Our next text is a beautiful statement of our belief regarding Jesus. John the baptizer is dialoging with a Jew about purification when the conversation turns to Jesus. After all, Jesus is quickly gaining more followers than John, his disciples are actually baptizing more people than John. What does John think about Jesus eclipsing him?

John the baptizer reiterates his previous statement that he is not the Messiah but came to prepare people for his arrival. He’s actually elated that Jesus’ influence is increasing and his decreasing because Jesus is the Son of God. God sent him, gave him the Spirit without limit, and has made him responsible for all creation. This text presents all three persons of the Trinity in their function. 

Here is where John the author closes the deal, saying, “whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.” He’s inviting you to believe in Jesus. This would be even more powerful for his Jewish readers who knew John, and were possibly baptized by him. While we are removed from this historical scene, receive the witness of both John the Apostle and John the Baptist: Jesus has descended from heaven to rescue sinners from the God’s judgment.

Sunday we consider probably the most famous verse in the Bible, John 3:16. You can probably quote it without thinking about it. Have you ever considered it in its context? Jesus is explaining to Nicodemus the Spirit’s regeneration to life. Faith in Jesus, the Son of God, is evidence of the Spirit’s work. Just as Moses called people to look to the bronze serpent for healing, whoever looks to Jesus in faith is given eternal life. Then comes verse sixteen, “For God…” Notice the first word, “for.” This word connects these two sections.

 In this paragraph, John makes it clear that God sent Jesus to rescue the world (sinners), not to condemn it. In fact, the world already stands condemned because it hasn’t believed and rejected Jesus because it is evil. Evil people, dead in their transgressions and sins, avoid exposure by the Light. The verdict is that they can’t come to the light unless the Spirit of God grants them new birth. But all who have been “born again” are comfortable in the presence of God because God is present with them.

Join us Sunday as we consider the grace of God for us.

Sunday, John will bring us into a familiar interaction between Jesus and Nicodemus. This interaction follows on the heels of John saying that while some believed in Jesus, Jesus did not reciprocate because he knew their hearts. Their faith was not a work of God’s grace, but a human response to seeing something supernatural. John uses this interaction to make a point that faith is a work of God’s Spirit. Jesus says, “you must be born again.” (John 3:7) Here the word “again” can also be translated “above.”

Being “born from above” refers to the Spirit’s work of regeneration, or the new birth. Jesus teaches, even as he interacts with people, that unless the Spirit of God grants the new birth, genuine faith is impossible. How do we know the Spirit of God is present at work? That’s where Jesus’ illustration of the wind comes in. You don’t know where the wind comes from or is going, but you know when it’s present because things happen (leaves blow, your hair is messed up, etc.). So it is with the Spirit, you know when he’s present because people believe and receive eternal life. Have you been born from above?

Sunday, John takes us to the Passover of the Jews. You probably remember most of the setting of the first Passover (Exodus 12). The Jews were enslaved by the Egyptians. On the fourteenth day of the month of Nisan, the people are to kill a lamb and place its blood on the doorposts and the lintel of the homes they gather in. The lamb with the bitter herbs and unleavened bread was to be eaten entirely (or destroyed) and the people were to prepare to leave Egypt. This meal was followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread until the twenty-first day of the month. God even tells them what to say to their children every year when they celebrate the Passover together, “you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the LORD’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’” It is the central Jewish ceremony, even today.

Jesus enters the temple, during the preparation of the Passover and what does he find? Money changers and merchants selling ceremonially pure animals. Now, none of this was sinful. After all, the people were traveling from different parts of the county and needed to purchase animals for sacrifice. In addition, they needed to change their currency into acceptable currency for the temple offering. The problem was the placement of these merchants within the temple, probably in the court of the Gentiles. Jesus rebukes them all, overturning their tables and driving out their animals. He says to the pigeon (dove) merchants, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” (John 2:16)

The temple was to be a place of communion with God, not a ceremonial Wal-Mart. What’s amazing is that Jesus refers to himself as the temple after the religious leaders challenge his displacement of the merchants. The temple was a temporary place of mediation between God and man. It was a shadow of a reality fulfilled in Jesus. Join us Sunday as we consider our great High Priest and the only mediator between God and man: Jesus Christ!

