Reflective Bible Study Gospel Adventure

Eternal Life and God’s Glory: John 17:1-26

Published October 29, 2021 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: John 17:1-26 (CEV)

¹After Jesus had finished speaking to his disciples, he looked up toward heaven and prayed:

Father, the time has come for you to bring glory to your Son, in order that he may bring glory to you. ²And you gave him power over all people, so that he would give eternal life to everyone you give him. ³Eternal life is to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, the one you sent. ⁴I have brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you gave me to do. ⁵Now, Father, give me back the glory that I had with you before the world was created.

⁶You have given me some followers from this world, and I have shown them what you are like. They were yours, but you gave them to me, and they have obeyed you. ⁷They know that you gave me everything I have. ⁸I told my followers what you told me, and they accepted it. They know that I came from you, and they believe that you are the one who sent me. ⁹I am praying for them, but not for those who belong to this world. My followers belong to you, and I am praying for them. ¹⁰All that I have is yours, and all that you have is mine, and they will bring glory to me.

¹¹Holy Father, I am no longer in the world. I am coming to you, but my followers are still in the world. So keep them safe by the power of the name that you have given me. Then they will be one with each other, just as you and I are one. ¹²While I was with them, I kept them safe by the power you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost, except the one who had to be lost. This happened so that what the Scriptures say would come true.

¹³I am on my way to you. But I say these things while I am still in the world, so that my followers will have the same complete joy that I do. ¹⁴I have told them your message. But the people of this world hate them, because they don’t belong to this world, just as I don’t.

¹⁵Father, I don’t ask you to take my followers out of the world, but keep them safe from the evil one. ¹⁶They don’t belong to this world, and neither do I. ¹⁷Your word is the truth. So let this truth make them completely yours. ¹⁸I am sending them into the world, just as you sent me. ¹⁹I have given myself completely for their sake, so that they may belong completely to the truth.

²⁰I am not praying just for these followers. I am also praying for everyone else who will have faith because of what my followers will say about me. ²¹I want all of them to be one with each other, just as I am one with you and you are one with me. I also want them to be one with us. Then the people of this world will believe that you sent me.

²²I have honored my followers in the same way that you honored me, in order that they may be one with each other, just as we are one. ²³I am one with them, and you are one with me, so that they may become completely one. Then this world’s people will know that you sent me. They will know that you love my followers as much as you love me.

²⁴Father, I want everyone you have given me to be with me, wherever I am. Then they will see the glory that you have given me, because you loved me before the world was created. ²⁵Good Father, the people of this world don’t know you. But I know you, and my followers know that you sent me. ²⁶I told them what you are like, and I will tell them even more. Then the love that you have for me will become part of them, and I will be one with them.

Read John 17:1-26 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

On the night that Jesus was arrested, as the disciples were talking and walking to the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus pauses to pray an amazing prayer to the Father. While this isn’t like Jesus’ model prayer, we can see this prayer as an example of the type of prayers Jesus prayed.

John opens by telling us, “After Jesus had finished speaking to his disciples, he looked up toward heaven and prayed” (v. 1a)

Jesus had finished sharing with the disciples what He wanted them to know, and now He would turn His attention and focus towards the Father. Jesus opens His prayer by saying, “Father, the time has come for you to bring glory to your Son, in order that he may bring glory to you. And you gave him power over all people, so that he would give eternal life to everyone you give him. Eternal life is to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, the one you sent. I have brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you gave me to do. Now, Father, give me back the glory that I had with you before the world was created.” (v. 1b-5)

Here in the garden, Jesus’ prayer begins by centering on the idea of glory. But while we might think of glory being something that gets placed on a pedestal and is protected and cherished, the context of Jesus’ words imply a different sort of lifting up. Jesus was about to receive glory from the Father, and this glory would be displayed through His being lifted up on the cross.

Jesus was lifted up, and the cross He was crucified on has become a symbol for Christians everywhere that demonstrates God’s love for us by reminding us of Jesus’ sacrifice.

