Author: BJ Armstrong

Potter's Field, Israel.  The place where Judas hanged himself.

Most Christians are familiar with Judas’ story.  We know him as a traitor, a cheat and a thief.  The Bible has plenty of evidence for those conclusions.  But, was it his fault?  Today, as we read John 13, I get stuck on three words from verse 27, “Satan entered him.”  As I read it, the thought of Satan entering chills my bones.  I begin to worry that Satan, at any moment, can take over my heart and mind. That he can control my actions as he did with Judas.  Does it work that way?  Are we susceptible to catastrophic failure at any given moment of the day?  To answer those questions, we need to look closer at Judas’ life.

Surely, like you and me, Judas’ choice to follow Jesus was pure.  He saw in Jesus what we all see.  Love, joy, hope and peace.  Also like us, as Judas followed Jesus, he was confronted with his old self.  Judas’ old makeup was filled with greed and love of money.  That life is marked with continuously cultivating thoughts of wealth and prosperity.  As an apostle, he must have found himself continuously at odds with those desires.  At some point, the frustration is too great.  He must choose one or the other.  How does he choose?  The same way we do.  Whichever desire gets more attention wins.

The Bible is clear that the desires we feed will produce results.  In fact, James 1:14-15 says that, “temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.  These desires give birth to sinful actions.  And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.”  Sounds like Judas, doesn’t it?

Imagine Judas sitting at home, alone one evening, relaxing by the fire, contemplating his life.  His thoughts drift to the wealthy people.  He ponders what their lives are like.  He adores their clothing, their homes, maybe even their chariots.  But, he doesn’t have any of that.  How can he get it?  As he lies down in bed he’s still thinking of the possibilities of having money.  Oh, how it could change his life and how much better he could be.

The next day, Judas hasn’t shaken the thought.  He begins to think more and more about what he could have. He must have it!  Judas begins to craft a solution in his head.  ‘How can I get the money?’  As he evaluates his skills and resources, he has an idea.  He could sell out Jesus.  I imagine him immediately dismissing the thought as he remembers why he follows Jesus.  But, every time he is alone, he ponders how to live a bigger life.  The thought of selling out Jesus returns.  This time, it’s not so easily dismissed.  He begins to ask it questions like “how would it happen,” and “what is the next step.”   Over time, the thought is large enough to be carried with him.  Everyday, he’s returning to it, considering it, even strategizing it.  Just like us, once we have considered it long enough, an opportunity will present itself.  For Judas, he finds a special opportunity while talking to the chief priest. “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” (Matthew 26:15).  And that was it.  The response given by the chief priest encouraged and empowered him.  He could see victory.  Now, he just needed the right time.

Even though Judas’ mind was resolved and his heart now hardened against Jesus, he must have questioned the decision.  I see him sitting with Jesus and the disciple’s at the Passover table.  He’s floundering and filled with anxiety. Is this the time? Little did Judas know that the decision was no longer his. He had been surrendering the choice to Satan little by little for the last several weeks.  The thing that was once just a thought had been cultivated in his heart and it had control. His floundering was not an obstacle for Satan. He is crafty. He knows exactly how to finish him.  It happens in verse 27. I imagine that Satan, watching Judas take the bread, uses Jesus’ words to provoke the malice and hatred he had been cultivating. Now, rushing in all at once, Judas was fully won.  He went “into the night.”  Death was near.

What do you ponder when you are alone?  What is the thing that has your attention? Is it Holy?  Imagine yourself in possession of the thing that you most want, is it drawing you nearer to Jesus?

 

Take a minute to re-read Luke 24:13-35, paying attention to the loss of hope that the Christ-followers were experiencing.  I believe that their experience is not unique

We go through life with our eyes closed.  It’s our attempt to shield ourselves from the pain, from anything that might steal our hope.  When we engage in conversations about it, the longing for a full life again arises.  Our hearts burn for it.  Yet, we fail recognize life because we are focused only on death.  We look for what might help us overcome the darkness.  Money, power, fame, sex.  We will try anything.  Nothing works.  It doesn’t work because the leap from death to life is not about what, it’s about who.   Many of us figured that out a long time ago.  Unfortunately, our current circumstances have us again wandering in the dark, living in despair.

What will cause us to remember hope?  How can we recall the hope that we once carried, the hope that we chose in submission through baptism?  We must again remember death.  Jesus death, specifically.  This is the death that restores life.  Nothing else can.  Will you join me today in remembering the sacrifice that Jesus made for us?  The followers in today’s story remembered Life when Jesus broke bread with them.   We now call it communion.  Jesus promises that he will honor our attempt to remember.  We will recognize that we have a savior and salvation is ours.  Life.

