Overspray and The Son of Man

John 3:1-18

 

At work, I park my car, a 2011 red Mitsubishi Eclipse, at one end of the parking lot, right next to the fence that surrounds the dumpster. Three foot tall poles were recently installed at each corner of the fence, and today - a very windy day, they were spray painted yellow.

 

This was not a light pastel yellow like you would paint a bedroom wall; but a bright yellow like you would use to paint lines in a parking lot. My car was parked less than three feet from the pole. I couldn’t see the wind blowing, but I sure could see where it went by the bright yellow overspray all over the side of my car.

 

Nicodemus was a religious leader who seemed to be sincerely searching for God even though he met Jesus at night so that nobody would see him. Jesus tried to explain things to him. First he told him how to see the kingdom of God. Then he told him how to enter the kingdom of God. Nicodemus didn’t get it.

 

If you listen closely, you might hear Jesus’ voice raise an octave as he seemed to get more and more frustrated with Nicodemus. He even made fun of him when he said, “You are Israel’s teacher and do you not understand these things?” Keep in mind, Jesus was a poor, uneducated carpenter mocking a highly respected, religious leader.

 

Finally, Jesus got very direct. He pointed to himself – the Son of Man. “No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.”  It’s as if He said to Nicodemus, “Alright, if you don’t understand this, how about this? Look at me. I’m standing right here in front of you. Do you get it now?”

 

In many ways, we’re no different than Nicodemus. We’re on a journey trying to find our way. Sometimes we stumble. Sometimes we don’t know where we’re going. Sometimes life feels out of control. We try to make sense of it, but we just don’t get it. Often times, it isn’t until after the fact, when we are looking back with twenty/twenty hind sight, that we can see how Jesus was at work in our lives.

 

We may not know where the wind comes from, or where it is going; but we can see the overspray. If we pick ourselves back up and keep following Him; if we return to Him when we miss the mark; if we reach for Him to hold us in His arms - there is hope. Jesus was the incarnation of the Living God. Let us continually seek the Son of Man.

 

Déjà vu

 

John 21:1-14

 

 

Déjà vu – have you ever experienced it? Here is the Wikipedia definition for Deja vu: “It is a French word that literally means "already seen" and refers to the phenomenon of having the strong sensation that an event or experience currently being experienced has been experienced in the past, regardless of whether it has actually happened”. This seems a little confusing.

 

Let’s see if this helps.

• In 1959 the Kingston Trio released a song titled “Charlie of the MTA”. It was about a man who was trapped on the Boston subway system. No doubt he must have had a sense of déjà vu as he repeatedly traveled the same route.
• Then in 1970, Crosby Stills Nash and Young released an album by the title of “Déjà vu” with one of the songs on it having the same title. The lyrics include this line: “We have all been here before”.
• Finally, in 1993 the movie titled “Groundhog Day”, Bill Murray plays a weather man who, while covering Punxsutawney Phil, discovers that he is doomed to live Groundhog Day over and over and over again.

 

Today’s story must have felt like déjà vu to the disciples as something very similar took place in Luke 5 when Jesus originally called Peter, James and John to follow him. On that occasion, Jesus was speaking to a crowd when he asked Peter to take him out on his boat in order to be heard better.

 

After he was finished speaking, he told Peter to go out to the deep water and drop his nets again, despite the fact that he had been fishing all night without catching anything. Peter argued briefly with Jesus, but ultimately did as he was told. The result was that the nets were so full of fish that Peter needed help to pull them in. Then Jesus told Peter to “come follow me and I will make you a fisher of men”.

 

In the passage today however, Jesus is on shore preparing a nice breakfast for the disciples. Of course, they had been fishing again all night without catching anything. Jesus gives them another tip, once again resulting in a huge catch.

 

Actions speak louder than words, and in this story Jesus is shouting. His message is clear. “Come on guys. Are you going to return to your old way of life by fishing for fish? Or are you going to follow me by fishing for men?”

 

 

Déjà vu – have you ever experienced it?

