Reflective Bible Study

When reading about the disciples preparation for Jesus’ trip into Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt, a phrase jumped off the page at me. While it is a very simple phrase, it has truly limitless applications for our lives.

This phrase is found in Luke’s version of this event, and it is how the disciples answer the servants when they ask them what they are doing with the colt they are untying. According to Luke, the disciples simply say, “The Master needs it.” (v. 34)

While simple, this phrase is incredibly powerful. In essence, these disciples are drawing those present onto the idea that God can use what we have for His purposes. It also points us to the ultimate truth that nothing that we call “ours” is truly ours. Everything belongs to God – including the air we are breathing, and the elements and compounds that make up our bodies.

By saying “the Master needs it”, we see everyone present coming to the understanding that God has something in mind with this specific colt, and it shows us a glimpse of the character of these servants and/or the master of the colt on earth.

Nothing that we own is truly ours. God may call on us to use what we have to help someone else, or to further His message/mission in some other way. It is not up to us to know what God’s plans are, but to simply be ready, willing, and generous when He offers us the chance to be included – whether it is through our actions or through our donations to His cause!

Have you ever read something multiple times, and perhaps on the fifth time you see something new?

It is this way for me with this passage. I have read it numerous times, but just today, I noticed a phrase that I’ve not seen or paid attention to before.

When Jesus is sharing His first response, before the people respond in anger, He says the following sentence: “What my Father has given me is greater than everything, and no one can snatch them away from the Father’s care.” (v. 29)

This is a summary statement for what Jesus was saying, but when reading it this time, a phrase and idea jumped off the page: “What my Father has given me . . .”

The subject matter is Jesus’ followers, and how they are drawn to Him, and in this statement, Jesus says that God is the One who brings people to Him.

This has two huge implications:

• First, Jesus didn’t come to earth to draw attention to Himself – He came for other reasons. The miracles, the healing, and the cross was not Jesus saying “Look at Me.” If anything, through these events and miracles Jesus was saying, “Pay attention to what God is doing in your midst.”

  Jesus didn’t come to build a band of spiritual-giant disciples – He came and picked ordinary and somewhat dysfunctional people, and equipped them for service. That means that there is hope for you and I in God’s plan. He doesn’t need people to be perfect before drawing them to Him, He draws people and those who choose to come are then equipped.

• Secondly, people don’t lead people to Jesus, God does. Yep, you’re off the hook!

  Jesus demonstrated this in His own life because when crowds came, He started preaching about difficult to accept things. In this passage and others, it is almost like Jesus is assessing the group and then pushing the hot-button topics – in this case, He pushes the button of who the Messiah really is and on the identity of the true people of God.

  In our lives today, we should never place the focus on leading people to Jesus. Jesus stated that God does this. Instead, we should have a clear reason why we follow Jesus and put our faith in Him. Jesus called us to love people, not convert them. He does the conversion part – we do the loving part (or at least that was the intent).

Both these ideas have huge implications for us today!

• God draws people to Jesus. We might be a small part of someone’s testimony, but it will be because of our love – not anything else.

• God keeps His people safe. Don’t stress out about past mistakes and times when we have messed up and/or said something we regretted. God is bigger than our mistakes.

• God gives us the role of loving each other. We are not the judge and we are definitely not the prosecuting attorney! We are either the defendant, or a witness standing up in defense for the defendant. Satan is the prosecuting attorney, and when we judge or condemn someone, we are siding with him.

One of the biggest misconceptions in the whole Bible is that God the Father is a mean Deity, and Jesus came to protect us from His wrath. This is a complete distortion of God’s character and not only is it opposite of what the Bible actually teaches, it also doesn’t make logical sense when we look deeper at the implication of this idea.

The Bible teaches that God is One, and He is unified in love and purpose. The clearest, simplest description of God is simply the word “Love”. All parts of God operate through the filter of love; every member of the Godhead has Love as the foundation of His character.

Believing that Jesus came to protect us from God separates the unity of love in God’s character that the Bible teaches because it essentially says that Jesus stands opposite of God and that they both will debate over our salvation-worthiness. Jesus doesn’t even come close to teaching this. At several places in the gospels, Jesus shares what God the Father thinks of us.

In the last conversation Jesus had with His disciples prior to His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus clearly tells His followers that “The Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.” (v. 27)

Jesus doesn’t stand opposite of God. He doesn’t need to. They both stand on the side of love towards those who have chosen to love Him.

While this doesn’t answer all the challenges that critics have for God and His actions, it reemphasizes unity in the Godhead. This also emphasizes Jesus’ mission to come for those looking for help and for those needing a Savior.

God the Father loves each of us because we have loved, trusted, and believed in His Son. This is about as simple and clear as it could be, and that means that God is just as trustworthy as Jesus when it comes down to our salvation!

I wonder if during the first century, following the gospels and Jesus’ earthly ministry, there were rumors and speculating over Jesus as a child. If Jesus had the ability to perform miracles while with His disciples, logic would indicate that He could have performed miracles as a child or a young man.

But this logic is flawed, because prior to this event, Jesus had no reason to perform miracles – and the logic is also flawed in that Jesus did not perform miracles using His divinity – even during His few years of ministry. In His entire ministry, Jesus only used miracles that the Holy Spirit directed and empowered. Prior to His baptism, the Holy Spirit may have been with Jesus, but not in the same capacity as after He descended on Jesus after the baptism in the river.

The logic also denies a clear statement that John states in his gospel record. After the wedding at Cana miracle, John says, “This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.” (v. 11)

John tells us that this was Jesus’ first miracle, and this tiny detail in itself makes all the details surrounding this unassuming wedding in Cana that much more amazing. Jesus may have impressed the religious leaders in the temple when He was twelve, but that was with His knowledge, insight, and questions and not because of any miracle He did or was capable of doing.

I wonder if John clearly states this was Jesus’ first miracle to help clear up confusion over when Jesus actually began performing miracles. I wonder if John clearly said this to amplify the level of faith that is demonstrated in this event – because if no prior miracles had been performed, both Mary’s faith and the servants’ faith are off the charts when they believe Jesus to be able to solve the problem.

Jesus begins His miracle-worker reputation by solving a problem, and this is one of only a few problem solving miracles Jesus ever performed. Almost all of His miracles had to do with healing and casting out demons, but here at the beginning of His ministry, Jesus solves the problem of drink shortage at a wedding. If Jesus is interested in a problem as minor as this, then He is interested in the problems we face and He is willing to help us if we bring them to Him with our faith.