“What a Fellowship!” (1 John 1:1-4)

Between Two Worlds  

Last Sunday we finished our studies in John’s gospel. And now we are on the First Letter of John. Perhaps some of you may wonder why “1 John” now? So let me explain why our studies in 1 John would be very timely and beneficial. Many biblical scholars believe that this letter is written toward the end of the first century, around 85 A.D. At that time Christians were horribly persecuted by the emperor Nero. Some Christians were torn apart by dogs, others burnt alive as human torches. People recalled those times as the Pax Romana (Roman Peace). But as for Christians, it was a time of great uncertainty and insecurity. Many church members were filled with anxiety, confusion, and fear, asking, “Why?” and “How long?” They didn’t know what tomorrow would bring. Keeping all this in mind, the Apostle John wrote this letter to encourage his fellow Christians and to give them assurance.

The first letter of John is often called ‘a kind of sequel to the gospel.’ But there is a clear distinction between the two. The gospel aims to proclaim that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God (“Who Jesus is”); the epistle focuses more on what it means to be a Christian (“Who we are in Christ”). The gospel proclaims that Jesus is life; the epistle declares that Jesus gives life to us. John’s letter is more practical, personal, pastoral. However, John’s first letter is not easy reading. It’s sophisticated, spiral, repetitive. For example, today’s passage (1:1-4) consists of one long sentence in Greek. It’s hard to understand what he really wants to say. But, it’s not the ramblings of an old man. There is a clear purpose and divine order. If we slow down and read this passage very carefully, we find the three key words in order: the message, the fellowship, and the joy. And today’s passage can be summarized in this way: “I declare this message about Jesus, so that you may have fellowship with God that brings you full and lasting joy.”

The Message

First, the message. John starts his letter abruptly. Without greeting, he gets to the point, saying, “We declare…” The message he is delivering is a declaration, a proclamation, a manifestation, an announcement. It’s not a speculation, nor a human thought or idea or suggestion. As a messenger, John is now delivering and declaring the message of a glorious victory of the King.

So what is the message? The essence of its message is Jesus Christ. In verse 1 John says, “The message we have proclaimed to you is this in its essence: that on the face of this very earth on which you are still living, with its problems and trials and tribulations, on this very earth the Son of God Himself has come. We have had the amazing privilege of seeing Him, of hearing Him, of examining Him and touching Him and listening to Him – the Son of God, the Word of Life, was among us and it has changed everything.” In this verse John declares the great truth – the central doctrine of the Christian faith – the Incarnation, God became flesh, Jesus was truly God and truly man. “Apart from this great truth,” John says, “you will never know God and have fellowship with Him.” That’s verse 3: “We declare to you this message so that you may have fellowship with God.”

The Fellowship

Secondly, the fellowship. When we hear, see, believe the message, the gospel of Jesus Christ, our fellowship with God begins. Then, what does fellowship mean? In the Bible fellowship means sharing in common. Having fellowship with God means becoming sharers in God’s thought and in God’s interest in this world. It means that we have come to know God. We see things as God Himself sees them. God now is someone whom we know. God is someone whom we can see, hear, touch, talk to. God is now a reality. We know him personally, experientially.

In this letter John warns us that there are four things that rob us of our fellowship with God. First of all, there is sin. Especially when we refuse to acknowledge or confess our sin, our fellowship with God is sabotaged. The second hindrance is the lack of love to Christian brothers and sisters. If there is anything wrong in my relationship to my Christian brothers and sisters, I lose the fellowship. The third hindrance is a love of the world. “For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world” (2:16). If we love the world, we lose fellowship with God. The last hindrance is false teaching about the person of Jesus Christ. “Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.” (2:22). If I am wrong about my doctrine concerning Jesus, then I sever the fellowship.

Those hindrances – sin, the lack of love to others, a love of the world, and false teaching – are powerful. We so easily stumble over those obstacles. But John again declares the truth, “Little children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (4:4). John tells us that there is a great source of strengthening: the unction of the Holy Spirit! He is the One who gives you the assurance that you are a child of God. He is the One who makes you holy. He is the One who dwells in you and enables you to have fellowship with God. So welcome the Holy Spirit! Be sensitive to His prompting!

