John 12:16-19 - Misunderstanding Jesus

John 12:16-19

16 These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him. 17 So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify about Him. 18 For this reason also the people went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him.”

Message: Misunderstanding Jesus

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)." 

What the Lord is Saying: I love the honest reflection John gives in verse 16 to begin this lesson today - "These things His disciples did not understand at the first." What has just transpired? It is Passover and Jesus has left Bethany and gone to Jerusalem. He has entered the city and people are crying out Hosanna! or "Save Me" and acknowledging that He is blessed and Jesus also finds a donkey to ride in on, showing his humility and possibly some sort of completion like in battle of the culmination of who He is. And in this process, "The Disciples are scratching their heads, trying to figure out what is going on." Jesus is doing things. They are following Him. And they are trying to put it all together. They are experiencing Him. He is teaching them. They are slow to get it. And Jesus understands this. He has raised Lazarus it seems more for their purpose and the purpose of other people, that they will see this and better comprehend who He is. 

And then John writes in the future in verse 16 -- "but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him." Sort of "Ahh, now I get it." At the time, maybe they went along or maybe they did things that they didn't understand at the time but still did it. And then later they remembered. 

Verse 17 states that those who were with Jesus when He raised Lazarus continue to testify about Him. John 11:15 says, "that you might believe." Well, it has happened, people are believing. People continue to "testify about Him." The raising of Lazarus has sparked conversation. And in verse 18, "people went and met Him" for this reason of raising Lazarus. Again, more words that speak of the impact of a miracle. This miracle saw Jesus as someone they wanted to know.  

But then the Pharisees who were bothered by Jesus. So we have one crowd that is going after Him and seeking Him and learning of Him. They are pursuing Him and then the Pharisees who are pursuing Him for their selfish gain. They are pursuing Him to apprehend Him and take him out of the spotlight. The Pharisees are looking at one another and disappointed stating, "You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him." In other words, they are saying that they themselves are not doing any good yet. Nothing is changing. People are still pursuing Jesus. In 11:57 they expected people to report Jesus but instead they want to know more about Him. 

It is interesting to me - Tabletalk today has titled this, "Misunderstanding Jesus" but it seems it is more apt to say "Not understanding Jesus yet." There is a difference and that seems to be what I see - Jesus is being pursued and followed but not yet understood. Understanding Jesus is not always that easy. 

Summary: The disciples continue to follow but still do not understand Jesus completely, but one day they will, we know this. Meanwhile, the Pharisees remain bothered. 

Promise: Once we surrender ourselves we will see Jesus. 

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for helping me to understand You. I see my life pursuing You and yet not understanding most of the time and most of the time wrapped up in myself. I think of growing up and going to church as a young person at Heights and going but not getting it. Maybe this was producing in me a desire for greater understanding. And then at 14 you used a movie to waken me up so that my life in You, in Christ, could begin. And since then I continue to pursue You and I am so thankful for that process, to know You more and seek You and try to understand You better and then how I can be present for others. Help me to be present. Help me to see people better and discover them. Thank you for keeping me on the path toward You. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's. 

My Utmost for His Highest - April 11th - Moral Divinity

For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, - Romans 6:5

     Co-Resurrection. The proof that I have been through crucifixion with Jesus is that I have a decided likeness to Him. The incoming of the Spirit of Jesus into me readjusts my personal life to God. The resurrection of Jesus has given Him authority to impart the life of God to me, and my experimental life must be constructed on the basis of His life. I can have the resurrection life of Jesus now, and it will show itself in holiness.

     The idea all through the apostle Paul's writings is that after [the moral decision to be identified with Jesus in His death] has been made, the resurrection life of Jesus invades every bit of my human nature. It takes omnipotence to live the life of the Son of God in mortal flesh. The Holy Spirit cannot be located as a Guest in a house, He invades everything. When once I decide that my "old man" (i.e. the heredity of sin) should be identified with the death of Jesus, then the Holy Spirit invades me. He takes charge of everything, my part is to walk in the light and to obey all that He reveals. When I have made the moral decision about sin, it is easy to reckon actually that I am dead unto sin, because I find the life of Jesus there all the time. Just as there is only one stamp of humanity, so there is only one stamp of holiness, the holiness of Jesus, and it is His holiness that is gifted to me. God puts the holiness of His son into me, and I belong to a new order spiritually.

