Our purpose and design is to glorify God.
That which Glorifies God is what Magnifies Jesus and dignifies humans.
All this is done through the power of the Holy Spirit. Resulting in Lives Changed By Christ.
Jesus calls us to follow Him.
Join us in this year long study in the Life of Jesus by visiting here or join the email list at
https://groups.google.com/g/magnify-jesus for emails.
44Then Jesus cried out, “The one who believes in Me believes not in Me, but in Him who sent Me. 45And the one who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. 46I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me would not remain in darkness. 47If anyone hears My words and doesn’t keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48The one who rejects Me and doesn’t accept My sayings has this as his judge: the word I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49For I have not spoken on My own, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a command as to what I should say and what I should speak. 50I know that His command is eternal life. So the things that I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”
Knight, G. W. (2001). A simplified harmony of the Gospels (p. 188). Holman Bible Publishers.
Text Graphic
God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.
OPEN:
DIG:
What is Jesus claiming in John 12:44-45? How do John 12:44-46 relate to John 1:1-5? How is Jesus like a light?
What does Jesus emphasize in John 12:47-50? As a last public statement, why is this one especially appropriate? How is it that Jesus' words can either judge a person or lead one to life?
REFLECT:
Where do you find it most difficult to live your faith: At home or work? Why?
If you had to sacrifice social status or certain relationships to follow Jesus, what would you get in return?
How do you let people know where you stand with God?
Most of the People Do Not Believe in Jesus
John 12:37-43
Intro Questions
Isaiah’s Prophecies Fulfilled
37Even though He had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in Him. 38But this was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet, who said: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
39This is why they were unable to believe, because Isaiah also said: 40“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they would not see with their eyes or understand with their hearts, and be converted, and I would heal them.” 41Isaiah said these things because he saw His glory and spoke about Him.
42Nevertheless, many did believe in Him even among the rulers, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, so they would not be banned from the synagogue. 43For they loved praise from men more than praise from God.
Text Graphic
God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.
OPEN:
Are you more like the salesman who could sell an icebox to an Eskimo, or more like the Eskimo who buys one?
DIG:
What are some of the miraculous signs Jesus has done in this Gospel? How do the prophecies from Isaiah 53:1 and 6:10 account for the people's disbelief despite these signs?
What is the author implying about Jesus in John 12:41 (see John 8:58)?
What inhibits the leaders from speaking? How does this illustrate John 12:25-26?
REFLECT:
Where do you find it most difficult to live your faith: At home or work? Why?
If you had to sacrifice social status or certain relationships to follow Jesus, what would you get in return?
How do you let people know where you stand with God?
"Step into Jesus"
“He went in and said to them, ‘Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.’ But they laughed at Him . . . He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha koum!’ (which means, ‘Little girl, I say to you, get up!’). Immediately, the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this, they were completely astonished.” (Mark 5:39-42)
A ruler came to Jesus asking Him to heal his child. While asking, the ruler was informed that his child had died. Instead of praying for, encouraging, and consoling him, Jesus told him not to be afraid, but to believe!
Jesus went to the child, where some people were mourning and crying over the child’s death. When Jesus proclaimed that the child was not dead, they laughed at Him.
One of my greatest struggles is to receive a leading from God and then to step out in faith on that leading. The thought of proclaiming the Word and acting on it brings the fear of what others will say if it does not happen. John 12:42-43 says, “Yet at the same time, many even among the leaders believed in Him. But because of the Pharisees, they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.”
Jesus must have known this fear because He immediately told the ruler not to be afraid, but to believe. The encouragement not to fear was not for his child’s death, but for his faith to believe that God was in control.
How often do you receive a Word from the Lord or feel His leading, but do not act out of fear of what others might think? To do nothing would be the equivalent of what those mourning for the girl did – laugh at the thought that God could change the natural order of this world.
The next time God leads you to step out in faith, do it! To do otherwise would be to laugh at God and His desire to act in your life.
Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
20Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks.
21So they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and
requested of him, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.”
22Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told
Jesus. 23Jesus replied to them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
24“I assure you: Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it
dies, it produces a large crop. 25The one who loves his life will
lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal
life. 26If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me. Where I am, there My
servant also will be. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
27“Now My soul is troubled. What should I say—‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But that is
why I came to this hour. 28aFather, glorify Your name!”
28bThen a voice came from heaven:
“I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again!”
29The crowd standing there heard it and said it was thunder. Others
said, “An angel has spoken to Him!”
