Josh Benner

Category: Christian living

  • The scriptures point to Jesus. Studying John 1:45

    The scriptures point to Jesus. Studying John 1:45

    I’m doing a study in John 1. In John 1:35-51, we see a series of affirmations about Jesus made by his first disciples. So far, we’ve looked at Jesus as the Lamb of God and Jesus as the Christ. In this post, I’ll look at Jesus as the one to whom the scriptures point. 

    Jesus is the one to whom the scriptures point 

    45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

    -John 1:45

    We don’t know why Philip sensed this in Jesus. Just like we really don’t know why Andrew thought Jesus was the messiah. 

    But that’s really not what matters to the story. 

    What matters for us is what is being affirmed about Jesus. 

    Where Philip talks of Jesus as being the one about whom Moses wrote in the Law and the prophets, that’s referring to the scriptures of our Old Testament. 

    Jesus came to fulfill the Old Testament. Everything Jesus does or says in his ministry has resonance in the Old Testament. He fulfilled hundreds of prophecies. He fulfilled the Law. He fulfills the promises of God. 

    All throughout the Bible, God is working his plan and his will. None of it is random or by chance. 

    The Old Testament is not just a bunch of stories or myths. It’s the real story of God’s work in his people which culminates in Jesus fulfilling the Old Testament to bring redemption to the world. 

    In John 5, Jesus is talking to a group of the religious leaders and they miss Jesus for who he is. John 5:36-38 says:

    the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.

    The scripture points to Jesus and Jesus’ life and ministry point back to the scriptures which he came to fulfill. This is something else which matters about these affirmations which are being made about Jesus. 

    Lots of people throughout history have claimed to be significant religious figures. Some have even claimed to be divine. 

    It’s true today and it was true in Jesus’ day. What ultimately validates Jesus is not what John the Baptist said, or what Andrew said, or what Philip said. What matters is what Jesus did. 

    Fulfilling prophecies and displaying his divinity and glory. His life matters because he points us to life. His death matters because in that all who believe in him are dead to sin. And his resurrection matters because that is the only hope for eternal life. 

    Jesus literally died and rose so that all who believe in him when they die, can literally have eternal life with Jesus. 

    Everything in the Bible is about Jesus and points to Jesus. 

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  • What are you seeking? Studying John 1:35-38

    What are you seeking? Studying John 1:35-38

    The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke all give stories of Jesus calling the first apostles. And we see Jesus interacting with some of these same men in this passage. Yet the account in John is different than the accounts in the other gospels. 

    The other gospels all talk of Jesus calling upon fisherman to follow him, and how they immediately leave their nets when called upon by Jesus. 

    That’s not in John. 

    The order in which apostles meet Jesus is different in John. The circumstances are different. 

    Why is there this discrepancy? 

    My belief is that the events in John are recalling when Jesus first met the apostles and that the event in the other gospels recounts Jesus actually calling those disciples to be followers of Jesus. 

    When Jesus meets people like Peter and Andrew in our passage today, he doesn’t call them to be his followers.

    If Jesus meets them in John, and then calls them in the other gospels, it makes more sense of why they immediately leave everything to follow him. Because they already know Jesus. 

    That’s the first of several theological affirmations about Jesus that we will find in this passage is that Jesus is the Lamb of God.

    Jesus is the Lamb of God 

    John the Baptist calls Jesus the Lamb of God. 

    The sacrificial system was instituted in the Old Testament to show the price which needed to be paid for sin and that sin needed to be atoned for. Sin required a blood sacrifice. It was a complicated and rigorous system. Sacrifices provided temporary atonement. Certain sins required certain sacrifices. 

    Sacrifices also required worthy animals. A person couldn’t just pick out an old goat that was about to die. It had to be a healthy animal without blemish. All of that was meant to point to the greater sacrifice. Jesus is the perfect and spotless lamb who is the true and worthy sacrifice. 

    And so John calls Jesus the Lamb of God. He is the one who was sacrificed to atone for the sins of all who believe in him. 

    Continuing in our text. John the Baptist hast just made this statement about Jesus and then:

    The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus (John 1:37).

    Pointing to a great teacher

    John points to Jesus. With a respected religious leader like John, that would have been unthinkable. No one wants to lose people. A teacher doesn’t want to lose students. A dentist doesn’t want to lose patients. A hair stylist doesn’t want to lose clients. 

