Tag: identity

How John Saw Jesus – Part 4

May 27, 2023

The final installment of Karen Murano’s essay on the Gospel According to John.

John’s gospel lights a path to develop the kind of disciple who sees himself as a sheep in the arms of Jesus, rescued and safely held. On a larger scale, to connect an overarching goal of spiritual formation, one must answer the question: Into what? Better yet: transform to be like Whom?

For the believer, formation needs to be rooted in Christ-likeness. John teaches the reader to heed the words of Jesus: to follow Him,

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 8:12

I believe John’s gospel can speak to the intrinsic and innate desire of mankind to be fully known, loved and cherished. He wants us to grow in our knowledge of Jesus’ identity, which John lays out in his opening verses.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” 1:1–4

Out of perfect love, that has always existed, the world was created and has life. The Gospel of John continues to lead the reader through a transformation process with a specific backdrop:  eternal hope is in Jesus as the Messiah, the human and divine King, sent by the Father to provide a model for all to follow as His children

“But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.” 1:12-13

  This foundation helps us to discover the truth of our identity as beloved children of God who fulfill our unique calling: to carry His image as we rule and reign with Him, in His Kingdom. This is the kind of disciple John is hoping to form: image bearers. And so we end with the inspiring verse that John built his testimony to reveal at the start, look to the Father and you find the Son, image the Son by receiving grace and truth and you will glorify the Father, 

“We have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

If a church community dedicated an entire year to reading this gospel while committing to living out the way of Jesus as presented by John many themes could be lived out, and the body of believers could image Jesus the Christ in this way: (not an exhaustive list!)

  • They would represent the image of God as the light of life, and walk in freedom from the bondage of sin because they believe and abide in his word – “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.. … Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 8:12, 32-32
  • They would not fear man, but God alone, and worship him freely – “His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. … He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.” 9:22, 38
  • They would know their worth, no matter the earthly origin, all who belong to him will be with him – “And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” 10:16
  • They would honor Jesus the Messiah as the eternal Son of God, because he is Life  – “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” 10:17-18
  • They would boldly declare Jesus is the resurrection and the life, especially in the face of devastating trials – “She said to him,“Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” 11:27
  • They would be generous back to God in light of all He has done, like a fragrant offering – “Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” 12:3
  • They would be servant leaders, and lovingly put on the towel – “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.” 13:14-15
  • They would live out a new commandment of love as his disciples to make Him known – “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” 13:34-35
  • They will do great works, empowered by the Holy Spirit, walking in peace and unafraid  – “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. … And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper,  to be with you forever, … But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you…. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 14:12,16, 26-27
  • They would abide in the Lord’s love, keeping the joy, and loving others as He loves them – “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. … These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. … This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” 15:9, 11-12
  • They will proclaim He is risen! – “Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.” 20:18
  • They would be compelled to share their own testimony, proclaiming Jesus is the Messiah, bearing his image as children of God who will rule and reign with Him in His Kingdom – “This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.” 21:24

Thank you, Karen, for sharing these weeks of insight into the gospel of John. I pray it helps us fully grasp more deeply how loved we all are by our heavenly Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit – One God with three distinct roles.

How John Saw Jesus – Part 2

May 13, 2023

My friend, Karen Murano’s insightful writing continues…

John connects the person of Jesus in the flesh (1:14) and the nature of his divine (8:58) and unified (10:30) relationship to God the Father as the eternal Son, framing a unified story with the theme of intimate oneness. This theme is presented over and over, like a thread connecting a literary garment. His goal seems to have a multi-faceted connection in mind. In careful imagery, he connects the person of Christ to God the Father as one (10:30).

Jesus reveals this truth even though they almost stoned him on the spot. What’s so amazing is that Jesus repeatedly offers divine unity to his disciples and to many people he encountered as they went from town to town (sadly, many rejected Him).

To add another facet to this story of intimacy, John’s desire is to unite the reader to the person of Christ as the Messiah (spoiler alert, it is the purpose of his testimony). He could not have known just how far and wide his testimony would travel, not to mention for two millennia. The portrait John paints of Jesus is as the Messiah, the incarnation of the Son of God, the resurrection and the life who has always been, and who proclaims He is the Way, the Truth and the Life (14:6). His testimony is given for the reader to “find life in his name” 20:21. The opening lines are radical and wonderful, and they boldly articulate an intimate relationship between the Word and God as Father.

