Jesus Knows What to Do

"Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" ⁶ But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do."

John 6:5-6

When Jesus asked Philip where they should buy bread for a great multitude of people, it was not because Jesus was ignorant of the situation.  Jesus asked already knowing what He would do.  Because God is all-knowing and the source of all wisdom and understanding, He does not need to rely upon advisors, news reports or messengers.  Jesus revealed Himself to be the Living Bread come down from heaven, the Son of God, when He fed the 5,000 to the full with only five loaves and two fish.  I am amazed and in awe of God who has purposes, plans and foreknowledge of all that will happen for eternity.  No backup plans are needed for the God who knows and does all.

I had a friend in university who was studying to be a landscape architect.  He had impressive knowledge of different plants and their Latin names I had never heard before.  To perform well in his role it was necessary for him to know what varieties of plants would be suitable for different environments, how they grew, and the proper placement of trees with an eye on the future.  It would be silly to put a tree that needs full sun in the shade, or to plant palm trees near a footpath where in a few years it would lift and crack concrete.  An experienced gardener will know where particular plants will thrive:  how to amend the soil, when to feed, the best ways to prevent pests and when a trim is needed.

I remember walking by a little apple tree that must have had 30 apples on it, and it was hardly over a metre tall!  Because the buds had not been pulled off to stimulate growth and the maturity of branches, the poor little thing was struggling under the weight of fruit.  Pieces of wood had been situated under pencil-thin limbs to keep them from breaking off the trunk.  The heavily-laden tree that was not pruned stands in contrast to what Jesus said in John 15:1-2:  "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit."  God knows better than any vinedresser on earth what conditions are ideal for fruitfulness, and He prunes, supports and protects branches who abide in Jesus Christ.  The fruitful branches are not neglected but shaped and prepared to be even more fruitful.

We often do not know what to do, but Jesus always knows what He is doing and going to do.  What joy and rest this gives those who abide in Christ, for our fruitfulness is from Him and for Him.  When the fruit of our lips is sweet praise and thanksgiving to God, He is glorified.  When the fruit of the Spirit is revealed through our motives, actions and attitudes, God's grace and power is magnified.  Should our testimony result in more souls being added to the kingdom of God and the church is edified, exalt His holy name!  When we rejoice in trials and persecution to be counted worthy to suffer for His name and faith, hope and love are exhibited in and through our lives, all glory goes to Jesus who has made us fruitful by the Holy Spirit.  Without Jesus we can do nothing, yet when we abide in Him He knows how to make us most fruitful.

The LORD is My Shepherd

Every word of God is pure, and there is great significance in all God has written.  We may not always understand the meaning or personal application of a passage, but we can know the truth conveyed by the word of God is immutable and powerful like He is to transform us and our perspective.

This morning I landed on one of the most familiar passages of the Bible, one often reserved for funerals and memorial services:  Psalm 23.  The beauty of the lyrics to this psalm of praise to God are best appreciated and comprehended by those for whom Jesus Christ is our Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14).  Every word was instructive to me and is packed with significance as I considered the opening sentence which reads, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."  This is solid ground of faith which remains unshakable forever, thus a fitting passage to read in regards to all who placed their trust in God during their pilgrimage on earth.

The:  a definite article that denotes a particular thing that is already known, in this case "refers to things or people when only one exists at any one time."

LORD:  yhwh, the proper name of the God of Israel, the eternal, living, almighty God and Creator of all things.

Is:  a verb the expresses existence or state of being.  It speaks of something that is presently true.

My:  a personal pronoun that indicates possession of something.

Shepherd:  a person who leads, tends, protects and provides for the needs of sheep.  In ancient Israel shepherds guided their sheep to find pasture where they could eat, drink and rest.

I shall:  "shall" is a verb in the future tense that expresses confident intent and expectations.

not want:  to "want" is to lack, decrease or be empty.  David expressed the opposite of being in want, having all needs presently and for all time supplied by God.

In this introduction the psalmist David has all confidence today and into the future because God was his shepherd.  By faith in the almighty God David and all who trust in Jesus Christ have everything we need for an abundant life now and for all eternity.  I encourage you, dear reader, to consider the implications of each word and the awesome truth revealed that Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd who knows His sheep.  There are many who have been called "lord," "my lord," and those who have worked as shepherds, but there is only one LORD God, the Good Shepherd who provides rest for those who trust in Him today and always.  In Jesus we find provided all things that pertain to life and godliness.

I leave you with the words of Jesus in John 10:11-14:  "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. ¹² But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. ¹³ The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. ¹⁴ I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own."  Since there is no one good but God, Jesus is right to identify Himself as the good shepherd being the only begotten Son of God.  By faith in Jesus we have rest for our souls, for He is ours and we are His.