Sunday we move into chapter two and Jesus’ first miracle, turning water into wine. It’s more than a miracle according to John: it’s a sign. John’s word choice is important, because it doesn’t merely indicate a miracle, but something that speaks of a reality. Imagine driving down the road, and you see a flashing sign that says “bridge out ahead.” The sign points to a reality ahead. John highlights this first miracle of Jesus, because it is a sign of a reality ahead.
 
John brings this out through the narrative. There are pots for purification, that once filled with water are made wine for a wedding feast. Stunning new covenant imagery. In addition, the conversation between Jesus and Mary points to the moment the new covenant becomes effective. Jesus says, “My hour has not yet come.”  The Lord’s hour refers to his suffering and sacrifice for his people that provides the cleansing we require. All of this is symbolized by Jesus turning water into wine.
 
Yes, there’s more to this miracle than just a supernatural event, it’s a sign of the new covenant in Christ Jesus. So, join us Sunday as we consider this amazing text.

As we move to the next section of John’s gospel, we’re introduced to the disciples who followed Jesus. Once again, John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God, this time to his disciples. Immediately, two of his disciples followed Jesus, Andrew and probably the author, John. He presents these events because he wants you to follow Jesus. Twice in the narrative we have the invitation, “come and see,” once from Jesus and once from Philip. But the text is more nuanced than that.

When Andrew and John begin following Jesus, he asks them and important question, “What are you seeking?” John presents that question to his readers so that they can evaluate what they are seeking as they come and see Jesus. Some might be seeking a “rabbi,” a teacher who will give them answers to life’s problems. Some who seek Jesus are looking for relief from political persecution (Jews vs. Romans). The gospel presents Jesus as the “Lamb of God,” the promised descendant of King David, the Son of God and the Son of Man.

As we consider this text and you consider Jesus, what are you seeking?

June 22, 2020

Dear Church Family,

As you know, Sunday, June 21, 2020, it was announced in a YouTube video (youtube.com/eastcobbpres) that we will be hosting worship in the gym beginning July 12, 2020 at 10am. We are excited about worshiping together on a limited scale in the gym. While this isn’t a full “regathering,” it will be a joy to see each other again and join our voices in praise to the Lord. We need the grace God has provided in gospel community.

Coming together in the gym will provide the most space for us as we follow the guidelines and best practices for groups our size. We will practice physical distancing, wear masks, and offer hand sanitizer. Full instructions will be published, including a video demonstrating what to expect when you come. For those unable to wear masks, a section will be prepared, but we ask that this group not sing, unless masked. In order to be able to welcome those who are most at risk, we ask everyone who worships with us on campus to follow these instructions and best practices.

Online worship will continue to be made available at www.eastcobbpres.org/live.

Worshiping together will create many opportunities to serve the Lord’s church. Staging the gym and welcoming worshipers to our campus in a healthy and orderly way will require a number of volunteers. You can visit eastcobbpres.org/together and fill out the form at the bottom to let us know you’re able to help, and stay tuned for online sign ups for specific volunteer needs. These will be published on our website, Facebook page, and in the weekly newsletter. Right now, a small group of people in the worship and technology sectors of our ministry are carrying the real weight of serving. It’s important that we come alongside them as we come back together.

Seating will be limited, and we will need all those who plan to join us on campus to register in advance to reserve a seat. These links will be made available on our website and in the weekly newsletter. Families will be seated together, and parents will need to keep their children with them at all times. Both entrance to the gym and dismissal at the conclusion of worship will be done in an orderly way to maintain our best practices while you are on campus.

We look forward to beginning the process of coming back on campus and look forward to seeing you.

