Category: Following Jesus

My wife, Wendy, and I enjoy long trips. We’ve taken a few, but the most memorable one was during a Christmas break a few years ago.

As we were driving through various states on our way to visit the naval base in Norfolk, VA we would listen to sermons, music, books and lectures we had set aside beforehand to occupy our time.

So, there we were: holding hands, singing, praying, talking, listening, praising, crying, and reading the Bible together when I had a realization that rocked me to my core. I suddenly realized that for most of my life I had been involved in an eisegesis of the Bible.

At the time I had no idea there was actually a word that described my study habits – I only found out later about the word eisegesis.

Here is how I would study:

1) Choose a topic to study … maybe … going to church … or prayer … or taxes … or the death penalty.

2) Read scriptures I was already familiar with to refresh my mind on what I already knew about the topic.

3) Use a concordance or guide to find other verses that talk about the topic.

4) Study the new verses (word studies, Greek dictionary, history, context, etc) to see how I can add this new information to what I already know.

5) If I didn’t quite understand how a verse could fit with the other verses, then maybe consult a commentary or dictionary or tract or web search to find a possible explanation.

6) If no explanation is found, that is okay. God has revealed His thoughts in the Bible and this verse is simply something I don’t understand yet.

7) Be confident in the fact that those “unexplainable” verses are so so few and far between that as I studied more and more – a light would happen that cleared things up.

8) Also, rejoice that my studies were so thorough that, while my conclusions may not be the same as someone else, I could rest in the confidence that EVERYTHING I believed was based in deep Biblical study and not some man-made doctrine.

THAT, my friends, is called eisegesis.

Eisegesis is a wonderful tool to use if you want to strengthen your faith in regards to your positions on almost any topic. It is an awesome approach to the Bible if your goal is to solidify your ability to explain why you believe the way you do. It is unbeatable in its unerring skill of creating an unwavering and singular understanding of the Bible.

I found eisegesis to be very useful when justifying to my friends why I did – and did not do – certain things while I was growing up.

“Hey Bobby, why don’t you wanna be my friend if my parents drink wine at dinner?” – That one was an easy one.

“Hey Bobby, why won’t you participate in the square dance in music class?” – Ha! Too simple to show book chapter and verse for that.

“Hey Bobby, why don’t you sing certain religious songs?” Seriously – there have to be harder questions than that.

“Hey Bobby, why do you rarely go to a public beach or pool.” Again – so easy to answer.

As I grew older, the questions and answers grew more intricate – but were still able to be answered without problem because of eisegesis.

“Hey Bob, why are you okay being in the Army and possibly killing other Christians?”

“Hey Bob, why don’t you tithe?”

“Hey Bob, why are only people who believe what you believe going to be saved?”

Eisegesis answered all of those questions.

Eisegesis helps us answer every question.

Eisegesis is the answer if you want to cement into place what you already believe.

Eisegesis is going to the Bible believing you already have the answer (or you already have an opinion) and then – MAGIC – everything you read mysteriously supports what you already believe or think.

Eisegesis is superimposing your predetermined conclusions into the text.

Eisegesis is wrong.

So, why do people use eisegesis when they read the Bible? Honestly, I don’t think it has anything to do with dishonesty. It’s human nature. We generally just accept what we are told if that information comes from someone or something in authority.

I come from a Christian background with deep beliefs about the importance of going to the Bible (and only the Bible) to determine how to worship and conduct ourselves in an assembly of the saints. I love that! I cherish that. I yearn for the comfort of knowing that “I’m doing it right.”

Yet, I also know that if the men who spearheaded this movement 200 plus years ago were transported in time, they would not recognize what it has become today. In fact, they would probably not be welcome because of many of their beliefs.

Why? How? Is that even possible?

Think about it. Let’s say some guy named Jim invited 15 coworkers into his home where they worshipped God. In a few years it had grown to 100 people and they were meeting in a school gym. A few more years go by and there are 300 people in their own building. Let’s say this group initially took the communion only in the evening because that was the most convenient time for the original 15 people – and this just stayed the practice as the group grew. A few generations later – can you see someone justifying to someone else that communion is only to be taken in the evening because of everything they read? I can totally see that: no examples of breakfast communion, patterned after Passover, called Lord’s “Supper”, etc.

