Month: August 2023

“Whom are you seeking?They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them. Now then, when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.”

John 18:4-6 (NASB)

Judas betrayed Jesus and led the soldiers to arrest Him in the garden, but only John’s gospel shared an unusual occurrence during that arrest.

As the group of soldiers were asking for Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus answered, “I am He”, and the men instantly fell backward to the ground. It’s curious how the men all fell backward when Jesus said, “ I am.”The power flowing from His presence  in those words, caused their knees to buckle and they collapsed. 

There is a deep meaning in those words. “I AM” is a divine phrase, which has history going back to the first Exodus. Jesus also said it at another time in His ministry. 

He said it to the Pharisees when they questioned how He could have ever known Abraham, who lived two thousand years before Him. 

Jesus answered, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” 

When Moses heard God speaking to him through a burning bush, God identified Himself as “I AM that I am”.  

Those awesome words filled Moses with a reverent fear, but God told him to go tell Pharaoh, “I AM has sent me.” The great I AM, the Lord, always ends doubts, gives courage, and teaches us that His Presence is a mighty and powerful one. It is that same presence that dwelt in Jesus, even in His humanity.

Jesus is perpetually with us, even when everything seems messed up, falling apart, full of doubt, or when we are overwhelmed with fear. 

He is the great I AM, who makes Himself known, whispering to our hearts, saying “I AM  still here.” He meets us in any situation, and invites us to let go and just fall into His arms. To fall into His arms is to fall into His mercy.  Even in our darkest night in the garden, when we are asking “Are you even here?” He answers us “ I AM”. 

Jesus can identify with us in the night of our doubts and questions, because He too, was once alone, betrayed, and full of questions. 

Whatever the condition is of our mind or our spirit, Jesus is speaking to us saying “ I AM right here, I know how you feel, and I will never forsake you.” His power is flowing towards us, so we can let our knees buckle and fall back into His loving arms.

Jesus, we surrender all the messy, confusing situations of our lives to you. We trust you to take charge of everything as we let go and fall into your loving and merciful arms today.  Amen

Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him, “Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days. Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?”

John 11:39-40 (NAB)

Martha and Mary sent for Jesus while Lazarus was sick, but Jesus arrived four days after he died. Jesus gave the impression that He was in no hurry, even though the family of Lazarus were all close friends of His. When He finally arrived, Martha thought His timing was off, and she hinted at feeling abandoned by Him. She had hoped Jesus would arrive early enough to heal her brother, but now he was gone, and so was her hope. 

Jesus didn’t abandon His friends, He wasn’t careless in timing, nor did He delay on purpose, putting Martha and Mary in a state of distress. 

He wanted to teach that it’s never too late to see the glory of God in any situation. 

As they approached the tomb of her brother, Martha began explaining to Jesus the facts about a body’s decomposition after four days, as if the Son of God needed to be informed about this. 

Despite a difficult situation where we feel God’s timing is off, or like Martha, we may feel abandoned, Jesus has been with us all along. He needs no explanation of our time limits or deadlines, because He knows all, since He is God.

Prayer needs to be more than presenting my plan on how God can solve my problems. I forget that He can work out the solution to problems, in His way, without my advice. When I have limited expectations, and am stressed out with time deadlines, I need to trust that God has a bigger plan and a better way, and He is not governed by any limitations.

One of the most important lines of prayer that Jesus ever taught us, is “Thy will be done.” I’ve never learned to appreciate those words as much as I do recently. If I say it and mean it, my perspective totally changes. It removes all anxiety and opens my mind to seeking whatever will glorify God in the given situation. They are the best four words ever, as we yield it all to Him, “Thy will be done.” It really releases all stress and anxiety.

To practice saying it and meaning it, makes it the healthiest four words we could ever say to God. If God’s will is done, He will be glorified.

Jesus’ response to Martha is probably what He would say to any of us, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” After four days, there could be no doubt that Lazarus was truly dead, and after the miracle of raising him from the dead, there was no doubt that Jesus was truly divine. The glory of God was revealed and His will was done. 

If we believe Jesus is who He is, then He transcends the laws of nature as well as all of our man made deadlines. 

There is no tomb enclosure, no time limit, and no decomposition effect that limits the power of Almighty God.

Jesus may delay an answer, but He will never abandon us. He knows what we need, and wants us to believe that when He reveals His glory, it is beyond any limitations. 

He will do whatever He needs to do in order to reveal His glory, through our lives and our loved ones’ lives. Even when the answer is not what we expected, it’s the answer that will show us the glory of God in the long run, because we believe in Him.

St Augustine said:

“If God seems slow in responding, it is because He is preparing a better gift. He will not deny us. God withholds what you are not yet ready for.”

We can trust that whatever God is doing, and however long it takes, He is preparing the best gift for us. He will always do what is best for our eternal soul, for what brings the most glory to Him, and He does everything out of His boundless love for us. 

Lord, help us to have faith to believe you transcend all deadlines and limitations. Thank you for loving us, and in everything we ask of you, help us to seek first your glory. Amen

“And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Luke 19:9-10 (RSV)

Luke, who was a physician, wrote in his gospel that Jesus was healing and delivering everyone, from all kinds of diseases and disorders. 

Being fully divine, Jesus could look at any person and see what their pathology was, in their body, mind or soul, and He knew exactly what was needed to make someone whole. 

Scripture tells us that God has the hairs of our head numbered, so I believe He probably knows the status of every cell within our bodies, as well. 

Jesus is still the great physician today, who sees within us, and has the power to heal each one of us. He may do it miraculously and immediately, or He may work it out over time. Sometimes He does it through medical science, giving a doctor the wisdom to see what is needed. 

