Enjoying Jesus

 

ENJOYING JESUS

by Tim Chester

Back Cover:

What does it look like to enjoy a real, living relationship with Jesus Christ here and now?

We know Jesus has saved us. We know we need to trust him. But too often there's little sense of a lived experience of him - of enjoying him and being a joy to him, of loving him and being loved by him, of interacting with him as we walk through each day. 

If following Jesus has become more about duty than delight or if you'd simply love a Christian life that feels deeper and more alive, then this book will show you how to enjoy Jesus' presence and friendship in every moment of life.

The opening chapter describes Mike and Emma's Tuesday afternoon. It starts with a reflection of the impact of Sunday morning's sermon but now 2 days later things are so different ....

On Sunday morning both Mike and Emma react differently to the pastor's sermon - as Emma looks at Mike she realises his heart has been touched as well as her own.  The pastor has just preached on God's love to us in Christ Jesus. Christ is worthy and we are worthy in Christ. Emma feels as if all her insecurities are wrapped about with the righteousness of Christ. (How often does this not happen - we feel the impact of a sermon on Sunday morning and it fills us with such amazing feelings of knowing we are part of God's family and have a God who really loves us.)

We then move to Tuesday afternoon. Emma is collecting her children at the school playground. Her feelings of inadequacy as a wife and mother are apparent. She juggles work and church commitments as well as school pick-ups feeling the guilt of not quite being good enough at any of it. (How this resonates with me as the reader)

Meanwhile Mike is keeping his head down at work. It turns out that a new employee is a Christian and everyone is mocking him. They realise that this person is like Mike, a Christian. They ask Mike if he will be joining them at their usual Friday night drinking session knowing too well he won't. You can feel the loneliness for Mike as he gets on with his work. It is hard being the only Christian in his huge department. (This really came home to me - I too have experienced those same feelings as Mike has. It is difficult when social events are planned in an office and you know that all too often they turn into an excuse for drinking alcohol which I don't participate in on principle. It can feel extremely lonely when you see attitudes portrayed that are polar opposite to your own and even when you are 'abused' and mocked at for being a Christian.)

As Mike makes his way home he thinks about the loss of his fourth child born with a malformed heart and who died at 3 months old. This happened 2 years previously and at the time people were so kind and thoughtful but then they moved on as they had their own lives to live. Mike understands that. Eventually even he and Emma had stopped talking about their daughter Rosie. Mike still grieves for her and still feels her loss. He is conscious that if he brought it up again it would make Emma cry. So Mike nurses his grief alone. (As I read this I reflected on my own life and times when people had helped me through my cancer diagnosis. They were so kind and thoughtful but life moves on as they say and it is hard to process your thoughts about the situation. I am not grieving like Mike but you can be left with so many unanswered questions and thoughts as well as concerns for the future - what if I take a second diagnosis, what then?)

Emma has not forgotten Rosie's death. As she stands waiting and anxiously hurrying her children to the car she realises that fear seems to have taken over her life. Every sniffle sets her heart racing. Every journey is spent on high alert. Mike on his journey home is acutely aware of his situation - listening in on conversations makes him long for a hug or a smile. (How much I feel empathy for this couple - neither wants to open up to each other, scared of how the other will react and yet they need help!)

In between making the tea and watching the children, Emma sits down to prepare her Sunday School class. She feels the weight of her responsibilties between home life, work and church commitments. Teaching Sunday School feels like a burden - another demand in her demanding life. (This took me back to when I juggled home and church life - it was a real struggle as I taught Sunday School before the church service, then played the organ during the service - preparation for both took some considerable time each week as I worked outside the home as well. Now I am very reluctant to get involved in any sort of commitment like that again knowing what it means and how it affected me emotionally as well as physically.)

As Mike nears home he thinks about his work and it is clear he is not happy when he thinks about how one day seems to evolve into another. He thinks about getting home and the time he will spend with the children. He also remembers that tonight is the church prayer meeting. He longs to have an excuse not to attend and plans a possible way out - maybe he should skip it tonight or better still offer to babysit so Emma could go. (I have been in Mike's situation too - knowing I should attend and support the church prayer time but some nights just longing to have an excuse to not attending. Why is that?)

As Emma continues her preparation for the Sunday School class she starts worrying about different things - global warming, rising crime, online bullying. She prays asking the Lord to help her not worry so much. She thinks of all the new challenges her own children will face as they grow up. She realises that she has difficulty praying about her worries and ends up worrying more. (How easy it is to let our minds wander - this is one reason why I started prayer journaling because I can commit everything to God and know that he is listening and understands. It may not solve all the problems but it gives me a greater sense of peace.)

As Mike travels home he picks up a discarded newspaper and starts to scan the headlines. War. Famine, Corruption. It is all very gloomy as usual. He starts to read a human trafficking story and thinks of his own daughter Poppy. As he does so he becomes very angry but realises the problems are overwhelming. (How true - we can listen to news reports on social media and television and long for justice but are scared at the same time for our own families.)

Emma's mind is flitting from her preparation to Mike at work to Rosie and back again. She cannot even begin to pray properly. 

Mike puts the newspaper down. Reading is only making him feel depressed that the world seems to be moving further and further away from God. Christian values that were once mainstream are now considered the height of prejudice. He thinks about the conversation in the office when his colleagues laughed at his faith. He had been thinking of inviting a couple of them to next month's guest service. But what is the point? No-one's going to come. (How many times have I not been in a similar situation - I would love to invite people to church but then wonder why should I bother when they make it so obvious they would not come.)

Emma starts to scroll through her social media feeds. She sees various friends in different situations and it is hard not to feel a bit jealous. (How many times have I not done the same, every single day!)

As Mike walks home from the train station he tries to tell himself to think happy thoughts but as he does so his heart sinks. What is there to look forward to?

Enjoying life with Jesus had felt so real on Sunday morning. But 2 days on and already Jesus feels far away. What does it look like to enjoy Jesus on a Tuesday afternoon?  Sound familiar?  It does for many.  We return to that Tuesday afternoon to show what Enjoying Jesus really means in every aspect of Mike and Emma's life.

I have included the full details of this scenario as it helps when reading the book - we are brought back to Mike and Emma constantly throughout the book as Tim Chester addresses the issues each of them experience and relate to. It is only as you start reading a couple of chapters that you become aware of how the book addresses them. This book is so relatable because as the reader I am very aware of similar thoughts, feelings and experiences like Mike and Emma.

Introduction: Enjoying Jesus Today

"Jesus can just become a mechanism that God uses to save people. Too often there's little sense of a lived experience of Jesus - of being loved by him, of interacting with him day by day."

What does it mean to have a real, living relationship with Jesus?

This book is built around 2 core ideas:

1. What Jesus was like when on earth is what Jesus is like now in heaven.

2.  While Jesus is in his body is in heaven, Jesus is also present on earth through the Holy Spirit.

We need to establish something important about the dynamics of a relationship with Jesus.

First our union with Jesus does not depend on us.  Our relationship with Jesus is created by Jesus through the Holy Spirit - it starts with him and not with us. We didn't go searching for Jesus; he came to earth to redeem his bride and now he sends his Spirit to win our hearts. We're united to Christ through faith, but even this faith is Christ's gift to us - Ephesians 2 verses 8 to 10, which he delivers wrapped up in the regenerating work of the Spirit - John 3 verses 3 to 8. So our relationship with Jesus is founded on Christ himself. 

But second, our on-going experience of that union is affected by our actions. When we resist Christ or ignore him, our sense of being connected to him weakens. When we respond to him in faith and love, then our sense of connection deepens. We are saved by Jesus into a two-way relationship with Jesus.

Each chapter finishes with Action and Reflection. For instance chapter 1 asks the reader to think of a Gospel story; it could be one you've read recently or one you've heard preached. Or think of a Gospel story that matches your current circumstances. Reflect on the attitude of Jesus to his people in the story. Then reflect on his attitude to you today.

Reflection asks you to think of 3 questions:

How would you describe your relationship with Jesus?

Think back over the past couple of days; in what ways have you related with Jesus?

Do you have a favourite story from the Gospels? What is it about the story that appeals to you? 

There are 14 chapters in this book:

1. Enjoying the presence of Jesus
2. Enjoying the compassion of Jesus
3. Enjoying the shelter of Jesus
4. Enjoying the touch of Jesus
5. Enjoying the vitality of Jesus
6. Enjoying the glory of Jesus
7. Enjoying the delight of Jesus
8. Enjoying the voice of Jesus
9. Enjoying the connection of Jesus
10. Enjoying the anger of Jesus
11. Enjoying the intercession of Jesus
12. Enjoying the reign of Jesus
13. Enjoying the wealth of Jesus
14. Waiting for the appearing of Jesus.

Chapter 1 - Enjoying the Presence of Jesus

When you go to church on a Sunday morning do you look around to see who's there? Is there someone you don't recognise - a newcomer perhaps? Then do you look to see who's not there? Is someone unexpectedly missing? Are they ill? Are they struggling? Do they need some help?

One person who we never see sitting in the congregation is Jesus. Perhaps that doesn't surprise you. But remember ... it's his church. But your church and my church is Jesus' church. So why does he never walk through the door?

The bible shows us that meeting Jesus in person makes a massive difference. His presence changes everything.

Gospel Story: Levi (Matthew) inviting Jesus into his home – Luke 5 verses 27 to 32

Levi is a tax collector and when he comes to faith in Christ he wants to hold a party for Jesus in his home. He invites all his friends – they are social outcasts at the time. Jews who collected money for the occupying Roman governors. Levi was a collaborator, a traitor to his people. An enemy of God – at one time but now a friend of Jesus. The party becomes a powerful demonstration of what Jesus is all about. “It is not the healthy who need a doctor” Jesus says “but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” (verse 31) For Levi, the presence of Jesus is life-changing: he later becomes an apostle and a gospel writer.

In chapter 19 we meet another tax collector – Zacchaeus. Jesus also comes into his home and the effect on Zacchaeus is transformative.

He becomes a new man, giving away half his possessions to the poor and reimbursing anyone he has cheated. “Today salvation has come to this house” Jesus declares. Salvation has come home because Jesus has come home. Jesus was accused of being “a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners”. It is an accusation that Luke’s gospel seems more keen to confirm than deny!

“In Luke’s gospel Jesus is either going to a meal, at a meal, or coming from a meal.” Robert Karris

 Jesus eats and drinks with sinners as a sign of friendship and love. He makes his home among them.

That was then but what about now?

There is no point in inviting Jesus to your next party – where would you send the invitation? And yet his eagerness to enjoy our hospitality hasn’t changed. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever” (Hebrews 13 verse 8). But how can Jesus be at home with his people now?

Look at John 14 verses 15 to 23.  In verse 19 Jesus says “The world will not see me any more”. Then in verse 28 he tells his disciples he is going away – “I am going to the Father”. Here he is talking about his ascension to his Father in heaven. Peter writes in chapter 1 verse 8 “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him.” We believe in Jesus but we cannot see him. How can I know where Jesus is when I need him now? Jesus exists beyond the reach of our 5 senses. He is notable by his absence.

Except Jesus not only says he is leaving his disciples but he also tells them he’s coming. In verse 23 of John 14 he promises to make his home with those who love him, just as surely as he went to the home of Levi and Zacchaeus. But how is that possible? How can he be both absent and present? How can he say, “I am going away and I am coming back to you?” The answer is that while Jesus is physically absent, he is spiritually present. The word “spiritually” doesn’t mean in a ghost-like way – Jesus is not an apparition that appears on dark nights. “Spiritually” simply means through the Spirit.

In John 14 verses 16 and 17 Jesus says that the Father will give us an “advocate” to help us and be with us always. “Advocate” is a big word. It gathers up meaning that includes strengthener, witness, helper and comforter. But the key thing is that the Spirit is “another advocate”. That is because Jesus has been the first advocate. He’s been the one to whom the disciples looked for support and comfort.

Imagine the scene – the disciples panic when the Pharisees ask them a tough question – Jesus is already beside them ready to answer – Luke 5 verse 30 and 31.

Or think of how utterly defeated they felt when they could not heal the demon possessed child brought to them – Jesus arrived on the scene and sorted it out – Luke 9 verses 37 to 42.

With Jesus beside them everything would be OK. Now he is about to leave and looking around the room for Jesus is not going to work any more. Yet Jesus promises “I will not leave you as orphans” (John 14 verse 18). Jesus is not leaving them on their own. He’s going to provide another comforter – the Holy Spirit.

But Jesus told them he would come to them. Jesus is leaving them and Jesus is coming to them. Here we meet the beautiful mystery of the God who is three Persons sharing one divine nature. Jesus and the Spirit are one being with the Father. The Spirit is the Spirit of Christ. So the Spirit makes Jesus himself present, even when Jesus is physically absent. The Spirit is not just Christ’s representative, like an ambassador or a spokesperson. The Spirit doesn’t simply pass on messages, like a postman delivering mail. When the Spirit is present, Jesus himself is really and truly present because Jesus and the Spirit are one, sharing one being with the Father. When you encounter the Spirit, you encounter Jesus. You have a real and genuine experience of Jesus himself. This is what Jesus means when he says that he and the Father will come to us and make their home with us – verse 23. The Father sends the Holy Spirit to mediate Jesus’ presence to us. To make his home in us – to enable us to experience his welcome, comfort, joy, strength and help.

Jesus is absent in body, but Jesus is present through the Spirit – right here, right now.

In John 16 verses 6 and 7 we read “You are filled with grief because I have said these things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” Jesus was going away so that the Holy Spirit could be with us, and that is what’s best for us. Can that be right? Imagine if Jesus hadn’t ascended into heaven. Imagine instead that Jesus continued to live on earth with an imperishable body. What a boost to our evangelism that would be! Although there were plenty of people who witnessed the miracles of Jesus during his time on earth and remained violently opposed to him. Don’t forget – they ended up crucifying him! The real problem is not a lack of evidence but a lack of love and submission – John 14 verse 24. That’s one reason why Jesus has sent the Spirit: to convict people of the truth – chapter 16 verses 8 to 11.

But what about us? Why is it for our good that Jesus returned to his Father and sent the Spirit instead? The answer is that we get to experience Jesus in a  wider, deeper and longer way.

Jesus by his Holy Spirit can be present everywhere. That means, instead of having to make do with one appearance every 250,000 years Jesus turns up at your church every time you meet. That is exactly what Jesus promised: “where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18 verse 20). Through the Holy Spirit, the presence of Jesus is wider that it ever was on earth, spreading out across the globe. When Jesus attended Levi’s party, he went to one home. But through the Holy Spirit, he’s present in every home that welcomes him.

Not only is his presence wider; it’s also deeper. Jesus said “On that day you will realise that I am in my Father and you are in me, and I am in you.” (John 14 verse 20) Jesus is not only with us by his Spirit but in us. He offers a deeper presence and a deeper intimacy – more profound that anything people experienced when he was on earth.

After his resurrection, Jesus met Mary Magdalene outside the tomb. When she recognised him, it seems she grabbed hold of him. She’d thought she’d lost him and she wasn’t going to let that happen again! But Jesus said “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (John 20 verse 17) Don’t hold on to my physical body, Jesus was saying. Let me return to my Father and then, through the Spirit, you will know my Father as your Father – my God as your God. Mary wants to touch the body of Jesus, but Jesus wants to touch her heart. And your heart too.

Jesus is not simply present for a brief visit. At some point Levi had to thank Jesus for coming and see him on his way – but not for us. Jesus takes up residence in our hearts. He moves in and starts renovating the place, cleaning up the grime of sin and redecorating it with virtue. He makes our hearts his home. He promises not simply a pleasant evening ending with a goodbye. His promise is “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28 verse 20). Through the Spirit, the presence of Jesus is wider, deeper and longer.

What is Jesus doing right now? He’s making his home with us. Just as 2000 years ago he welcomed sinners, he still welcomes sinners like us into his presence by his Spirit. How do we respond?

Holding on to the promise - Jesus doesn't always feel present. We can't physically sense his nearness like the disciples did. So especially in difficult times, we may need to hold on to his presence by faith, trusting that he's with us even when it doesn't feel like it. Indeed, the times when we feel most abandoned may be the times when he empathizes with us the most. Jesus himself cried in his darkest hour “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15 verse 34). The incredible truth is that Jesus knows what it is to feel abandoned, even by God. He more than anyone, is able to sympathise with us in those moments when we feel all alone. And so in faith we can reach out to him through his promise and declare “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” (Psalm 23 verse 4)

Making Jesus feel at home – Jesus said “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” (John 14 verse 23). The Lord Jesus promises to make his home with us, but we're to respond with love and obedience. We respond to his love with our love and the way we love him is by keeping his commands. If we don't love Jesus enough to obey him, if we ignore his presence and neglect his commands, then he won't feel welcome and we'll not enjoy his presence. Jesus will be the stranger sitting in the corner. But Jesus promises that when we turn to him in love and obedience, he and the Father make their home in our hearts. It's not that we can earn our salvation. Jesus doesn't come to us because of our good works. But our experience and enjoyment of his presence is linked to our actions. All you need to do is turn. Take steps towards him in love and obedience and he'll make his home with you and transform your heart - just as he did with Levi and Zacchaeus.

Praying for a sense of Jesus' love - prayer is an opportunity to slow down, be still and attune yourself to the presence of Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Jesus is within you and he's there because he wants to be - because he loves you and because he wants to assure you of his love. Most of us are not used to being still, and our lives are filled with noise and distraction. So sensing the spiritual presence of Jesus is not straight forward. This is why Paul prays that God would “strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being” (Ephesians 3 verse 16). Only with the Spirit’s help will Christ “dwell in your hearts through faith” (verse 17). Make it your aim simply to be there, spending time in his presence. Jesus is absent in body so we wouldn’t normally expect any bodily sensations associated with his presence. Spiritual experiences are going to feel elusive to earthbound people. But that doesn’t mean they’re impossible or unreal. By faith we can know he’s with us. Being deliberatively attentive to the presence of Jesus - whether you feel him there or not - will be a blessing. Hear the invitation of Jesus to you “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (Revelation 3 verse 20)

Mike imagines Jesus is there in the office with him, seated at the next desk. Or surrounding him like some kind of force field. No Mike is not alone. "You joining me on Sunday" he calls over. His colleagues look puzzled. "At church". They laugh but Mike doesn't mind.

 As I read this chapter I realised that God by his Holy Spirit is with me wherever I am. I found Tim Chester’s explanation of God the Holy Spirit so enlightening and it made me understand so much more of how God makes himself real to me each day. Yes I may have practised the presence of Christ in my life but I wouldn’t say I have fully understood it. Using the analogy of Jesus visiting Levi’s home and later Zacchaeus’ home has made me realise that I need to bring Jesus into my situation more. And then bringing it back to make it real in Mike’s situation also re-emphasised that Jesus is with us wherever we are – so comforting particularly when we feel mocked or lonely at work. Jesus understands what we go through in life and I think sometimes we miss that point. We need to realise afresh that Jesus is with us more – as someone said to me once – Jesus is at your elbow every minute of every day.

CHAPTER 2 - ENJOYING THE COMPASSION OF JESUS

God has forgiven us, redeemed us and justified us through Christ. But is that enough?

Chapter 7 verses 11 to 17 - Jesus looks with compassion

Jesus and his disciples were entering a town called Nain. He had a crowd of people tagging along behind him. Then as they approached the town gate, they met a funeral procession coming in the opposite direction. "A large crowd" says Luke, collided with "a large crowd". You can imagine the chaos.

In the middle of the melee was a widow, about to bury her only son. First she'd lost her husband and now her son. Widows in the bible are often synonymous with vulnerability. In a male-dominated society, they had no one to protect them or care for them. So on top of her grief, she would have been filled with worry for her future.

Can you imagine the disciples feeling frustrated when they see the mourners coming out of Nain, thinking, "This'll mean a late lunch." Everyone is trying to nudge and nurdle their way through the crowd - but not Jesus. Jesus isn't thinking of his lunch, nor is he intent on pushing through the crowd, his attention is on the one in distress. "When the Lord saw her his heart went out to her and he said 'don't cry'". Jesus didn't have to consider what might be the right thing to do. He saw her and felt for her. It's an instinctive response that reflects his deep compassion.

The same word is used in Matthew's Gospel to describe the response of Jesus to crowds of people. "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9 verse 36; 14 verse 1). "Had compassion" translates the same root word as "his heart went out". Each time, the compassion of Jesus is linked to his sight - he sees the widow and his heart goes out to her; he sees the crowd, and he's filled with compassion. The gaze of Jesus is a compassionate gaze.

There's no censure in his gaze. When he says "don't cry", he's not telling the widow off for grieving or lacking faith. It's not a version of "pull yourself together". These are words of consolation. Then Jesus reaches out and brings the young man back to life. In a beautiful phrase, Luke adds, "and Jesus gave him back to his mother". The young man was stolen from his mother by death. But then Jesus redeemed him from death and gifted him back to his mother.

That was then. What about now?

Nothing has changed. Jesus has the same compassionate gaze yesterday and today and for ever. When he looks down from heaven, he sees you in your need and looks on you with love. Jesus may be absent in body, but through the Spirit, he's present in his compassion. Look at Hebrews 4 verse 14 to 5 verse 10.

Jesus is "a great high priest who has ascended into heaven". And yet, despite being in heaven, he's still able "to feel sympathy for our weaknesses". That's because he was "tempted in every way, just as we are".

It's important to see the logic of the argument. The reason why Jesus is able to sympathise is that he himself endured the same kinds of problems we face. Hebrews tells us that the Old Testament priests had to be from the people to represent the people. So if Jesus was going to be our ultimate high priest, then he had to become human so he could be "from the people". He had to take on the full experience of being human with all its limitations, temptations and trials. He had to become "subject to weakness". He had to go through what we go through.

Consider what Jesus endured during his life on earth ... His parentage was questioned. He suffered exhaustion and hunger. He was misunderstood by family and friends. He was despised and rejected. He was even accused of being in league with the devil. He was betrayed by a friend, abandoned by his followers, tried in an unjust court, tortured by the state, and ultimately executed as a criminal.

