Commit to what?

Have you had the experience of committing to something or someone, only to discover later that you had no idea what that commitment would involve?

I have! After graduating for high school, I enrolled at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby. Part of that process was to declare a goal for my studies. High school was easy for me, and I was interested in science, so I chose a double major on Chemistry and Physics. I did not consult a counsellor. Then, I also signed up for the wrestling team.

University studies were not so easy, and wrestling at that level involved more than 20 hours per week of training. I did not have a very accurate idea of what I had commited myself to, nor what I was capable of. After my first semester, I was on academic warning, after the second with no wrestling, academic probation, and after the third semester I was applying for a full-time work at an oil refinery.

Not long after I got that job, Margaret and I became engaged to be married. Again, I was committing to something with very little knowledge of what was to come. This time, however, there was wise and careful council from our pastor. But did I understand the admonition to love her as Christ loved the church, even when I was required to put her needs before mine? Did she understand what it meant to respect me, even when I did not deserve it?

Surely, not very well, as neither of us had any idea what our 40 years together would bring, nor the manner of her passing.

Oh, and that job at the oil refinery, I had no idea what that would end up looking like, nor did I have the background to understand, if I had been told. But between three employers, three refineries and approximately 20 different roles, I ended up with more than 46 years in a career that I mostly enjoyed, a good standard of living, and a comfortable retirement. I also gained experience in being a follower of jesus in a secular environment.

What about you?

Have committed to something or someone only to discover later that this was not what you expected, nor what you thought you were committing to.

Is it even possible to know what our committments will demand of us?

We are not alone in this!

Jesus Disciples Didn’t Either

The twelve disciples responded to Jesus personal invitation to follow him. A larger group, including the seventy-two from Luke 10, followed Jesus to hear him teach and became a part of his public ministry. The crowds were attracted by miracles, healings and his teaching.

What did they expect? What did the disciples think they were leaving everything behind for? They were taught by Jesus, they participated in his ministry, even to them being empowered to proclaim the kingdom of God and heal the sick (Luke 9:1-6, Luke 10:1-16). They werewitnesses his power over death and nature.

When asked, Peter declared Jesus was the Messiah (Hebrew) or the Christ (Greek) of God. It was after this that Jesus began to explain to then what was coming for him and for them.

Three times, Jesus explained to his disciples that he would suffer, be rejected by the chief priests and elders, die and rise again (Luke 9:21-27; Luke 9:44-45; and Luke 18:31-34. Similarly, Matthew and Mark recorded these explanations as well. Included with the predictions was instruction in the cost of being his disciples.

First Steps

So, what did they hear and see?

John 12:1–3 NET

1 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom he had raised from the dead. 2 So they prepared a dinner for Jesus there. Martha was serving, and Lazarus was among those present at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took three quarters of a pound of expensive aromatic oil from pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus. She then wiped his feet dry with her hair. (Now the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfumed oil.)

Even though writing many years, likely decades later, John remembered the smell of the perfumed oil. This is the second of three similar accounts, the first at a Pharisee’s house, recorded in Luke 7, the later at the house of Simon the leper who also lived in Bethany, as recorded in Matthew and Mark immediately prior to the Jesus’ last supper with his disciples.

Staying at the home of their friends, Jesus is anointed with oil, but not the olive oil that was typical for a new King as instituted by Samuel with Kings Saul and David (1 Samuel 10:1; 16:1, 12-13) but rather a very expensive embalming oil. Judas, the treasurer was not happy with this. The price of the perfumed oil was ten times what he would get for betraying Jesus. Jesus rebukes him and commends her.

While there, a large crowd gathers to see Jesus and raised-from-the-dead Lazarus.

John 12:12–16 NET

12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him. They began to shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!” 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15 “Do not be afraid, people of Zion; look, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt!”16 (His disciples did not understand these things when they first happened, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about him and that these things had happened to him.)

The crowd had palm branches, which in Jesus time, had been adopted from the harvest time feast of tabernacles begun in Leviticus 23:40 to become a part of celebrating generally, according to some sources (NET study notes).

They heard the crowd shouting a passage from Psalm 118:25-26. This was also part of the Feart of Tabernacles celebration. To that they added “Blessed is the king of Israel. The literal meaning of “Hosanna” from Psalm 118, is Please Lord, deliver or perhaps save:

Psalm 118:25–26 NET

25 Please Lord, deliver! Please Lord, grant us success! 26 May the one who comes in the name of the Lord be blessed! We will pronounce blessings on you in the Lord’s temple.

They did not understand and were afraid to ask as we read in John 12:16. The disciples did not understand the meaning of what was being said and done, including the application of Zechariah 9:9, until after Jesus was glorified.

In Matthew, Mark and Luke we read of how the donkey and her foal were found on Jesus’s instructions, by two of the disciples, not including John. The donkey and the foal of the donkey also appear in Genesis 49:11, Isreal’s blessing on his son Judah. The donkey, with its foal, according to Jonathan G. Kline, was symbolic of a new covenant between a great King and his subordinate, inducting the vassal into the greater kingdom.

They saw and heard a large crowd as they walked from Bethany to Jerusalem, about 4-5 Km.

Many people saw and heard and believed in Jesus. But they saw and believed in a coming king, a prophet, a teacher.

Did the dicsiples think Jesus was finally getting the sort of attention he deserved? Were they wondering how they fit in?

Some Pharisees saw and heard and were not happy. In Luke 19:25 the demand Jesus rebuke his disciples. He didn’t!

The chief priests saw and heard and, already plotting to kill Jesus, added Lazarus to their list of people to be killed. The high priest understood that it was better for one man to die for the benefit of the whole nation and said so (John 11:49-52) but was thinking in terms of human politics.

