The Necessity of Jesus

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it." John 1:1-5

Why do we need Jesus? Judging by the way the world is today, we don't need Jesus. We are Americans. We can do everything by ourselves. We have drive. We have ambition. We are going to be the next (fill-in-the-blank). We don't need Jesus. We don' t need anyone. Everything we have in our life is because we earned it. If someone lacks, it is because they did not work hard enough. It is their own fault. So, why do we need Jesus?

In the first few verses of the book of John, the apostle makes it quite clear who Jesus is, what He has done, what His purpose is and why He is necessary. This passage tells us that Jesus is necessary. Why? There are three reasons why Jesus is necessary.

Jesus is necessary because He is God. (v.1-2)

The first verse explains it all. In the beginning was the Word. The Word of God existed in the beginning. This phrase "in the beginning" is a reference to the first verse of the first book of the Bible, Genesis. In the beginning...The Word of God existed in the beginning. In the beginning of what? The beginning of time! How can we comprehend that?

Not only did the Word exist in the beginning but the Word was with God, who created the world. But here is where things get tricky...the next phrase says "and the Word was God." Excuse me? How does that work. Well, we know from other parts of scripture that the Triune Godhead is made up of the Father (God), the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit. Thus, the Word (which we will see later is Jesus) was God. Jesus said himself "I and the Father are one." Therefore, Jesus is necessary because He is God.

Philippians 2:6 says Jesus "who, being in very nature God.." Jesus himself prayed in John 17:5 "And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began." The verdict is clear: Jesus was God and was with God at the dawn of creation. Jesus is necessary for our lives because without him there would be no beginning. There is another reason that Jesus is necessary for our lives.

Jesus is necessary because He is the Creator. (v.3)

Verse 3 says "through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made." Jesus had a very proactive part in creation. Most of the time we think of the Father creating everything but Jesus and the Holy Spirit just kicking back while he did the work. But, Jesus was active. He was active because He is God. Is your mind blown yet? I know mine is.

Jesus is necessary for us because He created the world, and he created us. John makes no mistake about it. Colossians 1:15-17 says "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in Heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

The reason John was so clear about this is because he was battling a heresy called Docetic Gnosticism which questioned Jesus credentials. Our present day is not much different. Jesus' credentials are questioned everyday. It is a wonder that as much as 33% of the world claims to be some sort of Christian. That means that 2/3 of this world don't see Jesus as being necessary. Jesus is necessary because he created the world - he even created those 66% of people who don't think He is necessary. There is a third reason that Jesus is necessary.

Jesus is necessary because He contains eternal life.

Verse 4 says "in him was life..." In Jesus exists eternal life. When we are born, we sin. Sin seperates us from being able to fellowship with a perfect God for eternity. However, in Jesus existed the potential for life for us after death. That potential was realized when Jesus came to earth and died on the cross for our sins, thus trading his Godly perfection for our sinful imperfection. In Jesus is life. This life is the light of men. The light (our hope of salvation) shines in the darkness that is a world that does not see the need for Jesus. And as a result of this 'no need for Jesus' the darkness "has not understood it."

Why do we need Jesus. We need Jesus because without him, we are living a life in the dark that leads to eternal death. Praise God for Jesus!

When all hope seems lost (pt.3)

There is a final way we can keep our faith in God:

We can keep our faith in God during times of trouble by anticipating restoration.

Look at verse 19. Habakkuk this time attributes God as the source of his strength. We can’t do everything on our own. We are the strongest when we admit how we are really weak and allow God to carry us through our times of trials. <>

Psalm 18 says “It is God who arms me with strength.” Psalm 27 says “The Lord is the strength of my life.” Psalm 46 says “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Jeremiah 16:19 says “O Lord, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in the day of affliction.” Paul writes in 2 Corinthians that the Lord said to him “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in your weakness.” Make no mistake about it; we are weak but God is strong. <>

Habakkuk then writes that the Lord “will make my feet like deer’s feet.” What does this mean? If you’ve ever been hunting you know how fast deer can run. If you shoot at a deer and miss or slightly hit him, that deer will run fast and will run far. Deer are swift. Habakkuk has full confidence in the Lord that He will bring him swiftly back into the land once this captivity is over.