But the ability of Jesus to sympathise goes beyond what he himself suffered. After all, there were many things he didn't experience. He didn't experience married life. But he can still empathise with people who face these different struggles.

Jesus has imagination just like any human being, only more so. Our imagination gets twisted by our selfishness; we don't think about others as much we should because we're too busy thinking about ourselves. But Jesus always puts others first and therefore, more than anyone, he's able to think as others. He's able to transpose his experience as a human being and place himself in our shoes. Jesus' love is so great that he can readily transpose his experience onto our experience. And as he does so, his heart goes out to us.

In Hebrews 5 verse 9 Jesus was "made perfect" through what he suffered. It's not that Jesus was imperfect and had to be put right. It means he became fully equipped to do the job that God had given him, and that job is being a sympathetic high priest. Jesus could only become an effective priest by becoming human and experiencing life on earth as a human being. As God, Jesus was and is eternally love. But now his love is combined with empathy - he knows what it's like to be you.

"The Lord has compassion" on us because "he remembers that we are dust". Psalm 103 verses 13 and 14. It's an allusion to the creation of Adam, when God formed his body from the dust. It speaks of our fragility and limitations as human beings. Jesus too, remembers we are dust. But Jesus not only remembers we are dust; he has a body that is made of the same substance as ours. We rightly emphasise that the resurrection was a bodily resurrection. It wasn't that the consciousness of Jesus lived on in some vague way. The resurrected Jesus is fully human. But we need to remember too, that his ascension was bodily as well. So Jesus still has a human body. He is still made from dust - just like you.

The result, says Hebrews 5 verse 2 is that "he is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray since he himself is subject to weakness." The writer is talking about the Old Testament priests but he is using them to show us what Jesus is like. When Jesus himself describes his attitude towards weary sinners, he says "I am gentle and humble in heart" (Matthew 11 verse 29). He has stooped down low to our level and handles our battered souls with gentleness. Gentleness is what's in his heart and so gentleness is what spills out when he sees you in need.

2 or 3 objections come to mind - factors that might appear to limit the ability of Jesus to sympathise with us.

1. Jesus is not too far away to understand

The first is that Jesus has now "ascended into heaven" (Hebrews 4 verse 14) putting him a long way from the troubles of earth. He's safe and cosy up there.

This objection would carry weight if Jesus had a poor memory, but Jesus now has a "spiritual body" (1 Corinthians 15 verses 44 and 45), which is not subject to fading recollections. So his memory of being tempted is as vivid today in heaven as his experience of being tempted was on earth. Jesus is the God-man. In a mysterious way, he experiences time as a human being while existing outside of time as God So perhaps, as the God-man, his experience of being human on earth is constantly in the present tense.

The ascension widens his compassion rather than limits it. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus is able to be present with all his people. In the town of Nain he looked on one woman with compassion. Now in heaven he looks on all his people simultaneously and his heart goes out to us all. To you, to me. Right here, right now.

2. Jesus is not too powerful to understand

"He did not sin" (Hebrews 4 verse 15). So perhaps he didn't experience temptation as a real possibility in the way we do.

But think of it like this - there's an easy way to make temptation go away, and thats to give in to sin. Of course, deeper pains follow from that, but in the short term it relieves the pressure. Jesus never took that option. Especially in Gethsemane (in which Hebrew alludes in chapter 5 verse 7), the pressure mounted and mounted, and he said no. The strain intensified still further until he was "overwhelmed with sorrow" and "his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground." But still he said "your will be done" (Matthew 26 verses 38 and 39; Luke 22 verses 41 to 44). No one has been tempted to the extent that Jesus was.

Jesus could not sin because he is God and God cannot sin. But Jesus did not sin because as a human being he resisted temptation in the power of the Spirit. Though as God Jesus could not sin, as a human being he did not sin because he resisted temptation in full to the end. In other words, his divinity did not prevent him experiencing temptation in full as a human being.

All our temptations are encompassed within what he endured.

3. Jesus is not too good to understand

What about the mess of sin and the weight of guilt? How can the Righteous One - the one who did not sin - know what it is to be guilty?

Jesus did experience the mess of sin and the weight of guilt It wasn't the weight of his own sin; it was the weight of our sin and my sin. It's not just that he had a similar experience of guilt to the guilt you feel. He had a direct experience of your guilt because it was your sin that he bore on the cross. He understands your sin better than you do.

"He was crushed for our iniquities" Isaiah 53 verse 5

Jesus not only has compassion on us in our suffering; he also has compassion on us in our sinning. It's easy to think that, yes, when I suffer, Jesus has compassion on me. But it's different when I sin. When I sin I think he's frustrated with me or angry with me. You might suppose that Jesus would see you when you sin and turns away in disgust. But no, he holds his gaze - his compassionate gaze - and looks on you with love.

What was the attitude of Jesus when he saw us in our sin before he became a man on earth? The answer is love. We know he looked on us with love because it was that love which brought him down to earth. His incarnation is the proof of his love. Jesus saw our plight, rolled up his sleeves, as it were, and got struck in.

And what was the attitude of Jesus when he saw people in their sin while on earth? The answer is love. We know he loved us because he went to the cross. The cross is the proof of his love. He saw our plight and took that plight on himself in our place.

So what is Jesus' attitude now when he sees his people in their sin? The answer hasn't changed! It's still love. He's looking on us with compassion and sympathising with us in our weakness. His heart goes out to us. He moves towards us through the Holy Spirit. He speaks words of reassurance through his word. Repeatedly. Day by day. Sin by sin.

How do we respond?

"Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4 verse 16. Approaching with confidence is the logical response to the compassion of Jesus. "Therefore since we have a great high priest" begins verse 14 - a high priest who is able to sympathise with us - let us approach God.

If we think of Jesus as aloof - if we think he had it easy or that he'll be stern- then we'll keep our distance. We won't have the confidence to open up and express our true feelings to him. But, if you have a true picture of Jesus as he is - full of compassion and able to sympathise - then you will be able to approach him with joy. You will enjoy confiding in him as a trusted friend. You can open your heart to him because you know his heart will go out to meet yours.

Mike and Emma's Tuesday Afternoon

When Mike leaves the office to walk to the station, his thoughts go - as they often do - to his deeper loneliness. He thinks of Rosie, their fourth child, who was born with a malformed heart and died at 3 months old. 2 years ago, people had been so kind and thoughtful, but then they'd moved on - they had their own lives to live. Mike understands that. Eventually even he and Emma had stopped talking about Rosie. What was there to say? But he still grieves for Rosie - still feels her loss. If he brought it up, it would only make Em start crying again. So he nurses his grief alone.

"Where's Jesus in this?" he thinks. There are so many questions and so few answers. But when Mike thinks about Jesus, he thinks of all that he suffered on the cross. He remembers something his pastor had said at the time: "Jesus isn't in a hurry; you don't have to pull yourself together for Jesus." "Jesus hasn't moved on" thinks Mike. "He still feels compassion towards me." "Thank you Jesus" he says. "Thank you".

Action

Whenever you struggle or sin this week, think of Jesus looking at you with his compassionate gaze. Don't let feelings of guilt make you postpone turning to him in prayer; instead run to him for grace.

CHAPTER 3 - ENJOYING THE SHELTER OF JESUS

What does it mean to enjoy Jesus when you're overwhelmed by fear?

Luke 8 verses 22 to 25 - Jesus shelters his disciples

At first, the disciples thought the wind wouldn't amount to much. No cause for concern - not when you're being piloted by professionals. But then the waves started crashing over the sides, and before long the boat was "being swamped and they were in great danger". Andrew, Peter, James and John were all fishermen who had regularly sailed these waters.

Meanwhile Jesus is asleep. Perhaps it is a sign of his exhaustion or perhaps it is a sign of a calm confidence. It's the disciples who wake him up: "Master, Master, we're going to drown". There's no "might" or "maybe" in what they say. They're convinced that they're minutes from a watery grave. But Jesus speaks, and the wind and waves obey him. All the energy in the waves dissipates in an instant. "The storm subside and all was calm."

The word of Jesus to the storm is described as a rebuke: "he ... rebuked the wind and the raging waters". Then as they reflect on what just happened, the disciples use a related word: "he commands even the winds and the water". Both "rebuke" and "command" indicate authority. The wind and waves obey Jesus because he's their boss. Perhaps the one thing the disciples get right in this story is calling Jesus "Master". Jesus is the master of the disciples but it turns out he's also the master of the weather.

This makes Jesus a useful man to have around in a crisis! It turns out that being in the boat with Jesus was the safest place to be, even in the midst of a storm. Jesus is a refuge for his people.

The more you protect yourself from relationships, the more you diminish yourself and the lonelier you become. Yet if you trust people then sooner or later someone will let you down. The healthiest of people can be hit by injury or receive a life-changing diagnosis. Even if you avoid all of these things, none of us can avoid the reality of death.

Our attempts to manage our world are very limited. We are not in control and we can't eliminate risk. But into our world of threat steps Jesus. In the stilling of the storm, we've seen the authority of Jesus over the natural world. In his gospel, Luke follows this up with 3 more stories that spotlight the authority of Jesus over the spirit world, over sickness and ultimately even over death.

But that was then. What about now?

Ephesians 1 verses 17 to 23. Paul prays that his readers might have a sense of the hope and power we have in Christ. That power is resurrection power - the same power that wrenched the lifeless body of Christ from the grip of the grave. God, as it were, reached down and pulled Jesus from the tomb and then lifted him up into the heavens, seating Jesus "at his right hand in the heavenly realms". We sometimes speak of someone as a right-hand man or woman, it's the person we rely on to get things done. In the bible, to be at the "right hand" is to be in a position of authority Jesus is "far above all rule and authority, power and dominion and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come". It is a picture of complete authority (Colossians 2 verse 10; 1 Peter 3 verses 21 and 22)

Jesus has authority over all of space and time. In terms of space, every power in every place is under his control. The language of powers and dominions in Ephesians 1 verse 21 is used both of the spiritual world and of earthly powers. The apostle Peter says Jesus "has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand - with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him" (1 Peter 3 verse 22).

We see the proof of this in Luke's next story, after they've sailed through the storm (Luke 8 verses 26 to 39). Jesus meets a demon--possessed man who has repeatedly resisted attempts to restrain him. Yet when he sees Jesus, the man falls at Jesus; feet. The demons who control the man beg Jesus to let them enter a nearby herd of pigs and Jesus gives them his "permission". All the language ("commanded", "order", "permission") highlights the authority of Jesus. This man from across the lake is somebody that no one can control, but Jesus calms him with a word. It's not even a contest that Jesus eventually wins - Jesus is in complete control from the beginning. Just as a demon-possessed man fell at the feet of Jesus when Jesus was on earth (verse 28), by exalting Jesus in heaven, God has placed all demonic powers under his feet (Ephesians 1 verse 22).

The authority of Jesus is also complete in terms of time. In verse 21, Paul says that Jesus has authority now ("in the present age") and for ever ("in the one to come") Jesus has authority right here, right now. Of course, as we look out over our world, this isn't always apparent (Hebrews 2 verses 8 and 9). His name is mocked, his people are persecuted and his rule is ignored, but that's not because Jesus lacks the power to enforce his reign. It's because Jesus is patient; he's giving people time to repent before he reimposes God's rule.

Paul reiterates the totality of Christ's authority in the next verse in Ephesians: "and God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything" (Ephesians 1 verse 22). "All things" and "everything" are the same word: all things are under him, and he is over all things. Of course, the Son of God has had complete power throughout time and beyond time. But the authority Jesus has now received is not simply the authority he already had. 2 things have changed.

First, Jesus now has a body. The one on the throne is the one who took on human flesh. The Son of God has always had authority, but now the Son of David, the god-man, has been acclaimed as God's King. A human being sits on the throne of heaven.

Second, Jesus now has a body in another sense. Paul says that God "appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body" (verse 22 to 23). Jesus took on human flesh that he might be united to the humanity of his people. The church is his body - a picture that speaks of the intimacy of our union with him. it's not just any human being who sits on the throne of heaven; it's our head, our Saviour, the husband of the church. Later in Ephesians Paul says, "No one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church" (chapter 5 verse 29). People instinctively know how to care for their bodies - taking a drink when they're thirsty or putting on an extra layer when they're cold. In a similar way, Jesus knows how to look after his body, the church.

Paul isn't simply extolling the well-deserved authority that Jesus has now been given. No, he says that this authority has been given to Jesus for us. The word "appointed" is literally "given". God "gave him as head over all things to the church" (Ephesians 1 verse 22). The authority of Jesus is God's gift not simply to Jesus but to his people.

The point is that right now Jesus is using his God-given authority for the sake of the church. For your sake. His power is given to protect his people, to govern his people and to further the mission he's entrusted to us. What is Jesus doing now? He's shaping the affairs of humanity to further our cause. He is guiding and governing the church to safeguard our faithfulness.

What do we see when we look at the church? In some parts of the world she is persecuted and oppressed; at other times she is beset by scandals or divisions. But Christ is on the throne and he's working his purposes out. He's promised to build his church (Matthew 16 verse 18) and he has the authority to keep that promise. there may be times when Christ humbles his church, whether at a national or local level. Such times should lead us to repentance and a renewed dependence on our Head. But we can be sure that every day Jesus is shaping events and directing his Spirit "for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way" (Ephesians 1 verses 22 and 23).

Hard times will come. But Jesus can and will use everything that happens for our good. He can and will protect us from spiritual harm. He can and will lead us home to a new creation where all things will be made new.

This is how we find joy in Jesus in our times of fear; beyond the chaos and confusion, we lift the eyes of faith to see the Lord Jesus all-powerful on the throne. "Since, then you have been raised with Christ" says Colossians 3 verse 1, "set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God." When we look to Jesus, we see God's King and God's son. We see the one in whom we are safe. We see a King who unites great compassion with great power.

The resurrection of Jesus is the proof that, even in the valley of the shadow of death, our good Shepherd is with us and will lead us home (Psalm 23 verses 4 to 6). Life can feel like walking through a dark, entangled forest. Along the way you may gash your knees on boulders or be scratched by thorn bushes. Menacing noises echo around you. The darkness thickens until in death all light is extinguished. But Jesus has walked the path ahead of you, and his resurrection is the guarantee that you will make it. You can enjoy the shelter and protection of Jesus Christ. You are surrounded by his care:

- Jesus is ahead of you: "He leads me beside quiet waters" (verse 2)

- Jesus is alongside you: "You are with me" (verse 4)

- Jesus is behind you: "Surely your goodness and love will follow me" (verse 6)

How do we respond?

We have to choose faith over fear. That's the choice we see throughout the 4 stories in Luke 8. In the storm Jesus says to the disciples "Where is your faith?" (verse 25). The implication is that with faith they could have remained calm, knowing they would enjoy the shelter of Jesus.

The point of these stories is not to show that all the storms in our lives will be calmed. Luke writes to people facing hardship, persecution, struggle and threat. But we have a King with great compassion and great power. The message is "Don't be afraid; just believe" (verse 50). Today the word "just" is often a synonym for "easily". "You just need to do this" implies that something is easy. This is not what Jesus means. This is not an impatient rebuke. it's an invitation. Here "just" means "solely". The message of Jesus is not "Believe and prove yourself" or "Believe and take control" or "Believe and pull yourself together". The message of Jesus is Just believe. That's it. Nothing else. It's an invitation to you to collapse into the arms of Jesus. There's nothing else we need to do. Perhaps there's nothing else we can do. It's an invitation to say, "I can't cope, I can't solve this, I can't do this, I can't calm the chaos of my life, I can't control my inner demons. But Jesus is my King and he is in control."

This doesn't mean bad things will never happen to us. This earth is not yet redeemed - it's still a world full of threat. So what does safety in Jesus mean in a broken world?

1. Jesus will be with you by his Spirit when you go through hardship or loss. Speaking through Isaiah 43 verse 2, Jesus says to us "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you ... When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned." Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego experienced that in a physical way when they were thrown into the furnace by Nebuchadnezzar and a fourth man appeared with them looking like "a son of the gods" (Daniel 3 verse 25). We can experience this by faith.

2. Jesus will use everything for your good. Remember Jesus has been given all authority "for the church" (Ephesians 1 verse 22). Jesus has authority to fulfil his purposes in you and through you. That doesn't mean you have to decode his providence - that's not your job. Your job is to trust him. "Don't be afraid; just believe" (Luke 8 verse 50).

3. Jesus will bring you safely home to glory. Jesus says "This is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me but raise them up at the last day" (John 6 verse 39). Jesus says to you today, I shall not lose you.

Storms are real. Sickness is real. Death is real. And so fear is real. It's not an illusion. But there are bigger realities. Jesus our King reigns in heaven. He's the King of compassion and power. And he is real. His power is real. His future is real. One day this world will be transformed. The realities of suffering and death will dissolve and fade. What endures is Jesus. What endure is his love. What endures are the words of Jesus: "My child get up" (Luke 8 verse 54). It's not a promise that every child will be healed on this earth. But it is a promise that very child of God will hear those words on the final day "My child, get up". We will rise to a new world. Jesus is the pioneer of our faith - he has died, and he has risen and so we will too. This is not a projection of our longings. This reality was seen and touched and heard in the person of Jesus.

What does it look like to respond with faith to the power of Jesus and enjoy the refuge he offers? Nothing can happen to me which is not part of his purposes - and in everything that does happen, he is with me. I enjoy the safety of knowing that the person by my side is the King on the throne.

Mike and Emma's Tuesday afternoon

Sam and Jamie are their usual selves as they burst from the classroom. Like dogs let off a leash, they race around the playground. Emma wishes she could put them on leashes as she steers them towards the car - ever since Rosie's death, she's been so much more fearful for her children. Every sniffle sets her heart racing. Every journey is spent on high alert. She leaps forward to stop Sam careering into the road. Eventually, Sam and Jamie climb into the car. Safe and sound. What about Poppy? Where is she? 20 meters behind. Poppy dawdles along, oblivious to her mum's panic, fiddling with a leaf.

Emma sits in the car with the 3 kids trapped in. She pauses before turning on the ignition and closes her eyes. She can never guarantee her children's safety, and trying to do so is exhausting, but she knows Jesus is in control. She thinks of their car as a ship kept safe in a storm by the presence of Jesus. "Still the storm in my heart" she prays.

"You ok Mum? says Sam. Emma opens her eyes. "Yes I am" she says with resolution. "Jesus is looking after us all. Let's go." She turns on the ignition, looks over her shoulder and pulls away.

Action

Any time you feel anxious this week, take a few minutes to consciously make Jesus your happy place. You might want to imagine him as a shelter in the storm or wrapping his arms around you.

CHAPTER 4 - ENJOYING THE TOUCH OF JESUS

Where is Jesus today when you need comfort and reassurance?

Luke 8 verses 40 to 48

Jesus is heading to someone's house with a crowd of people in tow. In the melee, someone touches him (verse 44). Of course, everyone is jostling, bumping into one another. But this is different. So Jesus brings the whole chaotic procession to a halt. "Who touched me?" he asks (verse 45). It seems like a mad question. "The people are crowding and pressing against you" says Peter (verse 45). Everyone is touching Jesus, though everyone denies it (verse 45).

Finally, the culprit emerges from the crowd: a woman who has suffered from continual bleeding for 12 years. "No one could heal her" comments Dr Luke (verse 43). But Jesus has healed her instantly through a mere touch (verse 47).

The woman falls at the feet of Jesus, trembling in fear. But Jesus hasn't singled her out for a rebuke. Quite the opposite. He says to her "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace." (verse 48). The healing touch is reinforced with the reassurance of his words.

We all know the power of touch. We use touch to signal acceptance and affection.

The touch of Jesus works even more powerfully in the way. When a notoriously sinful woman gatecrashes a posh party in Luke 7 verses 36 to 50, she wets the feet of Jesus with her tears, wipes them with her hair and anoints them with oil. The implication is clear: a good man would reject the touch of this bad woman. But Jesus lets her touch him. He receives her touch as the sign of a grateful heart that has received grace. he says to her, "Your faith has saved you: go in peace." (verse 50). The word translated "saved" is the same Greek word that is translated "healed" in Luke 8 verse 48. To both the gatecrashing woman and the bleeding woman, Jesus' words and tangibility communicate peace. Even after his resurrection Jesus allows the touching of his resurrection body to reassure his folloers. "Look at my hands and my feet. it is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have my flesh and bones as you see I have." (chapter 24 verse 39).

But Jesus' willingness to be touched does more than signal acceptance, important as that is. Contact with him restores what is broken. In Luke 6 verse 19 "the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all". He brings life to a widow's dead son with a touch and a word (chapter 7 verse 14). Later he will heal a man's ear by touching it (chapter 22 verse 51). If you charge an object with electricity, then power jumps across when that object is touched - like the electrical rail on a railway track. It's as if Jesus is so charged with saving power that merely coming into contact with him releases a bolt of energy to heal.

Sometimes the touch of Jesus does both: it brings healing and shows acceptance. A leper once came to Jesus. "Lord, if you are willing" he said "you can make me clean" (chapter 5 verse 12). The leper doesn't doubt the power of Jesus. What's open to question in his mind is whether Jesus is willing to help. Lepers were ceremonially unclean and were therefore ostracised - forced to live as outcasts on marginal land. That's because if you touched a leper, then you also became unclean - their exclusion was contagious. So what will Jesus do? Will he heal at a distance (as he does in chapter 7 verses 1 to 10)? No, "Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing" he said "Be clean!" (chapter 5 verse 13). In this beautiful moment, it's important that the leper is touched - not just so that he can be healed but so that he can know the welcome of Jesus. With one touch, Jesus remedies both the man's illness and his exclusion. The contagion flows in the other direction; instead of Jesus becoming unclean, the leper is cleansed and accepted.