    But John is happy to point his people to Jesus. He’s happy to lose his followers to Jesus, because that’s his entire purpose. Pointing people to Jesus. The text says that they followed Jesus. Verse 38: Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” 

    Quite the question Jesus asks. 

    There’s a double meaning. It flows into the story when two men start following Jesus to ask “what are you seeking?” or “what do you want?” 

    But it is also a probing question for anyone who seeks to follow Jesus. 

    What are you seeking? 

    “What are you seeking?”

    What do you want from Jesus. There are many reasons why people try to find religion or turn to Jesus. But not all of them are good reasons. If you’re a follower of Jesus, why are you following him? 

    Being a follower of Jesus is an end in itself. You follow Jesus because you get…Jesus. 

    You get God. That is the greatest promise that the Lord gives to us. Unworthy sinners are invited to know the God of the universe. Sadly that’s not always the real heart behind a person’s desire to know Jesus. 

    What are you seeking? 

    Some people follow Jesus because they have all sorts of issues and think life will get easier. And for awhile, that might be true. But you’re still you. You’re still a sinful person. You still have various habits and areas of sin that aren’t productive. And life is still hard. 

    You get Jesus. What about when the going gets tough? Because the going will get tough. 

    And then where does that leave you? For some, they’re left disillusioned with faith because it didn’t give them what they wanted. 

    But the mistake was that they were looking for the wrong thing. Some are led to Jesus because they’re sold a false gospel and believe that material blessing and physical health are both always the will of God for a believer. 

    It’s often called the prosperity gospel. It’s not Biblical Christianity. It turns our desires to stuff and not to God. There are often blessings which result from the Christian life and living according to Biblical wisdom. But that is not meant to be the basis of being a follower of Christ. 

    Because the struggles still come. If our hope is rooted in what we think Jesus will give to us, it leads to a faith that is superficial. Plenty of Christians can see the flaws in prosperity theology. Yet we’re often still drawn to it. Especially in America. 

    Why? 

    Because, in our heart of hearts, there’s a temptation to think that we deserve things to be good because we like to think we’re good. We pray, we serve, we give, we try to follow God. 

    We do these things and so it can be tempting to be angry with God when things don’t go the way we want them to. 

    The Bible does not promise the Christian life will be easy. It promises the opposite. 

    You can find verses on suffering in almost every book in the New Testament. Most notably, it was Jesus who was unjustly tortured and executed. He told his disciples in John 15: If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.

    The Apostle Paul was impoisoned multiple times in his life and later executed for his faith. He said in Romans 5:3 we rejoice in our sufferings.

    Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians from jail, and was later executed. John the Baptist who’s in our passage this morning. Executed. The apostles named in our passage this morning: all of them were martyrs. 

    The world hates the gospel. 

    The Christian life is hard. And life is hard. 

    What are you seeking? 

    Certainly I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with blessings. Christians often times do enjoy blessings in life, because God is good and gracious. 

    Living Godly lives and living according to Biblical wisdom is the best way to live and so that often bears fruit in life. 

    But what about when it doesn’t? 

    Many faithful people follow the Lord throughout their entire lives and continue to suffer and struggle. What are you seeking? I’m not saying we should desire a life of hardship of drudgery. 

    That’s not the life God wants for his people. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. But if Jesus is your everything, you can find joy even in hardship, even in suffering, even in sorrow, even in pain.

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  • 5 thoughts on being “all things to all people” in the Christian life

    earth

    Originally published April 11, 2016

    In 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, the Apostle Paul talks about being “all things to all people.” In the rest of the passage, he talks about different groups with whom he demonstrates this. While that passage is not an exhaustive guide to ministry, it provides significant insights into how to reach people for Jesus.

    Based on studying this passage, and thinking of this in the ministry context of the Bible, I have five reflections over the past few weeks on what it is to be “all things to all people.”

    1. It’s love for people

    Basic principles that are clear from this text and from the ministry of Jesus include that we are called to love people. It’s not a choice. It’s non-negotiable. We are called to love people. We can’t dismiss them, we can’t dismiss opportunities to share the love of Christ or to think that it’s someone else’s job to do.

    It’s your job to do! It’s serving something that is infinitely bigger and greater than yourself.

    And we encounter people in our daily lives who don’t know Jesus. In our families, in our offices, and in our schools. I’m not saying you need to force faith on anyone. In some ways, that’s the easy thing to do. But being pushy isn’t the point.

    2. It’s building relationships 

    In being all things to all people, it’s about building relationships. You can’t be all things to all people without building relationships.

