The Word Gives Peace

July 31, 2022 Background Scripture: John 14:15 31 Lesson Passage: John 14:15 - 29 It is likely that the Background Scripture contains the final words Jesus spoke to his disciples prior to leaving the room where they had observed the Passover Meal and Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper. This part of their discourse revolved around Jesus' statement: "If you love me, keep my commandments." Many promises of Jesus hang on that statement. Our understanding of the words "love" and "keep" is essential to understanding the promises, The word Jesus used that is translated "love" does not begin with a person's feelings or sense of physical attraction. The word Jesus used refers to an act of a person's will. It is a determination to find one's contentment in another. The relationship need not begin with being contented, but the decision is made to become and remain contented. This word describes God's love towards mankind and our love towards God. The second word that is important is the word "keep". This word denotes clinging to and remaining committed to. In essence, Jesus told them to make a commitment to hold on to his teachings and observe them based on their personal decision to be content in their relationship with him. By them doing so, Jesus assured them he would never abandon them. After his physical departure, Jesus would manifest himself to his disciples. He would make his presence known to them even though unbelievers (the world) would not be aware of his presence. They would always experience Jesus' presence with them. No matter what they went through or experienced, they would know that Jesus was there with them. This should cause them to reflect on how David described God's continuous presence: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me;" Jesus' statement should have comforted his disciples as they reflected on the many miracles Jesus performed during the previous three years. Jesus rebuked storms for them. Jesus made provisions for them whenever it was needed. Because of Jesus' power, they were fearless whenever Jesus was around. This promise should have given them an ongoing sense of peace. This peace was not just an absence of conflict, but rather the internal sense of well-being and wholeness despite circumstances. Jesus promised them that this would continue without end. It was customary for Jews to use the word peace (shalom) as a parting salutation. Jesus used the word peace as an expression of physical parting from his disciples, but here he coupled it with the assurance of his continuous presence that would provide an ongoing peace. Jesus had spoken to them about his own sense of well-being that was based on the continuous presence of his Father with him. In verse 16, Jesus alluded to the triune character of God in saying that he would pray to the Father, Who would in turn give the disciples another Comforter, the Spirit of truth. Why was this dialog important? There were some difficult days ahead for his disciples. They needed the peace that only God gives to weather the storms of life that were headed their way. Jesus was assuring them that they would have what they needed before the storms arrived. All of this hung on the statement, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Jesus was not telling them to obediently follow some list of "thou shall" and "thou shall not". Jesus' commandments were his guidance and teachings he provided them during the previous three years. Jesus admonished them to remain committed in their personal relationship with him by following his teachings. By doing so, his presence would be with them and the Word would give them peace. Robert C. Hudson July 15, 2022

The Word Saves

July 17, 2022 Background Scripture: John 12:27 - 50 Lesson Passage: John 12:44 - 50 The Background Scripture depicts Jesus as going through some emotional turmoil as he contemplated his approaching crucifixion and death. Jesus described the turmoil as his soul being troubled. As was always the case, he steadied himself and reflected on the mission for which his Father had sent him into the world. He was feeling anxiety because of the method by which he would make salvation available to the nations of the world. I don't believe it is possible for any of us to know the depths of sorrow he was anticipating. Many of us fear death as a great unknown experience. However, Jesus is omniscient. He knows the future as clear as the present and the past. He knew that death is temporary. He knew he had the power of life and death within himself. On one occasion he even stated, "I have the power to lay down my life and I have the power to pick it up again." So, why was Jesus so emotionally torn about his impending situation? It was the method that he had to endure that caused his anxiety. For God's mission to be accomplished, Jesus had to become sin before his physical death would matter. Once he became sin, he would experience separation from the holiness of the Father. Jesus had not experienced that, ever. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Now, the Word had to become sin for salvation to be made available for the nations of the world. The soul that sins shall die. Every person born into this world, of man and woman, was born in sin with this eternal death penalty hanging over us. The only way for humanity to be saved is for the penalty of sin to be paid. Jesus was not born of man and woman, so he was not born in sin. Jesus lived a sinless life. Because of Jesus' perfect holiness before God, he could give himself as an offering for the sins of others. To do that he had to take on our sins and pay the price of death. Jesus was our substitute. He died in our stead. After Jesus became sin and died, God accepted Jesus' death as being in our place. None of this would have mattered if the sinless Word had not become sin and died as a just punishment. Simply put, he became what we were that we might become what he is. How does one who is intrinsically holy become sin? Sin enters when the Law is violated. The Law says everyone who hangs on a tree is accursed. To be accursed of God is to be made sin to God. Crucifixion is death by being affixed to a tree. If Jesus' sentence had been death by a sword, or some other method, we would still be in our sins. Crucifixion caused Jesus to become accursed. When Jesus was nailed to that tree, he became what we needed for salvation. The Law had been violated and through his death, the Law was satisfied. At the time of Jesus' death, God tore the curtain that separated the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place in the Temple. Access into God's presence was implied by the torn curtain. This was a physical indication that Jesus had accomplished his mission. Access to God could only be granted when sin was removed. God spoke through Isaiah and said, "So shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please; and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." God sent His Word to save us from our sin. Today, we thank God that His Word saves! Robert C. Hudson July 3, 2022