It's the same with the bleeding woman. Under Jewish law a woman was unclean during her menstrual period and to touch a menstruating woman made you unclean. This woman has some kind of haemorrhaging that means she's continually bleeding, as if she has a permanent period. That means she's been unclean - and therefore socially excluded - for 12 years. Imagine living like that. Imagine having to say all the time, "Don't touch me. I'm unclean." And then she plucks up the courage to touch Jesus. That's why she's afraid when Jesus demands to know who's touched him. By coming up behind him and touching his cloak, she should have made Jesus unclean. In her culture, it would have been seen as an aggressive act. Except that, instead of Jesus becoming unclean, she becomes clean. And instead of being offended, Jesus gently acknowledges her suffering and her belief: "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace." (chapter 8 verse 48).

So the touch and tangibility of Jesus does 2 things:

• it embodies acceptance
• it imparts cleansing

That was then. What about now? Where is Jesus today when you need a reassuring touch?

One answer is that Jesus has ascended to heaven on our behalf. He's there for you. The Israelites had to be ceremonially cleansed through the blood of a sacrifice before they could come before God in the temple. The writer of Hebrews says that Jesus has entered heaven "to appear for us in God's presence" (Hebrews 9 verse 24). As a result "the blood of Christ" can "cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death" (verse 14) "By one sacrifice (Jesus) has made perfect for ever those who are being made holy" (chapter 10 verse 14). "Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame" (Romans 10 verse 11).

The blood of Jesus makes us cleansed and accepted into God's presence. So now let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water" (Hebrews 10 verse 22). Jesus is not out of the picture. He's in heaven on your behalf. His wounded hands and side are the sign that you are clean and that you belong with God. Today Jesus says, Come to me and have your conscience cleansed from the guilt of the things you have done and from the shame of the things done to you. Be sure of your welcome.Come in faith and "go in peace."

But are we left with words alone? How can I enjoy the reassuring touch of Jesus today?

On the night before he died, Jesus shared the Passover meal with his disciples. "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer" he tells them (Luke 22 verse 15). These words point to the meaning of the meal. The Passover meal marked the liberation of God's people from slavery in Egypt. That act of liberation was a picture of the bigger, deeper liberation from the enslavement of sin and death that Jesus would accomplish through his death. But these words also point to the goal of this meal. God liberated his people Egypt so that they might be free to worship him. And Jesus liberates us from sin so we might be free to enjoy him. Jesus longs to be with us, to meet with us around the table to love us and to receive our love in return. This, too, is enacted in the Last Supper. "I am coming you as one who serves" he says to his disciples (verse 27). Jesus is present at the table to serve his people and enjoy his people.

That was then. What about now? The answer is that the Last Supper was not a one-off event. "Do this in remembrance of me" says Jesus (verse 19). The Last Supper has become the Lord's Supper: the meal we share with jesus week by week. Jesus still serves this people in the Lord's Supper, and he still longs to meet us there That's why one of the terms we use to describe the Lord's Supper is "communion"; we meet round the table to enjoy communion with Jesus.

Consider how Paul describes the Lord's Supper in 1 Corinthians 10 verses 14 to 22.

The cup is a "participation" in the blood of Jesus, and the bread is a "participation" in his body. "Participation" could also be translated communion This is relational act we commune with Jesus. Paul speaks of the place where we eat as "the Lord's table". Jesus hosts this meal just as he hosted the Last Supper. "Jesus ate with sinners and he still does" says author David Gibson. "Every time we share bread and wine together around his table we remember the astonishing wonder that the Master of the house eats and drinks with the servants of the house, and that he laid down his life for us and calls us his friends." Jesus serves us by offering his body and blood in bread and wine. He assures us that we're loved and welcomed. He offers life and healing to nourish our souls and bind up our wounds.

Paul's wider concern in this section of 1 Corinthians is that his readers shouldn't participate in pagan ceremonies. In chapter 8 he has said it's ok to eat meat previously offered to idols because it's just meat (though his main concern is that we shouldn't compromise the conscience of other believers through our freedom in this area). But here in chapter 10, he warns against involvement in pagan worship. There's a difference between eating meat that's previously been offered to idols and participating in the ceremony in which that meat is offered. To participate in that meal is to participate with demons (1 Corinthians 10 verse 20).

But notice how Paul makes this appeal: "You cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons" (verse 21). Paul makes a parallel between these 2 meals - the pagan ceremony and the Lord's Supper. They have some things in common. Both involve food that in the end is just food. The meat is just meat, and the bread and wine are just bread and wine. But place this food in the context of worship - whether pagan or Christian worship - and it communicates spiritual realities. In the case of pagan worship, eating the meat involves participating with demons. In the case of the Lord's Supper eating the bread and drinking the wine involve participating in Christ. A real connection to Christ takes place.

This is what makes Christian involvement in pagan ceremonies so offensive. "Are we trying to arouse the Lord's jealousy?" says Paul (verse 22). You can't unite yourself to demons and at the same time unite yourself to Christ in the Lord's Supper. It's a terrible act of adultery. You're cheating on the Lord Jesus - provoking his jealousy.

It's a sobering warning of course. But it's also an exciting truth. The argument only works if Christ is really present with us in the Lord's Supper - if receiving bread and wine is a real act of communion with Jesus.

How does this communion happen? It's not that the bread and wine transform into the physical body and blood of Christ (as the theory of transubstantiation claims). The meat offered to idols is just meat that can be freely eaten later by Christians (chapter 8 verse 4 to 6) In the same way, the bread and wine remains bread and wine. But in the context of faith, of worship, of God's word, the bread and wine communicate the comforting presence of Christ.

How? Through the Holy Spirit. Christ is physically absent: His body has ascended into heaven, and there it remains - a true human body, rooted to one particular location. But Christ comes to us through the Holy Spirit. The English Reformer Thomas Cranmer says that the physical body of Jesus sits at the right hand of his Father, " ... and yet is he by faith spiritually present with us, and is our spiritual food and nourishment, and sits in the midst of all who gather together in his name." Jesus is spiritually present by the Holy Spirit. "The meeting place where the Lord's Supper is administered is at that moment none other than a portal of heaven" says the 17th century Dutch Reformer Wilhelmus a Brakel. "Heaven opens itself in such a place, and the rays of divine glory and race descend to that place, filling it with the very presence of God."

There's a sense of course in which Christ is present with us all the time. But he's especially present at the Lord's Supper. That's because he has given us bread and wine as physical tokens of his spiritual presence.

This is where we come back to the touch of Jesus. The bread and wine are not things you think or say. They're physical substances you touch and taste. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus reaches out through the bread and wine to touch us. And through that touch, he embodies acceptance and imparts cleansing. he communicates his love to us afresh. He reassures us of our forgiveness. He sustains our fragile, faltering faith. He himself feeds us with himself to satisfy our spiritual hunger. John Calvin says "We see only bead and wine, yes we do not doubt that (Christ) accomplishes spiritually in our souls all that he demonstrates to us outwardly through these visible signs, namely, that he is the heavenly bread that feeds and nourishes us for eternal life."

The physicality of bread and wine are important. Jesus' spiritual presence can feel a bit abstract. So he communicates his spiritual presence through physical substances. The difference is that the Holy Spirit makes this more than a mere token. The Spirit of Christ - the Spirit who is one being with Christ - makes Christ himself present with us: not physically but truly. The Spirit uses the bread and wine to communicate the presence and love of Jesus to his weary, wounded people. The communion service really is the touch of Jesus.

There's nothing lacking in God's promises, says Calvin. it doesn't need any further confirmation. But "our faith is slight and feeble ... it trembles, wavers and totters". So Christ "in his infinite kindness" has given us physical bread and wine as "a mirror of spiritual blessings". Through the bread and wine, concludes Calvin, God "attests his good will and love toward us more expressly than by word." The promise of forgiveness that we receive in the words of the gospel is the same promise we receive in the bread and wine of communion Sinclair Ferguson says "We do not get a different or a better Christ in the sacraments than e do in the Word ... But we may get the same Christ better, with a firmer grasp of his grace through seeing, touching, feeling and tasting as well as hearing." Christ touches us through bread and wine to comfort and cleanse - just as he did for the bleeding woman.

How do we respond? We come to the Lord's Supper and receive the bread and wine as the touch of Christ. That's it. This is not about what we do. All we do it receive what Jesus has done and what he's doing in us now. We receive him; he himself is the gift. He offers us his presence, promise and love in bread and wine. We respond by enjoying Jesus as he gives himself to us in these physical tokens.

You may find it helpful to receive the bread and wine as if Christ himself were placing them in your hands or on your tongue. Your minister will introduce the bread and wine with words that reassure you of God's forgiveness and welcome. But the minister is Christ's spokesperson. So hear those words as the words of Jesus himself, spoken personally to you. Christ speaks these words to meet your need in the moment - to address your brokenness, guilt, doubts, fear or shame. Then someone in your church will serve you in bread and wine. They're Christ's agent too. So receive the bread and wine as if Jesus himself were handing it to you. Receive it as his touch, as if he were reaching out a hand to reassure you of his presence.

Christ is wrapping his arms around us t treasure us of his love - even when we for unworthy. He's expressing his acceptance - even when we've let him down. Through faith, Jesus brings joy to our sorrow, and through faith, the bread and wine bring Jesus to us.

Mike and Emma's Tuesday Afternoon

Mike stands in the train carriage peering through heads to see out of the window. What a grey day. Mike feels in need of a hug. Or just a smile. A couple of teenagers chat animatedly about their shopping trip,oblivious to everyone else, and the regular commuters all do their best to ignore each other, as usual.

Mike thinks back to the celebration of communion on Sunday morning. Jesus might not be able to give Mike a hug, but he had given him bread and wine. it had been such a comfort to remember what Jesus had gone through for him It's a comfort now. Jesus is on his side.

Action

Next time you take communion, receive the bread and wine from Jesus as his loving embrace.

CHAPTER 5 - ENJOYING THE VITALITY OF JESUS

Has your Christian service begun to feel like a burden? Does your spiritual life just seem a bit flat at times? Maybe you feel weary of the demands of obedience. Perhaps you long for a few weeks off the church roster. You feel you need a pick-me-up - some kind of tonic to sprinkle a bit of sparkle back into your walk with God. Perhaps it's time to reconnect with Jesus and enjoy the life and vitality he gives.

Luke 8 verses 40 to 56

When Jesus was touched by the woman with continual bleeding, he was on the way to the home of Jairus, a synagogue ruler whose daughter was gravely ill. Imagine how Jairus felt as Jesus stopped to talk with the woman. Jairus doesn't feel able to hurry Jesus along and yet every second of delay is agony. Then the news comes that Jairus has been dreading: "your daughter is dead" says a messenger from his house. "Don't bother the teacher anymore" (Luke 8 verse 49). While the girl was alive Jesus might have been able to heal her; but with her death that opportunity has passed.

Except that Jesus intervenes before Jairus can speak. "Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed" (verse 50). Healed from death? Is that possible? By the time they arrive at the house, the professional mourners are in full voice, lamenting the passing of a young child. But Jesus tells them to stop: "She is not dead but asleep" (verse 52). The mourners laugh at this; there's no way this girl is still alive.

But then Jesus takes the girl "by the hand" and says "my child, get up!" (verse 54). When Jesus said the girl was sleeping he wasn't claiming a misdiagnosis: he was proclaiming his life-giving power. Augustine of Hippo says "no one can as easily awaken another in bed, as Christ can in the tomb". It's not that the girl briefly opens her eyes, before slipping back into a coma. Doctor Luke tells us "At once she stood up" (verse 55). You know children are really ill when they're floppy and quiet and refuse food. And you know they're getting better when they're active, grumbling and hungry. I don't know whether this girl was grumpy, but she was certainly active and hungry!

When the woman with continual bleeding reached out to touch Jesus, life and power flowed from him to bring healing. But the dead girl couldn't reach out to Jesus, so Jesus reached out to her. He took her by the hand, and life flowed from him into her dead body. It was as if he was connecting himself to her with jump-leads (jumper cables). A moment later her dead body burst into life again. The life force of Jesus was so potent that it jump-started the girl back to life. It was as if Jesus was a human defibrillator.

On earth, Jesus was a life-giving person speaking life-giving words. Can he do the same now? The answer is that Jesus promised he would give us eternal life in the future and renew our spiritual life here and now. He first does that at the beginning of our spiritual lives when he grants new birth, but renewal doesn't stop there. Jesus continues to energise us, both to enjoy our relationship with him and serve him in the world. How does this work? Jesus tells us more in John's Gospel:

I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

I am the vine, you are the branches if you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit - fruit that will last - and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: love each other.

John 15 verses 1 to 17

If our connection to Jesus energises our Christian lives, how are we connected to Jesus?

First , we are covenantally connected to Jesus. A covenant is like a contract, but a covenant is a specific type of contract - one that creates a new relationship. A marriage for example, is a covenant. Getting married transforms the relationship between a man and a woman so that they become husband and wife. In the same way, Christians are covenantally connected to Jesus. It's a covenant secured by faith and sealed in baptism. And that covenant creates a new relationship: we're his people, and he's our Lord; we're his bride and he's our Husband; we're his body and he's our Head. This connection is the bedrock of our Christian lives. Our feelings may go up or down. Our circumstances may be happy or sad. Our obedience may be firm or shaky. But our covenant connection to Jesus remains the same. It's the solid rock that anchors us in all the turmoil of life. It's founded on his promises and confirmed in our baptism.

But this covenant connection is more than just a legal agreement. It brings us into a deep, intimate relationship with Jesus. In the movies, a wedding ceremony is often the end of the story. The bride and groom kiss, and the credits roll. But in real life, the wedding is just the beginning. In a similar way, becoming a Christian brings us into a covenant relationship with Jesus, but thats just the start; now we embark on life together - a life of ever-deepening intimacy.

Or think of it like this; we all know people who we find energising or inspiring to be around. Perhaps they're a tutor who fires our imagination, a friend who cheers us up when were feeling down, or a teammate who inspires us towards excellence. Our relationship with Jesus works like this. We feel energised when we spend time in his presence. He encourages our flagging hearts. He fires our imagination. He inspires us to follow him.

Jesus says "You are my friends, if you do what I command" (John 1 verse 14). "I no longer call you servants" he adds, "because a servant does not know his master's business" (verse 15). Servants simply do as they're told without any grasp of the bigger picture, so their actions lack any sense of purpose - and that's not very motivating. But we get to enjoy friendship with Jesus. "I have called you friends for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you" (verse 15). Jesus paints for us a vision of the beautiful life to which he calls us, and that inspires our obedience. He paints a vision of the transformative mission into which he enlists us, and that energises our service. He paints a vision of a new community to which he joins us and that fuels our love.

The image of a vine and its branches in John 15 has an implication that takes our relationship with Jesus even further: we are organically connected to Jesus. A branch has life because it's connected to the stem of the vine. In the same way we have spiritual life because we're connected to Jesus. His life flows to us just as life-giving sap flows from a stem to a branch. And the result is fruit. We become fruitful people as we receive life from Jesus. Indeed, being connected to Jesus in this way is the only way to produce real and lasting spiritual fruit. "If you remain in me and I in you" says Jesus in verse 5, "you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

The reason why we can be organically connected to Jesus in this way is because we're spiritually connected to Jesus. Older writers used the term "mystical union" to describe this connection. It's language that's drawn from Ephesians 5 verse 32, where Paul says the connection between Christ and the church is "a profound mystery". Mystical here doesn't mean a special experience for a spiritual elite. It's mystical in the sense of being beyond any natural explanation. It's more than a natural process like being inspired by a friend (though it includes that). This life-giving connection is a supernatural act - even though it happens day by day. The Holy Spirit connects Jesus and his church, spanning heaven and earth in the process, so that vitality flows to us from Jesus.

This energy that flows to us from Jesus is resurrection life. One day Jesus will raise us up to eternal life; but already we share in his risen life. Paul prays that we might recognise God's incomparably great power for us who believe". Then he adds, "That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead" (Ephesians 1 verses 19 and 20). According to theologian Richard Gaffin, the life-giving work of Christ that takes place now through the Spirit "is nothing less than a work of resurrection - no less real, no less miraculous, no less eschatological than the future, bodily resurrection of the believer at Christ's return."

The Holy spirit plugs us into the electrical grid of God's resurrection power. Every time you want to face a setback but keep going - that power is at work. We often experience this power as tension because it pulls us away from the appeal of sin or lethargy. But it's the power of God. Its difference from electricity is that the power of God is a person.

Jesus says, "For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself" (John 5 verse 26). Jesus is, as it were, a bottomless reservoir of life. Or you might think of him as an infinite battery pack. Jesus has "life in himself". That is he generates his own life. He doesn't need to recharge his batteries. So he's able to give life to others, and to keep on giving us life. "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life" says Jesus "even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it" (verse 21). That means physical resurrection life in the future, but it also means we can enjoy spiritual life now.

Moreover, Jesus is a life-giving being who speaks life-giving words. "The words I have spoken to you" he told his disciples "are full of the Spirit and life" (chapter 6 verse 63). when Jesus spoke to Jairus' daughter, "her spirit returned and at once she stood up" (Luke 8 verse 55). When we are deflated or defeated, hearing the words of Jesus can lift our spirits. When we run out of steam or collapse in despair, reconnecting to Jesus can cause us to stand again.

"Have you ever tried to perform any spiritual act apart from the divine power? What a dull, dead affair it becomes. What a mechanical thing prayer is without the Spirit of God. It is a parrot's noise, and nothing more; a weariness, a slavish drudgery. But everything changes when we reconnect to Christ. How sweet it is to pray when the Spirit gives us feeling, anointing, access with boldness, pleading power, faith, expectancy and full fellowship." C H Spurgeon

When Paul describes his ministry to the Colossians he adds "To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me" (Colossians 1 verse 29). What is it that sustains Paul's service? What enables him to strenuously contend when things are tough? It's nothing in himself, but instead it's the powerful energy that Jesus gives him. And there is a supernatural joy to this energy. Paul tells us that even though he suffers in his labouring, he is able to "rejoice" not only despite his sufferings but 'in' them (verse 24). When we're energised by our connection to Christ his vitality is powerful enough to joyfully sustain strenuous service.

So it's our connection to Jesus that revitalises us. How do we respond? Jesus himself says, "Remain in me, as I also remain in you" (John 15 verse 4). Again in verse 9 he says "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love."

Throughout your day you might sacrificially love someone in need; show forbearance when a colleague mocks your faith (again); exercise great patience under the provocation of your toddler's tantrum or your teenager's drama; or pluck up the courage to tell a neighbour about Jesus. No wonder that by the end of the day you're running low on energy. What do you need to do? You connect to a power source; you plug into your relationship with Jesus so you can recharge.

What does it look like in practice to do this? Well, it's not that different from remaining connected to any other friend.

Sometimes you may lose touch with an old friend. Neither of you has taken the initiative to write or call, and so over time you've drifted apart. The solution is to reconnect, to get in touch, to communicate. It's the same with Jesus. We remain connected to Jesus by keeping in touch - listening to him speak to us through his word and talking to him in prayer. Jesus says, "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you" (verse 7). We don't need to sit around waiting for a direct message from Jesus. We already have his words in the bible. If the words of scripture remain in us, or we remain in the words of Scripture, then Jesus will speak to us through those words. Then we respond in prayer, asking Jesus to help us to serve him and remain faithful to him.

We mustn't view the word and prayer as mechanical activities. Unlike the electricity that charges our phones Jesus is not some impersonal energy source. We don't receive 20 units of spiritual power because we've spent 20 minutes reading our bibles. We're energised by the word and prayer as and when we view these as ways of relationally reconnecting to Jesus - of renewing, sustaining and deepening our relationship with him. So come to his word expecting to hear the voice of Jesus. Ask him to speak to your soul through the Holy Spirit. And then respond to that word as you might respond to a friend.

There's another important difference between charging a phone and being empowered by Jesus: you can't charge your phone without a physical power source to connect to. But your connection Jesus is not limited to intentional times in prayer or gathering with God's people. You can connect to Jesus anywhere and at any time throughout the day. On the bus you can remember the things he's said to you. During a meeting you can know he is present with you. At your desk you can tell him about your day. In a crisis you can look to him for strength.

Sometimes friendships fracture when 2 people argue. Or friendships can wither as your priorities diverge. Perhaps you spend less time together because you struggle to find common interests. This can be a danger in our relationship with Jesus. Jesus says, "If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love" (verse 10). if you feel disconnected from Jesus, it might be because you're not obeying his commands. You and he are not in step anymore: like 2 friends who went for a walk together but, somewhere along the line, chose to take different paths. The answer is to turn back to Jesus in repentance. To stay connected, we need to do this day by day consistently coming back into step with Jesus. We may hesitate because we fear his displeasure. But Jesus is never slow to reconnect with repentant sinners! Remember, he has compassion on you, even in your sin.

Verse 10 is a lovely promise "If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love". As we live in obedience to Jesus, albeit imperfectly, Jesus says that's when we'll experience his love. We can enjoy the vitality of a living connection with him. He says "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete" (verse 11). Jesus offers us a life of joy. Indeed, he offers to share his joy with us.

So if your Christian service feels like a burden or you feel weary of the demands of obedience, it's time to reconnect with Jesus. Let him revitalise your spiritual life and perhaps you'll rediscover something of his joy.

Mike and Emma's Tuesday afternoon

Back at home the boys are watching television and Poppy's playing in her room. So Emma sits down to prep her Sunday-school class. It's got to be done today because she'll be working the next 2 days which means "the big juggle", as she calls it, only gets harder. She sighs "Why did I agree to do this?" she thinks. "It's not as if I've got nothing to do." At first, she'd been glad to help out. But now it just feels like a burden - another demand in her demanding life.

Why had she said yes? Well, there was a part of her that wanted to be seen to be pulling her weight at church. But there had also been a desire to serve Jesus. She wanted her children and other children to know that they could have a friendship with the Son of God. She thinks of Jesus welcoming little children and blessing them, despite others dismissing htm. "You are amazing" she says out loud. And serving an amazing Saviour is an amazing thing to do. She grabs her scissors and begins cutting out the craft activity.