The Joy

Now we move on to the climax of the message: the joy. When we humbly believe the message that Jesus Christ came in a real body, really died in my place, really rose again, and now living in me – “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me,” our fellowship with God is established. And that fellowship produces true joy.

So what is joy? In the New Testament sense joy is much more than a pleasant emotional feeling. Joy is not something that we can manufacture. It is always produced by something else. Martyn Lloyd-Jones tells us three elements of joy. Firstly, a state of complete satisfaction. My intellect, my mind, my heart, my emotions and my desires – they are all fully satisfied. The second element in joy is a spirit of exultation. It’s a spirit of rejoicing. It’s something very deep and profound and consistent. It flows from within. The third element is a feeling of power and strength. Joy is one of the strongest powers in the world. Someone who is in a state of joy is afraid of nothing. When you are truly joyful, you are ready to meet every challenge from every direction. The joy of the Lord is your strength![i] John tells us this true joy only comes from our fellowship with God through Jesus Christ. And the fellowship is from hearing the message about Jesus Christ. The message, the fellowship, and the joy.

In God’s Underground

As I close, I would like to share the story of Richard Wurmbrand, founder of the Voice of the Martyrs. Under Rumanian communist regime he was in prison for 14 years because of his faith in Christ. Out of 14 years, he spent three years in solitary confinement. This confinement was in a cell twelve feet underground, with no lights or windows. There was no sound because even the guards wore felt on the soles of their shoes. Richard maintained his sanity by sleeping during the day, staying awake at night, and exercising his mind and soul by composing and then delivering a sermon each night. He recalled and recited the word, and then preached the message to his soul. He called his solitary confinement “God’s underground.” There he enjoyed fellowship with God. He said that he danced every night. The following is from his own words:[ii]

The communists believe that happiness comes from material satisfaction; but alone in my cell, cold, hungry, and in rags, I danced for joy every night… I rarely allowed a night to pass without dancing… I made up songs and sang them softly to myself and danced to my own music. The guards became used to it. I did not break the silence, and they had seen many strange things in these subterranean cells. Friends to whom I spoke later of dancing in prison asked, "What for? What use was it?" It was not something useful. It was a manifestation of joy like the dance of David, a holy sacrifice offered before the altar of the Lord. I did not mind if my captors thought I was mad, for I had discovered a beauty in Christ that I had not known before.

This is Christian experience. This is Christian joy – unbreakable, unstoppable, unquenchable joy! Christian people were meant to have this joy. Have you got this joy? Believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Have fellowship with Him. And your joy will be full in any circumstance. Amen.

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 [i] Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Life in Christ: Studies in 1 John (Crossway Books, 2002), 29-30. 

[ii] Richard Wurmbrand, In God’s Underground, 56-57.

“Peter the Overcomer” (John 21:15-19)

Life Without John 21?                                                                                

Now we are on John 21. This chapter serves as an epilogue. Many biblical scholars believe that John’s Gospel originally ended at the end of chapter 20. In verses 30-31 John tells us the purpose of this book:

“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” (NRSV).

These verses have been the final words of the original Gospel. Then, chapter 21 has been added a litter later, because the Holy Spirit, the Author of the Scriptures, wanted to add to the Gospel one more story – breakfast with Jesus – for our good.

John 21 tells us a story of healing and restoration of Peter. When we think about Peter’s life journey, on the surface it seems perfectly fine without John 21 – Peter’s healing experience. But today we will explore how essential it is for Peter and for us to have this healing encounter with Jesus in our faith journey.

Peter: The Inconsistent Man

At the beginning of this book the Apostle John tells us how Peter met Jesus for the first time. At first, it was Andrew who was one of the two who heard John the Baptist and followed Jesus. Then, he brought his brother Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him sand said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas, which means Peter – “Rock” (John 1:42). To begin with, Simon Peter was a fisherman. He was a common man. We see so much of ourselves in Peter. Peter is you. Peter is me. Peter is us.