    It’s getting to know people. The fact that Paul was ministering differently to different groups of people meant that he was actually getting to know them.

    In sharing the gospel, and sharing faith, it’s not just about one conversation. It’s about a relationship with a person.

    Part of the challenge of actually building a relationship is that it takes more time. It takes more investment. Being too pushy about faith can alienate a person. It can hurt a relationship, but that’s not the point. It’s about building relationships with those who don’t know Christ.

    3. It’s relating to unique individuals 

    This principal flows from this idea in how we relate to people.

    People are different. And what being all things will require with different individuals requires discernment.

    People are not robots. It’s not about finding a way to program everyone that you meet. It’s not about having one approach to interacting with people. That’s not how Jesus did ministry.

    In John 4, Jesus talks with a Samaritan woman. He knows that she has had multiple husbands and is essentially prostituting herself out to another man. He shows grace.

    In Mark 8, he foretells his death and resurrection to his disciples, and Peter tries to rebuke Jesus for saying such things. Jesus responds by saying “Get behind me Satan.”

    Different situations. Different people. Different ways how Jesus approaches them. In other instances, he’s asked a question and he responds with another question, to teach the questioner something, other times he responds with a parable.

    It’s also about loving different kinds of people. In this passage, writing to the Corinthians, Paul talks about how he is all things to the Jews, the non-Jews, and those looked down upon by society.

    4. It’s learning from mistakes 

    In being all things to all people, you will do it imperfectly and make mistakes. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth it. And to be fair, just to use myself as an example, I mess up in this area. All the time.

    Don’t let the fear of making a mistake keep you from doing ministry, or for reaching out to people. God knows you’ll make mistakes. Paul says at the beginning of this book that his mission was to preach Christ crucified. When you do that, and are focused on the gospel, God will still work through imperfect ministries.

    5. It’s pursuing holiness 

    Where Paul talks about being “all things to all people” for the sake of the gospel, this can be potentially misunderstood. Paul is not giving license to sin. Followers of Jesus are called to holiness, but we are not called to holier than thou-ness. Being all things to all people is done to serve people.

    It’s about becoming a servant of God for his purposes. Paul actually uses servant/slave language at the beginning of this passage, and he is putting himself under the authority of God out of gratitude for the grace of God.

    Paul said I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

    We are to love people even if they aren’t loveable, and be all things to all people. Because we have a savior who loved us. He met us where we were. In the mire of sin, he pulled us up, and now we have the opportunity to pass the torch to others.

  • Jesus, Genesis, and a New Creation. John 1

    Jesus, Genesis, and a New Creation. John 1

    Jesus is the Lord of creation and new creation.  

    I’m going to highlighting a few words and phrases in this opening prologue to John.  

    In the beginning.  Word.  Life. Light.  Darkness. 

    Just to name a few.  

    These are all found both in John 1, but also in Genesis 1. 

    The Word of God

    Opening phrase of the Gospel of John: In the beginning was the Word. It’s the same way in which the Bible opens up, the first words in Genesis are: in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).

    John starts with: in the beginning was the Word.  Now, it’s interesting that John says “the Word.” 

    He doesn’t say “in the beginning was Jesus” or “in the beginning was the Christ” or “in the beginning was the Lord” but “in the beginning was the Word.”  

    But, in the beginning was the Word. 

    Given that in the Old Testament, God’s word is tied to creation, salvation, healing, and deliverance, the incarnation of Jesus is God’s greatest and most spectacular form of expression to the world. The Word is an appropriate title for Jesus because it is through this Word that we have ultimate truth, eternal life, future hope, assurance of God’s promises, and God’s greatest revelation of himself to the world.  

    And we learn from our passage this morning that this Word was in the beginning.  

    This Word is not some abstract idea or force. This Word exists. 

    Life

    Verse 4: In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

    Two more ideas that are found in creation. Life and light. Both of these ideas will also be significant themes in John’s gospel. Let’s start with life. Nearly half of the New Testament usages of the word life come from John’s writings.  

    In Genesis, life is created. The animals that walk the earth, the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, culminating in God’s creation of man in his own image. All life is created in Genesis.  

    And here, in referring to Jesus, it says that life itself is found in him.  

    He’s the creator of life, the sustainer of life.  He’s the giver of true life. Life in himself.  

    The best known verse in the entire Bible. John 3:16. Jesus refers to eternal life when he says  “God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  

    That’s the life that Jesus came to bring. John 10:10, Jesus says that he has come so that his people can have life and have it abundantly.  

