Is He enough?

 

As I continue studying the Gospel of John, I notice the different groups of people mentioned. We have Jesus' closest friends, his disciples. The next group is the disbelieving majority. These people were angry and offended that Christ wasn't who they wanted Him to be. 

    But the most challenging group to read about was those who only followed Him for His miracles. This group reminds me a lot of many of our Western churches here in America: people who are constantly searching for miracles and blessings, people who, if those miracles and blessings were to end, would become despondent and potentially disenchanted with their faith. 

    The members of this group only want the good parts of life; they never understand suffering, and they desperately seek the next feel-good experience through a "move" of the Holy Spirit or an emotive worship conference. Unfortunately, our young people are entirely wrapped up in this lie. The daily act of picking up our daily cross, walking in obedience, and abiding in His Word is not appealing to them at all. And yet, this is what we are called to—every day. 

    Does that mean we will not have emotional experiences as we seek salvation? Of course not! But when those seem few and far between, that does not mean the Lord isn't right beside us. It does not mean that we are not a Christian. It also does not mean that we are necessarily doing anything wrong. Our walk of faith is rooted in the truth of what Scripture tells us.

     Like the crowds in John, this group didn't want His words. They wanted His signs. Ultimately, they decided to walk away from the Light of the World, the Living Water, and the Bread of Life, all because Christ wanted them awestruck with the glory of God and not the glory of a miracle. The irony was that He is the greatest miracle. And He was standing right before them, asking them to "come." The Word of God made flesh who came to dwell with us so that He might redeem us. But that wasn't enough for them. Will it be enough for us?

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The Kingdom of Heaven

                     

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"Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God." John 3:3

What does the Kingdom of Heaven mean?  

Let us look at the Lord's Prayer for some clarity.  There are two petitions side by side.

Thy Kingdom come:

They will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Traditionally, the Jewish style to say things twice was in order to amplify certain ideas and meanings.  The Psalms are filled with examples.

I acknowledge my transgressions:

And my sin is ever before me. Psalm 51:3

See the double claim?  The second mention explains and/or amplifies the first line.  So if we apply this to the Lord's prayer what do we see?  William Barclay in his commentary on John states it best.

"The Kingdom of Heaven is a society where God's will is as perfectly done on earth as it is in heaven.  To be in the Kingdom of Heaven is therefore to lead a life in which we have completely and willingly submitted everything to the will of God; it is to have arrived at a stage when we fully, perfectly and completely accept the will of God."

But how are we to do this?  Certainly not in our own strength or understanding.  Nicodemus's conversation with Jesus in the middle of the night proves this.  Here was a man who was one of the most educated, wealthy, and affluent men in all of the area and he expresses his doubt.

"Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?""" John 3:4

On the surface it looks as if Nicodemus took this conversation with a sort of crude literalism.  But I wonder if there is more to his answer.  Again, Barclay states it this way.

"In the heart of Nicodemus there as a great unsatisfied longing.  It is as if he said with infinite, wistful yearning: "You talk about being born again; you talk about this radical, fundamental change which is so necessary.  I know that it is necessary; but in my experience it is so impossible.""

We are all there at some point in our lives before conversion; before our own new birth into the eternal family of God.  CS Lewis calls this yearning for something which cannot be satisfied in this world Sehnsucht. 

Once we have accepted this new birth into our eternal family by the Spirit of adoption we are now sons/daughters of God (John 1:18). But the essence of sonship is love and the essence of love is obedience(John 14:21).  We cannot say that we love someone and then do things which we know will hurt that person's heart.  So, to be a child of God and to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven are one in the same.  The child and the citizen are both the person who has surrendered completely and totally to the will of their Father and the King.  Savior and Lord.  Forever and ever, amen.