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Monday, April 30, 2012

The sixth Sign... part 6...

This Sign is coming to a close for us, but it is one of the more potent in application to all our lives, for sure!  Born blind, mudded in the eye, and now rinsed out and seeing just as everyone else, this man is proclaiming victory through Christ's work and healing, and then the man gives the best exhortation of Christ so far.

"'This is an amazing thing,' the man told them.  'You don't know where He is from, yet He opened my eyes!  We know that God doesn't listen to sinners, but if anyone is God fearing and does His will, He listens to him.  Throughout history no one has ever heard of someone opening the eyes of a person born blind.  If this man were not from God, He wouldn't be able to do anything.'
'You were born entirely in sin,' they replied, 'and are you trying to teach us?'  Then they threw him out."
John 9:30-34, HCSB

This man not only sees like all those around him, but actually sees far more clearly than they who accuse him.  He sees that Christ did an amazing thing, and he sees that it must be a work of God (a miracle, or a Sign), and he sees that these people don't get how awesome this is.  Most importantly, though, he sees that this is, in his own words, "amazing."  I imagine him standing among the crowd of naysayers, listening to their ridiculous jibes and taunts about him not being him, and all he can think of is that he was touched by the Creator... how personal.

Further, please notice that this man who was touched and so directly blessed does NOT attempt to argue with anyone.  He has no need to do so, for what he knows is what was done, and what was done for him was beyond anything imaginable.  I further the picture of him in the crowd, listening to everyone, but not really hearing them.  His attention is drawn to the beauty of creation, the differences and similarities of all the people around him, the clothing, the jars, the buildings, the dirt... yes, even the dirt... and all the other things that he can now behold with his eyes, and not just his hands.  The work Christ performed tells this man enough, and no amount of rationalization or argument towards him is going to change what happened.  Therefore, argument has no place here, because those in opposition to this man are wrong... how powerful.

And those who ridicule him, stating that he is born "entirely in sin," just don't get it.  I think they are incapable, honestly, of grasping anything beyond the reach of the boxes tied to their heads, and they are so focused on maintaining their level of perceived control (which is really non-existent, as God is in control, and knows what will come next in all scenarios) that they just cannot accept the simple and painfully evident Truth that Christ healed this man.  He healed this man from blindness, and all the teachers and scribes and Pharisees can think to do is attempt to poke holes in what happened, so that they can hopefully deflate it (and God, too) enough so that the newly-shrunken balloon will fit inside the aforementioned box attached to the forehead... how pitiful.

They threw the man out, solely because they were afraid to allow God to be God, and because they were afraid that if God was actually God, then they might not be able to remain in control.  The passage ends with Jesus speaking directly to the man, asking if he will follow the Son of Man, and of course, the man rejoices to look upon his Healer.  The Pharisees nearby heard this, and asked Jesus if they should be concerned about being blind, themselves... and I wish Jesus had just said, "Yes, you should."  However, since they cannot grasp simple concepts, He instead goes another direction with the answer.  He tells them that because they boast of having sight, their sin remains in them.  In essence, Jesus tells them (and us, Christian sibling) that they should seek to be blind, just as this man was, for he did not have sin, as clearly declared by the Son Himself (9:3). 

They didn't understand that thought... do you?

God bless you all!!!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

The sixth Sign... part 5...

We've now seen the Sign performed, and we must turn to what happened after it was done.  Many of the other Signs don't have such detailed accounts of the aftermath, even though we know it exists as people proclaim the Name to others, but this one needed to be recorded, I think.  It shows us something... a truth that only the saved believer can understand and appreciate.

"He kept saying, 'I'm the one!'"
John 9:9b, HCSB

The now-seeing man was making his way back to the Healer, and many people along the way were questioning if it was the same man.  I can picture some agreeing that it is him and thinking that something cool happened... others thinking this is a mere parlor trick, and there must be more to it, because this cannot be him... and more still, discussing if it could be, but not leaning clearly to either decision.  There is a reason it is so difficult for two thirds of that pie chart I just painted with my imagination brush, and that reason is because when one accepts Christ (freed from trappings by Him), the entire outward appearance of that person becomes different!  Instead of down-troddenness, we now have joy that is unstoppable and irreplaceable, and we are new creatures in Christ. 

On a side note, the smaller portion of the people who admitted it was the same man, and know that something amazing happened... in this picture, their smaller-than-the-doubter-group would represent the remnant that God promised to keep.  That group was less blind than the rest, but still not able to fully see until they accepted Christ.  Here, however, was most likely a conversion point for many people.

Anyway, as the man returns from whence he came, he proclaims openly that he is the man who was blind.  What brings a small giggle to my day in this is that he is trying to convince people that he is still the same person that they say he is.  Read that again for the irony, and then imagine going home and having one of your family ask you if it is really you, all the while discussing that you look like you, but not certain that you are actually you.  Grasp this point, friends: we overcomplicate things.  The text does not mention children in this moment, but I guarantee you, they would have accepted that this was the same man, and thought nothing more of it.  Their innocence allows them sight that we as adults gave away many years back, and now we look for reasons and truths and explanations to things we cannot understand.  In essence, we look at a man we know, and because there is something phenomenally different about him, we convince ourselves that we are wrong, and this man cannot be this man.  Tough, right?

The biggest response, though, comes from the man's parents.  They are questioned about whether it is their son, and they admit that it is.  They are then asked if he was born blind, and they admit that he was.  But then they are asked if they know how he able to see, and although they know the answer, they cannot speak it... because they are afraid.  The Pharisees and Chief Priests already hated Jesus, and everybody knew it, so to speak positively of Him was to end up on the wrong side of the law.  Their reply tells us this, as they tell the Pharisees that they can ask their son directly, because he is "of age," and "will speak for himself (v.21)."  And it is in that answer that the parents give that we see that it is truly for each of us, as adults, to work through our own growth and salvation. 

Better, though, was what happened when this man did answer.  His answer to the Pharisees makes me wish I knew his name, because I would like to be able to congratulate his strength and conviction, as well as his simple and direct approach.  The answer given rings across time and space, to us even today, speaking of the removal of our own Spiritual blindness.  In short, this answer is awesome.

"He answered, 'Whether or not He's a sinner, I don't know.  One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I can see!'"
John 9:25, HCSB

This man accepted the gift that Jesus offered to him, and he accepted it openly and gratefully.  He also spoke truly of the fact that he couldn't know (like we know from records and history and the Resurrection) that Jesus was sinless.  The only thing this man knew was that his illness, his disability, his perceived punishment for a sinful "insert option here" was relieved completely by some mud in the eyes, made from the spit of this Nazarene. 

