lanterns and torches. They were probably for the possibility of searching for Jesus if he was hiding in the garden, but surely he would not be hiding because he knew this was his time and he knew what was going to happen and what should happen. The weapons were probably swords and clubs (Mark 14:48); the swords probably those of the Roman soldiers and the clubs belonged to the chief priest’s officers.

As Judas and the band of soldiers and officers arrived, “Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” (John 18:4 ESV). Jesus, being the Son of God, was the omniscient, so he would have access to all information. The One who can speak the universe into existence would know what was going to happen to him because he and his Father worked out the plan of salvation long before creating humans. They knew sin would enter into their creation through them, but that would not stop them because out of that rebellion would be create something even better. Jesus, as the sacrificial Lamb, knew of the suffering that lay ahead and he knew what was to happen next.

As Judas and the band of soldiers and officers arrived, Jesus did not try to hide from them, but instead stepped forward to intercept them and engaged them with the question, “Whom do you seek?” Jesus knew who they were after and he knew this was the time to give himself to them and not escape from them as he had in the past. Jesus is still in control and will be, even up to the point when on the cross he says it is finished and takes his last breath.

Prayer

Father, what an adventure and what a thrill it has been to develop nearly 300 Bible studies in following Jesus on his way to the cross. I don’t feel that I just followed him, but in so many ways I walked with him. Father, I feel the same way as I study those under persecution. At times when I suffer, I feel a unity with them and I join them in prayer for encouragement, endurance and steadfastness. As Jesus was crucified on the cross, by faith I am crucified with Christ that he might live in and through me. Father, thank you for this great plan of salvation that is unfolding before our eyes and in our lives as we work out our salvation. 

On to the Garden (John 18:1-2)

Lesson #292

With this lesson we begin chapter 18, which in the ESV translation is divided up into seven sections. The first section, about the betrayal and arrest of Jesus, includes the first eleven verses. Beginning at the first verse, we read: “When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered” (John 18:1 ESV). The words which Jesus spoke refer to his prayer in the preceding chapter. At the end of his prayer, he and his disciples went out and crossed the brook Kidron, which was a small stream that flowed to the east of Jerusalem, through a very narrow valley, dividing the city from the Mount of Olives. The Garden of Gethsemani is located on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives and is a place that Jesus knew about and probably went there to get away from the crowds and pray at various times. At this critical time in the ministry of Jesus, he and his disciples enter this garden.

It is interesting to note that it was in a garden that Adam’s disobedience was committed resulting in death permeating the human race and here in the garden of Gethsemani, the obedience of Jesus, the second Adam, to die for sin begins. The sentence of death, on account of sin, was passed in a garden and in a garden the execution for that sin began.

The next verse indicates that Jesus and his disciples often came here. There is reason to think that the garden belonged to some wealthy man in Jerusalem that Jesus was friends with who gave him access. “Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples’ (John 18:2 ESV). Because of the Passover celebrations in Jerusalem and with many attending from outlying locations, lodging in Jerusalem was probably scarce so Jesus chose to take his disciples and stay the night in the garden. When visiting Jerusalem, Jesus probably stayed here with his disciples and so Judas expected to find him there.

Prayer

Father, as I think about Jesus and his coming trial, scourging and crucifixion and think of his response to that evil against him, I often wonder how I would respond to persecution against me and I think of how I am preparing myself for that possibility. Father, prepare me so if that time comes I will be encouraged by having made a previous decision to endure and stand fast through your strength and not turn away and experience the shame of denial. Lord Jesus, you are my example. Prepare me to live it out if called upon to do so. 

To Know and to Love God (John 17:24-26)

Lesson #291

Jesus continues to pray, saying: “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24 ESV). Justice demands that every person physically born must die an eternal death in hell, but mercy can be extended to those God wills because Jesus was able and willing to die for these sheep (John 10:11). These Jesus died for, the Father gives to him as a gift and Jesus then gives each eternal life.

Jesus is looking forward to when all the sheep will be with him in heaven, but now he is praying for those yet to come to salvation. Jesus desires so much that they be able to behold his glory and enjoy it in bodies that are also filled with his glory. The Father loved his Son from eternity past and desired to express this love by selecting a bride for him from out of the world, preparing that bride and giving her to Jesus. What a scene of beauty and love we see here and to think it includes you and I as believers.