In the Gospels Peter is a man of many moods. He struggles between faith and doubt, between boldness and cowardice, between the carnal man and the spiritual man. At one time Peter was the first to boldly get out of the boat and walk on water by faith, but in a few seconds, he was doubting and terrified by the strong wind and sank. Peter was the first to confess the divine nature of Jesus. He rightly said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” But, in a few minutes, he rebuked Jesus when Jesus began to explain that the Christ must suffer and die, saying, “Far be it form you, Lord! This shall never happen to you!” Peter was the first to draw a sword to defend his Master in the garden, but within a few hours, he denied his Lord three times. Peter is full of inconsistencies. Peter is you and me. Peter is us.

Peter: The Rock-Man

Peter, however, is not always like this. As we know, in the New Testament we have two letters written by Peter. They were written about thirty years after these earlier events of his life. In the letters Peter is solid and steady like a rock. He is no longer easily moved. He does not fluctuate. He is stable, resilient, strong, and consistent. Even in the midst of severe persecution he stands firm and encourages other fellow believers. In 1 Peter 4:12-13 he said, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed” (NIV). Simon Peter has matured. He is no longer a man of many moods. Peter is the overcomer of inconsistency.

Life With John 21

Certainly, it was not an accident. In the meantime “something” happened to him. That “something” was his healing encounter with Jesus in John 21. Even though Peter had seen the risen Christ twice, he went back to Galilee for fishing, knowing that he would never deserve to work for Christ again. But, Jesus was already there ahead of him, waiting for him. Jesus made a charcoal fire and prepared breakfast for him. When Peter saw a charcoal fire laid, perhaps he remembered the moment when he had denied Jesus three times in the presence of a charcoal fire (cf. 18:18). When Peter was asked a question three times, “Do you love me?” he must have felt hurt, because it was so painful, so shameful for him to remember how he disowned his Master three times. But here, you see Jesus is not asking the questions to embarrass or humiliate Peter. Rather, Jesus is asking the questions to heal him, restore him, recommission him to His service. Jesus has already paid the price for Peter’s guilt, shame, sin with His own life! So the context of the question is this: “Simon son of John, I love you. I died for you. I was raised to give you life. No one or nothing can separate you from my love. Do you love me just as I have loved you?”  After his experience of healing and restoration with Jesus, Peter became a new, different person. Now it was Cephas rather than Simon. It was as a son of God rather than the son of John.

Overcoming Our Inner Scars

Many Christians live a life without John 21. They receive Jesus and become his disciples. And they ask God to fill them with the Holy Spirit for his service. They work hard for Christ. But they never deal with their inner scars. So their dark side becomes the holes created by their own unmet needs. When they are exposed to a stressful environment or temptation, they collapse – burnout, divorce, adulterous affairs, burst of anger and physical illness.

It’s so important to acknowledge our dark side. We all have one. That’s where our healing journey begins. If we want to overcome our dark side, we need to start by acknowledging its existence. And oftentimes, our dark side has been shaped over the years. It’s very helpful to examine the past for self-understanding, particularly our childhood experiences that have impacted us in one way or another. Events such as the divorce or death of our parents, rejections by peers, academic failures, and other traumatic experiences during childhood and adolescence should be explored.[1] Yes, examining the past can be very painful because it brings us back all those memories, emotions, and our inner scars. But that is our “Galilee” where we encounter Jesus the Healer. That is our part – creating the space where Jesus can come and heal us and restore us. There we invite Jesus. There we wait. There we listen.

