John 15.1-10 (NRSV) Jesus the True Vine

John 15.1-10 (NRSV)

Jesus the True Vine

15‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. ²He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. ³You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. ⁴Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. ⁵I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. ⁷If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. ⁹As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. ¹⁰If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.

In many different places in the Old Testament, Israel is referred to a the vine or the vineyard, especially in the teachings of the prophets – Isaiah 5:1-7, Jeremiah 2:21, Ezekiel 15 and 19, Hosea 10:1, Psalm 80:8 – to cite some of the examples provided by Barclay. The vine had, by the time of Jesus, become the symbol of the nation of Israel: It was an emblem on the coins of the Macabees; one of the glories of the new Temple was the great golden vine upon the front of the Holy Place and many a wealthy person counted it an honour to give gold to mould a new bunch of grapes or even just a grape! By time of Jesus, ‘… the vine was part and parcel of Jewish imagery, the very symbol of Israel.’

When one explores the use of the vine in the imagery of the prophets, Barclay reminds us that it is always used in association with ‘degeneration’: Isaiah makes the point that the vineyard has run wild; Jeremiah complains that the nation has turned into degenerate and has become a wild vine.

Jesus calls himself the ‘… true vine …’ For many of the Jews, this would have been outrageous, a mere man claiming to be God! It is as if Jesus was saying:

You think that because you belong to the nation of Israel you are a branch of the true vine of God … But the nation has become degenerate and the prophets had tried to point this out. The fact that you are a Jew does not in itself make you into a child of God, the only thing that can save you is to have an intimate relationship with me, for I am the true vine of God and you must be branches joined to me.

Either Jesus was the most arrogant person ever to have lived, or he was who he claimed to be – the Messiah of God - and everything about him points to the latter. Barclay concludes:

“Jesus was laying down that it was not Jewish blood but faith in him was the way to God’s salvation. No external qualification can set a man right with God; only the friendship of Jesus can do that.”

The writers of the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) were like Rembrandt, giving as true a picture as they could of the life and ministry of Jesus; John is like Picasso, an impressionist, because dealing with all this plunges us into the depths of mystery which cannot be spoken of in any other way other than analogy / metaphor / allegory. Indeed, Jesus often taught in this way, so it is difficult for me to see how anyone can take all Scripture literally.

In this case we have Jesus employing a metaphor that the people he was speaking to would easily have recognised. Vines were part of their lives. They required a great deal of work and preparation if they were to be fruitful; but if all this was in place, they would provide a rich harvest. The preparation included the soil as well as the plants, and there was no place for hurrying things along; a new plant could not be harvested for at least three years.

Part of this process involved pruning – getting rid of anything that was not going to produce. This was a radical process that resulted in a large amount of dead wood. This was useless and could only be burnt on a bonfire – it was not even permissible to be used as wood for any other purpose – and definitely not for use in the Temple.

People can be like this: some are fruit-bearing and others are useless because they are fruitless. Barclay reminds us that there were three groups that Jesus was referring to:

Firstly, he was thinking of some of the Jews of his day. They were indeed branches of God’s vine. But, prophet after prophet had drawn their attention to their fruitlessness, but they had refused to listen in fact they had refused to accept many of them.

Secondly, he was thinking of some Christians, those whose Christianity consists of profession without practice – words without deeds – or as Barclay puts it “… all leaves without fruit …”

Thirdly, he was thinking of Christians who leave the faith (apostates); those who hear the message and accept it but then turn away.

But even the fruitful branches need pruning, which can be painful, but we ought to rejoice, because it means that we are being made into the people God’s wants us to be

“Uselessness invites disaster.” God invites us to be useful for him and for each other. But not in the way the world thinks. I have known of bedridden people who have been useful for their Lord, and one particular person springs to mind. Her name was Cath Asterley and she is now in a care home with dementia. She has longed to be with the Lord in glory since I last saw her in 2000 when she was already house bound. But she was fervent in prayer, with a telephone next to her for contact with others. And she blessed many, many people. Her whole life was so soaked in prayer that I am convinced that even though her brain was eventually gone, her mind was with the Lord and her prayers continued and blessing abounded as a result. This reminds me of the time when I used to take Holy Communion to people in a care home for people with dementia. When I arrived, my congregation was gathered, none of them knew whether they were male or female, human or animal even. But they joined in – word perfect – with the words of the Lord’s Prayer and followed the words “This is my body given for you” with a resounding “Amen!” They blessed me each time and encouraged me no end.