I'm just curious... would you answer the same way?  It doesn't matter what I think; what matters is what He did for me when I didn't deserve it!

God bless you all!!!

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

The sixth Sign... part 4...

He is the Light, and He frees us all from the darkness.  We know from Scripture that there is no darkness in Him, and that no darkness can sustain itself when He enters.  He is the One, the only One, that can be that Light for you and me and everyone else.  And watch how He handles this next moment...

"After He said these things He spit on the ground, made some mud from the saliva, and spread the mud on his eyes.  'Go,' He told him, 'wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means 'Sent').  So he left, washed, and came back seeing."
John 9:6-7, HCSB

So Jesus is the Light... and He is also the Living Water... and that makes the saliva, in this case, a liquid of illumination.  Now, I know all the "mother earth" people probably read this and think it's amazing that Jesus healed this man with the ground, but that is not what it says.  It says that the ground was mixed with the saliva and that mud was spread over the eyes, and then a command to go and wash it off was given.  So, to be clear, let's dismiss this ridiculous notion of a "mother earth," because there is no such thing.  God created the earth, and now the Son is using His own creation to complete His will for this moment, and that is that.

Moving on, the mud Christ made with His saliva is spread upon the eyes of the blind man, directly applied to the eyes.  A thing that I would like for you to notice here is that it doesn't say it was spread on his eyelids, but rather "on his eyes."  This would mean that it is directly applied to the eyeball on both sides, and something grainy like mud does not sound like a pleasant addition to such a sensitive organ.  However, it is directly applied, and the man is then given a strange command... when you consider that he is blind from birth.

Jesus tells him to go and clean the mud off in a specific pool.  I don't know about you, but I tend to think that a blind person, with no ability to see anything ever in life, has found ways to navigate their surroundings in this day and age.  Even in the days of Christ, the senses that become stronger to compensate for the loss of one were still very much a part of our human nature, so it is possible that this man had a good sense of where he was at all times, and what was around him.  I always assumed from this story that there were people present to aid the man in moving to the pool to wash, honestly, but then I read it more carefully.  There is no one that aids the man, according to the text.  He is told to go to a place, and to wash, and it is said to "him," not them or all those around... just to this one man who could not see.

Better still, it is recorded for us that he does in fact go, and he washes his eyes in the pool, and he "came back seeing."  I stand in awe of the power of the Christ, as the man is literally washed by the Living Water, blessed directly from literal darkness into light by the Light.  The love that shines forth in that moment... wow!  I mean, what would you say?  I know it is impossible to imagine you were seeing for the first time, because if you're reading this, you have seen all your life (just a guess, but probably a sound one), but if you could, try to imagine it.  Your entire life has been spent in total darkness, and then a Man comes by, rubs mud into your eyes (which had to feel weird at the very least), and then you rinse them off... and there is something other than darkness!!!

For the first time, there is a sensation in your mind that excites your pulse as you SEE the things that you have only known by touch and sound, and you begin to have the childlike wonder of youth wash over you.  Understand, at this point you have no concept of what colors are, or what dim or dull or dingy or bright or shiny or reflective or any other such descriptor could possibly mean, and so each and every moment is an amazing revelation.  Also, since you're washing in a pool, when this happens, the first thing you get to see is what God made in His image... you.  No mental picture or imagination could possibly have met this level of detail, and you are literally breathless over it all.

Next we'll look to the reactions of others, and the realization that this Sign was performed, but for now we need to focus on the blessing that comes from having Jesus open our eyes.  We may not have been literally blind, but our life certainly lacked the Light until He came.  Give thanks for that Light today, and honor the Lord in doing so!

God bless you all!!!

Monday, April 23, 2012

The sixth Sign... part 3...

So right now, I want to take a moment to focus on something very important in this Sign.  Actually, it is not just in this Sign, but it is a truism for life itself, whether people choose to accept it or not.  You see, truth, whatever it relates to in any specific situation, is infallible and immovable.  Try as you may (and we often do), the truth cannot be swayed by inflection or semantics or vocabulary... it is, or it is not.  And this Truth here is no different.

"'We must do the works of Him who sent Me while it is day.  Night is coming when no one can work.  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.'"
John 9:4-5, HCSB

For starters, please notice that Jesus does not imply or infer that we should do what God lays out for us to do.  He states clearly, "We must" do those things, whatever they are in our lives.  His will is going to be accomplished, and we will each play a part in it.  That is the truth.  Also, in the same sentence, it is important to note that we have to take care of it all while we have the opportunity, "while it is day."  Procrastination is not to be our motif, and we should be eager and willing to leap at the opportunity to minister to anyone in need.

Next, think about what Jesus says as He tells them that "night is coming," and what the blind man would have been thinking.  This man has lived in night all his life, and knows no concept of visual day or light.  Now he might know warmth from the sun, and be able to recognize the temperature differences between night and day in a tactile sense, but he doesn't have a clue what it actually looks like.  

I'm gonna camp here, folks, because this is the reason this man was born: his physical, literal blindness is a real life representation of the Spiritual blindness suffered almost completely by all of the Nation of Israel, as well as the world.  All of these people, save a few from the promised Remnant, have been slowly growing more and more blind to the Truth, and their darkness within has not allowed Light to exist (by definition, darkness is actually an absence of light, so really, without Christ, what else could one be but dark?).  These explanatory statements of Christ about light and darkness leading up to this are all tied together right here, as a man who has always lived in actual darkness is serving as a representative for us all, even today!  Most importantly, this man's healing (which we'll delve into later) brings glory to the Father, as the blindness and the darkness are removed by the Light... by Jesus Christ.  And so, without the Light, we cannot hope to complete any works that God has for us, because we lack the strength or wisdom or fortitude or guts or finesse or whatever else it is that would be missing, given the specific situation.  That is the truth.

And finally, ponder deeply on the statement at the end in vs.5, as Jesus clearly calls Himself "the light of the world."  No one else could dare make such a claim, and no one else on earth, past, present, or future, will have the ability to literally be and bring light to a person in literal darkness as Jesus did.  No one.  Ever.  Period. 

We'll soon look into the actual healing, but for now please focus on the impact Spiritual blindness has on people... especially on yourself.  I know that it has caused many problems for many people, and it is a real point of concern.  However, with Christ as your Light, your blindness will begin to subside.

God bless you all!!!

Sunday, April 22, 2012

The sixth Sign... part 2...

I mentioned that there would be a purpose given to all of this, and we're going to see that purpose right now.  More than that, we're going to see that purpose explained clearly and thoroughly (even though in few words) directly from the mouth of Christ.  And just as before, pay attention to the One as He speaks...

