“The Third Sign” (John 5:1-18)

“My Life Will Never Change”

Several years ago around Christmas time an elderly mother and her adult son stopped by the church office. They were looking for some financial support. I’ve never met them before, but I could find their names in a pastor’s discretionary fund account book. They seemed to make their rounds. While I was having a conversation with them, I really wanted to help them not just one-time financial support, but help them to break out of a vicious circle. So I shared the good news and invited them to come to church. But they said, “I have never been to church for more than 20 years. I am unholy. If I go to your church, the church will be falling apart.” I said, “No, we are all broken people, but Jesus is able to help you. He is mighty to save if you turn to him.” But they persisted, “No, my life will never change.” And they walked away.

Do You Want to Get Well?

How sad! But somehow many of us in this room are also struggling with certain areas of our lives. Some of us feel like things will never change. Some of us feel like our prayers are not answered. Some of us feel like healing doesn’t come. If you feel that way, today’s passage is for you. In today’s scripture we meet a man who had been ill for 38 years. At that time there were hundreds of sick people – blind, crippled, paralyzed – laying on the porches. But for some reason, Jesus saw this particular man lying there and knew that he had been there a long time. Here in verse 6 the Greek word gnous, translated as “to know” refers to supernatural, divine knowledge. Jesus knew what this man was going through. Jesus knew that he had been sick for 38 years. More importantly, Jesus knew that his mind was just as sick as his body. Jesus knew that he had been there a long time without hope.

Perhaps, at first this man came to Bethesda (“healing place”) with hope. He was eager to be healed. He got up early in the morning and kept watching a pool. But little by little, he began to get used to his dull life at Bethesda. He began to get up late. For him, everyday became the same. Eventually, he had lived in Bethesda, the healing place, for 38 years. But ironically, he had never experienced healing there. He just got used to his dull, powerless life. He got used to maintaining the status quo. He came to believe, “I will never be healed.” “My life will never change.” Deep in his heart he already gave up being healed. He already accepted this powerless life as his fate. Once I had a chance to ride an elephant while I was in Thailand as an exchange student. I was amazed how this big elephant was so submissive to his trainer. And after that, I heard how they train an elephant. It was very simple and easy. First, a trainer just ties an elephant to a stake. At first, the elephant tries hard to escape. But later on, the elephant gives up and just stands beside the stake. Then the trainer unties the rope. The amazing thing is that the elephant would never try to run away any longer although he is untied.

The invalid became the exactly the same as the tame elephant. Now his heart was filled with despair. Jesus knew that this man’s illness of the mind, disease of despair, had to be healed first. So Jesus asked this strange question, “Do you want to get well?” The man didn’t say, “Yes.” But instead, he said, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.” Basically, he was making excuses, complaints, and blaming others. “I am not healed because no one helps me! I am miserable because no one cares for me!” But nevertheless, Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk!” Many of us grew up in the church. We got used to living here in this place. We feel comfortable. We feel at home. But, have you experienced healing and transformation through Jesus Christ in this place? Jesus is asking us today, “Do you want to get well?”

Healing on the Sabbath

In verse 9 John purposely says that the day on which this healing took place was a sabbath. Why is this important? Why did Jesus heal this man on the sabbath? It is because Jesus wanted to reveal his glory. He wanted to reveal who he is to the Jews and us. When the Jews saw the man healed, they were mad and said, “It is not lawful for you to take up your bed on the sabbath.” Then later, they accused Jesus of breaking the sabbath. Jesus said to them, “My Father is still working, and I also am working.” Then they were seeking even more to kill him because they thought Jesus made himself equal with God. Actually, they saw his point: “Jesus is equal with God.” But they refused to believe. They refused to come to Jesus to have life. They were expectantly waiting for their Messiah for a long time. And now there he is. They should celebrate their Christ. They should celebrate this healing and rejoice with the man. But instead, they are angry and furious. Why are they mad at the healed man? Why are they so angry with Jesus? It is because of their spiritual sickness – a deadly disease of legalism. They did rigidly observe the sabbath. But they couldn’t celebrate the sabbath. There was no joy, no life, no power on their sabbath-keeping.

Karl Barth tells us a story about people who live in a wilderness alongside a canal. The canal was there to bring them water and life, and it was with great effort and cost that the project was built for their place in time. Great sacrifices were made, and many even died as the canal was cut through mountain and desert. But the great irony is that the canal has become dry, and while its walls still convey evidence of the coursing of water, there is nothing there that can give life to anyone. Nevertheless, the people continue to service it, to defend it, to name their children after its architects and engineers; but it is only an historic thing. A canal meant to convey something— water and life— now has become static, an end instead of a means. Something for the museum. People tell stories about it instead of drink from it. And no one has a memory of what water in the canal really looks like.[1]

“You Must Kneel”

If the invalid was an irreligious person who believed superstitions and struggled with despair and self-pity, the Jews were religious people filled with a self-righteous, legalistic spirit. Jesus invited both of them. Jesus loves religious hypocrites and irreligious people. Jesus loves the healthy and the sick, the self-righteous and the self-pity. Jesus loves them all. Jesus invites all of us, saying, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, 'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.'” (John 7:37-38).

Today’s passage is called the third sign. Each sign in John’s gospel points us to the truth that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, so that we may believe this glorious truth and have life in his name (cf. 20:30-31). In his book Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis says in this way:[2]

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him [Jesus]: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.

I want to close with a story of a sculptor. Once there was a sculptor who sculpted a statue of our Lord. And people came from great distances to see it – Christ in all his strength and tenderness. They would walk all round the statue, trying to grasp its splendor, looking at it now from this angle, now from that. But for some reason, they couldn’t grasp its grandeur. So finally, they consulted the sculptor himself. He said to them, “There’s only one angle from which this statue can be truly seen. You must kneel.”[3]

Jesus’ question is still valid: “Do you want to get well?” If so, come to Jesus in faith. He knows what you are going through. Let him in. Accept Christ on bended knees as the only new and living Way.  Love him. Worship him. Give him full control. And streams of living water will flow from your heart. Your life will never be the same.

