WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12 2014 READING: JOHN 6:60-71 MEDITATION: Imagine a church that grows from a dozen members to well over 5,000 in just 3 years. They have strong leaders, enthusiastic members, and a fantastic preacher. Miracles are happening every day. The whole country is talking about it. Then one morning after the Preacher gives one short little sermon, and boom the congregation goes from 5,000 back down to the original 12. That’s what happened to Jesus in the text for today. Jesus had developed a huge following. His congregation grew to the point that no building in Galilee could hold them. All 4 Gospels describe one meeting where he fed 5,000 men, not even counting the women and children. (Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9, John.6). After that, the people wanted to grab Jesus, make him their King, and march to Jerusalem in a big Victory Parade. That’s when Jesus ducked out. He and his men sailed a boat to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. But the next morning his determined fans tracked him down. Instead of feeding them breakfast, Jesus preached a short sermon where he told them “I am the bread of life.” The people were bewildered. Their stomachs were growling. Their blood sugar level was getting low. Their mouths were watering for bread and fish. What did “I am the bread of life” mean? The crowd started grumbling. As the day went on, most of them “quit the church” so to speak. Even many of the 70 disciples that Jesus had sent out as missionaries left him. When Jesus looked around at the end of that day, only the 12 remained. Just take a moment and reflect on these 12 diverse personalities. • Andrew, was known for bringing others to Christ. As soon as he met Jesus, he ran to tell his brother the news. • Philip also told his countryman Nathanael about Jesus. Nathanael (also known as Bartholomew),evidently had a good sense of humor. When Philip told him about Jesus of Nazareth Nathanael quipped, Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:43-51) • Next, we have James and John - a couple of fisherman brothers. They were the sons of Zebedee. Evidently they were not the shy, timid type. Jesus nick-named them the “Sons of Thunder.” • And then there’s James, son of Alphaeus. He was sometimes called James, the less.” Perhaps he was smaller, younger, or quieter than the other James. • Matthew was a tax collector, employed by the government of Rome. • Simon the Zealot was an insurgent, working to overthrow the same government Matthew worked for. • Which brings us to Thaddaeus who is sometimes called Jude. • Of course, there’s Thomas, who is known for being a skeptic, demanding proof before he would believe. • That adds up to 10. The last 2 (PETER & JUDAS) are singled out in the text - one for his faith and one for his unbelief. They are probably the best-known of the Apostles, but for opposite reasons. One is famous. One is infamous. But Peter and Judas have more in common than you might think. • Both were personally called by Christ • Both answered the call and walked with Jesus every day for 3 years • Both were leaders among the men: Peter was the spokesman; Judas was the treasurer • When so many others turned away, both men stayed with Jesus. • They stayed with him all the way through that Last Supper at Passover. From all appearances they both looked like disciples. But, as I Samuel 16:7 says, The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. One man had the Heart of a Disciple and the other did not. So, we need to ask, What is the Heart of a Disciple? Comparing Peter and Judas is a good way to see what is at the Heart of Discipleship. It is interesting to see their similarities. It is essential to see their differences because one of these men served Christ all his days. The other one committed suicide. When we compare Peter and Judas, the first thing we see is that a Disciple Holds to Belief, not Doubt. 1. A TRUE DISCIPLE HOLDS TO BELIEF NOT DOUBT: Jesus said, The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe. John 6:63-64 Deep in his heart, Judas doubted that Jesus was who He claimed to be. But Judas probably believed many OTHER things about Jesus. He believed Jesus was powerful. He believed Jesus was going to set up a Political Kingdom. Most important, Judas believed Jesus could deliver what he wanted. And what Judas wanted was wealth, power, and status. This is obvious if you look at the event that pushed Judas over the edge. It was 6 days before Passover when Mary anointed Jesus with expensive perfume. She broke open the jar of perfume and poured it over his head and feet. Then she knelt before Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. While the aromatic fragrance filled the house, bitterness filled the heart of Judas. John chapter 12 says that Judas complained, “What a waste! We could have sold that perfume and given the money to the poor.” The next verse gives a glimpse of what was really in the heart of Judas: He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. John 12:5-6 Jesus told Judas, “Leave her alone. She has anointed me for my burial. You will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me with you.” Peter, on the other hand, believed that Jesus was who He said He was. When Jesus asked his 12 disciples, Will you leave me also? It was Peter who gave the first great confession of faith: Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God. John 6:68-69 Was Judas’ pride injured because Jesus rebuked him? Was he angry to see all that money slip away from his control? Was he frustrated because he saw his “gravy train” drying up? We don’t know everything that was in the heart of Judas. But we do know that from that moment on, Judas looked for an opportunity to betray Jesus. (Matthew 26:14-16) There are many who have left their church or fellowship because their pride was wounded. Some want always to be leaders, never followers. And some are just in it for the position, the fame, the money, the material comfort, and the adulations of human beings. So, what really motivates you as a believer? Remember, Judas believed in the power of Jesus. And he too worked miracles! Believing in the power is not enough. Do you believe in Jesus purpose and mission? RESOLUTIONS: • List the things that make it difficult for you to be a good follower • Identify whats in you that makes you always want to lead. Do you get hurt when you are asked to step aside and let someone else lead? Can you identify why? • Identify credible ways you can be an active partaker in the mission and ministry of Jesus • Identify ways you can motivate yourself in Christ as a follower not necessarily a leader. Remember, you were born again primarily to be a follower not a leader • Ask the Holy Spirit to humble you and give you grace to be an authentic follower. keep in mind, it is more rewarding to be a faithful and fruitful follower than be a self-centered leader.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 09:00:02 +0000
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