Let me share my healing story. I began to serve as a student pastor during my seminary years. But without any particular reason, I suffered from a sense of failure and inferiority. I didn’t know why. I didn’t know where it came from. Then, I had a chance to attend “Prayer Conference” around that time. While I was praying and reading the Scriptures, God showed me my dark side. There were mainly two things. First, it was from the relationship with my grandfather. He was the man of God, full of the Spirit, charismatic leader. Wherever he was sent, the church grew in every way. When I was called to ministry, people around me had some kind of expectations that I would be a pastor like him. Those expectations became a burden and poison to my soul. Second, it was from the relationship with my father. He lost his parents during his childhood. He was always sparing with words of praise and fatherly affection. So unconsciously, I tried hard to please my father and make him happy. Those two major inner scars were still affecting me as an adult. And I often felt like “I am not enough.” I found myself often asking God to give me more spiritual gifts and praying like this, “God, anoint me. Fill me with the power of the Holy Spirit for your service.” It was so painful to see my inner scars. But then, I opened up those old wounds and asked God to heal me. While I was praying, the first word God said to me was this: “You are already anointed. You are already beloved. I am well pleased with you!” Yes, overcoming our dark side is a lifetime process. But, since my encounter with Jesus that night, I became a new person. I became from the defeated to the overcoming one.

A Wounded Healer

As I close, let me tell you a story in the Talmud. One rabbi asked Elijah the prophet, “When will the Messiah come?” Elijah answered, “Go and ask him yourself.” “Where is he?” “Sitting at the gates of the city.” “How shall I know him?” “He is sitting among the poor covered with wounds. The others unbind all their wounds at the same time and then bind them up again. But he unbinds one at a time and binds it up again, saying to himself, ‘Perhaps I shall be needed: if so I must always be ready so as not to delay for a moment.’ ”[2] So here in the Talmud the Messiah is described as the Wounded Healer – the one who must look after his own wounds, but at the same time be prepared to heal the wounds of others.

Somehow we are called to be wounded healers. Peter was one of them. I am sure he always remembered his two stories as long as he lived – how he denied Jesus, and then how Jesus restored him. Peter was a wounded healer. Because he was keenly aware of his weaknesses and wounds, he was able to be a forgiving, compassionate shepherd for the church. The more we are aware of the depth of our brokenness, the more we will appreciate the greatness of God’s love and forgiveness. Jesus said, “A person who is forgiven much, loves much. But a person who is forgiven little, loves little” (cf. Luke 7:47). May the Lord give us grace to be the one who is forgiven so much, healed so much, and so eternally grateful. Amen. 

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[1] Gary L. McIntosh, Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership (Kindle Locations 2129-2131). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

[2] Henri Nouwen, The Wounded Healer: Ministry in Contemporary Society (Doubleday Image Book. an Image Book) (p. 82). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

“Resurrection: So What?” (John 20:19-23)

Evidence for the Resurrection

Today we celebrate Easter. The resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord is the core Christian belief. If we read the Book of Acts carefully, the essence of the Good News is the resurrection of Christ Jesus: “Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed!” Then, what is the evidence for the resurrection? And why resurrection matters to us today?

There would be several lines of convincing evidence for the resurrection, but perhaps the greatest, unavoidable evidence of all is the transformation of the disciples of Jesus. The four gospels tell us about how each disciple saw the risen Christ at different times and how they were transformed: the story of Mary Magdalene, the story of Peter and John, the story of Thomas, the story of two disciples walking to Emmaus, and so forth. And today’s passage is one of the stories. In today’s scripture Jesus says to his disciples three things. In fact, these three words of Jesus are the answer to this question: “Why resurrection matters to us?”

Peace

The first reason why resurrection matters to us is because his resurrection enables us to have “peace” – peace with God and peace of God. When Jesus appeared to his disciples, the very first word he said was, “Peace be with you!” (v. 19b) At that time the disciples had gathered together, not for fellowship or worship, but for fearful of the Jews. They had locked all the doors in the house. Suddenly, Jesus was standing among them and said, “Peace to you!”