30Jesus responded, “This voice came, not for Me, but for you. 31Now
is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32As
for Me, if I am lifted up from the
earth I will draw all people to Myself.” 33He said this to signify
what kind of death He was about to die.
34Then the crowd replied to Him, “We have heard from the law that the
Messiah would remain forever. So how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be
lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”
35Jesus answered, “The light will be with you only a little longer. Walk
while you have the light, so that
darkness doesn’t overtake you. The one who walks in darkness doesn’t know where
he’s going. 36While you have the light, believe in the light, so
that you may become sons of light.” Jesus said this, then went away and hid
from them.[1]
God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.
OPEN:
Are you more likely to panic in big crises or small ones? Explain.
DIG:
What brings Gentiles to Jerusalem during a time of a Jewish feast?
What was so unique about their request that Philip would first filter it through Andrew?
Jesus said several times that "his time had not come" (2:4; 7:6,30). What regarding this request caused him to say that now it has come?
In Jesus' parable (v. 24), who is the kernel of wheat? How is this related to the Gentiles' request?
What is he calling his disciples to do in verses 25-26? What promise do they receive?
In verses 27-32, what is about to occur "now"? How does this affect Jesus? Why did the crowd deny the reality of Jesus' future death (vv. 32-34)?
REFLECT:
In what area of your life are you in denial?
Where is Jesus calling you to die so that you might live? What do you tend to hold on to rather than follow Jesus?
Do you feel like you are walking in the dark, the light, or in some shadowland right now?
============
Living On
Basketball legend Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash earlier this year and the outpouring of grief was great. Ballplayers and sportscasters offered condolences to family and colleagues. Other celebrities have also passed from the land of the living. Comic actor Orson Bean was killed when a car hit him while he was walking. Iconic Kirk Douglas survived a massive stroke and thrived until the age of 104. Action actor Robert Conrad is gone as well as broadcast journalist and author Jim Lehrer (especially appreciated by Oklahomans for his “One-Eyed Mack” novel series). Each death leaves a void in the families and friends. Social media makes us think we have some connection to these public figures, so total strangers feel a loss as if an actual friend or relative died.
Just lately, two fine Christian women completed their life’s race and gained the final victory. Neither was famous or wealthy or influential beyond their own families. One died after an extended illness; the other died suddenly. In each case, death rocked the survivors and initiated a busy scramble to contact relatives and close friends, to make funeral arrangements, to reschedule appointments and obligations and to plan travel. Dozens of lives were disrupted and inconvenienced—because death is inconvenient. In these two cases, though, alongside the grief is a quiet joy because death is not the end of the story and these two women have gained the hope of their lives. They gave their lives to Jesus Christ and He gave them everlasting life in return.
“The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servants also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me” (John 12:25-26 NIV).
We say that celebrities will “live on” in their films, the sports awards and records, the books they wrote and the lines they spoke. In fact, in a surprisingly short time they will be forgotten by almost all but their own families and the most dedicated trivia buffs. Countless lives have crossed the earth and God alone knows how many more will seem momentarily important before Jesus returns to redeem this earth finally. Those who have truly committed themselves to Him in faithful obedience will actually live on—they continue to exist and thrive and act beyond our sight. They will never be forgotten by the Lord they have served through their lives.
Writers and actors, athletes and musicians, all bring us momentary happiness and often a little awe at human accomplishment. None of them give our lives ultimate meaning and joy. One Christian may touch and influence another person to find that ultimate meaning and lifelong joy in obedience and allegiance to Jesus Christ. And that Christian will live on twice: once in continuing life in the presence of the Lord and again in the heart of the one who received God’s grace through an encouraging word. We have no idea how many days we have left in this life. By our obedience to Jesus, we can be assured of living on when this life is past. In that day, we will be reunited with all the other faithful souls we’ve loved and miss—but who yet live on.
============
I love deeper Bible study
Q. What does Jesus mean when He says, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32).
A: Jesus is using a figure of speech called a "double entendre" to emphasize the irony of his sacrificial death on the cross.
In one sense, "lifted up" means crucified--the last thing that anyone in the first century, including Jesus, would want to happen to them. Crucifixion was shameful, horrible, despicable, and unbelievably painful.
In a different sense, however, "lifted up" means exalted, glorified, praised, and displayed for everyone to admire. This kind of thing is what everyone wants for their children and grandchildren. You would think these two senses of "lifted up" would be incompatible.
