Sermon ideas for Easter 6.

John 14:23-29 (NRSV)

²³Jesus answered him, ‘Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. ²⁴Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.

²⁵ ‘I have said these things to you while I am still with you. ²⁶But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. ²⁸You heard me say to you, “I am going away, and I am coming to you.” If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. ²⁹And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.

My text this morning is written in John 14:23:

“… Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. …”

For John, love is the basis of everything: God loves Jesus, Jesus loves God; God loves humanity, Jesus loves humanity, humanity loves God through Jesus; humanity loves each other; all is based on love!

But once again we see another important issue: not only is everything based on love, obedience is also important, for it is “Those who keep my word …” that are especially loved. Love is proven by obedience. Barclay suggests that obedient, trusting love leads to two things:

(i)                  It leads to ultimate safety: Whatever happens in the life of the Christian, we feel safe and secure in the love God has for us;

(ii)                It leads to fuller revelation. The revelation of God is a costly thing and it is for the people who keep his commandments. No evil person can receive the revelation of God. Barclay explains: “It is only to the man who is looking for him that God reveals himself; and it is only to the man who, in spite of failure, is reaching up that God reaches down.”

John Marsh explains: “The eternal dwelling of God with men begins now. Jesus continues that the man who does not love him will not keep his word; so we may deduce, the Father cannot enter into the same relationships with him as with the loving and obedient disciple.”

There are some questions that cannot be answered simply using reason and human intellect. We can only know certain things, the most important things of life, its meaning and purpose, by allowing God to dwell within us and in our lives. This is only possible for those who love the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ and who are obedient to His teachings. Marsh continues: “It would not be possible, indeed, for the Father to dwell in the hearts and lives that did not honour the Son.”

When people totally reject God and close their hearts (and more importantly their minds) to His prompting and leading, God can do nothing for them; in fact the whole notion of God seems ridiculous to them. I am not surprised that people like Richard Dawkins and other atheists find God and especially Jesus ridiculous.

This is why truth is linked to the presence of the Spirit in the life of a person that must be the yardstick: people are attracted to the message of ‘good’ people, and it is only possible to be really good when the Holy Spirit enables us to live the life of Christ.

Fellowship with God and the revelation of God are dependent on love, and love is dependent upon obedience. Barclay adds: “… the person who walks in His way inevitably walks with him…”

I am reminded of some of the hymns I used to love as a young Christian: “When we walk with the Lord in the light of His word … Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey …” (This seems to be a recurring theme in the lectionary because I can remember thinking of this before, quite recently).

Those who follow the ways of Jesus are given a special promise, (verse 23 continues) “… and we will come to them and make our home with them.”

God, in Christ, through the Spirit fills our lives – something we can never fathom – but we can experience it. J C Ryle writes: “… holiness [being obedient in love to our Lord’s teachings] brings eminent comfort with it, and that no man has such sensible enjoyment of his religion as the man who … walks closely with God … There is more of heaven on earth to be obtained than most Christians are aware of …”

If we are not happy, we need to ask: “Are we being holy?” This is a vital question. If we are following God in obedience to the teachings of Jesus, the Spirit will fill our lives with peace and joy, even in the midst of all the challenges that life brings. Ryle adds: “If we want to be eminently happy, we must strive to be eminently holy.”

The Holy Spirit is the presence of Christ in the here and now and also teaches us all things. This is not a one off experience that the disciples knew on the day of Pentecost, it is a continuous process, because the Holy Spirit leads us deeper and deeper into the truth of God. Barclay makes the important point that ‘… there is never any excuse in the Christian faith for the shut mind …’ The Christian who feels that he has got things sorted, and has nothing more to learn ‘… is the Christian who has not even begun to understand the doctrine of the Holy Spirit …’

I am troubled by those who think they have it all figured out; I am disturbed by those whose arrogance leads to them publishing their own personal study bibles and who claim to have an answer for every question. I keep on saying that the greatest threat in the 21^st century is certainty, because it is this that closes the door to the Spirit’s leading and teaching. Jesus explained this as recorded in Luke 11:35: “Therefore consider whether the light in you is not darkness.”