How do we know if we are abiding in our Lord:  when we keep his commandments, when we live in love for God and we show this by the way we treat one another with love. This is very practical and is explained in 1 Corinthians 13 and it is useful that we are reminded of the standard. Perhaps some of us are in need of some pruning – I know I certainly am – as I so often fall at the first hurdle! Floyd Filson expands on this thought:

The Father intelligently uses discipline to make possible greater fruitfulness for his service. (vs2) The teaching of Jesus has cleansed or pruned the disciples so that they may be steadily fruitful (vs 3). By their own will and action they must abide in him (vs 4). ... If the disciples do abide in him by steady, grateful faith and by faithful doing of his will, they will

Psalm 23 and John 10.11-18

Psalm 23 (NRSV)

The Divine Shepherd

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

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

You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows. 
Surely 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.

John 10.11-18 (NRSV)

¹¹“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹²The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. ¹³The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. ¹⁴I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, ¹⁵just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.¹⁶I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. ¹⁷For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. ¹⁸No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

My generation and those that came before me memorised this beautiful Psalm along with the Lord’s Prayer. Arnold Rhodes captures our experience, but sadly not that of present generations in this country, much to their loss:

Tiny tot memorises it before they can read, and the old man dies with it upon his lips. It is a personal confession of faith in the God who cares.

The most prized gifts normally come in small packages! What I want to share with you is the smallest of words in the Psalm, but one that brings the most amazing blessing. It is the word ‘my’ … “The Lord is my shepherd …” It is not even a whole word in Hebrew, it is only a suffix.

As a philosophy teacher, I spend all my time asking the Big Questions. This week, in lessons we will be thinking about the meaning of life! In the process, we also often look at the Universe, its existence and its being and we are often drawn back to the thought that it simply could not have happened by chance. Even the most ardent of sceptics, like Richard Dawkins, has had to acknowledge the possibility of a deity that kicked things off (Deism). We Theists hold to the idea of a personal God, because contingent things – those things that exist that do not have to exist, i.e. everything – must have been a result of a decision having been made, and deciding is a personal attribute. Christians refer to this creator God (in the Psalmist’s words) as a shepherd in the way that he relates to His creation. Most of the time, this image is used when speaking of the covenant relationship God has with His people and the image was also meant to be a type for the way kings ought to relate to the people.

Here the Psalmist introduced a notion that is as radical as it is beautiful: this great creator God is my shepherd.

God cares for me; he cares for those that I love. I can bring my everyday needs before him, I do not need to feel that I have no right to do so, because God has given me the right through His Son Jesus, to bring all our needs before him.

The Psalmist continues: “I shall not lack any thing that the Shepherd knows that I need.”

Oriental shepherds find green pastures for their sheep. This is difficult but he perseveres. He leads them besides waters of rest and through this rest and life-giving water he restores the sheep’s life (soul).

Arnold Rhodes comments:

“As God’s people we have our green pastures and still waters: the daily bread, family prayers and Bible Study, worship in the sanctuary, service in the market place, in fact, all the blessings of God. God’s blessings, material and spiritual – bring renewed vitality for the tasks ahead. He leads each of us in paths of righteousness.”

G A F Knight reminds us of an oft-told story coming from the last century. Two ministers went on holiday walking through the Welsh hills. High on the moors they met a shepherd lad and stopped to speak with him. They discovered that this boy had never been to school and knew nothing of the Christian faith. They explained things to him as best they could and then shared the 23^rd Psalm with him. To help him discover this personal faith, they got him to repeat the words “The Lord is my shepherd”. The following year they returned to the hills. They called in at a cottage to purchase a drink of milk. The lady of the house noticed them looking at a picture on the mantelpiece. “Yes,” she said, “that was my son. He died last winter in a snow storm while tending his sheep. But there was a curious thing about him, his right hand was clutching the fourth finger of his left hand.”

The ministers explained: “We met your boy last year. In fact, since he was a shepherd boy, we taught him to repeat the first line of the 23^rd Psalm to himself, to pause at the fourth word, and think ‘This Psalm was meant for me.’”

This Psalm was meant for me too … and you … The Lord is my Shepherd. Close your eyes briefly and say it to yourself: “The Lord is my Shepherd.”

