Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good evening, dear ones.

Lots of rain this weekend. We spent a good deal of the weekend with our friends, Charlie and Carla Peterson, at a resort hotel at Long Beach, Washington. The heavy rain didn’t allow a lot of time out of doors. But Charlie and I managed to find a little window of dry time for a jog this morning—plus some time to fly a stunt kite. We were back here in Molalla for our Gospel Sing at Pheasant Pointe at 3pm.

Becki is here sitting by the woodstove that’s blazing with the assignment to apply some heat to the cold house. She’s just fielded an important phone call—and is now playing a game on her new cell phone—while she soaks up the heat.

Have a good night. Blessings. Dad/Ray.

I urge you to take time to memorize these two verses—John 11:25-26: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Notice that the condition to this awesome promise is “He who believes in me.” So I hereby repeat Jesus’ question: “Do you (I mean YOU) believe this?”—and what He said? For the person whose answer happens to be something like, “Mostly yes…but not fully,” a good follow-up question would be, “What would it take to influence you to fully believe?” Notice that for some in this account—those who did not want to believe—even seeing a dead man raised to life was insufficient to convince them. But the wonderful benefit to those who choose to believe, even though they cannot fully understand every facet of that belief, any and all reasons for fearing death is now completely removed. I’ll choose that over the alternatives any day!

Let’s review some key exchanges in this passage. Jesus said to Martha, “Did I not tell you that IF YOU BELIEVED, you would see the glory of God?” (v. 40). Then Jesus prayed while standing before the open tomb of Lazarus, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, THAT THEY MAY BELIEVE that you sent me” (vv. 41-42). Many of the people “who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, PUT THEIR FAITH IN HIM (believed)” (v. 45). But the angry and frustrated Jewish leaders exclaimed, “If we let him go on like this, EVERYONE WILL BELIEVE IN HIM (Oh—how terrible!), and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation” (v. 48). Do you see what’s going on here? These guys are now fabricating the appearance of a noble concern for their nation as a smoke screen for justifying their hatred of Jesus. It’s a common tactic— manipulation by fear. “So from that day on they plotted to take his life” (v. 53). Such is the natural outcome of refusing to believe. Indeed, no one can peacefully coexist with the claims of Christ without believing.

Why is believing so critically important? Because BELIEF DETERMINES BEHAVIOR—and BEHAVIOR CONFIRMS BELIEF. For “faith (belief) without deeds (evidential behavior) is dead (worthless, not true)” (James 2:26).

In chapter 6 of John, Jesus presents Himself as THE BREAD OF LIFE (6:35). In chapter 7 He claims to be LIVING WATER (7:37-38). In chapter 8 He is THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD (8:12). In chapter 9 Jesus clearly states that He is THE SON OF MAN (MESSIAH) (9:35-37). In chapter 10 Jesus says He is THE GOOD SHEPHERD (10:14). And now in chapter 11, Jesus states that He is THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE (11:25). The BIG question remains: DO YOU BELIEVE THIS?