Jesus continues to pray for those who the Father has given to him: “O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me” (John 17:25 ESV). Jesus admits that the world does not know the Father because it does not know or accept Jesus for who he is. Again Jesus confesses that he knows the Father because he has been with him for an eternity past and he confesses that we know that Jesus was sent by the Father to purchase our salvation.

Jesus then concludes his prayer with: “I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:26 ESV). While on earth, Jesus declared the Father to his disciples and to others and he makes the promise that while in heaven he will continue through the Spirit to proclaim the Fathers name that we would know the One True God. Again he asks for the Father’s love to be in them. God is love and as God in the Spirit dwells in us, that love in is us. Jesus then concludes with that great concept of “Christ in us the hope of glory!” How desperately we in the western church need to experience that hope to draw us away from friendship with the world.

Prayer

Father, as we come to the end of another great chapter, I want to pray again for my readers and myself. The growing number of readers humbles me and emphasize the opportunity and responsibility I have with the Lord and the Spirit to provide lessons to think about and to learn from. I pray for the mind of the Lord and the help of the Spirit for me in writing these lessons and then for the Spirit to draw more readers to come and be touched by the word of God. I pray for the needs and trials being experienced by my readers. I pray for God to encourage, provide endurance and steadfastness in their walk. Father, bless them and fill their hearts with your love and kindness of your grace. 

Perfectly One (John 17:23)

Lesson #290

Jesus continues to pray about this oneness becoming a perfect unity: “I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me” (John 17:23 ESV). In the last lesson we spoke of “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). Jesus points this out by saying: “I in them.” Then to link us to the one who dwells in unapproachable light, Jesus says: “you in me” where “you” refers to his Father. Try to grasp the significance of this when we have our perfect resurrected bodies. We all need to spend more time considering this great mystery because we need to make the hope of glory part of our daily walk.

All that the Father is, is also in Jesus and with Jesus in us he brings the Father into us, establishing unity with each of us and thus we with each other. Jesus establishes and maintains this unity: “And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17 ESV). Jesus is the glue, through the presence of the Spirit, that creates and maintains perfect unity. Think of all those you can’t stand, who you wish you would never see again; those who seem to make life so difficult. Now think about having perfect unity with them and think of what is going to have to change in you and them to make this possible. The “may” become perfectly one is reference to life of the body of believers here on earth. We need greater unity now because in that way the world will see us as different than they.

If we were to love one another as Jesus loves us we would be much more united that we are today. This oneness is important because it enforces the message that the Father sent Jesus into the world as a demonstration of the Father’s love for them: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16a). If the Father can love us retched sinners, then we should be able to love one another and establish this unity that Jesus is praying for.

Prayer

Father, I think of this oneness of love in the body and with you and Father and think of the great diversity that will be found in this family of God. I think of the many different cultures, language, foods, clothing, etc. and then I think that I will be able to know the name of each and be able to communicate with them as I do my own brothers and sisters. I am overwhelmed at all we will experience with one another, but then add to that all we will know and experience about God. Father have mercy on us because we are of the world, not living in the world as sales people creating interest in the great life we can begin to experience now. 

The Hope of Glory (John 17:22)

Lesson #289

Now that we have stretched our minds with the concept of being in God and thus part of God, we now need to stretch them further and consider this next verse: “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one” (John 17:22 ESV). Before we do anything else we need to try to figure what this glory is. How does one define glory? How does one describe beauty? How does one describe a basketball? Which is easier to describe; a basketball or beauty? Do you see the problem? Isaiah 6:3 might help: “And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”” (NKJV). Is the glory of God somehow a manifestation of his holiness? Maybe if we understand holiness we can get a handle on glory.

The holiness of God puts him in a class by himself. That holiness is what God is that nobody else is. His perfections, greatness and worth are matched by no one else. God is not determined by anything outside of himself; he defines himself; his infinite value. There also seems to be a connection given between holiness and glory in Leviticus 10:3: “I will display my holiness through those who come near me. I will display my glory before all the people” (NLT). As we draw near to him and can apprehend and reckon with his holiness we can then is some sense perceive to see his glory. Maybe we can say that the glory of God is the infinite beauty of his holiness in terms of his perfection, greatness and worth. Maybe it is that unapproachable light of his holiness that veils the Father.