That is eisegesis.

I’m not saying it is sinful. But, I am saying that it is going to the Bible to prove your doctrine instead of going to the Bible to get it.

Better yet, maybe we should concentrate on following Jesus instead of proving what we already think is better than what someone else already thinks.

I love the parables of Jesus. There are about 40 of them in total – give or take a few based on your working definition of the word “parable.” I guess I have about half a dozen real favorites: you know – ones that are easy for me to re-tell to someone without hesitation. One of my very favorites is the parable of the sower.

Maybe I like it because so many people know it – they can actually have a great conversation about it. Or, maybe I like it because one of the more common applications people use it for – isn’t really accurate. Or, maybe I like it so much because Jesus actually explains it – I don’t know. But I hope you like it too.

And so, per the request of my friend Carl to use more KJV quotes, here is the parable of the sower from Matthew 13:3-8: “Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.”

I don’t know if you’ve ever discussed this parable with anyone before, but what I sometimes hear is something resembling this: Only one out of the four recipients actually becomes a lifelong Christian – the other three either rejected the seed – or their faith died because their hearts weren’t ever “truly” receptive to the gospel.

That is an interesting take – but I think a deeper look will be eye-opening.

We can agree – I think – that the birds carrying away the seed from the wayside is representative of those who simply reject the gospel and do not consider it. It is heartbreaking to consider this reality. We all know someone who just refuses to consider the invitation. All we can do is pray their heart becomes receptive and the seed is offered again.

The second person is – again – someone we all know. They hear the call and answer the offer in the affirmative. But, after a few days or weeks, the fire inside of them goes out and they return to the life of sin they used to live.

I’m going to skip the third person – we will get back to him in a moment.

The last person is who we want to be. They are Christians, disciples of the Lord, followers of Jesus, people of The Way, believers, the church, the saved, the bride of Christ … however you want to say it … they are who God wants us to be. We want to be good ground. We want the seed to live in us. We want the seed to grow in us. We want to be identified as a plant that the sower planted. Right?

But what about that third person? Well … some folks will rightly point out that this person was choked. They were caught up in the thorns of this world and it choked them. Many people will even say that the cares of the world choked them to death – they were once alive in Christ … but not really true believers because they could not separate themselves from the strife and worries of just living everyday.

I would like to submit for your consideration an alternative to that approach concerning the third person. The text does not say that the third person was choked to death. It doesn’t say they were even mortally wounded. In fact, quite the contrary! They were very alive!

Jesus explained in Matthew 13:22 that the third person “… heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.” Did you read that? According to Jesus, the “word” is what is actually choked … not the person! And the effect of having the word choked is that the person is not fruitful! They aren’t dead – they are alive and well.

It blew me away the first time I read this passage without already having its interpretation pre-populated in my mind. Jesus is saying that the third person – this person who is NOT in compliance with God’s will – is just like the fourth person with one exception: they are not producing fruit.

Whoa! Hold the phone! I know it sounds odd, but when we compare the third person (bad) to the fourth person (good) – the only way to tell them apart is this: one doesn’t produce a crop and one does.

Just to make sure though, let’s go back and look at the fourth person. With our predisposed blinders firmly on our face, we have typically identified ourselves the definition of the fourth person. The things that WE ARE … simply HAVE to be the definition of the fourth person in the parable of the sower. At least … that’s what I always did. Try it out.

I am a Jesus loving, church going, singing, praying, worshiping, praising, edifying, giving, sacrificing, tithing, helping, kind hearted, volunteering, unashamed, Bible scholar, baptized, non-sinning (for the most part) Christian who has a scripture based answer for anyone who wants to know what I believe and why … so THAT is the definition of the fourth person. Right? Isn’t it? ISN’T IT???

No. That is not the definition of the fourth person. THAT is the definition of the third person.

We can be all of those things and still not be pleasing to God. How? Because God expects his vineyard to produce fruit. And THAT, my friends, is the entire point of this parable.