St John clearly identifies Jesus as the Messiah by using this beautiful pastoral image of a shepherd caring for his sheep. His love and care for his sheep goes so far that he is willing to lay down his life for them. It is in this way that Jesus is different to any hired hand, one who thinks only of his own interests and the pay he will receive. When a hired hand sees danger – a wolf – he thinks only of his own safety and he flees for his life. On the other hand, the relationship between Jesus and his followers is comparable to the relationship between Jesus and God the Father, as Jesus explains in verse 15: “…¹⁵just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.”

McPolin reminds us that Jesus refers to himself as the ‘good’ shepherd because he ‘knows’ his sheep – his disciples know him and he knows them. ‘… This knowledge is not a mere intellectual understanding of a relationship; for the Hebrews to “know” a person meant to experience them through knowledge and love.’ It is a sharing in each other’s life in a deep and personal way and in the process are deeply united with the love that is God.  McPolin continues: ‘As the Son knows and receives life from his Father, so those who know the Son know the Father and share in the gift of their life.’

All those who experience this life are united together in this love. This is what unites us as Jesus refers to in verse 16:

¹⁶I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

One of the hardest things for the world to unlearn is exclusiveness. Once people get the idea that they are right, they find it difficult to accept that they might not be, or that others might also be right but in a different way. This is what some of the Jews in Jesus’ day did not get; that they were not the only special people in the eyes of God.

But we need to listen to the voice of Christ. This implies reading, praying, discussing with others, trying to discern what Jesus is saying to us where we are. It is sadly becoming increasingly prevalent that some Christians are opting for a simplistic literalism in their reading of Scripture, suggesting that this is all that is required. The Church has always known that this is never what was intended by the authors of the books and those that put together the collection or Canon that we refer to as today’s Bible. Philo of Alexandria dealing with the Old Testament at the time of Jesus saw the many contradictions (for there are many) as a sign to look for some deeper meaning than the mere literal. And since then the early Church and then throughout the ages has always taught to look beyond the literal, to seek the mind of God as they listen together to hear what Jesus is saying to us now.

There is a lovely story of a missionary to the indigenous Americans, people who were once referred to as Indians.  Barclay records how the missionary, Egerton Young, told them of the love of God. The aging chief responded:

“When you spoke of the Great Spirit just now, did I hear you say, ‘Our Father’?” “Yes” said Young. “That is very new and sweet to me,” said the chief. “We never thought of the great Spirit as Father. We heard him in the thunder; we saw him in the lightening, the tempest and the blizzard, and we were afraid. S when you tell us that the Great Spirit is our Father that is very beautiful to us.” … “Missionary, did you say that the Great Spirit is your Father?” “Yes” responded Young. The chief continued; “And did you say that he is the Indian’s Father?” “I did” replied Young. “Then you and I are brothers,” said the old chief.

We are indeed one, because God loves all of us – we can really be one in Christ Jesus our Lord – as Paul states so explicitly and beautifully in Galatians 3.28. And this is a dream that we can all help our Lord to make a reality. We can so share the love of Jesus with others, most importantly by the holy loving loves we live more than the words we speak, that other might be drawn to Him. I love the advice St Francis to his brothers as they went out into the world: “Preach the Gospel everywhere, and when necessary use words.”

Both the Psalmist and John emphasise that the life of the Christian is not always easy. The Psalmist speaks of walking through the darkest valley. Jesus spoke of laying down his life. Difficult times. But not times that have no meaning and never times when we are left alone. For Jesus is always with us, his rod and staff guiding and protecting and comforting. Our cups can overflow even in the darkest places for goodness and mercy follows us all the days of our lives as we dwell in the presence of God’s love and care.

Jesus knew what God wanted of him but he also knew that the Father would never abandon him Jesus needed to pay a price, but it was worth it. Jesus willingly gave his life for us because with it he has given us the gift of God’s love. Jesus could have refused, turned back and saved his own life, but he did not lose his life, he gave it.

Something for us to go on with in the meantime. I will write more later in the week when time permits.

1 John 3:1-7 (NRSV) The Epistle for next Sunday ...

1 John 3:1-7 (NRSV)

¹See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ²Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he^* is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. ³And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. 4 Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. ⁵You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. ⁶No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. ⁷Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.

I am indebted to the works of Barclay and Price Love for this reflection on the Epistle for next Sunday.

