john

Condemning Condemnation

Condemning Condemnation

onebouchard

Condemnation. It’s such a harsh word. The noble goal of our culture in recent years is acceptance. Those two seem to stand in harsh opposition. Acceptance is loving and welcoming. Condemning seems to carry with it disapproval and hate. 

Recently verse 17 of the 3rd chapter of the Gospel of John has been used to condemn condemnation by positioning Jesus as the great affirmer. This verse follows the most famous verse in Scripture and says “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” At first glance it appears we have a friend in Jesus in our quest to affirm and accept…He didn’t come to condemn! 

There is a challenge we face if we attempt to draw that lesson from this verse, though. The Bible isn’t a fortune cookie, and so we generally can’t simply grab a sentence we like and draw broad conclusions. There is a coherent, consistent overarching message in scripture. Each historical narrative, poem, letter, and sermon provides an important puzzle piece illuminating the grand message. In short, it all fits together to tell us about God, His plan, mankind, and our purpose in His mission.

Before digging into John 3, it’s good to revisit that overall metanarrative. The story of the Bible is that God created and sustains everything that is, was, and ever will be. Among other things, He is good, He is love, and what He created was glorious. Humans were created in His image and were given stewardship over creation. God’s design for humans was for us to live in relational harmony with each other and with Him. Humans turned from God, though. Even today, we turn from Him both by nature and by our own choice. Every single one of us.

That’s the root of our problem…we were designed to live life in an intimate relationship with God and turning away has left us deeply unsatisfied, but our tendency is to double-down…even though we know our judgment is imperfect, we stubbornly pursue the paths we think will make us whole again. The uncomfortable truth is, we don’t have it in us. We simply aren’t capable of bridging the chasm between ourselves and our deepest need…our Creator. We have run too far. You might even say that in our current circumstances, we are condemned to a life separated from God. 

Now snap back to John 3…that’s right where Jesus is meeting us. God–our Creator–loves us so much He sent His only Son so that anyone who places his or her trust in Him will be reconciled to God (16). Jesus did not come into this world to condemn the world (17)…it was already condemned without Him! If we make it to verse 18, it says “…anyone who does not believe is already condemned…” In verse 19 it tells us that Jesus is the light and “people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.” That’s the story of all of us. We’ve lived in the darkness that comes from being isolated from Him. We’re comfortable in the dark and so we shun the light.

What I’ve learned from both Scripture and personal experience is that Jesus meets us where we are. Whatever lifestyle we’re living, whatever we may be worshiping, and whatever speed we may be running from Him. Wherever we are, we can simply turn and discover He’s right there with His arms ready to embrace us. He already knows us deeply and loves us wholly. When we turn to Him, we place our trust entirely in Him. It’s a humble acknowledgment that our Creator knows more about His creation than we do. Although we may recoil against some of the implications of the life He calls us to, we trust and know He is good, He knows everything, designed everything, He is wise, and He loves us. We can trust Him. And so when Jesus meets us where we are, He doesn’t leave us there. When we turn to embrace and trust Him, we don’t turn back! We continue drawing nearer to Him and following Him, even if it means our old life slips away. Honestly, we know it wasn’t working anyway. But like a childhood stuffed animal or an old, favorite sweatshirt…it can be hard to walk away from the things that gave us comfort before we knew Him.

The lesson we learn from leaning into Scripture is that Jesus doesn’t come into the world to condemn us because we are already condemned without Him. The great news is that Jesus knows us fully and loves us deeply…in fact, He is the only one who truly can. The message the world screams at us is that we are fine the way we are. We are captains of our own fate, we are the masters of our souls. These days this is called affirmation and acceptance. But true affirmation acknowledges more than just our preference and inclinations…it acknowledges our circumstance, our loneliness, our pain, and our longings. It acknowledges our weariness. And love doesn’t leave us there. Jesus won’t leave us there.

Where’s John?

Where’s John?

onebouchard

I embarked on a communal journey through scripture way back in January. A bunch of brave and slightly crazy folks joined in, committing to read about a chapter a day in Luke and then Acts. Signposts and reflections of that journey have appeared here along the way. As planned, we made it though Luke in four weeks and then through Acts in the following four. Although there were no formal checklists, I personally found it helpful to write a quick reflection on my personal Facebook after each day’s reading. This had an additional benefit of reminding everyone we were still moving along together. The encouragement I received also helped motivate me to continue daily.