Action

Each day this week begin your quiet time by thinking of it as catching up with a dear friend.

CHAPTER 6 - ENJOYING THE GLORY OF JESUS

FOMO - Fear of missing out - do you suffer from it?

A fear that can be felt in a distinctive way by Christians. Maybe our friends are having fun in ways that are closed off to us.

Our sobriety means we don't participate fully in their nights out.

Our generosity means we can't afford the fancy car they drive.

Our service means we're not available for their skiing holidays.

Our chastity means we can't enjoy all the sex they appear to be having.

Am I leading an empty life, missing out on full-on fun, trudging through life until we get to heaven?

How does knowing Jesus overcome that feeling?

Luke 9 verses 28 to 36 - the Transfiguration

The gospel writers are usually sparing in their descriptions of what Jesus looked like. but there is one exception. On the mountain of transfiguration, Luke tells us "the appearance of his face changed and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning" (Luke 9 verse 29). Imagine a flash of lightning that doesn't disappear in a second but continues to illuminate the sky - that was what Jesus looked like. Even Moses and Elijah, when they turn up alongside him, appear in "glorious splendour" (verse 30), caught up in the reflected glory of Jesus. You couldn't look at Jesus because of the brightness of the light and yet you couldn't bring yourself to turn away because he ws so dazzingly captivating.

Matthew tells us, "His face shone like the sun" (Matthew 17 verse 2). Imagine all the heat and light of the sun squeezed into a human body. Except it wasn't the power of the sun that Jesus held in his body. It was something far greater and more intense; it was deity itself. All the fullness of God was concentrated down into one human body - the infinite held by the finite, the invisible made visible in the flesh and bones of Jesus.

The transfiguration has some parallels with an experience Moses had when he asked to see God's glory. In response, God promised to reveal his glory by proclaiming his name. But he added "You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live" (Exodus 33 verse 20). God came to Moses in a cloud on a mountain - just as he does at the transfiguration of Jesus (34 verses 4 and 5, Luke 9 verses 28 - 34). God hid Moses in a cleft in the rock and passed by, proclaiming his name (Exodus 34 verses 5 - 7). As a result, the face of Moses was radiant (verse 29) - just as the face of Jesus became radiant.

But what Moses was unable to see on Mount Sinai, he saw for the first time at the transfiguration. Moses couldn't see the face of God until he saw the face of Jesus. Only in Jesus is God truly revealed to humanity. "The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us" says John 1 verse 14. "We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." Jesus himself is the light; he is the glory; he is God.

This glory is what we get when we get Christ. Being united to Christ comes with all sorts of benefits. But first and foremost, what we get is Christ himself.

Imagine interviewing a bride as she readies herself to walk down the aisle. She's just stepped from the car outside the church. Her mother is fussing over her dress, shaking out the folds. And you ask her, "Why are you getting married?" I guess she could say, "I've come for his money, for his big house, for his reputation." Or she might say, "I want a big party, a lovely dress and a bouquet of flowers - I want to be a princess for a day." Those would be disappointing replies! I hope she would answer, "Obviously, I've come to marry my sweetheart. I want us to be found together, in marriage. I want him."

Now imagine interviewing a Christian as she prepares to get baptised or be confirmed. You ask her, "Why are you getting baptised?" or "Why have you decided to follow Jesus?" I guess she might say, "I want to get to heaven. I don't want to face God's judgment. I want to be forgiven." These would be excellent answers. They're certainly true. But there is a better and bigger answer: "I want Jesus."

A Christian is like a bride who marries for love. There are so many wonderful blessings that come with being a Christian: forgiveness, peace, hope, security, purpose, identity. But best of all we get Jesus himself, and in Jesus we share the life and love of the triune God. We get to see God in Christ, bright as a flash of lightning, glorious in his splendour, his face shining like the sun - and he is radiant.

Except that was then. What about now? We don't get to see the glory of Jesus in the way, the disciples did on the mountain of transfiguration. At least, not yet. There's no lightning flash for us. There's no glory to dazzle our eyes.

But we do get Jesus. We're united to Jesus by faith and Jesus is present with us through his Spirit. And we see his glory in his gospel. "The light of the gospel" says Paul, "displays the glory of Christ" (" Corinthians 4 verse 4). As a result, we see "the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ" (verse 6). Just as God spoke at creation and light shone in the darkness (Genesis 1 verse 3), so God speaks through the gospel to make "his light shine in our hearts" (2 Corinthians 4 verse 6). Just as the face of Jesus shone before the eyes of the disciples, so the glory of Jesus shines in our hearts by faith as we read about him in the bible or hear it preached. And so we cry with Philip Henry, "None but Christ. None but Christ, to justify, sanctify, rule, save me. None but Christ, to be my Prophet, my Priest, my King."

To see how the glory of jesus knocks FOMO on the head and fills us with joy, let's look at how Paul experienced this in prison, writing a letter to the church in Philippi.

Paul famously says, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1 verse 21).

What was the driving force of Paul's life? Christ.

What was the top thing he had gained in the gospel? Christ.

What was the great motive of his life? Christ

He lived in Christ and with Christ and for Christ.

As a result, he regarded death as "gain" because death would only increase his experience of the glory of Christ.

Think of the other ways in which Paul might have written that sentence. He might have said, For me, to live is money. Or sex, Or my house. Or family. Or partying. How would you complete it? "For to me, to live ..." Heres what all those options have in common: to die is loss. When you die, you leave behind your wealth, relationships, possessions, family, lifestyle. They may fill your life for a moment, but you can't take them with you. With Christ it's very different! We don't leave him behind at death; we go to meet them. At death we get christ in a fuller, richer, bigger way.

But what about now? What about this life? Are we living on half rations until we stumble into heaven? We need to zoom out from the statement "For to me, to live in Christ" and see what's going on in Paul's life as he writes these words.

Paul starts his letter to the Philippians with "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy" (verses 3 and 4). Just thinking about the Philippian Christians fills Paul with joy. Why? Because God is at work in their lives (verses 5 and 6). Because Paul has Christ, he rejoices whenever he sees people coming to know Christ. And that's true even in the midst of suffering. Even as he sits in his prison cell, he rejoices because God is using his chains to advance the message of Christ (verses 12 to 18).

It looks as if it might get a whole lot worse for Paul. He's facing trial and it's a trial that might end in a death sentence. So Paul asks the Philippians to pray for his deliverance (verse 19). But it's not the deliverance we might imagine. He's not asking to be delivered from martyrdom. What he says is "I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death" (verse 20). Paul is confident that he'll be delivered, but both life and death remain real options. So what is this deliverance? It's deliverance from disowning Christ. He has Christ and he wants to hold onto Christ, even in the face of death. The good news is that he's confident of holding on because of God's Spirit and because of people's prayers (verse 19; see also verse 6; 2 verse 12). Because for Paul "to live is Christ" then life means serving Christ and death means going to be with Christ (chapter 1 verses 22 to 24). Either way, Paul has Christ and therefore Paul has joy.

We find the same themes in Philippians 3. Paul says "I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing christ Jesus my Lord." (chapter 3 verse 8). Paul has been talking about all the things that might contribute to his identity and reputation (verses 4 to 7). But now he expands from this to include everything - reputation, freedom, prosperity, relationships, they don't count towards his happiness in the same way anymore. Compared to Jesus they're worthless, for Jesus has "surpassing worth". This is not some grandstanding hypothetical declaration to impress his readers. Paul currently owns nothing, and his home is a prison cell. For (his) sake I have lost all things" he continues. "I consider them garbage, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him" (verses 8 and 9). Think of all the things you might miss out on. Paul has already lost them and more. But he's discovered that he can happily live without them because he has Christ.

What Paul says here about the "surpassing worth" of Christ is all an elaboration on a simple exhortation in verse 1: "Rejoice in the Lord!" Telling someone to cheer up is a hollow command. People in the midst of loss can't simply turn on joy as if it's a switch you can click. But Paul's command is not simply "rejoice"; it's "rejoice in the Lord!" Find your joy in Christ, he's saying. When everything else goes wrong, remember that you still have Jesus . It's natural to feel sad when you experience loss, but what can bring you through those times is seeing the surpassing glory of Jesus. Look for the joy that's always available in your glorious Saviour, rather than the joy in your circumstances that is here today and gone tomorrow.

if rejoicing in the Lord feels a bit abstract, then reflect on who Jesus is and what he's done. Think of his attributes - his kindness, patience, strength, justice, goodness and mercy. To know Jesus is to know his kindness towards you, his patience with you and so on. Or place yourself in one of the stories from his life on earth, and then place Jesus in your story. Remember Jesus as divine splendour clothed in human flesh; all the infinite glory of God is ours to enjoy in Christ.

How do we respond to the glory of Jesus? Paul returns to the joy of knowing Christ in Philippians 4 verses 10 to 13.

"I can do all things through him who strengthens me" - this verse is not a promise to reckless drivers. It's a promise to Christians learning to be content. What is "all this" that Paul can do with God's help? "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation" he says in the previous verse (verse 12).

Being content is a secret you can learn. There's a knack to contentment and we've met it before. Verse 4 says "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again rejoice!" This is the guiding principle that drives Paul's own contentment; he begins his testimony in verse 10 with the words "I rejoiced greatly in the Lord". When you can say that "to live is Christ" when Christ's "surpassing worth" eclipses everything else when your joy is focused in Christ - then you can be content in every circumstance. When times of plenty come your way, you receive them as his gifts; when you face times of want; you can be content because you still have Christ (verse 12).

Contentment in Christ is the antidote to the fear of missing out and much more besides.

Perhaps you fear for your health, dreading a cancer diagnosis.

Perhaps you fear for your future, worrying about your investments.

Perhaps you fear for your family, imagining your spouse having an accident or your children renouncing their faith.

Perhaps you fear for relationships, so you avoid conflict at all costs.

Perhaps you fear for you reputation and being on the wrong end of accusations.

I could tell you that you're in the hands of our heavenly Father, who works everything for your good. Still, I can't guarantee you against any of these losses; we live in a fallen world. But we can never lose Christ. No one can take him from us, and he himself has promised never to leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13 verse 5).

What I've learnt to do when I feel afraid is to tell myself. Yes, I might lose my income or my reputation or my health. But whatever happens, I will still have Christ and Christ is enough. Christ is more than enough, and he's more than I deserve.

Let's imagine everything being stripped away. What are we left with? The beautiful, glorious, gracious Christ. It turns out the answer to catastrophising is to follow your catastrophising train of thought through and at the end of the line discover that Christ is still there.

Here's how the Puritan Thomas Watson puts it:

"If God be our God, then, though we may feel the blows of evil, we do not feel the sting ... If we lose our name, it is written in the book of life. If we lose our liberty, our conscience is free. If we lose our belongings, we possess the pearl of price. If we meet storms, we know where to put into harbour ... God is an infinite ocean of blessedness, and there is enough in him to fill us all - just as, if a thousand containers were thrown into the sea, there would be enough in the sea to fill them ... Believers may lose everything else, but we cannot lose our God. God is ours from everlasting in election, and to everlasting in glory."

"In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form" says Paul in Colossians 2 verse 9. God can hold oceans in his palm and marks off galaxies with the span of his hand (Isaiah 40 verse 12). Even this is only picture language to give us a sense of the infinite scale of God. And yet God has, as it were, squeezed all the fullness of his deity into one fragile, finite human body. Everything that God is Jesus is. That's amazing enough. But it's about to get more amazing, for Paul continues, " ... and in Christ you have been brought to fullness" (Colossians 2 verse 10). We get to share the fullness of God in Christ.

This means life with Jesus is not an empty life. Yes, following Jesus can involve sacrifice. We have to say no to temptation. We have to deny ourselves as we serve others in love. Our model is the cross, where Jesus offered up his life for us, embracing its suffering and shame. This is our calling as Christians. But it's never an empty life; it's an adventure with him. The pleasures we give up are more than replaced by the glory of Jesus. Christ is fullness and he offers fullness. "I have come" he says, "that (my sheep) may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10 verse 10).

Mike and Emma's Tuesday Afternoon

As Mike's train noses out into the suburbs, people start disembarking. Four stops down the line he finds a seat. He sinks onto the upholstery. Another day done. Tomorrow he will have to do it all over again. At least he'll be working from home on Thursday - though time out to do the school run will mean working into the evening. He sighs. How many years before retirement? he does the maths - too many.

"What a life!" thinks Mike. But putting it like that makes him reconsider. He knows, when it comes down to it, that he has many blessings, even on the dullest of days. He has Jesus as his Saviour; one day, everything will he put right. Wow! From somewhere in his memory., Mike dredges up the words "Christ in you, the hope of glory." Christ lives in him, giving him hope, promising glory. "What a life!" thinks Mike.

CHAPTER 7 - ENJOYING THE DELIGHT OF JESUS

What fills Jesus joy?

Luke 10 verses 17 to 22

Jesus has sent out 72 of his followers on a mission intensive. They were to heal the sick and warn people that God's kingdom was near. Everything goes really well, and they're full of excitement when they return.

Jesus shares the disciples joy. Their success is a sign that Satan is being defeated (verses 18 and 19). And yet, says Jesus this is not ultimately where their joy should be rooted. "However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven" (verse 20). Yes, we should be glad when our service of Christ goes well, but the foundation of our joy should be our new identity in him. If our happiness is tied to our accomplishments then we'll be up when things go well, but we'll be down when things go badly. But a joy based on having your name written in heaven can't be undermined by events on earth.

Then Jesus takes us to another level. He gives us a window onto the inner life of the triune God. We see an interaction between the Father, Son and Spirit. And in the process, we discover what makes Jesus happy - verse 21.

Here is supernatural, Spirit-powered joy. it's a joy experienced by Jesus as the Holy Spirit connects him to his Father And the reason why Jesus praises the Father is because the Father has revealed the truth to the disciples. Knowing God is not the result of intellectual prowess - people don't figure out God. Nor is it the result of moral excellence - people don't earn their way into a relationship with God. Instead, God in his grace comes to the humble, the broken and the needy. "This is what you were pleased to" Jesus says to his Father (verse 21). This is not just what the Father does perhaps begrudgingly or reluctantly. No, this is what the Father delights to do. And this is also what fills Jesus with joy. The Father and Son are united in the Spirit. Together they share a delight in drawing needy sinners into the triune life of love.

So what makes Jesus happy? The short answer is you. In fact, Jesus is "full of joy" because of you. He's full of joy because you now have a relationship with the triune God. And we're to rejoice because our names are written in heaven (verse 20). Our joy is the mirror of Jesus' joy. Jesus rejoices to know us and we rejoice to know Jesus.

Jesus gives us another glimpse into the life of the Trinity in Luke 15. The tax collectors and sinners are hanging out with Jesus and this irks the Pharisees (verses 1 and 2). It's a mini-example of what Jesus said in chapter 10 verse 21: God's gracious kingdom is hidden from "the wise and learned" (the Pharisees and the teachers of the law) and revealed to little children" (the tax collectors and sinners). Jesus then tells the story of a shepherd who leaves the bulk of his flock to search for one lost sheep. When he finally finds the lost sheep, he brings it home and calls on his friends to "rejoice with me" (chapter 15 verse 6). Jesus comments "I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent" (verse 7). What makes heaven happy? Sinners turning from their sin and coming home to God. Jesus delights in you, and in his delight Jesus pursues you.

That was then. what about now? Nothing has changed since Jesus told this story. Jesus still pursues his people to bring us home. He still delights in you.

The bible describes Jesus as the Husband of his people. Jesus delights in us in the way a husband delights in his wife. Jesus is not like a husband who pursues a trophy bride and then grows bored of her. His love never fades because he's the same yesterday and today and for ever. Today Jesus delights to spend time with his people and he longs for every closer intimacy.

"Of all the human desire that (Christ) retained as he entered his glorified state in heaven, few exceed his desire to know his people. Jesus, the Lord of glory, supremely satisfied in the love of the Father, Holy Spirit and elect angels, remains unsatisfied if he cannot know, love and ultimately be with his people. How can a good husband enjoy life apart from being together with his wife" Mark Jones

We get a sense of this when we turn to the Song of Songs. The Song of Songs is a poetic portrait of the love between a husband and wife. In the 20th century it came to be seen almost exclusively as a celebration of human sexuality. But throughout most of the church's history, it has been seen as a picture of God's relationship with his people, and therefore of Christ's relationship with the church. It's hard to avoid this way of reading it, given how often the image of marriage is used of God's connection with his people. Even if you think the Song is just a celebration of human marriage what it says must apply to Christ since every marriage is a picture of Christ's love for the church. But there are good reasons to think the original author of the Son had God's love in mind. The bride is repeatedly depicted using imagery from the landscape of Israel. Is the bride like the land, or is the land like the bride? Or are God's people represented by their land being portrayed as the object of the divine love? In chapter 3, the bride comes out of the wilderness to marry her king, just as Israel travelled through the wilderness to enter into a marriage-like covenant with God at Mount Sinai. The Song is also full of garden imagery, taking us back to the intimacy that humanity enjoyed with God in Eden. So we have good reasons to join our forebears in reading this Song as a description of God's love for his people

Song of Song chapter 2 verses 8 to 17 - consider how Jesus speaks to us today through this passage.

"Look! Here he comes." The beloved comes to the woman, bounding like gazelle because he's so overjoyed and energised by his love (verse 9 and 17). He's a young man running to embrace his lover. And when he arrives, he calls to his beloved through the gate. He's impatient for his love. "Look! Here he comes." See Christ coming towards you.

Every marriage begins because at some point someone took the first step. Perhaps you can remember picking up the courage to ask for that first date. Or perhaps you can remember waiting, for what seemed like for ever, to be asked. "Here he comes, leaping across the mountains" (verse 8). Jesus came to us at his incarnation; he leapt down from heaven. He came to our home here on earth, to woo and win his bride it was love that propelled him. It was his desire for his bride that led him to the cross.

And now, through the Holy Spirit, Jesus comes to meet you every time you read his word and speak with him in prayer. "Look! Here he comes." Next time you sit with a hot drink and a bible, take a moment to pause and see the Lord Jesus leaping at the opportunity to meet you in his word.

Perhaps you've had a tough day. The last thing you want to do is go to your bible-study group. What you feel like doing is vegging out in front of the TV. Still, you do your duty and go, but you arrive weary and reluctant. Meanwhile, look! Christ comes, leaping across the heavenly realms, bounding through the stars, energised by love. He stands outside and he says, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me" (Revelation 3 verse 20).

"Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me." In Song of Songs chapter 2 verses 10 to 13 begin and end with this invitation In between we have a beautiful picture of winter giving way to spring. In winter everything is bare, barren and empty. But "the winter is past; the rains are over and gone" verse 11)

Without Jesus, life is like winter. It's bare and barren, cold and bitter. Maybe your life feels like a spiritual winter at the moment because you can't let go of your sin, or because you're holding Jesus at distance, or simply because you've given no time to him. But when Jesus comes, "the winter is past". Now is the time for love to blossom, says the man. "The season of singing has come" (verse 12). It's a picture of the power of love. Without love, our lives are cold and empty. But with love comes life and warmth. That's true in a little way with human love. But above all, it's true of Christ's love.

The Reformer Martin Luther said human beings are like plants in winter whose petals are closed in a tight bud. Sinners, said Luther, as "bent and curved in on themselves for empty glory and pride." Our self-love and self-absorption has turned us inwards on ourselves. We've become a tight ball of fear or resentment. Then the Spirit opens our eyes to see the love of christ. we become like plants in the spring sunshine. We unfold in the warmth of Christ's love. Our tight ball of fear and resentment opens up into a beautiful blossom. "Flowers appear on the earth" says verse 12, when we feel the love of Christ. We're being invited to rediscover the intimacy of the Garden of Eden.

In the busyness of our lives and the din of a godless world, Jesus comes to us, and he invites you to come to him, "Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me" (verse 10). It's an invitation to spend time with him - hearing his love in the words of Scripture and responding with love in the words of our prayers. It's an invitation to his bride, the church, to hear him as we gather each Sunday. It's an invitation to step out of the cold and feel the warmth of his love. Even when we sin, Jesus desires us. Perhaps in our sin he desires us the most, for he longs for us to turn away from the ruin of sin and come back to his grace. When Jesus sees your sin and suffering, his instinct is not to turn away but to turn towards you in love.

The man describes the woman as "my dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside" (verse 14). She's like a skittish dove, nervous and self-conscious. If you approach a bird, then it flies away in fear. I wonder if you're like one of those frightened birds. You shy away from Jesus. Or you fear intimacy. Perhaps talk of spiritual experience makes you nervous, so when the call of Jesus comes to you in the gospel, you skitter away in fear and hide. Hear the invitation of Jesus to you today: "Show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet and your face is lovely." (verse 14)

Jesus desires his people. He desires you if you're one of his people. Jesus longs to meet us in his word and hear us speak to him in prayer. How do we respond?

Jesus says, Show me your face. we respond by turning our face towards him . we can't do this literally (at least not yet). But we can give our attention to Christ; we can be attentive to his presence. when our thoughts drift, we can gently return our focus to Jesus. We turn to him in his word, as we read it day by day and as we hear it preached week by week.

Jesus says, Let me hear your voice. We respond by talking with him in prayer. In this verse, Jesus himself is asking you to pay. This is not me calling you to acquire a spiritual skill or maintain a spiritual discipline. This is not some grand challenge to change the world through your prayers. Jesus is simply saying, You're my delight, and I would love to spend some time with you, I would love to hear your voice.

It would be great if we could end here. But there are shadows in the sunlight and vermin in the garden. The Song continues, "Catch for us the fodes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom" (verse 15). "Little foxes" might sound rather cute. But these are vermin. They "ruin the vineyards". Perhaps "rats" would be a contemporary substitute; there are rats in the garden. In the Song of Songs, the "vineyard" is an image of sexuality - a place of intimacy (chapter 8 verse 1). So within the imagery of the love story, this is a call to protect young women from "love-rats" who would abuse them. People have puzzled over what the little foxes represent, but perhaps the ambiguity is significant. They represent anything that might threaten our enjoyment of Jesus - anything that might draw us away from our true love. So the implications of this call may differ from person to person. Ask yourself: What stops me coming to Jesus day by day? What distracts me when I'm spending time with him in prayer? It might be fears that keep you from intimacy with Jesus. it might be unbiblical notions of what God is like. It might be the busyness of life, which means you struggle to carve out time. It might be unaddressed sin that's destroying the fruit of the Spirit like foxes nibbling at crops.