The irony is that God would accomplish the ultimate exaltation by the ultimate degradation. Being lifted up on the cross for the world to see, in all His weakness and tortured suffering, is what Jesus rightly anticipated would be the means of making him so attractive to the world as a whole.
Such a sight, normally so repulsive, something no one would want to talk about, has formed the heart of God's Good News that for over 2000 years Christians have proclaimed throughout the world.
27 “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this
hour’? No, it was for this
very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!”
Then a voice
came from heaven, “I have
glorified it, and will glorify it again.”29 The crowd
that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had
spoken to him.
Summarize the
main theme/story: Describe the
events of the story in your own words.
· Review and retell the story.
Reflections
for applications:
v"Now my soul is troubled...”
v“...and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour?’”
o“Easy Option”
(Shall I quit?)
vThis very reason
vEncouragement
oMoses
oElijah
Digging Questions:
·How is your faith?
·What do these biblical texts tell you
about God and His nature?
·What is God calling us to do?
Take Away Challenges
·What has the
Holy Spirit revealed to you in this passage? How will you apply it to your life
this week?
·Whom do you
know who needs to hear this?
·What is God bringing to your attention
in this discussion? What beliefs, thoughts or actions need to be addressed or
changed?
Jesus Rides into Jerusalem on a Young Donkey
Matthew 21:1-11
Mark 11:1-11
Luke 19:28-44
John 12:12-19
How do you make your grand entry when you come home: With a silent grunt? A big splash? A hug and kiss? Yelling, "What's for dinner?"
What is the closest you have come to meeting a world leader or celebrity?
How would you arrange for a visiting President to have maximum exposure in your town: What parades? What TV talk shows or radio call-in programs? Where would he eat? Stay the night?
Have you ever been in a parade? What was it like?
Jesus’ Triumphal
Entry into Jerusalem
Matthew 21:1–11; Mark 11:1–11; Luke
19:28–44; John 12:12–19
Lk 19:28–31When He had said these things, He went on
ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29As He approached Bethphage and
Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, He sent two of the disciples30and said, “Go into the
village ahead of you. As you enter it, you will find a young donkey tied there,
on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here [Mt 21:2byou will find a donkey tied there, and a
colt with her. Untie them and bring them to Me]. 31And if anyone
asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say this: ‘The Lord needs it’ [Mt 21:3them] [Mk 11:3bThe Lord needs it and will send it back here
right away].”
Mk 11:4So they
went and found a young donkey outside in the street, tied by a door. They
untied it. Lk 19:33As they were untying the young donkey, its owners
said to them, “Why are you untying the donkey?” Mk 11:6–7Then they
answered them just as Jesus had said, so they let them go. 7And they
brought the donkey [Mt 21:7athe
donkey and the colt] to Jesus and threw their robes on it, and He sat on it. Mt 21:4–5This
took place so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: 5“Tell
the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your King is coming to you, gentle, and mounted on
a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ ”
Jn 12:16His disciples did not understand these
things at first. However when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that
these things had been written about Him and that they had done these things to
Him.
Lk 19:36aAs He was going along, Mk 11:8many
people spread their robes on the road,
and others spread leafy branches [Jn 12:13palm branches] cut from the fields. Lk 19:37–38Now He
came near the path down the Mount of Olives, and the whole crowd of the
disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles
they had seen: 38“Blessed is the King [Jn 12:13bBlessed is … the King of Israel] [Mk
11:10aBlessed is the coming kingdom
of our father David] [Mt 21:9aHosanna to the son of David] who comes in the name of the Lord.
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heaven!”
39And some of the Pharisees from the crowd told Him, “Teacher, rebuke
Your disciples.”
40He answered, “I tell you, if they were to keep silent, the stones
would cry out!”
Mt 21:10–11When He entered Jerusalem, Lk 19:41bHe
wept over it, Mt 21:10b[and] the whole city was shaken, saying, “Who is this?” 11And the
crowds kept saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Jn 12:19Then the Pharisees said to one another,
“You see? You’ve accomplished nothing. Look—the world has gone after Him!”
Mk 11:11And He went into … the temple complex.
After looking around at everything, since the hour was already late, He went
out to Bethany with the Twelve.[1]
With Passover just a few days away, Jerusalem would have been filled with travelers. Jesus makes an entrance into the "holy city" on the first day of this, the last week of his life.
God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
How close is Jesus to Jerusalem now (Luke 19:29)? To what town has Jesus come? Why?