    And it’s the life that can only come through Jesus. John 14:6, he says: “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the father except through me.”  

    And he has authority to say these things.  

    Because…

    In the beginning was the Word.  And in him was life.  And he made everything.  And he’s God.  

    And so John begins his gospel by talking of the God of creation entering into creation to make his new creation.  

    Light

    Next theme of creation that’s found in John. Light.  

    In Genesis, the first thing that God calls into being is light. 

    Genesis 1:3-4  And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good 

    Light is a symbol for life, salvation, and the presence of God. In Revelation 22, the final chapter of the Bible, a book also written by the Apostle John, in pointing to God’s coming kingdom, John talks of heaven and says:  

    They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light (Revelation 22:5). 

    The light of God displays his glory and presence. Yet John takes it to a fuller meaning.  

    In John 8:12, Jesus will say:  I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life

    Light is contrasted by darkness. Darkness in John refers to evil and sin. Darkness is the opposite of light both metaphorically and literally.  

    In Genesis 1:4, we’re told that God separated the light from darkness.  John chapter 1 says that “the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”  

    Again, John keeps pointing back to creation to show us a new creation that Jesus is bringing into the world.  

    The Word became flesh

    Perhaps the climax of this entire introductory prologue of John’s gospel is found in verse 14:  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

    The language returns to using the word Word. And it says that this Word, Jesus, became flesh and dwelt among us. The God who created the world entered his creation.  

    What a profound reality that is. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. 

    In creation, before the fall, there was fellowship with God. It was paradise.  

    And yet Adam and Eve sinned. Cast out of the garden. But here in John, we see that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus came into our fallen world. Because he loved us. Because he’s gracious. Because he’s good. He is the eternal God of creation.  

    New Creation

    And he came to bring a new creation.  

    In the opening of John, we see the groundwork being laid for that which was lost in the fall to be regained through the gospel. Paradise was lost due to sin, but in the beginning of John, we see that the word became flesh and dwelt among us. Darkness came into the world because of sin, but we see that Jesus is the true light. Death came into the world because of sin, but in Jesus, there was life.  

    Not just anyone is capable of doing that. But Jesus isn’t just anyone. He was in the beginning. Jesus is the eternal God of creation who brings a new creation. He’s here to give you a new life. He overcame the darkness by living a sinless life. He brought life through his own death. He restored the relationship by being forsaken.  

    All of it was his work.  

    He invites you into a new life, a new covenant. He gives you a new heart.  

    The Apostle Paul said that anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.  (2 Cor. 5:17). In John 3, a man named Nicodemus. He’s intrigued by this teacher and ministry and he wants to learn more. Jesus says that we must be born again.  

    On the night before he was crucified, he told his disciples to love one another, and he called it a new commandment.  In the closing sections of the Book of Revelation, John talks of seeing a new heaven and a new earth. He records Jesus saying that he making all things new. (Rev. 21:5).  

    When we trust in Jesus and are born again, Jesus does bring a new creation. He does make something new. He makes a new person. 

    Jesus is the Lord of creation and new creation.  

    Have you trusted in Jesus? Is he your Lord and savior?  

    There is no other way to God, there is no other way to life, there is not other way to forgiveness, there is no other way to heaven than through Jesus.  

    He is a mighty God.  

    And it takes the might of God to bring new life to sinners who were dead in sin.  You can’t make yourself alive. But Jesus can. Because in him was life.  You can’t make yourself worthy. But Jesus has. Our passage this morning says in verses 12-13: 

    To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 

    You can’t earn your way to heaven, but Jesus came from heaven to earth. The word became flesh and dwelt among us.  

    And the present reality is eternal security and a heavenly hope. But it points forward still to the greater new creation that Jesus has promised and is bringing into the world.  

    Because a Christian is forgiven, to the glory of God. But the world is still fallen. We are still surrounded by darkness, and fall into sin. We have eternal life, but still face worldly death. But Jesus is bringing an ultimate and final new creation into his world.  

    He’s putting it back together.  

    He promised to bring restoration. And he is.  

    And as sure as he brought that at his incarnation, he will bring it finally and totally at the consummation of his kingdom.  

    All around the world, every hour of every day, people are coming to faith in Jesus. A miracle is happening, a recreation is happening in people’s souls. People are overcoming areas of sin, because of the work of Christ. Lives are being transformed by the gospel. People who don’t know Jesus are being impacted by the love of his followers.  

