Category Archives: Disciples

Disciples, Faith, Messiah, Miracles, Resurrection

Coming to Jesus Step By Step

Posted by admin on March 20, 2010 at 10:35 pm.

 

Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him (John 11:45).

                Whatever happened to these Jews who believed in Jesus following the raising of Lazarus? We don’t know and won’t know for sure until we get to heaven, but there are some likely scenarios for these people.

                Undoubtedly, many of these formed the throngs that lined the road at Jesus’ Triumphal Entry. They would have waved palm branches and laid out their cloaks before Him as He rode into Jerusalem. They probably WEREN’T among the crowds that were incited by the religious leadership to call for Him to be crucified.

                Acts 6:7 records that the disciples increased greatly after the Day of Pentecost, and that even a number of priests became Christians. We are not told that the Jews who believed following Lazarus’ resurrection were priests, but some may have been and certainly many of the people who came to Christ in the early chapters of Acts were likely ones who witnessed the miracles of Jesus – including this significant event.

                Most of us forget that those who came to Christ in the book of Acts were not hearing about Jesus for the first time. It is likely that many had been among the crowds that followed Jesus, that ate the bread that He miraculously provided, that knew someone who knew someone who had been healed. Finally the news of the Resurrection of Jesus reached them and convinced them the He really was Messiah.

                People in our day don’t usually come to know Christ the first time they hear the Gospel message either. The vast majority of people need to hear, think about the claims of Christ and finally become convinced that He really is God before they will trust Him. This reality should make us re-think what real evangelism is, and help us to recognize that when we stand for Christ in our neighborhoods or work places, someone may be there who will later recall that testimony as a step toward his decision for Christ.

Christ, Disciples, Prayer, Scripture

More on Prayer

Posted by admin on February 23, 2010 at 4:31 pm.

As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning (Luke 9:29). Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?” (Luke 9:18). He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field (Luke 10:2).

                It would appear that God is trying to speak. As I have been reading through the Gospel of Luke recently, I have begun to notice the number of times Jesus is either praying or encouraging others to pray. Although I have read this Gospel many times, some of the references have startled me this time.

                For example, Luke is the only one of the Gospel writers to describe the Transfiguration with the words “As He was praying…” (9:29). Luke is also the only Gospel writer to introduce the story of Peter’s Confession with the phrase, “When Jesus was praying…” (9:18). The second verse of the next chapter includes Jesus’ command to pray that “the Lord of the Harvest [would] send out workers into His harvest field.” And the chapter closes with Jesus’ praise of Mary’s devotional heart over Martha’s constant activity.

                I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t understand prayer. I cannot explain why the omniscient Father needs for me to ask Him to do what He wants to do. But for some reason He does.

               It probably is wrapped up in the idea of relationship. We often compare the communication between God and His people with the communication between a couple who are dating. This communication goes beyond words in that as their love develops and matures, they begin to understand what makes the other “tick” – what  his/her values are, what makes them angry, how he/she responds in times of stress and struggle. This illustration breaks down in that neither of the dating couple has infinite knowledge and wisdom, but the illustration still describes what a combination of prayer and the Scripture will do for us. We’ll get to know His character, especially the infinite nature of His love for men made in His image.

                      Far more than our service, God our Father wants us. He desires the fellowship of His worshipping people, and in the process of that fellowship, He longs for us to acquire the heart He has for a rebellious world of His image-bearers. We may never fully understand why He longs for His people to pray; we may never fully understand why Jesus’ example of prayer is so pervasive in Luke’s Gospel; but we can understand that it is this process of communication – back and forth, prayer and Scripture – that infuses His values into our hearts. Perhaps I should say, “It is ONLY this process…”

Bread of Life, Church, Disciples, Eternal Life, Eternal Son of God, Jesus, Jesus' Teachings, John 6:68-69, Moses, Peter, Uncategorized

Bread Of Life

Posted by admin on January 25, 2010 at 2:46 am.

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69 NIV)

It’s easy to forget in the ministry of Jesus that He also faced the attrition of His following. In John 6, after He spoke so clearly about being the “Bread of Life” many of His disciples left Him. There were several hard teachings in this passage that they stumbled over. Among them,

  • The connection between Jesus and the manna that sustained the Hebrews in the wilderness. As it came down from heaven, so did Jesus. As it nourished them, so does Jesus.
  • That we must “eat” His body and “drink” His blood. These are obvious metaphors that describe the assimilation of His life and teaching into our lives.
  • That what we do with Jesus determines whether or not we inherit eternal life.

 

But it is interesting to read the response of Peter when Jesus asks him if he also would leave. Rather than taking his cue from the crowd that was leaving, Peter chose to stick with the One who would show him the way to eternal life.

We face the same issues in our day. Many people struggle with the exclusive nature of Jesus’ teachings, and so they turn from Him and His Church. Many are unwilling to assimilate His teaching into their lives – the relentless assault of the world’s values is too difficult to overcome – so they turn away from Him. Many in our day struggle with the idea that Jesus is the eternal Son of God – that He actually existed during the time that Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt. These things are too supernatural to believe. So they fall away.

 Peter seemed to understand that following Jesus was not a matter of joining the popular band wagon. He chose between those that followed until the going got tough or until Jesus quit making them feel good and eternal Truth.  He followed because he could trust Jesus’ “words of eternal life.” He became a real “disciple,” not just a “convert.”