Josh Benner

Tag: Bible

  • 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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  • Best Commentaries on the Gospel of John

    Best Commentaries on the Gospel of John

    I’ve preaching off and on through John for over two years, and in that time, I feel like I’ve looked through a seemingly endless number of commentaries. If you’re ever looking to study John’s gospel in depth, I wanted to share my favorite commentaries.

    This commentary has become a go to. I love Klink’s clear and accessible verse by verse coverage. I always appreciate the formatting of the ZECNT series and find it user friendly. A fine pastor-scholar who clearly has a great heart for the text.

    2. D.A. Carson – Pillar New Testament Commentary (1990)

    Carson’s volume is widely considered to be the foremost work on the Gospel of John. First rate scholarship, wonderful depth, brilliant exegesis. He ties the whole gospel together nicely. It’s a fairly academic commentary, but I believe it’s still accessible for the lay person who’s serious about his or her study.

    3. Grant Osborne – Osborne New Testament Commentaries (2018)

    I’m a fan of anything that Grant Osborne wrote. Towards the end of his life, he published a full New Testament commentary set through Faithlife. These versions are shorter and less in-depth than some other commentaries (and some of Osborne’s other works), but that makes these commentaries no less good. It is always one of the mainstays of where I look in my study of John. This one would be especially well suited for the lay person who has no familiarity with Greek.

    4. Richard D. Phillips – Reformed Expository Commentary (2017)

    This commentary might be fourth on the list, but that is not meant to diminish this stellar two volume commentary set. It’s more a credit to the wealth of wonderful commentaries which have been written on the Gospel of John. These commentaries were originally written to be preached as sermons, and the pastoral heart is evident. On some of the complicated verses, I feel like Phillip’s are the clearest at explaining the passage. Considering that the commentary chapters represent sermons and are then subdivided into points, I would say it’s the most readable commentary on John. I also found a number of the illustrations and examples that he uses to clarify points in this gospel to be extremely helpful. Once again, I believe that this commentary is accessible to the lay person.

    5. Colin Kruse – Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (2017)

    Compared to other commentaries of John, a relatively short version, but Kruse is economical with his space and gives a commentary that thoroughly explains the idea of the passages in John. Personally, I prefer the depth of other commentaries listed but time and again, when I was unsure about a passage, Kruse’s commentary has never failed to help. The Tyndale series in general I consider to be optimal for the lay person.

    6. Leon Morris – New International Commentary of the New Testament (1995)

    Pound for pond, NICNT is my favorite commentary series. The volumes can at times be rigorously academic, but Morris still always manages to be approachable. Clear explanations in a very thorough commentary.

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  • You’re (probably) misquoting Philippians 4:13 – and why it matters

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    I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
    -Philippians 4:13

    According to Bible Gateway, Philippians 4:13 is the second most popular verse in the New Testament, only behind John 3:16. It’s a verse memorized and beloved by many.

    But for as popular as this verse is, it’s also often misunderstood and taken out of context. The context of the passage must always influence how we interpret it.

    And what’s the context?

    Paul has just said, in verse 12 that he knows the secret of how to be content in both good and bad circumstances. And it is in the light of that that he says these glorious words. The secret to being content: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

    I did some searches online of people quoting this verse. Instagram, popular photo sharing sight, people have quoted this verse over 56,000 times. The most common references I saw were people quoting it in regards to some sort of exercise or fitness goal. I saw others quote Philippians 4:13 after winning beauty pageants or graduating from college.

    Some people, to my surprise, used it in reference to their diet: “Pre workout meal coming up. Healthy creamy chicken with mushroom and sundries tomatoes + brown rice” Philippians 4:13.

    I think this verse almost always gets quoted in conversation with some sort of goal.

    “This is what I want to do. And it’s me and Jesus.” I’m going to win that pageant, I’m going to run that marathon, I’m going to get that promotion because I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

    And certainly, Jesus is the God of everything in our lives. It’s GOOD to look at everything we do through the lens of walking with Christ.

    But Philippians 4:13 has nothing to do with accomplishing your personal goals. Philippians 4:13 is a verse that’s not about us. It’s about Jesus. The verse is not about the power of positive thinking, that you can accomplish your goals with Jesus. It’s not saying that you can overcome hurdles because of Jesus. It’s not telling you that you can do anything you set your mind to because of Jesus.

    Those things might all be true also.

    But that’s not what this verse is saying. The verse isn’t saying you can accomplish your dreams, it’s saying that you can survive your nightmares.

    And again, I know that goes against the popular keychain, coffee mug, t-shirt, poster interpretation of this verse.