Habakkuk then says that God “will make me walk on my high hills.” Whenever someone is standing on the top of a hill they have an advantage. They can see the whole surrounding area. If danger approaches, the person on the hill notices quickly. Also, when one is on top of a hill, there is a feeling of security and safety. Habakkuk is anticipating the day that he will feel like this; the day of his restoration.

Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with cancer. He was given less then a 50% chance to live. However, he lived through it. During the experience, it was no doubt a horrible one and the pain was probably excruciating, but he got through it. Since his cancer, Lance Armstrong has not only returned to competitive cycling, he has owned competitive cycling. He has won six Tour De France races: the elite competition for cycling and arguably the toughest race of any kind in the world. Lance Armstrong experienced restoration.
<> Times of trouble will come as sure as the sun rises and sets. But know that God will restore us. How will he restore us? The answer to that question is different depending on the situation and how God decides to bless us. God will restore us either in this life or in our eternal life.

However, God will not restore us when we die if we do not repent of our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior

But as for this life, how can we keep our life from feeling like it is spinning out of control in these times of trouble? We must keep our faith in God. We can keep our faith in God in these times by accepting the situation, praising Him, and anticipating restoration.

Habakkuk, Job, Lance Armstrong: all three faced a horrible situation. All three accepted their situation. All three were restored. One day when Jesus comes back with tens of thousands of angels we will be restored, but until that day, we can take comfort in the fact that the Lord is our strength.

When all hope seems lost (pt.2)

We can keep our faith in God during times of trouble by praising Him (v.18) <>

What would most people’s reaction be upon hearing troublesome news such as this? Some people may curse God, others may cry out to God, while still others may even be indifferent to the situation and live in a state of shock. Habakkuk’s reaction was very different, however.

The prophet weeps over what will become of his country. He laments at the fact that the fig tree will not blossom anymore, and the fruit will die. He acknowledges that the fields will yield no food and that the livestock will not be present anymore after the day of destruction. But then, Habakkuk makes a decision. Will he consume himself in self-pity? Will he curl up into the fetal position and die? No. Habakkuk says “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord.” Why? Why would he do this? The answer is in what Habakkuk says next: “I will joy in the God of my salvation.” Habakkuk has chosen to praise God because he knows that no matter what happens to him, the Lord is his savior.

There was a certain wealthy man who lived a long time ago. In fact, he may have been the wealthiest man in his hometown. He had everything you could want in life. He was “blameless and upright”. He “feared God and shunned evil.” He had seven sons and three daughters. What a blessing from God. He owned most of the property in the area he lived. He was acknowledged as “one of the greatest” men of his era. However, one day he lost all of it. There was a terrible accident. All of his children were dead. All of his possessions were taken. Job was alone. All he had left was a wife who told him to curse God and die! What did Job do? He rejoiced in the Lord. “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

In Philippians, Paul says to rejoice in the Lord always! Always? Always! He says to be anxious for nothing, but through prayer let your requests be made known to God. God knows where we hurt and when we hurt. When we cry out to God, Paul says that the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The only thing that gets us through these times of tribulations sometimes is the mere fact that God is God. God gave each and every one of us life. He formed us when we were still in the womb. He decided where we would be born and who we would be born to. God alone is the creator and sustainer of life. When we go through times of trouble, we can rejoice in the fact that God is God and that he sent his only son to die for our sins so that we may have eternal life with Him. We can keep our faith in God during times of trouble by simply praising Him for who He is and what He has done..