"'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' Jesus answered.  'This came about so that God's works might be displayed in him.'"
John 9:3, HCSB

Once more, Christ speaks over something, and then something amazing is discovered about this man and his blindness... it was supposed to be this way!  This man, as Jesus says, did not sin to earn his blindness, but rather was always going to be born this way, and for the sole purpose of having Christ heal him. 

Further, as the common belief at the time that was handed down from the teachers and the Pharisees was that such afflictions were either the result of the individual's sin or the sins of that person's parents, for Christ to dismiss this possibility gives us insight into how we should view such things.  The belief that they held about this man and his blindness was driven completely through nonsense and propaganda, all meant to control behavior.  Basically, if you're a good person, nothing bad will happen to you.  However, if you're not a good person, bad things will happen to you and your family.  Worse than that, if you say you're a good person, but bad things happen to you, then you're a liar, and that makes you the worst.

I'm gonna go ahead and say no to all of that malarkey.  I know plenty of people who go through difficult things, yet are wonderful people.  I also know people who are not wonderful, and they never seem to have any problems at all.  Pay attention now, because this point is a biggie: the rewards and treasures of this world are meaningless, and if that is what people cling to, then that is what they will have. 

To put it another way, imagine walking out to the nearest person asking for change on a highway.  You see him standing there, and he has the sign that indicates he wants money, and he is crippled, on crutches, missing a lower limb.  For whatever reason, you decide to roll down your window, and you motion for him to come over.  Then, just as he nears you, you look up and ask what sins he committed to have God make him homeless and handicapped.  That would make you a Pharisee, friend.  Granted, he may have made poor decisions that landed him on a path with a downward trend, and perhaps he is in need of a good mentor or coach, which he may never have had.  Perhaps his family has always lived this way, and he knows no different... but that does not give anyone the right to assume that he is being punished from Heaven for sins he or his family committed.

We'll get into the actual healing next, but for now please recognize that we are all sinners.  This one man, nameless and seemingly unimportant to the world for most of his life as a blind man, was that same beggar, and he received more than he thought possible.  He also is an encouragement to us to push forward, never taking our eyes off of Christ!

God bless you all!!! 

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

The sixth Sign... part 1...

A lot happens between Signs 5 and 6, and we'll get to some of that in a later discussion.  For now, we're going to move into the sixth Sign, because this one is just as rich as the the rest, but has some deep lessons that one can learn from it.

Sign #6 - Healing a Man Born Blind

The very concept seems a little farfetched, honestly.  I mean, to heal someone from blindness?  that's just not heard of.  Even today, once the eyes are gone, they are pretty much gone, and nothing turns that around.  The 12 question how it came to be that the man was born this way, seeking out the purpose and the reason for it all, and as we've seen before in this study, there is a purpose... and it will be fulfilled!

"As He was passing by, He saw a man blind from birth.  His disciples questioned Him: 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?'"
John 9:1-2, HCSB

The first thing that we must point out here is that He knew that the man was blind from birth.  This would be of great impact, because all of his friends and family would now become witnesses to something truly unbelievable.  They are the people who have held this man, led this man, walked alongside this man for his entire life.  They have fed him, bathed him, clothed him, cared for him and protected him constantly, because he could not see to do these things for himself.  Imagine that burden, and the freedom of it being lifted.

Secondly, let's just focus on what this all really means on the simplest plane possible.  He found a man that could not see.  A man.  That could not see.  The man was blind... and could not see.  And Jesus found this man, and opened his eyes, literally, for the first time.  Hmm...

Before I go too deep into that, though, I must back up a step.  There is a purpose to this, as I said before, and that purpose is the glorification of the Father, through the Sign performed by the Son.  One man will be blessed with an unthinkable gift, and that man will sing praises to the Father for the rest of his life.  From this man, a community will see that they, too, need their eyes opened... even if it is more figurative than literal.  From that community, who knows what could happen?  Maybe one day, a couple thousand years later, some guy will be typing about it as being one of the clear Signs that point to Jesus' Divinity.  Anything could happen.

Expanding on that purpose, we have to look at the question the 12 asked about where the sin came from.  These men have a misinterpreted view of things, always assuming that God is issuing punitive things for sins of the family or for sins of the person.  Naturally, as this man's parents are human, they are sinners.  Further, as this man was conceived in sin, and born into a sin nature, he, too, is a sinner.  What the 12 don't see, though, is that this man was born blind and allowed to live blind so that the Sign to come in his life would be that much more powerful... not only for him, but for those who know him, as well. 

God bless you all!!!

Monday, April 16, 2012

The fifth Sign... an addendum...

One thing I left out about this Sign is that there are only two people in the history of history who have ever walked on water.  Jesus is the first, and Peter would be the second.  No one else, ever, has been able to pull it off... ever.

There are people who will question that last statement, citing that the possibility exists that it just wasn't recorded, and that is possible.  However, the real truth is that if it were of importance (and walking on water certainly is important), it would be written down.  Let me say that again, so that there can be no possibility of miscommunication: if it mattered, and if we were supposed to know it, God would have included it.

Further, to show the ability to have control over the elements and nature is one of the most powerful Signs performed.  Jesus does this twice by both walking on the water here, and calming the storm with only His voice (Matthew 8:23, Mark 4:35, Luke 8:22) and no other effort.  Since this is a fairly significant Sign that He is Messiah, if it had happened multiple times with multiple people, it would be written down that way... even if they were nameless.  The healings are innumerable, and the feedings almost impossible to capture in scope, because we need healing and we need feeding, and we need both from Him alone!

I would also like for you to consider who this Sign is really about.  Think about the 12, all in the boat, and the one stand-out of the bunch, Peter, is the one bold enough to test Christ in this way.  Peter is the one to walk on the water, and Peter is the one who begins to sink from his own fear and doubt.  Peter is the one who will later boast that he needs no foot washing from Christ, and that he would never deny the Messiah.  Of course, we know that he denies Christ three times, and that he learns why the foot-washing was needed and subsequently asks for a head-to-toe bath.  This object lesson in faith and focus, in keeping your eyes on Jesus and nothing else, was huge for Peter.  In Matthew, Peter climbs back into the boat exclaiming that clearly, Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah.  Would you have any more doubts after experiencing that?

While considering that, though, know that Christ could have asked them to all come out of the boat, but He did not.  Christ could've walked out when they were close enough to shore for people to see and witness this amazing work, but He didn't.  He could've done it during the day, with no storm around Him, but He didn't.  He could've had the man at the pool go stand on the pool water, but He didn't.  He could have just changed the laws of physics so that everyone could have the experience Peter had, but He didn't.  Christ could also appear before you today, and tell you to walk across water to Him, but that is not likely, either.  This experience was for a single purpose, and that purpose was to strengthen Peter... by making Peter cry out to Jesus for aid!