My text is written in 1 John 3.2:

²Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he^* is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.

We are not only called God’s children we ‘are’ God’s children. By nature we are not, we are mere creatures of God – created by Him – but by God’s grace – we are adopted as his children. Barclay makes the distinction between ‘paternity’ and ‘fatherhood’: paternity refers to our genes, our physical existence; fatherhood describes an intimate, loving relationship. In the sense of paternity, all people are children of God, but in the sense of fatherhood we are God’s children when He ‘… makes his gracious approach to people and they respond …’

We have the great honour of being called children of God which means that Christians have a unique relationship with God made possible by Jesus. This is part of the image of being born of God. This status is possible because the Spirit of God enables Christians to live in a different way – in the ways of God rather than the ways of the world – and this is why we often feel like strangers in the world.

It seems so important to stress this in today’s world: the mere sexual act that leads to conception and physical birth is just a tiny part of the situation; what is needed for any child are not parents, but a mother and a father. Some of my students have asked: “When is one ready for a sexual relationship?” My response is always, when you are ready to be a mother and father with all the love and commitment that this involves. Sadly, I believe we live in a world where, in some instances, there are parents and children but there are not enough mothers and fathers!

One of the ways where we see this is in the glorious gift of adoption; something sadly frowned upon in today’s world. Most of the girls I have taught over the years say that they would prefer to have an abortion than give up a child for adoption. I have to say that I find this very difficult. There is a waiting list miles long, of couples who would do almost anything to adopt a child, any child; we even have people going overseas to adopt a child. Some young people think that they would hate to know that they were adopted, because they would feel unwanted. Nothing could be further from the truth – in my view. A mother taking her pregnancy to full term to give life to her child and then being willing to give the child to another mother and father who will give the child everything they need, must be both extremely difficult nut also incredibly loving. Adopted children ought to feel special because of what their biological mothers have done for them – given them life and the chance to flourish.

Christians ought also to feel as special because we are ‘adopted’ children of God.

Previously, the relationship between God and humanity was one of covenant, sealed by complex laws that need fulfilment. Now Jesus has given us a new way – a deliberate act of God – inviting us to become part of a new family.

Christian experience is as much about present reality as it is about future hope. We are called children of God now because this is real now – we are children of God already. Barclay explains: “By nature we are creatures of God, by God’s grace we become children of God.” We don’t need to wait for the next world to find out what this means, we know it now. As children feel completely at home with their parents, as Price Love explains, “... so we feel if we recognise God as truly our Father. ... We are content that we shall see him as he is.” (verse 2b)

But being children has certain responsibilities. Verse 3 reminds us that we have a need to purify ourselves. We all know that we are declared right with God by His grace taking the initiative and doing everything for us. The Reformers spoke of the wonderful doctrine of “Justification by Faith” apart from the works of the Law, lest anyone should boast. Being declared right with God is the most wonderfully liberating understanding. I remember when it first dawned on me: I was able to accept myself for the first time ever, because I knew I was forgiven. But for so long, many of us thought that this was it – this is the Gospel - and it is, but only part of it. God gives us His Spirit so that we can be made into what we have being declared to be. We do not have to be satisfied with our lives as they are, we can change, and we do change, when we allow God to work his miracle of purification within our lives. But, as always, there is a need for us to take some of the responsibility. We also need to make a conscious and deliberate decision of the will to “purify ourselves” following the example of our Lord – we need to abide in Christ.

When we abide in Christ – we do not sin. John implies that sin is a deliberate breaking of the law and to obey oneself instead of God. Sin undoes the work of Christ because Jesus came to take away sin. To sin is to bring back what Jesus came to abolish. Sin results from failing to abide in Christ. Barclay then makes a wonderful comment:

“… so long as we remember the continual presence of Jesus, we will not sin; it is when we forget that presence that we sin …”

These verses have been much debated: some cry ‘impossible!’ others have devoted themselves to perfectionism and separated themselves to try to achieve it. In order to understand what the author is saying here, it is important to remember the paradigm he has established when he introduced the theme way back in chapter 1:8. He cannot be claiming a sinless perfection because he has clearly stated that to make this claim is self-deceit and an insult to God (making him out to be a liar). We also need to look forward to chapter 5:16-17 where he makes a distinction between sins that are mortal and those that are not (mortal sins are those that are deliberate). This gives us an important clue to the thinking of the author: there are two types of children – those of God and those of the devil. Children of the devil find sin natural.