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[1] Gary M. Burge, The NIV Application Commentary: John (Zondervan, 2000), 137.

[2] C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (HarperCollins, 1952), 52.

[3] John Stott, The Incomparable Christ (InterVarsity Press, 2001), Kindle Locations 4038-4041

“The Second Sign” (John 4:46-54)

Affliction

What would be the greatest affliction in life? There would be many, but one of them would be when we have to watch our child suffer. And when we can do nothing about it. Today’s passage teaches us about affliction. The story goes like this: “Now there was a royal official whose son lay ill in Capernaum” (46). Firstly, we learn that afflictions come to the rich as well as the poor. The word for “royal official” is the word basilikos, which can be translated “nobleman,” or “king’s man.” This man was a man of great influence and power. He was also a man of great wealth. He must have exhausted all means available. He must have gone to all the famous doctors. He must have tried all good medicines whatever it cost. But it was no use. In fact, his son got worse and was at the point of death (47). Secondly, we learn that afflictions come to the young as well as the old. Somehow we think that sickness and death come to the old first, but not always. Somehow we think that young people never die when young, but not always. The truth is afflictions come to everyone. So we need to remember that afflictions will probably come to our door one day.

In the School of Affliction

Then, why affliction? Why does God allow affliction? What do we learn in the school of affliction? Though it is a mystery, affliction is one of God’s ways to draw our attention to Him. C. S. Lewis said that pain is God’s “megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” God often uses affliction to draw us away from sin and to draw us closer to him. Affliction is one of God’s medicines to purify us, heal us, and grow our faith. J. C. Ryle rightly said, “Health is a great blessing, but sanctified disease is a greater. Prosperity and worldly comfort are what all naturally desire, but losses and crosses are far better for us, if they lead us to Christ.”[1] For the royal official in today’s passage, affliction was a blessing, because his affliction led him to Christ. He didn’t know where to turn for help. For him, Jesus was his last hope. He heard that Jesus was visiting Galilee. So he went and begged Jesus to come and heal his son.

Affliction itself is not a blessing, but it can be a blessing if we turn to God. In Psalm 119:71 David testifies, “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.” Affliction is not God’s punishment, but it’s one of God’s ways to discipline us and grow us. Hebrews 12:11 says, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

The Word

So how did Jesus grow this man’s faith? He had faith. He came all the way down to Cana from Capernaum (about 18 miles) to see Jesus. But his faith was still immature and imperfect. He said to Jesus, “Sir, come down before my little boy dies” (49). His faith had to meet two conditions – space and time: ‘Jesus, I believe but you have to come with me and pray for my son in person’ (spatial limitations). ‘Jesus, I believe but you have to do something before my child dies’ (time limitations). But for Jesus, there is no “too far” or “too late.” For Jesus, it doesn’t matter whether the boy is 18 miles away or 180,000 miles away. For Jesus, it doesn’t matter whether it is before or after the death. The power of the Word surpasses time and space. His word is all powerful and almighty.

The royal official wanted miraculous healing on his terms. But Jesus gave him only one thing: His Word. “Go; your son will live.” The word brings life. The word revives us, restores our life. Elijah can be a good example. Affliction came to him. After Jezebel’s threat, he ran for his life. He was depressed and even suicidal. He said, “It is enough; now O Lord, take away my life!” Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. How did God revive him again? An angel appeared and gave him food. But that miracle was not enough to restore Elijah. There was a great wind. And after the wind an earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire. But those supernatural miracles were not enough to restore Elijah. But then the word of God came to him. When he heard the word, he came alive. The word is more than enough to restore us. I still vividly remember when I got burnt out and wanted to give up my church ministry in 2008. Although I was doing my best, I didn’t see any fruit, any progress in ministry. But instead, only apathy and ingratitude among the young adults I was serving. I didn’t know where to turn. I just got on my knees and poured out my heart before God. Then the word came to me, “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city [many students in Boston]” (Acts 18:9-10). As soon as I heard the word, I came alive.

Today Jesus gives us only one thing: His Word. No visible angels, no great wind, no earthquake, no fire – just the word. Jesus’ word is as powerful as his presence. Jesus said “The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63). We have no other calling than to trust in his word.

The Second Sign

The Apostle John wraps up the story in this way: “Now this was the second sign that Jesus did…” (54). All the signs in John’s Gospel has a purpose. The signs are not just miracles. The signs point us to the greater truth that Jesus is the Christ, God’s Chosen One, who saves us. They point us to Christ, so that we may believe in him and have life.

Today’s passage is more than just a healing story. It’s a salvation story. Jesus could just go with this man and heal his son according to his wishes. But he didn’t. Why? Because Jesus knew if he did, this man would consider Jesus a miracle worker, but not more than that. Jesus knew what this man wanted – healing, the healing of his son. The man tried all means available, but it didn’t work. So now he was trying Jesus. But Jesus knew what the man really needed – salvation as well as his son’s healing. So he challenged him to increase his faith, saying, “Go, your son will live.” Surprisingly, the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went back all the way home, another 18 miles. When he believed the word and obeyed on Jesus’ terms, something greater than healing happened. John 5:53 says, “… So he himself believed, along with his whole household.” Before, he believed in Jesus as a miracle worker, or healer, but now in verse 53 he believed in Jesus as the Son of God. Now he saw the beauty and glory of Christ who stands behind miracles and healing. The sign.

Many of us in this room have our own “Capernaum,” the place where we struggle and suffer. But let us remember that God allows afflictions in our lives to draw us closer to him. Somehow today’s story reminds us of the story of Abraham and Isaac at Mt. Moriah. God spared both sons – Isaac and the royal official’s son. But God the Father did not spare his own Son. The Bible says, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Rom 8:32) From today’s passage, we hear the voice of God loud and clear: “I love you, my son, my daughter. You are precious to me. I created you for my glory. And you were bought with a price. So I will not let what you treasure (your family, your children, your health, your wealth) become your God. I will be your God. And I love you.”

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[1] J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of John (Aneko), 68.

