March 30th 2014
Jesus Loved Everyone, And Died For All Because Of His Love For Them!
John 17:8-11 (NIV)
For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one.
When praying for His disciples, Jesus said, “I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.” The people of this world, or the worldly, do not believe that Jesus is the Savior of the world, and thus, it is the responsibility of the disciples of Jesus to convince the world that He is the Savior, by our ability to be one with each other. Jesus said, “so that they may be one as we are one! “ The disciples of Jesus are to love one another, as Jesus loved His Father, and we are to be one with each other. If we did this, then we could convince other people that Jesus is really the Savior of the world.
Satan has done a masterful job of keeping those who claim to be followers of Jesus separated by theological differences of opinion, and by emphasizing specific parts of God’s Word just to be different than others who claim to be followers of Jesus. The “me” factor is too big of an obstacle for any of us to overcome! More denominations are formed every day, so that we guarantee separation at an increased rate. Jesus tried to alert those early followers about this problem, while He still walked this earth. Jesus told us to love those people we disagree with. "You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:43-45a)
Today, even those people who agree that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior do not believe we have our belief correctly understood, so we cannot truly be brothers and sisters through Jesus Christ! Each denomination clings to selected important verses of God’s Word, and thus, they remain self-righteously separated from other people who have emphasized other specific verses. Also, each denomination has selected a human being whom they follow that is not Jesus Christ. Many denominations have a book(s) that this human being wrote that they follow, and often these writing are held above God’s Word.
All of the cults and world religions follow the writings of some human being, which in many cases are based somewhat on the Holy Bible, but without reference to that fact. Some even use the Bible as a reference book, but the religion is mostly based on the writing of a human being. It makes me wonder how different the proclaimed followers of Jesus are than the worldly religions. When Jesus walked this earth, He scorned the Jewish religious leaders for following not God’s Words but their own writing, which they believed helped them follow God correctly.
Of course, all denominations cannot be correct, when they require different paths to follow in order to obtain salvation. If one says baptism is required for salvation, and another says it is not part of salvation, but just an outward sign of becoming a member of their church. Or that baptism must be done in a certain way, or at a certain age, or certain time in the life of the member. Some teach that in order to enter heaven you must have been baptized! Not all of these theological choices can be correct! All of these theological differences are based upon the translation of God’s Word, the Bible to be specific, so it is obvious someone has understood it incorrectly!
What is this commentary trying to tell me, you may now be asking? It is NOT meant to make you question the ideas the church of your choice has about these differences of translation and understanding. My only hope/prayer here is for all of us to devalue the differences that exist between followers of Jesus, and accentuate the positive of sharing a belief that Jesus is the way. We are all searching for the way to find everlasting life with Jesus. Jesus said that we know the way if we truly know Him.
After Jesus said this the Apostle named Thomas said he did not know where Jesus was going, thus he did not know the way there. You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." (John 14:4-7) All who know Jesus, also know the Father, even if you do not have all of the steps in the correct order to access the narrow path, remember, that Jesus will come back to get you, and lead you there when your time comes.
Are you willing to be led by Jesus as a child of God, when He comes to claim you as His child? Jesus once said that the kingdom of God belongs to children. Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Matthew 19:13-14) Are you willing to be led by Jesus? Jesus taught His disciples to love everyone. But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who ill-treat you. (Luke 6:27-28)
If you love everyone, as Jesus taught, you could have no enemies; well that is to say you would not consider anyone as your enemy. However, not everyone is like that, there are those who do not know Jesus/God, and therefore, they could consider you their enemy. So all those who know Jesus would not be an enemy, as Paul wrote about how God has taught us brotherly love. Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. (1Thessalonians 4:9) Peter wrote about how love can cover over a multitude of sins. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (1Peter 4:8) Jesus died for all mankind, so that we may be saved from our sinful nature, for all have sinned.
Jesus loved everyone, and died for all because of His love for them!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
John 17:8-11 (NIV)
For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one.
When praying for His disciples, Jesus said, “I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.” The people of this world, or the worldly, do not believe that Jesus is the Savior of the world, and thus, it is the responsibility of the disciples of Jesus to convince the world that He is the Savior, by our ability to be one with each other. Jesus said, “so that they may be one as we are one! “ The disciples of Jesus are to love one another, as Jesus loved His Father, and we are to be one with each other. If we did this, then we could convince other people that Jesus is really the Savior of the world.
Satan has done a masterful job of keeping those who claim to be followers of Jesus separated by theological differences of opinion, and by emphasizing specific parts of God’s Word just to be different than others who claim to be followers of Jesus. The “me” factor is too big of an obstacle for any of us to overcome! More denominations are formed every day, so that we guarantee separation at an increased rate. Jesus tried to alert those early followers about this problem, while He still walked this earth. Jesus told us to love those people we disagree with. "You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:43-45a)
Today, even those people who agree that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior do not believe we have our belief correctly understood, so we cannot truly be brothers and sisters through Jesus Christ! Each denomination clings to selected important verses of God’s Word, and thus, they remain self-righteously separated from other people who have emphasized other specific verses. Also, each denomination has selected a human being whom they follow that is not Jesus Christ. Many denominations have a book(s) that this human being wrote that they follow, and often these writing are held above God’s Word.
All of the cults and world religions follow the writings of some human being, which in many cases are based somewhat on the Holy Bible, but without reference to that fact. Some even use the Bible as a reference book, but the religion is mostly based on the writing of a human being. It makes me wonder how different the proclaimed followers of Jesus are than the worldly religions. When Jesus walked this earth, He scorned the Jewish religious leaders for following not God’s Words but their own writing, which they believed helped them follow God correctly.
Of course, all denominations cannot be correct, when they require different paths to follow in order to obtain salvation. If one says baptism is required for salvation, and another says it is not part of salvation, but just an outward sign of becoming a member of their church. Or that baptism must be done in a certain way, or at a certain age, or certain time in the life of the member. Some teach that in order to enter heaven you must have been baptized! Not all of these theological choices can be correct! All of these theological differences are based upon the translation of God’s Word, the Bible to be specific, so it is obvious someone has understood it incorrectly!
What is this commentary trying to tell me, you may now be asking? It is NOT meant to make you question the ideas the church of your choice has about these differences of translation and understanding. My only hope/prayer here is for all of us to devalue the differences that exist between followers of Jesus, and accentuate the positive of sharing a belief that Jesus is the way. We are all searching for the way to find everlasting life with Jesus. Jesus said that we know the way if we truly know Him.
After Jesus said this the Apostle named Thomas said he did not know where Jesus was going, thus he did not know the way there. You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." (John 14:4-7) All who know Jesus, also know the Father, even if you do not have all of the steps in the correct order to access the narrow path, remember, that Jesus will come back to get you, and lead you there when your time comes.
Are you willing to be led by Jesus as a child of God, when He comes to claim you as His child? Jesus once said that the kingdom of God belongs to children. Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Matthew 19:13-14) Are you willing to be led by Jesus? Jesus taught His disciples to love everyone. But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who ill-treat you. (Luke 6:27-28)
If you love everyone, as Jesus taught, you could have no enemies; well that is to say you would not consider anyone as your enemy. However, not everyone is like that, there are those who do not know Jesus/God, and therefore, they could consider you their enemy. So all those who know Jesus would not be an enemy, as Paul wrote about how God has taught us brotherly love. Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. (1Thessalonians 4:9) Peter wrote about how love can cover over a multitude of sins. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (1Peter 4:8) Jesus died for all mankind, so that we may be saved from our sinful nature, for all have sinned.
Jesus loved everyone, and died for all because of His love for them!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak