Jesus the man
Want to be called the friend of God like Abraham? Because he believed God! Depends on who you are listening to and looking to (even belonging to), and who your relationship is with.
"He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord ...?"
If a verse in the Bible can cut across our preconceived
ideas on God and send our
traditions
flying, take a good look and ponder at the above verse. Mainstream
religiosity and 'WASP (Western Anglo Saxon Protestant) culture' have
not
allowed folk to see past this rendering in times past. It might
mean
one could re-valuate their religious background or even break out of
their
spiritual complacency. Furthermore, this could be dangerous,
especially
for religious professionals and mini empire builders.
The picture
John 13:25 paints here is that things were quite casual and laid-back
at
times,
in the gatherings of Jesus and His disciples. Like they were a
relaxed
family/homely environment, or something ... "Fancy lounging
around
together
like this in the Sanctuary of all places!?" Nothing like the
religious
institutions
then or now. Like these guys generally felt they were real
brothers in the 'true blue' buddy sense and not in some try-hard
"brotherhood" fraternity. Where family was an
actuality and not a captured New Age warm fuzzy phrase. Nor some
conjured up
"corporate"
expression. Nor a type of formalized comradeship; functioning
within
the bounds of an abbey, or lodge, or club, or after a Sunday morning
meeting out in the carpark (parking lot), as loyal members of some
"brethren"
initiated
membership, on card, but not in reality. Together with back slapping
gestures
and branding club members with the title of "Brother" and all
that guff. As if
something
'snazzy' and out 'of the ordinary' had to be proved. You get the
drift!
"Brother Jesus!"
"Yes, Brother John!"
"Would you have any objection Brother if I laid my head on your chest?"
"Out of the question Brother John. This would not be a good look. What would other people think Brother John?"
Another picture revealed in this verse is how intimately one could have access to Jesus. Or be attached to Him in the purest sense. This makes Proverbs 18:24 light the night sky: "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly (be a 'man pleaser' in other words): and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother (someone 100% genuine)."
John had found (by proven relationship and full trust) the intimate closeness of a true friend, as one who showed himself friendly (with the absence of pretence or ulterior motives), and one who could be trusted entirely. Even prepared to lay his life down for YOU or ME. With totally unselfish reasons. Yes, in an area where guile and malice would be completely out of the picture. No 'other agendas' or subtle manipulation in this camp.
When Stephen was being stoned to death by religious fanatics and frenzied patriots in the Book of Acts, we don't find him pulling out of the hat the latest sermon on "How To Pray". Or the latest soft paperback called "Improving The Situation". Nope! He didn't have any time for all that mumbo jumbo in this desperate situation, unrehearsed, and violently impromptu. Moreover, get this ... he never uttered a prayer ascribed to the title of "Father", or "My Father", or "our Father" (not to forget to mention "Heavenly Father") either! It was merely and simply (and intimately and spontaneously) ... "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
Can you visualize Stephen uttering out loud here, "Our most reverend, eternal, omnipotent and omniscient Father in Heaven"? Or some other verbal blast-off from the Department of Religious Studies! No, (repeating again) this true servant of the most High just merely called out to the God he loved, his big brother and friend ...
"Lord
Jesus, receive my spirit."
Hey,
and guess what ... as Stephen looked up in the midst of this
vicious assault and fatal aggression against him, He never did see Jesus
sitting at the right hand of God, in His glorified
position. What he did see however, was Jesus (the image and shape of God, and more) standing
at the right hand of God. Does not the scripture promise that He
will honour those who honour Him? Well, here was the King of kings
saluting his younger brother with great honour from His exalted
position. How beautiful and irreligious is that?
I have
heard teaching in so-called fundelmentalist circles where the "buddy" side
of Jesus had been totally rubbished as "hip" nonsense and some sort of
relic from the Jesus Movement. Whattabout Jesus showing great
admiration for a faithful servant? Somehow the scriptures on God
being
"the friend of sinners" had been overlooked or could be clinically
brushed
aside and placed on-hold. Here, teachings like this, could be conveniently
re-extracted from
the "sacred pages" by a slick
professional (on a special day),
who had the credentials and expertise to eloquently expound, formalize,
then neatly pigeonhole again, in the "cold doctrine" filing
department, after delivery. Until he, once again, needed a colourful additive to give some lofty sermon the edge, for a
future
event.
Of course, if Jesus was our buddy (our very close, personal and
intimate friend, sticking closer than a brother) would this not show
up His so-called two other cohorts and coequals in the so-called
Trinity? We could not have that could we? This would
separate Jesus from being our Dad or brother as well as being our Comforter, and
reinforce "the three divine persons" we are supposed to look to, even
individually at times.
Of course
the buddy, meaning "groovy" type of Jesus, can be waaay over the top (the 'other'
flippant and unhallowed "Jesus" Paul warned the Corinthians about) as
he quite
often has been portrayed in times past, due to the "severity of God"
being
cancelled out in the "Jesus Freak" style. Or being found as a
licence or excuse for sloppiness and
laziness in heeding to the full counsel of God.
However,
by rightly dividing the scriptures one can see the Jesus of scripture
as
a warm and compassionate man. A man who could laugh and play
(better
provide sum scriptures on dis one - Luke 24: 14-16;28). A man
who
had like appetites and passions as we have. A man who could
bled (red blood like us),
sweat
and shed tears; and suffer for the sake of others. A perfect
man.
