Freedom is Good News Part 101

In our last article we were considering the topic of a “prime directive” for our lives.  We first came upon the idea of the resurrection from the dead as fitting the bill.  But really, this is the result of that which should be a directive for us and not the directive itself.

Perhaps we should define what I mean by this terminology.  I mentioned that I had learned the term from the old TV show, Star Trek.  As they set out on their journey they were given a “prime directive” from the powers that be.  It took precedence over all other instructions.

The word “prime”, comes from a Latin word meaning “first”.  And in English we define it as, “first in time, rank authority, quality or importance”.  For our purposes, we will be looking at, “first in importance”.  For the word “directive”, Webster tells us it is “a general instruction or order issued authoritatively”.  Putting this together, we are looking for an instruction from God that is given to us and is the most important!

Wow!!  This could certainly be a tough task – but let’s dig in!

Some time ago, I wrote a series of articles concerning being “wholehearted” in our serving God.  And as I sit here I am wondering if this most important directive has anything to do with God wanting us to be wholehearted in something – let’s take a look!

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.  Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”  This directive from Moses to Israel is found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5.  This is more than a wholehearted love.  It is also an, “all your soul, and all your strength” love.  These words carry a lot of weight.  They carry so much weight that when Jesus was asked by an expert in the law, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  Jesus quoted this very scripture in Deuteronomy.  And when He finished quoting it, He said, “This is the first and greatest commandment.”  (Matt. 22:37, Mark 12:30)

Well, that wasn’t so hard was it?  Jesus said it was the first (prime) and greatest commandment (directive).  And here I thought it might take a couple of articles to get there.  But maybe we should take some time and consider what it means to love God this way.  In the book of Luke, we have this same scripture quoted from Deuteronomy but this time, it is from the mouth of a scribe who asks Jesus what must be done in order to inherit eternal life.  Jesus turns the tables on him and asks him what he thinks the answer is.  The scribe replies with this same scripture and Jesus responds with these words, “You have answered correctly.  Do this and you will live.” (Luke 10:25-28)

Wasn’t it last week we were looking at the concept of resurrection – to have life eternal?  We will have to look into this in the next article.  Until then, think about what it means for you to love God with all that you have – the result is “good news”.

Freedom is Good News Part 38

It might be an odd thing to say that the death, burial and resurrection of someone is good news, but in the Gospel of John, a few days before the death of Jesus, John tells us that “there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the feast”.  These were either Jews from the Grecian Isles or they were God fearing gentiles from Greece.  We learn in the story (John 12:20-36) that these Greeks wanted to meet Jesus.  And true to form, when Andrew and Philip told Jesus about them, He used the opportunity to teach a lesson.

Jesus never really recognized this request but immediately replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.  I tell you the truth, yes the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies it remains only a single seed.  But if it dies, it produces much fruit.”  On the surface this is a very cryptic statement in reply to the request of the Greeks.  But let’s take a closer look.

Jesus first words were that His hour had come.  This is the fourth of nine statements in the Gospel of John concerning His hour/time.  The first three tell us that His time had not come.  This, the fourth, is the first to tell us that “the hour has come”.  We learn from this just what was on His mind: “The Son of Man is to be glorified”.  He knows the sacrifice of His life was at hand.  It is weighing heavily upon Him.  “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say?  ‘Father save me from this hour’?  No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.  Father glorify your name.” 

How beautiful this next statement is:  “Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.’”  The Father, seeing the heaviness of the heart of His beloved Son, spoke through the heavenly realm, such words of comfort.

But what about this “kernel of wheat dying”?  There are so many references in the bible, in parables, in blessings, in prophecies etc. about food.  Food for us is just something we stop at the grocery store and pick up, and yet in biblical times there was nothing more important than food and water.

This “kernel of wheat” is a metaphor applied to Himself.  It was He that was to die and so by His death much fruit would be produced.  The kernel of wheat “dies” when it is planted in the ground.  It sprouts, flowers and produces many more kernels of wheat.  Jesus, by His death, was to produce a tremendous harvest that is today, still bearing fruit.

We skipped over one statement in this episode, verse 25: “The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.  My Father will honor the one who serves me.”  This is the concept of salvation and eternal life.  Yes, this is the good news that we can rejoice in.  But what about this “following Him”?  He was going to His death.  Must we follow Him there?

Until next time…..