The Word Heals

July 10, 2022 Background Scripture: John 4:46 - 54 Lesson Passage: John 4:46 - 54 As stated in last week's notes, John began his account of the gospel by declaring Jesus' divinity. The remainder of the writing provides irrefutable proof of John's declaration as revealed to him by God. The proof John provides guides the reader towards a single purpose that is stated near the end of his account: "that people might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing they might have life." Today's lesson provides one such example of this occurring. There are two key persons in today's text: Jesus and a nobleman. Royal officers of the Roman Empire were known as noblemen. This was a position held by a Gentile. Some noblemen had close relationships with the Jews in the region where they served. It is likely that some were practicing Judaism as proselytes, i.e., ones who were not Jews. John did not provide the nobleman's name, nor did John inform the reader as to his relationship with the local Jews. John does inform us that the nobleman had more than one servant which would suggest that he was a person of some economic means. Jesus began his earthly ministry in Galilee and then traveled south to Judea. It was in Cana of Galilee where Jesus performed his first recorded miracle. After Jesus returned to Galilee, a nobleman went to him with a request. It is obvious from the text that the nobleman had heard about Jesus and the miracles he had performed. The nobleman had a son on the brink of death, so he asked Jesus to come down to where his son was before his child dies. Apparently, his child was at his house. He believed that Jesus had the ability to heal his son. Jesus told him to go about his way because his son was going to live. The man believed Jesus' statement, so he left. It is striking to me that the man requested Jesus to come to his son, but Jesus told him his son would live and sent him away. Jesus did not go with the man, nor give him a prescription for his son, nor give him an anointed prayer cloth to take with him. Nevertheless, the man left Jesus, having only the word Jesus had spoken to him, to return to his house. The next day, while he was on the way home, his servants met him and told him his son was alive. The man asked his servants when did his son's condition change. They informed him of the exact hour of the previous day. That hour was the same hour Jesus told him that his son would live. When Jesus told him that his son lives, the nobleman believed Jesus' statement. Was he expecting his son to gradually get better after Jesus' assurance? Now that he had the testimony of his servants, he believed "in Jesus" —not just in Jesus' ability to perform miracles. Subsequently, he led his entire household to believe "in Jesus" also. Jesus spoke a word that brought immediate healing. Jesus was no ordinary man, or even prophet. This word of healing revealed something more profound about the person of Jesus. Jesus demonstrated the power of life and death by simply speaking a word from a distance. Jesus was more than a mere man, The nobleman understood this point when he discovered that Jesus' word had immediate effect—even from a distance! Jesus did not call upon the gods of healing or even declare a statement from God. Jesus spoke as one with authority within himself to speak healing to the sick. Jesus sent his word, and his word healed the nobleman's son. Robert C. Hudson June 27, 2022