God’s knowledge is far above man’s, and no medical breakthrough could be known without God making it knowable to medical professionals. I’m thankful that He guides every research scientist, enables every medical discovery, and gives the wisdom to physicians to make a correct diagnosis, and suggest the right treatment. 

Last week I wrote about the patience Jesus has for us who say, “Help me in my unbelief.” There is a special word, used throughout the New Testament, with a meaning that can expand our understanding, and increase our faith. That word is “Soteria.”

Soteria is the Greek word used about 120 times in the New Testament. It’s the word for salvation, which in Greek, includes complete wholeness,  healing, and deliverance. When Jesus used the term to “save” saying, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost,” the word save is translated as soteria, meaning a salvation that is all inclusive, of healing and deliverance of mind and body.

Here is how commentaries describe  this Greek word:

”……Soteria includes restoration to a state of safety, soundness, health and well being, as well as preservation from danger of destruction.” 

Salvation is a broader term in the Greek translation, than how we understand it in English. It not only refers to the saving of the soul, but the healing and deliverance of body, mind and spirit. It’s a word that encompasses all aspects of being made whole. 

Jesus said to the people who He physically healed, “Go in peace, your faith has saved you.” He spoke as if salvation and healing went together. 

Soteria, when translated into Hebrew, is the word “Yeshua”, and Yeshua, when translated into English, is the name of Jesus. 

Therefore, Soteria is literally the meaning of Jesus’ name. Maybe that’s why He told us, 

“If you ask anything in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:14)

The name of Jesus was given by God, to all of us, “for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) 

Even in this verse of scripture, the Greek word “Soteria” was used. 

Jesus encouraged our persistence when we knock, seek and ask, like the woman who constantly bothered a judge for the justice she needed. Jesus said about her, “And will not God grant justice to His chosen ones who cry to him day and night?”

(Luke 18:7)

He called all of us who believe in Him, His chosen ones. 

Jesus encouraged us through this parable, to never give up in asking for justice, wholeness, healing and deliverance. He told us to ask with persistence, crying out day and night, and God will answer.  

I believe we should also conclude any prayer or petition, with “Thy will be done,” since Jesus taught us to do so in the Lord’s prayer. 

Thank God for medical professionals who can cure us and save our lives. Whether we go to church or to the medical clinic, what matters most is that our faith is in Jesus, knowing He  is our Soteria, the source for ultimate wholeness. 

I pray each reader finds a new perspective of faith to believe for their own miracle of wholeness, healing and deliverance. May it change our perspective and let us arise with a new confidence of faith.

Lord, we cry out to you and ask you to touch every aspect of our lives, which is truly possible through the holy name of Jesus. Let your will be done and complete in us, the wholeness of soteria healing and deliverance of our body, mind, soul and spirit. Amen.

“The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ); when he comes, he will show us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

John 4:25-26. (RSV)

When Jesus’ disciples found Him at the well, they were shocked that He would be speaking with a woman alone, especially a Samaritan woman. Speaking with any woman by herself was a rule breaking act for His day. 

Jesus respected religious, social and cultural customs of His day, as long as love for His Father was at the core of that custom, but He also knew that to save a soul, it is sometimes  necessary to break those traditions and social customs. 

We have our own cultural and social customs today. Saying please, thank you, hello, goodbye and tipping are all forms of cultural etiquette. We routinely greet someone saying, “How are you?” yet we’re not really expecting an honest answer, since it’s not customary to stay around and find out. It’s just a phrase we say in passing. 

I can imagine Jesus in our society today, asking someone, “How are you?”, then pausing and looking intently at a person, waiting to hear how they really are. Who could walk away from that loving glance and powerful presence? 

Jesus touched and talked to people wherever He went, and even to those who were forbidden by society, to be touched or talked to. He allowed a women known as the town prostitute, to anoint Him with oil, and kiss His feet. He touched lepers, who were highly contagious, and separated from society as outcasts. 

Every person Jesus talked to or touched was in a season of their life that was, in some way, beyond hope or help. Besides lepers living with a death sentence, there were beggars, prostitutes, paralytics, demoniacs, blind, terminally ill and more. 

Then there was the woman who He purposely waited to meet at the well. She had a lifetime of relationship problems, and was living with her fifth life partner. When she met Jesus, she was already at a stage in her life of being emotionally and spiritually crippled. Jesus spoke directly to her, one on one, which was against the social norms of His society. She was impacted by His presence, and His words changed her life. She was never the same again, and couldn’t stop sharing her joy wherever she went. 

No one is too sick, too sinful, too contagious or too damaged to be saved by Him. When Jesus touched the paralytics, they didn’t just walk, they leaped for joy. We have all had some affliction or spiritually crippling period in our life, but if we have an encounter with Jesus, we will never be the same. He intends for us to leap again one day. 

During the most difficult stage of our lives, if we keep Jesus in the conversation, He is preparing us for the leaping stage that is to come. 

Jesus said a simple phrase to the woman at the well that changed her life. It wasn’t like any customary greeting that we say every day. He looked intently at her and said, “I am He”. 

He still says that to each of us and it speaks to the deep place within us where His healing is needed. Jesus doesn’t need to ask how we are, because He knows how we are. 

He wants us to know who He is, and whatever the need is, He is the One, who has the answer. 

“I am He”, means “I am the one who will cross any boundary and break every cultural rule just to reach you.”Jesus broke some rules, but He healed all the broken hearts. He frustrated the traditionalists but gave hope to the hopeless, and proved that no one is unreachable. 

He still touches, talks to us and heals us today, reminding us “ I am He”, and whatever we are going through, He gives us His living water that satisfies our thirst forever. 

Lord, you are the One, our Messiah and deliverer. You know us more than anyone, and we know that through your words and your touch is complete healing, wholeness and joy. Amen