By His Word, all things were created, and that He is the Light that has always been. John makes it clear that there is an eternal unity and intimacy between the Father and the Son, a most beautiful expression of abiding love which comes to life as we follow this gospel account.

To encourage his disciples, Jesus used a parable to reveal he is the vine and [we] are the branches, repeating his passionate plea to abide in him. This image of intimate trust and interconnectedness was designed to compel the hearer to desire this unique closeness more than anything. The most captivating line summarizes: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” 15:9 (emphasis mine). What a radical offer! Indeed, unity is not just about the loving community of the god-head but it’s for us, the beloved children of God. John’s testimony is that Jesus is the eternal Son of God, the incarnation of the One who was prophesied about, and the revelation of God the Father who gave his Son to be a living hope, hope available to all who believe that He is risen!

His narrative is bold and often shares controversial statements Jesus made about who he is, claiming “I am” in the most provocative ways. Every Jew knew the story of Moses at the burning bush where God identifies himself as such (Ex3:6). It must be made clear, John is a human author of this gospel, compelled to set his pen to paper decades after his time with Jesus, but as an eyewitness and disciple who wanted to share the Good News he also knew this message belonged to Jesus. In writing his account, he honored the Spirit-inspired and transcendent words, refusing to exclude any offensive parts, and courageously heralding the life-giving message of hope for an unnamed audience to one-day hear and embrace.

I admire the trust and passion he had to testify about his experiences and share his account of the [very] Good News no matter the personal cost. The way I read his gospel account is in appreciation of his faithful and deep abiding, of being known and held by his Lord, and fully committed to testifying about this wonderful intimacy so that others can discover and receive Him. Jesus implored his hearers to abide in him (15:4), and his divine ability to embrace each and every one (then and now) never runs out.

Like a tapestry, John seamlessly weaves a pattern of Jesus’ supernatural compassion, his demonstrations of divine power in miraculous signs, and many powerful encounters with people as He reveals His divine Sonship. John’s sympathetic flow of the undeniable signs invites the heart of the reader to open up and consider following this true Light, embracing the Messiah just as he did. John knits into the narrative profound examples of Jesus revealing his identity in practical ways with parables, as a softer but still direct declaration of God’s truth and grace. This pattern shows incredible care and concern for the reader to respond in hope, and to be transformed by a divine encounter with a living Jesus.

John reinforces Jesus’ teaching about being the Door and the Shepherd in 10:14-15, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep””. It cannot be overstated that John writes from a perspective of knownness, and with an intimate friendship with Jesus 15:5, often describing himself as the one Jesus loved. Not that Jesus loved only him, but because John received it so completely it was his chosen form of identity (more on that later).

Jesus seemed to like pushing comfort zones and being uncomfortably close, he frequently went against the cultural norms: meeting with Nicodemus in private at night, speaking alone with a Samaritan woman, spitting on clay to heal a blind man, and after he fed a multitude of people he explained (seven different ways) that he is the living bread they must eat, ch 6:51-58. Now that’s close! John tells of a woman who was rescued at a compassionate show-down and set free from her shame. Personal encounters and transformations harmoniously criss-cross his stories as he builds up to the death and resurrection of Jesus’ dear friend, Lazarus; making sure to include the two devoted sisters. Martha, who truly yearns to grasp Jesus’ identity, and Mary who beautifully fulfills the prophetic nature of his name [Messiah] by anointing him with oil (soon after). They have especially close encounters with Jesus, and John includes how Jesus loved them (again, he didn’t consume this message for himself). Just before raising Lazarus, it was to Martha first that Jesus reveals he is the resurrection and the life, and she restates His identity with uncommon clarity, responding in belief when she is pressed (11:24-37). Not keeping this experience to herself, she runs for her sister.

Oh that every believer would be so bold, so quick to testify, so urgent in their sharing of Truth, but an unfortunate reality in churches today is of isolation and fear of looking weird. Many are afraid to show their faith and become consumers rather than freely sharing their zeal. We see that Mary responds by running to Jesus, kneeling at his feet. In her painful sorrow she is vulnerable and cries out for help. John shares Jesus’ tender response with something not exactly manly, His tears. Indeed, Jesus was repeatedly touched by the pain of others, expressing compassion and healing their infirmities for three years.

Chapter after chapter John wraps a thread of closeness and intimate encounters around declarations of Jesus as the Son of God. It’s hard to find a stopping point in this exercise. Throughout my study and recounting of John’s gospel, it’s as though the words will never stop flowing because there is so much to emphasize. Truly, the Word is alive, and just as John surmised – so much more could be written! 