In that way, still considering who the message here is for, I would ask that you broaden your mind and think of the billions of people who have heard this Sign talked about, and then recognize that we all need to come to the point of crying out to Jesus for help, just as Peter did.  We all need to hear this story of how personally Jesus cared for this one man, one of the 12, and how He reached down and pulled Peter up above the waves, literally saving his life.  (One could almost call this a baptism of sorts.)  That shows Christ's love and personal care for the individual, and it is amazing!

So who is it about?  Clearly, it's about Jesus, just like everything else in the Bible, the world, the universe are all about Jesus.  But before you start to wonder, with respect to this or any other Sign you may read about, if there is more to it, please know that if there were, it would be written down.  If it's not written down yet, then we are simply incapable of grasping it now, or aren't supposed to know it this side of Heaven.

God bless you all!!!

The fifth Sign... part 3...

I told you that the best part was still to come, and we arrive at it now.  As we've gone through each Sign prior, we have paid close attention to the words that Jesus spoke, and this occasion will be no different.  These 12 men, frightened and alone, witnessing something miraculous and wonderful, are all about to hear some of the most powerful words in all of time and creation.

"But He said to them, 'It is I.  Don't be afraid!'  Then they were willing to take Him on board, and at once the boat was at the shore where they were heading."
John 6:20-21, HCSB

Don't be afraid... how many times in your life has someone, regardless of who they are or what place they held in your life, insisted that you not be afraid?  Parents do this when their children have nightmares, friends do this before auditions and try-outs for performance-based activities, and older siblings reassure younger ones.  I recall a time when I was roughly eight, and I did my best to alleviate my younger brother's fear of both thunder and lightning (he was 4 at the time) by telling him that the thunder was angels bowling, and that the lightning is God taking pictures of us.  That worked until a bolt struck the tree two feet from out bedroom window during a hurricane, but the message that followed that fearful moment remained the same... don't be afraid.

People also use many tactics to keep themselves from having fear, including the use of statistics.  Had I known this approach at the time, I might have told my little brother that he had far less chance of being struck by lightning than he thought possible.  And folks today prefer to fly, "because statistics show that you are ___% more likely to have a major accident in a car than in the air."  This applies to everything in our lives today, and we all do it at some point.  We all rationalize the fear within, whether large or small, and find something to compare it to, so that we will be able to manage it into a box.  

But this wasn't possible for the 12.

You see, as I so cleverly pointed out earlier (please note the sarcasm there), people don't walk on water.  It just does not happen.  And there isn't a single thing in the world that can compare to a man walking three to four miles out into the sea, ON THE WATER.  Mark 6:48 points out that they "were terrified" at the sight of Him, and that they thought for sure He was a ghost.  Matthew 14:26 shows that they actually exclaimed openly that they feared He was a ghost, and then Peter got really bold and tested Him.  Peter asks to be called out onto the water, because if it is Christ, the Peter should be able to walk on the water, too.  

"'Come!' He said.  And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water and came toward Jesus.  But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid.  And beginning to sink he cried out, 'Lord, save me!'"
Matthew 14:29-30, HCSB

Peter gets bold, asks to be called out, steps onto the sea and begins to walk on the water.  No other human being alive ever experienced so personal a moment if learning, I think, than this one.  Standing in the power of Christ alone, literally doing the impossible, and then doubting... and sinking... and crying out to Christ, knowing that only He can save.  Only He can deliver.  Only He is able and more than able to overcome.  How humbling this must have been for Peter!  Also, how powerful must the storm have been, given that Peter could literally see the strength of the wind, in the middle of the night, while exhausted... and that view must have been enough to inspire true terror, otherwise, he wouldn't have looked away from Jesus.

Back to John, though, it says that they "were willing" to take Him into the boat.  Willing?  Really?  But their willingness to do so comes from the words spoken by the Word, "Don't be afraid!"  His speech, with all the power of Heaven, probably had the capability to shatter whole planets, if He yelled loudly enough, yet was so soothing, even in the middle of such a great tempest, that it would calm the nerves and reassure the person entirely.

Then, and here's where we will gain a TON of perspective, He steps into the boat and "at once" they were at their destination.  At once!  There was no further travel time, no additional work, no nothing... except the presence of Christ, and they arrived.  I wonder to myself, "Self, if one were willing to take Christ into him or herself, even in the middle of great trials, would that one be also immediately delivered to the destination?"  In a manner of speaking, yes.  Salvation and eternal life in Heaven with the Father is the destination, and bringing Christ into the boat with us (into our hearts) delivers us there... even if we don't currently see or understand how to see it.

God bless you all!!!

Friday, April 13, 2012

The fifth Sign... part 2...

I mentioned that there was impending danger, and that Jesus sent the 12 ahead of Him.  Clearly, as Crist is omnipotent, He knew what was to come for the ride across the sea, but He sent them ahead anyway.  I believe, and I would openly teach, that after their object lesson in the fourth Sign, this coming lesson was necessary in the type of delivery, so that one point could be cemented for them: Christ is all they need.

"Then a high wind arose, and the sea began to churn.  After they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea.  He was coming near the boat, and they were afraid."
John 6:18-19, HCSB

Again we need to establish some mood guidelines, because otherwise this won't make sense.  I would categorize the 12 as feeling an immense amount of embarrassmnet, added to physical fatigue, and now as a storm approaches them in the middle of the water, you can throw in a helping of true-blue fear.  Exhaustion, as we know, can have an adverse effect on lots of things, and fear is one of them.  When tired, everything becomes a little more frightening.  Now imagine the aforementioned embarrassment feeding both of those at once, and you've got yourself a hat trick of trouble within yourself.

A point I will make from one song is that Christ, being fully God, has the ability at all time to calm and still the storms in our lives.  Personally, I am thankful for those storms and tempests and typhoons He has caused to dissipate in my life.  However, pulling from the same song, He also has the ability to calm the person in the storm, without calming the storm itself.  The lyric goes, "Sometimes He calms the storm with a whispered, 'Peace, be still.'  He can settle any sea, but it doesn't mean He will.  Sometimes He holds us close, and lets the wind and waves go wild.  Sometimes He calms the storm, and other times He calms His child."*  This is the level of power that is held, and the level of understanding as to which one needs to be calmed, and which one needs to run free for the moment, in this moment, for God's purpose.

The 12, scared, tired, and trying to make sense of it all, look up and "saw Jesus walking on the sea."  They knew that it was Him.  Note, Christian sibling, it doesn't say that they saw an ominous figure walking on the sea, and it doesn't say that they saw something that looked like it was walking on the sea, it says that they "saw Jesus," so clearly they would have had to recognize Him.  In that moment, the first time I read this, I was confused as to why they were not relieved that it was Christ coming to them.  Then it hit me... people don't walk on water (I know, stellar deduction, right?)! 