Jesus always does the unexpected. What was unexpected about the way he entered Jerusalem?
What task does he give two of his disciples about the colt? Why? What problems might they have encountered in such a job? What would you have said if you were one of the two disciples?
How do you picture the scene in Luke 19:35-38? What do you see? Hear? Feel?
What were the people expecting Jesus to do when he reached Jerusalem (Luke 19:11; Zechariah 9:9)? How are their expectations different from his? How does this help to explain Jesus' words and emotions in Luke 19:41-44?
Why do you think Jesus arranged this "triumphal entry"?
Jesus comes on a donkey and not on a stallion. What does that portray?
In light of the response he received, what were the expectations of the crowd? The disciples according to Matthew 10:37? Jesus?
What kind of kingdom and king were the people expecting? How do their wishes compare with the reality of Jesus?
How might that discrepancy account for the same crowd jeering and shouting later, "Crucify him!"?
What does Jesus reply to the Pharisees in Luke 19:39-40 imply about him?
What do you find most significant about the triumphal entry into Jerusalem?
I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
What difference does it make to you that Jesus is a gentle King, and not like the one describe in Matthew 20:25?
How did Jesus ride into your life: As a conquering hero forcing you into submission? As a gentle king bearing peace? As a white knight rescuing you? How about now?
How would you have reacted if you had been there to greet Jesus riding into town? Do you jump on political or religious bandwagons today? Why or why not?
Does Jesus humility work for you ? Why or why not?
Have you ever misunderstood Jesus' purposes, praising him one day and despairing the next?
What kind of reception would Jesus get: (a) If he rode into your town today? (b) After the people heard the message?
How would he be treated by the local media? By elected officials? The guys in the tavern? The ladies in the bridge club?
Jesus wept over Jerusalem -- because he would be rejected by the people and because he foresaw the city's future destruction. What person or group of people do you weep for and long to see come to God?
You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.
The Mount of Olives was one of a series of gently sloping hills east of Jerusalem that offered a panoramic view of the Holy City. It took its name from the olive groves that grew on the hill. Jesus began His triumphal entry from this prominent overlook just outside the city walls.
After entering Jerusalem and cleansing the temple, Jesus retreated to the Mount of Olives, where He delivered His great Olivet Discourse to the disciples. The Garden of Gethsemane, where He agonized in prayer before His betrayal, was also located on the Mount of Olives.
OPEN:
What do you like best about parades: Bands? Food Vendors? Clowns?
What do you like least: Traffic? Pickpockets? Tall people?
DIG:
What previous stories stand in contrast to the unity and enthusiasm the people are expressing here?
How could you tie in their hope that Jesus will do at this Passover what God did at the first Passover?
Why a lowly donkey for Jesus (see Zec 9:9)?
What do you think the crowds, the disciples, and the Jewish leaders must be feeling now? One week later? Had you been there, what would you be feeling: Fanaticism, fickleness, faith or fear? Why?
REFLECT:
What convinced you that Jesus is your King? What is the best thing you've seen about the type of King he is?
Is your worship life like a hero's victory or a funeral dirge? Why?
=======
When God’s people are somber and critical, something is missing.
Are you as pleased as I am, when you hear a child giggle?
When Jesus came to his hometown of Jerusalem, his followers laughed, shouted, and rejoiced, and the religious leaders, who had their underwear on too tight, told Jesus to keep them quiet. Jesus said, if they’re silent, the very stones will cry out. Have you ever tried to keep a giggling child from giggling?
Laughter is a gift from God. And when God’s people grow silent and somber and critical, well something important is missing.
Enthusiasm for Christ filled the city. People were pressed everywhere in an effort to see Him. Like King Jehu (2 Kings 9:13), the people stretched out their cloaks in the path to honor Him as King. Like Simon Maccabaeus (I Maccabees 13-51), they cut down palm branches and laid them in the street to honor Him as a victor coming home from battle. This was their "red carpet"
==========================
Text: 1 Sam 16:7, Ps 37:11, Isa 53:2, Zeph 3:12, Matt 4:25, Matt 5:5, Matt 14:13, Matt 21:8, Matt 27:23, Mark 2:4, Acts 14:13, Acts 21:34, 1 Cor 1:26ff, 2 Cor 5:16
A schoolmaster in France was discouraged with one of his students. He wrote in his rollbook concerning this student: "He is the smallest, the meekest, the most unpromising boy in my class." Half a century later, an election was held in France to select the greatest Frenchman. By popular vote, that meekest, smallest, most unpromising boy was chosen. His name? Louis Pasteur, the founder of modern medicine. At age seventy-three, a national holiday was declared in his honor. He was too old and weak to attend the ceremony in Paris, so he sent a message to be read by his son. The message read: "The future belongs not to the conquerors but to the saviors of the world." (2)
Louis Pasteur was driven by a great purpose. Your name and my name may never be a household word like Pasteur's, but we, too, can be driven by a great purpose. Christ can give us that purpose.
