Final sayings of Jesus

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Luke 23:33-35 ESV

And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And they cast lots to divide his garments. And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!"

When we are sick, we tend to focus on ourselves. Our self preservation kicks in. We are concerned about our health. But Jesus is not concerned with himself. As he is crucified, he thinks of others. During the most painful and excruciating time,  Jesus is praying for those who crucified Him. He is praying for His executioners. He is concerned with the welfare and state of those who are inflicting pain on Him. He asks for mercy and forgiveness for His enemies.

Who are His enemies? Those who wanted Jesus dead. They could have been the Jewish leaders, the Roman governor, etc. We can count ourselves among them. The enemies of Jesus have one thing in common. We all want our kingdoms intact; we don't want Jesus's kingdom to infringe on ours. We want to be kings of our own little kingdoms. We don't want to live for Jesus. We want to live for ourselves. We don't want to die to ourselves. We reject the kingship of Jesus. Christians know who Jesus is. They know his glory, his kingship, and his kingdom. But we still push back against the King of Kings. We excuse our sin. We still wish Jesus to go away. Wish him to die so we can live as we wish. We are treacherous, like Judas. But Jesus still intercedes for us, those who know him yet still rebel.

Mark 15:33-34 ESV

And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.  And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

It is noon, when the land is full of light and no shadows are there. Yet this day, there is darkness. Darkness is associated with the curse of God. Blessedness is associated with God's face shining on us. But during this time, there is darkness. God's face has turned from Jesus. So he cries out, as an innocent sufferer. For the first time, Jesus is cut off from His father. Jesus takes all of our sins upon Himself. God sees the sin and the Father is filled with anger and wrath. This is worse than death and physical torture. A place where God has forsaken. God is the source of all good things. When we are cut off from this, all goodness will be gone.

John 19:29-30 ESV

A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

This sour wine is a fulfillment. Psalm 69:21 speaks to this. Jesus' life was about fulfillment. This was not giving up. In Jesus' cry, he was speaking as one who had completed a financial transaction. Transaction complete. Jesus has paid for it all. We no longer owe God for our sin. Jesus has paid in full for us all.

When we rejected God, we aren't just autonomous. We fall under the reign of Satan, sin, and death. So Jesus freed us from the other kingdom. He had defeated sin, Satan, and death. This is the finished that Jesus spoke of.

The power of Jesus

John 6:1-21 ESV

After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?"  He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?" Jesus said, "Have the people sit down."  Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, "Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost."  So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, "This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!" Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself. When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."  Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Science has not disproved miracles. It presumes that there are only natural causes. It does not examine supernatural forces. It assumes none. Miracles are presumed to be supernatural. They are God suspending natural processes. The gospels were written within the lifetimes of those who were eyewitnesses to the miracles of Jesus. For more info, read "The reason for God" by Tim Keller.

Our limited power/resources

Jesus' disciples see these crowds following Jesus. The crowd is the size of the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA (full capacity of 19,000). Jesus asks Phillip what needs to be done to feed these people. Phillip says that we need a lot of money. Andrew says that this boy has five barley loaves and two fish. But this is not two nice loaves and two pieces of salmon... This boy was poor. Barley bread is the cheapest bread available. And the fish was probably sardines. So the picture is five little crusty pieces of bread and two sardines. No way, Andrew, no way can this work. Jesus did this on purpose. The disciples wanted to send these people away. Jesus was the one that stopped them.

We often feel powerful, but we are really weak. We are educated, good at our jobs. But our home is chaos, we can't keep our kids under control. Or marriage is struggling. Or we aren't getting anywhere in our job search. There are plenty of things that we have no control over. Far less than we would like to believe.

The abundant power of Jesus

So... after Phillip was done calculating and Andrew had contributed this poor little boy's food. Jesus sits them all down. And the crowd ate. Not just a little, but until they were full. Like a buffet...all you can eat. Then Jesus sent them to pick up the leftovers. They picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. One basket for each disciple. One for each tribe of Israel. Jesus is enough for them. All of them. The disciples were probably humbled. Jesus has enough to meet our every need.