But also tucked away in this opening to Jesus’ prayer is a working definition of eternal life. Jesus says here in His prayer that, “Eternal life is to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, the one you sent.” (v. 3)

Those of us who choose eternal life by choosing Jesus are choosing a life where we will forever spend time moving closer towards God and Jesus. If we have any reservations about God, or if we are fearful of Him, then heaven would not be a good place for us and eternal life would be torturous.

This is why I believe our life on earth, in addition to helping share the good news about what Jesus did for us, should be about growing a relationship with God as best we can here on earth. If we choose to focus on strengthening our relationship with God in this life, the focus of our next life will only be more of what is natural to us today.

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!

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Saying Thank You to God: Matthew 25:31-46

Published October 28, 2021 in Audio Journal Entries

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As Jesus finishes sharing with the disciples the details about what will happen when He returns, Jesus shares a simple, but also challenging, parable that was meant to divide people. In this parable, we discover that our actions are important, and our actions appear to be connected and relevant to our salvation.

However, one of the most interesting things in my mind about the parable we are about to read is how both groups in this parable share some key similarities. Let’s read Jesus’ big conclusion to this teaching, and discover what we should keep in mind regarding His return.

Our passage is found in Matthew’s gospel, chapter 25, and we will read it from the Holman Christian Standard Bible. Starting in verse 31, Jesus continued sharing with the disciples who were present:

³¹“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. ³²All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on the left. ³⁴Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

³⁵For I was hungry
and you gave Me something to eat;
I was thirsty
and you gave Me something to drink;
I was a stranger and you took Me in;
³⁶I was naked and you clothed Me;
I was sick and you took care of Me;
I was in prison and you visited Me.’

³⁷“Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? ³⁸When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or without clothes and clothe You? ³⁹When did we see You sick, or in prison, and visit You?’

⁴⁰“And the King will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’ ⁴¹Then He will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels!

⁴²For I was hungry
and you gave Me nothing to eat;
I was thirsty
and you gave Me nothing to drink;
⁴³I was a stranger
and you didn’t take Me in;
I was naked
and you didn’t clothe Me,
sick and in prison
and you didn’t take care of Me.’

⁴⁴“Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help You?’

⁴⁵“Then He will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me either.’

⁴⁶“And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

When reading this parable, I cannot get around the challenging idea that both groups of people share one big characteristic. In this parable, both groups are unaware that their actions and attitudes are directly helping or not helping God.

This detail stands out in my mind because knowing about this parable would theoretically bring out a third or a fourth group. These other two groups would be those who know that their actions would be helping God and they either choose to help, or they choose not to help, depending on whether they want to be allied to God or not. Looking out at the world today, it is not hard to picture people who would actively reject God, even knowing what rejecting God means.

However, with this parable, what is Jesus teaching as truth, and what is simply given for illustrative purposes? Should all the details in this parable be taken to mean something, or should we only look for the big themes?

When we read this teaching, there is clearly a figurative angle to Jesus’ message because people are not sheep or goats, and we can understand that this illustration is about Jesus not separating types of animals like a shepherd but different types of people.

Is this where the figurative descriptions end and the literal ones begin?

While I will be the first to say that most everything else in this parable sounds more literal than figurative, with Jesus’ parables, it is best to not overextend Jesus’ analogy. Jesus used many tactile, concrete examples to explain spiritual truth, and it is very possible that we could incorrectly apply something Jesus says if we work in the incorrect direction.

Instead, the way I have begun to look at parables is to first discern the theme of the parable and the key point Jesus wants to share, before then working backward from there.

In this parable, what is the big key that Jesus wants us to learn?

While we might have different ways of saying this, I believe Jesus describes this truth twice in this parable, once for each group. In verses 40 and 45, Jesus describes the King’s words as: “I assure you: Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me either.”

With this parable, there is no getting around the big theme and big truth that what we do for those who need help is significant in God’s eyes. When we look at the type of help that Jesus describes each group doing or not doing, the help that is given is help that cannot be repaid in equal measure. This type of help is what God desires to see in His people, and I believe this is because this type of help best reflects the help God showed each of us! God helps us in ways we could never repay Him for, and the best way we can say “Thank You” to God is by helping others who cannot repay us!