This is our challenge: How comfortable are we with our sin? God is able to keep us from mortal sin, so when we don’t sin, it is because of God’s grace; and so there is no place for pride or feelings of superiority. When we see others fall where we have not, we should say with the greatest sincerity and gratitude: “There but for the grace of God go I!”

Being children of God means living in love. Price Love explains: “To be children of God means to live rightly and to love truly.”[1] The opposite is the way of Cain, who failed to love his brother because his own deeds were evil and those of his brother were good. Lack of love is the consequence of bad living, because bad living produces the jealousy that grows into the worst sins of hate and murder. Not to love is to remain in death, but when we love we gain the assurance that we have already passed from death to life.

²Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he^* is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.

---

[1] Price Love, Layman’s, p. 22.

John 20:19-end (NRSV)

John 20:19-end (NRSV)

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

¹⁹ When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ ²⁰After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’²²When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’

Jesus and Thomas

²⁴ But Thomas (who was called the Twin^*), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’

²⁶ A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ ²⁷Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ ²⁸Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ ²⁹Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’

The Purpose of This Book

³⁰ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. ³¹But these are written so that you may come to believe^* that Jesus is the Messiah,^* the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

To begin with, and with the aid of Barclay and Ryle I reflect on verses 19-23; Jesus appears to his disciples:

To the modern reader, these opening verses present some difficulty. John takes care to include the detail that the doors were closed and securely locked and Jesus was still able to enter. Ryle comments:

“Like all the events which followed our Lord’s resurrection, there is much in the facts before us which is mysterious, and requires reverent handling.”

To try to explain them – according to Ryle – and this leads to ‘… unprofitable speculation. … We shall find it safer and wiser to confine our attention to points which are plain and instructive …’

The disciples returned to the upper room where they had shared the Last Supper with Jesus. Now, however, they were terrified because they knew that the Jewish authorities were on the warpath to eliminate even the memory of Jesus. Would it be the rest of them next? Barclay writes:

“So, they were meeting in terror, listening fearfully for every step on the stair and for every knock at the door, lest the emissaries of the Sanhedrin should come to arrest them too.”

Into their midst Jesus suddenly appeared and greeted them with the words: “Peace be with you …”

These would have been loaded with meaning for the disciples gathered here. Ryle comments:

“He spoke, we may be sure, with special reference to the events of the last few days, and with special reference to their future ministry. ‘Peace’ and not blame, - ‘peace’ and not fault-finding, - ‘peace’ and not rebuke, - was the first word which this little company heard from their Master’s lips, after He left the tomb.’

This is entirely in keeping with our Lord’s ministry. ‘Peace on earth’  was the song sung at Jesus’ birth, and peace and rest for the human soul was the essence of what Jesus had taught over the past three years of the disciples’ experience. Ryle suggests that it is ‘peace’ that Jesus intended to be the key-note to the Christian ministry and Jesus wanted this to be central to the Christian message of the Gospel.

The Apostle Paul reminds us that what Jesus came to earth to give is peace between humankind and God as he wrote in the opening verses of chapter 5 of his letter to the Romans:

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. ³And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

This is indeed the essence of the Gospel. We, like the disciples who met in the Upper Room on this occasion, so often get things terribly wrong and we find ourselves fearful and full of guilt as a result. Just as Jesus entered into their presence in a miraculous way on this occasion, so he miraculously comes to meet us where we are and gives us the same message. “It’s okay, I forgive you, peace be with you…”

It is interesting to note how Jesus provided this gathering with excellent evidence that it was in fact he who had risen from the dead: he showed them his hands and his side. He invited them to see with their own eyes that he had a real, material body and that he was no ghost or spirit. Ryle comments:

“… great … was the principle which He established for the use of His Church in every age until He returns. That principle is; that our Master requires us to believe nothing that is contrary to our senses. Things above our reason we must expect to find in a religion that comes from God, but not things contrary to reason.”