We're presented with a wonderful picture of Jesus bounding to meet us, of spring bursting into life, of the warmth of God's love melting our hearts but our day-to-day experience of Jesus isn't always like that! Other things get in the way. This verse is a call to bridge the gap between the vision of the Song and the reality of our lives. What is it that stops us meeting Jesus, and what can we do to prevent that happening. It's a call to action. The word "catch" is a command. Catch the foxes before they ruin your relationship with Jesus.

Part of the role of the Song of Songs is to inspire us to welcome the pursuit of Jesus and respond by pursuing him, but the Song is not a call to seek out some kind of new extraordinary or dramatic experience. It's a call to look at the ordinary experiences of praying and reading our bibles and to see how extraordinary they actually are: Jesus meets us in his word. So let the Song inspire you to pursue joy in Jesus in the everyday.

• When you're praying and find yourself distracted by a thousand other thoughts, hear the words "Let me hear your voice" and be inspired to try again (chapter 2 verse 14).
• During the Lords Supper when it feels as if you're only munching on a piece of bread, hear Jesus inviting you into his banquet hall and be inspired to make the Supper an act of communion with Jesus (verse 4).
• When you're getting nothing from your bible reading see Jesus joyfully leaping across the heavens to meet you in his word and be inspired to keep going (verse 8)
• When you're slogging through another verse of a hymn hear the words "Arise ... come with me" and be inspired to re-engage with him through the lyrics (verse 13).

Jesus leapt down to earth to make us his bride. And by his Spirit he comes to us in his word and in the Lord's Supper. The final verses of chapter 2 are her response to his pursuit: "My beloved is mine and I am his he browses among the lilies" (verse 16). "My beloved is mine and I am his" is a marriage covenant in miniature. To "browse among the lilies" is an invitation to caress her body. How do we respond to the pursuit of Jesus? By welcoming his pursuit. Jesus pursues us even when we neglect himWe respond by not neglecting him.

Mike and Emma's Tuesday Afternoon

Mike begins to think about walking through the door and being engulfed by the kids. A smile spreads across his face. there will be an hour of fun and games; an hour full of laughter and love. And no doubt some tears when someone gets over excited. Then the children will be packed off to bed, and he and Em can slump on the sofa together. Will there be a match on? What day is it? Tuesday. The night of the church prayer meeting! Mike's groan is loud enough to make the man with headphones across from him look up from his phone. No one would notice if Mike skipped the prayer meeting just this once. Or better still, he could offer to babysit so Emma can go. That way he will look servant-hearted while lining up an evening on the sofa. Result!

But then Mike thinks of Jesus. Mike recalls his pastor describing how Jesus longs to meet with his bride, and hear his people pray. Mike remembers how he (Mike) often resents the prayer meeting beforehand but nearly always comes home buzzing afterwards. What a privilege to meet with Jesus and share his joy! "Maybe I should suggest Emma go this time round," he thinks now with a genuine concern for her. "It feels like she could do with a spiritual boost."

Action

Each day this week begin your quiet time by thinking of Jesus delighting that you're spending this time with him. By faith, hear him say to you, "Show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet and your face is lovely" (song of Songs 2 verse 14)

CHAPTER 8 - ENJOYING THE VOICE OF JESUS

Any good relationship involves communication. That's lesson 101 in the relational manual. Our relationship with Jesus is no different. We talk to him in prayer - but does he talk to us?

Luke 10 verses 38 to 42

One day Jesus and his disciples stopped off at the home of 2 sisters, Martha and Mary. Martha immediately snapped into action. Luke tells us, "Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made" (Luke 10 verse 40). And what was Mary doing while Martha was running around, trying to sort everything out? Nothing. While Martha was busy, Mary "sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said" (verse 39).

It's not hard to imagine how the scene unfolds. it's not long before Martha's feeling overwhelmed by all the arrangements. Perhaps she's gesticulating towards her sister from the back of the room, but Mary's eyes are fixed on Jesus. If she sees Martha she pretends not to notice, You can imagine the pressure building until Martha can stand it no more. "Lord don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me" (verse 40). Everyone stops and looks at Martha, then at Mary, and then at Jesus - this is awkward.

In most homes today, Mary would have been shamed into action, but Jesus speaks first. "Martha, Martha ... you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed - or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her" (verses 41 and 42). We expect Mary to be rebuked and Martha to be commended. But, no, it's the other way round. I've read this story with so many people who remain resolutely sympathetic towards Martha. "She did the right thing" they say. "She's a model of service." But that's not what Jesus says.

Martha's actions are not wrong. We are called to serve one another in love. Later, Jesus will say that we should work as servants and then that "we have only done our duty" (chapter 17 verse 10). But Martha's priorities are wrong. "Mary has chosen what is better" says Jesus. Perhaps the implication is that the good has got in the way of the best. Martha made a good choice, but Mary made a better choice.

Here's the point: Jesus wants to speak with us. He wants to communicate with us. He has things he wants to tell us.

Jesus wants us to stop, slow down and listen. More than that, Jesus wants us to listen to him before he wants us to serve him; serving Jesus is important, but hearing him comes first. Jesus wants a relationship with us: he wants brothers, sister, friends - not slaves. He wants to love us and be loved by us. it's this way round because true service flows from love. We don't serve Jesus so that we'll be loved by Jesus; we serve him because we're already loved by him. So we need to hear his words of love before we leap into action; otherwise our service will quickly feel like a burden. We'll live like slaves rather than sons and daughters of God. That's what the elder brother in the parable of the prodigal son got wrong. "All these years I've been slaving for you" he tells his father (chapter 15 verse 29). He felt like a slave rather than a son. Our service is energised - and made far more enjoyable -by hearing Christ's words of grace.

Luke places the story of Martha and Mary hot on the heels of the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10 verses 25 to 37). That might seem an odd choice because the parable appears to contradict the words of Jesus to Martha. In the parable, 2 religious leaders neglect the needs of a wounded man who is then served by a passing Samaritan - one of a group of people despised by the Jews of Jesus' day. The point is that the neighbour we're to love is anyone we meet in need, regardless of the social barriers that might divide us. This parable appears to suggest that our priority should be serving people in need - the very thing Martha is doing.

And of course, the story does indeed teach us to love across social boundaries. But it has another, deeper meaning. Jesus told this parable in response to an expert in the law who had asked, "And who is my neighbour?" (verse 29) interrogating the command to "Love your neighbour as yourself" (verse 27). Luke tells us that the man asked this because "he wanted to justify himself" (verse 29). He wanted to define precisely what he needed to do to be right with God. In response, Jesus exploded the man's attempt to create an attainable to-do-list. The expert in the law wanted to serve so he could make himself right with God. Jesus wants to make us right with God so we can serve.

The phrase "Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made" (verse 40) is literally "distracted by much serving." Serving is good. But the issue is this: which comes first? Serving Jesus or being served by Jesus? Giving to Jesus or receiving from him? If serving comes first then we will constantly be asking ourselves "have I done enough?"

Listening to Jesus is not another task we have to complete - in addition to all the catering we have to do! Listening is the act through which we receive Christ's words of grace. it's the reassurance that everything is already done. "It is finished" - that's what Jesus cried from the cross (John 19 verse 30). And that's what he declares to you in the midst of your busyness, worry and upset. The work of justification is over. Indeed, it was over long before you ever picked up your saucepans and cleaning cloths. You have been accepted by God.

Jesus wants to speak words of grace, welcome and love. That's what Mary wants to hear and she "has chosen what is better" (Luke 10 verse 40) - better than Martha and better than the expert in the law.

That was then. What about now? Can we still hear the voice of Jesus today? Jesus once said:

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the father knows me and I know the Father - and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice and there shall be one flock and one shepherd." John 10 verses 14 to 16

Jesus knows his people as a shepherd knows his sheep. It's a beautiful image of his care and protection. Middle-Eastern shepherds don't herd their sheep from behind with a sheep dog. Instead, they walk ahead, and their sheep follow them. The sheep know the voice of their shepherd and follow where he leads, trusting him to lead them to good pasture and protect them from wild animals.

Jesus was speaking to his contemporaries - people who could literally and physically hear his voice. The sound waves from his mouth were falling on their eardrums as he spoke. But he also speaks here of "other sheep that are not of this sheepfold" (verse 16). It's a reference to the future Gentile believers who would be added to the church over the centuries. These are people who would not and cannot literally hear Jesus speaking. The sound waves from his mouth have long since fallen silent. And yet Jesus says, "They too will listen to my voice" (verse 16)

Jesus wanted to speak to his people when he was on earth, and that desire has not changed now that he's in heaven. Pause for a moment and let that thought sink in. Jesus wants to speak to you, and he wants to speak words of grace. Indeed, the Puritan says, 

"Jesus teaches us more personally than he does on earth because he speaks to our hearts. Jesus meets us in his word."

Ephesians 2 verse 17 says that Jesus "came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near"; that is, to both Gentiles and Jews. Commenting on this, the Puritan Paul Bain points out that on earth Jesus really only preached to Jews. "Therefore we see that Christ is present and has a part in preaching even when men preach." Baine goes on:

Paul preached to the ear, but Christ to the heart of Lydia (Acts 16 verse 14). This teaches us to see Christ as the chief Prophet among us, and the chief Preacher - regardless of who is speaking."

This is one big reason why Jesus gives spiritual gifts to the church. Ephesians 4 verses 7 to 13 speaks of how Jesus has ascended into heaven, but, as the triumphant King, he gives gifts to his people. In particular, he gives pastors and teachers to the church "so that the body of Christ may be built up" (verse 12). "He did this" comment John Clark and Marcus Peter Johnson "not so that the church might proclaim the word in his absence, but so that, through the Spirit, he would be continuously present in and as that Word was preached." Though human preachers are fallible (unlike the bible), Jesus gives preachers so that they might be his mouthpiece. In the voice of the preacher, we hear the voice of Jesus. Writing to the church in Thessalonica, Paul says "We also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe" (1 Thessalonians 2 verse 13).

How does this happen? Just as Jesus is present with us through the Spirit, so Jesus speaks to us through the Spirit. What we encounter are the words of Scripture, read or remembered or preached or sung. But the Spirit brings those words to us as a personal message from Jesus. It's not that we get a different message; we don't have a license to read new meanings into the bible. We must let the text say what it says in its context. But as it does so, Jesus himself speaks in a dynamic and relational way through his word by his Spirit. The Spirit takes the words of Scripture - words spoken to all people in every age - and makes them a word from Jesus for me in this moment.

Every time the scriptures are faithfully preached, Christ himself addresses his people.

We can't measure whether Jesus is speaking to us simply by the emotional impact of his words. As Jesus speaks to us his bride day by day through the words of scripture, he's enjoying and strengthening and deepening our relationship with him - whether we particularly feel anything in that moment or not.

Martha was "worried and upset about many things" (Luke 10 verse 41). Perhaps you can relate to that. And Jesus says STOP, SIT DOWN WITH ME FOR A WHILE AND LET'S TALK. LISTEN TO MY VOICE.

Sometimes hearing Jesus speak is not the happiest experience! There were many occasions during his time on earth when Jesus challenged those in power who were misusing their authority or leading people astray. But Jesus adopts a very different tone with his people. "A bruised reed he will not break and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out" (Matthew 12 verse 20; quoting Isaiah 42 verse 3). When Jesus meets bruised Christians, he doesn't break us with his rebuke. Instead, he speaks gently with words of healing.

• Seeing a paralysed man lowered before him, Jesus says, "Friend" and then he says "your sins are forgiven" (Luke 5 verse 20).
• To a woman who had gatecrashed a party to wash the feet of Jesus, Jesus says "Your sins are forgiven", With the other guests murmuring their disapproval, Jesus adds "You faith has saved you; go in peace" (chapter 7 verses 48 to 50).
• Preparing his disciples for opposition, Jesu says, "Are not five sparrows sold for 2 pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows" (chapter 12 verses 6 and 7)
• Jesus goes on "I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear ... Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom" (verses 22 and 32).
• When the disciples try to stop people bringing their babies to Jesus, Jesus says, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these" (chapter 18 verses 15 and 16).
• In a parable, Jesus says to those who represent his faithful people, "well done, my good servant!" (chapter 19 verse 17)
• When the resurrected Jesus appears among his startled disciples, he says, "Peace be with you" (chapter 24 verse 36)

Jesus is the same yesterday and today and for ever. How Jesus related to his people on earth reveals how Jesus relates to us now! And what we discover is that again and again Jesus speaks of grace, comfort, affirmation and confirmation. Jesus draws on all the words of Scripture - Old and New Testament - to speak to us through the Holy Spirit. All of the bible speaks of Jesus, and Jesus speaks through all of the bible (Luke 24 verse 27; John 5 verse 39).

What is Jesus doing now? He's speaking words of love to his people.

If Jesus wants to speak with us, how should we respond? The answer is obvious: we listen. And we listen with our full attention.

Mary is commended because "she sat at the Lord's feet listenign to what he said" (Luke 10 verse 39). Perhaps we need to think not just in terms of listening but also in terms of sitting at the feet of Jesus. Mary involved her whole body in the act of paying attention to Jesus; she was fully absorbed, enjoying hearing his voice. We need to move from being distracted to being attentive.

I find it helpful to think of reading my bible as paying attention to Jesus himself. I'm paying attention to the meaning of the words, but I'm doing more than that - I'm also listening for the voice of my Saviour. I am listening out for what he wants to say to me in my present situation: whether that's challenging my complacency, calming my fears, healing my wounds, or comforting my sorrows. How is the Holy Spirit going to make these words come alive to my heart as a message from Jesus. the Puritan Lewis Bayly encourages us to hear the words of Scripture "as if they were letters or epistles sent down from God out of heaven to you." Read them, therefore, with the same reverence you would adopt if God himself stood by you and spoke these words to you, encouraging you to adopt these words to you, encouraging you to adopt these virtues or dissuading you from these vices.

The key is to see reading the bible and hearing it preached as a relational encounter rather than an educational activity. Of course, there's every possibility that you'll learn something new from God's word. But much of the time you'll simply be reminded of what you already know. This is what we need over and over - to hear words of love from Jesus. So we read the bible and listen to the sermon to tune into the voice of Jesus. Expect to be addressed by Jesus through the Holy Spirit Pray that you might have ears to hear an da hear that is open to enjoy his words of love and grace for you.

Mike and Emma's Tuesday afternoon

With dinner hastily put in the oven, Emma goes back to her Sunday-school prep, but her anxieties creep in again to distract her. There's just too much in the world to worry about. Food scares. Global warming. Rising crime. Online bullying. How can she keep her children safe? The weight of it all seems too much to bear.

She's printing out some words from Psalm 91 for the children to colour in: "The Lord is my refuge". She has to laugh. Here she is preparing to tell the children how God will look after them when that's exactly what she needs to hear! It's as if Jesus himself is speaking to her through the words on the worksheet. I'll be your refuge, Emma, he seems to be saying. She grabs one of her felt-tip pens and starts colouring in the words. This one's going on the fridge door.

ACTION

The next time you're in church, think of Sunday's sermon as a personal message to you from Jesus. When you open your bible this week, consider how you can listen with your whole body, and turn your whole attention and posture towards Jesus' voice.

ENJOYING THE CONNECITON OF JESUS

When we consider what it means to live in relationship with Jesus, our minds naturally jump to prayer. Though there's a lot more to enjoying Jesus (as we're seeing), prayer is a key moment when we experience a relational connection with him. But I suspect that many of us don't immediately link prayer with joy. Indeed, it's sometimes said that if you want to make a Christian feel guilty, ask them about their prayer life.

It shouldn't be like this! And it needn't be like this. To see why, we first need to explore the connection between Jesus and God the Father. Today we would say that Jesus was "well connected" -J though not because he was networking among the rich and powerful (to them he was an irritant). Instead, Jesus had a unique connection with God the Father, He had a friend in the highest possible place. This was confirmed at his baptism when the voice from heaven declared, "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased" (Luke 3 verse 22).

Luke 11 verses 1 and 2

This connection with God is reflected in Jesus' commitment to prayer. "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed" says Luke 5 verse 16. It's a pattern repeated throughout the ministry of Jesus (chapter 3 verse 21; 6 verse 12; 9 verse 18, 28 and 29; chapter 11 verse 1, chapter 22 verse 32, 41, 44 and 45). So it's no surprise that the disciples want Jesus to teach them how to pray. They want to be able to do what they see Jesus doing. In response, Jesus begins, "When you pray, say: "Father ..."

Jesus teaches his disciples to pray by giving what we now call "the Lord's Prayer". The key to praying well is its opening word: Father. Jesus doesn't teach his disciples a technique for prayer. Instead, he invites them to share his relationship with God. prayer is not something to be achieved; it's a gift from Jesus as he connects people with God the Father. I like to imagine Jesus putting an arm around one of his disciples and saying, Let's do this together. Come and pray with me. We'll start 'Our Father' - not 'My Father' - because he's your Father as well now. We can go to him together.

Feeling a connection with God is not so hard with Jesus by your side - it's like a master craftsman guiding an apprentice. But how will the disciples get on once Jesus has ascended into heaven? And how can we learn to pray 2,000 years later? On the night before he died, Jesus address these very questions - John 16 verse 16, 23 to 28.

Jesus is about to leave his disciples (verse 16). He'll no longer be around when they need something (verse 24). But the don't need to panic, says Jesus, because they will be able to come directly to God in prayer themselves. "Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name" says Jesus (verse 23). The key is the phrase "in my name". Jesus repeats it in verse 26: "In that day you will ask in my name". Jesus gives them access to the Father. And the key that unlocks the door into God's presence is Jesus himself. They can come before God because they come in Jesus' name.

Knock on the gates of heaven and you'll get no reply. But arrive with Jesus by your side and you'll be welcomed with open arms. "The Father himself loves you" says Jesus, "because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God" (verse 27). Through our love and faith, we're connected with Jesus. And if we're connected with Jesus then we're connected with God. That's because Jesus himself is the connection between God and humanity. He's the bridge that spans the gulf.

Look at how Jesus puts it: "I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father" (verse 28). From eternity, Jesu shas been intimately connected to God ("I came from the Father"). Then, at his incarnation he formed a connection with humanity ("I ... entered the world"). Now he's returning to heaven to link earth and heaven, humanity and God. Jesus has moved from heaven to earth and earth to heaven to lay a cable that connects us to God. The cable that connects us is not a thing but a person - the Holy Spirit. Just a few moments before, Jesus said, "All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you." (verse 15)

So how does this work? How can finite human beings have a relationship with the infinite God? How can you communicate across the vast gulf between the Creator and the creature? The answer is that Jesus became human to connect divinity and humanity in his own person.

By the time they had spent 3 years together, the disciples had a really good relationship with the human Jesus. They had talked together, eaten together, walked together and suffered together. Christians, too, have a deep connection with Jesus. We're not connected as friends; it's a covenant connection like a marriage. Though we finite human beings can't join ourselves to the infinite Creator, we can relate to the human person Jesus.

But Christ is one person with 2 natures: a human nature and a divine nature. by being joined to the humanity of Jesus, we're joined to the person of Jesus and therefore connected to the divinity of Jesus. But we're not done yet. For Jesus is one member of the Trinity. He shares one nature with the Father and the Spirit. Jesus is not simply part of God; he is God. The divine nature that Jesus has is not like the Father's nature; it is the Father's nature. it's a one-of-a kind nature that they share together with the Holy Spirit. That means that to be joined to the person of Christ is to be joined to the Trinity.

So there's an amazing chain that connects us to God. you and the humanity of Christ are one link in that chain. Christ himself is the second link, for at his incarnation he linked humanity and divinity in his own person. The final link is Christ and God sharing one divine nature. These 3 links - us to Jesus, humanity and divinity in Jesus, and Jesus to God - mean we're connected to the life of the triune God.

What does it mean to be connected to God in this way Jesus continues, "I have made you known to them and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them" (John 17 verse 26). What is it that flows along the connection Jesus has created between us and God? If we think of it as a telephone connection what are the words that travel across that connection? Words of love. We are connected into the life of the Trinity and the life of the Trinity is a life of love; an endless song of mutual life and joy.

It gets even more specific than that. What is the love that Jesus says will be 2in" us? Jesus describes it in chapter 17 verse 26, as he prays to his Father, as "the love you have for me." It's the love of God the Father for God the Son. We're loved with the same kind of love that the Father has for his only begotten Son. So John 1 verse 12 says that "to those who believed in his name, he (Jesus) gave the right to become children of God". Because we're bound to the Son, we're treated as God's sons and daughters. We share the Son's relationship with the Father. God the Father loves Jesus with fatherly love because Jesus is his son by nature and he loves you with fatherly love because you're his son or daughter by grace. Augustine says, "For there is only one Son of God by nature, and he in his compassion became a son of man for our sake so that we, who are by nature sons of man, might by grace become sons of God through him. Remaining immutable in himself, he took our nature on himself so that, in our nature he might take us to himself."

In John 17 verse 24, Jesus says "Father I want those you have given me to be with me where I am." Where is that? John has already told us; he's "in the closest relationship with the Father" (chapter 1 verse 18). Literally, it means in the bosom or lap of the Father. Think of a little child nestled on father's lap, snuggled into his side, with her father's arms wrapped around her, feeling safe and loved. That's where you are if you're a Christian - nestled in the Father's love, safe in his arms.

Jesus is the connection between us and God but Jesus also connects us with God through his work as our High Priest.

