The Power of the Spoken Testimony

Tuesday, February 1

Reading: John 4:39-42

As I read this portion of John's gospel, I am reminded of the power of the spoken testimony to bring people to faith. We have, of course, seen this already. It was John the Baptist's testimony concerning Jesus that caused some of his own disciples to seek out Jesus. It was Andrew's testimony that helped lead Peter to faith, and Philip's testimony helped Nathaniel find the road of faith. Here in this passage the Samaritan woman believes because of all the things Jesus not only knew about her, but shared with her. Thus, it was both His intimate knowledge of and verbal testimony about her life that brought her to faith. Intially, many of the Samaritan's believed solely on the testimony of this one woman. Later, her testimony was combined with Jesus' own testimony to solidify their faith and bring even more to faith. So, the spoken testimony is of amazing power.

However, many people shrink back from publicly testifying of Jesus. Maybe they are afraid of what people will think of them. Maybe they fear losing their jobs or losing a friend. Maybe they are afraid that people will reject their story, or just disagree with it. But whatever the reason, if we allow ourselves to be silenced we allow the enemy to remove from society one of the best ways that faith is shared and spread...the verbal testimonies of people. So, let us have the courage and boldness to share our faith. Let's certainly do it without seeking to convince or convict people...let's make sure we are trusting the movement of the Holy Spirit more than our skills and methods...but let's share how the gospel has changed our lives. In doing so, we can become conduits through whom the Spirit might change the world.

For What Are We Craving

OK…so I know that this is not the central meaning of the passage…but there is a thought that I can’t shake as I read this passage. The disciples expect that Jesus should be extremely hungry. Apparently he hasn’t eaten for some time. You and I would use words such as famished, or craving something to eat, to describe Jesus’ condition. And Jesus doesn’t necessarily deny the fact that He was in fact craving something. The difference between Jesus and the disciples is that while the disciples are craving food, Jesus is craving to fulfill God’s will. While the disciples are hung up on the physical needs of life, Jesus has set those aside to focus on the spiritual desires of His Father.

It seems to me that this is an ongoing struggle for those of us who are seeking to follow Jesus in life…or maybe just me. It is easy for me to crave many things. I crave a good breakfast and a great cup of coffee. I crave recognition and affirmation. I crave to be financially secure and to see the success of my children. I crave a reliable retirement and the physical health to enjoy the golden years. But, do I really crave to know and do the will of God? Am I so hungry to hear from God that I’m willing to shut out all other things to focus on His voice? Would I be willing to let go of everything in order to follow Him? It’s easy to say yes, because we are pretty sure He will not ask us to actually do that. But what if He did? For what, I must ask, am I really hungry.

Jesus said that we need to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and then all the other things of life will fall into the proper place. To seek Him first doesn’t mean to go to church at the beginning of the week and then go on with the rest of my life. It means to place His will and ways above all other things…to make knowing and doing the will of my Father the chief craving of my life. I pray that my hunger will increase, so that I will seek the food that brings eternal life.

Reviewing The Week

As I look back over my thoughts concerning the week of reading, what strikes me is the Transforming Presence of Jesus. It is Jesus who turns sinners into saints...both through salvation and sanctification. It is Jesus who draws me out of the darkness into the light. He exposes my hidden motives and wrongful actions, not simply to convict me of guilt, but to move me from what I was to what He wants to create within me. It is Jesus who welcomes me into His presence, and thus calls me to welcome others into my presence. This welcome is a result of grace as we accept people...warts and all...just as Jesus embraces us even though He knows our faults and failures. And it is Jesus who gets me beyond "me and my ministry" to "Him and His kingdom." In all this, the key is to submit myself to Jesus so that His Spirit can convict me of error, convince me of truth, and draw me out of darkness and into His marvelous light. May all of us take this journey, and discover the amazing grace and love of God that is available through Jesus.

Jesus Welcomes Us All

Several things stand out to me as I read this passage. First is the total humanity of Jesus. Those of us who have been in the church for a long time tend to think of Jesus as God, and in doing so minimize His authentic humanity. But Jesus ends up at this well not primarily because He is God on earth looking to do a miracle. He ends up there, we are told, because He like all people was tired from His journey. Tired and thirsty, Jesus seeks relief. To some this may not matter, but to me it is good to know that my Savior identifies with me…that when I get tired, hungry and need a break, He understands and relates to my human condition. He gets it in every sense of the word…how cool is that!