When all hope seems lost (pt.1)

When I heard, my body trembled; My lips quivered at the voice; Rottenness entered my bones; And I trembled in myself, That I might rest in the day of trouble. When he comes up to the people, He will invade them with his troops. Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls--

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills. (Habakkuk 3:16-19)

In October of 1996, world class cyclist Lance Armstrong heard dreadful and troubling news: he had cancer. Indeed, the words “you have cancer” are the words that every person wishes he never has to hear. Moreover, Armstrong’s cancer was severe. Armstrong had testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and his brain. The doctors gave him less then a 50% chance to survive. He would have to undergo chemotherapy immediately. In one moment, Lance Armstrong’s life was turned upside down. Instead of being in competition for fun, he was in competition for his life. <>Most peopl probably know someone who has fallen victim to cancer. All of us know of someone who has heard bad news. All of us have ourselves heard bad news and have gone through severe trials or tribulations.

To the young mother, the words have been said “I’m sorry, but we could not save your baby’s life.” To the hard worker who has invested 25 years into his job, he has heard “I’m sorry, we are going to have to let you go.” To the man in his 80’s he has heard the eulogy of his wife and how she lived a full life and were married over 50 years. To the teenager, he has heard the words “We’re sorry, but your mother and I don’t love each other anymore. We just can’t seem to make things work.” Where do you go from here? How do you pick up the pieces during these times of trouble? Where is God during these times? Why does God allow these things to happen? What do I do when I feel like my life is spinning out of control?

Life doesn’t have to feel like it is spinning out of control. God has given us His Word which contains the answers to all of these questions. We know from the Bible that all of God’s children experienced pain and suffering. Some of it unwarranted, some of it brought on themselves by their sin. However, no matter what kind of suffering there is, God has a plan for it.

In this passage of scripture we see that Habakkuk has just been given some terrifying news. He heard news so horrible that his whole body literally trembled. He heard news so horrible that he realized his land was going to become desolate. However, through this time of trouble and fear, Habakkuk kept his faith in his God.

How can we keep our faith in times of trouble? This passage of scripture shows us three ways:

<>1. We can keep our faith in God through times of trouble by accepting the situation. (v.16-17)

What do I mean by “accepting the situation?” Look at verse 16. Habakkuk’s body trembled, his lips shook. Seemingly every part of his body was being affected by the news that he had just heard. He was very nervous and very frightened. What on earth could cause someone to be this troubled?

In the first seventeen verses of the book, the Lord informs the prophet Habakkuk what was going to take place in his beloved Judea. The Babylonians, an exceedingly wicked people, were going to march through the region and take Habakkuk’s people captive. God describes the Babylonians as being “terrible and dreadful” and that “they will all call for violence.” They are a “bitter and hasty nation.” Indeed, Habakkuk had reason to be anxious.

But notice what Habakkuk feels after he admits how troubled and nervous he is about the impending doom of Judah. He yearns for some type of respite during the day of invasion. However, he knew that this was not going to take place. The Lord had decided that because of Israel’s sin this impending invasion was going to take place and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Habakkuk had no choice by to accept his situation.

Lance Armstrong had to accept his situation also. When one is give then news of cancer, there is not much one can do about it. Cancer decides who it will come to. Cancer decides when it will come. Cancer decides how bad it will be. Thankfully, through the miracles of modern medicine, we can help curb the effects of cancer. However, not all cancer is curable. Lance Armstrong was given less then a 50% chance to live. What would you do if that news was given to you? What would you do if God told you your country was going to be ransacked and you would be taken hostage by a foreign people?

When facing troubles such as these, God has provided us a specific book that we can consult in times of trouble: the Psalms. Psalm 119 and 120 in particular feature the sovereignty of God amidst trouble. Psalm 119:145 says “I cry out with my whole heart; Hear me, O Lord! I will keep Your statutes…save me, and I will keep your testimonies.” Unfortunately for Habakkuk if he felt this way, it did not matter. The Lord had spoken and destruction was coming. All Habakkuk could do was wait the day of destruction.