Jesus continues to speak of how the Holy Spirit reminds us of what he said. I know there are difficulties in the Scriptures, but this to me is one of their strengths. I believe the authors of the Gospels were guided by the Holy Spirit to remember what God wanted to be written of the life and teaching of Jesus. I do not believe that complete precision and so-called accuracy is what God wants because it would lead to the very fundamentalism that is so dangerous. The things of God (the things of Jesus) have to be mysterious. We have a wonderfully diverse and rich expression of the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels and we need to help of the Holy Spirit to discern the meaning of Jesus’ message for today. Barclay adds: “… the Holy Spirit saves us from arrogance and error of thought …” In addition, it is the Holy Spirit that will keep us right in matters of conduct as well.

Once more Jesus gives the disciples the gift of peace – the Hebrew – shalom. This is much more than the absence of trouble, it means everything which makes for the highest good. Nothing can happen in the life of the Christian that ever disturbs a deep sense of inner peace – that which only the Holy Spirit can give. I remember this well when I was so ill with a pancreatic tumour. Even in my darkest time, there was a very real sense of peace.

Jesus makes it clear that his ways are not the ways of the world. He is going back to the Father and says that if the disciples really love him they would be pleased. He was going to be released from the limitations of this world and to be restored to his rightful place in glory. If we really understand this we too would be glad when those we love go to be with God. We would be gutted with sorrow, but even in our sorrow and loneliness we ought to be glad that for them, for they have gone to be with our Lord which, as St Paul puts it, is better by far.

This is so difficult. I am dealing with two people who just cannot get over their loss and while I know this theory, their pain is so acute that they cannot hear it yet. Yet on the other hand, another colleague who was devastated by the loss of his wife about two years ago now, is now delighted as he has met and fallen in love with someone new, who was also bereaved a few years ago.  It is difficult and complex.

J C Ryle suggests that this passage contains truths that ‘… no man can understand except he that receives and experiences it …’ but adds that what we can know is that ‘… eminent holiness brings eminent comfort …’ Happiness, joy and peace come from obedience to what Jesus taught because this is how we love him in practical action. We are helped in this because to try to do it alone only leads to failure; and so we are given the Holy Spirit – the Comforter – to remind us of all Jesus did and taught and inspire us to action as Ryle suggests: “He can keep in our minds the whole system of truth and duty, and make us ready for every good word and work.”

What Jesus can give us is peace – not money, worldly satisfaction or prosperity – because these are temporary. What Jesus gives the world is incapable of giving. But it is sometimes difficult to find because our humanity is so weak and frail. 

Once again this truth not to be experienced by our trying harder and harder, because this never works; it is experienced when we try less and rest in the grace of God as we allow the Spirit to fill us and flood us with God’s peace.

Jesus ends with an explanation that he will be going away, but only to return again to be with them and bless them in the power of his spirit and to explain that he was teaching them in this way so that they might believe, because none of these wonderful promises would be possible unless he too was obedient to the end of what he had come to do – offer himself up on the Cross so that the world might come to him.

We can know God’s peace, which is real, deep and meaningful, not the peace of the world, the peace of God that passes all understanding. We can also know joy and purpose in our lives, but it requires us to do something. We need to love Jesus, and this is not some superficial, sentimental experience, it is practical and significant – we need to be obedient to what he calls us to do. When we do this, God comes to us and makes his home within us. Jesus put it this way:

“… Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. …” (John 14:23)

Amen.

Sermon on the Acts reading for Easter 5.

Acts 11:1-18 (NRSV)

Peter’s Report to the Church at Jerusalem

Now the apostles and the believers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God. ²So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, ³saying, ‘Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?’ ⁴Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, ⁵‘I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners; and it came close to me. ⁶As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. ⁷I also heard a voice saying to me, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat.” ⁸But I replied, “By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.” ⁹But a second time the voice answered from heaven, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.” ¹⁰This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven. ¹¹At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. ¹²The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. ¹³He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, “Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter; ¹⁴he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.” ¹⁵And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning.¹⁶And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” ¹⁷If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?’ ¹⁸When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, ‘Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.’ 