Back to the mood we're building, they doubted that the people could be fed, and were shamed into acceptance that Christ can do literally ANYTHING.  He sends them away so that He can pray, and they are now struggling against the elements, as well as with themselves and their own doubt and guilt.  And then, the One they doubted comes walking out "three or four miles," ON THE WATER!!!  It's almost as if He's above our laws of physics and gravity, you know?

Now let's put a different look on this, and simplify it a bit... if you saw Jesus Christ walking toward you, in His radiance and holiness and perfection, I believe that you would experience a kind of fear that can only be described as awe-inspired.  I believe that the sight would force you to your knees, cause your jaw to drop, and keep you from speaking... even though you wish to shout praise and leap for joy.  I know that this would be my reaction, which is why I assume it would be yours, as well.  Please notice, however, I didn't mention anything except Him walking up to you.  The 12 had seen miracles performed in His Name (which they performed), and had seen Him do wonderous Signs, and they knew first-hand His power and presence.  But now they are seeing Him, for the first time, holding authority over the elements and the "natural way" of things.  That had to be terrifying.

The best part is still yet to come, but simply reflect for now on the fact that Christ is all-sufficient, and there is no one on earth or in Heaven that we need other than Him.  To need anyone else (with respect to the receiving of grace, mercy, and salvation) is to diminish the power of the Atonement on the cross... and that is blasphemy.  Christian sibling, Christ is all you need!

God bless you all!!!

*Lyric from "Sometimes He Calms the Storm" from Scott Krippayne's album "I Will Love"

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

The fifth Sign... part 1...

Moving into this next Sign, we will see one of the most familiar moments in the ministry and earthly life of Christ.  There is little transition to this from the fourth Sign, because this one follows the previous almost immediately.  The people have been fed and are full, and the 12 have learned a powerful lesson about reliance upon earthly things, when they should rely upon God alone for the provision and blessing to handle anything that comes their way, and now it is night.

Sign #5 - Jesus Walks on Water

You'll need to get into the proper moment and mood of this, because without the feeling associated with it all, you may miss the overarching theme that continues throughout all of the Signs (and all of the Bible, really) of reliance upon God alone.  That key point is not one that can be lost, because it is the one thing that we all must learn, and learn more deeply each and every day, in each and every way.

"When evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum.  Darkness had already set in, but Jesus had not yet come to them."
John 6:16-17, HCSB

In the end of the previous passage about the fourth Sign, we learn that Jesus has withdrawn from the crowd to a private place.  He does this here, not because of oppressors trying to stone or arrest or kill Him, but because the people would have forced Him into earthly kingship... and that is not His purpose.  Their misunderstanding of His Lordship as it truly is would have, in some ways, "arrested" Him, had He been placed upon their idea of a throne, because on their throne, with them installing Him, they would expect their version of justice and fairness.  Those things would not have happened, and they would've impeached, and the rest probably would've played out as it does anyway, except there would be far more opposition, and therefore greater difficulty in bringing people to Him.

Remember, also, that the 12 have been figuratively slapped down for not believing that Christ and the Father could deliver this crowd from their hunger with something so simple as a child's lunch.  They were made to clean up the leftovers, and each cleaned up a full basket of scraps, after the crowd was completely satisfied.  That being said, their mood was probably not one of jumping for joy in this moment, only minutes after they went through and did not pass this test of faith.  They probably are reflective of the atmosphere, actually, in that "darkness has fallen" upon their own spirits, because they doubted.  (From the other three Gospels, we learn that the feeding happens immediately after their return to Christ, and they had been performing Signs in His Name, so to fall from elation to doubt so quickly would've hurt all the more in this moment.)

Jesus, withdrawn to another place in private, is no doubt in prayer.  Night has fallen, and although it is now dark, there are many accounts of Christ praying alone for hours.  One thing we all need to ponder on here is that if Jesus Christ, the Son of God, One with the Father, the Word through which all things were created, needed to pray for hours non-stop... how much more should we?  The perspective here is what is key.

The only other point I would make in this initial passage of the fifth Sign is that the 12 went ahead without Christ... because He sent them.  In Mark 6:45, we see that Jesus told them to go and leave in the boat.  This is most likely due to His desire have time privately to pray with the Father.  And this moment of them moving literally away from Christ is another focal point, due to the darkness setting in upon them, and the impending danger of which they were not yet aware... but we'll get to that later.

For now, recognize where you are in relation to Christ, and make a point to always move toward Him... not farther away.  The darkness that ensues when we walk away (and make no mistake, it is ALWAYS us who walk away, and NEVER Him) is terrifying.  We must endeavor to remain, as Jesus says it, "in the Light."

God bless you all!!!

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

The fourth Sign... part 4...

Jesus spoke over the little amount that was given to Him, and He began to distribute food to those present.  The text actually cites that Jesus was distributing it, which would make this the first Sign that He does something more than speak.  (In the other three Gospels, the text points out that the portions were given from Christ to the 12, and the 12 served the people directly.)  It really rings true in a favorite song of mine, as the chorus states, "Little is much when God's in it, and no one can fathom the plans He holds."*  However, a powerful object lesson still remained for the 12 present...

"When they were full, He told His disciples, 'Collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted.'  So they collected them and filled 12 baskets with the pieces from the five barley loaves that were left over by those who had eaten."
John 6:12-13, HCSB

An old friend of mine, when eating a sandwich from a famous chain that we all know, would always remove the ends.  He swore up and down that he couldn't stand the ends of that large food item... we'll call it a "sub," for argument sake.  Further, my three children refuse to ingest crust from any type of bread.  It is always left behind, regardless of the type of sandwich.  As for me, I'm not a fan of pizza crust, and that bread is almost always left behind.  Why bring this up?  Well, frankly, I know that my family of five is not the only one that experiences this, and there are tons of people who have the exact same habits and tendencies... just as they also have the habit of getting that last piece, thinking they can finish it, and then are unable to do so.  In case you're wondering, this creates leftovers.

Now, imagine you are standing in a field capable of holding 5,000 men and their families, all seated and resting as they are served by One Man and His disciples, all from a single basket which originally contained 5 loaves and two fish for a child's lunch.  All of a sudden, this Man says a prayer and thanks the Father for the food provided, and then feeds everyone present "as much as they wanted (end of vs. 11)."  Everyone eats their fill, is completely satisfied from their hunger... but they are not told that they have to eat every piece.  Their individual eating habits were not questioned or mentioned, and clearly there were folks in this crowd like my kids and my friend and myself, because leftovers were present.  The 12 are then told to go pick up the scraps so that nothing is wasted, and how much did they pick up?  I'll get to that in a minute.

