Broken Eggs

A Series on the “I Am” statements of Jesus
“I am the way, the truth, and the life”
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
John 14:1-14

[Moses encountered God at the burning bush where the Lord gave His name as “I Am”. Jesus used that same name for himself, thus claiming to BE God. In this series, we’re looking at the “I Am” statements of Jesus to learn about him and about God.]

  

A friend of mine ran the high hurdles in college. In practice, his coach used to put an egg on the top edge of each hurdle so that if he so much as nicked the hurdle, the egg would fall and break. When he had completed the hurdles, he could look back and see how good or bad he had done by how many broken eggs there were.

 

In the upper room story of John 13, Jesus told the disciples that… 1) Judas would betray him. 2) Peter, arguably the leader of the disciples, would deny him. 3) Jesus would leave them, and they couldn’t follow him (at least for now). But all that the disciples heard was they couldn’t follow him.

 

Each disciple had invested the past three years of their life by leaving their job, their family and their friends with the expectation that Jesus would save the Jewish nation, and they would be by his side.

 

Now, they must have felt like the ground was beginning to crumble beneath them; like the hurdles of life were too much; like all of their eggs had been broken.

 

Seeing that the disciples were upset by his words, Jesus further explained that he was going away to prepare a room for them in his Father’s house; that he would return for them; and that they knew the way. Here is what followed.

 

⁵ “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

⁶ Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me…

⁸ Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”

⁹ Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!    NLT

 

Sometimes in life things don’t go the way we had planned. In fact, things go way off track, and all of our eggs seem to get broken. We lose focus. We lose sight of Jesus; of who he is; of his love for us and his faithfulness.

 

When those times happen, let us keep focus by remembering Jesus’ words to the disciples, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me”. And then follow Philip’s lead by praying, “Lord, show us the Father”.

 

Jesus concluded this passage in the upper room with a promise to the disciples, which is also a promise to you and me.

 

¹³ You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. ¹⁴ Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!                    NLT

 

Copyright 2022 Joseph B Williams

 

The Promise

Revelation 21:1-5, 21-27

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2021%3A1-5%2CRevelation%2021%3A21-27&version=NIV;NLT

 

⁵ And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”      NLT

 

Promises bring with them the sense of a new beginning; a fresh start; a new adventure. A wedding, for instance, ushers in the promise of a new life together; of new love; of a future family.

 

We’ve all made promises. And we’ve all broken them. Who hasn’t made a New Year’s Resolution to lose weight, only to give up soon thereafter? Or promised to be on time from now on, and ended up late for your next meeting? But God’s word is “trustworthy and true”.

 

God has made a promise to those who believe and follow Him; to those whose name is in the Book of Life. It’s the promise of the New Jerusalem; of Heaven.

 

² I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”      NIV

 

It sounds beautiful doesn’t it? It’s the ultimate promise that brings with it hope for the future, a new beginning, and a new life. It defeats death; stops shame; washes away guilt. This is where believers will live in the presence of God for eternity.

 

Author Stephen Covey wrote, “Begin with the end in mind”. For believers, the New Jerusalem is the end. So if you begin there, how does that affect your life between now and then? How does it affect you on a daily basis; on your decisions, your relationships, your job, or your finances?

 

God has made you a promise that he will keep. He is faithful. His word is trustworthy. Let’s keep His promise... The Promise, at the forefront of our mind.

 

 

 

 

Promises of a 24 Year Old

Genesis 50:15-26

  

“Debbie, with these friends and with God as our witness, I make these promises to you: That I will love you as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her. That I will take the responsibility of making decisions concerning us and that these decisions will be in the best interest of our relationship with God. I will not impose my will over yours, but God’s will over both of ours. To Him we will both submit that through our relationship others might see Christ’s love. That I will love you, and be concerned for you all of our lives together. I will never leave you, for as God commanded “Whoever I have joined together let no man put asunder.”

 

These were the promises that I made to my wife over 41 years ago. I’m pretty sure I haven’t kept them all. But Joseph lived his life based on a promise. It was a promise that he never saw fulfilled, but he knew that it would be fulfilled someday because he knew that God was faithful. Let’s see what today’s passage has to say about this.

 

First we read that Joseph’s brothers asked for his forgiveness. And what is Joseph’s response? ^20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives”.

 

Later Joseph makes reference to God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. ^24 “Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”.

 

Joseph was 17 when his brothers sold him into slavery. This passage took place shortly before his death at the age of 110. Joseph did not live an easy life, but for 93 years he knew that God was faithful; he knew that God would fulfill His promises.

 

Jesus made promises to his bride, the church. He promised that he would return for her. He promised that he would leave his Spirit to strengthen and comfort her. He promised that he would make her holy without blemish. He promised that nothing could separate her from his love. These promises still hold true for us.

 

“Debbie, I love and need you, but we must both first love Jesus. All these things I can promise you not through my own strength, but through the strength of God’s Spirit, by whom all things are possible.”

 

This is the final paragraph of my vows. Pretty idealistic for a 24 year old, but I did get one thing right. God is faithful, and it is through His strength that we remain faithful, not only to our spouse, but also to Him.