The world needs peace. We need peace today. The peace that Jesus gives is different from comfort. We feel comfortable when things are favorable on our side. In this regard, comfort is external and conditional, whereas peace is internal and unshakable. Jesus’ peace is not something that comes and goes. Jesus’ peace is always there, because it’s deeply rooted in his relationship with God. On the night he was arrested, Jesus said to his disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid” (John 14:27). The disciples really wanted to have that peace, but they couldn’t. Instead, they were troubled, afraid, depressed. But after the resurrection of Jesus, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, the peace of Jesus became a reality to his disciples and to us. How could it be possible to say, “It is well, it is well with my soul,” after having lost all his possessions due to the Great Chicago Fire and after having lost his four daughters due to the accident aboard ship? How could it be possible to say, “I give thanks for my sons becoming martyrs,” when Pastor Sohn’s two oldest sons had been killed by Korean communists? The peace of Christ! The Bible says, “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:7). The resurrection of Jesus enables us to have this surpassing peace!

Purpose

The second word of Jesus is this: “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (v. 21). The risen Christ gives us “purpose” – the purpose of life. In John 21the risen Christ appeared to seven disciples. At that time Peter and the other six disciples were so saddened, discouraged, lost their hope, and went back to their old life for living – fishermen. So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. But, the risen Christ already was there ahead of them, waiting for them and saying to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. This reminded them of how Jesus had called them for the first time, saying, “Follow me. I’ll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I’ll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass” (Matt 4:19 MSG). From a fisher to a fisher of people!

I would like to share the conversion story of E. Stanley Jones, Methodist missionary to India. The reason why I share his story, because he articulates well what happens when we encounter the risen Christ. So when I read his conversion, I was so amazed because that was exactly what I experienced. When he was seventeen years old, he attended a 3-day revival meeting. On the third day night he felt like he got to go to the alter. And when he bent his knees, he felt like the seven colors of the light pierced his darkness. In his diary he described what had really happened:[1]

1.  A sense of forgiveness and reconciliation with God, with life, with my brothers, with myself. The universe seemed to open its arms and take me in.
2. A sense of being at home in my homeland. I did not try to make myself at home in my new condition and position – I was at home.
3. A sense of purpose, direction, and goal. I had been a raft, tossed by storms and waves of meaningless emotion. Now I had been taken aboard a great liner that was going somewhere, with some goal, with power to move on to that goal.
4. A sense of not being alone. I had Another who knew and understood me perfectly and was always with me.
5. A sense of being a person. My total being was awakened and coordinated and fulfilled.
6. A sense of wholeness. Fragmentation was over. Life was pulled into central meanings and purposes around a single Center.
7. As sense of grace. How did this happened to me? I felt so undeserving and so unworthy, and yet it was mine!

This is his story. This is our story, every Christian’s story. When we encounter the risen Christ, we find our God-given purpose in life.

Power

The third reason why the resurrection of Jesus matters to us is because the risen Christ gives us power – the power of His Holy Spirit. The third word of Jesus to his disciples was this: “Receive the Holy Spirit” (v. 22b). The disciples in the pages of the Gospels were timid, afraid, and powerless. But the same disciples in the Book of Acts are bold, courageous, and powerful. They are new and different people. What made the difference? The Holy Spirit! Peter is a great example. He said to Jesus, “Even if all fall away, I will not!” (Mk 14:29). He did mean it. But he didn’t have power. So when the hour had come, he denied his Master three times. He even cursed and sworn. And after Jesus was dead, he was completely in despair. But when we turn over few pages in the Bible, we see him standing in front of thousands of people, preaching so boldly and so powerfully. We see him defying the Jewish leaders who had condemned Jesus to death just a few weeks earlier. Now we watch him risk his life for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. What made the difference? The power of the Holy Spirit!

William Temple used to describe this mystery in this way. “It is no good giving me a play like Hamlet or King Lear, and telling me to write a new play just like it. Shakespeare could do it; I can’t. And it is no good showing me a life like the life of Jesus and telling me to live a life just like it. Jesus could do it; I can’t. But if the genius of Shakespeare could come and live inside me, I would then be able to write plays like he did. And if the Spirit of Jesus could come and live inside me, I would then be able to live a life like he did.”[2] Jesus promised to send his disciples the Holy Spirit, saying, “This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you” (John 14:17).

Decision Time

The resurrection of Jesus is real because we see the disciples changed, and we still see people transformed today. The resurrection of Jesus matters to us, because when we encounter the risen Christ, we find 3 P’s – peace, purpose, and power in him.