Second, Jesus know my hidden secrets. This woman comes face to face with a man who knows her public position, but also her private secrets. How foolish it would have been to try to hide her faults from Jesus. After all, He already knows them. The same is true for me. Every secret I hide He already knows. So, why hide them? If I bring them into the light, not only does He forgive, but they lose power over me. How cool is that!

Finally, Jesus welcomes all people. Even though He knows the faults of this woman, He is willing to give her life. She doesn’t need to go home and clean up her act, and then come back to receive life. Instead, she can receive life so that she can then go home and Jesus, through her, will clean things up. So we can come as we are to a Lord who knows our sins, feels our burdens, and gives us life. How cool is that!

It's Not About "Me" and "My Ministry"

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Reading: John 3:22-36

Reflection: When John first appeared on the scene, I noted his humility and willingness to deflect all attention away from himself unto Jesus. Here in this passage that same humility is highlighted and contrasted with some of his disciples who seem to be upset that Jesus is gaining in popularity, while John’s ministry is decreasing. The result is a dispute between some of John’s disciples and some other Jewish man. While the details of this dispute are left uncertain, it seems that the validity of John’s ministry in light of the purpose of ceremonial washing is in question.

It seems striking to me how common this pattern is even in our present day churches. Ministry seems to be going well within our church and surrounding community, until some new and vibrant ministry shows up. Suddenly, this new ministry grows in influence and followers, and for some reason those inside the church feel threatened. The church becomes territorial, complains of the insensitivity of this new ministry, and often questions both the validity of their own ministry and the ministry of the new ministry. All of a sudden, while we say its all about Jesus, somehow a bit of selfish pride enters the picture.

This is where John’s attitude and teaching are helpful not only to his disciples, but to us as well. John argues that if God is in control of all things…and He is…then the ministry of Jesus bears the marks of the Holy Spirit because God has desired it to be so. For that reason, rather than being angry that his popularity is fading, John celebrates with great joy that the Christ has appeared and is gaining in influence. After all, John’s ministry was never about John. It was never about his disciples. It was never about the crowds or the confrontations. John’s ministry was all about pointing to Jesus, and if it takes the fading of his ministry for that to happen, John joyfully accepts that reality.

We could learn from this humble attitude. What is needed is not for churches to be territorial and competitive with one another. We should not criticize other ministries that point people to Jesus simply because they are gaining in reputation and our ministry may be fading in influence. We should be partnering together in ministry, seeking only one thing: that Jesus would increase and we would decrease. If this is our humble attitude, then the jealous fights and petty differences will not really matter so long as Jesus is glorified. May the glory of Jesus be the driving force of all our ministries.

Coming Out Of The Dark

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Reading: John 3:1-21

Reflection: As I read this passage for perhaps the hundredth time, something stood out for me that seems a bit ominous if your name is Nicodemus. Now, I can’t prove this…and I haven’t done an in depth study of it…so take this with a grain of salt to prayerfully ponder. In verse 19 Jesus gives what he calls a verdict. Now, I have not paid much attention to that word before. However, it might be meaningful to explore it for a moment. The Greek word is krisis (crisis). How appropriate! The idea is that of a judge weighing evidence and giving a verdict that is authoritative, accurate and consequential. So, having spoken with Nicodemus, now Jesus brings him to a point of krisis…a verdict.

Now, what is that verdict? Simply put, that Jesus is the light of God that has entered the world. He is the revelation, or Word, of God in flesh. However, some have decided they prefer the darkness. In fact, some actually love the darkness because it tends to hide the motives and means of their evil actions. Not wanting their hidden motives exposed or their sinister deeds revealed, they stay away from Jesus afraid that He will expose them for who they truly are. The end result is that they lose the eternal life that could have been gained by submitting to the light.

Now, this seems straight forward enough. However, this may force me to view Nicodemus differently than was previously the case. I have always looked at Nicodemus as a kind of secret believer. After all, he does openly state that Jesus is from God. However, notice that Nicodemus doesn’t “openly” state this at all. Nicodemus comes at night, when the darkness shall hide his deeds. In addition, while light is often an image of faith leading to truth, Nicodemus not only comes at night but is revealed to be a “teacher without spiritual wisdom.” (vs. 10-12) In fact, Jesus accuses Nicodemus of not believing many of the basic things that He has taught.

