Everybody Loves a Parade

A Series on Lent
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
John 12:12-19 

[Lent is a 40-day season of personal reflection through prayer, fasting and giving in order to prepare your heart to celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection at Easter. We will be following Jesus as he enters Jerusalem for Passover, and the ensuing events that led up to his trial, crucifixion and resurrection.]

 

Last October, my wife and I went to Disney World with my daughter, son-in law and grandkids. One of the many special activities that we attended was “Mickey’s Not-so-Scary Halloween Party” held in the Magic Kingdom. It was packed.

 

During the party there was a magical parade called “Mickey’s Boo to You Halloween Parade”. There were so many people lining the streets that it was difficult to see all the characters. After all, everybody loves a parade.

 

Jesus had a parade given in his honor. After three years of trying to stay under the radar, he embraced a public declaration of being the Messiah. He did it by fulfilling this prophecy in Zechariah.

 

⁹ Rejoice, O people of Zion!
    Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem!
Look, your king is coming to you.
    He is righteous and victorious,
yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—
    riding on a donkey’s colt.           Zechariah 9:9 NLT

 

The six chapters preceding John 12, highlighted the escalating conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders. There was division, dispute and unbelief about who Jesus was. As the conflict crescendo reached its peak, Jesus called his friend Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead. Word spread like wildfire.

 

This happened just before Passover when large crowds of pilgrims traveled to Jerusalem. Jews had celebrated Passover for centuries as a way to remember God’s salvation for his chosen people when Moses led them out of slavery from Egypt to the Promised Land.

 

The atmosphere was charged with electricity; with the anticipation of a king leading Israel from under the rule of Rome. The crowds laid their palm branches and cloaks on the road for Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Expectations were out of sight!

 

As Jesus road the colt they shouted…

 

^13b “Praise God!
Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hail to the King of Israel!”            NLT

 

Indeed, everybody loves a parade. Even Jesus didn’t avoid it. But did he enjoy it? He knew that it was his time. He knew that death was waiting for him. Yet he still trusted and obeyed his loving Father. Why?

 

^2-3 Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it.

Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God.

When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!                        Hebrews 12 MSG

 

Copyright 2023 Joseph B Williams

 

 

 

Jump!

A Series on New Testament Stories
Mary anoints Jesus
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
John 12:1-11 

[Much of the Bible is made up of stories. Stories about people’s lives, the struggles they faced and their faith, or lack of it. In this series we will be looking at some of those people in the Gospel of John. We’ll try to learn from their stories about who God is, how he worked in their life and how that applies to us today.]

  

How do you show your love to someone?

 

In 1984, when my daughter Tara was four, the music group Van Halen released a song titled “Jump”. After dinner, sometimes I'd turn the stereo up real loud and play that song while taking Tara’s hands in mine and dancing around the living room. Every time they sang “Jump!” I would lift Tara up in the air. She loved it! I loved it!

 

Today, whenever either of us hears that song on the radio in the car or on the PA in the grocery store or in the office at work, we call the other person, turn up the volume and put our phone next to the speaker. “Jump!”

 

The story today takes place in Bethany just before Passover and shortly after Jesus raised Mary’s brother, Lazarus, from the dead. Jesus’ good friends are at the dinner. Lazarus is reclined at the table, Martha is serving and Mary is about to do something extraordinary.

 

Keep in mind that the Pharisees have put out an “all-points bulletin” for anyone who knows where Jesus is to report him so that he can be arrested. Because of this, Jesus has been laying low out of the public eye. But now he’s at a dinner in his honor, relaxing and enjoying his friends.

 

During the dinner, Mary takes a bottle of very expensive perfume imported from India. We’re told that it’s worth a year’s wages. Unexpectedly, she pours it on Jesus’ feet and wipes his feet with her hair. The house is filled with the fragrance of the perfume, but the act itself is shocking!

 

In that culture, just to let her hair down in public was scandalous. In addition, foot washing of a guest was normal, but for Mary to anoint Jesus’ feet and then wipe them with her hair was unheard of. Finally, to use such expensive perfume for such an ordinary task is not just extravagant, but wasteful.

 

However, Jesus defends her.

 

⁷ Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. ⁸ You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”         NLT

 

Mary didn’t understand how what she did fit into the big picture of what Jesus was doing. She had no idea that in a few days her good friend would be arrested, beaten, tried and crucified.

 

All she wanted to do was to show Jesus how much she appreciated him; how much she loved him. And why shouldn’t she be extravagant when Jesus was about to show his extraordinary love.

 

In 1984, I showed my love to my daughter by spending time with her; by making a special memory that would last a lifetime. How then should I show my love for my Lord and Savior Jesus?

 

Love God and love others... that will please him. That will make memories.