And then Jesus commissioned them: “As the father sent me, so I send you …” And he equipped them for the task as he breathes on them and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit …”

The Church is now the presence of Jesus in the world – as Paul explains in Ephesians 1:23 and 1 Corinthians 12:12) - we are ‘… the Body of Christ …’ It is our task to take the message of peace to all people. The Church is the mouth of God to speak and reveal God’s message to the peoples of the world. But we need to remain united with Christ for without this we have no power, no support, no strength. We need to nurture our relationship with God through the study of the Word and the faithful offering of the Sacraments. It is this relationship that matters and here it requires obedience and perfect love. Barclay writes:

“The Church must never be out to propagate her message; she must be out to propagate the message of Christ. She must never be out to follow man-made policies; she must be out to follow the will of Christ.”

To fulfil our commission we must always rely on the witness and testimony of the Holy Spirit which is that which makes us – transforms us – into the image of Christ, both as individuals and as a gathering of the Church.

John reminds us that at creation what gave humankind the image of God was God breathing into them (Genesis 2:7) Ezekiel (37:9) saw the  same thing in the valley of the dead, dry bones until God breathes life into them. The coming of the Holy Spirit is like the wakening of life from the dead and when it fills the Church she is recreated and equipped for her task. Without it, the Church simply does her own work and dies.

We have the lovely message of peace and with it comes the essential message of forgiveness. Only God can forgive sins, but we are given the power and authority to act as God’s agents and thus able to say to those who are truly penitent: “Your sins are forgiven!” Barclay concludes: “This sentence lays down the duty of the Church to convey forgiveness to the penitent in heart and to warn the impenitent that they are forfeiting the mercy of God.”

For Thomas, the Cross was what he expected. When Jesus had mentioned that they were going to Bethany after the raising of Lazarus, remember what Thomas had said: “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (John 11:16). He was not lacking in courage; he probably just considered himself to be a realist (and a pessimist). There was no doubt that he loved Jesus because he was willing to go with him to Jerusalem and die, even when the other disciples expressed their reluctance. What happened was just as he expected and he was broken-hearted, to such an extent that he felt the need to be alone with his grief. So, when Jesus appeared in the Upper Room, Thomas was not there. When he was given the news, he refused to believe it because it seemed to be too good to be true and he needed more, because he probably could not cope with having false hopes dashed yet again.

A week passed and Jesus appeared again – this time – Thomas was there. Jesus knew just what Thomas needed and repeated the words that Thomas had used himself, inviting him to do as he wanted: ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’(verse 27)Thomas was thrilled and exclaimed: ‘My Lord, and my God.’(Verse 28)

Barclay suggests that we can learn the following from the experience of Thomas:

(i)                  He made the mistake of withdrawing from the Christian fellowship and as a result missed meeting with Jesus. There are certain things that we can only experience when we are an integral part of the Christian fellowship. The modern notion of not needing to go to church to be a Christian is a folly. We can only know God’s blessing when we are part of his body here on earth. Barclay comments: “… we should seek the fellowship of Christ’s people for it is there that we are likeliest of all to meet him face to face.”

(ii)                Thomas was a man of virtue: He refused to claim to understand when he did not and this sort of honesty is good. Lord Tennyson wrote: “There lives more faith in honest doubt, believe me, than in half the creeds.” And when he was sure, he went the whole way exclaiming “My Lord and my God.” Thomas doubted in order to be sure. Barclay comments: “… When a man fights his way through his doubts to the conviction that Jesus is Lord, he has attained to a certainty that the man who unthinkingly accepts can never reach.”

I believe the Lord inspired John to include this because Thomas reflects the experiences of so many. Thomas thought he needed physical evidence, but it is plain from John’s account that he did not accept the offer to touch the wounds of Jesus. As Marsh explains: “He had learnt in the mere ‘seeing’ of the glorified Lord that sense and sight were not the sufficient things he supposed. In a strangely paradoxical way he had found through seeing that seeing was not believing.” So often people today think that if Jesus were to become physically present to them, it would be easier for them to believe. This is not so, because the only way that belief is possible is through the work of the Holy Spirit. There were no real advantages for the disciples in seeing Jesus because (as Marsh adds) “… physical seeing can be as seriously questioned as any other experience of sense …” This is why Jesus concludes with the words: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” (verse 29b)

Verses 30 and 31 are crucial in our understanding of the Gospel, because they give us insight into the paradigm of the Gospel writers – their philosophy – as it were. It seems very clear that John (and the others) did not set out to provide a detailed account of the life and ministry of Jesus. They are selective, choosing what for them are some of the things that will give us a deep and significant insight into who Jesus was, what he was like and the sort of things Jesus said and did. The Gospels are not meant to be biographies of Jesus, but documents designed to encourage people to faith – or Barclay puts it – ‘… Their aim was, not to give information, but to give life …’ Their bias is clear and honest. Barclay continues:

It was to paint such a picture of Jesus that the reader would be bound to see that the person who could speak and teach and act and heal like this could be none other than the Son of God; and that in that belief he might find the secret of real life.