What does this mean? Well, I’m not sure, but it does seem ominous…doesn’t it? It does seem like Nicodemus is less of a believer and more a creature of darkness than I thought. It’s also a reminder that it is harder to judge a person’s motives than I tend to think. In fact, sometimes its hard to judge my own. Do I try to follow Jesus secretly in the shadows, or in the bright light of the day? Am I ashamed to admit to people that I love Jesus, or am I excited to do so? Am I willing to have my actions openly displayed before the world, or do I seek to hide my motives from others? These are searching…dare I say ominous things to ask…but if I want the light to bring me to full truth and greater faith, I must come out of the darkness and into the light…and so must you.

A Different Picture Of Jesus

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Reading: John 2:12-25

We see here a picture of Jesus that is strikingly different than many people areaccustomed to witnessing. Many think of Jesus as an amazing teacher whose wisdomconfounds the so-called wise of the world. Others see Jesus as a miracle worker whocame to rid the world of disease and pain. Some see Him as the gentle shepherd wholovingly leads His flock to green pastures. However, the idea that Jesus makes a whipand actually drives people out of the house of God, rather than welcoming them intothe house of God, seems confusing to such people. How could this gentle, wise, lovingshepherd act in such a way? Well, according to John, Jesus’ actions are dictated bya “zeal for God’s house that consumes Him.” Let’s take a look at that phrase for amoment.

The English word zeal carries with it the ideas of enthusiasm, passion, and eagernessthat borders on fanaticism. A person with zeal is one whose passion and enthusiasmcause them not only to pursue something with eagerness, but actually to the point wheremany people would consider them to be obsessed by it. So we see here a picture of Jesuswhose passion and eagerness drive him into a frenzied level of activity. In fact, he isso driven that the bible says he is “consumed.” Thus, his passion eats at him…burningwithin him in such a way that He craves for it like a starving man seeks a meal. Finally,we see that the object of His great consuming passion is not wealth, popularity, positionor power. What consumes Jesus is the house of God.

Now, according to the Expositor’s Bible Commentary, the house of God is symbolicfor both the presence and mission of God in the world. If this is true, then what drivesJesus is God’s mission to be present with His people. Jesus is consumed by the idea ofbringing the people of God into the presence of God in a way that fulfills the mission ofGod. In fact, it is this driving passion that will cause him one day to return to Jerusalemto give His life to make that mission possible. I wonder, is that what drives me in life?Do I have such a passion to connect people to their God that it eats away at me? Am I socommitted to God’s mission of reconciliation that the inner burning passion to see thathappen drives me to remove anything that prevents that from happening? Or, am I soconfused and/or distracted by the cares of this world that things like career advancement,paying for the kids college, preparing for retirement or electing the right political leadersconsume me. If I want to be a follower of Jesus, I may need to adjust my passions andrefocus my priorities. I can no longer be casual about my involvement in kingdom work.Rather, I need to be “zealously consumed” by the idea of advancing God’s kingdom.

The Transforming Presence of Jesus

I have read many messages about the Wedding in Cana. In some of them, we are told that Jesus is so concerned about people that he prevents this married couple from being embarrassed at their wedding. Others say that Jesus’ presence at the wedding proves that Jesus sanctioned marriage as a holy union. Still others say that it demonstrates the even though Jesus was God, he nonetheless was submissive to his mother…revealing to us that children should submit to their parents. Finally, I have heard people suggest that this incident proves that Jesus was a fun person to have around, otherwise he wouldn’t have been invited to the party. But surely this passage is not preserved for us so that we realize that Jesus is a nice guy who approves of marriage, obeys his parents, and doesn’t want people to be embarrassed at a party. So, why is this incident preserved for us?

Well, according to John, the reason is that this miracle functions as a “sign” concerning who Jesus was. In other words, it reveals the glory of Jesus in such a way so as to cause faith in those who understand its purpose. And, sure enough, the disciples put their faith in Jesus. But, what was so significant in this sign. It’s hard to say, but it seems to me that it reveals not only that Jesus has authority over natural elements, but more specifically points to His central mission. Just as Jesus turned water into wine, so He would turn sinners into saints. Just as Jesus took something ordinary and made it extraordinary, so too Jesus would take ordinary people and make them extraordinary. Just as Jesus makes the choicest of wines, so He will make the choicest of people.