Having Come In

"Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. ²⁸ And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"

Luke 1:26-28

Here is a picture which is both awe-inspiring and slightly humorous:  God sent the angel Gabriel with glad tidings to Mary (a virgin at this stage) that she would conceive by the Holy Spirit and give birth to the Messiah.  This obviously was not in the plans of Mary who was betrothed to Joseph, and the possibility had never entered into her mind until she heard the message spoken by Gabriel, having come in.  It is a funny thought to have an angel just walk into your house.  I have heard people talk about "what the cat dragged in" but it is amazing to consider God sending an angel to deliver a message without knocking first.  I imagine the angel did not hesitantly ask, "Hello?" as he peeked around the corner.  Gabriel walked in like he owned the place because he was right where he was supposed to be, for the almighty God had sent him.

God is the LORD and does what He pleases.  Jesus described Himself to the church of Laodicea as standing at the door and knocking, and God who directed Gabriel to enter the house unannounced and without permission of the one living there comes to us exactly as He pleases.  It is a marvelous thing that Gabriel revealed what God would do after "having come in."  This is also true concerning the insight provided by God's grace when a soul is born again through faith in Jesus.  On the night Jesus was betrayed He alluded to this grand entrance in John 14:23:  "Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."  In scripture God sent angelic and human messengers unsolicited by those to whom they spoke, Jesus waits until we willingly open our hearts to receive Him in faith before He comes in and fill us with the Holy Spirit.  With the exceptions of unique cases of John the Baptist who was filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb and Jesus who is the only begotten Son of God, God stands outside until we choose to receive Him by faith.

Isn't it wonderful how through the power of the Gospel God comes in, forgives us of sin, transforms our hearts and provides a revelation of Himself in this world and through His word?  See what Paul prayed for followers of Jesus in Ephesians 3:14-19, "For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, ¹⁶ that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, ¹⁷ that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--¹⁹ to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."  Gabriel came in and revealed facts about Mary's future, that she would be with child and would bear a son named JESUS.  Through faith in Jesus God has even revealed more than this to us, for He dwells within us, strengthens us, grounds us in His love, gives us the capacity to know God's love and "be filled with all the fullness of God."  No sire or pregnant woman--even Mary who carried Jesus in her womb--could make such audacious claims that are the birthright graciously given to all Christians.

Praise the LORD forever, who loves those who love Him, comes to us and makes His abode in us according to the riches of His glory!  May we never lose sight of the goodness of God to afford us such an intimate and life-giving relationship we have with Him by faith in Jesus.  The wise will wonder over the love of God now and forever, for it is infinite and eternal.  How great is the LORD, having come into us by grace, who reveals Himself continually as faithful, worthy and wonderful.  An angelic visitation is a very small thing indeed when compared to the revelation of God through Jesus Christ within us.

Risen and Standing

This morning after I heard news of an old friend of mine had passed into eternity, I read Psalm 20:6-8:  "Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand. ⁷ Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. ⁸ They have bowed down and fallen; but we have risen and stand upright."  The hearts of believers can be at rest knowing all who trust in Jesus Christ have a Saviour who gives eternal life.  The eyes of a Christian that close due to the death of the body will wake and arise in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD answers the prayer of His anointed with salvation.

At the command of Pharaoh the Hebrews departed Egypt, and later the hard-headed Pharaoh regretted his decision.  He summoned his chariots and horses to pursue his former slaves who walked on foot as they lead their children, flocks and were burdened with household goods.  Pharaoh knew the Hebrews were no match against the speed of his chariots and horses, yet he did not take into account the power of the God of Israel who recently plagued Egypt with mighty signs and wonders.  As the chariots and horses plunged into the Red Sea which was parted by God's power, the wheels came loose from their chariots.  What they trusted to recover their work force became a death-trap:  the walls of water crashed down upon chariots, horses and riders who all perished whilst God's people were saved.

How good it is in times of prosperity, grief and loss to remember the name of the LORD our God who hears the cries of His people and answers from heaven with a mighty hand.  The strong, fit bodies of young men and women fail, and the minds of the elderly grow forgetful and confused.  Some place their trust in their own strength, wisdom, power and wealth, but none of these can save a soul from death.  Jesus said it is of no value for a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul.  It is the one who loses his life for Christ's sake that finds it.  The strongest among us will fall never again to rise, but by faith in God "we have risen and stand upright."  We can have confidence our Saviour can do for us what He demonstrated by His own resurrection, that Jesus grants righteousness by faith in Him and eternal life to all who receive the Gospel.  He enables us to stand by His grace now and forever.

Oh, to be risen and stand upright in the presence of our glorious Saviour!  Abiding in the presence of the LORD is a place full of love, peace and joy without a single regret.  To be caught up from a lifeless body into the nail-pierced hands of a sovereign Saviour will be a satisfying delight for eternity!  Gone are the cares of this life and divine pleasures forevermore are prepared to be discovered by redeemed souls clothed with immortality who know God as they are known.  Drink it in my friend, and enjoy the presence of the LORD whose love you received and in whose presence you delighted while you walked this earth and led others in worship and praise on bass guitar.  Join in with the angels and saints in His worship as voices in heaven and earth unite to sing His adoration.  In the presence of Christ all sadness morphs to joy, for my friend has never been better than he is now and shall always be.