Reflective Bible Study

During a late night secret meeting, a Pharisee, named Nicodemus, found Jesus because he wanted to have a conversation with Him. Perhaps Nicodemus had some questions of his own, or maybe he had been chosen by a group of Pharisees to go and find out what Jesus was all about. We don’t know which, but what we do know is that because this meeting happened at night, Nicodemus wanted this meeting to be kept confidential.

In their short discussion, Jesus makes an incredibly simple but profound comparison that emphasizes an important spiritual truth. Early on in the conversation, Jesus tells Nicodemus: “Human life comes from human parents, but spiritual life comes from the Spirit.” (v. 6)

When stated out loud or in writing, it sounds so simple, but think about it for a minute or two and it will become profound. Our parents gave us human life, but only God can give us spiritual life.

In the holistic and dualistic world we live in, we are tempted to think that we have complete control over our spiritual lives. If we go to certain places, say certain phrases, rest in certain ways, or do certain things, we are tempted to believe this will automatically make us more spiritual.

But according to Jesus, that idea is flawed because only the Spirit (i.e. The Holy Spirit) can give/grow a person’s spiritual life. This means that any control we have is minimal when compared with the Holy Spirit’s role. If we do have any control, it is in seeking out ways to meet and work with the Holy Spirit. The rest is entirely up to Him.

The rituals, habits, and actions that we often associate with spirituality are not necessarily all bad – but if any of it directs a person anywhere but towards Jesus, then it is a distraction and not truly a way of growing your spirituality. The Holy Spirit grows one’s spiritual life, and the Holy Spirit’s role is to point people towards Jesus.

On the night of Jesus’ arrest, while Jesus was in the garden, what happens before Judas arrived is amazing in my mind. Looking at the timing of this event, it seems as though only Jesus really knew what was coming. The remaining eleven disciples don’t appear to act in a way that made this night significant like Jesus did.

If it were not for the upcoming arrest, we might not even have this night recorded. John’s gospel even hints at this being a regular place for Jesus and the disciples to go when they were in the area. (John 18:1-2)

But this night was different, and Jesus knew it. This night marked the next step towards the ultimate goal of the cross. But during the night before His death, Jesus faced what may have been His greatest challenge: Should Jesus choose to go through with the cross?

Jesus could take the group of disciples anywhere else, and Judas would not have been able to find them. The remaining disciples may not have even realized they had narrowly escaped death. But running away was not part of Jesus’ character.

That night Jesus prayed, “My Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet not what I want, but what you want.” (v. 36)

In this prayer, I see two clear things stated. First, Jesus shares His preference. Secondly Jesus shares His true desire. I wonder if this could be a model for us as well.

It is in this garden prayer where we can see a glimpse into how to pray – and how God answers prayer. While the Lord’s Prayer that Jesus taught the disciples earlier in His ministry gets lots of fame, it is in this garden prayer that we can really see the essence of prayer. What if we prayed our preferences to God, then submitted ourselves to His will and His timing. If we really think about our perspective when compared to God’s, He can see things a lot clearer than we can.

When Jesus prayed (and when we pray), God already knows what we need and what we want. God already knew Jesus was in anguish and that He was suffering. God knew that Jesus would make this request. But God also knew what was in Jesus’ heart – because it was in His heart as well. The whole Godhead designed this event to be an example of the love they had for you, me, and the rest of humanity. It is in this short, four sentence prayer where Jesus re-volunteers for the role of Savior-Messiah for humanity.

God does not appear to answer Jesus’ request to take the cup of suffering away. God does not appear to always answer our prayers favorably as well. However, when looking at this prayer from an eternity perspective, everything was on the line. God didn’t answer Jesus’ request because of His love for you and I. He wants us with Him for eternity. God answers prayers with an eternity perspective, and sometimes that even means saying “No” to His own Son!

Jesus deferred to God’s will and perspective in that moment, and because of that, we now have the opportunity to accept salvation as a gift. When we pray, perhaps we should be more intentional about submitting our will into God’s will – because He knows the path that will lead us, and as many people as possible, into eternal life with Him.

During the last supper Jesus had with His disciples before the crucifixion, Jesus shares a statement that many of us would consider very insensitive and mean. Jesus didn’t have to share anything about the upcoming betrayal, but He chooses to do so, and while trying to keep the other 11 disciples from being surprised at what would happen that night, Jesus actually causes more confusion.