Are you producing fruit? Some will say that they are. They are: kind, generous, giving, loving, patient, hard working, frugal, charity minded, honest, family oriented and big hearted people … see? … that’s fruit … right? Wrong. That is being a good person … not a God person. Atheists can be all of those things. In fact, one of my dearest and oldest friends – Rick – literally IS all of those things … but he is not a believer.

So what is the fruit? The fruit – my friends – is people.

It took me a long time to finally admit that fact. I thought of all kinds of reasons why a person could be considered “fruitful” but not actually grow the kingdom. I could quote all kinds of scriptures to support my theory: things concerning the fruit of the spirit, fruits of righteousness, wisdom that is full of good fruit, and the fruit of our lips. There had to be something – ANYTHING – to justify me not pursuing people to bring them to the Lord.

But, I could not get around the fact that Jesus goes on to talk about the weeds and wheat in the same chapter. I could not get around the fact that in Matthew 7:17-23 Jesus ties together the importance of producing good fruit and the folly of trusting in being religious. I could not get around the fact that in Mark 4:26-32 Jesus compares the expanding kingdom of God to fruit and planting seeds.

And, I could not get around the fact that in both the parable of the sower itself – and Jesus’ explanation of it – the Lord says the seed that was choked did not bring forth fruit to maturity (Luke 8:14) but that the seed that fell on good ground not only produces fruit: it produces 100 fold, 60 fold and 30 fold. I could not get around the fact that in John 4:35-36, Jesus said that “fruit” is gathered for eternal life.

So, here is the question. Are you producing fruit? Real – eternally living – fruit? Some sow the seed, others water, and others cultivate and help prune … but the fruit Jesus talks about is people. Are you (as most other Bible versions put it) producing a crop? How many of your crop will be harvested? Will it be a good crop – or a bad crop?

These are important questions that you need to answer for yourself. Maybe you can begin to shed some light on it by truthfully reflecting on these thought provokers:

1. What does evangelism mean to you: talking to people about Jesus or bringing them to church so someone else can?
2. What does teaching people about Jesus mean to you: sharing with others your relationship with Jesus or using a study guide and book or film to do it for you?
3. What does growing the kingdom (or your church) mean to you: converting the lost or convincing friends to change churches?
4. What does being a Christian mean to you: teaching all nations and baptizing them or being a good example who talks about Jesus when someone asks what you think?
5. What does spreading the gospel mean to you: inviting your neighbors over to talk about Jesus or handing out tracts and invitations to a gospel meeting in someone else’s neighborhood?

It took me a month to write the above blog entry. I wrote, deleted, edited, added, researched, reworded, and even gave up several times. But, ultimately, this needs to be brought up. I know hundreds – maybe thousands – of genuinely good people. Most of them – I wouldn’t be able to tell you about their church attendance habits. Many are in the building every time the doors open – others are atheists – but you’d never know who was who based on their conversations and actions.

Why? Because these Christians think that being a good person and a good “church going” person is all that is required of a follower of Jesus. I am concerned because I have been – and maybe still am – in that boat. Let’s spur each other along my friends. Let’s produce fruit. Fruit that will grow and produce crops of its own – AKA good fruit. I am afraid we are producing fruit that doesn’t care whether it grows to maturity or not – AKA bad fruit. We can do better. So, lets not forget what Jesus said:

Matthew 7:17-23 “Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

One of the favorite hymns I used to sing while growing up was written by Aaron W. Dicus. My favorite verse and chorus go like this:

Our God, whose Son upon a tree,
A life was willing there to give,
That He from sin might set man free,
And evermore with Him could live.

There is a God, He is alive,
In Him we live and we survive;
From dust our God created man,
He is our God, the great I Am.

I’ve thought about why I love these words so much. I think, at the core, is because the word “OUR” is used. He is OUR God. OUR God made a sacrifice for us. OUR God wants us to live with Him. OUR God is alive. OUR God is who we live in. OUR God created us. OUR God is the I AM who communicates with us, saved us, and is our father.

That means a lot to me. OUR God is different than other gods. OUR God is real. OUR God isn’t a carved-up piece of wood, or cast metal, or inanimate object. OUR God literally came to earth and lived as a human – a human written about in non-religious historical documents. OUR God knows everything about us, and still loves us. OUR God wants to live inside of us and wants us to live in Him. OUR God is generous. OUR God is kind. OUR God desires a relationship with us. OUR God is so close to us – He works inside us to make us look more like Him … every single day.