Moses asked God to show him his glory and God responded with: “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name” (Exodus 33:19 ESV). Here there seems to be a relationship between glory and goodness. A few verses later we read: “while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen” (Exodus 33:22 – 23 ESV). This seems to suggest an unapproachable light shining from his face. I think this because of the transfiguration of Jesus when “he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light” (Matthew 17:2 ESV). To connect us to this glory we need to look at 1 John 3:2 (ESV): “Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” We shall be like him by becoming partakers of his divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). When Moses went up Mount Sinai to talk with God, he returned and “did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God” (Exodus 34:29 ESV). In heaven we will be given a new sinless body that will allow the glory of God who dwells inside of us to radiate out from us. The unapproachable light of God’s glory will permeate every part of the body of believers. We cannot begin to comprehend what this will be light! Paul refers to this as a great mystery: “how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27 ESV). What a mystery; what a hope; what glory we will experience in all of its characteristics.

Prayer

Father, I only touched on the mystery unfolding in this lesson. When I think of Christ in us and he with the glory he is asking you to restore to him and our new bodies to radiate that glory, I can’t begin to comprehend our potential beauty. Father, as we absorb ourselves in this world, we lose sight of this coming glory as we become willing to live like spiritually homeless people. Preparing this lesson sure pointed this out to me and hopefully to my readers. 

The Diagram of Oneness

Lesson #288

We didn’t finish what we started in the last lesson, so we must finish up work on those verses: “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:20 – 21 ESV). We still need to look at “that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

The context of these two verses is being an effective witness from a unified body. Those who come to salvation through that witness become part of the body that is in Christ and in the Father and they in us by the Holy Spirit. This beautiful unity of Father, Son and Spirit, with Jesus being the Son in flesh and we the body included into the trinity by the Spirit being in us. The Son of God is seen in Jesus and the Holy Spirit is seen in us as a body of believers. This is a picture that has taken me years to understand and only now am I gradually coming to see my place in this unity along with other believers. Writing these Bible studies and praying for my readers has helped me understand how Jesus, the Spirit and I work together to prepare these lessons, draw readers to them, and work in the lives of those who read to the glory of our Father. The body of believers left in the world is the visible part of the entity of God and represents God to the world. The more we reflect the nature of God, the greater is the likelihood that those in the world will believe that Jesus was sent by his Father and find salvation.

Working on this lesson has resulted in the formation a diagram in my mind that relates to this unity. I tried to develop that diagram and describe it on a separate page. Here is a link to the diagram and its description.

Prayer

Father, the concept of the trinity is difficult to comprehend and now Jesus complicates it by speaking of a further oneness. What does it truly mean that we as a body of born again are in Jesus and you? Jesus as a person is in the Father and now he prays for us to be in Jesus and in you in the same way. If we could truly comprehend this oneness that we are part of even today, it would radically change how we live our lives. As I have grown to comprehend this some, I find the world losing its grip on me as my desire to know more about living with and working with God increases. 

The Prayer for Unity

Lesson #287

Jesus continues with his prayer and expands his view from mainly his disciples to all believers. Jesus prays: “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:20 – 21 ESV). It is expected that the disciples would share their faith with others who will believe and who will then share their faith with others and eventually it is you and me who share with others. This sharing may take on various forms: verbal, written material and lifestyle. Think about the disciples who wrote much of the New Testament.  Since then many materials have been written, including these Bible studies. How we live before others, especially when going through difficult times, is an effective witness as it sets us apart from how others behave. A good verbal witness requires a right heart attitude. Consider those who stand before one who is torturing them and is able to love them and forgive them. Not forsaking the Lord and fighting back with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, has won many harden hearts. An argument is not a witness; we don’t argue anyone into being born again. That happens under the timing of the sovereign will of the Father (1 Peter 1:3 ESV).