This means that, if we approach the Gospels, expecting to find biography or history, we ‘… approach them in the wrong spirit …’ Rather we must come to them seeking God. This does not mean that they are worthless as historical or biographical works, because they are filled with important information and increasingly, people are finding them to be works of massive literary importance as well. All this remains true – but they are also much, much more.

There were many other signs which Jesus did, but John had made a selection to help the reader and informs his readers of the basis of his choice. Marsh suggests that it is highly probable that John knew of the existence of the Synoptic Gospels or at least a source used by the synoptic writers – probably a source of his own as well. He wanted to help people – all people – even those who find belief difficult (the Thomas’ of this world) – to be able to come to faith in Jesus. He wants this to happen because it has been his experience (and the experience of others) that to believe means to have life in Jesus name. John has spoken of praying in Jesus’ name. This means much more than just ending a prayer “In Jesus’ name we pray…” it means ‘… offering prayer in Jesus Christ, as if the believer were his Lord, and his prayer the prayer of his Lord.’ So, to have life in Jesus’ name is to share his life, to become identified with him to the extent that Jesus’ eternal life becomes the life of the believer as well.  Life becomes sharing the life of God – as Marsh puts it – ‘… in his eternal felicity and bliss …’

The events as recorded in John’s Gospel all happened. I do not believe that the Gospel writers simply made them up. But they are not meant to be taken exclusively literally. John Suggit writes:

“The signs – words and narratives – used in the scriptures are what constitute poetry, in the widest sense of the term, not of course in the sense that they are untrue, but because they enable believers to receive the word not simply as an opportunity to participate in it, to become creative (poiesis – creation) in giving it meaning for themselves and for others so as to be changed and transformed by it.”

A sermon for Easter Day 2015

I hope this helps in you in the midst of this busy Holy Week.

Mark 16.1-8 (NRSV)

The Resurrection of Jesus

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. ²And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. ³They had been saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’⁴When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. ⁵As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. ⁶But he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. ⁷But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.’ ⁸So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. 

My text for today is written in Mark 16.7:

⁷But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.’ 

The Resurrection of Jesus, according to St Paul, is the cornerstone of our faith, and it is also a simple historical fact that, if Jesus had not risen we would not be here today. At the time of Jesus, there were many people who claimed to be the messiah, and the rule was, if you followed one and he was killed, you were following the wrong one. Realising this, we can imagine how the disciples must have felt – especially Peter – who was gutted by his unfaithfulness and denial, and who probably thought that even if Jesus was not whom they all expected him to be, he had been a good friend and they should have supported him to the end because they all loved him. All the disciples would therefore have felt regret, because they had deserted Jesus in his time of need, even if they had not denied him as Peter had done. The women had proved the most faithful; they had remained with him at the Cross and had been there when he had been taken down to be buried.

So as early as they could, the women had got up at sunrise and were going to anoint and care for the body of Jesus in a way that they had wanted to do when he had died, but had been prevented from doing, because of the Sabbath beginning. This was nothing out of the ordinary, but something women would have done as a matter of course on the death of a loved one. It was also perfectly natural for this to happen up to three days after a death. But they were totally unprepared for what they found. When they discovered the empty tomb and the messenger they were shocked – amazed – and terrified.

I always find it wonderful that our Lord, right from the start, breaks into our everyday ordinariness and blesses us. What is required is faithfulness; when we faithfully go about of daily tasks, and when we are open to his presence, he breaks in and touches us with his love and encouragement.

