Stepping in the Light

“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” John 5:39

Jesus had healed a man on the Sabbath day, and the leaders of the Jews were accusing Him of breaking the Old Testament law. Jesus answered them that His Father worked on that day, so it would naturally follow that He would work as well. The religious leaders became very angry because they understood this to mean that Jesus was making Himself equal with God. Jesus pointed them to the testimony of John the Baptist (who they did not like), the miracles that He had performed (many of which they were offended by because they were done on the Sabbath day), and the voice of God the Father that was heard at Jesus’ baptism (which none of them heard because they were not there when He was baptized). Then Jesus suggested that they search the scriptures. These were the Old Testament scrolls with which they prided themselves in being extremely familiar. They were the experts. Jesus was telling the people who had the greatest knowledge of scriptures that they needed to go back and start over in their search for truth. They had missed the main point; they failed to recognize the Messiah.

The study of God’s Word is just as important today as it was in the days when Jesus was here on earth. If we really want to know about Christ, we need to become familiar with His Word. Paul wrote to Timothy, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15).

“And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man’s house burnt he with fire. And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about.” II Kings 25:9-10

For hundreds of years there had been a king in Israel. Solomon’s Temple was the place where God had directed His people to worship for centuries. Beginning with Moses, God repeatedly promised to bless His people and protect them as long as they obeyed His commands. He promised them peace and prosperity if they would remain committed to keeping His law. In the books of I & II Kings, we see one king after another take the throne. The Bible gives us various details of their kingdoms and the things that they accomplished, but the most important aspect of each king’s life was whether or not he led the people to worship the Lord. So many of the kings were half-hearted in their commitment to following God’s law. The Lord often sent prophets to warn the people that they must turn back to God or suffer the consequences. The words of the prophets were largely ignored by the kings and the people alike. The destruction described in the final chapter of II Kings could have been avoided if the people of the land had turned to the Lord. We can learn from reading through I & II Kings that disobedience leads to defeat. The same is true for us in these New Testament times. God is looking for people who are willing to trust in Him and obey His Word.

“In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” John 4:34

Jesus and His disciples were travelling through Samaria. Jesus waited at the well while the disciples went to buy food. While they were gone, Jesus had a conversation with a woman who came to the well to draw water. As they talked, she came to the realization that Jesus was the Messiah. She immediately left her water pot and rushed back into the city to tell everyone about Jesus. While she was gone, the disciples came back with food and offered some to Jesus. Jesus told them that He had meat (food or sustenance) that they did not know about. This statement confused them a little, and they wondered whether someone had brought food to Jesus. The Lord explained that this sustenance they did not know about was doing the will of the Father.

We all have a natural desire for food. There are certain kinds of food that are more satisfying than others, but Jesus was teaching us that doing God’s will is far more satisfying than any physical food. The Lord has a work for each of us to do. Life will be so much more satisfying when we learn the joy of occupying ourselves with the work that He has given us to do.

“And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said, O LORD God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth. LORD, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, LORD, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God. Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands, And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them. Now therefore, O LORD our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD God, even thou only.” II Kings 19:15-19

King Hezekiah received a letter from the captain of the Assyrian army threatening to destroy Judah. Hezekiah went up to the temple, spread the letter before the Lord and prayed the prayer above. Hezekiah approached God with praise and reverence and then presented his predicament. The Assyrians had destroyed so many nations that served so many different false gods that they were now putting themselves above the one true God, the Creator of heaven and earth. Hezekiah did not simply ask God for deliverance. He asked God to save His people as a way of showing everyone in the world that He is the one true God. God answered Hezekiah’s prayer and delivered Judah in a miraculous way. Our prayers become more effective as we align our requests with God’s priorities.

“He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30

John the Baptist had been preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and many people had come to hear him preach. His message was clear and simple: repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Those who believed what John was preaching were baptized. Many people came to hear him, and sometimes the crowds who sought to hear his message were quite large. Of course, John’s purpose was to introduce Jesus as the promised Messiah, the Christ. Soon after John had begun pointing his followers to Jesus, crowds were thronging to see Him and hear His teachings. Some of John the Baptist’s followers came to John wanting to know what he thought about the fact that the crowds following Jesus were growing. John said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” John knew that his purpose was only fulfilled as people began follow Jesus; and he knew that in order for Christ to increase, he had to decrease.

The purpose of every Christian is to exalt the name of Jesus Christ. We should have the same goal that John the Baptist had. We should want Jesus to increase—to have more followers. We know that He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, but we need to remember that He is depending on us to let other people know about Who He is and what He has done in our lives. Are we willing to decrease (to focus less on ourselves) in order for Him to increase?

