Today we began packing up the basement storage room. Our goal is to get it completely dealt-with by the end of tomorrow. This means, we’ve been opening boxes we haven’t opened since we started living in this house 7 years ago, and are deciding what we need to keep. Of course, over those 7 years, we have also accumulated more stuff. It’s amazing how getting rid of unneeded things is freeing. Not knowing where I’ll be living or what I’ll be doing after graduation in May, it is kind of nice to know what I own, and decided what I really need (or may need in the future).
Sorting through baby stuff, it was interesting to see how someone (me or my siblings) can start out so small, and how God doesn’t leave us where we are, but is faithful to us, even in our immaturity.
Before I started packing today, I was doing my quiet time. I’ve been slowly creeping (inconsistently) through the gospels over this past semester, and I’m almost at the end. In John 18, Jesus is betrayed, arrested, and denied. As I read, I realized that each person in the passage was looking out for their own interests. They were making choices based in self-protection.
The Pharisees and teachers of the Law had been out to get Jesus for a while. They had been looking for a way to take Him down. As far as I understand it, they had been afraid of two things
- Losing their position as the rulers of the people because everyone was following Jesus instead of impressed with them.
- Roman control in the area against their people if the Romans recognized Jesus’ following as an uprising.
This, is conjecture, but I wonder if selfishness and greed AND fear was used by Satan to drive Judas to betray Jesus. Fear that if the Pharisees took out Jesus, they would take out the disciples too (him included). Judas agrees to be paid off for his part in the arrest, and he leads them straight to where Jesus is.
“4Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
Jesus knew what was about to happens, but did not run away or exercise His power to protect himself. He had entrusted Himself to his Father. He had surrendered his will, not to these humans, but to God. He knew that Got the Father was still in perfect control of the situation.
Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When Jesus[b] said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” 9 This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.”
Just His name sent them reeling. He protects not Himself, but those around Him whom He loves. Peter, on the other hand, instinctively strikes out to protect himself.
10Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servantand cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 11So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”
They take Jesus away to Annas, the Father-in-Law of the High Priest, Caiaphas.
14It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.
John gets into the trial and is able to bring Peter along with him. They are there, wanting and waiting to see what will happen.
The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” 18Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself…. 25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” 26One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” 27Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed
Peter replies to protect himself. If he is associated with Jesus, no telling what will happen to him. His reply is instinctive, I probably would have done the same thing. Pilate wants to know why these Jews have arrested Jesus. Ironically, the Pharasies won’t even enter the headquarters because they don’t want to be “defiled”. They wanted to remain ok in God’s sight….and yet they are arresting and placing false accusation against God’s one and only Son.
28 Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters.It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” 31Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” 32 This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die.
But Pilate wants and answer from Jesus, not these religious big-wigs. Jesus’ answer is very specific. Though He came to die for the sins of the world to rescue and redeem those He loves, Jesus gives Pilate and answer. An answer different from that which I would expect.
33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”37Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world— to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
He came “to bear witness to the truth.” Jesus came to bear witness to the truth about the Father. In other places He told others what He came to do.
John 3:10-12
10Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel(A) and yet you do not understand these things? 11Truly, truly, I say to you,(B) we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you[a] do not receive our testimony. 12If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
John 3:31-33
31(A) He who comes from above(B) is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and(C) speaks in an earthly way.(D) He who comes from heaven is above all. 32(E) He bears witness to what he has seen and heard,(F) yet no one receives his testimony. 33Whoever receives his testimony(G) sets his seal to this,(H) that God is true.
John 5:36
So, I look at all of these things that I own, nice things, things that someday I hope my children can play with, or appreciate, and I wonder at the legacy that I’m leaving. I don’t really like the word legacy because it sometimes is overused. Sometimes legacy is all about what we are able to do to be remembered after we die. I wonder if the legacy I leave will be about self-protection and being safe, or bearing witness to the truth of what who God is, and what God has said. People do that…things don’t. Things can be acquired and passed down. They can remind people of God’s goodness and faithfulness. But God has chosen PEOPLE to bear witness about Him to other PEOPLE. More than I want people to remember me, I want them to remember God. He is the only One who is eternal and worth glorifying.
How do I tell the truth about Him? This truth-telling includes all of who I am, and how I tell it to people. Living in sacrificial love tells people the truth about how God has loved them. Living overflowing and thankful for grace tells people the truth about His goodness towards us, His beloved.
Truth-telling means that I must entrust myself to God, and remember His ultimate control. I cannot hide or protect myself. That protection only ends in death. While I might feel “safe” for a while, I know that isn’t eternal safety.
Why not live in the eternal safety I already have?
Called His Own 