When Jesus enters the life of a person, nothing is ordinary. The mundane things of daily life turn into opportunities to extend God’s kingdom. The work site becomes a mission field and my relationships become avenues to reflect the goodness and grace of God. Just as Jesus changes water into wine, so He changes ordinary life into extraordinary mission. There are certainly other reasons for the preservation of this story, but certainly a part of the reason this is recorded is to show us the transforming nature of the presence of Jesus. I pray He is in your life, transforming every day into an adventure of discovering and living the will of our Father. Have a great day!

Reflecting On The Week Of Reading

As I come to the end of our first week of reading the gospel of John, I look back to assess a few of the lessons learned. First, it seems that we learn how great is God's love for us that He would allow His one and only Son not only to rescue us, but to do so by taking on human form. Jesus becomes flesh, and in doing so gives us a great deal of what it means for Him to be a part of the eternal Godhead. He does this, not only out of obedience and love for His father, but no doubt out of a sense of love and loyalty to us. Rather than condemn us, He bears the cost to rescue us. So this is, in the end, not about gaining power are advancing some kind of institutional kingdom, rather, it is about restoring people...simple, ordinary and sinful people like you and I. God's mission, then, is about saving and restoring people to a pre-fall state of wholeness and relationship before God.

Second, God will do this not only through the work of His Son, but through the obedience of humble people. We see this through John the Baptist, who does not use his position as a prophet to advance himself, but deflect attention from his own minitry to that of Jesus the Messiah. He points his own disciples away from himself and toward the Lamb of God. Andrew, once coming to faith, then seeks to bring Peter to the Messiah. Philip, in like manner, informs Nathanael who then becomes a follower. And so this is a ministry both about people and for people that incorporates people in its own advancement. How amazing is it that God would not only save us, but give us a privileged place in that entire process.

Finally, we learn of the central role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Messiah. It is true that Jesus does amazing things in His ministry. It is true that he teaches with authority, heals the lame and the cripple, restores sight to the blind and hope to the hopeless, confronts the powerful, confounds the wise of the world, and defeats the work of the devil. But He does not do these things alone. The Holy Spirit fills Him, leads Him, and empowers Him in the same way that Spirit will empower His followers. So, as I come to the end of the chapter, I am challenged to be a humble, Spirit-filled follower who seeks to exalt Jesus in a way that brings people back to a relationship with their Maker. As I do this, I take my place in a long line of faithful followers who have given their lives for the advancement of God's kingdom as established by Jesus the Messiah. This, of all things, is the most meaningful thing for which one can give their life.

It's All About The People

As I come to the end of this first week of reading the gospel of John, its interesting to note how central people are…more specifically disciples who follow Jesus are…within the program of God’s kingdom. One of the first things John the Baptist does to prepare the way for Jesus entrance into public ministry was to prepare the people to receive him. One of the first things that Jesus does, once this ministry begins, is to gather followers around himself who will learn about His life, His mission, His kingdom, and His atoning presence. Some of those who follow Him will come to him out of their own curiosity with a desire to learn more (Andrew). Some of them will come to Jesus because of the witness of those who have become believers (Peter, Nathaniel). Some of them will come to Jesus as a result of Jesus initiating the contact and calling them to follow (Philip). But regardless of the exact method, people who become followers take center stage very early in the drama.

What a great reminder this is to me that ministry…kingdom work…is to be centered not on the construction of building, the development of programming, the production of worship services, or the administration of institutional structures. Rather, kingdom work is centered on people. More specifically, it is centered on calling people to come and see Jesus that they may have a chance to become His disciples. It’s not that buildings, programs, worship services and administration are unimportant. In fact, the opposite is true. They are critical. But the reason they are critical is because without them it is hard to reach and disciple people. So the buildings and programs are important because they can be used to minister to the people God wants to become followers of Christ.

What this means, at least to me, is that I must keep the order straight in my head. People are not to be used to advance buildings, programs, services or institutions. Rather, buildings, programs, services and institutions are to be used to advance people. When I begin to think of people as giving units who can help fund a building project, I have gotten the order wrong. When I begin to see people as targets who can keep a program up and running, I have gotten the order wrong. When I begin to use people to advance the fame of our worship services or the scope of our institution, I have gotten the order wrong. So, as we come to the end of the first chapter of John, we are reminded of the central place of calling people to follow Jesus in a life of discipleship. What a great reminder!