In this post Easter season, the Church recommends that the readings from Acts take precedence even over the Gospel readings, which hint at their great importance. Barclay points out that this particular passage is important because Luke, even though he was greatly limited in space, repeats it. At the time of writing, writers were limited to a roll of papyrus; the longest available was about 35 feet long – almost precisely the length used by Acts. Into this space, Luke would have had to face the challenge of what to leave out. Barclay adds: “He must have selected with the greatest care what he was going to preserve and set down; and yet he finds this incident of Peter and Cornelius of such paramount importance that he relates it in full twice.”

It was possible, in these early days, that Christianity would be just another small and rather minor sect within Judaism. All the first Christians were Jews and traditional Judaism would have made them keep this new revelation to themselves, as God could not have meant it for all people – especially the much despised Gentiles! Luke therefore stresses that this is not so, and that Jesus came for ALL people without exception – as Barclay concludes: “Luke gives this incident in full twice over because he sees it as a notable mile-stone on the road along which the Church was groping its way to the conception of a world for Christ.”

Strict Jews, as we know, would have nothing to do with Gentiles and would never have ever entered a Gentile house and would certainly never have shared a meal with them. By doing what Peter did caused an absolute outrage.

Peter defended himself, not by using argument; he simply stated some facts. Whatever his critics might say, the Holy Spirit had come upon these Gentiles in the most notable way – and here there was no argument.

Peter had taken six people with him so a total of seven made up his party. In Egyptian law, seven witnesses were necessary to prove a case. In Roman law, seven seals were necessary to authenticate an important document. Barclay suggests the following:

“… Peter is in effect saying, ‘I am not arguing with you. I am telling you the facts and of these facts there are seven witnesses. The case is proved.’”

The proof of Christianity lies in the facts. It is unlikely that anyone has ever been ‘argued into’ Christianity. Christianity is proven because it works – that it does change the lives of people – it makes bad people good; it brings to people the Spirit of Christ. Barclay argues convincingly that:

“… the duty of the Christian is not to talk about his faith but to demonstrate his faith. It is when a man’s deeds give the lie to his words that the gravest discredit is brought to Christianity; it is when a man’s words are guaranteed by his deeds that the world is presented with an argument for Christianity which will brook no denial.”

My own theology was transformed when those whom I thought I agreed with showed so little love and wisdom, and my then so-called opponents revealed to me the depth of insight and love and grace that made it obvious to me that they were filled with the Spirit of Christ.

I have been reading a lovely book entitled: Rebels and Reformers: Christian renewal in the 20^th Century by Trevor Beeson. As you know, I am a great fan of biographies, my only book of any significance being a work of biographical studies of African leaders. Why I find them important is that I believe the Holy Spirit makes it possible for people to have their lives transformed and in the process transform the world where they are, and so make the kingdom of God a reality in the here and now.

The Church in the UK is on its knees – not in the way it should be – being one with our Lord in prayer; but dying slowly but surely. I believe this is because people cannot see the relevance of the Church anymore because – in the main – being part of the Church seems to make such little difference. In Beeson’s book, those who are included are always there because their contribution made a difference, and in them the world experienced a glimpse of what it meant to be a citizen of the Kingdom of God.

In our reading from Acts, the yard stick was the presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of people – their lives were profoundly different – and bore witness to the fact that God was with them and within them – they were baptized with the Spirit. The following is the stunning example of George Tyrrell (1861-1909):

Tyrrell was a Roman Catholic theologian who was expelled from the Jesuit Order because of his beliefs and his criticisms of ecclesiastical authority … but I believe it was the Church that got things wrong – not Tyrrell.

Tyrrell made a sharp distinction between theology as embodied in abstract, static, doctrinal statements and theology as a dynamic, personal experience and response to divine revelation. Like the experience of Peter and the six in our Acts reading, Tyrrell believed that the truth of religious belief is to be tested by its effects on the believers’ way of life, not only in their ethical behaviour, but also in their spiritual lives. He claimed (rightly in my view) that it is a waste of time trying to fathom the intricacies of doctrine and stated that ‘… the refinements of Scholastic metaphysics on the Trinity, the Incarnation and the Real Presence were “even further from the truth than the simple faith of a peasant.”’ The truth of revelation cannot be conveyed in theological statements, but only in fact and experience and he contrasted living faith and dead theology.

