Wednesday, March 27, 2013 -- What Do We Do With Jesus? (3)
Wednesday March 27, 2013
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him. 33 Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me. 34 You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.” 35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? 36 What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?” (John 7:32-36 NIV)
I remember being a brash 24-year old woman wanting to travel and work overseas with an organization who had a restriction that asked for individuals to wait until they were 25 -- and gain a bit of life experience. I just couldn't understand what was wrong with them. I had the training. I had the interest. I was available to go now. What difference would a bit more time make? Years later, when I was responsible for the hiring of various individuals who would come to serve overseas, it was clear to me why the leaders of that organization were right and I had been wrong. I'd seen a lot personally. I'd observed hundreds of individuals come to do ministry only to struggle because they had not had sufficient information or life experience.
How little the people around Jesus knew. He clearly described upcoming events but their minds and hearts were closed and Jesus was explaining things that were simply outside their sphere of knowledge. They asked questions and made up their own answers according to their logic and their understanding of reality but we now know that what Jesus was speaking about just didn't fit. He was speaking of something far greater and wider. What about us? How are we trying to fit Jesus and His words into our boxes of understanding? What is Jesus calling us to as we trust in one who is more than all we know so far? Jesus knew He was going to give His followers His Holy Spirit, because they needed Him to guide them into truth, truth they couldn't get on their own. Will we welcome the Spirit of Truth to guide us out of our small little boxes of understanding into God's wonderful truth?
12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” (John 16:12-15 NIV)
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