“Nicodemus and John the Baptist” (John 3:1-8, 22-30)

Below the Waterline 

If you have been to New York City, perhaps you had a chance to cross the Brooklyn Bridge, which arched the East River and joined Manhattan to Brooklyn. It was built 137 years ago, but still this bridge remains a major transportation artery in New York City. So what’s the secret? In June 1872, the Chief Engineer of the project wrote as follows:

"To such of the general public as might imagine that no work had been done on the New York tower, because they see no evidence of it above the water, I should simply remark that the amount of the masonry and concrete laid on that foundation during the past winter, under water, is equal in quantity to the entire masonry of the Brooklyn tower visible today above the water line.”

The Brooklyn Bridge still remains strong because, 137 years ago, the Chief Engineer and his construction team did their most patient work where no one could see it: on the foundations of the towers below the water line. This story tells us a timeless principle in life: the work done below the water line that determines whether he or she will stand the test of time and challenge.[1]

John Piper once asked the following question at one conference (“Getting to the Bottom of Your Joy,” Passion 2011), “What’s at the bottom of your joy?” “What is the feeder of your happiness?” All of our joys have a foundation. What does it mean by that? Let me give you an example. One time Lydia got her report card – all A’s. That made her very happy. We had a conversation something like this. I said, “Lydia, why are you happy about making an A on a test?” She said, “Because it helps me to get into school to be a teacher.” Then I said, “Why do you want to be a teacher?” She said, “Because I want to help children.” I asked, “Why does that make you happy?” If we continue this “why – because” conversation, we get to the bottom of what makes us happy. At the bottom there are only two possibilities of our joy: making much of me, or making much of God. Self or God.

The default mode of the human heart is self-centered, self-exalting, making much of self (cf. Jer 17:9). That’s why being “born again” is necessary. The new birth changes the default mode of our fallen heart. It changes the bottom of what makes us happy. It changes the foundation below the water line.

Nicodemus 

In today’s passage we see a contrast between a person who has self at the bottom and a person who has God at the bottom – a contrast between Nicodemus and John the Baptist. First, we meet Nicodemus. The Bible introduces Nicodemus as a man of the Pharisees, a ruler of the Jews (v. 1), the teacher of Israel (v. 9). In other words, he was serious about God. He was a good man, moral man. He was knowledgeable, experienced, respected, full of credentials. Above the water line, he seemed to be a perfect example of how to live as God’s people. But in reality, below the water line, Nicodemus felt miserable. He felt thirsty. He felt something was missing. Why? Because there was self at the bottom. Because self at the bottom could never satisfy his heart made for God. Blaise Pascal rightly said, “There is a God-shaped hole in the heart of every person which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.”

So Nicodemus came to Jesus at night. And Jesus said to him, “You must be born again.” Here Jesus was saying, “Nicodemus, you need something new at the bottom. Now God is not at the bottom. You are at the bottom. You must exchange yourself at the bottom with God.” So, to be born again is to experience this exchange at the bottom – an exchanged life! It is no longer I at the bottom, but Christ is at the bottom.

The story of Nicodemus is our story. Nicodemus is old you, old me. At first, when Jesus says to Nicodemus, “You must be born again” in verse 3, he uses a second person singular. But later, when he says, “You must be born again” in verse 7, he uses a second person plural, also in verse 11 and 12. In other words, Jesus is speaking not only to Nicodemus, but to all of us. Nicodemus represents humankind. The truths are universal. You and I must be born again. We must experience this wonderful exchange. Self at the bottom ought to be replaced by God at the bottom. We know, from Nicodemus’ story, it’s possible to enjoy worshiping God, praying to God, singing hymns, reading the Bible without this exchange. It’s possible to do all kinds of good works and religious activities without this exchange at the bottom. In Matthew 7:22-23, Jesus says, “At the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, 'Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking. And do you know what I am going to say? 'You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important (MSG)” The question is ranking. So what’s at the bottom of your joy – Making much of you or making much of God?

John the Baptist

Today’s passage invites us to see below the water line. And then, it takes us to meet John the Baptist – the one who has God at the bottom of his joy. How do we know what’s at the bottom? Oftentimes, storms in life reveal what’s in there below the water line. John the Baptist was a rising star. Everyone in Israel was talking about him, and many of them came out to be baptized by him. But then, all of sudden a storm came. He saw his ministry begin to fade away as Jesus began his ministry. His disciples said, “Rabbi, your star is sinking. Your ministry is diminishing. All are going to Jesus, the one whom you testified. What are we going to do?” They were upset, anxious, jealous. But, John said to them, “I am not the Messiah. I am not the Bridegroom. I am the friend of the bridegroom, his ‘best man,’ who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:29-30). So what’s at the bottom? Making much of Christ!

William Barclay tells us about the role of the bridegroom’s friend in Jesus’ time as follows:[2]

The “friend of the bridegroom” had a unique place at a Jewish wedding. He acted as the liaison between the bride and the bridegroom… And he had one special duty. It was his duty to guard the bridal chamber and to let no false lover in. He would only open the door when in the dark he heard the bridegroom’s voice and recognized it. When he heard the bridegroom’s voice he was glad and he let him in, and he went away rejoicing, for his task was completed.

The joy of a best man! The joy of making much of Christ, the Bridegroom! This is the new birth, new heart, new creation, new exchange! John the Baptist is new you, new me. When we are born again, myself being made much of, ceases to be the bottom, and God becomes the bottom for the first time. God becomes our source of all our joys. Then, so naturally, we treasure him, savor him, enjoy making much of him!

How Can This Be? 

Our Christian journey is a journey from making much of self to making much of God, a journey from a life of Nicodemus to a life of John the Baptist. It takes a miracle to change. We need the new birth. “How can this be?” “How can we be born again, born from above?” Nicodemus asked. And we ask today. Jesus answers, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” (vv. 14-15). It is not enough to be educated. It is not enough to be born and grow up in the church. It is not enough to do religious activity. We must look to Jesus, who brings new life.