It is only possible to live a godly life if one is enabled by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit; our faith is revealed – yes – but not as an intellectual assent only. Barclay reminded us earlier that few come to Christ through argument, but many are attracted to a transformed life. Earlier in our discussions I pointed out that the biblical notion of faith was not so much an intellectual assent to a set of doctrines, but a motivation to action.

We reflect on God’s Word, the Scriptures, which includes our minds, but more, it is a spiritual and not merely an intellectual exercise. It is important that we grasp things with our minds, but also that we allow God to commune with our Spirits. Jesus is alive and so speaks to us through the Word, but in the process touches us at the core of our being. Worship is real when we make contact: when the infinite God – the ground of all being – touches us at the core of who we are – our ‘being’.

We need to use our minds, of course, but in a different way. We must not commit intellectual suicide and therefore not confront the issues that come our way, because we are cerebral beings. Nothing is more off-putting than a rank mindless fundamentalism. But our minds are linked with our Spirits and we only realize true wisdom when, prayerfully, we are united with Christ in a living, vibrant relationship. When this happens, our thinking is translated into action because our believing is a cerebral thing and much, much more; it is deeply spiritual – as Tyrrell put it – it living faith and not dead theology. St Paul put it this way: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God — what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12.1-2)

Sermon based on the preparatory notes (below).

John 10:22-30 (NRSV)

Jesus Is Rejected by the Jews

22 At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. ²⁴So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’²⁵Jesus answered, ‘I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; ²⁶but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. ²⁷My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. ³⁰The Father and I are one.’

My text this morning is John 10. 27:

Jesus said ²⁷My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 

William Barclay is always useful in helping us to understand the historical context of the scriptures, and I believe it is this context that often helps us to discern the meaning of a text for us today.

The Festival of Dedication is the Jewish festival of lights called Hanukkah and falls very near to our Christmas and is still observed by the Jewish community. The origins of this festival go back to the time when the King of Syria – Antiochus Epiphanes – reigned from 175-164 BC. He loved all things Greek and decided that he was going to eliminate the Jewish religion and introduce Greek thought and ways into Palestine. In 170 BC, Antiochus attacked Jerusalem; 80,000 Jews perished and many were captured and sold into slavery and a vast sum of money was stolen from the Temple treasury. It became a capital offence to possess a copy of the Torah or to circumcise a male child. The Temple courts were profaned and the Temple chambers were turned into brothels. Antiochus also turned the great altar of the burnt offering into an altar to Zeus where he made offerings of pig flesh. Nothing more could be done that could be more offensive to any Jew.

From among the Jews arose Judas Maccabaeus. In 164 BC, he was. The Temple was cleansed and purified and the altar rebuilt. It was to commemorate all this restoration that the Feast of the Dedication was instituted. It is referred to as the Festival of Lights because there were great illuminations in the cleansed Temple as well as in every home beginning with eight lights and then reduced by one for each day of the festival until on the last day only one remained.

As Jesus was walking in Solomon’s portico some Jews, probably religious leaders, came to him and asked: ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’ But did they really want to know the answer to this question? As a teacher, I know that there are a variety of motives for knowing, and the one that is least significant is just so that one can earn a good grade in an examination. This can lead to knowledge but certainly not to wisdom. I am probably naive, but I still think teaching and learning ought to be about searching for truth. There were probably some of those who were listening to Jesus who sincerely wanted to know the truth. But we also know by this time, that there were a growing body of opponents who were bent on trying to trap Jesus – especially so that they could lay a charge of blasphemy against him, and so get rid of him. If Jesus claimed to be the Messiah, this would get him into trouble, not only with his people, but also with the Roman authorities, because they could make this into a charge of insurrection. And what better time that at the Feast of Dedication, when there was a recollection of a Jewish insurrection and overthrow of a foreign power. However, A M Hunter suggests that even a plain “Yes!” in answer to their question would still not have ended the issue. It would have at best been misleading because all it would have done would be to cause further argument. If they wanted a clear answer, it would have to come in a different way. What was unambiguous, were his actions, and so Jesus points to them!