When the Old Testament high priest entered the Most Holy Place to make atonement, he did so with the names of the 12 tribes of Israel written over his chest. He came having offered a sacrifice. An animal had died in the place of the people, bearing the penalty for sin that they deserved. It was through this shed blood that the high priest approached God on behalf of the people.

It was a picture and pointer to Jesus our High Priest.

• Like the high priest, Jesus enters a tabernacle. But he enters "the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands" (Hebrews 9 verse 11). He enters "heaven itself" to come before the very presence of God (verse 24).
• Like the high priest, Jesus comes through the shedding of blood. But it's not the blood of goats and bulls; "he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, so obtaining eternal redemption" (verse 12)
• Like the high priest, Jesus comes before God as the representative of his people. He carries our names in his heart.

As a result, we can connect with God "by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body" (chapter 10 verse 20). The old covenant high priest had to keep making sacrifices. "But (Christ) has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself" (chapter 9 verse 26). Jesus has created an unbreakable connection.

How are we to respond? John Owen says the first way "the saints hold daily communion with the Lord Jesus" is by making "an actual exchange with the Lord Jesus of their sins and his righteousness." In other words, we bring our sins to him in confession, and we receive his righteousness in return. We have the right to come before God in prayer from the day of our conversion, but we enjoy our relationship with Jesus even more when we bring to him our sins - the sins of today - so that we might be reassured of forgiveness. We enjoy afresh the relief, the freedom and the welcome of knowing we are forgiven. "This is faith's great and bold venture upon the grace, faithfulness and truth of God," says Owen, "to stand by the cross and say, 'Ah! He is bruised for my sins and wounded for my transgressions."

All of this means we should think of prayer and worship as a gift to be received - not a task to be accomplished. The theologian James Torrance speaks of 2 views of worship  in the contemporary church. The first view - which he suspects is widespread - sees worship as something we do each Sunday. We come as priests to make our offerings of praise and prayer to God. The second view - the one Torrance believes is biblical - sees worship as "the gift of participating through the Spirit in the incarnate Son's communion with the Father." Each Sunday we share in Christ's priesthood and his offerings.

While as God Jesus receives our worship as man he leads our worship. In Hebrews 2 verse 12 Jesus says "I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters, in the assembly I will sing your praises". "Assembly" is another word for "congregation". So when your congregation meets together, Jesus says, "I will declare ... I will sing". Every Sunday Jesus is the Preacher who speaks through the preacher and the Worshipper who sings through the worshippers. The worship we offer on earth joins with the worship he offers in heaven as our High Priest. Jesus is "a minister in the holy places", says Hebrews 8 verse 2. Jesus is the "minister" leading our worship when we gather as his people.

So, when we sing worship to God, we're participating in the praise Jesus offers to the Father. When we pray for the needs of the world, we're participating in the intercessions of Jesus. When we come before God in faith, we're participating in the faithfulness of Jesus. "To reduce worship to this two-dimensional thing (God and ourselves today)", says Torrance, "is to imply that God throws us back on ourselves to make our response, and to ignore the fact that God has already provided for us that Response which alone is acceptable to him - the Offering made for humankind in the life, obedience and passion of Jesus Christ ." In other words, it's not that, now Jesus is in heaven, we're left to respond on our own. It's that both God comes to us in Christ and we respond to God in Christ.

Think what a difference this makes and what confidence it brings to our communication with God. This is how the writer of Hebrews applies his teaching on Jesus as our High Priest - Hebrews 10 verses 19 to 22.

Jesus himself says, "Ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete" (John 16 verse 24). As we pray, we're personally interacting with God - asking and receiving, praying and being heard. We're coming to the Father through the Son with the help of the Spirit. And the result is joy: "Your joy will be complete". We experience this joy not primarily because we're receiving we ask for but because we're sharing in the life and relationship of the triune God.

What's the secret of being a great pray-er? Do we become great pray-ers by learning special techniques? By packing our prayers with bible quotes? By disciplinign ourselves to spend hours at a time in prayer? No. The secret is simply this: come in the name of Jesus. Every prayer you pray is a great prayer when it's prayed in Jesus' name - however faltering your words. Our prayers are made acceptable through the mediation of Jesus, which means every prayer of every believer is very pleasing to God.

Usually, our prayers are a bit jumbled. They reflect genuine, holy desires, but those desires are mixed up with selfishness, ignorance and pride. Yet, as our prayers rise up before the Father, they're purified by the Lord Jesus. They come before God as an offering of holy incense, bringing him great delight - even with all their muddle. Our heavenly Father delights in our prayers in the way a human father delights in the first words of his child - even with all their muddle. And that means we can enjoy speaking with our Father God, without worrying about making perfect sense or sounding eloquent. We share Christ's connection with the Father. We're loved with the same love the Father has for Jesus. And so, we pray with confidence. Every time.

Mike and Emma's Tuesday Afternoon

"Lord Jesus, help me not to worry so much" says Emma. She thinks about her children again. She thinks about all the new challenges they'll face as they grow up that she doesn't feel equipped to help them with."Agh" she says to herself. "I'm trying to pray about worry, but all I'm doing is worrying some more! Why am I so bad a praying?" She gives up and goes to check on the dinner.

But as she makes her way into the kitchen, she thinks how amazing it is that God wants to hear from her at all. All she has to do is pray in Jesus' name; he will do the rest. What a relief! As she opens the oven and wafts away the steam, she says, "Thank you, God for listening when I pray, even if I am a bit hopeless at it!"

ACTION

We often end our prayers "... in the name of Jesus. Amen." Each day this week, begin your prayers, "Father God, I come in the name of Jesus." Then think of them rising before God as sweet-smelling incense.

 

CHAPTER 10 - ENJOYING THE ANGER OF JESUS

Luke 11 verses 37 to 54

Jesus is angry at hypocrisy and injustice

Imagine the scene ... Jesus enters a home. Instead of washing his hands, as custom dictates, he goes straight to the table and sits down (verses 37 and 38). This is not a failure of personal hygiene - the Pharisees had extended the ceremonial cleanliness required of temple priests into everyday life. But Jesus deliberately ignores this expectation. Make no mistake; this is a provocative act.

A shocked hush descends, into which Jesus speaks: "Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness" (verse 39). These are the first words anyone speaks. Jesus skips all the social niceties and dives straight into confrontation. This is not a discussion that turned into an argument that then got heated. Right from the start, Jesus is confrontation. "Woe to you ..." he says three times (verses 42 to 44). It's as if Jesus is firing off accusations from a verbal machine gun. An expert in the law intervenes. "Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also" (verse 45). Big mistake. for Jesus then turns his fire on the experts in the law. They too get three "woes" - just like the Pharisees (verses 46 to 52).

Then Jesus leaves. There's no record of any food having been eaten! The religious leaders follow him out "to besiege him" with questions (verses 54 and 54). It's the language of violent assault, as if Jesus is a city under attack. Luke says they "began to oppose him fiercely". We might say that things have turned ugly, but that would imply a preceding moment of calm!

We see this confrontational posture throughout Luke's Gospel. Here's just a snapshot:

• "Woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort" (chapter 6 verses 24 to 26)
• "You hypocrites!" ... When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated " (chapter 13 verses 10 to 17)
• "Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division" (chapter 12 verses 51 to 53)
• "When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling" (chapter 19 verses 45 to 46)
• "Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the market-places ... They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely" (chapter 20 verses 45 to 47)

Perhaps we're shocked at an angry Jesus. This Jesus may be less familiar and perhaps even less attractive. But this is not only an essential aspect of his character; it's also good news. We can and should enjoy the anger of Jesus.

Part of our problem is that we often think anger is bad. That's not surprising because much of the anger we encounter is bad news. And if we're honest, we know we're as guilty of bad anger as anyone else.

Bad Anger and Good Anger

The bible presents a more nuanced picture of anger. Certainly, there are warnings. "Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret - it leads only to evil" says Psalm 37 verse 8, Proverbs 22 verses 24 to 25 says, "Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared." Paul's advice is "Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold" (Ephesians 4 verses 26 and 27). He goes on to tell us to "get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice" (verse 31). He describes "fits of rage" as acts of the flesh, while "forbearance" and "gentleness" are fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5 verses 19 to 23). And he tells the Colossians, "You must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips" (Colossians 3 verse 8). Jesus himself gives perhaps the strongest condemnation for anger. "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment." (Matthew 5 verses 21 and 22). Anger can be a form of murder - a murder that takes place in our imagination. At this point, the picture seems clear: anger is bad news.

And yet God himself is said to be angry. When the Israelites forsook the Lord in favour of other gods, we're told that "they aroused the Lord's anger" (Judges 2 verses 11 to 14). It's not just God who displays commendable anger. Jonathan is filled with "fierce anger ... because he was grieved at his father's shameful treatment of David" (1 Samuel 20 verses 32 to 34). Likewise Nehemiah gets angry because of his concern for the poor (Nehemiah 5 verse 6).

Clearly, there's "good anger" and "bad anger". Let me suggest 2 questions to help us distinguish between them. The first question to ask is: are we responding to the right things? Anger is the appropriate response to sin and injustice. Indeed it would be wrong not to tell passionately about these things. This is why God is said to be angry. A loving God can't be indifferent when we hurt other people. In this sense, God's anger is a consequence of his love. Divine anger arises at the intersection of divine love and human sin. This means that to live without anger is not God-like. The opposite of destructive anger is not stoic calm. The opposite of destructive anger is constructive anger - anger that motivates us to take remedial action (which might include showing mercy). In contrast, bad anger is a response to the wrong things - like the thwarting of my selfish desires or the wounding of my pride. At one point James and John are angry when a Samaritan village refused to welcome then (Luke 9 verses 52 to 55). "Lord" they ask "do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" But Jesus rebukes  them. The bad anger of James and John provokes the good anger of Jesus.

The second question to distinguish between good and bad anger is this: are we responding in the right way? God's anger is controlled. He doesn't lose his temper or fly into a rage. His anger is settled and determined opposition to sin. So God's anger is always directed to what is good or just. The same control marks good anger in human beings. "People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper show great foolishness" says Proverbs 14 verse 29. In contrast, human anger goes bad when it become uncontrolled or destructive. People sometimes suggest it's best to let it all out. But anger is too dangerous for that. it needs to be controlled and directed if it's to do good. "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry," says James 1 verses 19 and 20, "because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

Let's return to Luke 11. What it is that provokes Jesus' outburst? He begins by spotlighting the hypocrisy of the religious leaders. His host disapproves of Jesus because Jesus is not outwardly clean. But Jesus says the real problem is inner filth. Instead of priding themselves on their ceremonial purity, the Pharisees should repent of their "greed and wickedness" (verse 39). Their priority should be generosity towards the poor (verse 41). The Pharisees are assiduous in keeping the finer details of their moral code but neglect the bigger picture of love for God and neighbour. They carefully tithe their herbs - we can imagine them counting out one leaf in ten. But they "neglect justice and the love of God" (verse 42). They compete to be honoured by people but, in reality, they're "unmarked graves" devoid of spiritual life (verse 44).

The experts in the law fare no better under the scrutiny of Jesus. They claim to honour the prophets of the Old Testament, but they ignore the words of those prophets, especially the prophetic call for social justice. And that puts the experts in the law in the same camp as those who persecuted the prophets. Indeed, their generation is rejecting the ultimate Prophet: Jesus - the very Word of God (verses 47 to 51).

The Flipside of Love

But what really provokes the ire of Jesus comes at the climax of his tirade: "Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering" (verse 52). What angers Jesus is not simply that the religious leaders ignore God's word: it's that they prevent other people from coming to God. Ceremonial purity is a non-starter if you live in a slum - so the poor were faced with impossible demands that make them feel unworthy to come before God. And, instead of jumping in to help the religious elite do nothing. "You load people down with burdens they can hardly carry" says Jesus, "and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them" (verse 46). But that suits the religious leaders because looking down on others makes them feel good about themselves, boosting their reputation for piety (verse 43). Jesus is angry because he loves God and he loves people (verse 42).

By way of an experimental control, compare this with the demeanour of Jesus when he himself is the victim of injustice. At the end of his earthly life, Jesus was dragged before King Herod. On one side stood the chief priests, "vehemently accusing him". On the other side Herod and his soldiers "ridiculed and mocked him". And "Jesus gave ... no answer" (chapter 23 verses 9 to 11). There was none of the anger that he displays in the home of the Pharisee. Jesus was not just innocent of this crime; he was innocent of any crime. Yet he said nothing in his defence. His concern was not for himself, for he was determined to suffer for his people. This self-denying love reached its climax as he hung on the cross and cried, "Father, forgive them" (verse 34). Jesus isn't angry when he's mistreated; he's angry when others are mistreated. There was nothing selfish or self-serving in his anger.

We begin to enjoy the anger of Jesus by understanding it as the flipside of his love. When Jesus met a man with leprosy "he was indignant" - not with the man himself (whom Jesus was about to touch in healing love), but with the man's leprosy (Mark 1 verse 41). His compassion towards the man's suffering made him angry towards the cause of that suffering. On another occasion, Jesus met a man with a shrivelled hand on the Sabbath. It seems the man was being used by the religious leaders as they looked "for a reason to accuse Jesus". So "Jesus looked around at them in anger ... deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts" (chapter 3 verse 1 to 6). His compassion towards the man's suffering made him angry towards those exploiting that suffering.

What makes Jesus angry is his love for people. Imagine a person who never got angry. They would look at injustice and feel nothing. That's not a sign of virtue but of callous indifference. Jesus is full of love, and when love sees injustice, it expresses itself in rage. His compassion is his sympathy with those who suffer; his angry is his opposition towards those who create that suffering.

The Coming Anger of Jesus

That was then. What about now? At the moment, God's judgment waits in the wings, while he gives people an opportunity to repent (2 Peter 3 verse 3 to 9). In his kindness, God is inviting people to repent (Romans 2 verse 4). But the anger of Jesus hasn't gone away. God's wrath is storing up like water behind a dam (verse 5). At the end of history, it will burst upon this earth "on the day when God judges people's secrets through Jesus Christ" (verse 16; John 5 verse 27. The risen Jesus has "commanded us to preach to the people" says the apostle Peter, "and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead" (Acts 10 verse 42; see also 17 verse 31). John sees a vision of this in Revelation 19 verses 11 to 16.

Jesus is pictured as a warrior on a battle horse. His names are "Faithful" and "True" for he judges with justice. Nothing escapes his blazing eyes, and no one can resist the edge of his sword. He comes as an expression of "the fury of the wrath of God". All the cries for justice across the pages of history - from Abel, the first person to be murdered, to girls trafficked in the sex trade, to those bereaved and displaced by war, to martyrs for Christ - all these cries find their answer in the warrior Jesus. Love will right every wrong and heal every wound. Jesus is still angry, and one day his anger will burst upon this earth to execute perfect judgment and justice.

How should we respond to the anger of Jesus? How can we enjoy the prospect of his coming anger?

Sharing the Anger of Jesus

One answer is that we should share in his anger. We, too, should have a zeal for God's glory. We, too, should have a concern for the poor. We, too, should have a love that is angered when it sees people being hurt. Jesus tells the religious leaders to "be generous to the poor" and not to "neglect justice and the love of God" (Luke 11 verses 41 and 42).

Most of the time, our anger is not considered. We don't decide to be angry after a period of reflection. We simply explode in fury, often in bad anger - for the wrong reasons or in the wrong way, or both. So how does Jesus do it? One feature of Jesus' perfection is that his emotions reflect pure desires. His reactions are a perfect match for the circumstances that provoke them. Mark Jones says "Jesus knew when to laugh and he knew when to weep." The emotions of Jesus are shaped by his relationship with his Father, his confidence in God's purposes, the purity of his love, and the selfishness of his motives. This means his anger is always pitch-perfect. It's always the right response in the right way to the injustice he encounters.

Our anger needs to be controlled by love - love for God and love for people. By all means, let's ask whether our anger is triggered by the right reasons and expressed in right ways. Let's ask whether it's constructive or destructive. Let's ask whether it has room for mercy. But above all, let's cultivate the kind of love that erupts in good anger by reflecting on God's amazing love to us. "For where you have envy and selfish ambition" says James, "there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness" (James 3 verses 16 to 18)

Trusting the Anger of Jesus

When we're wronged, it's appropriate to look to the judicial system for help. Paul says the governing authorities are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer" (Romans 13 verses 1 to 7). Sadly, though, "that doesn't always work. Crimes can't always be proved. Laws are not always fit for purpose. The courts can be ineffective. So Paul also says, "Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay' says the Lord " (chapter 12 verse 19). The judgment of Jesus might not always work to the timescale we would like, but Jesus will see that justice is done. We have no reason to take things into our own hands. This frees us up to love others, even our enemies. "Do not overcome by evil" says Paul, "but overcome evil with good" (verse 21)

Jesus himself is a model of this. As we've seen, he didn't fight back on his own behalf. "When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate" says 1 Peter 2 verse 23: "when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead he entrusted himself to him who judges justly." Jesus was confident that justice would be done. He didn't need to plead his own case; he could leave that in God's hands. So he was free to love his enemies. Peter continues, "He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness" (verse 24). Knowing justice will be done liberates us to love our enemies and rejoice even as we feel the pain of injustice.

Escaping the anger of Jesus

The anger of Jesus is good news for it means that one day all the crimes that have gone unpunished and all the hurts that have gone unnoticed will be judged by Jesus. The problem is that we're all in the firing line. The people in Malachi's day asked, "Where is the God of justice?" Malachi assures them that the Lord is on his way. "But" he adds "who can endure the day of his coming?" (Malachi 2 verse 17 to chapter 3 verse 3). We long for justice, but we're not only victims of injustice; we're also guilty and when Jesus comes in judgment, no one will be able to stand blameless.

But there is hope. When Jesus rides out in Revelation 19, he does so in robes "dipped in blood" (verse 13). it's not the blood of his enemies - John is describing Jesus before he enters the fray. Instead, it's Jesus' own blood. At his second coming, Jesus will enact God's judgment. But at his first coming, Jesus bore God's judgment on behalf of his people. Through his shed blood, we can escape divine wrath For God's anger is not out of control; he executes perfect justice and justice cannot demand a crime be punished twice. The justice of God, which was once our threat, becomes our friend when we entrust ourselves to Jesus. it guarantees that the punishment he endured covers our sin. Jesus himself has become the refuge from his own wrath (Psalm 2 verses 10 to 12).

Enjoying the anger of Jesus

It's easy to see how we might enjoy the compassion or shelter of Jesus. But what about his anger? Can we really enjoy the anger of Jesus? I believe we can. When you're wronged, it's a comfort to know that Jesus is angry on your behalf. When you hear news stories of oppression, it's a comfort to know that Jesus is angry at this injustice. his anger is not general or unspecified - he's angry about the situations that cause you distress. Your plight doesn't go unnoticed; the wrongs you feel deeply will be remedied. Jesus cares. Jesus cares so much that he gets angry on your behalf.

You may have been badly hurt by someone, and you still carry the pain. Perhaps people have told you to "let it go" and "move on" but that doesn't seem fair. That makes it feel like what's happened doesn't really matter. It does matter. Yet you fear being consumed by bitterness; the harm you've experienced goes on harming you as it eats away at your inner peace. For you, the anger of Jesus is good news. What's happened to you matters to Jesus. So while it won't be easy or straightforward, you can bring your pain to him and leave it in his hands. For Jesus won't let the matter drop until, one way or another, justice is done.

For the love of Jesus is relentless. That's what's meant when the bible talks about "the zeal of the Lord" (Isaiah 9 verse 7; 37 verse 32). When you turn away from him, Jesus doesn't switch off his love. He goes on loving you, with his love expressed as holy jealousy. And when people are cruel to you, Jesus goes on loving you, with his love expressed as holy anger towards those who cause your pain. When you see his anger, you need to flip it over, and what you see on the other side is either the passion of Jesus for God's glory or his love for the afflicted. You can enjoy his anger because it's a sign of his love and a reassurance that every wrong will be put right.

Mike and Emma's Tuesday Afternoon

Mike picks up a stray newspaper from the train and starts scanning the headlines. War.  Famine.  Corruption. It's all just as gloomy as usual. He starts reading an article about sex trafficking; young women being duped into prostitution with the promise of a better life. He thinks of Poppy, and his blood starts to boil in anger. Some arrests have been made, but the trade goes on. What can he do? The world's problems are overwhelming.

"Will it ever end?" Mike asks himself. But of course, he knows the answer. It will end when Jesus comes again. Mike thinks about Jesus' purity. "He's not going to be any less angry about this than me," he thinks. It's a strangely comforting idea. Jesus cares, and one day he'll make sure justice is done. The men who are getting away with it won't get away with it in the end. But then Mike considers his own lustful thoughts. "Thank you, Jesus for your justice" he prays "and thank you for your mercy."

Action

Whenever you read or watch the news this week, reflect on how Jesus feels about what is happening in the world.

CHAPTER 11 - ENJOYING THE INTERCESSION OF JESUS

How can I enjoy Jesus when I feel overwhelmed by my failures? When I'm wondering whether I have a future? When my sin feels like a weight I can't bear? These are the kinds of questions that would have been running through Peter's head on the night Jesus was arrested.

Luke 22 verses 31 to 34

It had been a different story at the start of the evening. "Lord I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." Peter has declared (Luke 22 verse 33). But Jesus responds, "Before the cock crows today, you will deny 3 times that you know me." Sure enough, before the night is out, Peter has disowned Jesus 3 times (verses 54 to 60). When the cock crows, Jesus looks at Peter and Peter remembers Jesus' words. Luke tells us "He went outside and wept bitterly." (verses 61 and 62)

That might have been the end of the story for Peter - a dramatic failure that detailed his discipleship. But this story doesn't end with Peter's failure because it didn't start with Peter's failure. It started with the intercession of Jesus. "I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail." (verse 32) That prayer secures Peter's future. Even in the prediction of failure, there's the promise of restoration. "And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers" (verse 32). Not only will Peter have a future (he'll turn back); he'll also have a ministry (he'll strengthen others).