This reminds me of the story of Charles Spurgeon’s conversion. He was 15 years old. At that time he felt miserable and agonized over his sins. Then one snowy day, Spurgeon could not get to his normal church, so he turned down a side street and came to a small Methodist church. There were about 12-15 people there that day. The minister didn’t make it because of the snow, so a lay man from the church went into the pulpit and began to preach on Isaiah 45:22, which reads, “Look to me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.” The preacher said, “My dear friends, this is a very simple text indeed. It says, ‘Look.’ Well, a person doesn’t need to go to college to learn to look. Anyone can look; even a child can look.” Then he pointed out that the text says, “Look to Me,” not to yourself. At the end, the preacher looked directly at young Spurgeon and said, “Young man, you look very miserable. And you always will be miserable—miserable in life, and miserable in death—if you don’t obey my text; but if you obey now, this moment, you will be saved.” Then he shouted, “Young man, look to Jesus Christ. Look! Look! Look! You have nothing to do but to look and live.” That moment Spurgeon looked to Christ and was born again. That moment Christ became the bottom.

Let us examine ourselves and ask, “What’s at the bottom of my joy?” Do I rejoice because God is committed to making much of me? Or Do I rejoice because God is my supreme joy and treasure as the bottom? May the Spirit of God help us put God at the bottom. May we treasure him, make much of him, rejoice in him always.

“Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vines; though the produce of the olive fails and the fields yield no food; though the flock is cut off from the fold and there is no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will exult in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:17-18). Amen.

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[1] Gordon Macdonald, “Building Below the Water Line,” https://www.christianitytoday.com/pastors/2004/october-online-only/cln41004.html
[2] Kent Hughes, John: That You May Believe (Crossway, 19990, 93.

“Replenish” (John 2:1-11)

The First Sign

Welcome back to the Gospel of John! Once again we are gathered to hear God’s Word. As a follower of Christ, each time we return to the Gospel, we see wonderful things in the Word, and we find that Christ becomes a little bigger and greater. It’s something like Lucy’s experience with the lion Aslan (the Christ symbol) in C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, as she again gazed into his large, wise face.

“Welcome, child,” Aslan said.

“Aslan,” said Lucy, “you’re bigger.”

“That is because you are older, little one,” answered he.

“Not because you are?”

“I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”[1]

In this gospel John uses the word “sign” (σημεῖον). There are six or seven signs written in John’s gospel. Today’s story – the wedding at Cana – is the first sign (v. 11). As we know, the signs “point us to something beyond themselves.” For instance, suppose you drive in the highway near Woodstock. You will see the traffic sign, saying “Houlton Me.” The sign itself is not “Houlton,” but it points us to “Houlton.” That’s the purpose of the sign. That’s the purpose of today’s passage. That’s the purpose of the entire book, John’s gospel:

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name (20:30-31).

My prayer is that as we work our way through the signs of this book one by one, we may find Christ bigger and bigger and bigger.

Wedding without Wine

Today’s story goes like this: one day Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding. In Jesus’ time the wedding celebration was considered to be the pinnacle of life. Instead of a honeymoon, the bride and groom had open house for a week. They were considered to be king and queen. Oftentimes all the people in town were invited to celebrate together. It was the whole town celebration. At the wedding banquet wine was essential. At that time to the Jewish mind, wine was a symbol for joy. So “without wine, there is no joy.” But in today’s passage something happened. The wine ran out. “They have no more wine!” the mother of Jesus said. Running out of wine during the wedding celebration brought shame to the family. But even more than that, it meant joy had run out.

Spiritually, a life without wine is life without Christ. If we think about our own life and the lives of people around us, often it is when life is at the pinnacle that the wine runs out. We are full of health; money increases; we have plenty of food, plenty to drink, and a warm place to sleep. But somehow the wine fails. And we are searching for joy. It can happen to the youth. It can happen to young adults. It can happen to the middle aged. It can happen to seniors. Ultimately it catches everyone. If you feel like your life lost its sparkle, if you are still wandering and searching for joy, for the meaning and purpose of life, today’s story is for you.

Water into Wine

Many of us in this room already invited Jesus into our hearts, but oftentimes we treat him as our guest, perhaps special guest at best, but not as the Master. There is a clear limit and boundary for guests. They are not allowed to get involved in our private matters – such as our family matters and finances. In today’s story at first Jesus was invited as a guest. So at the beginning he couldn’t do any might work there, even though he was the Son of God Almighty (cf. Mk 6:5). But later, we see some people who believed in Jesus and treated him as their Master. First, Mary believed in Jesus as her Master and said to servants, “Do whatever tells you.” Second, the servants. At the wedding banquet there were six stone water jars, altogether holding up to 180 gallons of water. And Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up, not to half, but to the brim (v. 7). They showed complete obedience. Then Jesus said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the chief steward.” And they did. They showed immediate obedience. There is no logical relationship between turning water into wine and filling the jars with water and taking it to the head steward. There is no logical relationship between looking to the bronze snake and being healed (cf. Num 21:9). But the key is “obedience.” When we trust Jesus as our Master and obey him, he turns our water into wine, he turns our tasteless, insipid, sparkeless life into rich, satisfying, joyous life.

In Robert Munger’s classical book, My Heart Christ’s Home, one young man invited Jesus into his house. He gave Jesus access to the library, the dining room, the living room, the work room, and the rec room. He thought that Jesus had finally finished the remodeling and was comfortable living with him there. But then, one day he found that Jesus was waiting at the door. Jesus said to him, “There is a peculiar odor in the house. There is something dead in here, in the hall closet.” The man knew about that closet, but he had the key to it and wanted to keep it off limits. He certainly didn’t want Christ to see what was in there. In fact, he was angry with Christ and thought, “This is too much! I’m not going to give him the key!” All of us in this room have our own “hall closet.” But, as long as we have the key to it, Jesus is our guest, at best a special guest. As long as Jesus remains as our guest, he has no authority to run the house. He has no authority to make changes in our lives although he is almighty God. Only when we transfer the title, he turns water into wine.

If I say, “I am 85% faithful to my wife Joyce,” then I am not faithful at all. In the same way, there is no such thing as 75% loyalty to Christ. It’s all or nothing. Jesus is either the Master or a guest. Tim Keller compares the Lordship of Jesus Christ to “a life-quake.”