Has Jesus ever had to tell you something more than once? Have you ever needed to relearn the same lesson over and over again? Have you struggled with the same hurt, hang up or habit time after time? The Good News is that Jesus is always there for us – like déjà vu only real.

 

 

Touched by an Angel

Hebrews 13:1-9

 

 

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”                Hebrews 13:2 RSV

 

Have you ever had an encounter with an angel? From 1994 to 2003 there was a TV show titled “Touched by an Angel”. Most of the episodes involved someone who was at a crossroad in their life. Monica and Tess brought them a message of hope; that God loved them and hadn’t forgotten them, and helped give them guidance.

 

In the Bible, angels make their first appearance in Genesis. Last week we read about the angels that greeted the disciples as they looked for Jesus in the tomb. Angels announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds. They prepared Mary and Joseph for his arrival. They worshiped God in Isaiah’s vision.

 

Angels seem to play a very significant role in the Bible. And yet, I have never had an encounter with one that I am aware of. I have never been touched by angel. Or have I?

 

I grew up in a small town in Michigan and lived in a subdivision full of kids. This subdivision was bordered by M46 on the south side. It was a busy highway and there was a hill that leveled out just as you approached the town. Cars would come flying over that hill just before the speed limit was to slow down.

 

When I was about 10 years old, a friend of mine was hit by a car flying over that hill. A year or so later, I ran out onto that same stretch of road as a car came down the hill. If he had hit me, he could have easily killed me. But he didn’t. He swerved at the last second. I don’t claim that an angel protected me, but who’s to say.

 

Although the passage today mentions angels, I think what is more important is that it presents the character of God. The Message gives us some insight with these words, “God assured us, ‘I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you’”. A few verses later we are reminded that, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever”.

 

Have you ever been touched by an angel? I don’t know if an angel protected me on that highway as a little boy, but what I do know is that Jesus has always been with me. He never leaves me. He won’t desert me. And if you know Jesus; if he is your Lord and Savior; if he is in your heart; you have been “Touched by an Angel”.

 

 

It's Friday..... but Sunday's Coming

John 19:31-42

 

 

Jesus died on the Day of Preparation. This was a special day because it was the day before the Passover Sabbath. “Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down”.

 

Heaven forbid that they leave the bodies hanging on the crosses on the Sabbath. After all, these are the same men who hated Jesus enough to have him murdered. Yet they wouldn’t want to do anything to break their precious rules - no bodies on the crosses on the Sabbath. God forbid you wouldn’t want to have that happen.

 

This whole passage is so matter-of-fact. The Jewish leaders ignoring their murderous deeds but upholding their religious rules. Like Jesus had said all along, they were hypocrites, and their actions proved it.

 

The Roman soldiers methodically broke the legs of the two men hanging next to Jesus. They pierced Jesus’ heart with a spear while his limp body hung on the cross - dead. It was methodical because they had probably done it countless times before.

 

Joseph was a covert disciple of Jesus. He and Nicodemus, who had met Jesus at night, took a public stand for him. With Pilate’s permission, they took Jesus’ body and prepared him for burial; placing him in a new tomb. The whole scene is surreal.

 

To think, that only a few days before, Jesus had been given a hero’s welcome to Jerusalem. Now he lay dead in a tomb; deserted by his closest disciples. All seemed lost. Their hopes died with Jesus on the cross.

 

Years ago I heard Tony Campolo speak at a conference and he told a story about a “preach-off” that he had participated in. One of the preachers stood and began slowly, “It’s Friday….. but Sunday’s coming. On Friday, Jesus died and was buried….. but Sunday’s coming”. It was a simple, but powerful message.

 

You can read the words and listen to the sermon at www.easyrew.com/friday-but-sundays-coming/.

 

If we took this message to heart every day, our lives would be changed. It doesn’t

matter what is happening on our Friday, because Sunday is coming. We may be going through the struggle of a lost job, a death in the family, an addiction, a mental illness - but there is hope. That hope comes from what happened on Sunday - the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 

It’s Friday….. but Sunday’s coming.