 

Copyright 2023 Joseph B Williams

 

 

 

 

Josie Time

A Series on New Testament Stories
Lazarus, Mary and Martha
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
John 11:1-44 

[Much of the Bible is made up of stories. Stories about people’s lives, the struggles they faced and their faith, or lack of it. In this series we will be looking at some of those people in the Gospel of John. We’ll try to learn from their stories about who God is, how he worked in their life and how that applies to us today.]

  

Every Tuesday, I pick up my granddaughter at her preschool, take her home to fix her lunch and then take her to her afternoon school. I call this my “Josie time”.

 

We have certain rituals that we do almost every Tuesday. One of them is when I drop her off at her school, I tell the teachers who greet her at the door, “This is Super Josie”! Josie smiles and goes in without saying anything.

 

Here’s a picture of Josie by the door of her preschool classroom. “We choose love”. It’s a good message for children. It’s a good message for adults too. In fact, it was a message that Jesus not only taught, but lived out in his life.

 

¹ Now a man named Lazarus was sick… ³ So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” ⁴ When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” ⁵ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.       NIV

 

Despite his strong feelings for his friends, he waited two days before going! By the time he arrived, Lazarus had died and been buried. When the sisters learned that Jesus was there, Martha ran out to greet him, but Mary stayed back. She may have been too distraught and overcome with grief to do anything but cry.

 

During the dialog between Jesus and Martha, he tells her, “I am the resurrection”. In turn, Martha confesses her belief that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God. Jesus then sends for Mary who is still crying.

 

When Jesus sees her, he is "deeply moved in spirit and troubled”. Overcome with emotion we read the shortest verse in the Bible… “Jesus wept”. Then Jesus follows Mary to the tomb and is again “deeply moved”.

 

It’s in this climactic and highly emotional scene of the story, where Jesus prays to his Father and then calls in a loud voice, “Lazarus come out”! The drama is intense. It’s almost like a Hollywood movie, except its real.

 

⁴⁴ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”            NIV

 

Like my granddaughter’s preschool door, Jesus chose love. He wasn’t a robot without feelings. He loved Lazarus, Martha and Mary and openly showed his feelings for them.

 

What if you or I faced a difficult life situation like the loss of a loved one or a job? Or if we struggled with a mental illness or an addiction? Would Jesus love us? Would he weep for us like he did for Mary and Martha? 

 

Yes. Like Lazarus, who he raised from a physical death, he loves us enough to raise us from our spiritual death of sin. To call us out from our tomb to a resurrection life both here on this earth and later in heaven.

 

Copyright 2023 Joseph B Williams

 

 

 

When a Light Bulb Goes On

A Series on New Testament Stories
A man born blind
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
John 9:1-12; 35-41 

[The Bible is mostly made up of stories. Stories about people’s lives, the struggles they faced and their faith, or lack of it. In this series we will be looking at some of those people in the Gospel of John. We’ll try to learn from their stories about who God is, how he worked in their life and how that applies to us today.]

  

As a teenager, there were times when I would ask my Dad to help me with my homework. Usually it was some math problem. But he wouldn’t just give me the answer. Instead, he would help me to figure it out for myself.

 

I really don’t know how he did that, but he was very good at it. He probably asked me some leading questions that got me thinking a certain way and then, BAM! A light bulb would go on in my head.

 

The story about the man born blind is preceded by the entirety of chapter eight being focused on an escalating conflict. Jesus is arguing with the spiritually blind Pharisees about who he is, where he comes from and who they are.

 

Jesus is pretty blunt! He calls them liars and accuses them of being children of the devil. The argument reaches a climax when Jesus claims to be God. Yet, no light bulb goes on in their head. In fact, they pick up stones to kill Jesus.

 

When Jesus sees a man born blind, his disciples, who during the whole conflict with the Pharisees were mysteriously quiet, all of a sudden ask him whose sin resulted in this man being blind.

 

³ “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.              NLT

 

He then proceeded to make mud from spit and clay, put it on the man’s eyes and sent him to the Pool of Siloam. As a result, even though the man had lived in darkness all of his life, he was able to see.

 

But because he was healed on the Sabbath, he got involved in yet another conflict with the Pharisees. This resulted in him being thrown out of the synagogue.

 

Following this, Jesus sought him out and asked if he believed in the Son of Man. When the man realized that this was Jesus, he believed and worshiped him.

 

Have you ever had an epiphany experience where God opened your eyes and the light bulb went on? For the man born blind, it happened both physically and spiritually.

 

However, this story is not only about a blind man seeing, but it’s also about being sent. Jesus said this to his disciples.

 

 ⁴ We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. ⁵ But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”                NLT

 

God sent Jesus, the light of the world, to bring sight to the blind man. Jesus sent the blind man to the Pool of Siloam to open his eyes. Siloam is a Hebrew word that means “to be sent”.

 

In the same way, when the light bulb goes on because Jesus has opened our eyes, he sends us to share with others so that they too might see that same light.

 

Copyright 2023 Joseph B Williams