In Revelation 3:20 the risen Christ says to us, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with them, and they with me.” [*Showing the picture] This well-known picture The Light of the World was painted by Holman Hunt inspired by this verse. Notice that he is standing at the door, not pushing it; speaking to us, not shouting. The house is his. He designed it. He made it. He bought it with his own blood. But he is standing, knocking, speaking from outside. Notice that there is no handle or latch on the door in this picture. It is said that Holman Hunt deliberately left them out, to show that the handle was on the inside. Christ knocks; but we must open.

A young soldier knelt down by his camp bed one night in the barrack. He did a very simple praye in this way: “Jesus, have mercy on me. I am a sinner. I confess my sins. I turn away from my sins and turn to you. Come into my heart. Be my Lord and Savior. And I will humbly serve you all my life. Amen.” Actually, this was my own prayer about 20 years ago. And I can tell you that since that day, though it’s a journey and I am still a work in progress, I did find peace, purpose, and power through the risen Christ living in me!

Before we leave this service, let us ask ourselves. Am I a Christian? A real Christian? Do I have surpassing peace? Do I have my God-given purpose in life? Do I have power given by the Holy Spirit? In a word, on which side of the door is Jesus Christ? Is he inside or outside? Is he standing and knocking, or living and dining with me 24/7? Now is the right time. Now is the day of salvation. So now let us open the door and say, “Come in, come in, Lord Jesus; come in today, come in to stay, come into my heart, Lord Jesus!” Amen.

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[1] E. Stanley Jones, A Song of Ascents: a spiritual autobiography (Abingdon Press, 1968) 28-29.

[2] John Stott, Basic Christianity (The IVP Signature Collection) (p. 123). InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.

“Accepting God’s Will” (John 18:1-11)

Acceptance

The main theme of today’s passage is “acceptance.” When I think of the word “acceptance,” one particular story always comes to my mind. There was a Korean couple who lived together for 30 years. As they celebrated their 30^th anniversary, the husband wanted to give his wife a meaningful gift. After much thoughts, he made a certificate – “certificate of acceptance” – saying, “From now on, you are free to be late.” For the last 30 years it had been a real struggle for the wife to be ready on time. She was always late. And it was really stressful for her and her husband. So when she received this gift, she said, “It was the best gift that I ever received!”

Accepting God’s Will

Acceptance. But today’s passage teaches us more than just a moral lesson – accepting others just as they are. It tells us about accepting God’s will. Christ serves as a perfect example for us. John 18 shows a clear contrast between Jesus and Peter. Jesus has confidence in accepting God’s will as soldiers and police come to arrest him; Peter denies Jesus. Jesus has confidence in accepting God’s will as the high priest interrogates him. Peter denies Jesus again. Jesus has full confidence in accepting God’s will as he stands before Pilate for trial; Peter is not there anymore.

Why wasn’t Peter able to accept God’s will? Because he didn’t know God. He didn’t know God’s character, God’s power, God’s love, God’s plans, God’s purposes. He had his own concept of God and His Messiah. One time Jesus asked this question to his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter said, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Perfect answer! From that time on, Jesus began to tell them plainly that it was necessary for him to greatly suffer at the hands of the religious leaders and then to be killed, and on the third he would be raised (Matt 16:21). Then, something happened. Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you!” He said this because that was not the God he wanted to know. He didn’t know God. Jesus said to him, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me. Why? Because you are not thinking God’s thoughts but human thoughts. You have no idea how God works!” Now the hour has come. The religious leaders and soldiers came to arrest Jesus. Still, Peter couldn’t accept God’s will. He drew a sword and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. He was not prepared to accept God’s will. So he resisted, denied Jesus and ran away.