When a great big truck goes over a tiny little bridge, sometimes there’s a bridge-quake, and when a big man goes onto thin ice there’s an ice-quake. Whenever Jesus Christ comes down into a person’s life, there’s a life-quake. Everything is reordered… any view, any conviction, any idea, any behavior, any relationship. He may change it, He may not change it, but at the beginning of the relationship you have to say, ‘In everything He must have the supremacy.’[2]

Joy, Joy, Joy!

Our Christian journey is a long obedience in the same direction. We come to know Jesus more and more through this long obedience. When I was in seminary, there was a life-quake. Jesus asked me, “Are you willing to give up your denomination and your prestigious school for me?” In 2018 there was another life-quake, when Jesus came to me and asked, “Are you willing to abide here in this place for decades for me?” And recently, there was another life-quake. Jesus asked, “Are you willing to give away your 401(k) and your college savings plan for me?” Indeed, each time Jesus came into my life, there was a life-quake. Everything had to be reordered. And I struggled. But every time I surrendered and obeyed, always there was joy.  

As I close, I want to share the story of one man whose life turned from a life like “insipid” water to a joyous life – a life with wine. His name was Blaise Pascal. He was perhaps the most brilliant mind of his generation. At the age of 19 he invented the world’s first mechanical calculator. He achieved both wealth and honor at a very young age, but for some reason at the pinnacle he felt miserable. He felt something was missing. There was no joy, no peace. Though he considered himself a Christian, to him Jesus was only a guest. On November 23, 1654 he got a horse carriage accident, but miraculously he was saved. He saw this as a warning directly from God. That night he humbly surrendered his life to Christ and encountered him in his room. In his journal Pascal said:

FIRE. God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, not of philosophers and scholars. Certitude, heartfelt joy, peace. God of Jesus Christ. God of Jesus Christ. "My God and your God." . . . Joy, Joy, Joy, tears of joy. . . Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ. May I never be separated from him!

That night Jesus became from a guest to the Master. Since Jesus came into his life as the Master, he always carried this note in his coat until he died. Since that day, in everything Pascal put Jesus in the center of his life. He listened to the Master and obeyed him day after day.

Obedience leads to knowing Jesus. In today’s passage all the people at the wedding feast saw the miracle and tasted the best wine. But for many of them it was just a miracle, not the “sign” pointing them to Christ. Only for those who obeyed – Mary, the servants, and the disciples, it was the sign. They saw the glory of Christ through the sign and they believed in him (cf. v. 11). And it’s a journey. It’s a long obedience in the same direction. As we receive Jesus as our Master, walk with him, obey him daily, may we continue to find Jesus bigger and bigger. May we be filled with joy, joy, joy, tears of joy! Amen.

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[1] C. S. Lewis, Prince Caspian (London, Collins, n.d.), 124. quoted in Hughes, R. Kent. John: That You May Believe (Crossway), 483.

[2] Tim Keller, “The Lordship of Christ is ‘A Life-Quake,’” Preaching Today,  https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2016/march/3031416.html

“Jesus the Word” (John 1:1-14)

Who Is This Man? (1:1-3) 
Charles Spurgeon tells how George Whitefield, the great eighteenth-century evangelist, was hounded by a group of detractors who called themselves the “Hell-fire Club.” When Whitefield would stand outside preaching, this little group of guys would stand off on the side and mimic him. They didn’t believe a word of it. The ring leader was called Thorpe. One day Thorpe was mimicking Whitefield to his cronies. As he was delivering Whitefield’s sermon, perfectly imitating his tone and facial expressions, something happened. Thorpe himself was so pierced that he sat down and was converted on the spot.[1] 

The psalmist says in Psalm 19:7-8:

“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.
The statues of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.”

 The Word of God in itself is powerful. The Word of God of itself is life-giving. That’s why it is so important to read, study, meditate on the word again and again. We find in the Bible that conversions come from preaching and listening to the word of God. Our Bible is like a gold mine. There we find all kinds of hidden treasure. But in order to find pure gold we need to ask the following question as we study God’s word:

 “What does this passage tell us about Jesus?” 

Jesus himself said to people, “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me” (Jn 5:39 NIV). All Scriptures, both the Old Testament and the New, point us to one person – Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him, and in him we have eternal life. 

We have four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Each of the Gospels presents Christ with a distinctive emphasis. Matthew emphasizes his kingship, Mark his servanthood, Luke his manhood, and John his Godhood. Though it would be impossible to describe Jesus with one word, the Apostle John chooses one summarizing title for Jesus: the “Word.” From the very beginning John declares the truth that Jesus is the Word, who is the very nature of God: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (v. 1). Jesus is eternally God. And he is eternally Creator: “All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being” (v. 3). In the Old Testament we find the phrase “the word of the Lord came” more than 3,800 times. The Word of the Lord came as he created and led his people. The Word brings life. Jesus brings life. But what is really meant by “Word”?

Jesus, the Illuminating Word (1:5-13) 
In the first chapter John expounds further on what it means that Jesus is the Word. He uses three metaphors for this purpose – the Light, the Flesh, and the Lamb. First, Jesus is the illuminating Word. Jesus is the Light. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it” (v. 5). Here the Greek word phaino translated as “shines” is literally “shines on” or “continually shines.” In our human history the light has been continually shining – first through the prophets and saints, and finally through the true light, Jesus Christ. And this true light is continually shining and bombarding every corner of our hearts of darkness through his powerful word. 

How is Jesus living and active in our lives? Through his living word! “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Heb 4:12 NIV). Jesus is the Light, who continually shines, continually enlightens, continually penetrates our hearts, our minds, and our conscience. This can be very painful, because it reveals the truth that we are darkness (Eph 5:8), that our heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful and wicked (Jer 17:9), and that we are not ok as we are. But this is the very first step for our salvation. Just as stars shine even more brightly in the dark, the light of Jesus Christ shines brightly in our darkness. Abraham saw this light, heard the word of God’s promise, and was glad (cf. John 8:56). Augustine saw this light and came to the light. John Wesley saw this light, heard the word and believed. Our spiritual ancestors saw the same Light, heard the same Word – Christ Jesus, and responded in faith. 

