Confessing Jesus Before Men: The Way, The Truth, and The Life

"And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. (Luke 12:8-9 NASB)

Confess before men" is a phrase that, in Greek, means to say the same the same things about Jesus that He says about Himself. In this series, we have reviewed the I AM's, including I AM the Bread of Life, I AM the Light of the World, I AM the Door, I AM the Good Shepherd (pasture), I AM the Good Shepherd, and I AM the Resurrection and the Life.

It was the night before Jesus' crucifixion. He spent those last few hours celebrating the Passover and talking with His disciples. In the limited time He had left, He poured truth into the men who would carry on after His return to heaven. 

"I'm going away," He told them. "Where?" Thomas wanted to know. "Don't worry. I'm going to prepare a place for you and You already know the way to join me." (Leanna Paraphrase) 

I love Thomas. He was full of questions and uncertainly, and not afraid to ask what he wanted to know. We should be so bold. "Jesus, we don't even know where You're going. How do we know the way?" Thomas asked. (LP) Jesus replied with words that we would do well to remember.

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; 

no one comes to the Father but through Me." John 14:6 NASB

(The passages in the Gospel of John are incredibly rich and worth reading. I encourage you to take the time to review John 13-15.)

How do we know "the way"? We know it because we know Jesus, and He is the way. The word translated as "way" is hodos and indicates the road one would take on a journey. In this instance, hodos is used to indicate that Jesus is the path we must take to a relationship with God. 

This word has also been used to describe the Christian faith, as "the way". It is used to indicate that living according to the teaching of Christ is a different "way" of living than we would choose otherwise. 

When we stand at a crossroads of decision, those of us who follow Christ must follow the path He trod. We must remember that Jesus denied Himself, left heaven, suffered incredible loss and pain, paid for our sin, and conquered death. He taught us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. 

We cannot merely choose the easiest or most profitable path. We must choose the way of Christ. The way of righteousness.

Are you struggling to make a decision? Turn to the words in red. In some versions of the Bible, the words Jesus spoke are printed in red. There's enough truth in those words to carry us through a lifetime. His is always the way we should go.

Of course, the problem with following the way of Jesus is that He demands forgiveness for enemies and prayers for persecutors. Who wants to do that? In our natural self, none of us. They are, however, the way of Christ. If we are to follow Him, we must follow His way. 

The way can be summed up in two short sentences. 

"Jesus said unto him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,

 and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 

This is the great and foremost commandment. 

The second is like it,' You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Matthew 22:37-39 NASB

If we are wondering how we should live, these few verses will give us a nice summary. Love God and love your fellow man. If we get those priorities straight, we have a nice start on the way of Christ.

Understanding the "I AM's" does more than help us know Jesus. To confess Jesus before men, we must "say" with our lives the same things Jesus said about Himself. If we are to be a living demonstration of Jesus as the way, we must live in obedience to His commands. We must love as He loved, give as He gave, serve as He served, forgive as He forgave. He is the way, and He's made the path clear. It's our job to follow close behind.

For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, 

and those who find it are few. 