    My point isn’t to ruin a verse for you that you might love. It’s to point you to the glorious Lord Jesus. Because our life is more than personal goals. It’s that when we have been run over, conquered, defeated, everything is going against us, that we can be content and walking in joy because of knowing Jesus.

    And that’s something else I notice when I look at people quoting Philippians 4:13. It’s always when something really good is happening in someone’s life.

    I don’t see people saying “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” when they’ve just lost a job. When they can’t afford to pay utilities. Philippians 4:13 is just as true in the bad times as it is in the good times.

    Because our contentment and joy and satisfaction need to always be found in Christ.

    This verse isn’t just calling us to be cheerleaders for God when we’ve finally gotten to the top of the mountain. But to always be praising the glorious God who invites us into life when we are at the bottom of the valley. But how do we do at embracing the reality of it?

    The secret of contentment in good times and in bad is knowing that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. When things really do get tough, when there is total upheaval and uncertainty, are you still able to walk confidently in faith knowing “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me?”

    In America, things are so comfortable for us, you have people living their lives thinking that they don’t need God. That they’re fine on their own. But what about when you’ve lost everything? What about you’re at your lowest?

    What about when you’re going through the worst experience of your life? In those moments, do you turn your back on God. Do you get mad at God? “Why would he do this to me?” Or do you walk with God? Do you rely on God more fully? Do you trust in Him more deeply?

    I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

    Are you still able to say that when the going gets tough?

    Originally published April 26, 2018

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  • In the beginning was the Word. Studying John 1:1-2

    In the beginning was the Word. Studying John 1:1-2

    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
    -John 1:1

    It’s interesting in comparing the beginning of John’s gospel to the beginnings of the other three.  

    Mark’s gospel begins with the ministry of John the Baptist as the one who points to Christ.  

    Luke’s gospel goes back further with the birth of John the Baptist and the birth of Jesus.  

    Matthew’s gospel goes back further still to the family line of Jesus and takes us back to Abraham, back to the beginning of God’s covenant with his people.  

    John’s gospel goes back even further, back to the very beginning, back to eternity.  

    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. 

    Why use the word Word? 

    Borrowing an idea from D.A. Carson in his commentary on John.  

    From the beginning of the Bible, we see references to God’s word. God is a talking God. He speaks in Genesis. “Let there be light,” and the text says “and it was so.” 

    God calls things into being by the power of his word, and what he calls into existence exists.  

    Psalm 33:6 says: By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.

    God’s word is attached to deliverance.

    We see God’s word in his covenants and promises. Genesis 15:1: After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”

    The word of the Lord is mentioned numerous times in the Bible with respect to divine revelation given to prophets. Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel say “the word of the Lord came to me.” 

    The Word of the Lord is seen as a key to truth and enlightenment.  

    Psalm 119:105: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

    And we could go on and on and on.  There is power in the word of God. 

    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. 

    “And the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” 

    But just to sum up what verse 1 is saying is that Jesus is eternal, he has always existed in fellowship with God, and that he himself IS God. That’s really the major theme of John’s Gospel. Jesus is the Lord.  

    Thanks for reading! If you liked, please comment and subscribe! 

    This post is part of a series in studying the Gospel of John. Recommended resources:  Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (pp. 113–117). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B.

  • Jesus is the bread of life and why bread is the perfect food

    Jesus is the bread of life and why bread is the perfect food

    Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
    -John 6:35

    Jesus tells a group who’s following him that he is the bread of life. What the perfect food to pick. Something so universal, something that’s such a staple of life. Most foods, you can find someone who doesn’t like them. 

    Cheese is amazing. There are people who don’t like cheese. There are people who don’t like fish, or beef. There are even weirdos who don’t like chocolate. But everyone likes bread. It’s a universal staple. 

    Think about bread for a moment. A lot of restaurants you go to, they just give you a bowl of bread. You go to an Italian restaurant, maybe it’ll be breadsticks, maybe it’ll be bread with some olive oil. You go to a Mexican restaurant, they bring you chips and salsa. The tortilla chip is just bread that they then fried. 

    They don’t even charge you for it. Just “here, have some bread.” 

    Go to a Mediterranean restaurant, the meal will come with a pita. An Indian restaurant, it’ll be naan. 

    And that only works with bread. 

    Can you imagine going to a restaurant and they bring the table a bowl of broccoli? No! You can’t even imagine that. 

    Really, a lot of popular chain restaurants are known more for their bread than their actual entrees. No one is really going to Red Lobster for their week old fish and ocean roaches. It’s all about the cheddar bay biscuits. Olive Garden? The breadsticks are the real star of the show. 