But, I don’t want to confuse people either. OUR God is not OUR property. We don’t own OUR God. We don’t somehow possess OUR God in the sense that we control Him. The word OUR is used to annotate an association with Him. Similar to saying OUR galaxy – we are simply identifying ourselves as being unique because of this connection. It is a way to distinguish ourselves from others who have a different god.

If you are part of the OUR that this song speaks of, I am so happy you came across this blog entry. My prayer is that OUR God will bless you, protect you, comfort you, heal you, guide you, and transform you.

For the rest of the words and a good rendition of the song, please follow this link: https://oc.edu/spiritual-life/chapel/great-songs/our-god-he-is-alive

I taught in a public school classroom for more than a dozen years. Not only that, I taught grades 6, 7, and 8 for those years. So, I’ve seen the kids who were not making the best decisions of their lives. In fact, many of their decisions resulted in them wasting a lot of their valuable time. Fortunately, many of them grew out of that phase in their lives.

This post is different than most of my entries. It isn’t really about Jesus – although it does focus on something He said. It isn’t really even about Godly living, or evangelism, church, the missions field, sin, Heaven/Hell, or even salvation. In fact, this blog entry can be summed up in five words: “A Big Waste Of Time.”

I grew up wasting a lot of time. I’m still pretty good at it – just ask my wife. When I was little I loved to watch TV. As a teenager I loved reading fiction. I married young and found myself in the work and relax and work some more and relax some more spiral. From my 20’s to my 30’s I played computer games. And even now I struggle with binge watching Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. Literally, decades of my life have gone by with nothing to show for it.

You may be thinking – wow! Bob is pretty lazy!

Hold on there – you might have a point – but that’s not the point I’m trying to make – nor is it very kind to be so blunt.

My point is that we (both of us – you AND me) are supposed to be productive. We are supposed to concentrate on doing things that matter – not on things that just occupy our time. If we refuse to do that – we are sinning.

I know! You’re probably thinking: “Show me book – chapter – and verse ‘preacher man’ – I don’t believe it!”

Well, first – I’m not a preacher. I know preachers – I know elders – I know deacons – I know pastors – I know teachers – I know missionaries. They are all part of a special – wonderful – awesome – and unique group of people who are way more important than me. All I do is make a couple of points and press Enter. They are on the front lines – I am in awe of them.

Second – okay – I will.

In Mark 7:1-23 is the account of Jesus’ critics pointing out that His disciples were not ceremoniously cleansing things (their hands, cups, pitchers, dishes, etc). Jesus then pointed out that the things that come OUT of a person (from their heart) are what makes a person unclean – NOT what they put IN their belly. In doing so, Jesus brought to their attention that the Jewish leaders are actually violating the LAW by implementing their own homemade rules.

One of the things Jesus points out as being a sin that comes from a person’s heart is this: folly.

Folly? Yes – folly.

FYI: *Many versions use the word “foolishness” instead of folly – if that helps you get the idea.*

What exactly is folly? In Mark 7:22, folly or foolishness is the word “aphrosune” in the Greek and it means: senselessness. That gets us started. A more thorough explanation comes by looking at the root word – which is “aphron” in the Greek. Now we’re getting somewhere.

The adjective “aphron” is a good word to study because adjectives are (by their nature) description words. They define or clarify things – and that makes this short little word study memorable for me.

Basically,  “aphron” means someone is doing something without a  reason for doing it. It’s the description of a mind that is engaging in an activity that serves no real purpose. It is a brain that lacks sobriety and prudence. It involves a failure to appropriately prioritize what is really important in one’s life. It is indulging in habits or mental exercises that are reckless, inconsiderate or useless. It is turning a blind eye to the reality that spiritual things have precedence over physical things. (Blue Letter Bible https://bit.ly/2lsX9AJ).

So … what is folly in a short phrase? Simple. It’s anything that is a waste of time.