Matthew 7:14 NASB

~~~~~~~

Our Father, Thank you for making the way clear by sending Jesus to show us the way to live and the way to You. Help me to choose Your path rather than my own. Help me to follow faithfully until the day I see you face to face in eternity. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Confessing Jesus before men: I am the resurrection and the life

And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. (Luke 12:8-9 NASB) 

"Confess before men" is a phrase that, in Greek, means to say the same the same things about Jesus that He says about Himself. In this series, we have reviewed the I AM's, including I AM the Bread of Life, I AM the Light of the World, I AM the Door, I AM the Good Shepherd (pasture), and I AM the Good Shepherd.

Our topic for today is "I AM the Resurrection and the Life". 

I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in Me will live even if he dies..." (John 11:25 NASB)

The context of Jesus' statement is critical for understanding. As John 11 begins, Jesus and His disciples received word that Lazarus, Jesus' dear friend, is critically ill. "This sickness is not to end in death," Jesus told them. The most important word in that sentence is end. The sickness might result in death, but it would not end in death. It was a critical distinction, but one the disciples may have missed. 

Jesus waited two days before leaving for Bethany. The disciples knew there was a plot to kill Jesus and begged Him not to go, but Jesus was adamant. "I'm going." By the time they arrived, Lazarus was already dead. Jesus had missed his chance to say goodbye, or so it seemed.

Martha charged out to greet Him, bristling with indignation. "If you had been here, my brother would not have died." Jesus assured Martha, "Your brother will rise again." Martha responded, (Leanna Paraphrase) "I know all about that, Jesus. He'll rise again in the resurrection on the last day. I want my brother now." Mary and the crowds felt the same. 

"He opened the eyes of the blind. Couldn't Jesus have prevented Lazarus' death?"

Imagine the interaction for a moment. In my mind's eye, I can see Jesus smile and give Martha a hug. "Martha, my friend," He might have said, "I AM the resurrection and the life, he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" She nodded, "Yes, Lord. I believe you are the Christ."

Jesus could have prevented her suffering, but He did not.

If He had, Martha and the people present that day would have missed a miracle and an understanding of the most critical piece of Jesus' message. They would have been ill-prepared for the very near future. Because of Lazarus' death and the resurrection Jesus would bring, they would be ready to face Jesus' death. None of that preparation could come without the suffering of losing Lazarus.

Their pain had a point.

Jesus was heartbroken for what His friends were enduring. "Let's go to the grave," He told them. When he stood in front of the tomb, He instructed the people to "remove the stone". No one wanted to open the grave. Lazarus had been there for four days. It wouldn't be a pretty sight or smell. 

Jesus insisted and overruled the crowd. It was a good thing He did. With three words, Jesus changed the understanding of everyone present that day. "LAZARUS COME FORTH," He called. Lazarus, still wrapped in grave clothes, came forth.

What we often forget in times of heartbreak and tragedy is that the pain and suffering are never wasted. Like with Lazarus' death, the devastating loss can be used to prepare us for something that is to come. 

Without the lessons gained in sorrow, we may be ill-prepared for the next step in our journey. 

No matter what we face, the outcome is not the end, because Jesus is the resurrection and the life. When we belong to Him, the promise of our eternal destiny changes what seems like the end of hope, the end of joy, the end of life into the end of suffering and the beginning of life. When our life on earth ends, our body may be nothing more than a rotting hunk of flesh. Our soul, however, is no longer bound to this earth. We go to live with Jesus in heaven, and it is worth the journey.

Are you walking through a time of trial? Take hope. Jesus has overcome the world. He has overcome suffering, pain, death and loss. 

He may not end your pain and suffering, but He will never waste it. 

~~~~~~~

Our Father, give us hearts of endurance to persevere through hard times and the faith the lean on you in the good times and the bad. Use our suffering to make us more like Jesus and to glorify you. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Confessing Jesus before Men: The I AM's

"And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. (Luke 12:8-9 NASB)

These two verses seem pretty simple, but there is a depth to them that is remarkable. The word translated as "confess" is a compound word from two words that mean "same" and "speaks". When we "confess" Christ before men, we say the same things about Him that He says about Himself. 

To enable us to speak accurately about Him, we have to know what Jesus said, and that requires that we study Scripture and know Who He is. John, in his gospel, records repeated "I am" phrases with which Jesus tells us about Himself. 

Bread of Life: Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst." John 6:35 NASB

Light of the world: " Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." John 8:12 NASB

Door: "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture." John 10:9 NASB

Good Shepherd: "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." John 10:11 NASB

Resurrection and the Life: "I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in Me will live even if he dies..." John 11:25 NASB

Way, Truth, and Life: "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." John 14:25 NASB

Vine: "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me, you can do nothing." John 15:5 NASB

Over the next few days, we will look at all of these "I am's," but for today, let's do an overview. Read through each one of these verses. Look them up in the gospel of John and get to know the passages. Get to know Jesus in greater depth. 

In the midst of a troubled world where one crisis follows another, one act of unspeakable cruelty leaves us reeling before we've recovered from the one before, Jesus is still the same. He is still the only bread of life that satisfies the craving we have. He is still the only way to God. He is still the only vine that can make us fruitful. He is still I am.