First, please notice that this massive crowd was served by Christ, and they were satisfied.  They got all they needed, and all they wanted (which are not the same thing) from the Messiah.  There is a powerful and interesting parallel there for life, as we get the same things today from Him.  Sometimes we have to open the eyes of our hearts to see the blessings and provisions, but they are there.

Second, this powerful moment was a lesson to the 12 as they were "sent" into the crowd to share the blessing, just as they would soon be "sent" into the world to share the Gospel.  Wow!!!

Now, back to the clean-up, there were twelve baskets FULL of leftovers that the 12 picked up.  Hey... wait a second... 12 men, and twelve baskets of leftovers... do you think maybe that Jesus was trying to prove a point?  Perhaps He wanted it to be them that did the initial serving?  Maybe He wanted them to do the cleaning, because He did all the serving?  Nope.  He wanted them to see clearly, and don't miss this, that God's provisions are more than adequate, more than we think possible, and the vast and overflowing abundance which is offered cannot all be taken in by us.  For their doubt of the capability of Christ to use even the smallest amount of food to feed a massive crowd, they each picked up a basket of scraps... a full basket of scraps.  

Imagine having to be there, cleaning up with the other 11, and then looking over to Philip.  The look on his face as he picked up each piece must have grown both more confused and more saddened, as it was he who first pointed out that they didn't have enough worldly provisions to provide for these people.  He was the one who was asked directly, and he was asked specifically as a test of his faith in the Father and the Son.  Philip's response of not having enough money is a typical one, and not something far from what I probably would have said.  But now, picture answering that question, then seeing the small child's lunch, then watching your Teacher feed this gargantuan assembly from that single basket, then having to pick up a full basket of scrap afterwards... and you are carrying only one of twelve baskets FULL of leftover food! 

Also, there is no mention of any of the 12 having their own baskets to serve the food, and no mention of any other baskets already being there, waiting for the clean-up process to begin.  This brings me to think that perhaps each of the 12 had to take the one basket that fed the people, and each make a pass to clean up.  In that scenario, I can see Philip waiting until the last of the group, hopeful the clean-up would end before his turn came.  I can also see Andrew (pointed out the fish and loaves, but then got all worldly and said that it wasn't enough) going first, because he would've felt bad for so directly doubting that Christ could use that little amount to bless the crowd.  Of course, this is purely speculative, but it does seem plausible...

The major point here, Christian sibling, is that Jesus Christ is capable of more than we can possibly imagine, and sometimes we get the opportunity to be a part of that.  This is one instance where the 12 not only got an in-your-face lesson about the abundance of the provision of God, but they also got to see, first hand, Jesus blessing people en masse.  This was not a singular healing or a disease being cured on one guy out of many... this was 5,000 men and their families, all fed from a child's lunch, served directly by the Messiah. 

That.  Is.  Awesome.

God bless you all!!!

*Lyric from "Little Is Much," by downhere©, from the album "Wide-Eyed and Mystified"

Monday, April 9, 2012

The fourth Sign... part 3...

So Philip sees only that a monetary amount of almost a full year's wages would be needed to feed this group, and we don't have that much.  Another Gospel points out that Christ tells the 12 to give them something to eat, and they were probably a tad confused by the statement.  But then Andrew catches a small glimpse of the way to approach this situation.

"One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, 'There's a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish - but what are they for so many?'"
John 6:8-9, HCSB

Despite the fact that Andrew doubts the amount of provision, he still sees provision.  And for an instant, I think he almost understood... but then the worldly understanding that takes over so many things in all our lives came a'knockin', and all of a sudden it went from there being a provision to the provision not being enough.  We all do that, don't we?  We see that (please understand I do not mean this blasphemously, but as an example) God is attempting to provide for us, but we don't think it is enough to cover {insert financial/emotional/physical concern here}, and we "need" more.  It's an interesting concept, really.

The truth of it all is that Andrew did catch a small glimpse into the provisional power of God through Christ, and he pointed out what Jesus already knew... the boy with the loaves and fish.  One thing I would like to note here is that the lunch being carried was not that of a king, nor was it that of even a grown adult.  This lunch was being carried by and for a child, and in this moment, we see that God is not interested in only using the super-duper mega-minister who has 5,000 hours of schooling and has led "X" number of people to salvation.  No.  He wants, and wills, to use each and every person in the proper time... in His proper time... regardless of age, size, ability, intelligence, malady, etc.  At any point that selection could be upon you to go forward and share your lunch with the Messiah.  Yes, you.

I'm going to go a little farther, though, in that this moment of seeing the child and his small lunch had to be something powerful for the 12.  And I will pose a question for you to ponder: given that all things are orchestrated as backdrop for the glorification of Christ, and that these scenes were known to Him going in, is this moment meant to teach the 12 specifically, more than it is meant to serve as a massive Sign to the crowd present?  They, in fact, would need to carry forward the message, you know, so teachable moments like this one would have been in high demand at all times.  Plus, the people on the outskirts of the crowd wouldn't have been able to see that the boy had only 5 loaves and two fish.  They would only have been receiving food, and not known where it came from.

Most important about this Sign, though, is that Jesus had the people sit, and then He did what He has done with all those before: He spoke.  He gave thanks to the Father for the provision, regardless of the size of the provision, and began to distribute the food to the crowd, "as much as they wanted (end of vs. 11)."  Jesus spoke thanks over what was given, and then started handing out not as much as He knew they needed, but rather as much as they wanted.  The basket became literally bottomless, and had seemingly no end to what was inside.  The same is true of the grace that flows out from Him onto us all!

Give thanks for your provisions today.  The earth and the worldly folks in it may not think that your provision is great enough... you may not think it is great enough... but God knows what you need, and if you are thankful for what He gives, then His blessing will be upon it.

God bless you all!!!

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Easter Sunday!!!

HALLELUJAH!  He is risen!

The LORD is risen, indeed!  HALLELUJAH!

Today marks the single greatest day in the history of mankind, as this is the day we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ from the dead.  He was beaten, nailed to a cross, raised above those who would scorn and mock Him... placed in a tomb that had never been used... a large stone covered the entrance, and guards were placed outside... but today, He is risen!

The joy that today respresents can hardly be captured in words.  Just know that He is ALIVE, and He lives in you and me and all other Christians.  His power to redeem knows NO limit, and He loves as marvelously and miraculously as He lives! 

HALLELUJAH!  He is risen!

The LORD is risen, indeed!  HALLELUJAH!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPzKqsfaeM4

Friday, April 6, 2012

Good Friday...