His ‘learned’ audience, who supposedly knew the Scriptures well, should have been able to see for themselves that he was the fulfilment of ancient prophecy – especially with reference to Isaiah 35.5-6 where we read:

⁵Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
   and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 
⁶then the lame shall leap like a deer,
   and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
   and streams in the desert …

Every one of Jesus’ miracles was a claim that Jesus was the long promised Messiah.

It was the deeds and the words of Jesus that made who he really was real to those who sincerely sought the truth about him. Everything about Jesus was evidence that he was someone extraordinary: the tone of his message, the way he changed the sacred Jewish law putting his own teaching in its place – everything - was a claim that God was speaking in and through him. But the majority did not accept Jesus.

John then goes on to show Jesus using the image of sheep with a shepherd. In Palestine sheep knew the voice of their shepherd and followed him. It would appear that – despite the evidence – people deliberately chose not to take heed of the voice of Jesus. People can close their minds, so that even when what is obvious stares them in the face, they refuse to accept it.

I have enjoyed the wonders of YouTube where I have been able to watch the various debates between Richard Dawkins and some of the great religious thinkers of our day. I was especially taken by the debate between Dawkins and the Chief Rabbi – Dr Jonathan Sacks (which I watched on returning from Midnight Holy Communion last Christmas)! Dawkins just cannot bring himself to accept that God is intellectually as well as rationally, and in every other respect philosophically, more than possible, but possible. This point is well made by the emeritus Oxford Philosophy professor, Richard Swinburne, who keeps good company with countless others. But we also know, that more important than anything intellectual, is our actual ‘experience’ of the reality of God in our own lives, as Jesus becomes real for us in the power of the Holy Spirit .

This week I decided to return to one of my favourite devotional texts, The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis. In his chapter entitled On the teaching of Truth he writes:

A humble knowledge of oneself is a surer road to God than a deep searching of the sciences. Yet learning itself is not to be blamed, nor is the simple knowledge of anything whatsoever to be despised, for true learning is good in itself and ordained by God; but a good conscience and a holy life are always to be preferred. But because many are more eager to acquire much learning than to live well, they often go astray, and bear little or no fruit. ... On the Day of Judgement, we shall not be asked what we have read, but what we have done; not how eloquently we have spoken, but how holily we have lived.

In verse Jesus John claims that Jesus said: “The Father and I are one” (verse 30).  This is the mystery of our faith but not one that ought to launch us into deep philosophical probing, because, if we explore the Scriptures, we will find the answer. John 17 recorded Jesus praying: “Holy Father, keep them in my name, which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.”

It is all about love – the greatest mystery of all. Jesus and the Father are one in divine love; we are one with each other and God because of divine love. And we know this when we keep Jesus’ command to ‘… love one another as I have loved you…’ which is beautifully explained in John’s first epistle: ‘… you know you have passed from death to life if you love one another …’ and ‘ God is love!’  Barclay comments:

“Here is the essence of the matter. The bond of unity is love; the proof of love is obedience. Christians are one with each other when they are bound by love, and obey the words of Christ. Jesus is one with God, because as no other ever did, he obeyed and loved him. His unity with God is a unity of perfect love, issuing in perfect obedience.”

Jesus had power that came from God the Father, but this power was made manifest in works of love. But even though this fits in with everything a person can know about God, the religious leaders still could not get it, because they – as Jesus explained - ‘… do not belong to my sheep …’ How can Jesus be so unambiguous about this? Because what is true of the Father, is also true of the Son for Jesus said: “The Father and I are one.” T W Manson puts it this way: ‘The Son thinks the Father’s thoughts, and wills the Father’s purpose, and acts in the Father’s power.’ This claim was unambiguous and was blasphemy in the eyes of the religious leaders.

When Jesus said that he and the Father are one, he was therefore not speaking philosophically; he was speaking of the world of personal relationships. Jesus’ unity with the Father is a result of perfect love and perfect obedience. Barclay writes: “[Jesus] was one with God because he loved and obeyed him perfectly; and he came to this world to make us what he is.”

...