Jesus, the Incarnate Word (1:14-18) 
Second, Jesus – the incarnate Word. In verse 14 John proclaims one of the most amazing, magnificent truths about Jesus: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us!” This great mystery of the incarnation is the core of the Christian message, and a stumbling block to many. The Word, the very nature God, became human! In other words, not only did Jesus expose our darkness with his word of truth, but also he came to us and became one of us. The Bible says, “God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:18 NLT). 

Billy Graham tells us the mystery of the incarnation in this way. One time years ago he was walking with his younger son, and by mistake they stepped on an anthill. They looked down and a lot of the ants had been killed, and many of them were injured. Their little house was destroyed. He said to his son, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could go down and tell those ants we are sorry and we care about them, and then help them rebuild their house?” And the son said, “Father, we’re too big, and they’re too little. There’s no way we could help them. The only way we could talk with them is if we somehow could become ants and live with them.” Billy Graham wanted to teach his son a little lesson, so he said, “One time God – the mighty God of heaven – looked down on this little speck of dust that we call the earth and saw that we were like those little ants crawling around. And God said, ‘I want to help them; I want to save them; I want to help them rebuild their lives.’ But how could the mighty God of heaven communicate with us? You know what God did? God became a man, and that’s what Jesus Christ was. Christ was the God-man who came to show us what God is like, and to die on the cross for our sins.”[2] 

That’s what God did for us. Jesus Christ our Savior really took human nature on Him in order to save sinners. Like ourselves, he was born of a woman. Like ourselves, he grew from infancy to boyhood, and from boyhood to manhood. Like ourselves, he hungered, thirsted, was wearied, wept, felt pain. He was tempted, really suffered and shed his blood, really died, really buried, really rose again, and really ascended into heaven! The Bible says, “Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested” (Heb 2:18). Jesus is the God-man, the incarnate Word.

Jesus, the Sanctifying Word (1:19-34) 
Third, Jesus is the sanctifying Word. When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him, he declared, “Look! The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) If we go to Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain, we see this painting (on the screen) by Francisco de Zurbaran. The title is Agnus Dei, Latin for “Lamb of God.” Around the lamb’s head, barely perceptible, is a halo. We see that the lamb’s legs are tied in a sacrificial posture. We see that the animal is lying on a cross. Clearly this animal reminds us of Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God. Indeed, Jesus was the true Lamb that God had provided at Mount Moriah for Abraham (Genesis 22:8). Jesus was the true Lamb which the Israelites offered every morning and evening. Jesus was the suffering Lamb that Isaiah had prophesied – the lamb that would be led to the slaughter, but not opening his mouth (Isaiah 53:7). Jesus was the Passover lamb slain to make atonement for the firstborn. In short, collectively Jesus is the Lamb of God, who takes away our sins. Jesus became our sin. We became his righteousness (cf. 2 Co 5:21). William Cowper proclaims this great truth of substitutionary atonement in this way:

There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins,
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains.

Come and See! (1:35-51) 
So it is John’s long answer to the short question: “What does this passage tell us about Jesus?” Jesus is the Word – the illuminating Word, the incarnate Word, the sanctifying Word.

But before we leave this place today, we also need to ask ourselves the second question: 

“How does this passage apply to us?” 

In other words, Jesus is the Light. But is he our Light? Have we come and seen the Light? Is the Light continually shining every corner of our hearts of darkness, continually penetrating our hearts? Jesus is the incarnate Word, making his dwelling among us. But are we really allowing the Word to dwell in us richly and impact our life? Are we willing to be formed and shaped by the Word again and again? Jesus is the Lamb of God. But is he our Lamb? Do we really believe he died for us?

There is a poem, titled “Flower” by Korean poet, Chun-Soo Kim. This poem tells us what it means to know someone and be known by that person:

You were nothing,
a mere sign,
till I named you.

But when I called you by name,
you came to me:
you became a flower.[3] 

 Jesus came to his own people. He called them by name. But sadly, he was rejected by many. But some received him and believed in his name. In John 1 Jesus called his first disciples – Andrew, Peter, Philip and Nathanael – with a simple invitation: “Come and see!” And they did. With humility they received, believed, and followed Jesus. And they became different people! Jesus stills calls us today, saying “Come and see!” So let us come to the Light. Let us abide in the Word. Let us follow the Lamb wherever he goes. Then, we will see his glory, the glory of God's Son, full of grace and truth. Once we see that glory, we will be different people – “children of God” who are born from above, born of the Spirit! Amen.

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[1] Mark Dever. Nine Marks of a Healthy Church (3rd Edition) (Crossway, 2013), 150-51.

[2] William Safire, Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History (The Cobbett Corporation, 2004), 525.

[3] This poem is translated by Kevin O’ Rourke.

“Heaven” (Revelation 21:1-4)

Why Revelation? 
Andrew Brunson is an American pastor and missionary to Turkey. He and his wife, Norine, were missionaries in Turkey for 23 years, and they never tried to hide their work. But then, in 2016, they were called in. Norine was released after 13 days, but Mr. Brunson was accused of spying and aiding terrorists and detained for two years. While he was in prison, the greatest crisis of faith was not persecution, nor interrogation. It was more the feeling of abandonment. He had expected strength to pour into him. He had expected to feel an overwhelming sense of grace. But that didn’t happen. So at first, he questioned God about his love, loyalty, and faithfulness. But later, he heard God asking him questions: “Are you going to be loyal? Are you going to love me? Are you going to remain faithful even if you feel abandoned and disappointed?” His faithfulness was tested and proven true. The reward was great: a new level of intimacy with God. Mr. Brunson said that what he tried to focus on and learned from being in prison was cultivating the fear of God: having an eternal perspective, seeing things through his eyes. So now, when he wakes up each morning, he tries to focus himself by saying, “Jesus, the only thing that matters is what you think about me when I stand before you, so I want to live accordingly. I want all of my efforts to have your glory in mind.”[1]

That’s exactly what the Apostle John encourages other Christians (and us!) to do. That’s what the Book of Revelation is about. We may not be physically exiled or persecuted as the early church Christians were. But many of us today suffer from the same feeling of abandonment. And we question God about his love and faithfulness. The Book of Revelation is the answer to these questions. It shows us the things that must happen soon, so that we may know God is still in charge, so that we may have an eternal perspective, seeing things through his eyes. In particular, today’s scripture (Revelation 21 and 22) through John’s vision of heaven gives us two words of encouragement: hope for the future and faithful living for today.