Jesus saw and heard and wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44. He understood what was to come for him, for his disciples and wept for Jerusalem.

Preparation

From Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem until his arrest follows a most intense time of teaching. In Matthew and Luke, Jesus’s public teaching is recorded, Included are sharp exchanges with Pharisees (proponents of very strict adherence to the law), Saddusees (who did not believe in any ressurection), and the Temple priests. For them, Jesus is a problem prophet.

For his disciples Jesus instructed them on what was to come as well, but with a difference. Included with the warnings of persecution and difficult times for all, Jesus explains his provision for how they can live.

In John 13 he gives them the new love commandment, that they should love one another as he loves them and sets obedience to that commandment as their sign of authenticity as his disciples.

It is in John 14 that he gives them the keys to thriving in the world after he has left.

He first comforts them by showing them how it is all going to end, in a new home with him in a place he has specifically prepared. He then helps them understand unity of God in Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

He explains to them the coming of the Holy Spirit to reside with them and live in them. This is the way they, and those who come after them, will do greater things than Jesus himself had been able to do. He also reminds them of the need to obey his commandments. It is the Holy Spirit that makes it possible to take on this long term, not knowable in advance, commitment. It is the Holy Spirit that teaches, that brings the right knowledge to recollection just when it is needed.

In John 15 he shows them how connected they are to him. This connection is the sole source of good fruit and great joy. But it will also result in persecution from any and all who hate Jesus. This connection is to be most evident in demonstrated love.

John 15:9–12 NET

9 “Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete. 12 My commandment is this—to love one another just as I have loved you.

In John 16 he offers promises of Holy Spirit driven knowledge and wisdom, assures them of answers to prayer, complete joy, and peace.

John 16:33 NET

33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage—I have conquered the world.”

And then Jesus prayed: for the disciples in the room with him and for all who would believe through their testimony!

In that prayer we learn what Jesus’s death on the cross and his resurrection and the presence of the Holy Spirit are intended to accomplish in his followers:

That we would know eternal life — by being in relationship with the one true God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit

That we would be protected from the evil one.

That we would be one in the same way The Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are one. Not identical, not doing the same things but working together to accomplish the goal of bringing people to reconciliation and relationship God.

That we remain in the world but not belong to the world. We are to be different by our obedience to God and his Word.

So, what have we, who follow Jesus, committed our selves to?

Our first commitment — Believe in God.

Our first commitment is to cooperate with God, to be open to his call:

Hebrews 11:6 tells us that the beginning of faith is to believe God exists and that he rewards the person who seeks him.

This is becoming so much more difficult in our world. The absolute truth of God’s existence as a person who would reward a diligent seeker is being lost to a belief in relative truth that says, “What ever I think, that is truth for me!”

Our second commitment — Trust God

Our second committment is to trust Jesus with our sin, with our failures to act rightly and our tendancy to act wrongly. Jesus’ death on the cross fully paid the price for my sins, past present and future (Romans 5:8-9) This makes it possible for us to recover from our failures and to be made more like him. But, he will not force or coerce us. We must choose him and invite him to apply his sacrifice on our behalf. This allows him to give us new life, beginning a new creation in us.

Our third commitment — Serve God

Our third commitment is to serve him with the new life we have been given. In Jesus’ resurrection and the giving of the Holy Spirit, we are given the ability to set aside our old self and discover the new resurrection life we have been given by God. This involves obedience to Jesus (John 15:9-14); cooperation with the Holy Spirit to empower all that we do; and steadfast endurance until Jesus returns or until we die (Romans 12:1-2).

Our fourth commitment — Love

Our fourth commitment is to love: first God before all else (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37-38), then love our neighbor as we love and care for ourselves(Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:39-40), and love each other in the self-sacrificial way Jesus loves us.

Philippians 2:5–11 NET

5 You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, 6 who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. 8 He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death —even death on a cross! 9 As a result God exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow —in heaven and on earth and under the earth— 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

According to Jesus this is our certificate of authenticity!

John 13:35 NET

35 Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.”

What then are the consequences of a commitment to follow Jesus?

We will leave our life before Jesus behind Romans 8:12; Galatians 5:19-21, 24).

We will enjoy a new life in the Spirit, in relationship with God as his children (Romans 8:15-16; Galatians 5:22-23).

Because we are connected with Jesus, those who hate him will hate us.

Because we are not of this world, we should not expect, nor demand political nor legal rights, nor seek any sort of control in this world’s systems. If such things come to us, we accept them with gratitude knowing they come from God. Daniel, Joseph, Esther, Naaman’s servant girl and Ezra are some Biblical examples of people God gave positions of influence in the secular world the lived in.

Because we love well, without conditions, people will be attracted to Jesus.

This week I listened to a podcast on which Rick Warren, of Saddleback Church, was interviewed about his church in 2020, under pandemic restrictions. He said that 2020 has seen more people make first time decisions for Christ and that more people had been baptised than at anytime in his 40+ years at Saddleback church. He said most of those were the result of one to one conversations with church people as they sought to assist the needy and the hurting. Love in action drew people to Jesus.

Whats next?

If you have not asked Jesus to apply his sacrifice to your sins, you can start there! If you have questions contact us, please. If you do make that decision, tell someone near you whom you know is a follower of Jesus, or contact us.

If you have a relationship with Jesus already, take some time to check up on yourself. How are you doing with the commitments above. They are all large and there will always be something to work toward to make them more complete.

This was Paul’s expression of commitment in the latter part of his life:

Philippians 3:10–11 NET

10 My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.