------------
2. Edward Chinn, WONDER OF WORDS (Lima, Ohio: C.S.S. Publishing Co., Inc.,
1987), p. 18.
=========================
Text: Matt 21:1-11, Luke 19:39,40
During the nineteenth century it was Chancellor Bismarck of Prussia who entered into the City of Jerusalem riding a white horse. So great were the number of soldiers and officials that an entire section of the city wall had to be removed.
During the first century it was Jesus Christ of Nazareth who entered into the City of Jerusalem riding, not a symbol of prestige of honor, but an animal symbolic of servitude, a donkey. In accordance with Old Testament scriptures, the animal was set aside for sacred purposes such as this.
According to William Barclay, the city may have easily been crowded with as many as one and one-half million people who had come to celebrate this holy time called Passover. Every Jewish male within twenty miles of Jerusalem was required to attend.
What could possibly be more appropriate than a Passover with the ultimate Passover Lamb as the Grand Marshall!?!
==============
Text: Ps 69:9, Isa 53:4, Matt 9:36, Matt 14:13, Matt 20:34, Matt 26:38, Mark 1:35-42, Mark 3:5, Mark 8:2, Mark 10:14,21, Mark 14:33, Luke 7:13, Luke 10:20-24, Luke 19:41, Luke 22:44, John 2:17, John 7:37-38, John 11:3,33-38, John 13:21, John 14:8,13, John 15:10-13, John 17:11-13, 2 Cor 3:18, Eph 4:26, Phil 1:8, Heb 12:2,22
The gospel writers paint their portraits of Jesus using a kaleidoscope of brilliant "emotional" colors. Jesus felt COMPASSION; he was ANGRY, INDIGNANT, and CONSUMED WITH ZEAL; he was TROUBLED, GREATLY DISTRESSED, VERY SORROWFUL, DEPRESSED, DEEPLY MOVED, and GRIEVED; he SIGHED; he WEPT and SOBBED; he GROANED; he was IN AGONY; he was SURPRISED and AMAZED; he REJOICED VERY GREATLY and was FULL OF JOY; he GREATLY DESIRED, and he LOVED.
In our quest to be like Jesus we often overlook his emotions. Jesus reveals what it means to be fully human and made in the image of God. His emotions reflect the image of God without any deficiency or distortion. When we compare our own emotional lives to his, we become aware of our need for a transformation of our emotions so that we can be fully human, as he is.
Paul tells the Corinthians that as Christians gaze upon the glory of the Lord, "with unveiled faces," we "are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory" (2 Cor. 3:18, NIV). The apostle is suggesting that looking intently on the Lord will bring about a metamorphosis into Christ's image by the Spirit. Paul illustrated this kind of transformation in his own life when he told the Philippian Christians, "I long for you with the compassion of Christ" (Phil. 1:8). Paul embodied the emotions of Jesus.
Many theologians throughout history have argued strongly that God is not moved by emotions. This doctrine of the impassibility of God, developed by early Christian apologists such as Justin Martyr, sought to distinguish the God of the Bible from pagan gods whose passions led them into all kinds of scandalous behavior. It is not surprising that Christians responded to the myths of Zeus's rapes and arbitrary vengeance with an absolute statement of divine impassibility. What they meant to emphasize was that God does not have mad, shameful passions like the gods of pagan mythology.
The question "What is God really like?" is answered during an exchange between Jesus and his disciple Philip. "Show us the Father," Philip said. Jesus responded, "He who has seen me has seen the Father." Not only do the emotions of Jesus reflect an essential component of the image of God, his emotions also reveal the NATURE of God. On the basis of our belief that the written Word and the Living Word give us a trustworthy revelation of God, we know that God is emotional.
If we are the body of Christ, created and redeemed to represent Jesus in our world, then we, like Paul, need to "gaze upon him" and learn to experience the emotions of Jesus. Then we can know him, and in knowing him know God, and know ourselves as we were created to be.