By God’s grace we belong to Christ. We know this to be real because it is part of our own personal experience as well as being based on the facts of history. We sometimes hear his voice – and follow him – and all goes well even in the midst of difficulties, pain and all the rest that makes this human toil a struggle at times. When we stop listening, we go astray. But even in these times our Shepherd calls all the louder and we eventually hear and return to the fold. As John explains, Jesus said: ²⁷My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 

Preparation for a sermon on John 10.22-30 aided by Barclay and Hunter

John 10:22-30 (NRSV)

Jesus Is Rejected by the Jews

22 At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. ²⁴So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’²⁵Jesus answered, ‘I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; ²⁶but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. ²⁷My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. ³⁰The Father and I are one.’

William Barclay is always fantastic in providing us with such depth of insight into the historical context of our Lord’s ministry.

The Festival of Dedication is the Jewish festival of lights called Hanukkah and falls very near to our Christmas and is still observed by the Jewish community. The origins of this festival go back to the time when the King of Syria – Antiochus Epiphanes – reigned from 175-164 BC. He loved all things Greek and decided that he was going to eliminate the Jewish religion and introduce Greek thought and ways into Palestine. At first he tried to do this by peaceful means and some Jews even welcomed this, but most refused and remained loyal to their ancestral faith.

In 170 BC, Antiochus attacked Jerusalem; 80,000 Jews perished and many were captured and sold into slavery and a vast sum of money was stolen from the Temple treasury. It became a capital offence to possess a copy of the Torah or to circumcise a male child; mothers who did so were crucified with their children hanging around their necks. The Temple courts were profaned and the Temple chambers were turned into brothels. Antiochus also turned the great altar of the burnt offering into an altar to Zeus where he made offerings of pig flesh.

From among the Jews arose Judas Maccabaeus and his brother in an epic fight for freedom. In 164, the struggle was won and the Temple was cleansed and purified and the altar rebuilt. It was to commemorate that the Feast of the Dedication was instituted. It was often referred to as the Festival of Lights because there were great illuminations in the cleansed Temple as well as in every home (in their windows) beginning with eight lights and then reduced by one for each day of the festival until on the last day only one remained.

These lights carried with them the following significances: (i) they were a reminder that at the first celebration, the light of freedom came back to Israel; (ii) they were traced back to a very old legend and a previous purification of the Temple when there was only enough oil for one day but God had made it last for eight days.

It is not without significance that John – at about this time – referred to Jesus as being ‘the light of the world’.

John also gives us the place where Jesus taught on this occasion – Solomon’s Porch. Here there were rows of pillars, almost 40 feet high and roofed over. People walked there to pray and meditate and where Rabbis taught their students. It was there that Jesus was doing the same as the Rabbis.

As Jesus was walking in Solomon’s portico the Jews came to him and asked: ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’ Barclay suggests that there would be two attitudes of mind behind this question: (i) those who genuinely wanted to know – because they were true seekers after the truth and (ii) others who asked the question to trap Jesus and so be able to lay the charge of blasphemy against him in their own courts or to bring a charge of insurrection against Jesus with the Roman authorities.

Jesus answers by saying that he has already answered this question even though in a veiled way. (We know that he had openly declared who he was in private to the Samaritan woman (4.26) and to the man born blind (9.37)) But more importantly, he need not be so frank in his use of words, because his audience was so well-qualified to be able to figure it out for themselves, if they just looked at the evidence:

Firstly, Jesus’ deeds made it clear that he was the long-awaited Messiah. Isaiah’s prophecy of the coming Messiah included his dream of a golden age which we read of in Isaiah 35.5-6:

⁵Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
   and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 
⁶then the lame shall leap like a deer,
   and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
   and streams in the desert …

Every one of Jesus’ miracles was a claim that Jesus was the long promised Messiah.

Secondly, there were Jesus’ words because Moses had foretold that God would raise up a prophet who must be listened to as recorded in Deuteronomy 18.15:

The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet.

Everything about Jesus was evidence that he was someone extraordinary: the tone of his message, the way he changed the sacred Jewish law putting his own teaching in its place – everything - was a claim that God was speaking in and through him.

But the majority did not accept Jesus.