Those who will believe will come from all parts of the world, all language groups and cultures and over many years of time, but we make up one body in Christ. That oneness is to be like the unity of the Father and the Son, but because of disobedience that unity, among believers, is missing today as it has in the past and will into the future. The command we are not obeying is, we are to love one another as Jesus loved us (John 15:12). Jesus sacrificed himself for us. He looked out for our interest and died that we might have eternal life. In Philippians 2:4, Paul tells us to “look out not only to his own interest, but also to the interest of others.” When we see the needs of others and are willing to sacrifice to meet those needs through love, we would have greater unity. Where love abounds there is unity, but where there is sin, love is replaced with anger and resentment and the body breaks down into pieces with conflict between the pieces. The image in my mind is of a stone going through a stone crusher and coming our as crushed stone. The stone is the body, the stone crusher is our sin and the pieces are believers in disunity. It is hard to imagine what it will be like in heaven when we love the one we can’t stand for various reasons now here on earth. Clearly, something is going to happen when we shed this body of sin and our works pass through the fire at the judgment seat of Christ. To have perfect harmony will require the removal of all sin.

When we are born again the Holy Spirit indwells us and installs God’s love in us. The characteristics of that love are: “joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, [and] self-control” (Galatians 5:22 – 23 ESV). If our walk was totally in the Spirit, then there would be perfect unity, as we will experience in heaven, but since we live in bodies of sinful flesh, our walk will not be pure, but will contain sin which results in disunity.

Out lesson is too long already and we have more to go so we will finish verse 21 in the next lesson.

Prayer

Father, it is clear from the Scriptures that this problem of disunity goes back to the beginning of the church. One of several examples was the conflict between Paul and Barnabas over Mark. The disagreement was so sharp that Paul and Barnabas went their own separate ways with Barnabas taking Mark and Paul selecting Silas. It is no different today. As Jesus prayed for unity, we also need to pray for unity. Father, we need to be more faithful to Philippians 1:21 (ESV): For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Galatians 2:20 needs to be foremost in our walk with the Lord: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (ESV). To have unity, Jesus needs to be in control in the driver’s seat and we need to be observant passengers ready to serve.

Sanctified in Truth, Sent into the World

Lesson #286

Those who are believers and are born spiritually are part of the family of God and should exhibit traits of that heavenly family. One of those traits is revealed as Jesus continues to pray: “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17 ESV). To sanctify is to be set apart, to make holy, for the use intended by God. Jesus came to earth to establish his kingdom, provide a way for people to become a part of that kingdom, to teach those people the qualifications for membership and their expected involvement in expanding the kingdom. These people who were chosen by the Father and given to Jesus, become a new creation through the new birth and now Jesus prays that they be sanctified; to be set apart to do the work assigned to them before the foundation of the world. This kingdom that Jesus is establishing is to be established in truth to reflect Jesus who is truth. Jesus is praying that we would be set apart as workers of truth. Our part in this is that we are to “Do [our] best to present [ourselves] to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 ESV). It is this word of truth that sets us apart in doing kingdom work.

Jesus continues to pray: “As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world” (John 17:18 ESV). “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son” (John 3:16a). The Father gave by sending his Son to die on the cross in the person of Jesus to purchase our salvation. Just as Jesus was sent into the world to accomplish a mission, Jesus sends his disciples and thus us into the world on assignment to expand his kingdom. This is why Jesus prayed that we not be taken out of the world; there is work for us to do first before we are taken out through death. If that work should mean our death under severe persecution that is ok because we must all die and it is best, we die doing our assignment than to die neglecting to do our assignment through denial or disobedience.

Jesus continues to pray: “And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth” (John 17:19 ESV). As sinful people dead in sin, we desperately needed a way of salvation. It was to this end that Jesus consecrated himself or dedicated himself to accomplish. All through this study of John, we find Jesus focused on the cross and working toward it. His death on the cross purchases our salvation and his resurrection gained victory over death. We are now justified through Jesus, allowing God to show us mercy and extend grace to us. This puts us in a position in Christ, who is truth, to be sanctified, to be set apart in holiness as a people he desires us to be and to do the work he desires us to do.

Prayer

Father, I pray that writing these Bible studies to be read by people in various parts of the world is according to you will for my life. I receive such nourishment from studying your word and such joy to see the growing number of readers from a growing number of countries. From the countries my stats show, I know there are people found in a variety of circumstances who need prayer for encouragement, endurance and steadfastness. I pray that through their suffering they will be encouraged, maybe by what they read. I pray that through their trials they would have the endurance needed to press on to the end and for some that may mean giving their life. I pray for those called upon by the powers of darkness to denounce Jesus that they would remain steadfast and not waver in their faith as an effective witness, especially to us here in the west. Those of you in countries of intense persecution, your ability to stand with the Lord in your faith is a powerful witness to us who may not understand persecution. My prayers are for you with thanksgiving for your faithfulness. 