COMPASSION
The Gospels tell us that Jesus "felt COMPASSION." The Greek word for "compassion" speaks literally of a sensation in the guts, but was used to speak metaphorically of an emotional sensation -- just as we speak of "heart-breaking," "head-spinning," or "gut-wrenching" feelings today.
For whom did Jesus feel compassion? For people in need: a leper (Mark 1:40-41), a widow by the coffin of her only son (Luke 7:13), and two blind men (Matt. 20:34). He also felt compassion when he saw crowds starving for bread (Mark 8:2). His compassion was stirred by physical and spiritual needs. His heart broke when he saw people who were distressed and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd (Matt. 9:36).
Once, when I was living in the Philippines, one of my great mentors – Phil Armstrong -- and I were watching small children scavenging for food on mountains of smoking garbage outside of Manila. The nauseating stench turned my stomach. When a little boy struggled to turn over a rotting dog to find something under it, Phil's body convulsed with sobs. "O God! O God! Please, God, save these children!" Whenever I read of Jesus' compassion for the crowds of starving people, I hear Phil's heart-rending cry. His compassion ignited and fueled the mission movement he led, just as Jesus' fueled his mission.
Jesus' empathy flowed out from his intimacy with the Father. It was after a time of withdrawal to a lonely place by himself for prayer that Jesus saw the leper and felt compassion (Mark 1:35-42). It was when he was in a lonely place by himself that crowds of people came to him and he felt compassion for them (Matt. 14:13-14).
In times alone with God, Jesus gained emotional receptivity and energy. Out of these times, his vision was clear, his words were empowered, and his touch cured. He created bread, restored sight to the blind, cleansed a leper, and raised a widow's dead son. His compassion was translated from feelings to actions. His empathy was the effective power behind them.
ANGER
Compassion moved Jesus not only to heal, but also to ANGER. In a dramatic scene, Mark portrays Jesus "looking around with anger" at religious leaders (3:5). They were concerned only to see if Jesus would break their rules by healing a man on the Sabbath. When Jesus did, they immediately plotted to kill him. But though Jesus was angry with these religious rulers, he was also "grieved by their hardness of heart." While the cruelty of their callousness deserved his anger, the condition of their stony hearts caused him grief.
Aristotle saw clearly that "anyone can become angry -- that is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way -- that is not easy." That is the challenge before us.
I look back with regret at most of my angry outbursts. But I do not regret an incident at the neighborhood pool when I was ten years old. Some teenagers were tormenting my brother Kenny, who had Down syndrome. I went ballistic -- screaming, scratching, gouging, biting. When the lifeguard pulled me off them, he told me to say I was sorry. I refused to apologize for defending my powerless brother against the "powerful" bullies. But only now is my anger mixed with grief over those who were so stunted emotionally that they were insensitive to the needs of precious people like my brother.
Jesus felt "indignant" (Mark 10:14) when his disciples did not allow mothers to bring their children to him for his blessing. The disciples' self-importance irritated Jesus. Jesus slapped them with stinging rebukes: "Let the children come to me; stop preventing them." Jesus then hugged the children, blessed them, and laid his hands on them (10:16). Jesus' feeling of annoyance with the disciples quickly gave way to an outpouring of warm affection for the children.
In another instance, crass commercialism in the temple inflamed the zealous anger of Jesus and moved him to a violent action. The words of the prophet were like fire in his bones: "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations" (Mark 11:17, quoting Isa. 56:7). ...Though the terrified merchants running from the crack of his whip saw only the destruction of business as usual, Jesus' anger was motivated by "zeal for your house" (John 2:17, quoting Ps. 69:9).
Recently in our town there was a discussion about building a shelter for hundreds of homeless women and children. A friend of mine said that selfish pursuits were blinding people to this desperate need. She was upset, as Jesus was, that needy people were not being given the opportunity to find and worship God. ... In both cases the origin of anger was meeting the needs of others, and the aim of anger was constructive.
Our anger is often sparked by a threat to our own self-interests and usually results in bitter hostility. We need to heed Paul's warning: "Be angry, but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil" (Eph. 4:26-27). The temple-cleansing story is too often used to justify incivility and unforgiving animosity. Paul knew of our propensity to legitimize our self-centeredness, and so his words on anger are full of warning. Anger is fire. When it burns destructively, it harms and destroys life. But the anger of Jesus kindles a flame within us that warms and restores life.