What creates this hope is the intercession of Jesus. "Satan has asked to sift ... you" says Jesus (verse 31). It reminds us of Job. Satan claimed that Job only worshipped God because Job's life was good, so God gave Satan permission to test Job (Job 1 verses 6 to 12). Now it seems that Satan has received permission to put Peter's faith to the test. And left to himself, it's clear that Peter would have failed. Indeed, he is left to himself for a while, perhaps to rid him of his proud self-confidence, and he does fail. But Jesus has intervened on the opposite side to Satan. Satan pleads for Peter's condemnation; Jesus pleads for his redemption. Satan our accuser is more than matched by Jesus our advocate.

The prayer of Jesus prevails. Peter is restored and goes on to lead the early church. It's Peter who acts as the spokesperson for the apostles on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2 verse 14). It's Peter along with John, who's first imprisoned for his faith (chapter 4 verses 1 to 3; see also 12 verses 3 to 5). Ultimately, Peter will die bravely as a martyr (John 21 verses 18 and 19). In the end Peter is a hero; in the end he does go "to prison and to death" for Jesus but only through the intercession of Jesus and the grace it procured.

It's not the only time we see Jesus interceding for people during his time on earth. As he hangs in agony on the cross, he prays, "Father forgive them" (Luke 23 verse 34). Jesus intercedes for the very people putting him to death. Again his prayer prevails, for many at the cross would be among the 3,000 people in Jerusalem who are saved on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2 verses 36 to 41).

That was then. What about now?

In his first letter, John writes as an elder statesman to a new generation of Christians. He had heard Jesus speak about his prayer for Peter. He had overheard Jesus praying for the disciples in the upper room (John 17). But now that Jesus has ascended into heaven, can we rely on him when we feel overwhelmed?

1 John 1 verse 5 to chapter 2 verse 2

3 times John says "if we claim". Each time it refers to someone claiming to have overcome sin (verses 6, 8 and 10). Each time this claim is met with complete rejection. "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us" (verse 8). Sin is real and it really matters. That's not a popular thing to say today. And apparently it wasn't popular in John's day either. But I suspect John's readers would have been relieved to have read this, and so should we. It seems there were people that had left the churches to which John was writing, claiming to have conquered sin (chapter 2 verse 19). If you're anything like me, that claim is going to leave you confused and fearful. I'm not one of those super-Christians, you might think, My life is full of sin. In fact, I sometimes wonder if I'm even a Christian at all. Maybe I'm deceived. But John says that it's the people who claim to be without sin who are deceived (chapter 1 verse 8).

John says God is light (verse 5). So the more you get to know God, the more light shines into your life and the clearer your sin appears. In the half-light you can think of yourself as a good person. But step into the light of God and you see how deeply sin has stained your heart.

The good news is that each of these false claims has a corresponding promise - a corresponding "if" statement:

• "if we walk in the light ... the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin" (verse 7)
• "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins" (verse 9)
• "if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One" (chapter 2 verse 1)

Yes, we still sin. But Jesus purifies us, forgives us and advocates for us. John's point is not that sin doesn't matter. Quite the opposite: he writes to encourage us to stop sinning (verse 1). The point is that sin needs a proper remedy and that remedy is Jesus. Jesus is "the atoning sacrifice" for our sins (verse 2). It's a phrase that conveys the idea of Jesus putting himself between us and God's wrath. At the cross, Jesus absorbed the full fury of divine judgment so that God could embrace us.

But John is not only describing the past actions of Jesus. He describes Jesus as our "advocate with the Father" (verse 1). The word "advocate" was used in the secular world of someone who stood beside you in court to present your case. Right now, in heaven, Jesus is your advocate, putting your case to God. His wounded hands are proof of his atoning sacrifice. He himself is the guarantee that your sin is forgiven. Right now, Jesus intercedes for you - and not just when you're walking in the light but also when you sin. In fact, most of all when you sin.

"Because Jesus lives for ever" says Hebrews 7 verses 24 and 25, "he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them." Can you see the logic? Unlike human priests, Jesus lives for ever. Because he lives for ever, he can always intercede. Because he always intercedes, he is able to save completely. His intercession never runs out, and therefore we can never be turfed out of heaven.

Christ's intercession not only secures our pardon when we sin: it also ensures our acts of service are acceptable before God. The Puritan David Clarkson says Christ's intercession makes our acts of service "acceptable to a holy God". Like the incense that gave old-covenant sacrifices a pleasing smell, Christ's intercession is "the incense which he offers with the prayers and services of the saints". Our prayers come before God wrapped around with Christ's prayers. "Spiritual sacrifices, though accompanied with such failings and weaknesses as might render them distasteful to an holy God, become acceptable, delightful to him, by virtue of Christ's intercession.

But what does the intercession and advocacy of Christ involve? Does Christ intercede for us simply by his presence in heaven? Or does Christ also pray for us with verbal prayers?

What everyone agrees on is that Christ's intercession involves his presence in heaven on our behalf. He himself is a kind of embodied prayer. Jesus has entered heaven to "appear for us in God's presence" (chapter 9 verse 24). He is a living testimony to his finished work.

Luminaries such as John Calvin, John Owen and John Stott believe this is all that Christ's intercession involves. What speaks for us in heaven is not the voice of Jesus, they argue, but the blood of Jesus. They object to the idea that Jesus offers vocalised prayers because they fear it suggests a reluctance on the part of God the Father. It feels as if Jesus must win the Father over by pleading for us.

But despite these concerns, others believe that Jesus in heaven does pray on behalf of his people. In John 14 verse 16, Jesus says that when he ascends into heaven, "I will ask the Father and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you for ever." It suggests at least one prayer that Jesus offers to the Father in heaven on our behalf! The Puritan John Flavel says that Jesus gave us the prayer of John 17 as "a specimen or sample ... that by this we might understand what he would do for us when he should be out of sight."

The objection that this implies the Father is reluctant is countered by the fact that Jesus prayed for his people on earth. If the prayers of Jesus on earth didn't imply any reluctance from the Father, then neither do his prayers offered in heaven. James Denney concludes "If we see nothing unnatural in the fact that Christ prayed for Peter on earth, we need not make any difficulty about his praying for us in heaven." The only difference, he adds, is that, instead of praying with fervent cries and tears (Hebrews 5 verse 7), Jesus now prays "in the sovereignty and prevailing power of one who has achieved eternal redemption for his people."

Nor do the prayers of Jesus imply that the Father is being nagged into consent. That's not how we view our own prayers. We believe God is sovereign, yet we also believe God uses our prayers to achieve his purposes. We should view the prayers of Jesus in the same way. "God uses our prayers as means to accomplish his already determined ends" says John Starke. "In the same way, Jesus offers real and meaningful prayers that God uses as part of his plan to finally and fully save sinners."

The letter of Hebrews helps us here. In introducing Jesus as our High Priest, Hebrews 5 verses 1 to 10 repeatedly emphasises that Jesus is our priest only by the appointment of the Father (verses 1, 5 to 6, 10). It wasn't that the Father felt ill-disposed towards us, so Jesus had to step in. It's the Father who takes the initiative. The Father doesn't want our faith to fail, so he appoints Jesus to intercede for us - just as Jesus interceded for Peter. Neither does Jesus want our faith to fail, so he gladly takes on the task. The triune God covenanted before time to redeem humanity, giving each Person of the Trinity different roles in that plan. It's Jesus who is made our advocate because he's the Person of the Trinity who has experienced life as a human being with all the weaknesses and temptations which that brings.

Quite what it means for one divine Person to speak to another divine Person with whom he shares one divine being is impossible for us to know. But some communication takes place between Father and Son in which our cause is presented to the Father. David Clarkson says his intercession is rightly understood as a prayer because "it conveys his will and desire to the Father for us."   

Before raising Lazarus, Jesus prays, "Father I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." (John 11 verses 41 and 42). Something similar may take place as by faith we "hear" the intercession of Christ on our behalf. Between the Father and the Son, it's hard to distinguish the conceiving of a thought and the reception of that thought, so great is their communion. But it's helpful for us to "hear" this prayer by faith. Whatever emotion we're feeling, whether it's guilt or fear, the intercession of Jesus enables us to enjoy his pardon and protection in a more visceral way, giving us confidence in our salvation.

The 19th century Scottish preacher Robert Murray McCheyne invites us to imagine we had hidden away in the upper room. As we listen to Jesus praying, we're astonished to hear our own name. My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me ... 'Will you not find comfort in this?' asks McCheyne. What's your answer to that question? Elsewhere McCheyne says, "If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet the distance makes no difference; he is praying for me."

When I don't feel able to pray or when I don't know what to say, Jesus is already praying for me. He's not only praying for me when I feel overwhelmed; Jesus also prays for me when I should feel overwhelmed, but don't! The theologian Louis Berkhof says Jesus prays for needs for which we neglect to pray, including protection against dangers of which we're not aware. "Christ is praying for us, even when we are negligent in our prayer life."

Think about this for a moment; the ascended Son of God is so invested in your life and so committed to your good that you are the subject of his conversation with the Father. When you feel threatened, by faith hear Jesus interceding on your behalf. When you fall into sin, by faith see Jesus in heaven on your behalf. You are safe while Jesus lives in heaven, and Hebrews 7 verse 16 says his life is "indestructible". By faith, see the Father delighting to receive the intervention of the High Priest by himself appointed as your advocate. Listen now by faith, and you will hear the prayer of Jesus, with your own name inserted as you do so:

I pray for _____________, that his or her faith may not fail. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name. Sanctify them by the truth. Father, you have given them to me, and I want them to be with me where I am, and to see my glory.

(Based on Luke 22 verse 32; John 17 verse 11, 17, 24)

William Symington writing on the atonement and intercession of Christ wrote these words:

Jesus will never stop interceding for us

not through ignorance, for he is all-knowing;

nor through a lack of affection

for his love is enduring; 

nor through a lack of merit

for his sacrifice is of unfailing virtue; 

nor through fatigue,

for he is the almighty and unchanging God ...

To him the care of millions is no burden

Ten thousand claims meet with the same attention 

as if there were but one ...

So long as his people sin, he will plead for pardon

So long as they are tempted

he will procure them strength to resist

So long as they continue to serve,

he will continue to make their service acceptable

So long as they are in the wilderness,

he will procure them guidance and safety

Indeed, so long as the blessings of heaven are enjoyed,

will be plead his merits as the ground

on which they are bestowed

Throughout eternity will he continue to plead

on behalf of his people

Never shall they cease to be the objects of his care

Never shall their names be erased from his breast

Never shall their cause be taken from his lips.

Mike and Emma's Tuesday afternoon

The dinner looks ok. "Another 10 minutes should do it" thinks Emma. Enough time to have another go at praying. But her head is all over the place. Her mind flits from dinner to Mike to work to Rosie to her Sunday-school lesson and back again. There's so much to pray for and yet she can't even get started.

But then Emma thinks of Jesus interceding for her in heaven. Jesus prays for her even when she struggles to pray - perhaps most of all when she struggles. Suddenly her life feels wrapped around with care. Jesus is with her and for her every step of the way.

Action

Each day this week, imagine Jesus praying these words for you: "I pray for _________ that his or her faith may not fail. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name. Sanctify them by the truth. Father, you have given them to me and I want them to be with me where I am, and to see my glory.

CHAPTER 12 - ENJOYING THE REIGN OF JESUS

Where's the joy in being a witness to Jesus? No one wants to be embarrassing. yet that's how Christians are increasingly seen. How can we find the courage to speak up for Jesus? How can we enjoy evangelism? To answer these questions, we need to see how our witness about Jesus is tied up with his reign as King.

Luke 24 verses 46 to 48

On the evening of the first Easter Day, Jesus said to his disciples, "This is what is written: the Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things" (Luke 24 verses 46 to 48). Calling sinners to repentance and declaring them to be forgiven was what Jesus himself had done throughout his ministry (chapter 5 verses 20 to 25, 32; chapter 7 verse 48, chapter 13 verse 5, chapter 23 verse 34). The twist is that he now passes on that task to his disciples; they are to be his witnesses. His mission is to become their mission.

Jesus describes himself here as "the Messiah". It means "anointed one" and was the term used to describe Israelite kings (because they were anointed by oil). Except that the term came to describe a coming King; the King through whom God would re-establish his reign on earth.

Central to Luke's message is that Jesus is this promised King. The pivotal verse in the Gospel is Luke 9 verse 51: "As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem." Up to this point, all the action has taken place in Galilee but from now on, Jesus heads to Jerusalem. Jerusalem is not the ultimate destination though. It's a journey via Jerusalem to heaven. That's because Jesus is not simply the promised King of Israel; he's the King of the world. He enthronement will take place not in Jerusalem but in heaven. The true "triumphal entry" is not when Jesus enters the city (chapter 19 verses 28 to 44) but when he enters heaven having conquered death. The climax of the Gospel is not the resurrection of Jesus but his ascension. This is why the disciples return from the ascension "with great joy" (chapter 24 verse 42). Jesus has gone, but they rejoice because they've just seen Jesus enthroned. They've only seen it from below - but they have begun to enjoy the reign of Jesus.

It's time to come back to earth, both literally and metaphorically. What did the reign of Jesus look like during his life in the world?

Again and again in Luke's Gospel, people are said to be "amazed" by Jesus (chapter 2 verse 33; chapter 4 verse 22; 36; chapter 5 verse 9; chapter 8 verse 25, 56; chapter 9 verse 43; chapter 11 verse 14, 38; chapter 20 verse 26; 24 verse 12, 41). But in Luke 7, it's Jesus who is amazed. He's received a delegation of Jewish elders from a surprising source: a Roman centurion. The centurion's servant is close to death, and the elders are there to ask Jesus for help. As he is en route, a message comes from the centurion - Luke 7 verses 6 to 8.

Luke tells us that Jesus was "amazed" by this. "I have not found such great faith even in Israel," he says (verse 9). When the delegation of friends returns to the house, they find the servant miraculously healed.

The centurion knows how authority works. He knows that he can speak a word and make people act because of his rank. In the army, the joke goes that if your commanding office tells you to jump, you reply, "How high?" You don't question their command or obey at your convenience: you immediately do as you're told. The centurion recognises the same kind of authority in Jesus but on a far larger scale. Jesus can speak and command the sickness in the centurion's servant. "Say the word" says the centurion. That's all that's needed. Jesus doesn't even need to be there. Jesus is not invoking a god or weaving a spell; he's issuing a command. He speaks as the world's King, and the world must obey him - even the natural world. The bacteria in the body of the servant obey the voice of Jesus.

Again and again, Jesus reigns through his words:

• Jesus speaks and a dead man sits up (chapter 7 verses 14 and 15)
• Jesus speaks and a storm subsides (chapter 8 verse 24)
• Jesus speaks and a legion of spirits obey him (chapter 8 verses 39 to 33)
• Jesus speaks and a dead girl wakes up (chapter 8 verses 54 and 55)

Notice, too, that this is a word of grace. The reign of Jesus is not characterised by the condemnation or cruelty that so often typifies human rule. The Jewish elders say, "This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue" (chapter 7 verses 4 and 5). But that's not what the centurion himself says. He says "Lord don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof" (verse 6). The centurion feels undeserving but he makes his request because he sees Jesus as a gracious King.

We need to return to Luke 9 verse 51: "As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem." This verse defines the end point - the ascension of Jesus to his throne in heaven. But it also defines the route he had to take - via the cross. Jesus could have been enthroned as God's King without the cross. He had the credentials. He was from the line of David . He had authority over every area of life. He could have put the world right through his word of power. But where would that have left his people?

When John the Baptist announced the coming of Jesus, he said "The axe has been laid to the root of the trees and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire" (chapter 3 verse 9). In other words, God was about to judge his enemies. Except that in the story of Jesus, the axe didn't fall! Jesus didn't bring judgment. In fact, in Luke 5 verses 27 to 32, Jesus eats with the enemies of God. So in Luke 7, John the Baptist has to send a delegation to check whether Jesus is the real thing (verses 18 to 23). When Jesus finally arrives in Jerusalem, surely this is the moment when he will depose Herod and throw out the Romans. Surely now he will defeat God's enemies. But instead, it is Jesus himself who is defeated. He's cast out of this world onto the cross. He is the one who is judged.

God's rule is a rule of peace, justice, joy and freedom. But not if you're an enemy of God. For rebels against God, the restoration of his rule means judgement and defeat. The bad news is that we're all rebels heading for judgment. But there's good news. When King Jesus came first time round, he came not to judge but to be judged - even though he himself had done no wrong. Jesus was judged in the place of his people. One day he will come again in triumph and glory to wrap up history and judge all humanity. But at his first coming, he was the one who was judged. He died in our place so that we can look forward to the establishment of his kingdom with joy.

Jesus ascended to give people an opportunity to repent: to create a space for mission. It means that his lordship is not yet universally acclaimed - he is King in heaven but not on earth. It means that on earth he continues to be rejected. It means you may sometimes feel that your faith is weird and embarrassing. But this moment is God's gift - a time of mission, repentance, conversion and salvation.

Luke's Gospel gives us "a day in the life of Jesus" in Luke 4 verses 31 to 44. We see Jesus exercising authority through his words over evil spirits and sickness - but then there's a twist. Jesus tells Peter to go fishing (Luke 5 verse 4). Peter's a professional fisherman, and this preacher is presuming to know Peter's trade! nevertheless Peter obeys, and sure enough, they land a huge catch But here's the punchline: Jesus says to Peter "Don't be afraid; from now on you will fish for people" (verse 10). Jesus is saying You've seen the power of my word. You've been a channel for that power as you hauled in the great catch of fish. Now I'm sending you to speak my word, to exercise my reign, to bring people into my kingdom.

That was then. What about now?

Just as God created the world through his word, on earth Jesus reigned through his word. Now that he's returned to heaven, he still reigns through his word. All that's changed is that his word is spoken by his people - people like you and me. Amazingly, Jesus has chosen to exercise his royal authority through the flawed, feeble words of human beings like us.

Jesus hasn't given us the task of mission and left us to get on with it; he promises to be with us "always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28 verse 20). What is Jesus doing now? He's present with us by the Holy Spirit, standing alongside us and speaking through us." Jesus did not bring the church into existence to do what he can no longer do in his absence" write John Clark and Marcus Peter Johnson, "but so that he might be present through and in the church as her existence, mediator and mission."

Think about what that means. It means that when you tell people about Jesus, you're speaking with his authority. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us" (2 Corinthians 5 verse 20). People may resist the authority of Jesus in that moment - that's why evangelism can be tough. But here's the joy of it: when we speak the truth of Jesus. Jesus himself is speaking through us. The words that come out of my mouth are the words of Jesus. Jesus says, "Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me" (Luke 10 verse 16).

And the words of Jesus are life-giving words. When we speak of Jesus, we speak words of eternal life. They're words that bring forgiveness to the guilty, glory to the shamed, comfort to the sorrowing, freedom to the captives. Luke 4 verses 18 and 19

Now Jesus anoints us through the Holy Spirit to proclaim this good news (chapter 24 verse 49). Imagine inviting a colleague to church, or reading the bible with a friend, or sharing your testimony with a neighbour, or giving a talk at your church youth club. As you talk, Christ himself addresses those people. Your words are his words. Jesus is speaking through you with royal authority. There's every possibility that you may get to see Christ extending his kingdom before your very eyes.

"Jesus is gone! It sounds like a funeral knell" says Charles Spurgeon. It feels like a disaster for the purposes of God. But not at all. "He is gone" continues Spurgeon, "but he is gone ... to the throne, from which he can send us help." From the throne-room of heaven, Jesus can send a legion of angels or raise up an army of people. We see this throughout the book of Acts. In the post-ascension life of the church, Jesus is not a shadowy figure in the background. He's active from heaven and present through the Spirit. What's Jesus doing now from his throne in heaven?

• Jesus is bringing comfort when we face opposition - as he did through a vision when Stephen faced the murderous fury of the Sanhedrin (Acts 7 verse 55)
• Jesus is standing alongside his persecuted people - as he said when he appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus (chapter 9 verses 4 and 5)
• Jesus is meeting our physical and spiritual needs - as he did when he sent Ananias to restore Paul's sight and fill him with the Spirit (verses 17 and 18)
• Jesus may be powerfully working through us to display his grace and glory - as he did when he healed a paralysed man through Peter (verse 34)
• Jesus may be intervening to ensure we grasp the full implications of the gospel - as he did when he spoke in a vision to Peter (chapter 10 verses 9 to 16)
• Jesus may be sending his Spirit to lead us in a new direction - as he did to Paul and his companions (chapter 16 verse 7)

How do we respond? By speaking of Jesus and doing so with the confidence and joy that comes from knowing that Jesus himself is speaking through us.

Evangelism becomes less embarrassing and more exciting when we understand how Jesus works in us by his Spirit. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel" says Paul "because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes" (Romans 1 verse 16)

Reformed theology has traditionally identified 3 main sacrifices that Christ fulfils: he is our Prophet, Priest and King. Together, they summarise what he does on behalf of his people. There's clearly a past dimension to each of these offices:

• As our Prophet, Jesus came to earth to show us what God is really like
• As our Priest, Jesus offered himself to make atonement for our sins
• As our King, Jesus defeated sin and death when he rose from the grace

But there's also a present dimension to each of these offices:

• As our Prophet, Jesus continues to speak to us whenever his word is read or preached - as we saw back in chapter 8
• As our Priest, Jesus continues to sympathise with us in our weakness and intercede for us before the Father
• As our King, Jesus has been given authority over all things for the sake of the church

Now we've seen that Jesus reigns as King from heaven and invites us to partake in the extension of his kingdom. The mission of the church is a royal mission - backed by the authority of a mighty King. What a privilege it is to know that Jesus speaks through us by his Spirit. There's no need to feel despondent around your feeble attempts at evangelism. You don't need to have all the answers or be an articulate speaker. The miraculous thing is that Jesus uses your weakness to expand his kingdom. Then you, too, can experience the joy of sharing him with others.

