Why Do We Find It So Difficult To Follow Jesus?
Good Morning Friends,
Today we have another suffering servant song from Isaiah and a Psalm that Jesus and the disciples may have sung in the upper room. To connect them we have text from John that affirms that Jesus is the Lamb of God and one that could have been the inspiration for Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of the Last Supper. In the Gospel text from John we have the stories of Judas and Simon Peter, at the Passover table, with Jesus and the disciples in the upper room. Songs, betrayal, love, death, joy, sorrow and redemption in the drama…it is all here to be resolved in our individual and collective lives. As an example, to the challenge we have both Judas and Simon Peter, and the reality that they would regret their behavior that evening. Judas would go out and hang himself and Peter would follow Jesus at a distance but still deny him, only to be forgiven later. The contrast in their lives going forward is noteworthy. Friends, only God knows our hearts and whether we can follow Jesus depends. Some things are reserved for Jesus to do. We like Judas want to take matters into our own hands. We like Peter want to know where Jesus is going even as we consider, Why Do We Find It So Difficult To Follow Jesus?
Scripture: Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, you peoples from far away! The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother’s womb he named me. He made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me away. And he said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” But I said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my cause is with the Lord, and my reward with my God.” And now the Lord says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honored in the sight of the Lord, and my God has become my strength— he says, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
Isaiah 49:1-6 (NRSV)
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
John 1:29 (NRSV)
After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining next to him; Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “Do quickly what you are going to do.” Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival”; or, that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night. When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now; but you will follow afterward.” Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Very truly, I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have denied me three times.
John 13:21-33, 36-38 (NRSV)
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever! Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Let those who fear the Lord say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. With the Lord on my side I do not fear. What can mortals do to me? The Lord is on my side to help me; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in mortals. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. All nations surrounded me; in the name of the Lord I cut them off! They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the Lord I cut them off! They surrounded me like bees; they blazed like a fire of thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off! I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation. There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly; the right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.” I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord. The Lord has punished me severely, but he did not give me over to death. Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it. I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Save us, we beseech you, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech you, give us success! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord. The Lord is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you. O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psalm 118 (NRSV)
Message: Friends, the Last Supper is not the end and should really be viewed as the First Communion. For Jesus the Last Supper…the first communion, is meant to be the hope of forgiveness. For Judas it was an expense. For Peter it was a test of his commitment. But friends, for us it is to mean as Jesus intended… the hope of forgiveness found in the love of God. For my Messianic Jews for Jesus friends it brings special meaning tied to the first Passover and the Passover Lamb of God, Jesus. That the sign of the cross is painted on the doorposts in the first Passover is further evidence of the connection. Still, the scene is filled with tension and drama and division even without its obvious link to the original story of salvation in the Exodus from Egypt. This night of the Passover in Jerusalem is filled with images of the first. Lambs are being sacrificed. And in this meal of remembrance Jesus is surrounded by His disciples and is breaking the unleavened bread pierced and striped, it is like that first event in the Exodus. So picture Jesus dipping the unleavened bread in bitter herbs so strong as to bring tears to one’s eyes. imagine the disciples drinking the cup of salvation and redemption with Jesus. So, with your eyes cleared imagine the event depicted as in the painting by DaVinci. Imagine the disciples singing of a hymn like Psalm 118. Imagine the placement of the disciples. The place on the left of Jesus was the place of highest honor, reserved for the most intimate friend. This was the position that Judas occupied at the Last Supper. Then out of Jesus’ mouth comes words like a sword that cut open the emotions of love, terror, grief and amazement. He announces that one of the disciples would betray him. Leonardo da Vinci pictures the disciples sitting in four groups of three each capturing this very moment. In their bewilderment the disciples have drawn away, so that Christ sits alone. Each disciple is expressing his feeling in his own way. Now today, as we journey with Jesus on the road to Calvary, we still need answers to Peter’s question. We need to know what we can do and what we cannot do…where we can go and where we cannot go. For here we must face the truth that the only way to Resurrection and New Life is through the Cross of Jesus, but that we also have our own crosses to bear. Friends, after we sort through all our personal emotions we need direction and purpose. And the beauty and the truth and the hope is that Jesus is guiding us to a meeting place with God where we can experience His Presence most intensely and gain answers to our questions. But first we must address the pain of life. And surprising though it is, it is in the suffering and death of Jesus Christ we have God’s supreme expression of His love for us. This is the very heart of the Christian Gospel.
And So, in many ways, it is after a person is saved that the struggle against sin really heats up in his life. All people are born with a nature that is bent toward sin. To sin comes naturally. So, when a person is converted, the sin nature does not disappear – and so the internal conflict begins in the life of every believer. For love and suffering are so intertwined. And so, the elements of the Lord’s Supper are visual reminders of the fact that the One who lives came to die, so that we who are dying might come to new life. It acknowledges the sorrow and the joy and the redemption. Perhaps we can paint this picture of hope and joy on our hearts believing we are going to a place that Jesus is preparing for us where all the answers will become clear. Friends, Jesus promises blessing and fulfillment to those who follow but he does not promise it will be easy. Jesus has overcome the world but we still must deal with the world and that makes the following difficult.
Pray we follow Jesus but not just at a safe distance. Pray
we have the hope of forgiveness in Christ that brings us closer. Pray we are not really surprised if the way of Christ is not as easy as we had hoped for. Pray we seek God. Pray realize that there is no other way to the resurrection except by way of the Cross. Pray we identify with Jesus Christ and make his life a model for our own. Pray we not betray the truth. Pray we belong to Jesus. Pray that in our times of communion we realize that meal, the sacrifice, is meant for forgiveness and to prepare us to receive new life. Pray this week that we stay focused on a time that we will receive new life. Pray we be a light to others on the journey.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 