From Person To Person

My thoughts here are not studied, but simple observations that come to my mind as I read this section. First, it is interesting to see that the pattern of gathering people to Jesus seems to be by personal testimony. First, John tells his disciples that Jesus is the Lamb of God. As a result, they follow Jesus and ultimately become believers. Andrew then immediately seeks out his brother and, like John earlier did with him, Andrew tells his brother that Jesus is the Christ. He then brings Peter to Jesus, and as the rest of the gospel makes clear, Peter becomes a believer as well. If this is indeed the pattern of how people find there way to Jesus, then the challenge for me…and for all of us…is to ask myself if I am verbally telling people about Jesus. Am I seeking to bring people to him as John and Andrew, and later Peter, sought to do? If not, why not?

It is also interesting to note the apparent manner in which Andrew became a believer. As the story unfolds, we see Jesus asking the disciples, who have decided to investigate who this Jesus is, what they want. There answer is to inquire about where Jesus is staying. Now, that may seem like a foolish response to us, but both the Expositor’s Bible Commentary and F.F. Bruce state that what the disciples were truly asking for was time with Jesus to discover who He was and what He was all about. Jesus invites them to come and see, no doubt referring not just to where He was staying but who He was and why He had come to earth. The result of spending time with Jesus, exploring His identity and mission, was that Andrew became a believer.

It seems to me that often this is how a person comes to believe in Jesus. First, they hear a verbal testimony about him. Curious about what it means, they begin to ask questions and explore the person and purpose of Jesus. As they spend time studying His life and ministry, the Holy Spirit illuminates their minds, convicts their conscience, and convinces them to place their faith in him. While this might not be “the definitive manner” in which people come to faith, it certainly is the way I came to faith. With whom are you building a relationship in order to spend time with them in the presence of Jesus? Are you bringing people to Jesus, inviting them to “come and see” the Savior? Are you verbally witnessing to others, trusting that the Holy Spirit will empower your witness and convict their heart? I hope we are all not only believers, but witnesses for the greatest man…the God-man…who alone can bring salvation to others.

The Lamb and the Spirit

As I read this passage this morning, it strikes me that Jesus has not yet begun what is often called His public ministry. His authoratative teaching events, miracles and wonders, and power encounters with both human and spiritual enemies are yet in the future. And prior to any of these public ministry events, Jesus is filled with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. This seems, to me, to be a sort of pattern when it comes to performing any kind of Christian ministry. Ministry, by its very nature, is not something I do for God, but rather something God chooses to do through me. For that reason, the filling of the Spirit is critical if I want my ministry to be God's rather than my own. Perhaps this is why even Jesus told His disciples to wait until they had been filled by the Spirit before they went out to begin gospel ministry.

A second thing that strikes me is what you could call the "external nature" of the Holy Spirit. God does not set free a Spirit that already existed within His Son. Rather, we are told that the Holy Spirit descended upon Him. This argues against the modern idea that people already have the power of God within them and simply need some help in removing the obstacles that prevent the "God within them" to be set free. Rather, the Holy Spirit comes to us...from outside of us...as we present ourselves to God. In this way, when the Spirit comes upon us, He actually changes us and provides us with a real presence and power that was not previously within us.

Third, there seems to be a connection between the ministry of Jesus and the ability of other people, in addition to Jesus, being filled by the Spirit. John openly admits in this passage that it will be Jesus who baptizes people with the Holy Spirit. The exact manner and method are not revealed by John, but it is evident that it will be because of Jesus ministry that the Spirit will become available to the rest of humanity.

Finally, there is a connection between the event of Jesus being filled with the Spirit and the declaration of His Sonship. Somehow, because Jesus is filled by the Spirit, John recognizes that Jesus is in fact the Son of God. And while Jesus is a divine, eternally existing Son that makes him unique from all others, it is interesting that the Spirit also confirms within the heart of the believer that we are also sons and daughters of God. In fact, the Apostle Paul says in Romans 8:16, "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God."

So, as I take a superficial look at this passage, it seems to suggest these things. That as a Christian, the filling of the Spirit is critical if my ministry is to gain the results God desires. This Spirit comes upon me as I present myself to God as His servant and He chooses to take an external Spirit and place it within me...thus changing my very nature. The only way for this to happen is if I am connected with Jesus who is in charge of pouring out that Spirit into the lives of His people. And finally, when this happens I am not only empowered for ministry, but the Spirit confirms within me that I am, in fact, a child of God.