GRIEF
Take a moment and reread the story we call Jesus' "triumphal entry" (Luke 19:41-44). In Roman tradition, a triumphal procession showcased a victorious general riding in a gold-covered chariot pulled by white chargers. His army marched in resplendent array behind him. Wagons loaded with spoils and slaves attested to his power.
But Jesus rode on the colt of a donkey. A motley parade of peasants and children cheered him on his way as their long-awaited king. And the emotion that best describes Jesus' state as he rode was GRIEF.
Jesus predicted the destruction of Jerusalem as he rode down the Mount of Olives into the city. His words describing the impending catastrophe were hyphenated by sobs. He wept, he wailed with grief over the coming desolation of Jerusalem.
Jesus also wept at the tomb of Lazarus. Witnesses said, "See how he loved him" (John 11:36). When Jesus saw Mary weeping, "he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved" (11:33). When he stepped near to the tomb of his friend, "again he was greatly DISTURBED" (11:38). When the word "disturbed" was used for animal sounds, it denoted the loud, angry snorting of horses. When used for human emotions, it emphasized the mixture of anguish and rage. Jesus wept. His groans welled up from the depths of his spirit, racked his body, shook the tombs, and echoed back from them. He raged against death, that terrible enemy that had attacked this, and every, family. ...
Likewise, Jesus was "troubled in spirit" when he told his disciples that one of them would betray him (John 13:21). He grieved over this betrayal by his friend Judas. Jesus had lavishly given his love to Judas. He called Judas to be one of the inner circle with the Twelve, to be close to him, and to participate in his work. He gave Judas the moneybag. He washed his feet. He gave Judas the place of honor next to him at the table. He gave him the dipped bread, a sign of love. All the time he knew that Judas would betray him. But still Jesus did not withdraw to protect himself. He gave himself to Judas without measure, and so he set himself up to suffer the pain of betrayal. When Judas led the temple troops to arrest Jesus in the garden, Jesus called him "friend."
The Gospels portray Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane as one who is crushed by a heavy load of grief. He did not shrink from disclosing his deepest and darkest emotions to his disciples: "I am deeply grieved, even to death" (Matt. 26:38). He begged them to stay awake and keep him company, but they "slept because of sorrow." His emotions were too heavy for them to bear. They escaped into sleep, leaving Jesus alone. "Terror-stricken and in terrible anguish" (Mark 14:33), Jesus agonized over the awful choice to endure or to escape the cross. As he wrestled in prayer, he was drenched in his own sweat "which ran like blood to the ground" (Luke 22:44).
Jesus' familiarity with grief should give us pause. Too often we hear Americanized versions of the gospel that offer quick fixes, easy solutions, and suffering-free discipleship. We need the reminder that the man who knew God most intimately and fulfilled his will most completely was described by Isaiah as a "suffering servant": "Surely he has borne our grief and carried our sorrows" (53:4).
JOY
While Jesus was a "Man of Sorrows," Luke also paints a scene where Jesus "rejoiced very greatly in the Spirit" (Luke 10:21) - which implies more than cracking a wry smile. The occasion for this outburst was the return of the 70 from their successful mission. They had been given spiritual authority over all the powers of the enemy and, like a crack swat team, had liberated hostages. There was good reason to celebrate.
But Jesus cautions them, "Do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven" (10:20). No matter how much power they exercised in their ministry, the ultimate source of their joy was to be rooted in their heavenly community: their names were written in heaven. Ministry is temporary. Life in the divine community is permanent. Then Jesus joyfully thanked the Father for opening the hearts of the disciples to see this and to enter into the fellowship of the Father and the Son (10:21-24). ...
On the eve of his execution, Jesus told his disciples that all he had revealed to them was so that "my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full" (John 15:11; 17:13). They should abide in his love as he always abides in the love of the Father (15:10), and they should be one as he and the Father are one (17:11). Here again joy is the mark of life within divine love relationships.
Jesus, the Man of Sorrows, was also the Man of Joy. He obeyed the will of the Father and endured the cross by focusing on the joy set before him-the joy of unshakable love relationships in the heavenly Jerusalem (Heb. 12:2, 22).
LOVE
Love permeated, guided, and empowered the spectrum of Jesus' emotions. He felt compassion, was angry, grieved, and rejoiced because he LOVED. Love is an unshakable commitment of the will. Love transcends feelings and keeps on going when feelings falter or vanish. But love also involves and expresses emotions.