Think about that for a minute.  If growing spiritually is taking a backseat to numbing mentally – that’s folly. If doing for others is lower on our priority list than doing nothing – that’s folly. If more time is spent interacting with video games than interacting with people – that’s folly. If talking about people takes precedence over helping people – that’s folly. If you engage the TV more than you engage those you love – that’s folly. If you have trouble paying your bills because it is more important for you to go shopping – that’s folly. If you spend more time reading and typing on your phone than actually using it to talk to others – that’s folly. If what we are engaging in has no real results other than making us happy – it’s probably folly because we should be focused on doing things that actually matter.

Please allow me the opportunity to remove my foot from the toes I’m sure I just stepped on … so I can step on some other ones now. Folly is not only foolish decisions regarding priorities. It is also senseless religious acts as well. If the extent of our efforts to follow Jesus are simply going to church, praying, reading the Bible, and trying to not sin – believe it or not – that’s folly.

Would we have ever heard of Jesus if the only thing He did was go to tabernacle, pray, read the law and prophets, and not sin? The answer is – NO! We would not have heard of Him.

Why do we know about Jesus? Because He DID things. He helped. He preached. He served. He scolded. He taught. He was an example. He gave. He testified. He revealed. He humbled Himself. He embraced. He healed. He encouraged. He included the unwanted. He called others. He visited the sick. He ate with the destitute. He spoke with prostitutes. He fed strangers. He reconciled. He loved the unlovable. He forgave. He volunteered. He extended grace. And He did all of THOSE things BEFORE He was a sacrifice for our sins.

How can we truly call ourselves followers of Jesus if we don’t do the things He did? The answer is easy: If we refuse to do what Jesus did – we aren’t His followers.

And if we claim we are His followers while not doing what He did – THAT is folly.

I decided not to post this on Memorial Day out of respect for those in the United States military who fought and died for the cause of freedom.

However, while Memorial Day is on everyone’s mind, I would like to take this opportunity to share a story about some other soldiers who fought and died for another cause of freedom.

Followers of Jesus belong to a kingdom. It is the same kingdom referred to in the gospels – and Jesus is its king. This kingdom is at war. It is a war that has only one goal: extend the eternal freedom that is only found in Jesus to the ends of the earth. Every single time a person gives their life to Christ, the kingdom gets a little bigger. Each Christian, whether they realize it or not, is a soldier for Jesus in this kingdom.

A little over two and half years ago an enemy of Jesus’ kingdom entered a room and asked a simple question of everyone there: “Are you a Christian?”

Those who confessed their allegiance to Jesus – were shot in the back of head.

Those who did not – were shot in the leg or elsewhere.

In the end, nine Christian soldiers lost their earthly lives. They breathed their last as a martyr, and awoke in the presence of God.

Jesus said that those who confess Him before men, will be confessed by Jesus himself to the Father in Heaven.

Jesus turns everything upside – down. The lowliest on earth will be the greatest in the kingdom. The poor will be rich. The weak will be strong. Persecution of the kingdom makes it grow. Living for today means dying forever. And, thank God, dying for Jesus means eternal life.

The Bible is like an onion: the more you eat – the more layers you find.

“Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ “ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ “ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ”

Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭13:24-30, 36-43, 47-50‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Matthew 13 contains the parable of the weeds and the parable of the net. Understanding more about the kingdom of Heaven has given these a much deeper meaning for me.

So, what is this “Kingdom of Heaven” spoken of in the gospels? Well, contrary to popular belief, it isn’t Heaven. Jesus came from Heaven. He ascended back to Heaven on the clouds. He reigns over a kingdom right now. The kingdom Jesus reigns over is the kingdom of Heaven.

It includes: 1) those who have been called out of the world (aka the kingdom of Satan) and into service to God (aka the church) – both the living and dead; 2) those who were righteous under the Law and prophets (aka the faithful of Israel); 3) those who were faithful before Judaism.

Today, people who name Jesus as their king are part of the kingdom. Whether they are true citizens or not – we don’t know. But they are, according to these parables, at least living within the borders of the kingdom.

Now, whether they are true citizens or not isn’t for us to determine. Jesus said it isn’t the workers’ job to try to separate weeds from the wheat. That will be taken care of at the end of the age.

While there are several words for “end” in Greek – the one from these passages means the final end – the concluding end – the end of everything. That’s when it hit me – true citizenship in the kingdom of Heaven will be determined when Jesus returns – and it won’t be by us.