Jesus often used the image of sheep with a shepherd. In Palestine sheep knew the voice of their shepherd and followed him. It would appear that – despite the evidence – people deliberately chose not to take heed of it. Barclay writes:

“Somehow or other the whole New Testament keeps two opposite ideas in balance – the fact that everything happens within the purpose of God and yet in such a way that man’s free will is responsible. These had made themselves such that they were predestined not to accept Jesus …”

This is an interesting take on predestination – leaving the responsibility with each individual. People can harden themselves to such a degree that – in the process – they give up their free will – in a sense that they use their free will to give up their free will!

There were many who DID accept Jesus, and to them Jesus promised three things:

(i)            He promised eternal life – as Barclay states – “… all the littleness of earthly life would be gone and they would know the splendor and magnificence of the life of God …’;

(ii)          Jesus promised a life that would know no end. Death would not be the end, but the beginning;

(iii)         He promised a life that was secure – for ‘… no one will snatch them out of my hand …’ (verse 28). This does not mean that we will be spared all sorrow or suffering or death but – in Barclay’s words - “ … on the sorest moment and the darkest hour they would still be conscious of the everlasting arms underneath and about them. Even in a world crashing to disaster they would know the serenity of God …”

The last two verses are also a source of great comfort and encouragement because all this is possible because as Jesus said: “The Father and I are one” (verse 30).  This is the mystery of our faith but not one that ought to launch us into deep philosophical probing, because, if we explore the Scriptures, we will find the answer. In John 17 Jesus prayed: “Holy Father, keep them in my name, which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.” It is all about love – the greatest mystery of all. Jesus and the Father are one in divine love, we are one with each other and God because of divine love. And we know this when we keep Jesus’ command to ‘… love one another as I have loved you…’ which is beautifully explained in John’s first epistle: ‘… you know you have passed from death to life if you love one another …’ and ‘ God is love!’  Barclay continues:

“Here is the essence of the matter. The bond of unity is love; the proof of love is obedience. Christians are one with each other when they are bound by love, and obey the words of Christ. Jesus is one with God, because as no other ever did, he obeyed and loved him. His unity with God is a unity of perfect love, issuing in perfect obedience.”

When Jesus said that he and the Father were one, he was not speaking philosophically; he was speaking of the world of personal relationships. Jesus’ unity with the Father was a result of perfect love and perfect obedience. Barclay concludes:

“[Jesus] was one with God because he loved and obeyed him perfectly; and he came to this world to make us what he is.”

A M Hunter points out that the season was severe: Jesus was teaching in Solomon’s Cloister on the east side of the Temple area; surrounding him were Jewish religious leaders demanding an unambiguous answer to the question of his Messiahship. Jesus had been ambiguous about this (other than to the Samaritan woman, for he had no other option. He knew he was the Messiah, but his conception of what this meant (remember the Temptation which epitomizes the popular conception) was utterly different. A plain “Yes!” in answer to their question would have been misleading because all it would have done would be to cause argument. If they wanted a clear answer, it would have to come in a different way. What was unambiguous, were his actions, and so Jesus points to them!

Jesus had power that came from God the Father, but this power was made manifest in works of love. But even though this fits in with everything a person can know about God, the religious leaders still cannot get it, because they ‘… do not belong to my sheep …’ Those who hear, follow and are safe forever, they receive eternal life and shall never perish. How can Jesus be so unambiguous about this? Because this is true of the Father, and what is true of Him is also true of the Son for Jesus said: “The Father and I are one.” T W Manson puts it this way: ‘The Son thinks the Father’s thoughts, and wills the Father’s purpose, and acts in the Father’s power.’ This claim was unambiguous and was blasphemy in the eyes of the religious leaders.

By God’s grace we belong to Christ. We know this to be real because it is part of our own personal experience as well as being based on the facts of history. We sometimes hear his voice – and follow him – and all goes well even in the midst of difficulties, pain and all the rest that makes this human toil a struggle at times. When we stop listening, we go astray. But even in these times our Shepherd calls all the louder and we eventually hear and return to the fold.

It is not surprising that the lectionary has Psalm 23 as the appointed Psalm for the day:

Psalm 23: The Divine Shepherd

¹The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
²   He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
³   he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
   for his name’s sake. 

⁴Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
   I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
   your rod and your staff—
   they comfort me. 

⁵You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows.
⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
   all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
   my whole life long.