Jesus loved with strong desire. He told his friends, "I have desired with great desire to eat this Passover with you before I suffer" (Luke 22:15). The combination of the verb "desire" and the noun "desire" doubles the intensity in Jesus' expression of his deep longing to be with his friends.
When a wealthy young man ran up to Jesus, knelt before him, and asked how he could inherit eternal life, "Jesus looked at him and loved him" (Mark 10:21). As soon as he saw him, affection welled up in his heart for him, just as sometimes when you meet someone, you get a strong feeling that this person could be your best friend.
Much is made about the difference between friendship (PHILIA) love and divine (AGAPE) love, but this is overdone. The words are used interchangeably for Jesus' love. For example, the sisters of Lazarus sent a message to Jesus to tell him, "the one you love (PHILEO) is sick" (JOHN 11:3). Then the gospel writer tells us, "Jesus loved (AGAPAO) Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus." The point is that Jesus loved in many different ways. All the words for love in every language of the world together are still insufficient to describe the love of Jesus.
His love led him to suffer and die. Jesus pointed to his sacrificial death as the ultimate measure of his love. "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). He asks his friends to live up to that standard of love. "This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.... You are my friends if you do what I command you" (John 15:12, 14). To live by that standard of love requires much more than emotions. It calls for total commitment to give up your life for someone else and to trust in the power of God to keep that commitment. But loving as Jesus loves also includes emotions -- intense, diverse, deep emotions. His kind of love will arouse emotions of compassion, anger, grief, and joy.
Sometimes we want insurance against the heartbreaks of love. The way of Stoic "apathy" seems safer than the emotional traumas that inevitably accompany the way of loving as Jesus loved. But hardening ourselves against the pains of love kills the capacity to love. As C. S. Lewis warns us in THE FOUR LOVES: "To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket -- safe, dark, motionless, airless -- it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable."
I am spellbound by the intensity of Jesus' emotions: not a twinge of pity, but heartbroken compassion; not a passing irritation, but terrifying anger; not a silent tear, but groans of anguish; not a weak smile, but ecstatic celebration. Jesus' emotions are like a mountain river, cascading with clear water. My emotions are more like a muddy foam or feeble trickle. Jesus invites us to come to him and drink. Whoever is thirsty and believes in him will have the river of his life flowing out from the innermost being (John 7:37-38). We are not to be merely spellbound by what we see in the emotional
Jesus; we are to be unbound by his Spirit so that his life becomes our life, his emotions our emotions, to be "transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory."
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G. Walter Hansen is Associate Professor of New Testament and Director Of The Global Research Institute at Fuller Theological Seminary and the author of GALATIANS, part of the IVP New Testament Commentary Series.
Copyright(c) 1997 By Christianity Today, Inc/Christianity Today Magazine.
February 3, 1997 Vol. 41, No. 2, Page 42
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Luke 19:29-44
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TRIUMPH OR TRAGEDY?
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I. Everyone likes a parade.
II. Palm Sunday fulfilled prophecy about the Messiah.
A. The concept of the Messiah has inspired Jews for 3,000 years.
B. The key events in Jesus' life are alluded to in OT prophecy.
III. The Parade unleashes the joy of God's Kingdom.
A. Most parades are fun for the observers.
B. Palm Sunday crowd is unrestrained in its joy and praise. 19:37
C. True believers in Jesus have joy.
IV. The parade honored Jesus as the coming King.
A. We all need honor and recognition.
B. It is appropriate to honor Jesus. Rev 5:12
C. If we honor him, he will honor us.
V. All parades come to an end.
A. There is often a letdown afterwards.
B. Many of those at Palm Sunday were superficial.
C. Do you recognize God's coming?
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Text: Luke 19:35-41, John 12:12-16
Desert Storm parade in New York City:
Celeste and I wanted to experience a NYC ticker tape parade.
When Desert Storm veterans were honored, we went with girls.
To avoid congestion we took a bus.
The streets were so crowded we were flat against a building,
actually inside a entryway.
This turned out to be a good thing.
When the troops came marching up, the crowd went wild.
Cartons of paper and confetti were tossed out of windows.
They even threw real ticker tape, imported from Connecticut.
They also threw stones, coins and small pieces of lumber, which
is why we were glad we were in a doorway.
We never saw the soldiers.
There was a glimpse of helmets, and a Patriot missile poked up.
But the energy and joy was a sight to remember forever.
