BOOM BABY! (John 7:1-15)
Posted by:
SeLahGirl on
April 25, 2008 at
10:38AM EST
BOOM BABY!
(John 7:1-15)
1After
this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea
because the Jews there were waiting to take his life.
I love that God includes every detail and circumstance of wisdom in his
word. The churchy thing would be to waltz right into the midst of Judea
and defy any opposition because God's will needed to be preformed...
but see, this was God who purposely avoided going there because the
measure of the climate was too hostile at the moment. So he waited with
patience until things cooled a bit, and it was the right time to push
forward.
Even in childbirth and labor, there is a time to
refrain from pushing, yet a time to continue to push forward in the
birthing process. That is wisdom. Measuring the temperature and climate
of any situation is wisdom and a necessary part of ministry in every
setting. Refraining for a time or walking away until God leads you to
return to the task is not always sin or cowardice... sometimes it is
wisdom, sometimes it is the perfect will of God.
We must be
careful to not be following the will of religion, or a congregation, or
a pastor, or a man, or our family, or friends, or a culture -- if it
contradicts the wisdom and will of God. That is a very weak point in
the church today. We have reached a place of worshiping and following
the voices around us, rather than the voice of God. But I see something
emerging in this generation that is beautiful and right and good... a
return to the Word of God and a zeal to commune with him in personal
prayer time. Revival is definitely at the door of this generation, it
is crossing the threshold this very moment.
2But when
the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, 3Jesus' brothers said to him,
"You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may
see the miracles you do. 4No one who wants to become a public figure
acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the
world." 5For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
BOOM! THERE IT IS... temptation.
Stepping out of the perfect will of the Father, doing it man's way
instead of God's way, pressure, family, comparing your actions to the
standards and norms of the world, fame, fortune and glory, accusations
of being awkward and unauthentic and irrelevant... show yourself to the
world.
Christ could have entered into pride at any moment
and thought, "I'll show them." But he remained steadfast, just as
zealous and full of passion about the mission, but determined and
unwaivering to perform it with the wisdom of God. Would we be like
Christ in such a situation? Do we act like he did when those same
temptations are taunting us and sneering in our face, filling our ears
and our thoughts with everything considered wise by the world's
standard?... by the grace of God, I pray our answer is always no. I
pray we always hear the firm but gentle voice in the core of our being
as he whispers the wisdom of God instead.
Be careful who you listen to... the hissing in the grass or in that tree can be very appealing and very convincing.
6Therefore Jesus told them, "The right time for me has not yet come;
for you any time is right. 7The world cannot hate you, but it hates me
because I testify that what it does is evil. 8You go to the Feast. I am
not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not
yet come." 9Having said this, he stayed in Galilee.
wow,
Christ is our example. At this time, his family did not understand the
perfect will of God because Christ had not yet died and become that
example. The time of this incident was a time of transition, during the
process of transforming the old covenant into the new. But Jesus knew
the Truth, the plan, the Spirit that lived in Him and that is part of
Him. He saw the plan/fulfillment in it 's entirety, because he helped
to fashion it.
Later, he tells us that the world will hate
us too. After all is fulfilled, the Truth is revealed, and we are
identified with Him in performing the perfect will of God. We will go
against the grain and norms of this world just as he did, not
conforming to religion and the world. We will not always do what
everyone else is doing, we will not always be loud and bold when they
expect it, and we will not always be mild and meek in matters that
require Godly courage.
There will be times where we must go
our separate ways for a season. There will be times when it is good and
right for others to go the feast or that ministry event... but for us
it would be sin. For us some times we will be required to go a lonely
road, or to wait a lonely hour. Sometimes, everyone will leave you, the
parade will march by you, the party will not include you... and you
will be required to stay in that small and insignificant place for a
season, maybe several seasons.
But that is not where you
will stay, and that is what you must remember in the waiting, in your
loneliness. Christ waits there with you. So refuse to let your heart
and thoughts be troubled or discouraged. Instead, be cheerful that
great things are coming, be thankful that God has lead you to walk in
his perfect will, cherish that lonely time, that Gethsemane... without
that garden, that place and time of prayer/soulful meditation, you will
not have the strength and discipline to endure the cross.
Gethsemane, the beating, the cross, the scoffing... there is much to endure.
But Christ was our example and he promises that though he walked it alone, we will never be alone.
10However, after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not
publicly, but in secret. 11Now at the Feast the Jews were watching for
him and asking, "Where is that man?"
Did he lie about going to the feast?.. no
It was not his time to leave when his brothers were leaving. His time
was to leave after his brothers had left. God in his wisdom, knows how
our enemies think and what pitfalls lay ahead. Christ knew that those
in Judea that sought to kill him would be looking for him among his
family. That was the standard, to go up with your family to the feast.
Jesus not only outwitted his enemies, he was protecting his family. His
presence was sure to endanger his brothers, or at the least cause them
to be the object of ridicule and harassment.
Strategic?... yes
Wisdom requires a great measure of strategy. However, Godly wisdom
confines itself to Godly strategies. The strategies of men are consumed
with winning at all cost and the acceptance of expendable casualties.
But Godly strategy, works every detail for the good of all. It does not
sacrifice the small and unimportant soul to benefit and empower those
that are more popular and vocal. Godly strategy accomplishes the plan
and the victory so that goodness and righteousness can prevail equally
for the small and the great. Sacrifice becomes an offering from both
camps, such strategy binds the hearts and souls of men together in one
love, one purpose, causing them to serve as one.
12Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, "He is a good man."
Others replied, "No, he deceives the people." 13But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the Jews.
14Not until halfway through the Feast did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach.
15The Jews were amazed and asked, "How did this man get such learning without having studied?"
This part has not changed among people. Everything that happens will
find supporters as well as opposition. Some thought Christ was good,
others thought he was deceptive. They whispered among themselves but
were afraid to voice an opinion that they were willing to stand by
publicly. Their reputation was at stake, the well being of their
families, the threat of being put out of the synagogue was real and
intimidating.
How similar we are today.
Everyone
watched and waited to see what Jesus would do. They wanted to hear him
teach. Some because they were hungry to hear more of the Truth of God.
Others wanted to hear more debate between him and the church leaders.
And some were in desperation, hoping for a chance to receive a miracle
for themselves or someone they loved. Yet, others longed to see
miracles for the miracles sake, the thrill of it all. Christ speaks
about all the various motives of why people follow him. He knows that
there are tares among the wheat, but he also understands that grace
requires both to be given place... for a time. He sees the difficulty
caused by the presence of the tares. He sees the hardships put upon his
people. He understands the pressures and the intimidation and the risk
involved in following him. He knows what it is to sacrifice your very
blood, to be separated from your family, to be beaten and robbed and
laughed at and scarred.
There is no God like our God.
With all the wisdom and the love and the compassion and the mercy that
fills his heart and his very being, he continues to put the will of
God, the will of his Father above all else. No matter the motives or
needs of people, no matter the temptations, no matter the attacks of
the enemy, no matter the risk to those he loves. He risks all, he
endures all... because he trusts the Father so completely. To the point
of laying down his divinity, becoming a man, and emptying himself of
his very life. He put himself completely into the hands of the Father,
laid down all his rights and his power, trusting him to restore all and
to accomplish the greater good.
Jesus is our example, and no one else.
We are to love all as he loved, but we are to love God above all else.