    And Jesus continues to work. 

  • Late evangelist Ravi Zacharias found to have committed sexual misconduct

    Ravi Zacharias was widely considered the greatest Christian apologist of the past generation. Zacharias died in May at the age of 74 after a brief battle with cancer. In recent months, accounts of a scandal which arose during his lifetime have again resurfaced.

    Background

    In December of 2017, Christianity Today ran an article where Zacharias was interviewed regarding a lawsuit settlement with a Canadian woman whom Zacharias had claimed sent her unsolicited and sexually explicit photos of herself. Zacharias had claimed that the couple had attempted to extort money from Zacharias.

    This summer, there were also new reports of multiple episodes of sexual misconduct from massage therapists at spas co-owned by Zacharias. Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM), an evangelistic organization founded by the late Zacharias announced an external investigation into his conduct. While the investigation is still ongoing, RZIM issued an update yesterday.

    In the statement, RZIM said:
    The interim investigation update indicates this assessment of Ravi’s behavior to be true—that he did indeed engage in sexual misconduct. This misconduct is deeply troubling and wholly inconsistent with the man Ravi Zacharias presented both publicly and privately to so many over more than four decades of public ministry. We are heartbroken at learning this but feel it necessary to be transparent and to inform our staff, donors, and supporters at this time, even while the investigation continues. We will speak more comprehensively to all concerned after the completion of the investigation.

    There can be a lot of responses for people who were fans and supporters of Ravi. For some, anger. For some, disbelief. But one thing that people should not feel is pity for Ravi. I know it can be tempting to think “he doesn’t have a chance to defend himself.” That’s not true. I think to Ravi’s handling of sexual misconduct allegations made during his lifetime. He was the one who got ahead of that story and made himself out to be the victim.

    There are actual victims of this misconduct, and even though Ravi is deceased, the truth still matters. There’s a popular and successful ministry that bears his name, and the misconduct of its founder matters.

    I loved the ministry and teachings of Ravi Zacharias. It was a great joy to be able to meet him when he visited my seminary. The fact that people like him went to Trinity influenced why I chose that seminary. I take no joy in these claims be substantiated. But when Christian leaders fall, it should be Christians who also lead the charge for what is right.

    I do think that we should appreciate RZIM acknowledging his misconduct. They also commissioned the investigation which found the wrongdoing. We don’t know if there were people in the ministry who may have known more about his misconduct and did nothing. But the organization is doing the right thing now and admitting to claims which could have a catastrophic impact on the livelihood of the ministry.

    How should people who loved Ravi’s ministry respond?

    If you’re someone like me who benefited from the teaching of Ravi Zacharias, what do you do? Do you burn any of his books you have? Do you ignore the accusations and assume he was righteous?

    We all do sin and fall short of the glory of God. And that includes our teachers. They too are imperfect. But when a scandal comes to light, that doesn’t mean that everything they ever taught or believed was wrong. There are certainly no shortage of Biblical figures who fell into major areas of sin. David comes to mind and the affair he had with Bathsheba. We still read the Psalms.

    David repented during his lifetime. For people who lead churches, Christian universities, and powerful ministries, there is often so much institutional effort to save face and to keep money coming in that there’s always a temptation to want to ignore or bury sin and scandal.

    But here’s a key difference. If the allegations against Ravi are true, not only did he never publicly repent nor acknowledge his sexual misconduct, he actually worked to control and obfuscate the narrative.

    I write so much about these scandals when they happen because too many Christians want to act as if there’s some righteousness in pretending that these things don’t happen.

    And the desire to turn a blind eye to sin is the same attitude which allows these people to continue to to real harm a they become powerful figures within ministries.

    Truth matters and truth is worth knowing. We shouldn’t make excuses for people. But as Christians, within churches, we must hold leaders accountable. But Ravi wasn’t a pastor! We must also have expectations for those who influence our thinking and theology, of those who write the songs we listen to and the books we read. Of those who we recommend to others, who’s YouTube videos we watch, and who we reference in conversations.

    So how should Christians and people who loved Ravi respond? I think we appreciate the impact that they had in our lives. You can’t just forget everything a great teacher ever taught you. And I’m not suggesting that everything he ever said or taught is now bad. But I also don’t think we should look to people who led double lives and never owned up to their sins in their lifetime for our Spiritual nourishment. There are too many other Godly teachers.

    Thanks so much for reading! If you have any questions about the podcast, or suggestions, please leave me a comment!

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