Notice also the authenticity of this account. Some have suggested that the Gospel accounts have been edited by later writers to fit in with the teachings of the Church, and to prove that Jesus was who he claimed to be. If this was the case, they would have edited out the fact that the first people to witness the truth of the resurrection were women, because at the time, the testimony of women did not count legally; it was considered unreliable and untrustworthy! But the truth matters and so Mark wrote his account as it was reported to him and as he experienced it for himself. The whole of Mark’s Gospel has this flavour; he always tries to tone down the miracles because Jesus never intended them to prove who he was. Mark even tones down some of the teachings, because it would be a mistake to think that Jesus proved his Messiahship by what he taught or did. As Donald English explains:

Jesus refuses to convince by displays of earthly power, or convincing argument. They will find the truth only as they look through the evident circumstances and by faith perceive the hidden realities. (p. 240)

This seems obvious: many people experienced the miracles and his teachings, yet at the time of his death, Jesus only had a handful of followers. But when we enter into a relationship with the Jesus, his presence with us by the Holy Spirit, then the truth becomes real. And we do this when we follow his example in obedient service. Our discipleship is never in the spectacular, or even in success. Jesus warned his disciples and he warns us that true fulfilment, flourishing as a human being, comes when we too take up our crosses and follow him.

Notice how the angelic messenger gets the women to do something: they must ‘go’ to Galilee and ‘tell’. This is our daily task, to go to where the Lord is, and then go out and live for others. We do this when we reflect on Jesus and his teachings and actions. The difference is that our reading and reflecting is not only an intellectual exercise – although reason plays an important part. We are not meant to leave our rational minds behind as we open the Bible to read. But it is also the Spirit of Jesus that inspires and blesses us as we read and prayerfully consider the meaning of his message for us today. We need to steep ourselves in the Scriptures in this rational and spiritual way. In acts 2.42 we are given the way to so this. This verse reads:

And they came together for the Apostles teaching, for the fellowship for the breaking of bread and for prayer.

The earliest disciples were no different to us; they were not more disposed to faith than we are; faith and discipleship was not easier for them. Is this not also a source of deep encouragement for us? What was true for them can be true for us. Being a disciple today, like the women, requires courage. Jesus had been despised and rejected, and today once more, he is despised and rejected. The women were rightly fearful and filled with uncertainty – they even had the practical problem of not knowing how they were going to get the stone removed from the front of the tomb, but they set out early, knowing what they needed to do, and they were faithfully willing to do it – and they were blessed – eventually. Notice how the passage ends – and the most reliable manuscripts suggest that this is where the original gospel ended – in mid-air – “So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.”

Blessing does not always come obviously and immediately. In a sense the women seemed to be too scared even to follow the instructions they had been given. But, in time, it became clear for them and they rejoiced. We too need time to make sense of things that happen to us, struggle with things sometimes even wrestle with them, but the meaning will become apparent and real.

But then notice the simple, yet wonderful message they were all to receive: “But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.”

To be told that Jesus was alive – by itself – might have led to feelings of embarrassment, even fear. They had all – other than the women – deserted him in is hour of need; Peter had blown it even more, he had publicly denied Jesus. And so the message of forgiveness and restoration would have been clear and liberating – the mention specifically of Peter’s name would have meant much – not only to Peter – but all of them. They were forgiven, accepted and restored. This truth was probably behind Mary Magdalene’s faithfulness. Earlier in the Gospel we read of how she loved much because she had been forgiven much. Now all the disciples were to be restored. As J C Ryle explains:

“There were to be no exceptions in the deed of grace. All were pardoned.”

Here to we find encouragement and a challenge. We, like our Lord, ought to delight in being merciful, and we will find this easier when we realise how much we have been forgiven. As Ryle continues:

“If Christ is so ready to forgive us, so ought we to be ready to forgive others.”

And we are reminded of this every day as we say the Lord’s Prayer:

“Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.”

There are wonderful consequences that result from the truth of the resurrection. Jesus is not merely a person of history – although this is an uncontested fact even acknowledged by those who reject him. Jesus is a living presence whom we can meet each day as his spirit touches us as study the Scriptures which inspire us in the way that we relate to others in love. Jesus is therefore much more than a mere memory. Barclay reminds us that memories fade, even our dearest ones. The memory of Jesus would have faded if he hadn’t been and still is a living presence in our lives. Barclay writes: “Jesus is not someone we discuss, he is someone we meet.” Being a Christian is not knowing lots and lots about Jesus; it is about knowing Jesus personally. Barclay adds:

“The greatest scholar in the world, the man who knows everything about Jesus, is less than the humblest Christian who knows him every day.”

We too are left with the challenge: “Go, tell …” We too have the message that God loves us and forgives us, and we can tell others that he loves them and is ready to forgive them as well. As the angel said to the women:

⁷But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.’ 

Amen.