God is sovereign. As believers, we will have suffering. If we have disobeyed God, we can expect our sin to have consequences. But not all suffering comes from our sin. We live in fallen world which affects our life. Sometimes the first step in dealing with troubles in our life is to accept what God is doing. He is in control, not us. Take heart though, that God has given us His word to comfort us in times of trouble. God wants us to draw near to him and consult His Word if we will accept the situation.

(Part 2 tomorrow)

Be back soon...

Just wanted to let you know that the reason I haven't posted in a while is because I'm in the last week of the spring semester in seminary. As soon as exams get wrapped up, I'll continue writing. In the meantime, may God bless you.

Charlie

God's glory is satisfactory for us (2 Cor. 10)

"For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends." (2 Corinthians 10:18)

When Paul was writing 2 Corinthians, he was having to defend his authority and ministry. There were certain false teachers who were spreading rumors to the church that Paul's ministry was not valid and that his intentions were not honorable. Paul then shifts his tone to boasting. He says "We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise."

When I was growing up I would often find myself explaining my actions to my parents. Usually I would say "well, my friend did this...so I did it." Or I would say, "well, my friend failed the test." And everytime, without fail, my parents would say "We don't care about your friend! We care about how you did."

I was comparing myself with others. I was comparing my actions, and my lifestyle with my enviornment. We, as Christians will often find ourselves doing the same thing with our brothers and sisters in Christ. But God is not interested in how we compare with others. He is interested in how we compare to Christ. The reason for this is in verse 17 when Paul quotes Jeremiah "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." Instead of patting ourselves on the back about how good we are living and how we compare with others, our Lord calls us to a higher standard. He calls us to compare ourselves with the perfect One. When we do this everyday we realize that we will never compare with his model, which in turn reminds us of our inadequacies and makes us rely more on the grace of God. In doing this, we bring glory to God. God's glory is what He desires. And when He is glorified in our lives, we are satisfied in our lives.

The Danger of Wavering Faith (Judges 11)

"And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord: "If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord's, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering." Judges 11:30-31

Jephthah was a Gileadite, the book of Judges tells us, and his mother was a prostitute. In fact his brothers drove him from the land because of this shortcoming. When crisis struck Israel, and Jephthah's brothers realized that he had a following of men in the land where he was living, they called for him to help them against the Ammonites who were attacking the Israelites. Jephthah then sent mesengers to the Ammonite king telling him all that the Lord had done for Israel in the past and how the Lord would "judge the dispute this day." The Ammonite king did not respond and Jephthah, filled with the Holy Spirit, when to attack the Ammonites. Surely Jephthah had faith that the Lord would deliver the Ammonites into his hands, especially knowing Israel's history. However, sadly, Jephthah's faith wavered in the midst of adverstity.

Jephthah made a vow that if they defeated the Ammonites, whatever came out of his house to meet him he would sacrifice. Well, the Lord kept his promise, despite Jephthah's unbelief and likewise Jephthah decided to keep his promise. "When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out ot meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of tambourines! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter." (Judges 11:34) What should have been a welcome homecoming turned into a nightmare for the judge of Israel. His rash vow to the Lord, made in a moment of weakness, was going to cost him the life of his baby girl and only child. He gave her two months to weep with her friends because she would die a virgin and never be married.

What can we learn from Jephthah? Why is his account in the Bible?

1) God uses who he chooses to do His will - Jephthah was the son of a prostitute. He was an unwanted child and in this day and age he may have even been aborted. But, the Lord had a plan for him.

2) God uses history to show us His character - Jephthah knew the history of God's redeeming power for his chosen people. However, "just to be sure" Jephthah made an oath to God and God granted it. We should be careful what we pray to God about because we may indeed receive it.

3) God desires us to have faith at all times - Jephthah was not the only person to ever have lost a firstborn. What grief to know that it was his fault, however, that his daughter had to die. But what joy it is to know that God sacrificed His only son as well. Because of this, we can have eternal lif with our Creator in Heaven. And because God has saved us from our sins through Jesus, He desires for us to have faith in him at all times.