The promise of power for God's purposes

The people wanted to make Jesus king. They wanted him to free them from the oppression of the Romans. But Jesus knew this and He withdrew. They wanted Jesus's for their own purpose. An earthly kingdom. God's promises are not for our kingdoms or our purposes. They are for His kingdom.

Jesus confronts religion

John 5:1-47 ESV

After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.  One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?"  The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me." Jesus said to him, "Get up, take up your bed, and walk."  And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed." But he answered them, "The man who healed me, that man said to me, "Take up your bed, and walk." " They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, "Take up your bed and walk"?" Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, "See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you."  The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I am working."  This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.  For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.  For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.  The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,  that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.  Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.  "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.  For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.  And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.  Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice  and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.  "I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.  If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not deemed true.  There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true.  You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.  Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved.  He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.  But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.  And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen,  and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.  You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,  yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.  I do not receive glory from people.  But I know that you do not have the love of God within you.  I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him.  How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?  Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope.  For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.  But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?"

Jesus confronts religion

Jesus healed the Sabbath. For the Jewish people, no work was to be done on the Sabbath. Jesus clearly heals this man. Then he tells the man to pick up his mat and go home. Did Jesus break the Sabbath? No.

The Jewish people had created a large categorical law with regards to work. There were over thirty categories for work alone. This was the law as interpreted by the Pharisees. The Pharisees had complicated rules and technical details above and beyond the law given by God. God's law was clear and could be further simplified and summed into two commands. This looks very much like the U.S. tax code. Even the IRS gets the tax code wrong and ten percent of the time. But don't consider these Pharisees as sinister or evil. This set of laws was their attempt to be right with God. They wanted to dot their i's and cross their t's. So they mapped out these categories to make righteousness actually doable. They wanted to make holy living reachable by human ability. How do they observe the Sabbath? They avoid work... and by this they extended out to avoid those 30-some categories of work. Jesus accuses them of outward actions but missing the heart of the law. Jesus wants obedience, not sacrifice.

For instance, we may be struggling with a sin. But instead of repenting, we serve or try to be good in other areas. This is legalism... attempts to be self-justified. It makes us rigid and judgmental. We make standards which may not be biblical and apply them to others. We don't love. Instead our technical rules block love.

Jesus confronts the Pharisees

Jesus deliberately heals and deliberately tells this man to grab his and wall home. This was done in clear violation of Pharisees' rules.

How does Jesus respond to their accusations?

Jesus tells them that God, His father is always working. This is because the Pharisees had an exemption for God. God never stops working. God works on the Sabbath as the Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus was claiming to be an equal with God. So the Pharisees wanted to kill Him as a blasphemer.

Jesus confronts Christianity

Jesus tells them that His testimony alone is not valid. So he speaks of his witnesses, John the Baptist, His miracles, and the Word of God. John testified that Jesus was the Messiah. His miracles were done in the midst of the Pharisees. But they did not believe. So, Jesus speaks of the Word of God. He says that Moses speaks of Him. But that they missed the point of the Word. The Pharisees were full-time scholars of the scriptures. But they had the wrong motivation, they thought that the Word was life giving simply by studying alone...This world earn them a right standing with God. Jesus teaches that studying the Word without a right understanding does not give life or salvation. The Pharisees thought that God's law was actually doable. God's law is not humanly doable. It is to show that we are all lawbreakers in need of grace. Christianity is both law and grace. We need to know of our sinfulness as well as the covering that God gives through the provision of His son. The ten commandments doesn't start with commands. It starts with God repeating how He had saved the people of Israel. Salvation starts. For the Christians out there, even if the law did not exist, we would still seek to serve and love God. This is genuine Christianity. Love the Lord, your God. Love your neighbor. We obey from the inside out because of the grace of God in our lives. We obey in freedom rather than fear.

Invitations

For the Christian, consider all these external constraints and how much of your inner Pharisee had been exposed. Leave these rigid rules behind and seek God from whom our righteousness comes.

For the non-christian, consider that the Pharisees who were so in the Word and in the chosen people, so close yet so far. You need to know that you need to be born again. Consider the great cost that Jesus paid for you.