A secondary theme is present in this parable, and if left unchecked, some might believe this secondary theme is more significant than the one we just focused on.

The secondary theme is related to the fate of each group of people. Jesus finishes this parable by stating that the wicked people, or those who did not show help to the “least of these”, will go away into eternal punishment, which is described earlier in Jesus parable as the “eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels” (v. 41)

This is contrasted with the righteous receiving eternal life, which is described earlier in the parable as inheriting the kingdom prepared for God’s people from the foundation of the world. (v. 34)

While we don’t have time to cover this theme adequately in the time we have left for our episode, the big thing I believe we should focus on in this parable is not the rewards or punishments shared in this parable. These are side details that while valid, are things that are unchangeable in the big picture.

Instead, we should focus on what group we will choose to be a part of, and the way we choose a group is by choosing to help those who cannot help us in return. We can choose whether we will be a figurative sheep or a figurative goat, and our choice in this parable is described as having eternal results.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally seek God first in your life and choose to thank God for what He has done in your life by helping those who cannot repay you. When we help those who cannot repay us, we are helping like God has helped and blessed us!

Also, as I regularly challenge you to do, intentionally pray and study the Bible for yourself to learn and grow closer to God. While a pastor, speaker, author, or even a podcaster can give you things to think about, take what you hear and learn and filter it through the truth of the Bible. While traditions change with every generation of people, the Bible remains constant, and the Bible is a reliable spiritual guide for navigating the storms of life!

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or abandon where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

Year in Matthew – Episode 43: In one of Jesus’ more bleak parables, discover how we can best say thank you to God for what He has ultimately done for us.

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Choosing Peace: Luke 14:25-35

Published October 27, 2021 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Luke 14:25-35 (TNIV)

²⁵ Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ²⁶ “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even life itself—such a person cannot be my disciple. ²⁷ And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

²⁸ “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? ²⁹ For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, ³⁰ saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

³¹ “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? ³² If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. ³³ In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

³⁴ “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? ³⁵ It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.
“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

Read Luke 14:25-35 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

When reading this passage, I notice something interesting. Within Jesus’ examples of planning ahead, He includes the idea of a king receiving news that an army is headed his way with 20,000 soldiers. This king only has 10,000 soldiers and has to decide whether to fight or send a delegation asking for terms of peace.

In this example we see two contrasting ideas, and how we have the choice between these two options. We do not have the choice to avoid challenges, but we have the option of fighting – usually an uphill battle – with the chance of succeeding, or we can voluntarily submit to the challenge which leads us down the road of peace. In a battle, there are usually clear winners and clear losers, though one might argue that both sides lose in an adversarial situation such as this.

The problem with the battle option is that once one side has been declared the loser, they usually don’t experience peace, but instead bitterness, hostility, and/or anger as well as the desire for revenge.

However, voluntary submission, or at least being open to the idea, can lead to true peace, because through great communication we are often able to declare that both sides win. It is only when we are able to help the other side win in a way that we are also benefited that true peace can take place – and this is much harder to accomplish after one has chosen the “fight” option.

When challenges come your way, are you more likely to fight to win, or voluntarily submit to the challenge as a way forward to peace?

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Seeing God’s Character through His Blessings: Matthew 5:1-12

Published October 26, 2021 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Matthew 5:1-12 (GW)

¹When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up a mountain and sat down. His disciples came to him, ²and he began to teach them:

³“Blessed are those who recognize they are spiritually helpless.
    The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
⁴Blessed are those who mourn.
    They will be comforted.
⁵Blessed are those who are gentle.
    They will inherit the earth.
⁶Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for God’s approval.
    They will be satisfied.
⁷Blessed are those who show mercy.
    They will be treated mercifully.
⁸Blessed are those whose thoughts are pure.
    They will see God.
⁹Blessed are those who make peace.
    They will be called God’s children.
¹⁰Blessed are those who are persecuted for doing what God approves of.
    The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

¹¹“Blessed are you when people insult you,
    persecute you,
        lie, and say all kinds of evil things about you because of me.
¹²Rejoice and be glad because you have a great reward in heaven!
    The prophets who lived before you were persecuted in these ways.