Mike and Emma's Tuesday Afternoon

Mike puts the newspaper down. Reading it is only making him feel depressed that the world seems to be moving further and further away from God. Christian values that were once mainstream are now considered the height of prejudice. He thinks about the conversation in the office when his colleagues laughed at his faith. He'd been thinking of inviting a couple of them to next month's guest service. But what's the point? No one's going to come.

Mike wonders if his efforts will ever make any difference to Jesus. But then he thinks of the church growing in other parts of the world, often in the midst of persecution. He remembers that Jesus has promised to build his church. he's not hiding away up in heaven. "He's working on earth through his people like me" he thinks. Maybe he would invite Tom to the guest service after all; maybe Jesus will be at work in his office.

Action

Whenever you have an opportunity to speak of Jesus this week, think of Jesus himself speaking through you.

CHAPTER 13 - ENJOYING THE WEALTH OF JESUS

God has his own version of the Bank of Mum and Dad. He has vast resources at his disposal and he loves to share them with his children. And the key to this treasury is Jesus.

The reason why Jesus is the key is because he makes us children of God. As with the Bank of Mum and Dad, only God's children have access to his riches. That should mean only Jesus has this access. But Jesus came that we might be adopted as God's children (Galatians 4 verses 4 and 5). Jesus is the Son of God by nature - he shares one being with the Father and the Spirit. But through Jesus, we're now children of God by grace. That means we're now "co-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8 verse 17). "The death of Jesus Christ has not only satisfied the debts we owe" says John Flavel, "but over and above this, it has purchased a rich inheritance for the children of God." We've become shareholders in the Divine Bank of the Father. John Calvin writes:

The end of the whole gospel ministry is that God, the fountain of all happiness, should communicate Christ to us who are disunited from him by sin and hence ruined, so that we may enjoy eternal life from him; so that in a word all heavenly treasures should belong to us no less than they belong to Christ himself.

When Jesus was on earth, at one point Peter was asked whether Jesus paid the "temple tax" - a tax payable by Jewish men for the upkeep of the temple. Afterwards, Jesus quizzed Peter about it. "From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes - from their own children or from others?" The answer of course, as Peter said, is "from others". "Then the children are exempt" said Jesus (Matthew 17 verses 24 to 26). As the Son of God, Jesus had no need to pay this tax to God the Father. But to avoid causing offence, Jesus got Peter to catch a fish from the lake. In its mouth was enough money to pay the tax. Jesus has a treasury at his disposal - one that can produce money from a fish!

But this isn't the punchline of the story. The fish has a four-drachma coin in its mouth, and the tax is only two drachmas. This is no mistake. For Jesus then says to Peter, "Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours" (verse 27). That's the punchline: "and yours". The treasury of Jesus provides not only for his need but also for Peter's need. it's a lovely sign that Peter too, is becoming a child of God. Rather than being taxed by God. Peter has access through Jesus to the Divine Bank of the Father.

That was then. What about us? The 17th century Puritans spoke of the "purchased treasury" of Christ. Christ shed his precious blood at the cross, and in return he has been given riches to share with his people. They were drawing on verses like Philippians 4 verse 19, which says, "my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus" and Colossians 2 verses 2 and 3, where Paul says that in Christ "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Think of the spoils of battle; Jesus took on sin and death at the cross, and rose in triumph with victory spoils to share with his people. In Isaiah 53 verse 12, God says of Jesus, "He will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death."

John Owen says that Christ is "the great treasury and storehouse of the church" because he is the mediator between God and humanity. Jesus connects the riches of God with the needs of humanity. "All the mercy, love, grace, glory promised" in the new covenant became his to dispense to his people. Owen pictures this purchased treasury as a reservoir of water. He imagines an angel crying out, "Drink my friends. Yes, drink abundantly. Take as much grace and pardon as you need - enough for the world of sin which is in every one of you." Then Owen adds, "They would not be able to lower the level of grace by one hair's breadth ... because this grace flows from an infinite, bottomless fountain."

While Christ's treasury may sometimes involve financial provision, his wealth is so much more than money. Paul says Christ "has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption" (1 Corinthians 1 verse 30).

• From Christ we receive righteousness. God declares us to be right in his sight (even though we ourselves are in the wrong) because we're credited with the right standing of Jesus.
• From Christ we receive holiness. We're consecrated by God as his holy people and given new desires that enable us to live a new life.
• From Christ we receive redemption. We're liberated from the grip of sin and death, which no longer define our future. Instead we look froward to the redemption of our bodies when we'll live in a new world, free from sickness and pain.

This is Christ's purchased treasury and right now he delights to share these gifts with his people. Most of us, most of the time, don't think of ourselves as rich - even though we often see people in other countries or circumstances with so little. We tend to see those with just a bit more than us and think how much better off we'd be if we had the same. But when our eyes are fixed on Jesus, you'll realise you are rich. Whatever the amount in your bank account, you are rich in Christ with treasures that can never lose their value (Matthew 6 verses 19 and 20). John Calvin says our whole salvation - from start to finish - is found in Christ and his treasure house.

If we seek salvation, we are taught by the very 

name of Jesus (which means "the Lord saves") 

that it is of him; 

If we seek any other gifts of the Spirit, 

they will be found in his anointing:

if we seek strength, it lies in his dominion;

if purity, in his conception;

if gentleness, it appears in his birth ...

if we seek redemption, it lies in his passion;

if acquittal, in his condemnation;

if remission of the curse, in his cross;

if satisfaction, in his sacrifice;

if purification, in his blood;

if reconciliation, in his descent into hell;

if mortification of the flesh, in his tomb;

if newness of life, in his resurrection;

if immortality, in the same;

if inheritance of the Heavenly Kingdom,

in his entrance into heaven'

if protection, if security,

if abundant supply of all blessings, in his Kingdom;

if untroubled expectation of judgment,

in the power given to him to judge.

In short, since rich store of every kind of good

abounds in him, let us drink our fill from this

fountain, and from no other.

But there is one gift above all that Jesus has purchased for his people: the gift of the Holy Spirit. The last thing Jesus says to his disciples in Luke's Gospel is "I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high" (Luke 24 verse 49). It's the promise of the Holy Spirit. John Calvin writes, "All the graces of the Holy Spirit are part of the (victory) spoil of "our Lord Jesus Christ."

The Holy Spirit is the No. 1 gift because he's the gift through which all the other gifts flow to us. It's the Holy Spirit who grants new life, so we turn to God in faith and repentance. It's the Holy Spirit who transforms our hearts and therefore our lives. Above all, as we've seen chapter by chapter, it's through the Holy Spirit that Christ communicates himself to us. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, sharing one being with the Father and Son - makes Christ present with us and for us.

Paul says that the Holy Spirit has been "poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour" (Titus 3 verse 6). We don't receive the Holy Spirit in dribs and drabs; he's not a resource that's running out. He's the eternal, infinite Spirit of God. And so he's poured out generously - as much as we need or perhaps as much as we can cope with. Mark Jones writes, "As poor beggars who are but dust and ashes, the church is empty without him. We cannot think a good thought apart from Christ filling us with good thoughts; we cannot do a good work apart from him enabling us (John 15 verse 5). He fills us with his Spirit, namely, the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8 verse 9; Acts 16 verse 7)."

How do we enjoy the wealth that Jesus shares with us?

Every good thing we receive not only comes from the Father by the Spirit; it also comes through Jesus. Jesus has unlocked heaven's door and he dispenses its treasures to his people. Right now, Jesus is choosing gifts to meet the needs and opportunities you face. He's handling them to the Holy Spirit, as it were, so the Spirit can deliver them to your doorstep. Yesterday's goodness came through Jesus. And today's goodness is already on its way. This means we can enjoy fellowship with Jesus as we enjoy life.

When we open the eyes of faith the unseen Giver comes into view; we realise that our lives are full of generous gifts from Jesus. And so there is an opportunity for joyful acts of communion with Jesus as we receive these gifts from him with thanksgiving. We enjoy the blessing (as perhaps we did before) but now we enjoy it as a gift - as a sign of Christ's generosity to us, alongside that of the Father and Spirit. We respond by saying thank you. Day by day by day. Each time we do, we're nourishing and deepening our relationship with the living Jesus.

There's a second way we can respond to the wealth of Jesus. When his disciples asked him how to pray, Jesus gave them the Lord's Prayer with an invitation to ask the Father with confidence. He ended with a mini parable: "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Of if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?" (Luke 11 verses 11 and 12). A fish is scaly like a snake, so a cruel father might think it amusing to trick his child by giving them a snake instead of fish. Imagine tucking into a fish supper only for your dinner to start wriggling and biting. In the same way, a curled-up scorpion is a bit like an egg. Imagine attempting to crack open your boiled egg only to find it unfurling into a deadly scorpion. No loving father would do such a thing Jesus then moves from the lesser to the greater "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will our Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (verse 13). Matthew's version of this story ends with the assurance that God will "give good gifts" (Matthew 7 verse 10).

But Luke's account goes a step further - it specifies the No 1 good gift that God gives: the Holy Spirit (Luke 11 verse 13). Through Jesus we have access to the Father, and from the Father we receive the Holy Spirit.

Jesus gives this promise to reinforce the encouragement of the preceding verses: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you" (Luke 11 verse 9). How do we respond to the treasury of God that Jesus has made available for us? We can ask our generous God for what we need. We pray in the name of Jesus for the help of the Spirit, that we might know the presence of Christ and serve him in his world.

"Whoever sows generously will also reap generously" (2 Corinthians 9 verse 6).

We can be generous with what belongs to us because it belongs to God first, and because God is generous with what belongs to him,

We so easily become resentful or envious when other people are  blessed because we imagine this means we're missing out - as if God's kingdom is a zero-sum economy. We see their good gifts and think that it will mean there's less available for us. But we can rejoice when someone gives £100 to a good cause without feeling as if our pet project has missed out on that £100. We can rejoice when key people leave our congregation to serve elsewhere. Why? Because Jesus supplies all we need to do all that he asks. When we give, we're not left poorer - not in kingdom terms. we don't need to cling to resources. When you trust Jesus' provision and open your hands, you can be what Paul calls a "cheerful giver" (verse 7).

Imagine the difference it would make if every time you're tempted to envy or discontent, you could respond with joyful thanksgiving for Jesus and his everlasting blessings. The spiritual gifts you have been given won't wear out like a toy that snaps, a car that breaks down or a sofa that becomes threadbare. There is so much to enjoy now, as we look forward to the day when we experience the wealth of Jesus in full - to our inheritance that "can never perish, spoil or fade" (1 Peter 1 verse 4).

Mike and Emma's Tuesday Afternoon

Emma turns the oven down, picks up her phone and starts scrolling through her social-media feeds. Charlotte is looking fantastic in a new dress. Kalisha is saving the world again - she works for a charity and always seems to be flying off somewhere new. Jasmine has posted a selfie in which she's sitting at a cafe table with the Eiffel Tower in the background. Emma looks at her food-stained t-shirt and her messy kitchen. It's hard not to feel a bit jealous!

Compared to everyone else, she thinks, my life seems so drab. No. That isn't fair. She begins mocking herself: "All I've got is a lovely husband, three wonderful kids and ... and Jesus." She smiles. She has Jesus. Beautiful, loving, glorious, tender, powerful, merciful Jesus. "He is enough" she thinks to herself. More than enough.

Action

Each day this week pick a different spiritual blessing (using the above list from John Calvin for inspiration if you need to) and pray, "Lord Jesus, thank you for this wonderful gift that you purchased for me."

CHAPTER 14 - WAITING FOR THE APPEARING OF JESUS

For all the wonderful ways that Jesus relates to us, our experience of him is limited. It's strained by our sin; it's disrupted by the distractions of life; it competes with the noise of the world. Even at it's best, it's not a face-to-face experience. It's like spending time with a loved one on Zoom rather than being with them in person. Except, at least Zoom gives us a picture of their face. We don't get to see Jesus, even from afar.

Luke 24 verses 50 to 53

But something bigger and better is coming. Luke's Gospel ends with the story of the ascension. As Jesus was blessing his disciples, "he left them and was taken up into heaven" (Luke 24 verse 52). The work of Jesus on earth is complete. He has lived, died and risen for his people. Now he returns to heaven.

When Luke retells the story of the ascension at the beginning of the book of Acts, he adds a detail that he leaves out in the Gospel. Two angels appear and they tell us that Jesus will return in the same way he departed: "This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1 verses 10 and 11). Luke leaves this out at the end of his Gospel, so that the ascension frames the story: beginning with Jesus coming from heaven and ending with him returning to heaven. In the book of Acts, the ascension again frames the story, but this time it's different. It begins with Jesus being "taken from you into heaven" on the clouds and it will end with Jesus coming back from heaven on the clouds. The book of Acts, however, doesn't end with Jesus returning from heaven - that's because this story isn't yet over. Luke wants us to realise that we're still in this story. It's the story of the mission of the church, and it's a story in which you can play a part.  

We're looked at a whole range of ways in which Jesus is active in our lives. Jesus is protecting his people, meeting us in the Lord's Supper, energising our service, revealing his glory, speaking through his word, connecting us to God, interceding on our behalf, extending his reign and sharing his wealth. In all these ways he's proactive, reaching out to support and comfort his people through his Spirit. But there's one important activity of Jesus now that's a kind of inactivity: Jesus is waiting. "When (Jesus) had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins" says Hebrews 10 verses 12 and 13, "he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool". What's Jesus doing now? He sits and he waits. He sits because the work of atonement is finished, but he also waits because his people are not yet at his side.

But it's not Jesus who is waiting. The writer of Hebrews also says, "Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him" (chapter 9 verse 28). Jesus is waiting to bring salvation "to those who are waiting for him". Jesus waits for us and we wait for him.

Paul describes the Christians in Thessalonica as "model" Christians: "You became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia" (1 Thessalonians 1 verse 7). Imagine being described like that! How do you become a model of Christian? Paul goes on: "They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead - Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath" (verses 9 and 10). Paul spotlights 2 things: model Christians (1) turn from idols to serve God; and (2) wait for his Son. By definition, Christians are servants of God. No surprise there, perhaps. But Christians are also defined as people waiting for Jesus. Jesus waits, and so do we. We see this theme of patient waiting throughout the New Testament:

• "We wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies ... Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently" (Romans 8 verses 23 to 25)
• Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3 verse 20)
• "The grace of God teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness ... while we wait for the blessed hope - the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ." (Titus 2 verses 12 and 13)
• "Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life"(Jude 1 verse 21)

It's not just Christians on earth who are waiting. The saints in heaven are also waiting to be vindicated. In Revelation 6 the glorified martyrs cry out, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" They're told "to wait a little longer" until "the full number" of martyrs have died (Revelation 6 verses 9 to 11).

So what does it mean to wait? What does it look like to wait well? How does waiting bring joy? Let me highlight 3 things plus one bonus implication.

"Be patient, then, brothers and sisters" says James, "until the Lord's coming" (James 5 verse 7). He's just denounced the indulgence and exploitation perpetrated by the rich in the most vehement terms (verses 1 to 6). The little churches to whom he writes were often on the wrong end of this. James calls on them to be patient. For the Lord himself will right the wrongs of the world and vindicate his people. "Why doesn't God do something?" people ask. James says God will do something, but first we must be patient. We're like a farmer waiting for crops to ripen - nothing can be done to speed up the process. And there's nothing we can do to speed up God. We can only watch and wait. Remember God is patient because he's giving people an opportunity to repent (2 Peter 3 verse 9). We shouldn't mistake God's patience for indifference: "the Judge is standing at the door!" (James 5 verse 9).

Patience includes not grumbling: "Don't grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged" (verse 9). When we grumble, we're putting one another on trial and passing our verdict. But judgment is not our job! Instead, we're to follow the example of those in the past who endured patiently under trial (verses 10 and 11). James has the prophets in mind and singles our Job.  Today we can add a long list of Christians over the centuries who've been persecuted and martyred. They're not forgotten - not by God. So, we "wait ... patiently" with "patient endurance" even "in affliction", for it's "through faith and patience" that we "inherit what has been promised" (Romans 8 verse 25; Revelation 13 verse 10; Romans 12 verse 12; Hebrews 6 verse 12).

Jesus says we need to be in a constant state of readiness for his return because we don't know when it will be (Luke 12 verses 35 and 36). Image a 19th century housekeeper who knows her master is returning in 3 months' time. She might be relaxed about her duties for a couple of months before putting in a big shift to get everything spick and span for his return. But we don't know when Jesus will return - so we need to be ready all the time.

What does this involve? It doesn't mean watching the clock or the calendar - that's no help. It doesn't involve watching the horizon - Jesus says he'll come like a thief in the night, with no announcement other than the warnings he's already given (verse 39).

Instead, we remain ready by being about our master's business. In the parable Jesus tells in verses 42 to 46, the good manager remains ready by ensuring that the master's servants are properly fed. In contrast, the bad manager interprets the delay as an opportunity to neglect his duties and abuse his subordinates. The point is clear: we wait for Jesus by faithfully serving him and caring for his people.

Jesus may not be with us in person but his bride is. we may not be able to see Jesus, but we can see his people. We may not be able to meet the needs of Jesus, but we can meet the needs of those he loves. So wait for Jesus by loving his people.

Imagine you're a homeowner planning to move house in the next year or two. You've put your property on the market and started looking for somewhere else, but you don't know how long it'll take before you actually move. How might your move shape your priorities? How, for example, would you treat your current house? I suspect you'll do essential maintenance - maybe even repaint the odd room. But you're not going to invest in any major renovation projects. It's not worth it when you'll soon be leaving it behind.

The same applies to Christians waiting for Jesus. It reshapes the priorities of our time on earth. Yes, we care about life in this age. But we don't invest major time and resources in creating a perfect home, or securing our perfect job, or enjoying the perfect holiday, or curating the perfect Instagram page, or getting the perfect body. Why would you do that? That's like building the perfect sandcastle! You're investing in what's not going to last. One day our perfect lives will be washed away - like sandcastles in the waves.

But when you invest in the people of Jesus and the mission of Jesus, you're investing in eternity. This is how Jesus put it: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal." (Matthew 6 verses 19 and 20)

Jesus waits for his people and we respond by waiting - by being patient, serving faithfully and investing in heaven. But most of all, we wait with joyful expectation. And that's because Jesus not only waits for his people: Jesus longs for his people.

See if you can get your head around these verses from Ephesians 1: "God placed all things under (Christ's) feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way" (verses 22 and 23). That is not what I would have written! I'd have described the church as his body, the people he fills - just as he fills everything in every way. But, inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul says the church is "the fullness of him who fills everything in every way" (verse 23). No one would dare make this claim if it were not in the word of God. Paul isn't saying Christ is the fullness of the church (though that's true); he's saying the church is the fullness of Christ. The church makes Christ full or complete. The Reformer John Calvin comments:

This is the highest honour of the Church, that, unless He is united to us, the Son of God reckons Himself in some measure imperfect. What an encouragement it is for us to hear, that, not until He has us at one with Himself, is He complete in all his parts, or does He wish to be regarded as whole!"

It's not that there's any deficiency in Christ, explains Calvin. It's not that Christ needs our help or companionship. Paul immediately goes on to describe Christ as "him who fills everything in every way" (verse 23). In other words, Christ is everywhere; he holds everything together; everything exists for his glory. What's missing for Christ - what makes him incomplete - is not some missing capacity or capability but us, his bride. Christ has set his love upon his people, and he won't be content until we're by his side.

On the night before his death, Jesus prepared his disciples for his absence. He began by saying "Do not let your hearts be troubled ... I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am" (John 14 verse 1 to 3). Jesus is waiting for us, and one day he'll come for us. He's like a bridegroom waiting to marry his wife and bring her back to the family home. In chapter 7, we saw how Jesus delights in his people. But that desire will only be truly satisfied when we're with him in person.

When Jesus had finished prepping his disciples for his departure, he prayed that God would protect them in this world. And he ends that prayer, "Father I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory" (John 17 verse 24). What does Jesus want? He wants to be with you. Let me say that again: Jesus wants you by his side.  When a Christian dies, says Mark Jones, it's "not because of something such as a disease or fatal accident, but rather because the Father has answered the prayer of his Son." Christ calls us to him at the appointed time because he wants us with him.

It's difficult to imagine what life in the new creation will be like, Even if we had a description, we would lack the experience to make sense of what was said. But this we do know; Jesus is the same yesterday and today and for ever. We've seen how the Jesus of yesterday described in the Gospels is the Jesus of today. But the Jesus of yesterday is also the Jesus of tomorrow. The Jesus we see in the Gospels and experience in some measure now is the Jesus we will enjoy in full measure when he returns in glory. The new creation will be wonderful. It will be a world without "death or mourning or crying or pain" (Revelation 21 verse 4). But it won't be pearly gates or crystal seas that captivate us; what will hold our attention will be Jesus. We won't be able to take our eyes off him.

I believe our enjoyment of Jesus can grow in this life as we recognise all the ways he relates to us and as we know his presence with us by the Spirit. But our enjoyment now is like a small seed that one day will blossom into a big, bright, beautiful flower. The best is yet to come because Jesus is yet to come. "For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face (1 Corinthians 13 verse 12).

Mike and Emma's Tuesday Afternoon

Mike leaves the station and starts walking home through the rain. "Think some happy thoughts" he tells himself. He thinks about their summer holiday. Too risky - last year was a total wash-out. The weekend - he imagines watching the match on TV. But then he remembers the problem with the washing machine and the list of all the other chores he is supposed to be looking at whenever they have time. His heart sinks. What is there to look forward to?

But then Mike thinks about all the ways he has enjoyed Jesus today. Jesus has been with him, even in the godless chatter of the office. He's felt the compassion of Jesus towards him. Jesus met him as he read his bible and as he prayed on his way to work. He knows Jesus is protecting him in every moment, It hasn't been such a bad day after all. What about the future? One day Mike will see Jesus face to face. "I have no idea what that will be like" thinks Mike, "but it's definitely worth looking forward to."  

Action

Spend some time each day this week thinking about what it will be like to see Jesus face to face.