John: Jesus the Seeker, Satisfier, & Sender

John 4:1-42 ESV

Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. And he had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.  A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink."  (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?" ( For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, "Give me a drink," you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."  The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock." Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again,  but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."  The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water." Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."  The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, "I have no husband";  for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true."  The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.  You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.  But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.  God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."  The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things." Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am he."  Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you seek?" or, "Why are you talking with her?" So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?" They went out of the town and were coming to him. Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about."  So the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought him something to eat?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.  Do you not say, "There are yet four months, then comes the harvest"? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.  Already  the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.  For here the saying holds true, "One sows and another reaps."  I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor."  Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me all that I ever did." So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world."

Jesus, the Seeker

Jews hated the Samaritans. These people were part jewish and mixed foreigners' blood. This was seen as a distasteful thing. Jews prided themselves on being the pure people of God. Samaritans were mixing Jewish religious practices with other foreign religions. Jews saw them as inferior.

Jesus asked a Samaritan woman for water. This is shocking. First, the hated between the races. Second, women were considered inferior. Third, the status of the two... Jesus a popular rabbi and this random samaritan woman. Finally, the situation... This woman had been married five times and is living with another man. She would be considered a moral outcast. She is the loose woman in the town. She is drawing water at noon to avoid other people. Jesus seeks this woman out. Her immorality does not disqualify her for salvation.

Jesus, the Satisfier

Looking into the conversation, we can get insight from the content. Jesus talks about water. In their arid climate, water is precious. Jesus is talking about spiritual water. He is saying that our spiritual need is primary. Then Jesus brings up her history, her husbands. Why? Because we drink from other wells... We don't seek out the true living water, God.

Jeremiah 2:12-13 ESV

Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the Lord , for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.

This woman was always trying to find fulfillment in men, husband, relationships. She kept looking for a person to fill her, but no. It does not fulfill for long. She is left thirsting again. She has a deep spiritual thirst. And the only one who can fill it is the God who we have turned away from.

This thirst is suffered by Jesus. This deep spiritual thirst from lacking God. When He hung upon the cross, he said, I am thirsty. He bored the full wrath of God. The spiritual thirst from lack of God.

The ending is this. The woman leaves behind the water jar. The spring of living water needs no water jar. The joy of Christ comes bubbling up regardless. Even if you throw dirt upon it, the water will still bubble up.

Jesus, the Sender

Jesus' fulfillment and satisfaction comes from doing the will of God, the Father. This is his sustenance and joy. The disciples were concerned with food. Jesus tells them that there is a world full of thirsty souls. Being sent on mission is the fullness of joy in the Christian life. A christian without mission results in spiritual indigestion. Go and find the fullness of joy you read about.

The gospel of John: The joy of forgetting about yourself

John 3:22-36 ESV

After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized (for John had not yet been put in prison). Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over purification. And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him." John answered, "A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, "I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him." The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease."  He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

How we often live life

John the baptist baptized in expectation of salvation.
Jesus baptized into salvation. Salvation is here. John's followers see the growing popularity of Jesus. This passage shows our hearts. We are jealous of the rising star next to us. We are threatened and unsettled.

How do we react?
     The weeper - we get depressed
     The worker - we work harder
     Whatever - we get bitter & angry

How we should live life

John is not troubled by the rising star, Jesus. He is overjoyed. Why? John had the right perspective. Jesus is not just a competitor, he is the Savior. John is who he is because God gave it to him. Jesus, however, is the Son of God. Prophets of old experienced the Holy Spirit in short durations. It came and went. Jesus gives the Spirit as He wishes, He commands it as God. He is above all things. John calls himself the best man. Jesus is the groom and the church is his bride. John is here to make the groom look great. The wedding is not about us. It is about Jesus. When we are asked to wear the most horrendous tux, we do it. Why? So that the groom has the best day ever!

Fuel for living

In John's reaction is no bitterness, no sadness, no need to justify himself. He says that he is happy to be forgotten and to be losing disciples/followers. Why? Because Christ lowered himself so that we could be lifted up. So that we could be heirs to the kingdom of God. We are motivated not to measure up but rather because Jesus made the measure for us. Jesus has come to bring us salvation, life, joy... everything that we need. We have worth because of Christ, not anything that we have done or earned.

Results of the love of Christ
     We become absolutely SECURE.
     We become SELF-FORGETFUL.