As the end of the Book of Acts approached, there were questions regarding where this journey would go next. A couple of my original goals were to encourage others to read chapters rather than verses, demystify Bible reading, and foster a love for God’s Word in the people of God. When the end approached, it was clear many people were finding new joy and life in the Word and that the journey should continue. And so…we boldly dove into the Gospel of John.

But…then…the rhythm got off somehow. The daily sharing and accountability became inconsistent and essentially stopped. In the past month or so, I’ve made it through John 11. I fully intend to continue reading and sharing, but want to share the “behind the scenes” happenings and lessons since we began the Gospel of John. In other words, what’s happening in the Bouchard Bubble? Where’s John?

First: Filled

I’ve often encouraged others to “serve as an overflow.” In other words, become so spiritually full that the work of God spills out of us. To posture ourselves in the opposite way–serving in order to receive from God–is fruitless and leads not to God but to burn-out. I have found that it’s vital that followers of Christ “fill up” through personal discipleship habits. Our community gatherings can be refreshing, but it’s our daily habits that keep us turned toward our Savior. As my life got a bit chaotic, I recognized that there were things I simply had to let drop. Although the side of me that seeks the affirmation of others wanted to push through John and enjoy the feedback and encouragement I was receiving from so many of you, the wiser path was to let that drop. A piece of me still hoped I could fit it in every day, but it simply didn’t happen.

The public “chapter a day” posts are a ministry. It falls into that “overflow” category. Although those posts dried up, I have personally continued to stay in the Word daily. I don’t often publicly talk about my scripture intake. Honestly, it’s the spiritual discipline I find easiest and enjoy the most. Not everyone has the same experience, so I stay quiet. Even though I haven’t been pushing through John, I am 100% caught up on my personal “Bible in a Year” plan. Last fall I began supplementing that with a plan that involves reading one Psalm per day out loud. Both of these provide spiritual nourishment that sustains me through darker days and fuels ministry when things are going well. My hope and prayer is that through this dry spell, all of you have continue exploring and enjoying the Word of God on your own as well.

Second: Opposition

Many of you already know that I’ve been pursuing a Master’s degree in Theological Studies. I began that journey in the Fall of 2014 and completed my FINAL class on March 8, 2018 (woot, woot). A Master’s degree is a lot of work and a lot of stress. It’s interesting to note that our reading of Luke/Acts coincided with my final class and John didn’t kick off until class was over. Because of the timing, I thought I’d have ample extra time to spend on John. However…

Although some people erroneously think I’m a relatively laid-back person, I’m actually naturally quite tense. Throughout seminary, I never was able to be content to simply pass class (okay…or even get a B). Although my grades likely will never be relevant to any circumstance I face in this life (or the next), I just couldn’t help but overachieve in every class. Looking back, I realize now that adrenaline had been a vital sustaining fluid for the past few years. Once class was over…well, let’s just say there was a bit of a crash. In the weeks since, I’ve been discovering a new and healthy rhythm of life. This has been thrown off by a random case of strep throat and a huge, high-pressure implementation at my day job. In addition to those big things, it seems as if there have been a thousand tiny gnats of darkness buzzing around my head for the past month. I’d love to say every bit of opposition is in the past. It’s not, but surely it’s back to normal levels.

Finally: The Layers of John

I said this when we started and quite a few times since: John is deep and layered. The first couple of times I shared about Luke, I summarized it in a few words. Every now and then I’d write a bit more. People kept reading in spite of the length, so I threw caution to the wind and began just saying what I had to say about each chapter. This worked well through Luke and Acts. The reason I picked those to begin with is because they are so matter-of-fact. Although there is depth to be explored, it tends to be historical but still approachable by most of us today. John, on the other hand, is full of depth impossible to even scratch in a single rambling Facebook post. Honestly, it’s a bit intimidating and I’ve shied away from it.