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:17-18

Most people believe that they are inherently good, and the idea that they are sinners is offensive to them. Some reject Christ because they believe that their good works will take them to heaven, and they feel that they have done enough good things to merit eternal life. Others feel that the message of Jesus condemns their sin. Jesus made it clear in the passage above that He did not come to earth to condemn sinners, but rather to save them. Jesus said that those who do not believe are condemned already. We all are sinners, and there is nothing that we can do to save ourselves. If we refuse the gift of eternal life that Jesus purchased for us on the cross of Calvary, we are already headed for eternal punishment in hell. Believing in Jesus Christ is the only thing that can make the difference. As we absorb this truth, we can begin to grasp how great the sacrifice of Christ on the cross was. Every person is born a sinner. We are all already condemned; but when Jesus died on the cross, He paid for every person’s sins. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me,” (John 14:6). It is non-negotiable; either you are a believer, or you are condemned already. When we see our situation as sinners, it makes our decision to accept Christ an obvious one.

“And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD’S deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them.” II Kings 13:17

As the prophet Elisha lay on his deathbed, the king of Israel came to visit him. While he was there, Elisha asked the king to shoot an arrow out the window. Elisha placed his hands on the king’s hands as he prepared to shoot. As the king let the arrow fly, the prophet said that it was “the arrow of the Lord’s deliverance from Syria.” Elisha told the king that he would defeat the Syrians in Aphek until they were consumed. Then Elisha asked him to take an arrow and strike the ground. The king apparently did not understand the significance of this strange ritual, but Elisha was testing him to see the level of resolve that he had to defend his people against the Syrians. When he struck the ground only three times, Elisha became angry. Elisha knew that three victories in battle would not be enough to completely destroy the Syrians, and they would eventually come back and defeat the Israelites.

We are prone to become satisfied with partial victories in our Christian lives. Winning a skirmish or two against the devil does not indicate complete victory. We must be willing to keep fighting until the war is won. Paul said in II Timothy 4:7, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course….”

“One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.” John 1:40-41

John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness that it was time for people to prepare themselves for the kingdom of God. Many people who heard him understood this to mean that the promised Messiah was soon to appear. One of the people who had been following John the Baptist and hearing him preach was a man named Andrew. One day, as Andrew was with John, Jesus passed nearby. John pointed to Jesus and said to Andrew, “Behold the Lamb of God!” Immediately, Andrew began to follow Jesus. Andrew had been hearing the preaching of John the Baptist and preparing his heart for the coming Messiah. He must have been very excited the first time that He saw Jesus. Right away, Andrew wanted to tell his brother about Christ. Why did Andrew go looking for Peter? Andrew was excited about the coming of the promised Messiah. He was convinced that the preaching of John the Baptist was true and that Jesus was the Messiah. This was such a monumental moment for Andrew that he felt he had to share it with someone, and the first person who came to mind was his brother. It is natural for us to share the things that are important to us with the people we care about the most. Do your family and friends know Jesus Christ as Saviour? Andrew’s example should encourage us to find ways to share Christ with those who are closest to us.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” John 1:1-5

As Jesus is introduced in the Gospel of John, His deity is clearly emphasized. He is referred to as “The Word” throughout John’s introduction, but it becomes clear that John could only be referring to the Lord Jesus in verse 14. Then in verse 17, John uses the name Jesus Christ explicitly demonstrating that he was introducing Jesus as God.

Who is this person that John is introducing to us? He was in the beginning. He existed from eternity past, long before He was born in Bethlehem. He was with God and He was God. This may sound confusing at first, but both parts of this statement are true because of the doctrine of the Trinity: one God in three persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This shows us that Jesus is God. As we read on, we see that He made everything. Jesus Christ is not only our Saviour; He is also our Creator. Understanding Who Jesus really is brings comfort, because we can begin to realize that He knows our needs, He has the ability to provide for us, and He loves us enough to do so. We need to be sure that we recognize Him for Who He is and that we give Him His rightful place on the throne of our hearts.

“And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.” II Kings 5:13-14

Leprosy in Bible days was a terrible, contagious disease. It spread slowly throughout the body and would eventually cause death. There was no known treatment for the illness, so the people who suffered from it were often quarantined to keep them from spreading the disease to others. Leprosy is often used in the Bible as a picture of sin. Thus, the healing of Naaman can be seen as a picture of salvation. Naaman came to Elisha in need of healing. Elisha told Naaman to wash in the Jordan River seven times and he would be clean. Naaman was disappointed that Elisha did not come out and perform an impressive ceremony, and he was angered by the idea of traveling such a long distance to Israel just to wash in the river. Naaman had to lay aside his pride and submit to the instructions that were given to him. When Naaman came up out of the Jordan River that seventh time, he was completely healed! Because Jesus paid for our sins by dying on the cross, we can be cleansed of all of our sins by placing our faith in Him. In I Corinthians 6:11 (speaking to believers) Paul said that through Christ we are washed, sanctified, and justified.