The Gospel of John: "New Life"

John 2:23-3:21 ESV

Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus  by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him." Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."  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?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, "You must be born again."  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."  Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?  Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?  No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,  that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.  "For God so loved the world,  that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.  And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.  But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God."

Rev. Dwight Yoo

There were many followers of Jesus, but Jesus had not chosen them. They saw the signs, but they were self-deceived. They claim to follow Him, but they will not enter the kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 7:21) It is possible to serve, to go through all the motions, yet not have faith that leads to salvation.

      Nature of salvation

Nicodemus comes to Jesus. He comes under cover of night to meet Him. Jesus is a mystery. Nicodemus thinks that Jesus had legitimacy, but what is going on... Nicodemus is an expert of the law, the word of God. But for all this spiritual resume, Jesus tells him that he needs to be born again. Nick does not have salvation... He had faith, but not saving faith. God has to save us. (Ezekiel 36:25-28) Nick believed that being Jewish was enough for salvation. The transformation of lives is the work of the Spirit. It is God saving us, but us working to be saved.

Responses to the nature of salvation
   Humility
   Hopefulness
   Hunger for God
   Holiness

     Exclusiveness and inclusiveness of Salvation

Jesus speaks of things that are clearly disclosed in the word. Nick should have known them. Nick was an expert in the word of God. Jesus speaks of the word of God as an expert. In much the same way, Jesus speaks of heaven as an expert. He knows both intimately because they are ingrained in Him. Jesus says he is the only way. It is an exclusive claim. Yet it is very inclusive, Jesus died for those who hated Him, prayed and loved those who were killing Him. Not only that, but we do literally nothing to save ourselves. We cannot save ourselves. Yet Jesus welcomes all who would repent and trust in Him. He is radically inclusive.

     The Wonder of God's love

God loves the world. This is not just speaking of the expanse of His love. The world hates God. Yet God loves intensely, He chases after those who wish Him dead. The intensity of love that God has for the son is unimaginable. The rending of the heart of a fathers' heart is truly unimaginable.  To send His son after those who hate Him and His own. This is the price that God paid for our salvation willingly.

The cleaning & meaning of the Temple

John 2:13-22 ESV

The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, "Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade."  His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will consume me." So the Jews said to him, "What sign do you show us for doing these things?" Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."  The Jews then said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?" But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Jesus is not Mister Rogers. Some of us are not comfortable with this. We may be tempted to gloss over this passage, but this is wrong. We cannot just accept the parts of Jesus that we like. We need to be confronted by the Jesus of the bible.

The cleaning of the temple

Passover was one of the holidays where all the jews had to come to Jerusalem. They were required to come to meet God.

Not only were they required to come, they also had to bring animals for sacrifice. So imagine bringing animals to the capital from hundreds of miles. So someone had the bright idea to sell animals to the pilgrims... And eventually, animals were being sold in the temple of God. Not only that but money changers came to work in the temple, these were because the temple officials required specific coinage.

There is dispute over why Jesus was so angry. I [Dwight] think that the anger was not about the practice of selling sacrificial animals and money exchanges. But rather the practice of worshiping God. How can one worship in the presence of animals and money exchanging hands? Worship is distracted, distorted, and demeaned. God's relationship with his people is minimized. This is why Jesus is so angry. His father is left out of the picture, ignored. Convenience is prioritized over God. This probably did not happen overnight... it was probably a gradual change. It is a reflection of our hearts. We want things good for us, rather than glorifying to God.

The meaning of the temple

The temple is meant as a place of worship and to bring glory to god. Jesus was to be consumed by his zeal for God. He was concerned with His father. The temple officials were only concerned with their selves. That put Jesus and them on a collision course. So they questioned Jesus' authority. But Jesus replies cryptically. He replies that the temple would be rebuilt in three days. The temple of His body would rise again after death. We no longer need to visit a temple in Jerusalem to worship.

Worship and meeting God requires a sacrifice.

This is why Jesus is called the lamb of God. He is consumed and killed for us. So then we can meet and worship God.

The more you internalize what Jesus did to make true worship possible, the more true worship becomes possible.

Not only does Jesus abolish the need for a temple; he sends out the holy spirit. We are the temple of God. We are where worship happens. Coram Deo.