How John Saw Jesus – Part 1

May 4, 2023

Recently, a dear friend shared a paper she wrote with me. I was so impressed with the content and her writing that I asked her permission to share it here. It isn’t my typical content, but I think it’s extremely valuable and I hope my readers will find it so as well. Without further ado, I give you “The Gospel According to John” by Karen Murano.

The Gospel according to John is a captivating testimony of eyewitness accounts as John followed Jesus (closely) during his earthly ministry. He draws the reader in with what feels like an ongoing invitation to relationally connect with God’s beloved Son, to be transformed by his love, and to find life in Him alone. He consistently weaves the identity of Jesus as the Christ throughout his account and leaves no doubt that Jesus accomplished the will of the Father as the incarnate Messiah.

His introduction is mind-blowing and beautiful with transcendent words into what continues to fascinate humanity to this day: origin, identity, and purpose (Jesus was, is, and eternally will be [our] divine King). The riveting touch-back to Genesis 1:1 with the beginning in his opening lines cannot be glazed over; they offer an anchor point for the rest of his account that tells of the incarnate King who came to rescue mankind.

He gets down to business in the first chapter with the testimony of John the Baptist proclaiming Jesus as the Lamb of God. This particular verse stands out to me as a sort of banner that the rest of the book supports with evidence to that end. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”. 1:14, As a basic outline, this is a sampling of his flow and context, but there are so many more details that could be included.

John lays out seven miraculous signs between chapters 2 and 11. They demonstrate Jesus’ focused desire to always honor the will of the Father 6:38. Interlaced with these signs are seven “I am” statements that metaphorically point to Jesus’ identity as the Messiah, between chapters 6 -15. Several chapters are dedicated to the final week before his crucifixion beginning in ch 12:1: “Six days before the Passover…”.

The narrative slows down for several chapters to capture very important details: Mary anoints Jesus with a fragrant oil 12:3, and the crowd cheered his entrance on a donkey into Jerusalem, “So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 12:13 Before the crowd he was troubled, crying out to the Lord Who glorified him, and He declared: And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (fulfilling three  prophecies v7, 14, 32). Jesus proceeds to draw them especially close to him to prepare them for a very hard week. He shocks the disciples (especially Peter) with an unheard of example of servant leadership by washing their feet 13:4,13-14. He teaches them a new commandment of love 13:34. In ch 14:6, Jesus presses in and makes a profound and divine declaration: “I am the way, truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”. Which he follows up with: “If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” 14:7  He teaches this one more “I am” statement: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.”15:1 so that they understand what it means to abide in Him.

Chapter 16 has hard teaching in it but it was necessary to explain the Helper, whom He will send, their sorrow that will turn to joy, and once again he helps them make the leap to know who He truly is. In ch 17, Jesus prays to the Father for himself and for every follower in the most loving and vulnerable way, reinforcing the testimony that Jesus is the Son of God and how he glorifies the Father in all things. (That prayer is so pure and heart-warming it always brings me to tears.)

Chapters 18 – 19 narrate the betrayal, brutal trial and flogging, and then his crucifixion, which John personally attended. An interesting insight about the trial and crucifixion is that the gospel accounts kind of skirt past the brutality of these scenes. Not because it wasn’t remarkable, but the reality of death was so commonplace it was kind of a non-event, especially because it was typically so public, so the people of that day were desensitized. John does lay out important details and the imagination is stirred as he describes what must have been visually striking moments. The post-modern church has a very small tolerance for the word death, nevermind attending such an event. It is important to note that our gospel writer, John, was the only one at the crucifixion as an eye-witness.

To conclude the outline and overview of this gospel we find John slows the narrative down again for some important encounters and to capture the gravity of the moments.. There is something special about firsts that are highlighted in scripture, “On the first day of the week …” 20:1. John is rather keen to begin the culmination of his testimony with a dramatic sunrise scene. He reintroduces Mary Magdalene at the tomb, her confusion about finding the Rabbi, and his announcement that He is ascending to the Father. “Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.” 20:18  (What a beautiful expression of love to reveal himself first to a woman, valuing her testimony even though the modern day culture would not accept the words of any woman.) They all bear witness to the evidence of the prophesied miracle, indeed the greatest miracle of all: an empty tomb – Jesus is risen! We find three strategic and very personal visits by Jesus to help the disciples understand: He explains He is sending them just as the Father sent Him. Thomas was allowed to examine and touch his physical wounds. Jesus then breathed on them the Holy Spirit. 20:22 John concludes his gospel in ch 21 with a beautiful epilogue testifying to the truth of his eyewitness accounts, and that much more could have been written.

