Receiving the Light - Part 1

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."  John 8:12

Effective teachers do more than convey information.  They ask questions.

Jesus was famous for asking questions.  As a matter of fact, He made answering a question with a question somewhat of an art form.  That’s because Jesus understood an important principle: Asking a person the right question often has far greater benefits than simply handing him the right answer.  Questions require thinking and analysis.  They push people toward an answer – toward a decision.  And Jesus is all about decisions.

The eleventh chapter of Luke paints an interesting scene.  Beginning in verse fourteen, we see a crowd of people witnessing an exorcism.  Jesus is confronting a demon that has silenced a man’s ability to speak.  I imagine that was something to see.  But unlike some of Jesus’ other demonic encounters, we don’t get a lot of details on the exorcism itself.  Instead, Luke’s focus is on the varied reactions of those present.

Some questioned Jesus’ power and authority saying that they came from Satan himself.  Some people marveled – they were intrigued by what they saw.  While others wanted more of a show – they wanted Jesus to show them more miracles.  They were curious, but they wanted more proof.

People respond to Jesus in similar ways today – marveling, questioning, and even demonizing.  But according to Jesus it’s not enough to marvel at the miracles He performed.  Nor is it enough to like Jesus or to enjoy listening to His teachings.  Surprisingly, it’s not enough to publicly praise Jesus (Lk 11:27,28) or even to be freed from demonic possession (Lk 11:26).  Jesus pushes his hearers beyond all of these things.  Jesus pushes those who would listen towards one goal: the decision to receive Him.

In this passage, Jesus likens himself to a lamp that has been placed high on a stand for all the world to see.  He has come to enlighten the world to spiritual truths that cannot be perceived with the naked eye or understood with bare human intellect.  And one of these truths is the very real existence of two unseen, spiritual kingdoms:  One a kingdom of darkness, the other a kingdom of light. One the kingdom of Satan and the other the Kingdom of God. One the kingdom of Hell, the other the kingdom of Heaven.

In Luke 11:21-22 Jesus tells a short parable of a king and his kingdom. He describes this king as a strong man, fully armed guarding his own palace.  His army and his kingdom have been secure and at peace – that is until one stronger than he arrives and attacks his kingdom.  This stronger man overpowers the king, overthrows his kingdom and divides the spoils of battle.

In this parable, the “strong man” is Satan and the palace he was guarding is this world.  Jesus is the one who is stronger – the one who has attacked Satan’s kingdom and has overcome him.  Jesus’ miracle proves the point:  The man with the demon is evidence of the reality of Satan’s kingdom and the exorcism is proof that Jesus is “one stronger than he.”  Satan is overcome by Jesus and the kingdom of darkness is overcome by the light.  The kingdom of God has arrived and Jesus is the Commander in Chief.

Jesus has both the power and the authority to overthrow Satan’s kingdom but, as in any war, the people must choose sides.  Which kingdom and army will they support?

Jesus asks the question and then adds, “Whoever is not with me is against me.”  Whoever does not choose to side with Jesus remains on the side of the enemy.  There is no middle ground (Lk 11:23).

Too often, people want to sit on the fence.  They want to avoid making a commitment, making a decision to receive Christ.  But Jesus warns us that the unseen battle is real, though we cannot see it.  The lines between these two kingdoms have been drawn though we cannot always perceive them.

We must choose sides.  We must answer the question:  What are you going to do with Jesus?  What are you going to do with the light?  Will you join him?  Or will you be part of the resistance?  An insurgent for the kingdom of darkness?

The default setting on the human heart is darkness.  We all begin there for that is the kingdom we are born into.  The question is, “Where are you today?” The answer to that question makes a world of difference – the difference between heaven and hell. 

There is only one way to know: Have you received the light?  Have you chosen to receive Jesus and the redemption that He offers?  It is the only way out of the kingdom of Satan and the kingdom of Hell. 

If you are not with Jesus, you are against Him (Lk 11:23).  But to all who do receive Him, who believe in His name, He gives the right to become children of God – children of the kingdom (cf. John 1:12).  Receive Him today.

"I'm sending you off to open the eyes of the outsiders so they can see the difference between dark and light, and choose light, see the difference between Satan and God, and choose God. I'm sending you off to present my offer of sins forgiven, and a place in the family, inviting them into the company of those who begin real living by believing in me.”  Acts 26:17-18 (The Message)

“And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”  1John 5:20

Scoreboard...Scoreboard!!