Lasting Hope 
First, Lasting hope. In Revelation 21 John begins to share his vision in this way: 

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God…

In this world we see the wicked prevail. We see people who take advantage of others. We see leaders and politicians who are self-serving and corrupt. Not only this, we also see the righteous suffer. We see the church struggle and marginalized in this culture. We see that the healing doesn’t come. And we wonder if God is just and really cares. Today’s text tells us loudly and clearly, “This isn’t the end of the story!” It tells us, “Death is never the last word for God’s people!” It tells us, “You are not home yet!”

If you look around, there are always some reasons to despair. But today’s passage points us back to the Christ Jesus, who already had the final victory over sin, death, and Satan, saying, “See, I am making all things new” (5). And he shows John and us three following visions (metaphors) to stir up new, fresh, lasting hope in us – the city, the garden, and the wedding. First, we see the holy city, the new Jerusalem (21:9-27). There we will see the names of the twelve tribes of the Israelites. There we will see the names of the twelve apostles. There we will see our loved ones. Most of all, we will see the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb face to face! (22) Second, we see the garden (22:1-6). If you read the first half of Revelation 22, you will see that the garden described here is the Garden of Eden restored and redeemed from Genesis 1 and 2. We will see and have access to the tree of life, soak our feet in the river of life, take a stroll with God. Third, we see the wedding. Not only are we invited to the wedding as a guest, but also we ourselves become the bride of the Lamb at the wedding. All these three metaphors (the city, the garden, and the wedding) represent one consistent theme: our close personal fellowship with Jesus. On that day our fellowship with Jesus will be so intimate, so sweet. There will be no more death, tears, mourning, crying or pain (21:4). Instead, there will be fullness of joy, eternal pleasures (Ps 16:11). This hope is raised anew as we see John’s vision of heaven.

Faithful Living 
Second, faithful living. The vision of heaven also encourages us radical discipleship right now. It encourages us to be different now in this world. It encourages us to decide now which side to follow. In Revelation 21 and 22 heaven is not fantasy. Here heaven is not something that we see and taste after death. We have access to heaven now. The text clearly tells us that we already live in the vision of heaven. Through his death and resurrection, Christ brought heaven here on earth. He began the establishment of the new heaven, the new Jerusalem since then. And on the Last Day the vision of heaven will be completed. So we see the continuity between now and that day. Our body matters because the body we have now becomes our resurrected body. Our relationship with other believers today matters because it is eternal.

Today’s scripture calls us to live in heaven now. Then, what does it look like? I believe St. Thérèse of Lisieux can be a good example. She is called “the greatest saint of modern times,” and her spirituality was as practical and down-to-earth as possible. Once she said, “In heaven every grain of sand will be a diamond!” In other words, all the little things matter. Every task matters. Every word matters. Every thought matters. She received each day as a gift from God – the new heaven and the new earth. In order to live in heaven now she practiced three things: First, she did strive to do the little things in her ordinary life with love – washing the dishes with love, doing the laundry with love, scrubbing floors with love, fixing the flowers with love, cooking meals with love, tending the sick with love, doing chores with love. Second, she decided to learn obedience. The root of the word obedience is “to listen.” She chose to listen carefully to others in her life. She learned what other’s needs were through listening and served them better in love. Third, she determined never to complain. She knew that complaining never makes things better. It always makes things worse. She intentionally did take time to contemplate the world with gratitude, slow down and see what wonderful things God was doing, and she was glad and rejoiced. St. Thérèse called this spiritual practice a “Little Way” to heaven.[2]

Soon and Very Soon 
Lasting hope, and faithful living. And now epilogue (22:6-21). As John comes to the conclusion, for the last time he wants to make sure we understand that Christ will be all in heaven. Our life is more than doing good, or doing the right thing, then hoping to go to heaven. We are meant to have a living, intimate relationship with Christ – love him, savor him, treasure him, trust him, honor him, glorify him, worship him! R. C. Ryle exhorts us to examine ourselves to see if we stay in love with Christ (cf. 2 Co 13:5):

But alas, how little fit for heaven are many who talk of "going to heaven" when they die, while they manifestly have no saving faith, and no real acquaintance with Christ. You give Christ no honour here. You have no communion with Him. You do not love Him. Alas! what could you do in heaven? It would be no place for you. Its joys would be no joys for you. Its happiness would be a happiness into which you could not enter. Its employments would be a weariness and a burden to your heart. Oh, repent and change before it be too late![3]

In the Epilogue we should feel “urgency.” Jesus himself says to us three times:

“See, I am coming soon!” (7)

“See, I am coming soon!” (12)

“Surely I am coming soon!” (20)

Here the tone of the Greek word “tachei,” translated as “soon” in English, is like "last call" at the airport. Suppose you are at Bangor airport. You hear the urgent announcement – final boarding call for you. You hear your name called. You see your flight is ready to leave. What would you do? Probably you would go to your gate immediately. You would not postpone and make an appointment with an airline staff for later in the week. 

Let us not delay. Let us examine ourselves now. Let us repent of our cold heart toward Christ and turn to him now. Let us live with Christ. Let us live for Christ now. Then and only then, Christ will become our all in all. And we will face the future with shouts of excitement, “Come, Lord Jesus! Maranatha!” (20) Amen. 

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[1] “Andrew Brunson Felt Abandoned by God,” Christianity Today (October 2019), 72-73.