The Gospel of John is beautiful and life-changing. As I write reflections about it, I’m balancing the goal of demystifying scripture while attempting to remaining true to the depths of the text. During our walk through Luke and Acts, I would pretty much share off the top of my head after reading the chapter. With John, I tend to reference a few commentaries before I share. Perhaps I’m returning to my old ways and setting a higher standard for myself than is truly necessary. Even so…this is where the path has led and so it is what I will follow.

What’s next?

I’d love to continue this path through the Gospel of John. One thing I’ve learned in my decade or so of following Jesus is that persistence is a more valuable trait than perfection. I invite you to persist with me in this journey. I’m again setting a goal of a chapter per day, starting with John 12. Come along with me. If there is anything I can do to assist your journey, please reach out.

The Beginning

The Beginning

onebouchard

Our Story

As our calendars changed from ‘17 to ‘18, a bunch of us embarked on a journey through scripture together. There are no checklists or daily reminders. There is no guilt or condemnation. Our strategy is grace-filled engagement with the Bible. The guideline I recommended was about a chapter per day through Luke and then Acts. The goal was to discover the joy of the habit of reading God’s Word. And we did it.

What’s next?

As the end of Acts approached, it was clear that this journey must continue. After a week of rest and grace, today we are starting the Gospel of John.

What to expect

The Gospel of John is quite different from Luke. As I mentioned during our Luke/Acts reading, when you spend time in the Word, you begin to recognize the voices of the writers. John is poetic and sweeping, as opposed to the matter-of-fact gritty writing of Luke. John is more concerned with ideas and themes than chronology. When we read it straight-through, we tend to assume the events happen in the order they are presented. That’s the way we tell stories today. In first century literature it was common to arrange a story by themes instead. We get a bit of that in this book. It progresses sort of in order (with the beginning of Jesus ministry at the beginning and the crucifixion/resurrection at the end) but not entirely in order. Even Luke did that a little bit in his Gospel, but not as much as John.

Although we don’t have a firm date on when this was written, it is widely accepted to be the last of Gospels. Matthew, Mark, and Luke were all written much earlier and have quite a bit of overlap. John, on the other hand, has more unique material in it than any other Gospel. As we read Luke/Acts, I share that they were written in the late 50s to mid-60s AD. John was likely written somewhere around 70-100 AD. Historical writings outside the Bible tell us that John died around the year 100 AD, and the leaders of the early church (many of whom would have known John personally) tell us that this book was written late in his life. So as you read this, imagine a wise and gentle old man reading it to you. Once known as one of the “sons of thunder,” as he grew older he picked up the name “the beloved disciple.” He was a leader in the early church, likely writing this Gospel from the church in Ephesus.

Why did John write?

The book of Ecclesiastes tells us “there is nothing new under the sun.” Even in Paul’s day (and he died way back around 65 AD), people were claiming that Jesus was an enlightened or inspired man but was not God. Some claimed He was a special man who had divinely revealed special knowledge from God. People claimed to have new and special knowledge from God to supplement the teachings of Jesus. These same claims are being made today. As the eyewitnesses died out and these new and false teachings became more widespread, he took up his pen and recorded what he knew to be true. He writes as an eyewitness to the life and teachings of Jesus, but also as a wise leader who has seen the tragic consequences false leaders who twist the truth. Just like Luke, the Gospel of John confronts you with the most important question of our lives, “who is Jesus?” John begins his answer in the very first sentence.

As we soak in the sweepingly poetic writing of John, we’ll see that he beautifully records the most important things he knows about Jesus. This book is one that a new believer can read and come away with increased knowledge and faith. It also is so layered that we can return to it over and over again for the rest of our lives and never fully plumb its depths. As you read, two things to look out for are the miracles and “I am” statements of Jesus. The other Gospels have numerous miracles. This book has seven. Each is recorded in order to affirm an important truth about who Jesus is and what He has dominion over. There are also seven sets of “I am” statements. Each of these reveals something important about Jesus. Pay attention to them. Let me know what you think.

Finally…let me know if there is anything I can do to support you in reading this book. I’ve been posting a few thoughts on the chapter on my personal Facebook timeline as we go, but I am open to other options. I have a public Facebook page as well and can share there instead (if someone asks me to). As always, feel free to shoot questions my way any time. Let’s pray for each other as we continue our journey together.