I'm going to take a moment of rest from the Signs today, and mention the most obvious Sign that ever has existed to all mankind that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the King of kings, the Lord of all... and that begins today, roughly 2,000 years ago... but Sunday's coming!

Picture it: darkness falls at an odd time, because the only truly innocent Man on earth is receiving the worst possible punishment at the time, and the people that believe Him and believe in Him are following behind as Christ is ascending to Golgotha.  He is forced to carry His own cross, and already beaten and whipped and scarred beyond recognition.  He has been insulted and mocked, jeered at and scorned by the religious elite... the ones who "know the law of Moses," and are doing the "right thing."  Most important, though, He has not complained once... because Sunday's coming!

Atop the hill, with nails being driven into His hands and feet, agony and pain like nothing imaginable is flowing all through the body of our Savior.  The weight of sin... ALL OF IT... for all time, from all people, in all categories, all at once... that is the weight of the punishment upon the only innocent Man ever to walk the earth.  That weight, by the way, includes the weight of all that I have done and will still do, as it contains the weight of all that you have done and will still do.  And He serves as an inspiration, carrying it without a sound... because Sunday's coming!

There is a video clip below, one that I cannot take credit for, but I borrowed it from YouTube©, because it is powerful to see.  Please watch, and as you take the time today to recognize just how much Jesus Christ loved you (personally, specifically you), please recognize that He bore this burden so that you could be free from its awful weight.  That is how highly you are valued, Christian sibling... He would rather go through hell for you than go to Heaven without you!

God bless you all!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YByT6wfdhJs

Thursday, April 5, 2012

The fourth Sign... part 2...

We looked at the compassion Jesus showed to the crowd, and now we need to look at a different quality of His exceptional leadership skills.  This one relates to the 12 that followed Him everywhere, and it is something that every great and inspirational coach has.  He seeks the input of those He teaches.

"Therefore, when Jesus looked up and noticed a huge crowd coming toward Him, He asked Philip, 'Where will we buy bread so these people can eat?'"
John 6:5, HCSB

The passage goes on to discuss that Jesus knew what would happen already, and that this was a test.  It is not a test in the manner of asking something like the sum of 1 and 1, but rather a test to see if the 12 with Him (Philip being singled out for this purpose) were able to believe that God would provide.  Wait... that's not exactly right, is it?  Of course they were able to believe that God would provide.  But would they truly BELIEVE that He would?  Like I said earlier, there is a difference between believing IN Him and BELIEVING Him.

Another thing to notice here is that Jesus knew the answer, but still asked the question.  And you think, "Gee, you said that in the previous paragraph."  And I respond, "Yes I did, but it's worth repeating."  The point here is that Jesus could have literally thought it, and a banquet would've appeared with tables and chairs and servants and even the not-yet-invented and currently world-famous fast food menu items that we all eat today.  It could have been instant, and complete, and no work would've been required.  I would ask you to ponder a point, though, that ties to that: "what if the road to the goal were the easiest road, and I never learned what I know?"* 

And this test, as we know from the passage, was not passed by Philip.  He remarked, in fact, that there isn't enough money to buy them food (6:7), leaning only on the worldly understanding that he has.  One side of this, though, is that everything here is backdrop for the glorification of the Father, so the statement that there isn't enough money to buy food for the crowd is an important one.  People who heard Philip say that, and others who heard about later (including you and I) have all been baffled at the sheer amount of money that would be necessary to feed the group, from an earthly perspective.  It makes it all much more powerful!

Next we'll get to the best part of this Sign, but for today I would ask that you ponder on how you think of things.  Approach things like a Christian, knowing that God is more than able to handle any and all situations, and recognize that you (and I) don't always need to understand what will happen... we just know that whatever happens is for our refining and testing, all to the glory of God the Father.

God bless you all!!!

*Lyric from "For the Heartbreak," by downhere©, from the album "On The Altar of Love"

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

The fourth Sign... part 1...

This Sign is probably one of the most well-known, due to its clarity of understanding for all people.  You see, some folks might not ever need wine for any occasion, and some folks may never have a miraculous story of healing, but everyone gets hungry.  Everyone needs to eat.

Sign #4 - Feeding the 5,000

Of course, this story is known to all Christians, because it is one of the ones taught to Sunday School children that emphasizes the presence of a young boy.  Children tend to perk up when other children are of importance, you know, and this particular story tells the happenings of a single boy with a modest lunch, and how he was instrumental in feeding 5,000 men (with unnumbered women and children).  It's amazing!

"And a huge crowd was following Him because they saw the signs that He was performing on the sick."
John 6:2, HCSB

The passage is titled "Feeding the 5,000," and many have agreed that the 5,000 listed are the men that were counted.  As I mentioned above, these men had their families with them, so the actual number of people present is much larger, and we need to keep that in mind.  (However, even if it were exactly 5,000 and not a person more, this is just amazing!)  Christ has just crossed the Sea of Galilee with His disciples, and the masses are following closely.

We are nearing the festival of the Passover, which, of course, dates back to the Exodus from Egypt.  Every Jewish follower during this time headed toward Jerusalem to visit the temple there for this festival... it was a big deal.  However, this crowd has seen many Signs and wonders performed, and they have adopted the position of being unwilling to miss out on anything else that might happen.  Add to that the possibility that each of them is waiting their turn to be healed or seek healing for someone they know and care for, and you have the makings of a true grassroots mob of followers.

In the Gospel of Mark, it points out that Jesus looked upon the crowd, "and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd (Mark 6:34, HCSB)."  The first thing I would like to point out about this Sign is precisely that... He had compassion on them.

Please notice something here, friend, in that it does not distinguish which of the group He had compassion for.  It points out plainly that He had compassion upon THEM, referring to every single man, woman, and child within the gathered crowd.  There was no wrong too great, and no pain too massive... no understanding was too little, and no need was too vast.  He had compassion on them all. 

This brings up some thoughts to pose before us all.  First, Jesus is the One we are to model, and we are charged to love as He loved (later in John 13:34-35).  Second, if we are to model that love, then we must also model His compassion, as well as His modesty and His faithfulness, etc.  Third, if we model all those traits, and we see someone in the grocery store or on the news or at the mall that we would judge by our "Church Standards" as being lost or uninformed or not worthy or whatever other designation you would want to give it (and we all do it, including myself, so let's be accountable and honest here for a moment), then we should consciously and overtly remind ourselves that we are to have compassion upon that person or those people, because they, too, might be sheep without a shepherd... and we can show them the true Shepherd to follow.

Had these people been sent away by the 12, we would not have seen this Sign.  However, that will be our next focal point.  For now, think on the level of compassion you portray to those around you.  Realize that some in this crowd were following from belief and worship, but some were following hoping to see another healing, as though Christ was a simple street magician.  Yet He had compassion on all of them, regardless, and showed them all the exact same level of grace... do we do the same?