Read Matthew 5:1-12 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

At the opening of His famous “Sermon on the Mount”, Jesus shares a list of blessings and He ties each blessing to a lifestyle and/or a character quality. For many years, I believed Jesus was sharing different blessings to different groups of people, and the conclusion in my mind was that someone could only be a part of one, maybe two, groups.

But as I looked closer at Jesus’ list, I realized that this list of blessings describes those who God wants to bless in specific ways. This list also describes a way of life that is different from the common culture during any and every period in earth’s history following the fall of Adam and Eve.

In the nine blessings Jesus shares, we see a picture of God’s love and a picture of how He interacts with us, and as I read this list, I see a progression in the order of the blessings.

Opening the list of blessings is a blessing for “those who recognize they are spiritually helpless.” The reward is God’s kingdom of heaven. This reward is entirely based on the truth that we are fallen from perfection, and we cannot live spiritual lives without God’s help. (v. 3)
Next is a blessing for “those who mourn.” People who are going through a difficult time or who have experienced loss are people who God wants to wrap His arms around and comfort. The world is a painful place, and God is not interested in sitting on the sidelines. He wants to comfort those who mourn. (v. 4)
Third comes a blessing for “those who are gentle.” Jesus says their reward is inheriting the earth. While this sounds backwards, since it seems like the world is run by the least gentle people imaginable in most cases, Jesus may be referring to the recreated, sinless “new heaven and earth”. The people who ultimately receive the earth after sin has been destroyed will be known as “those who are gentle.” (v. 5)
Following this is a blessing for “those who hunger and thirst for God’s approval.” Jesus says they will be blessed by being satisfied. This is another challenging idea for some, because if we feel we never are measuring up to what God wants from us, we will never feel as though He approves of us. However, Jesus came and His life met God’s standard, and Jesus offers His life to each of us. Through Jesus, we are approved by God and we can be satisfied. (v. 6)
Half way through this list is a blessing for “those who show mercy.” The reward for those who give mercy to others is that they will receive mercy – maybe not from some people, but ultimately from God. Like a parable where a servant is forgiven a massive debt and the expectation is he would pay the forgiveness forward, God’s people have been shown amazing mercy, and we are to pay-it-forward by living a life where we give mercy generously. (v. 7)
The sixth blessing is one for “those whose thoughts are pure.” The blessing they receive is simple: they get to see God. While this is obvious when we take a new heaven and new earth perspective, I wonder if it may also be true in the present world. I wonder if those whose thoughts are pure will be able to recognize God’s movement and what He is doing while those who have evil thoughts are blind to God’s presence and movement. (v. 8)
As we near the end of the list, we find the seventh blessing is one for “those who make peace.” These people will be called God’s children. What is amazing to me about this blessing is it supports a God who is filled with love more than a god who is interested in war. The future God has in mind is one that is filled with peace, and only those who are willing and able to live peacefully will be able to join God’s family as children. This doesn’t mean we must be peaceful before we come to God, but it does mean we must let God work and create peaceful living within our hearts. (v. 9)
Second to last is a blessing for “those who are persecuted for doing what God approves of.” Like the first group, these people will be blessed by receiving God’s kingdom. This is a promise to us that heaven is in our future when we do what God approves of – and it is something secular culture will never understand. This blessing helps keep us focused on what matters most – which is doing what God approves of, and it helps us remember heaven is our true home! (v. 10)
Finishing off the list is a blessing that echoes the previous one while taking a slightly different approach. While all the blessings have been directed at “third-party” groups, Jesus finishes off the list talking directly to those present and those of us who are reading His words. Jesus says, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, lie, and say all kinds of evil things about you because of me. Rejoice and be glad because you have a great reward in heaven! The prophets who lived before you were persecuted in these ways.” This last blessing takes the focus off of being on “someone else” and it directs the focus onto you and me. (v. 11-12)

In these blessings, we see God’s character through how He blesses those who are living within His will for their lives.

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