Scoreboard!!

If you are a sports fan, you are probably familiar with some of the chants that fans get going at football and basketball games. Personally, I am a college sports fan. Whether it’s basketball, football or baseball, there just seems to be more passion in the college game – both for the athletes and the fans. Maybe this is why you hear more of these cheers and chants in the college arena than in the professional arena.

In any event, there are chants I enjoy, chants I despise, and chants I can’t figure out. One of the chants I can’t figure out is when a crowd starts in with “Over-rated! Over-rated!” This chant usually takes place when an underdog team beats a highly ranked team. But the whole chant seems counter intuitive. Wouldn’t it reflect better on your team to defeat a highly ranked team than a team that really isn’t as good as everyone thought? Isn’t it better to beat the best team in the nation than someone who should’ve been ranked number ten?

One of my favorite chants is “Scoreboard! Scoreboard!” While it’s not exactly a Christian virtue to rub defeat in someone’s face, I like the value this chant has in silencing an opponent. It is intended to remind the other team of their impending defeat – as evidenced by the numbers on the scoreboard. It says, “Cheer all you want, but your team is headed for defeat. End of story.” A slam dunk or touchdown by the losing team may bring temporary celebration, but the scoreboard serves as a reminder that their defeat is just a matter of time.

So what do sporting event chants like “Scoreboard!” have to do with the Bible? Good question. Believe it or not, they have much to do with the scene the Bible paints of the heavenly realm.

In one of the best-known portrayals of the spiritual realm, a conversation between God and Satan (the enemy of God) is recorded for us. This is found in the famous story of Job. Is it fair to say that God holds up Job as one of his MVP’s? Think about it, of all the people on the earth, God picks Job as an example of a blameless and upright man! That’s an MVP if I ever heard of one! But Satan doesn’t care about Job’s amazing performance. Satan argues that Job is a dedicated, hardworking player only because God has given him a full-ride scholarship. Satan says, “Take away his scholarship and perks around campus, and this guy will bad-mouth you faster than you can say‘first-round draft pick.’”

In the last book of the Bible, Satan, this enemy of God, is described as “the accuser of our brothers and sisters, the one who accuses them day and night before our God.” In other words, Satan doesn’t just question Job’s dedication to God, he badmouths all followers of God. Satan says, “Look at these poor excuses for Christians. There he sits, preparing the lesson for the men’s bible study. But did you see him last night when he was arguing with his wife? He didn’t look much like Jesus then, did he?” “Or how about James over there. Sure, he’s never cheated on his wife – at least not in person. But how about all those women he fantasizes about on his computer screen? He seems more loyal to his sex drive than he is to your commandments. Some follower that is.” “Or how about Julia over there? She tells all of her church friends that you are going to provide a husband for her some day, but deep down we both know she doubts you. Any day now, she’s going to take matters into her own hands and settle for the first decent guy that comes along – Christian or non-Christian.”

Ahhh. But here’s the part where the chants come into play. A lot has happened since the days of Job, and the Bible fills in some important details. Following his resurrection, Jesus is given the privilege of being seated next to God. And he’s sitting victoriously at God’s right hand – symbolic of God’s power. Picture the new scene: Satan approaches God’s throne with a real ringer of an accusation against you, but he can’t help but notice Jesus sitting there next to God. And from the time he entered the throne room, he could hear the chanting of the angels ringing in his ears. They are chanting “Scoreboard! Scoreboard!” and they are pointing at something. It’s Jesus. He is God’s scoreboard! The presence of Jesus is a constant reminder that Satan’s defeat is already decided. The clock is running out and there is nothing Satan can do to overcome the victory of Christ. Before Satan even levels his accusations against you, he knows they will fall short of accomplishing anything meaningful. You belong to God. And then there is the fact that Jesus is described as our advocate who intercedes for us – he is our high-powered attorney. To every accusation of sin or disloyalty, he simply responds, “Paid for. Game over.”

So, the next time Satan goes on one of his condemnation streaks against you, remind him that you belong to Christ, then picture the heavenly scene pictured above. You might even describe it to him! And while you’re at it, you may as well chant “Overrated! Overrated!” because we give Satan way too much power and credit. As one author put it, Satan is a roaring lion, but he is a de-fanged roaring lion– he was defeated once and for all by Jesus Christ.