Mark tells us in his gospel that, “While they were all eating, Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth, one of you will turn against me—one of you eating with me now.’” (v. 18)

This surprises the disciples, and they all have doubts that it could be them. Mark describes their reaction by saying, “The followers were very sad to hear this. Each one began to say to Jesus, ‘I am not the one, am I?’” (v. 19)

It is only after this string of identical questions that Jesus responds, and in His response, we find something incredibly insensitive. Mark tells us that Jesus answered by saying, “It is one of the twelve—the one who dips his bread into the bowl with me. The Son of Man will die, just as the Scriptures say. But how terrible it will be for the person who hands the Son of Man over to be killed. It would be better for him if he had never been born.” (v. 20-21)

In a subtle but direct statement, Jesus says that it would have been better had Judas Iscariot never been born. That is a pretty mean thing to say. Even though it was predicted that one of Jesus’ followers would betray Him, had Judas Iscariot not been born, or if He had not been chosen as one of the twelve, one of the other disciples would have stepped in to fill that role.

Not only that, but Jesus had been talking about His upcoming death and resurrection for weeks – maybe even months – up to this point, and this truth hadn’t sunk in to the disciples minds. I wonder what would have happened if there was not a betrayer included among Jesus’ followers.

Before time began, everything was put in place to point to that specific weekend. If none of the disciples chose to betray Jesus, I wonder how Jesus’ arrest would have happened. Maybe a Pharisee spy would catch sight of Jesus and His followers leaving the city and go tell the leading priests. Or maybe someone else in the garden would see them and go and turn Jesus’ location in for a reward.

But knowing that Jesus’ betrayal was predicted and knowing that it would happen on that specific night, even though Jesus shares a mean statement, He still loved Judas Iscariot. Right up to the end, He gave Judas every opportunity to change his heart and mind. Jesus knew it was Judas, and instead of kicking Judas out of the disciples circle, He allowed him to stay and He chose to continue loving His betrayer.

This is an amazing picture of God that we don’t usually see. Jesus chose to love the one who betrayed Him, and while it may have been better if Judas Iscariot had never been born, God did bring him into this world, and Jesus chose to love and include Him. This emphasizes the truth that God and Jesus love sinners, including you and me, and even when we mess up, God still loves us.

One of the most widely circulated verses in the “prosperity gospel” crowd can be found during one of Jesus’ famous sermons. While it is hinted at in Matthew’s gospels’ famous “Sermon on the Mount”, Luke describes it in greater detail in the sermon called the “Sermon on the Plain”.

But like what often happens in our sound-bite culture, only half the truth is shared – and in this case, while each verse in Jesus’ key point can stand alone, when put together, we see a clearer theme communicated.

Luke tells us Jesus preached, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (v. 37-38)

Too often, we are tempted to focus on the giving and receiving section of this verse, but Jesus is really describing a principle that relates more towards our attitude than our wealth. The key statement in these two verses is the last one: “For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (v. 38c)

This idea describes not only the giving side of the topic, but the whole attitude focus of both verses. The principle here is that we will get from the world what we give into it. How we look at the world will eventually become the way the world (i.e. others) look at us.

But it isn’t an equal ratio – this principle is intentionally unfair. Linked closer to the final phrase than the one before it, the second last statement speaks to the unfair nature of this principle: “A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.” (v. 38b)

Both statements use the word “measure”, but the unfair statement describes how we actually get a more concentrated result than we give. If we chose to extend a little grace on a regular basis, we may find ourselves receiving grace in a much greater, more concentrated forms.

This truth is relevant in all areas of our attitude, but I believe Jesus draws our attention onto these four (judging, condemning, forgiving, and giving) because He knows these have the greatest power over the quality of our lives. A welcoming, friendly, forgiving, generous person is much more pleasant to spend time with than a judgmental, condemning, grudge-keeping, stingy person. Those who follow and apply Jesus’ words will simply have better relationships. These better relationships may translate into more material wealth, but not necessarily.

Nothing in this passage says that the repayment will happen using the same currency or even that it will happen in the same place in history. Jesus’ words are simply a promise that it will happen – and if it doesn’t happen in this life, then God has promised to make it so in the life to come. When we don’t judge, perhaps God chooses not to judge us; when we don’t condemn, perhaps God chooses to not condemn us; when we forgive, perhaps God then forgives us; and when we give, perhaps that becomes an open invitation for God to bless us. It may not happen in the present; God may be saving it for His kingdom that is to come!