Today’s Reading: Luke 10

I’ve been a Christian for a long time.  I count 39 years.  In that time, I’ve prayed for miraculous healing, asking God to remove cancer, take away brain tumors, and restore failing marriages.  I’ve looked to him when I feel broken, confused and distraught.  I have even asked for miraculous powers of healing that Jesus gave the disciples.  Have you?  Seriously, who hasn’t thought about how amazing it would be to cure cancer in an instant?  In my mind, God could use such works as a powerful testimony.  What a great way to build his church!

Today, in Luke 10:17-20, we see the apostles returning from their missionary journey.  Prior to their journey, Jesus bestowed on them the miraculous healing powers that I have prayed for.  They were wildly successful.  How do we know?  Because “The seventy-two returned with joy (v17).”  They were celebrating.  They were in awe over what had a happened, exclaiming that, “even the demons are subject to us.”  Rightfully, they remained clear about the source of these powers, knowing that it was only possibly because it was “in Jesus name.”  It sounds legit, doesn’t it?  They have gone out faithfully, performing the work of Jesus exactly as he says.  They were hugely successful.  So, they did exactly what we all would do.  Celebrate!

Jesus observed a shifting focus in their exuberance and quickly put a hold on the celebration.  He decided it was time to pause and refocus the apostles’ joy.  It was a simple reminder.  He said, Hey, wait a minute.  “Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, instead, rejoice that your names are written in heaven. (v20)”

Why did Jesus interrupt the party to remind the apostles of the gospel message?  I see three reasons.  First, focusing on redemption causes us to remember our brokenness, which points us directly toward the Savior.  Second, when focused on redemption, we cannot escape the greatness of Jesus’ love and grace.  Finally, redemption is not situational.  Think about it.  We can celebrate redemption anywhere and anytime.  In the best of circumstances and in the worst.  This is true no matter our mental or physical prowess or it’s frailty.  It does not change with our emotions; it is always the same.  Redemption is not about success or failure; it is about Jesus.  It’s mystery and grandeur do not fade with the passing days.  It is eternal.  We get to receive it every minute, hour, day month, year.  Forever.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 14

My world is full of notes with ideas that come to me during sermons, classes, and conferences, even stop lights.  I think, “I could do that!”  I get all jacked up thinking about how I am going to do this or that.  And then, nothing.  Give it an hour or a day, or two and the notion is gone.  The excitement fades and the vision is lost.  Occasionally, however, I take a flier.  Today, we get a special look at the entire life-cycle of an idea, a vision, or an “aha” moment.

Excitement.   We all get ideas that make our heart beat a little faster.  Occasionally, this excitement turns into something more.  When we allow it to capture our full attention, we must respond.  It happened to Peter.  When he figured out that it was Jesus walking toward the boat he got excited.  He wanted to be part of the action.  So, “Peter answered him” (Matthew 14:28).  Simple, right?

Action. Hopefully, we get to this stage.  This is when we have to actually do something about it.  Peter did it. It started with a decision.  He tells Jesus, “command me to come.”  Peter doesn’t stop there, he also moves.  “Peter got out of the boat and walked.”  To be honest, I’m pretty good at the first part.  Getting out of the boat?  That is a little tougher.

Fear. When we act, something unforeseen will show up. For Peter, it was the wind.  It distracted him.  He feared it and couldn’t overcome it.  So, it overcame him.  “when he saw the wind, he was afraid” (v30).

Failure. Peter’s attention on the wind and his own safety resulted in failure.   He was “beginning to sink” (v30).

Recovery. Successful people are not the ones that never fail, rather, they fail the most often.  The difference is that they recover fast.  If you have recently fallen, or are stalled out by the headwinds in your life, take note of what happened to Peter.  In the midst of his failure, “Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him” (Matthew 14:31).   The truth is that if God called you out, he will help you through.  If you feel like you are hanging today, it is because you have not accepted his help.

Worship. When safety returns and we relax, who gets the credit?  All too often, we think that we survived through grit and determination.  This results in self-worship. Peter and the apostles, however, knew where their help came from.  They, “worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God”” (Matthew 14:31).

I don’t know where you are in the life-cycle of a calling.  I can look across my many projects and see that I have some that need to get off the ground and some that have completely failed.  Today, these promises are hugely encouraging to me.  Thank you, Lord!  Truly, you are the son of God!!

Thank you for choosing to join us again at 2017.  This year, our goal is to gain a deeper understanding of God’s Word.  One strategy is slowing down.  This means consuming fewer pages of scripture so that we can fully digest what we take in.  Sounds good, right?  As you have seen in our previous email, this begins today.  For the next few months, we are going to read through the Gospels.