Our efforts to “pull weeds” in the kingdom by trying to determine who is and isn’t “in the kingdom” does exactly what Jesus said it would do – it uproots many of the wheat in the process. It is akin to us trying to do the job of angels at the end of time. Is that the unity Jesus prayed for? I think not.

No. We need to be about the business of spreading the gospel. There is a famous line that goes: “Kill ‘em all – let God sort ‘em out.” For followers of Jesus it’s a little different. As we seek more and more people to be added to the church (and thus the kingdom as well), our motto should be, “Bring ‘em all, let God sort ‘em out.”

Application: Stop guessing whether someone in your church is really following Jesus. 1) It’s not your job. 2) It helps Satan in four ways: you lose focus on your real mission, you disrupt the fellowship, you may falsely uproot a citizen of the kingdom because of your own faulty theology, and you may accidentally uproot someone you didn’t mean to. Whew, that’s a load off my mind and a big chunk off my plate. Now – where’s that onion?

p.s. – Please don’t take this post and apply to the necessary action of disciplining those who intentionally and knowingly walk disorderly and refuse to even attempt to change. That said, remember: there is a difference between “disorderly” and “disagreeing” on the meaning of scripture.

Judas Iscariot was used by God to accomplish the task of Jesus becoming the sacrifice for humanity. No need to play the “what if” game – he did what he did. But, have you ever wondered why?

Was it only greed? Maybe. But, I think there might be something deeper. We are talking only five weeks worth of pay. He was the treasurer for Jesus, 12 Apostles and more than 100 other disciples who were constantly following Jesus, he surely would have been able to take the entire treasury and get more than that.

I don’t fail to recognize the significance of 30 pieces of silver being the price to be paid if someone’s slave dies. But, it seems when he went to inquire how much he would be given that he already had in mind to turn Jesus over. The Jewish hierarchy already wanted Jesus dead – badly! I think Judas could have negotiated way more money. So, I doubt that was it.

But … why? Why would someone who had personally gone on a mission trip, healed people, thrown out demons, spread the gospel, and witnessed Jesus walk on water, raise the dead and tell the weather to calm down want to turn over Jesus to officials? What did Jesus do or not do that made Judas pursue the end of Jesus’ peaceful ministry? I think that greed is absolutely part of it, but I am skeptical that it is the only motivation – especially when the consequences would be so public.

It would be like a bank manager, with access to large sums of money, decides to sell the bank owner’s office furniture. And, he actually unlocks the door to the office – while the bank owner is in there – to let in the people buying the furniture. I mean, he knows he is breaking the law. He knows everyone will know that he did it. He knows he is about to be unemployed and nobody will trust him. Why would he do that? Greed? Sure. But I think there has to be something deeper.

So what was it?

I think Judas might have been disappointed with Jesus’ form of the kingdom. He knew Jesus was the Messiah. But, I think he was just like the other apostles and he thought the Messiah was going to violently and physically restore the nation of Israel to prominence by dominating the world.

Jesus came into Jerusalem to the cheers of thousands. People thought the revolution was about to begin. And then … nothing. This trip to Jerusalem was supposed to inaugurate the rebellion against Rome and establish Jesus as a conquering king. But … no talk of war … no talk of strategy … no whipping people into a battle frenzy.

Maybe Judas concluded that if Jesus the Messiah was going to overthrow the bonds that Israel was being subjected to by Rome – maybe Jesus needed a little help in starting the war. And – if Judas got a little money on the way to making that happen – I’m sure all would be forgiven once Jesus was on the throne. And, he might be rewarded with way more than 30 pieces of silver for thinking up this brilliant plan.

Maybe this was Judas ‘ plan:

1. Conspire with the Jewish authorities to bring a small Roman army to arrest Jesus.
2. Once the authorities and 600 Roman soldiers arrive to arrest Jesus, identify Jesus with a kiss and watch the fireworks.
3. When they attempt to grab Jesus, watch as the Messiah does whatever he is going to do and kills these 600 Roman soldiers with an angelic army (it seems Peter was willing to start the attack with an act of faith).
4. With 600 dead Romans soldiers killed via a miracle, watch as hundreds of thousands of Jews join the Jesus Army so they can not only escape Rome’s oppression, they can replace Rome as the dominant power of the world.
5. Watch Jesus be made king – and proudly take the seat of prominence that Jesus has reserved for Judas Iscariot.

