Faith and life meet in a story
Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. Hebrews 9:12
Redeemed.
Not by His teaching.
Although it is profound.
Not by His miracles.
Although they were astonishing.
Not by His sinless life.
Although it was unprecedented.
With His own blood.
He secured our eternal redemption.
Redeemed
Once for all.
Redeemed with His own blood.
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”) Galatians 3:13
Redeemed.
It means to buy back a slave’s freedom.
Only we were the slaves.
I was the slave.
Curse.
It’s not just a run of bad luck. It is anathema.
Set apart for destruction by God.
I was set apart for destruction by God.
Become.
Jesus didn’t just pay the price. He didn’t just lift the curse.
He BECAME the curse.
God’s wrath and judgment against sin were poured out on Christ.
For us.
For me.
Redeemed from the curse.
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12
Last week, we began a look at the seven emphatic I AM statements Jesus makes in the Gospel of John. Each statement employs a metaphor to describe His salvation work. But in each of the conversations or discourses, He also exposes us.
We have to go back to John 7 to get the context of this statement. It is the Feast of the Tabernacles, the time when the Jews commemorated and celebrated God’s provision and presence with them in the desert. As part of that celebration, the lit huge lamps in the Temple court to recall the pillar of fire, God’s manifest presence.
In that setting, Jesus declares, “I am the light of the world.”
Then, Jesus presents a stark contrast for His followers. They do not walk in darkness but have the light of life.
We don’t walk in darkness. Right? Darkness is evil. We aren’t evil. In the big picture, no. If we’ve accepted Jesus Christ then we have that light of eternal life and that can’t be lost or taken away from us. But considering the timing of Jesus’s declaration, I think He was calling us to more than just salvation.
In Exodus 14:19, the pillar of fire moves between the children of Israel and the armies of Egypt, clearly dividing the two. There was no question which side of the fire you were on.
By choosing this moment to make this pronouncement, Jesus is issuing a pointed, convicting challenge to His hearers. That includes His hearers today.
There has to be a choice. A clear, definitive choice. And you have to go all in. In fact, Jesus spells this out multiple times. If you put your hand to the plow but look back, you aren’t fit for the Kingdom (Luke 9:62). If you are unwilling to forsake all that you have, you can’t be My disciple (Luke 14:26).
Jesus didn’t stutter when He said it, either.
If you want to play the “follow Jesus on Sunday but the other six days are mine” game, then you are choosing to walk in darkness rather than the Light of the World. Jesus says His followers aren’t like that. They don’t choose the far side of the fire. They choose light. They choose to live every day in His presence and under His protection. But that means saying no to everything else.
He is the Light of the World. Are you His follower?
Last week: I am the Bread of Life
And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. John 6:35
In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes seven emphatic I AM statements, each employing a vivid metaphor to describe His salvation work. But in each of the conversations or discourses, He also exposes us.
In John 6, the crowds catch up to Jesus in Capernaum the day after He has miraculously fed a multitude with just a small lunch. He cuts to the chase.
He calls them out for tracking Him down because He met their superficial needs. “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.” John 6:26 Notice, He begins with “most assuredly,” the one the KJV renders, “verily, verily.” This is an authoritative pronouncement, not just a casual observation. He recognized their true motivation. It was to have their bellies filled on the cheap, no effort, no cost on their part. In short, they wanted a Messiah who would make their lives easier.
Why do we follow after Jesus? Is it so our lives will be easier?
But He doesn’t stop there.
“Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, …” John 6:27a Don’t spend your time and energy satisfying yourselves. Instead, focus on eternity, on everlasting life. And notice, that everlasting life is something the Son will GIVE you. They missed that. Their next question proves it. “What must we do…?” They wanted a Messiah who needed their contributions. And they wanted to be recognized for their work.
Likewise, we are uncomfortable having our weaknesses pointed out. We prefer to think we somehow earned God’s favor or provision or salvation. Or we believe we can’t hang on to it unless we perform. God gave us one job (v. 29) – Believe in the One He sent, which means embracing our own inadequacy.
What sign will you do, that we might believe? John 6:30 The crowds wanted more proof, more demonstrations, more favors. Jesus tried to make them see the greatest sign was salvation. The fact that a holy God made became flesh in order to make a way for sinful man to be forgiven and cleansed was enough of a miracle and demonstration. They wanted a Messiah who performed for them.
Jesus responded, “I AM the Bread of Life.”
We don’t need signs. Our most basic need, the need we cannot fulfill, is a restored relationship with God. All the other things are a distraction. It’s no accident that Jesus chooses bread for this metaphor. Bread is common, familiar, basic. So is our need for salvation.
Too often though, once we have received that Bread of Life, we become like this crowd and like the Israelites after receiving manna. We become jaded, entitled and unimpressed with the wonder of Christ’s sacrifice and the gift of eternal life.
If you want a God who acts when you snap your fingers, who needs your help to accomplish his mission, which is primarily to give you what you want and make your life easier … you have Jesus Christ confused with someone else.
If we are following Him so He can make our material lives better and more comfortable … we have Jesus confused with someone else.
However, if we understand that we have nothing except what He freely gives and what He gives is more about eternity than the here and now … we might be catching on.
Read the rest of the Seven I AM Statements series
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; Ephesians 6:17
The helmet protects a soldier’s head.
More particularly his brain.
His ability to think, to reason,
To assess and to respond.
In the battles we face,
Our thought processes,
Our evaluations of situations,
And especially our responses
Must be protected by the reality of our salvation.
Christ has won.
God is faithful.
We are redeemed.
Satan has no power over us.
In every situation
In every skirmish
In every full-on battle.
Christ has won.
God is faithful.
We are redeemed.
Satan has no power over us.
That’s the helmet of salvation.
Read all of the Armor of God series
Sometimes the little words have great meaning.
For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:36 (NKJV)
Of – used as a function to indicate origin, component materials, or possession
Through – used as a function to indicate means, or agency, completion, or acceptance or approval
To – used as a function to indicate purpose, intention, tendency, result or end, attachment, connection, belonging, possession accompaniment or response, agreement or conformity
All – the whole amount, quantity or extent of, every member or individual component, any and every.
Don’t just read over the little words…