Rather than dive right into Matthew 1, today we want to look at what the gospels are.  Have you ever wondered why there are four books in the Bible that say pretty much the same thing?  Or, maybe you are the one wondering why they don’t say the same thing.  Looking closer will give us a better picture.

First, the gospels, like the entire Bible, are intended to be a collection, standing together not separately.  Utilizing their own, unique perspective, each writer shares his perspective of  Jesus’ life.  But, that simplistic description leaves it short.  C.I. Scofield expounds, “the four Gospels, though designedly incomplete as a story, are divinely perfect as a revelation. We may not through them know everything that He did, but we may know the Doer. In four great characters, each of which completes the other three, we have Jesus Christ Himself. The Evangelists never describe Christ–they set Him forth. They tell us almost nothing of what they thought about Him, they let Him speak and act for himself.”  I find that statement remarkable.  When listening closely, we can detect the work of the Holy Spirit. It is He, working in us, through the gospel writers, enabling us to know the doer, Jesus.

So, we can conclude that these four accounts are an opportunity to share Jesus with the world.  That is a tall order.  Partly because people are separated and segregated by physical boundaries and cultural norms.  Every group operates with its own ideas, customs, and social behaviors. To fully communicate any message, a writer must know the cultural implications of that message.  It comes as no surprise then that God divinely appointed writers that were uniquely able to overcome these cultural barriers.  These writers are unique in their cultural perspectives, individual callings, and relational influences.  Consider how each of these four uniquely penetrates social groups:

• Matthew writes primarily to the Jewish nation. He focuses on the fulfillment of prophecy and the Mosaic law.  He successfully resets Jewish expectations of an earthly king, paving the way for the Holy Spirit.  Additionally, Matthew takes on the challenge of opening the Jewish people to acceptance of the Gentiles. We could classify Matthew’s testimony to be focused on our past beliefs and practices
• Mark, on the other hand, talks more to the Gentiles. One strategy he uses is talking about miracles.  In fact, he talks more about miracles than any other writer.  Because of the opposition and persecution that Christians faced from the Roman empire, he carefully explains how and why to be a Christ-follower in the midst of this opposition.  Additionally, Mark focuses on what Jesus did more than what he said.  He is also characterized by his often call to action, “immediately.” This leads us to the conclusion that Mark is also writing for our present lives.
• Luke provides us with more detail and style in his writing. It is known that he was thoroughly steeped in Greek culture which is highly focused on style and beauty.  Additionally, the Greeks were historians.  Luke, therefore includes eyewitness testimony to resolve any doubt of its accuracy.  Luke works diligently to present Jesus as the Savior of all men.  This leads us toward Luke focusing on our future selves.
• John does not follow the format or content of his fellow gospel writers. Therefore, his book is not included in what are called the “synoptic gospels.”  Instead, Mathew Henry explains that John gives us more of the mystery of Jesus while the others only give the history.  John, then, is building upon the foundation of the other writers.  He brings into focus the spirituality, specifically the divinity, of Jesus.  It is fitting to read what John writes in Revelation 12:1, when a loud voice from heaven says “come here.”  From this, we see that John is calling us toward eternity.

Admittedly, relative to the Gospel’s full message, this summary is embarrassingly small. Ironically, John understood this too.  He writes that the world could not contain all the book written about Jesus if they were written in detail (John 21:25).   Even so, I am excited to learn them each, a little better.  Each of them is, in fact, “good news.”  Even better, these writers are just as relevant today as they were nearly 2,000 years ago.  Prayerfully, over the next few months, we will experience the gospel writers’ message as “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).”

 

Resources and References:

Matthew Henry’s Commentary.  http://biblehub.com/summary/luke/1.htm

(2010-08-10). The MacArthur Study Bible (Kindle Location 226693). Crossway. Kindle Edition.

Scofield References Notes (Old Scofield 1917 Edition)

Stob, William S. (2015-06-17). The Four Gospels: A Guide to Their Historical Background, Characteristic Differences, and Timeless Significance (Kindle Locations 4590-4592). Ambassador International. Kindle Edition.