Oswald Chamber - from "My Utmost for His Highest" - classic edition

- Underlines and Highlights are courtesy of Mom from her print edition

Ecclesiastes 7:2-4 - Mirth and Mourning

Ecclesiastes 7:2-4

² It is better to go to a house of mourning
Than to go to a house of feasting,
Because that is the end of every man,
And the living takes it to heart.
³ Sorrow is better than laughter,
For when a face is sad a heart may be happy.
⁴ The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning,
While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.

 
Message: Mirth and Mourning

Time: Ecclesiastes: Solomon's authorship is not stated. Solomon's reign as king of Israel lasted from around 970 B.C. to around 930 B.C. The Book of Ecclesiastes was likely written towards the end of his reign, approximately 935 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying: 

I became aware of these verses for the first time upon hearing the Choir's Chase the Kangaroo release in 1988. I was 21 at the time or close to it and in college and that CD quickly become one of my favorite music releases of all time. At the time, I was a sophomore/junior in college and I believe I was getting over a relationship with a gal I shouldn't have been dating to begin with. She tore down my self-esteem and although a Christian, the relationship was not good for me. I broke it off with her and she went berserk upon me doing this in the early part of 1988. It was a good decision, but a hard one at the time. Shortly thereafter I got involved with Campus Crusade and really sort of got my life back together, spending time with a new friend, Scott, who really helped me right the ship and get me grounded again in the Word of God. This was the year that Chase the Kangaroo came out. I had always been a Christian music nut, but my early years at Baylor did get me into mainstream music again.

The song ends with this chorus:

A sad face is good for the heart of a child
For the heart of a child
For the heart of a child
For the heart of a child
A sad face
A sad face
A sad face

In the liner notes, it referenced Ecclesiastes 7:3 and I appreciated that. The verse has always stuck with me. It has been a needed reminder in my life that "sorrow (can be) better than laughter for when a face is sad a heart may be happy." Maybe I have had a tendency in life to have a sad face.

One of the dangers about our current lives that I sense is the way we got from event to event, circumstance to circumstance. The instant gratification that has become the norm for us over the last 25 years has been eroding our time to simply reflect. Even this time that I take in the morning is tough. I have little time to ponder as I must get Derek ready for school shortly and get myself going. But, it isn't just having those responsibilities. These electronic devices in our lives mean that we just don't have to work anymore for much. It is a foreign concept at times to really take the time to think about life and our circumstances.

I remember this book my dad gave me about a Jewish lady that spent a year to mourn over the passing of her husband or daughter. I read that book at my dad's suggestion and it has always stayed in my life and thinking. It reminds me of the importance of taking the time to reflect and remember a person's life. We expect mourning to be quick now, mostly I think because the focus of life is so much comfort, enjoyment and satisfaction. Even today, I'm enamored by people that are always happy and always have a smile on their face. It's attractive I suppose. And yet I also wonder if that person is trying to fool themselves that enjoyment is all you need in life.

Yet Solomon in these words gives us the reminder that "a sad face is good for the heart."  Sometimes we need to take more time to ponder and think about life. It is contemplation and mourning that we often reflect on our state of mind and where we stand with God. In some ways that time period after I dated that girl in college turned into a time of mourning. It took me a little bit of time to get out of that funk. I needed to rediscover myself and who I was. And who I was in Christ. I never left being a Christian but I needed to restore my confidence. This verse expresses that the fool simply stays in the house of merriment or laughter all the time.

Promise: I must take time on a regular basis to meditate on Scripture and what it tells us about the Lord and His ways.