In this world, we will have trouble, but take heart, for HE has overcome the world. (John 16:33)

~~~~~~~

Our Father, help me to know You more so that I can confess to the world who You are, telling others with my words and showing them with my life. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Confessing Jesus Before Men: I AM the Good Shepherd

"And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. "(Luke 12:8-9 NASB)

"Confess before men" is a phrase that, in Greek, means to say the same the same things about Jesus that He says about Himself. In this series, we have reviewed the I AM's, including I AM the Bread of Life, I AM the Light of the World, I AM the Door, and I AM the Good Shepherd. (We started Good Shepherd in yesterday's post but I had a moment of distraction and we covered pastures instead.) Today, we're looking at Good Shepherd, part 2.

After a quarter century of caring for livestock, I learned a very important bit of information. The shepherd is critical to the health, comfort, and survival of the sheep. It is the shepherd that chooses the pasture when the livestock grazes, assures their safety, provides their grazing and grain, finds clean water, and grooms their coats and feet. A herd animal, left to its own devices, will not have the same quality of life, nor the same length of life, as an animal cared for by a loving shepherd.

Scripture is replete with images of God's people as sheep that are in desperate need of a compassionate and consistent shepherd. The images of Jesus as a shepherd are some of my favorite in Scripture. A shepherd defends his flock against all enemies, including wild enemies and marauders intent on stealing the sheep away. Our Good Shepherd, in His fight against the enemy of our soul, laid down His life for us, then rose again to conquer the one who would destroy us.

"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." John 10:11 NASB

It is the image of the shepherd leading the sheep that helps me understand the tenderness with which our Lord cares for us. I've had animals that followed willingly with little training and I've had animals that wouldn't follow, no matter how carefully I tended them. The ones who followed made life easier and more pleasant for both of us. The good news is we have a Shepherd who guides us with skill and cares for us with integrity. He never fails. He is never distracted.

So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them with his skillful hands. (Psalms 78:72 NASB)

My favorite image of Jesus, however, is that of a shepherd gathering the lambs into his arms. When a lamb is born, it must be trained to know the shepherd. Gentle handling will accustom the lamb to the shepherd and teach the lamb that the shepherd is the "hand that feeds". When the lamb knows the shepherd, it is easier to teach the lamb to follow. 

In that same way, we have a Shepherd who gathers us into His arms, holds us close to His heart, so that we can know Him, so that we will follow Him when He sits up down and allows us to stand.

Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes. (Isaiah 40:11 NASB)

It is only when the sheep follow the shepherd that they enjoy the tender care he provides. Just as David wrote, "The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want," (Ps 23:1) we can count on our Shepherd to recognize and meet every need. Can our Shepherd count on us, the sheep of His pasture, to follow? 

~~~~~~~

Our Father and Shepherd, help me to follow close behind You. Keep me from straying away and protect me from all my enemies. Thank you for your tender care and abundant provision. In Jesus' name, amen.

Confessing Jesus Before Men: I AM the Good Shepherd

3

"And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. (Luke 12:8-9 NASB)

In an attempt to understand what it means to "confess Jesus before men" (or say the same things about Jesus that He says about Himself), we are reviewing the "I AM's".  So far, we've covered I AM the Bread of Life, I AM the light of the world, and I AM the door. 

Today, we continue the passage from John 10 with a look at the pasture into which the door of Christ opens.

"I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." John 10:19,11 NASB

Most of have seen pastures. These are wide, open fields in which livestock live and feed. Pasture management is a science of it's own and has taught us that a healthy pasture requires considerable attention. (I have more than one book on pasture management.) The type of grasses are chosen for their nutritional value. A source of clean water is imperative. There must be shade from the sun and protection from the elements. 

If the pasture is well-maintained, it provides a safe home for livestock, replete with everything needed for a safe and healthy life. In that same way, when we enter through the door of Jesus into the pasture He provides, we (according to Thayer) "shall not want the needful supplies for a true life." 

There is a difference, of course, between the "needful supplies for life" and our mountain of wants. In a society of entitlement, such as we have here in this country, it's easy to confuse the two. 

In 1943, Maslow described the hierarchy of human needs. Our most basic needs are simple. Breathing, food, water, shelter, clothing, sleep. The next level of need includes health, job, family, property, and social stability, but is not required to sustain life. 

Take a look again at the most basic needs. Air, food, water, shelter, and sleep can all be found in a good pasture. (Clothing is just another form of shelter, or covering.) When we enter into the pasture of faith in Jesus, he is our stability. We become part of the family of God. We are joint heirs with Him. He gives us the work of the kingdom. The "needful supplies of life" are all provided, and more.

Jesus is the door that opens into the pasture of our provision. We, the sheep of His pasture, must occupy that pasture in ways that demonstrate the care lavished upon us by our Shepherd. One of the ways we confess Jesus before men is the attitude with which we occupy our "pasture". When we receive the gifts of God with a grateful heart, we give glory to Him with our gratitude. 

A lifestyle of contentment, rather than grumbling, says to the world that we serve a Good Shepherd who provides all we need for a productive life. Let's take a look at our attitudes. Do we grumble about the gifts of God? Do we constantly want more or different than He has provided? Today, let's take note of the provision God has given us, then thank Him for His generosity toward us. Let's confess Him before men by a lifestyle of gratitude.

Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. (Philippians 4:11-12 NASB)

~~~~~~~

Our Father, thank You for giving us our daily bread, our needful supply. Give me a grateful heart that honors You by the way I receive your gifts. Replace my grumbling with contentment in Your abundant provision. In Jesus' name, Amen

Confessing Jesus Before Men: I AM the Door

"And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. (Luke 12:8-9 NASB)

In an attempt to understand what it means to "confess Jesus before men" (or say the same things about Jesus that He says about Himself), we are reviewing the "I AM's".  So far, we've covered I AM the Bread of Life, and I AM the light of the world. 

Another of the I AM's is from John 10, where Jesus describes Himself as the Door: 

"I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture." John 10:9 NASB

A door, of course, allows us to move from one place to another. The implication is that the place beyond the door would be closed to us unless we entered through the door. This "Jesus door" leads us to salvation and to good pasture, and is the only way through which we access eternal salvation. (We will discuss pasture in tomorrow's post.) 

The imagery of opening and going through a door is used more than once in Scripture. The first use of this imagery is used in Genesis. Cain and Abel had presented their offerings to God. Abel brought the first fruits and God accepted his gift, but Cain's gift was not accepted. Cain was angry and seethed in his anger. God came to him and warned him against his attitude. Sin crouched at the door of Cain's heart, longing to overcome him and bring destruction. Cain had a choice. Master the sin and do right, or let sin conquer him. 

"If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it." (Genesis 4:7 
NASB)

In Revelation, Jesus tells us that He is at the door of our hearts, as well. We have the choice to open the door and allow Him entrance. He will come into our lives and dwell there.

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and dine with him, and he with Me. (Rev. 3:20 NASB)

Metaphorically, there is a door in our heart. Sin and Righteousness battle at the door. Sin crouches, but Jesus knocks. We have a choice. Will we allow sin to master us, or will we make Jesus our Master and our Friend? The choice we make has eternal consequences, so we must choose well.

In the simplicity of inviting Christ into our hearts, there is incredible complexity, for in opening the door of our hearts to Him, we find that He is the door that leads us to eternal life, to salvation. Is He the only door to salvation? Yes. He tells us that He is the way. The only way.

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14:6 NASB)

Jesus is the only door that leads to eternal life with our Heavenly Father. Peter, on the day of Pentecost, spoke of this very thing.

"And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12 NASB)

There is no other name. There is no other door. Only Jesus is the door that leads us to communion with Him and eternal life. 

~~~~~~~

Lord Jesus, I open my heart to you. Come in and be my Master and my Friend. Lead me, through You, to eternal life. Help me to master sin and live to please You. In your name, Amen.

Confessing Jesus Before Men: Light of the World

"And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. (Luke 12:8-9 NASB)

We started a new mini-series a few days ago to help us better understand the meaning of confessing Jesus before men. The phrase does not mean we post a meme on social media saying "I love Jesus". In the original language, it means that we say the same things about Jesus (with our lives and our words) that He says about Himself. Yesterday, we looked at "I AM the bread of life."

We turn today to Jesus' words in John 8:12 and a companion verse found in Matthew. 

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." (John 8:12 NASB)

Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16 NASB)

Most towns of any size in the U.S. have street lights that shine at night, illuminating our way. It's hard for us to find a place that's completely void of external light. Because I live in "the country", however, my nights are illuminated by the moon and stars. When the sky is overcast, the nights can be very dark. Walking in that dark, without the aid of artificial light, can be a challenge, especially when the terrain is not level.

Jesus walked this earth at a time when there were no electric lights. Illumination was provided by firelight, candles, and oil lamps. They understood the importance of light because, when the lights were extinguished, darkness was all that remained.

Jesus explained that He is the Light of the world. In the darkness of sin, He is the bright light that brings illumination, clears away our sin, reveals what was hidden, and shines light on the path we should take. 

Light helps us to see things as they are, and the Light of Jesus does that for us, as well. He helps us to see ourselves and others as He sees us (and them). 

During the ice storm of 1994, I was without electricity for more than two weeks. I had candles and oil lamps, but the light was dim. When power was restored and lights blazed in my house again, it revealed more than I wanted to know. The dust that had accumulated was astounding. 

Light reveals. Just as I had an enormous housekeeping job to be done, so the Light of Christ can reveal the dust and grime of sin that accumulates in our lives. That knowledge can change us, if we allow it.

The amazing thing about the Light of Christ is that sometimes His Light reveals my sin to me and sometimes it helps me see His amazing love for me.

There's another fact about the Light of Christ that is mind-blowing. When I follow Him, His Light can shine in me. Through the Holy Spirit, He can fill my life with His Light. I reveal that light by the way I live my life and the "good works" I do. 

When I love my enemy, I allow the light of Christ to shine on him/her. When I visit those who are sick, feed the hungry, encourage the downhearted, rescue the perishing, I allow the light of Christ to shine through.  

I don't have the light of Christ because of my good works. I do good works because of the light of Christ in me. 

How do I obtain this Light? Jesus made it very simple. "He who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life." 

Following Jesus. Not only does it take us out of darkness and allow us to "walk in light", but it's also the only way to be filled with His light.

~~~~~~~

Heavenly Father, Help me to follow Jesus and His ways. Fill me with His light and help me to be a light in the darkness, shining so brightly that all can see Jesus in me. In His name, Amen.