    We love bread. 

    It plays a major role in so many of our favorite foods. Pizza. Cheeseburgers. Fried chicken. 

    Meatballs. Already a brilliant idea unto itself. A ball of meat, but we say “needs bread crumbs.” 

    We add bread to things that have nothing to do with bread. A salad. Mostly vegetables, let’s add bread crumbs. Soup. Mostly liquid, let’s add crackers and put it in a bread bowl. A bowl of ice cream. We look and say “the soup people were onto something. Let’s get rid of the bowl and replace that with a piece of bread.” 

    Most of our favorite desserts are just sweeter versions of bread.  Cake. Donuts. All the best breakfast foods. Bread. Pancakes, waffles, french toast, bagels. We LOVE bread. 

    Rich people love bread, poor people love bread. Old people love bread, young people love bread. We love it so much that many years ago, people said “I wonder if we can find a way to drink this stuff.” And that’s how beer was invented! 

    Bread and language

    Bread even impacts our language and sayings. 

    We judge the greatness of achievements and innovation by how it stacks up with sliced bread. We have indoor plumbing, we have cures to horrible disease, we’ve been to the moon, we have the internet. But no, when something great comes along, we compare that to the invention of sliced bread. When we eat together, we call that breaking bread. In many cultures, bread is a symbol of peace. We call money dough and the person who makes more money in a relationship is called the “bread winner.” If someone wants too much out of a situation, we say “you can’t have your cake and eat it too.”

    Bread in the Bible

    And then we consider it in the Bible. God feeds the Israelites with manna (which was bread) from heaven. Jesus references that in the Lord’s Prayer when he teaches us to pray “Give us each day our daily bread.” It is bread to which Jesus refers when the devil tempts him. He’s quoting from Deuteronomy but he says “Man does not live by bread alone but by every Word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).  

    Even the place where Jesus was born. Bethlehem in Hebrew means “house of bread.” 

    And it is bread at the Last Supper when Jesus institutes communion which he takes and breaks and says “this is my body, which is broken for you.” 

    Bread matters in our lives and the Bible. 

    Jesus is the bread of life

    So in John 6, a great crowd has seen miraculous signs done by Jesus. He’s just fed multitudes. But the crowd wanted to be dazzled with greater signs and wonders but Jesus instead explains the significance of the sign when he felt the multitudes. 

    The manna from heaven was the bread which God gave to the Isrealites to sustain them on their desert wanderings. Jesus is the bread of life which God has given to sustain the human soul. 

    The people had followed Jesus because he filled their stomachs, but Jesus came to save our souls. 

    The people wanted to see a physical display of glory and power but Jesus came to fulfill the longings of the human soul. 

    And it’s for that reason that Jesus is the greater bread. The manna had to be collected everyday. Jesus is the bread which gives eternal life at the moment you believe in him. 

    But as the manna was collected daily, there is still a daily element to the bread which Jesus provides as he himself is the bread we need everyday for our spiritual sustenance. Without the bread which Jesus provides, we grow spiritually hungry and malnourished. We need to feed upon him everyday.

    We need to commune with Christ everyday. Anytime you’re struggling spiritually, you feel like you’re just going through the motions, the first thing you should ask yourself is what your daily time with Jesus is looking like. 

    Going to him, praying, meditating on his word, serving his people, loving his people, orienting our lives around him.

    Jesus is the eternal nourishment and the daily bread without which we will Spiritually starve. 

    The world wants to just satisfy your body. 

    If you can just have enough money, you’ll be secure and have what you need. Some people are drawn to intimacy and feel like that will sustain their soul. It’s looking to a physical desire. Some look to prestige and power. Those are still ultimately fleeting accolades that you can’t take with you. Dying people in a dying world honoring one another. Some people look to politics. The right party being in office. Men who are fallen and sinful, flesh and bones are our hope. 

    The world makes idols of what is fleeting and feeds the body. Jesus feeds the soul. 

    Jesus is the bread of life. 

    Where is your hope though? Is it in the material? Is it in today? Is it in what you have or who you are? Is it in what’s in front of you? Or is it in the eternal Lord of creation? 

    The crowd had said to Jesus: What must we do, to be doing the works of God?

    Jesus says: I am the bread of life. whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst

    We’re called to come to him. Coming to him in humility, coming to him realizing our needs, realizing our hunger. 

    And we are to believe in him. To trust in his gospel and his grace. We must recognize that we’re sinners in need of a savior. 

    That is what we do to receive the bread of life. We believe in Jesus. And he invites us to never hunger or thirst because he fulfills the longings of the human soul.