Clearly, he intentionally crafted his selections of content based on experiences that deeply impacted him and many others. The patterns, structure, and focus in his gospel account unashamedly declare that Jesus is the human and divine King, and that his beloved followers will rule and reign with him, forever. 

Reverse the Order

April 17, 2021

We’ve been conditioned to believe that DOING rather than BEING is the key to our lives. But the truth is that doing doesn’t make us who we are. Who we are makes a place for what we do.

It’s all about identity.

God created everything in the world to be. Each of us is created uniquely special. Our identity is being his child. His son or daughter.

And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

2 Cor. 6:18

That is our identity. It isn’t in what we do, it’s in who we are.

Ephesians 2:8-10 says:

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works [what we do], so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork [his unique creation], created in Christ Jesus to do good works [as a result of who we are], which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Emphasis mine

Who we are leads to what we do. Not the other way around.

DOING equal WHO WE ARE

WHO WE ARE > WHAT WE DO (our purpose in God)

This should be good news for someone like it was for me. Even though I knew the truth, this reversal of the order allowed me to see that any striving to do more in my life is only that – striving to do more. But when I rest in who God made me to be and allow him to lead me, what I do comes as a result of who I am.

Do you feel the chains breaking? =)

*all photographs are belong to Laura Bennet

Loved and Accepted

September 23, 2019

“Accepting we are accepted for no other reason than that the God of the universe loves us is the hardest thing you and I will ever do.”

                                                           Stephan Bauman from his book Break Open the Sky

The God of the universe loves you.

pexels-photo-269583.jpeg

Can you wrap your mind around that?
Until we do, we will struggle with our identity as God’s beloved children. Until we take in the magnitude of the fact that the God who created all we see and still have yet to discover, loves us personally, intimately and completely, we will look for other things to fill that void in us.
God says he knew us before we were born, and we were made with awe and wonder. (Psalm 139)
He delights in us and sings over us. (Zep. 3:17)
He gave up his son, Jesus, to die for us. (John 3:16)
Who would you die for? Those you most love?

God accepts us. He doesn’t reject us.

People might reject us. Spouse may turn their back on us. Even some parents have rejected their children. But God never will. No matter what we’ve done, he accepts us with open arms, always welcoming us back when we come to him.

Sometimes, moving forward in our lives means we have to choose to embrace the love and acceptance of God.

We may have been told by others we’re not lovable. Whispers can play in our head about how unacceptable we are. The enemy is a cruel liar and uses hurting people to hurt others. But God loves and accepts us.

Today, can we all take a small step toward receiving the love and acceptance God offers?

What Are You Afraid Of?

August 27, 2018

151

The scene above may be humorous, but fear is nothing to joke about.

God wired us with a healthy sense of fear to protect us from danger. But when fear dictates our lives, we can become trapped in patterns that destroy us.

Here are a few things I’ve been learning about fear lately:

  • Fear steals our identity
  • Fear makes us question our God given attributes and desires
  • Fear leads us to question another person’s motives
  • Fear causes us to judge others
  • Fear makes us assign conclusions about people or situations that aren’t accurate
  • Fear causes us to assume we know what someone’s intentions towards us are
  • Fear says lying will protect us – it keeps us from speaking the truth
  • Fear leads us to read God’s word inaccurately
  • Fear causes conflict within us
  • Fear keeps us from seeing another person’s pain
  • Fear of losing something makes us compete with others
  • Fear makes us cling to only one way of thinking
  • Fear causes us to lash out if someone has another opinion or perspective than us
  • Fear paralyzes us
  • Fear leads us to close ourselves off from others
  • Fear keeps us ineffective in our lives
  • Fear prevents us from being fully engaged in life

Maybe that’s why God tells us not to be afraid; that he didn’t give us a spirit of fear.

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…” 1 John 4:18

God is love and he loves us. We don’t NEED to be afraid when we believe he loves us and will take care of us. He knows all and has everything under control. So if we surrender to him, we can rest there and live in freedom.

I’ve been asking God to tell me what I’m afraid of. If we ask, he’ll tell us. And he’ll tell us what to do about it. I’m learning a lot about myself and the places I’ve been trapped.

He’ll also reassure us that he’s right there. Like a kid jumping into a pool into his daddy’s waiting arms. That’s us with God.

That’s a good place to be.