Guide to the Four Gospels.  http://overviewbible.com/four-gospels/

Why Are There Four Gospels? A.W. Pink.  http://www.jesus.org/is-jesus-god/the-gospels/why-are-there-four-gospels.html

Looking toward 2017, we must also ask ourselves if it is over.  Should we now stop, reverting to our old routines?  The answer, of course, is no.  So, what do we do?  If you are like us here at BibleJournal, another 1-year reading feels a little monotonous.  In fact, our evaluation of 2016 has revealed that we are all longing for a deeper consideration of Scripture.  It would be valuable to spend much more time on specific scriptures.  We are, therefore, bringing a new approach to BibleJournal.  You will still receive a daily scripture reading, along with a thoughtful journal entry from one of our writers, but it will be much more focused.  Starting on January 1, 2017, up to 14 different writers will be diving deep into the Gospels.  The daily reading will consist of one chapter and a personal response from the writer.  It is our hope and prayer that the time we spent reading four chapters can now be revised to include reading, meditation, and prayer.  Our journal entries will reflect this new focus.

I hope that you will continue with us.  I also hope that you will find an opportunity to comment or engage our daily posts.  We would love to hear from you in the comments section, on Facebook, or by a private email.  Additionally, if you know someone that would benefit from participating, please share a link or a post.

Thanks again for joining us in 2016.  I cannot wait to see what God has in store for us next.

 

Today’s Reading

If you have ever watched Days, or any soap opera, you know that it never changes.  In fact, that show has played since 1965!  And, you know what?  Nothing has changed.  Nothing!  The characters are the same.  They experience the same problems and display the same ridiculous behavior.  It’s as if they never learn anything.  Their lives never improve.  They are doomed.  One could argue that our lives are no different.  We need to look no farther than Chronicles 1 and Chronicles 2.  Seriously, I was talking with Jennifer this morning after our daily reading.  I mentioned that I’m tired of Chronicles.  I feel like I am reading the same thing over and over.  She said, “I know, it’s like watching Days of Our Lives.”  She’s right.

Thankfully, the days of our lives don’t have to be meaningless repetition.  There is an end to the drama, if we choose it.  It is the result of Jesus’ death.  He declares it in John 19:30.  “It is finished.”  Jesus death literally marks the end of an age.  He brings a permanent solution to the pain and suffering that is a result of our bad choices.  Redemption is just the beginning of his plan for us.  And, the only requirement for the hope and freedom that He promises is that we choose it. He makes that easy too.  We are saved when we declare with our mouth and believe with our heart that He is our Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9).

2 Chronicles 26; Revelation 13; Zechariah 9; John 12

I detest the idea of zombies.  Even so, our culture is so enamored with them, that they are unavoidable.  Our TV’s and iPads are filled with images of them creeping and slinking their way to our front door.  Unfortunately, this reality influences the way that I interpret scripture.  It became clear to me as I read about Lazarus today in John 12. If you will recall, yesterday, we read that Jesus brought Lazarus back from the dead.   How do you interpret that?  For me, Lazarus is undead.  Just like a zombie.

In John 11, we learn about Lazarus walking out of the tomb, still wrapped in burial cloths.  We hear Jesus instructing Martha and her sister, to “unbind him, and let him go.”  Do you hear zombie?  I do.  My full picture of Lazarus is less than human.  I imagine him pale and sickly, weakened by death.  A shadow of his old life.  He probably staggers as he walks and talks with a slur.  This, after all, is what zombies do.  But, I reason, since Jesus was involved, Lazarus was a good zombie. So, what does a good zombie do?  He follows Jesus around like a puppy dog, catering to his every whim and enjoying the scraps from his table.  Can’t you just hear Jesus, his owner, as they walk down a crowded street?  “Lazarus, come on, what are you sniffing at back there?!”

I hope you hear my sarcasm.   None of that is true of Lazarus!  How do I know?  There are two ways.  First, we know that Jesus does not give life half-heartedly.  He gives it to the “full” (John 10:10).  Truly, my degradation of Lazarus’ new life is about self-preservation.  Just like the Pharisees, I’m afraid that if I clearly see Lazarus alive, I will see that I am the fool, not Lazarus.  Let me say that another way.  I’m afraid that I will see that Lazarus was truly living and I am merely undead.  Second Lazarus’ actions prove that he is not undead, but fully living.  Based on John 12, he was out, among the people, presenting himself in a way that was irresistible.  I picture him bounding through the streets, singing, dancing and rejoicing.  Filled with life!  How do we know that?  Because “many people came to Jesus because of him” (John 12:11).  Now, would these people have been attracted to a zombie?  No, people are not attracted to the undead, they want to be like the living.

What about us?  Unfortunately, too many of us are living the “Christian life.”   We are shadows of our former selves, unable to have fun, take risks and engage the world.  Jesus has become our ticket to heaven, our get out of jail free card.  That is not living.  It is undead.  Jesus invites us to die, just like Lazarus.  His invitation is not focused on death, but rebirth.  Done faithfully, Jesus transforms us into His glory, His likeness.  Irresistible.  Just like Lazarus.