The only perfect man in fact ... the Creator coming down in the
flesh.
Moreover, remember ... "every spirit that
confesseth not that
Jesus
Christ is come in the flesh
is not of God." Iz not of God that iz!! This rules out the Hebrew Roots camp in one fell
swoop. Or those who are not happy with a Greek NT (let alone d'English)
God has provided. Or whattabout those who play down His "blessed
and only
Potentate" role for a middle role, shared with two other coequal divine
blokes He happens to be sandwiched in between, sharing a co equal basis?
However, from the inspired scriptures we have a true picture of Jesus of Nazareth, the prophet from
Galilee! Who of course is our Saviour in the flesh. Who happened to of walked the dusty roads of Judea, and
slept,
fished, cooked, and ate meals with his friends! Who also experienced being
nurtured
as a baby, breast fed, winded, and having his nappies changed (diapers in the land of Uncle Sam).
Who
grew up with like siblings. Later working as a tradesman. As well as
running
a family home (with the absence of Joseph in latter years). Knowing
what
it was like being a brother and a father. An everyday commoner. Just another
villager. As well as a tradesman and
businessman.
This same fella also experiencing
what it was like to be not only rejected by friends, but betrayed, set
up, falsely accused, then discarded as dung outside the city. By being
turned upon in violent mass and brutal bloody savagery. Until death. Bottom line ... you cannot
have Jesus without the cross! It is impossible! Unless you
embrace the manufactured stand-in, false one. The one reserved
for religionists and those who do not have a love for the truth.
Jesus our God
Now let's take this humble picture of Jesus one step further, going beyond the carpenter of Nazareth image, as in the case of Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:16:
"Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, now henceforth know we him no more."
Why does
scripture sometimes refer to our Lord as 'Jesus Christ' and some other
times reversed as 'Christ Jesus'? Coz this is how Paul (as
Saul)
on the road to Damascus first met him ... 
in His glorified state,
the eternal King, the risen Lord of lords! Meaning, Paul met
Jesus as the
anointed One
(Christ)
before Saviour, in other words. Then after this close encounter
of the
first
kind,
Paul soon discovered Him as Saviour. This happened beyond and in
reverse to how the other apostles
meet
Him first, as the man from Galilee. A bit like a prodigal son, after
coming to his senses, then returning home to his caring loving Dad, coz he could never get by without him.
Remember, it was Jesus who 'unconverted Paul' (as Saul) came face to face
with on the road to "nowhere", and no one else. Who was it who
answered Saul? The great light (1 John 1:5) said this and made it clear as day:
"I am Jesus whom thou persecutest"!
Yes Jesus! Just like when
the converted Stephen (the story reversed this time) was breathing his
last breaths on earth prayed:
"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
Moreover, just like Thomas when he recognized his Lord (again after the resurrection, like the other two blokes). Reiterating his beautiful and man to man response:
"My Lord and my God."
We
don't need an encounter with "the Trinity"! An encounter with
Jesus Christ is what everyone needs! Pre and post cross, it is
always Jesus we look to. No one else! Beyond
the cross "know we him no more" as in the flesh. This means, as a post cross
disciples we know Him not just as the man who walked the earth (uprightly),
but
in Spirit, as the Lord of all glory who changeth not.
This is to say that all the qualities Jesus was furnished with, even before He strode the roads of Roman occupied Judea, have been transposed with Him as He reigns in the heights of glory, supreme and pre-eminent. This also means that all the eternal divine attributes and human qualities he had as Jesus of Nazareth, are a present reality, where the risen Christ cannot be divorced from the friend of sinners 2000 years ago, to a fantasized "austere"," formal", "beyond the clouds" deism of today. Nor brought down to a hippy figure who was "just a man" as the "JC Superstar" song acclaimed. Nor placed inside a formulated triangular system termed "the Trinity", as a second in command (middleman) between two other co divine persons. After all ... He is still "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."
The incredible
thing is ... this same (eternal) Jesus still desires a meaningful
relationship
both with you and me, former rebels redeemed. The amazing and
wonderful thing for everyone (reserved for those who repent and call
out to Him) is that God became man and dwelt among us, empathizing with
our weakness, and making away back as reconciliation unto God.
Whereby we can walk with Him daily in intimate communion,
everlasting. Look at 1
John 3:16! How beautiful does it get:
"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us".
Absolutely nothing to do with a
Triune, three person God! Or the middle man (person) of two
others persons within the Godhead.
In rounding off this whole
Trinity exposé series ... remember the meeting again of
the gloried and resurrected Jesus with Thomas, the one who doubted
Him? When Thomas was convinced Jesus was who He said He was (both
tangibly and spiritually - as man and as God) Thomas acknowledged His
friend and Lord magnificently (John 20:28). These are indeed Thomas' own words (being quoted again), in
effect and direct to Jesus, about Jesus (our personal revelation and
Saviour), as well as being included into the canon of scripture, as the sealed, trusted and inspired word of God:
"My Lord and my God."
The Whole Trinity Series:
Introduction to the Three Divine Persons
The Threefold Witness of Jesus
The Eternal Word and the Begotten Son
Jesus - God and Man
The Traditional Trinity - vs - The Biblical Godhead
The LORD and the Lord
"Behold the Man" - The Fulness of God
The Satanic Trinity in Progress
Another Pilgrim - Without the Camp
Jesus