God bless you all!!!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Between 3 and 4...

Three of the seven Signs are complete, and after the healing of the man at Bethesda, the restored man was given a powerful blessing from Christ.  The man was told (paraphrased) that he should go forth in life, and don't sin any more.  Jesus Christ told this man, face to face, (again paraphrasing) "I have healed you from your illness, as well as from your sin... go from this place, both physical location and linear point in your life, and look to the future with expectancy as you lead a life free of wrong-doing, a life dedicated to the Father who sent Me to heal you... for returning to this place, both physical location and linear point in your life (by dwelling on the memories) can bring the risk of contagion by other ill people, as well as temptation to sin as they do... don't do that."  (Clearly, the quotation marks are only intended to separate the sentence from the rest, and it is in no way a direct quote of the Messiah's words.)

Christ then goes into one of the greatest discourses the Gospel of John has shown thus far, discussing the honoring of the Father.  He points out clearly that the Father never stops working, and that as long as the Father is working, the Son will be working.  There is no division.  And while the Jews were seeking to persecute Jesus for healing on the Sabbath, they also attempted to call Him a blasphemer for stating that God is His Father.  In this passage, we see plainly that all of God does all that God does.  Again, there is no division.  The Father gives works to be done, and the Son carries them out.  Nothing the Son does is separate from the Father, and all that the Father asks is done by the Son. 

Note, also, that the Father has "given all judgment to the Son (vs. 22)," which means that when we are called to the judgment seat, and face our own deeds and see what we truly are, it is Jesus Christ who will be looking at us.  It will be Jesus Christ who walks us through ourselves, and shows us all that we have been and all that we have done.  Further, while it is Jesus performing judgment, He does state that He carries forward the will of the Father, proving again that they are not divided, and that all of God does all that God does.

Jesus goes on to discuss that John is a prophet... but even John admits openly that Jesus is greater, for Jesus is from God.  Further, Jesus has been sent to accomplish the works laid before Him by the Father, and He will not stop until those works are complete.  Now, for fun, I want to ask a couple of rhetorical questions.  Jesus is fully man and fully God, right?  And therefore, He has all the power that God has, right?  And if God says something is "done," then is there any chance that even the smallest portion of that something is left incomplete?  And if Jesus IS going to complete His works, given by the Father, with all the power and authority of the Father, then how complete are those works?  How complete is the Atonement?  How complete is the salvation He offers?  Is there any chance that even the smallest portion of anything Jesus ever said or did could be even the smallest bit incomplete? 

We will soon begin the well-known fourth Sign, but take time today to ponder on how truly awesome Jesus is, and how complete all of His works ARE.  He completed all that was set before Him, and we must take the initiative to not only believe in Him, but also to simply BELIEVE HIM, and know that what He has said is true.  He is the Messiah... and no one in the history of creation, throughout the entire universe, can ever make a similar claim.

God bless you all!!!

Sunday, April 1, 2012

The third Sign... part 4...

Okay, so the oddity of the answer that the sick man gave has been perplexing me for a while, but I would like to cover the best part of this third Sign right now.  It wasn't that the Sign occurred (which was excellent, by the way), and it wasn't that a specific man was chosen (which he was, by the way)... the best of this Sign is what was spoken to the man.

"'Get up,' Jesus told him, 'pick up your bedroll and walk!'  Instantly the man got well, picked up his bedroll, and started to walk."
John 5:8-9a, HCSB

I may have made mention of this before, but I would like to be very clear on a specific point of notice with this Sign, as with all previous and the ones to follow, in that it is vital to note that John makes emphatic point that the Signs happen when Jesus speaks.  He is the Word, you know, and therefore He has spoken and ruled on every subject and topic, every issue and concern, every anything that is listed in the Bible.  He is also the very same Word that was spoken into existence when the world was created.  So when Jesus hears the odd reply from the man, including extraneous information as to why he has not yet become well (as opposed to just answering that he wishes to become well), the directions given are all the more amazing!

He just looked at the man, broken and ill, destitute and abandoned at this pool for the sickly and dying, and told the man to get up.  I don't know about you, but I picture those words sounding different, as Jesus speaks with all the authority of Heaven.  I hear them as having a slight echo, perhaps deeper in tone than normal, and captivating to all around within earshot.  The words spoken by and through the Word have to be so unbelievably unavoidable, and there could literally be no way to ignore them.

It is the direction given, though, just as it was with the water turning to wine (fill the jars, draw some out) and the son of the official (go, your son will live) who needed healing.  Jesus tells this man to get up, which is unthinkable to the masses gathered around the area.  However, no matter how odd it sounded, the man got up and walked away.  He just got up, and walked away.  Jesus told him what to do, and he did exactly what he was told.  (If I'm going too deep into that single point, then I'm excited you noticed... because Jesus tells us what we should do through the Bible, but do we do it?)  That man's 38 years of illness and pain and suffering were washed away in an instant, with a seemingly ridiculous set of instructions.  Yet, you MUST notice that it is a set of instructions that this man was faithful to follow!

And there's the rub, friends... Jesus gave that man instruction, and the man followed it, and a blessing beyond belief was bestowed!  So what if Jesus told you what to do?  Don't say that it would be different, because that man was face to face with Him, because it was not yet time for Jesus to be transfigured or seen or known as Messiah, so while the man may have known that Jesus was "considered" to be a prophet and a holy man, the ill man wouldn't have looked at Christ any differently than anyone else.  Further, don't expect that Jesus will manifest in front of you to tell you what you should do or ask you coaching questions to lead you to your own best answer.  As a Christian, Christ is IN YOU, and He speaks through the Spirit to you, and you know when you should or shouldn't do {fill in the blank}, because of the feeling within you.  Yet, despite that obvious clue to all of us, we sometimes go the opposite direction, don't we?

What if that man had probed with further questions about why he would assume that he could just get up and walk?  What if there had been doubt?  I think this man was chosen for the simple fact that he would obey the command given.  Also, consider the feeling of a sleeping limb, and how great it is to feel the blood rushing back into it.  Whether an arm or leg or hand, that sensation is a great one, because you are in control again.  This man, ill and unable to walk, "instantly" knew that something was different, and he made full use of the restoration blessed upon him.  He was given direction from the Word, and he followed it.

I could go into the fact that this happened on the Sabbath, but we'll save that to tie into another Sign a little later... another Sabbath healing of another unnamed man.  But for now, ponder on this third Sign of Christ.  When Jesus asks you a question, will you answer?  And when Jesus gives you instruction, will you follow it? 

God bless you all!!!