Are We In or Of?

Lesson #285

We finally finished John 17:15 in which we discussed why Jesus prayed that we be kept in the world after being born again and while in the world we be kept from the evil one. We will next look at what our relationship with the world is to be like. Jesus continues his prayer with: “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:16 ESV). This is a repeat of the last half of verse 14, which in looking back I see that I failed to cover it so we should do that in this lesson. Let us look at some related verses that might help us.

In James 4:4 we learn that “anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” Who we chose as friends is important to God. That does not mean we do not associate with people of the world; we do but we set guidelines as to who we associate with and our purpose for those associations.

In 1 John 2:15 (NLT) we are told: “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.” You can evaluate your love by comparing your attraction to the things the world offers with your desire for the things God offers. Which do you prefer to spend time with; things seen or things unseen?

In Romans 12:2 (NLT) we are told to consider our thinking: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” It is important to consider what we are feeding our minds with. Is it the behavior and customs of the world or is it what Paul tells us to think about in Philippians 4:8 (NLT)? “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” What is the measure of the quality of your thinking?

Think of being “In” the world as your point of location. During the time I spent ministering in China, that was my location, but not my identity. I was a US citizen living in China according to their laws and customs as long as they did not interfere with my heavenly citizenship. I was there to influence people for Jesus, not to be influenced by their unchristian customs and beliefs. I was there as an ambassador to look out for God’s interest not my own.

Think of being “Of” the world as your source of information. Is that information from the world affecting the way I think and believe? When I was in China I learned many things about their culture, but I did not let it affect my thinking, behavior and beliefs in a negative way. I used that information to help me understand them and learn how to best relate to them with God’s message to them.

Being “in” the world specifies your location and being “of” the world implies that you are receiving information from it and making it part of your life in ways that hinder your assignment as a representative of God there on assignment. We are to be more concerned about the information we receive from the world than we are of being located there.

Prayer

Father, sometimes you ask us to locate in dangerous places. I had to carefully consider your call for me when you sent me into the underground school system in China. The information I received I could use to help mold my thinking on how to impact people in that country for Jesus Christ. Father, I am a much different person today than I would have been had I not been placed there and learn what I did. Because of continued relationships, I know I had an effect on people there for Christ. What a blessing to be “in” China, but while there to not be “of” China. 

Kept from the Evil One

Lesson #284

We need to finish up the verse we started in the last lesson, which was: “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15 ESV). Jesus did not ask his Father to take Christians out of the world, but to leave us here because there was the need for us to grow spiritually and we are needed to search the domain of darkness, looking for loss sheep and when found we need to encourage them along the path of growth to the point of being born again. After that comes the work of discipleship to prepare them to keep the work Jesus started going until the last loss sheep is found and the work of Christians on earth will be done.

This work we are left to do, that was assigned to us before the foundation of the world, will meet with continuous opposition from the powers of darkness. The head of these powers of darkness is the evil one, which Jesus prays that we be kept or protected from. To help us understand what our attitude should be and what we are to be kept from we will look at 1 Peter 5:8 (ESV): “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” This verse identifies two parties: Those under attack who are to be sober-minded and watchful and our enemy who is intent on hindering or even removing us from advancing the kingdom of God.

Searching the Scriptures for verses containing sober-minded we can gain some insight on the meaning of being sober-minded. We find words or expressions like: sound-mind, aware, minds prepared for action, alert, self-controlled, dignified, and focused. Being at war is to be taken seriously, requires proper preparation and continual training. Any engagement with an opponent requires an understanding of that opponent and his ways of engagement. James tells us in James 4:7 that we are to submit ourselves to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you because greater is he who dwells in us than he who is in the world.

In 1 Peter 5:8, consider the three descriptors of our enemy: adversary, devil, and roaring lion. What do these descriptors tell us about the evil one that Jesus is praying that we be kept from? An adversary is an opponent in a court of justice; he contends against you as a plaintiff; an accuser. The devil means slanderer, tempter, one who maligns or demeans one’s character. A roaring lion presents a challenge because prowling and roaring don’t go together. You can’t sneak up on your enemy if you are announcing that you are coming; your roar would scare them away.