Possessing A Humble Spirit

When I read about John the Baptist in John 1:19-28 I am struck by the humility of the man. Humility is not a popular character trait in our world. Everyone in our day wants to be attractive, popular, powerful, charismatic and influential. Many desire to be the center of attention or to make sure those at school or work recognize their greatness and properly promote them to positions of honor. And yet, John the Baptist repeatedly does the opposite. The "testimony" of his life is that he is a person desiring to deflect attention from himself to Jesus. What an amazing testimony!

We see that in this passage in a variety of ways. First, when confronted by religious leaders we are told that John openly and willingly confessed that he was not the Christ. This assumes that the leaders thought that he was the Christ, or at the very least had heard rumors that he might be the Christ. But rather than trying to gain credit for himself, he openly confessed that he did not have the needed credentials. In fact, he also openly admitted that he was not Elijah (who was expected to come before Jesus) or the Prophet (not sure who this refers to). Rather than seek to use his situation to advance himself, John the Baptist uses his situation to exalt Christ. He openly points to Jesus as the coming Messiah.

Beyond that, John seems to have a healthy understanding of who he was in light of who Jesus was. John not only refers to Jesus as the Lord, but admits that he himself is not even worthy of being allowed to untie Jesus' sandals. This was the role of a mere servant, so John places himself at the lowest of lowly positions when compared to Jesus. John the Baptist is not denegrating himself. Rather, he is simply seeking to remind people of just how great a man Jesus is.

How needed is John's attitude within the church today. What the church needs are believers who see themselves as lowly servants of Jesus, rather than treating Jesus as though He were their servant. What the church needs are pastor's who willingly admit that is the agenda of Jesus that drives the church, not their personal pet projects. What is needed in the church are leaders who consider it an honor to be treated as a servant and humbly accept their role as servants of Jesus within the church. When the church is filled with this kind of humility of spirit, it becomes a place of peaceful service rather than a place of competition for individual attention. May God grant all of us this humility of spirit...beginning with me!

The Word Became Flesh

In the first portion of John's gospel, we see an amazing truth. We see the eternally existing God who was there "in the beginning" and through whom the entire world was made actually becoming flesh and dwelling with His people. In fact, when John tells us that the Word came to "dwell among us," he uses a Greek word that means literally "to dwell in a tent." Another way to say this is that He "tabernacled" with us. This is a clear reference back to the days of Israel's wanderings when God was present to dwell with His people. In Exodus 25:8 we read that the purpose of building the portable tabernacle within the camp of Israel was so that God "may dwell in their midst." Later, in Exodus 40:34, we see that the glory of the Lord "filled the tabernacle." So, when John tells us that Jesus has come to tabernacle with us, he is suggesting that just as God dwelt with His people in the days of wandering, so too in a more personal and powerful way He has come to live in our midst through Jesus.

In his five series commentary on the gospel of John, James Montgomery Boice reminds us of six truths about the Old Testament tabernacle that are worth remembering. First, the tabernacle was at the center of the camp, marking God as the central focus of Israel's life together. Likewise, Jesus has become the central focus of the Christian community, and our individual as well as common life together rightly revolve around him. Second, the tabernacle was the place where the law of Moses was preserved. So, too, the law of God is perfeclty maintained, preserved and fulfilled in the person of Jesus. Third, the tabernacle was the dwelling place of God. It was at the tabernacle that heaven and earth intersected. In a similar way, in the presence of Jesus, heaven and earth intersect. Fourth, the tabernacle was the place of guidance and revelation. Often, it was at the temple where God spoke to His people. Likewise, it is now Jesus where the believer goes for the revelation of truth for daily guidance in life. God speaks to us through His Son. Fifth, the tabernacle was the place where sacrifices were made. So it is for us that Jesus has become our sacrifice for sin so that we might approach God the Father with confidence. And finally, the tabernacle was the place where Israel worshipped. Likewise, it is in the presence of Jesus where we, God's people, gather for worship.

How significant it is that the Word became flesh and "tabernacled" among us. It means that He has become the center of our lives, the place where God's law is fulfilled and preserved, the place where heaven and earth meet, the person who gives us truth and guidance, the one who has become our sacrificial lamb and the place where we gather for worship. Through all of this, in the person of Jesus, God has come to live among us by the power of His Spirit...to reveal Himself to us...to be our God and cause us to be His people.