If that was the plan, and it is purely conjecture on my part, it failed.

Jesus healed instead of killed. He acted the part of the Sheep instead of the Lion. The crowds did not come to the rescue, they condemned Him to death. But … why?

Why would people turn so quickly against Jesus? He was quite famous. Why? Because he kept talking about a kingdom and backing up His legitimacy with miracles. But when his entrance into Jerusalem didn’t culminate in a revolution, it was easy to listen to the rulers who were calling for violence.

By the time they were whipped into a crucifixion frenzy, the Jews hated Jesus for disappointing them. They hated Jesus for His love and His lack of hate. Jesus didn’t deserve the honor He had obtained over the last three years. He didn’t deserve the freedom to walk around and talk about a kingdom but never attempt to violently establish one! He didn’t deserve to live.

But someone did. Someone did deserve honor. Someone did deserve the freedom to establish a kingdom. Someone did deserve to live!

Who?

The revolutionary who had already backed up his words with violently trying to start a war – his name was Barabbas.

Application: Sometimes we think our plans are better than the plans God has for us. The toughest thing I’ve ever done is submit to whatever plan the Lord has in store for me. I don’t understand it. It doesn’t work when I write it down on paper. But some how – some way – I look back and I see the progress.

Doors open that wouldn’t,
Things come in the mail that shouldn’t,
Coincidences occur that shan’t,
Contacts are made that can’t,
Opportunities happen that won’t,
People do things they don’t,
In spite of all the impossible I find,
It’s God’s plan working – not mine.

I sit here on the balcony of my hotel and look at a beautiful lake. To my untrained eye it appears peaceful, tranquil, even serene. It fills my mind with awe and reverence for the mysteries of God.

Yet, that is not the entire picture is it? There are times when wind and rain will make it terrifying to even the most skilled man and woman. The thought of being in a ship that could capsize in the midst of a storm makes my stomach turn. What would I do if I found myself in waves and swells that kept me from being able to see land? Would I struggle to swim? Just stay afloat? Or simply give up?

The sea is often portrayed as a negative in scripture.

James 1:6 describes a person who doubts like the “surf of the sea – driven and tossed by the wind.” I love that picture. Our life is like water – and our faith keeps it peaceful – but the winds of this world will create turbulence in our life if we don’t have faith.

Jude 1:13 depicts men who cause strife and division among believers like “wild waves of the sea” that cast up shame like foam. What a vivid word picture! Even after the wave recedes back into the sea, the foam remains on the shoreline for everyone else to deal with.

Paul talks about the “dangers of the sea” in 2 Corinthians 11:26. Historically, we can understand the perils of the sea if we simply read Luke’s account in Acts 27 of Paul’s journey. Even the disciples of Jesus were terrified when a storm came upon them while they were in a boat on the sea – Mark 4:35-38.

In the Bible, the “sea” regularly depicts a chaotic scene. It contains beasts and creatures; it changes with winds and storms; and it presents challenges and obstacles. Yet, Hebrews 11:29 says the Israelites passed through the sea! In 1 Corinthians 10:1-2, Paul says, “… our fathers … all passed through the sea and all were baptized … in the sea.” So, not only can the sea be scary, it is also something that God can use to test our faith and prove our devotion and commitment.

But, this is what I want to focus on as I look out at this beautiful and calm lake: God is more powerful than the sea! Jesus walked on the sea. The disciples witnessed the Christ calm the sea with his voice. Our Lord can use the craziest things (like a whale) to save us from the sea!

And here is the best part: in front of the throne of God – there is a sea of glass (Revelation 4:6). It is completely calm. It is completely still. All chaos and struggle is gone when God is on the throne in our lives.

And, as if that wasn’t good enough, read Revelation 21:1, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth … and there is no longer any sea.” Did you catch that? How can there be no sea? Because if Jesus can calm the storms of our life now – in Heaven our seas of worry and struggle won’t even exist.