Jesus prepared his heart to accept God’s will by prayer in the Garden. He said to Peter, “Am I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” (v. 11) Here the cup from the Father refers to the cup of God’s wrath, the Cross. Crucifixion is considered the most cruel method of execution in human history, because it deliberately delayed death until maximum torture had been inflicted. The victim could suffer for days before dying. So Roman citizens were exempt from crucifixion, except in extreme cases of treason. Cicero declared in one of his speeches: “To bind a Roman citizen is a crime, to flog him is an abomination, to kill him is almost an act of murder: to crucify him is – What? There is no fitting word that can possibly describe so horrible a deed.”[1] So the Jews, including Jesus’ disciples, could not even think that God’s Messiah (Anointed One, Blessed One) would die on the cross. But in fact, crucifixion of Jesus was God’s plan for our salvation! Isaiah 53:10 declares this mystery of God’s plan: “But it was the Lord’s will (NIV; “the Lord’s good plan” NLT) to crush him and cause him suffer” (v. 10). Why? “But he was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (vv. 5-6). So Jesus, for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God! (Heb 12:2b) Jesus loved the Father. He knew God – his character, his plan, his will, his purpose. So he had confidence in accepting God’s will, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matt 26:39).

The Story of Job

Perhaps you think and say, “I am not Jesus.” But accepting God’s will is a God-given gift for everyone who knows him, loves him, and trusts him. It’s a gift for God’s friends. We see many examples in the Bible. Job was one of them. He was a friend of God. He was blameless and upright. He feared God and turned away from evil (Job 1:1). He was blessed and prosperous in every way. But then, all of sudden he was afflicted in every way. He lost his possessions, his family, and his health. He lost everything. God had his purposes and his plans in all these afflictions. Yes, Job’s pain and suffering was real. He struggled, struggled so much. He even cursed the day he was born, but he was not crushed. He questioned God, but not in despair. This past week I read the Book of Job. I had to read it to make sense of the coronavirus crisis among us. And I was greatly encouraged by Job’s attitude, his willingness to accept God’s will no matter what, in the midst of all his troubles:

 “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (1:21)

“Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face.” (13:15)

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God.” (19:25-26)

“Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive him; on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him; he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him. But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold!” (23:8-10)

Although Job didn’t fully understand why, he still trusted God. He trusted that God had His plans and His purposes in all this. Accepting God’s will and trusting God always go hand in hand.

Trust, Trust, Trust  

Accepting God’s will, or trusting God can be scary, because it takes us out of our comfort zone. It’s uncomfortable, disturbing. But it’s the only way to a free and full life. Let me tell you my favorite story from Henri Nouwen about trusting God. Henri Nouwen loved flying trapeze. He always believed that a flyer is the star of the show. One day he had a chance to talk with a flyer. The flyer said, “As a flyer, I must have complete trust in my catcher. The public might think that I am the great star of the trapeze, but the real star is Joe, my catcher. He has to be there for me with split-second precision and grab me out of the air as I come to him in the long jump.” “How does it work?” Henri asked. The man said, “The secret is that the flyer does nothing and the catcher does everything. When I fly to Joe, I have simply to stretch out my arms and hands and wait for him to catch me and pull me safely over the apron behind the catchbar.” He continued, “A flyer must fly, and a catcher must catch, and the flyer must trust, with outstretched arms, that his catcher will be there for him.”[2]

On the cross Jesus stretched out his arms and hands and said, “Father into your hands I commend my Spirit.” God is the Catcher; we are the flyers. It is wonderful to fly in the air, but at the same time, it’s scary. It’s wonderful to follow Jesus, but it can be scary to drink the cup assigned to us by God. It can be scary to bear our cross – our burden and our calling. What is the Father’s cup for you to drink today? What is your cross? What is your calling? Let us not run away. Let us not give in to fear. The Great Catcher is here already, waiting for us to make a long jump. He is so wise, so good, so loving, so compassionate, so powerful. When we make a long jump, He will be there in the right place, in the right time. Let us open our hearts to God. Let us stretch out our arms and hands and trust, trust, trust the Catcher. Amen.

  

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[1] John Stott. The Cross of Christ (Kindle Locations 420-422). InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.

[2] “Henri Nouwen’s Story about the Flyer and the Catcher,” https://healthyspirituality.org/henri-nouwens-story-about-the-flyer-and-the-catcher/