[2] “The Little Way at Home,” Catholic Digest, http://www.catholicdigest.com/faith/201611-05the-little-way-at-home/, and “St. Therese and Her Little Way,” Society of the Little Flower, https://www.littleflower.org/therese/reflections/st-therese-and-her-little-way/

[3] J. C. Ryle, “Christ Is All,” http://www.biblebb.com/files/ryle/christ_is_all.htm

“Perfect Peace in a Perfect Storm” (Revelation 19:6-9; 11-16)

The Perfect Storm 
Have you heard the words, “the perfect storm”? Here the word “perfect” is not used in the sense of ideal, but in the sense of combining contributing factors. When we go through a layoff plus a recession. One illness after another. A divorce plus death of a loved one. We may handle one challenge, but if two or more trials come at a time, it’s enough to make us feel overwhelmed and wonder, “Will I survive?” “Who will deliver me from all this?”

Today’s scripture (Revelation 19-20) tells us the secret to perfect peace in the middle of the perfect storm in our life. God shows John (and us) the great salvation vision in these two chapters. John’s salvation vision is composed of two elements, two very different images – a meal and a war.[1] On the surface, these two images seem to be in conflict with each other, but in a deeper level, they are complementary to each other.

Communion 
First, John sees and experiences God’s salvation as a feast. John hears the voice of a great multitude, saying, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory, because the marriage of the lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready” (19:7). And he also hears the angel saying, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb!” (9)

Suppose you are invited to a wedding banquet. What’s happening there? You meet people – your family, relatives, and old friends. You meet bride and bridegroom. You enjoy good food and each other’s company. There is laughter, joy, celebration, intimacy, fellowship, communion. That’s the image of God’s salvation.

We often hear this question, “Are you saved?” Though it’s an important question, it may mislead us to interpret salvation as a past act. But salvation is more than just a ticket to heaven. The Bible refers to salvation as the line, not the dot. The Bible refers to salvation as an ongoing process, deepening relationship with Jesus, journey to restoration of God’s image. So the Bible says, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12). Salvation not in the sense of earning or shaping with our own strengths and performances, but in the sense of deepening our relationship with Jesus and perfecting our love for him by God’s grace. And this mainly happens at God’s table – the marriage supper of the lamb, every time we come and have a meal with him. For my family, every Saturday we enjoy Pancake Breakfast. I am a host. I get up early, knead dough, thaw blueberries, brew coffee, bake pancakes, set the table, play classical dinner music, and then invite the family. We all look forward to it. There we pray, we talk, we laugh. There our relationship grows, our love grows, our trust grows. There are times when things get rough. When this happens, all the table fellowship we have had day after day, week after week, becomes the solid rock and foundation to get through this. In the same way, God is a host. He prepares a table and invites us. As we come to God’s table – both Holy Communion and our daily meals with him – over and over again, our relationship, trust, love for him grows. That becomes an unshakable refuge in times of trouble. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” Salvation is communion with God.

War 
Then, John sees another vision of salvation. He sees the Warrior Jesus riding on a white horse, leading the last battle against the evil forces. Here in Revelation 19:11-16 we see salvation as a battle. Here we see Jesus’ names and his description. His name is Faithful and True, the Word of God, King of kings and Lord of lords. And then John describes Jesus like this: his eyes on fire, his head with many crowns, his mouth holding a sword, his hand holding a scepter, his feet treading out the grapes. We should read this symbolically, not literally. Symbolically, his blazing eyes, many crowns on his head, a sharp sword from his mouth, a scepter in his hand, grapes under his feet portrays Jesus as the Warrior and the King in majesty, power, authority and justice, coming to destroy the powers of evil.

And we see the armies of heaven, the church, were following him, riding on white horses (14). What we can learn from this salvation vision is this: the safest place is on the battlefield, because it is there that Christ is active, leading and fighting the battle himself. Danger here is all in the not-fighting, avoiding or running away from it. One time Pastor David Ross, a representative of Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Korea, led a Bible camp for Korean-American junior high school students. As a part of the retreat practice he took the students to Harlem in New York and did some street evangelism with them. After the retreat, Pastor David received an overwhelming number of phone calls of complaint from the parents. They said, “How dare you take my precious children to that place? Do you have any idea how dangerous place Harlem is?” David answered, “The most dangerous place is not Harlem but a comfortable couch in front of the T.V. and computer. There the enemy leads our children into temptation.” Salvation is a battle in which we must take sides and engage with the enemy every day. Christ calls on us to join his campaign.

Communion on the Battlefield 
As a host, Jesus presides over a meal and feeds us. As a warrior, Jesus fights a battle with us and for us. A meal and a battle. Psalm 23 follows the same pattern. The Good Shepherd Jesus makes us lie down in green pastures, and he leads us beside still waters – the meal. Even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil, for Warrior Jesus is with us – the battle. Then we read this: 

Thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of mine enemies

The meal and the battle at the same time. A perfect peace in a perfect storm. Our question is: “Is it possible to have a perfect peace in a perfect storm in our real life?” The answer is YES. Our God is able.

The incredible faith story of Horatio Spafford proves this truth. He was a devout Christian. He was a prominent Chicago lawyer, whose business was thriving. He owned several properties throughout the city. He and his beloved wife had four beautiful daughters and one son. Life was more than good — it was blessed. Then, the perfect storm came. It began with the tragic loss of their son. Not long thereafter, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed nearly every estate investment he owned. After this, Horatio decided to treat his wife and daughters to a much-needed escape from the turmoil - a boat trip to Europe. And he was planning to join them shortly after taking care of his business. Just a few days later, he received a dreadful telegram from his wife, "Saved alone." The news was that family's ship had wrecked and all four of his daughters had perished. Horatio was on his way to meet his heartbroken wife, passing over the same sea. He was broken down in sorrow, weeping and mourning and praying. It was then he experienced the perfect peace that words cannot express. Then he wrote:

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Are you weary? Are you in the middle of a perfect storm? Host Jesus calls you to come to his table. So come and eat. Be nourished and live! Warrior Jesus calls you to come to join his campaign. So come and fight the good fight of faith. Never run away. Hold your positions and stand firm. Then, surely goodness and mercy ("perfect peace") shall follow you all the days of your life and forever. Amen.

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[1] Read Eugene Peterson’s Reversed Thunder (HarperCollins, 1988. pp. 151-67.) for more details.