We know the evil one sets snares to trap us. Consider the possibility of a group of believers who hears the roar of the enemy under persecution and do not stand and resist him, but scatter and as they do they get ensnared by his various traps. Consider Jesus and his disciples at the garden of Gethsemane, located at the edge of the Kidron Valley, when Judas comes with the soldiers and identifies Jesus with a kiss. Here the roar of the lion might be when they bound Jesus. At that point the disciples left him and fled except Peter and another disciple, thought to be John. “Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in” (John 18:15 – 16 ESV). The lion had set his trap and use the servants to ask Peter questions about his relationship to Jesus. Peter, unlike the other disciple, denied he knew Jesus three times and the roster crowed. The lion had his prey. Have we not heard the roar of the enemy and fled only to be snared by his traps? We need to learn to stand, even if it costs us our life, as it did Jesus, because God has the final word and the victory is his.

Prayer

Father, this lesson is rather long, but it contains an important concept. We must not fear what the evil one can do or say because Jesus has prayed that we be kept from the evil one. He may destroy our flesh, but he has no claim on us spiritually. I pray that the Holy Spirit will empower us to stand in the face of evil and not deny Jesus because we have the final victory in Jesus. How we stand determines the power of our witness for Jesus to others. Father, help us not forget that. 

Why Are We Left in the world?

Lesson #283

In the last lesson Jesus told his Father that he had given the disciples his word and as a result the world hated them because they were not of the world. Jesus continues his prayer by saying: “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15 ESV). As a result of teaching in an underground seminary in China and personally spending time with students there, some of whom had parents in prison because of their Christian activities, and by going to VOM conferences on persecution, and by studying considerable material on persecution, I have come to an understanding on this verse that is different than many western Christians will readily accept.

Even though the world hates true practicing Christians living out the word, Jesus does not ask his Father to remove them out of the world and thus away from danger. It would be nice that as soon as we are born again that we would be transported to heaven; at least we initially think it would be nice because we would sure miss many trials and much suffering. But if we stop and get the focus off our desire for comfort and focus on why Jesus came to earth, we would soon realize the importance of us staying in the world. We will consider what I consider two major reasons; spiritual maturity and assigned work.

When we are born again, we are spiritual babies with an important need to mature. This spiritual growth is mentioned in Hebrews 5:12 – 13 (ESV): “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.” and in 1 Corinthians 3:2 (ESV): “I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready.” We begin our spiritual life as children and the Father needs time to train us, to prepare us for life with him and his Son in heaven. This training, growing period, is referred to as working out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). But in addition to maturing spiritually, we are to complete the work assigned to us: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10 ESV).

The Son of God came into the world and took on a body of human flesh, who we know as Jesus, to live a perfect life and then die on the cross as our perfect sacrifice in payment for our salvation. But that is not all he did. While living on earth he chose his disciples and taught them about himself and his Father and the gospel of salvation and their responsibility to share it with others and on into the future until every person the Father had chosen for salvation was found and helped on their way to being born again. There are many Christians living under persecution who are giving their lives to accomplish this work. Here in the west we stand opposed to what Jesus is praying in principle and stress the importance of removing Christians from danger. Do not forget that we are engaged in a spiritual battle and in any war there will be casualties.  You cannot continue to retreat from areas of danger and expect to advance into the domain of darkness in search of loss sheep. Is it any wonder the church is growing where Christians remain engaged and not growing in areas where our safety is more important? That is why I was willing to be smuggled, under darkness, into the school in China to teach.

We still need to cover the phrase “keep them from the evil one”, but there is too much to say about it to include here. We will finish this verse in the next lesson.

Prayer

Father, I pray for my brothers and sisters who are willing to suffer for their faith as Jesus suffered. I pray for their encouragement during their suffering; for endurance to be able to stand against evil; and for steadfastness to be able to withstand the temptation to turn from the Lord and deny their faith. In areas of persecution, Christianity sets people apart from the world and are seen as a threat. Unfortunately, here in the west Christianity does not set us apart from the world and we are not seen as a threat and thus we are not persecuted. Here we must decide to live different than the world and that seems to be more difficult to do than stand against persecution. Father, it appears that the devil may have gained the upper hand here in the west.