God bless,

Pastor Tim Locke

This Sunday we will consider the testimony of John, the one baptizing (not the first Baptist). The text is an interaction between him and the religious leaders who questioned his ministry. John defends his washing with water (baptism), a Jewish rite of ceremonial cleansing, as preparation for the presentation of the Lamb of God. John says, “but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” (v31) 

The rite of water is a shadow of a reality. John speaks of that reality saying that Jesus is the “Lamb of God” who will take away our sin. It’s a shadow of Jesus’ cleansing work. But more than the removal of our sins, baptism with water points to the washing of the Holy Spirit. John says, “this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” (v33) Jesus is the Lamb who atones for our sins, and the source of the Spirit’s work within us.

John saw him. John wants you to see him. John’s testimony is that he is the Son of God. So join us Sunday, and consider John’s testimony of Jesus. 

Sunday we continue our series in the gospel of John by considering the prologue, John 1:1-18. While this passage is packed full of theological truths that deserve to be unpacked, when preaching a narrative we need to examine sections in their entirety to capture the message of the author. This week we consider John’s conclusion of Jesus’ ministry, saying, “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.” (John 1:18) This summarizes Jesus’ ministry for John’s purpose in writing, which I’ve summarized as “Come and see what the Father has provided for you in Jesus. Receive Jesus.”

John’s big idea in this section is that Jesus is not just divine, but deity, God in the flesh, revealing God to humanity. In addition, he grants to all who believe the right to be called the children of God. Since John’s audience is predominantly Jewish, the book has many Old Testament allusions, like Moses. This week, the invitation is to come and see the second person of the Trinity who is the incarnate revelation of God.

Our world has selectively accepted the teaching of Jesus, concluding that he was a good man with some good ideas, like “love others.” John insists he is the Son of God, bringing the light of revelation and granting life to all who believe. Before we come and see what God has revealed, we need to understand the person doing the revealing. Jesus is God!

Church Family,

We are witnessing real tumult in our country right now. It’s heartbreaking to see the death of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer. It’s equally heartbreaking to see citizens riot and loot our city. There are real issues that need to be addressed in our culture and society that are being eclipsed by anarchy.

The easiest way to see the need is to engage people we know, trust, and love. Remember though that many in our black and African-American communities are hurting and experiencing great pain. We need to be patient, empathetic, and understanding in our conversations. Some might not be emotionally able to engage. This week I was able to speak with Emanuel and Justina Dix, who serve the predominantly black community of Summerhill. I was grateful for the important perspective they shared with me about the issues failing their community. There are historical and current barriers in our system of banking, education, housing, criminal justice, and employment systems that limit the black community. As one of our members, Stephen Helwig, said to me, “While we can look historically and see that this is as good a time as there has ever been to be black in America, it should also be clear how much work is still left to do.” Most of us are not experts in race relations or systems that oppress, but we should be willing to listen and learn. I so appreciate what Justina said: “We know the problem is sin, and we know the solution is Jesus.”

We need to be wise and biblical in how we respond to the inequities within these systems, but we cannot ignore them or use the riots to deflect from them. Believers have always been called by God to pursue righteousness in the world and, when Scripture declares something oppressive, to pursue justice. Because politicians are hijacking real issues of oppression to further their agendas, this becomes a divisive issue that often cements the tribalism we are experiencing. This applies to multiple issues within our culture, like the value of the unborn, but the current issue is the experience of the black and African-American community.

As a church, we should stand with our neighbors as they decry unrighteousness. In the Old Testament, the foreigner would often be taken advantage of as they traveled through foreign lands. They would not be given shelter or were overcharged for it. They would not be given opportunities to build homes, create business, or have the protection of the courts because they were foreigners. God speaks out against his own people for this oppression and calls them to pursue righteousness, or he will come and mete out justice. When Israel refused to respond, persisting in their oppression, God intervened, handing out their parcels of land to foreign invaders. We have a responsibility to our neighbors.

Like the Good Samaritan, we are called by God to engage each other righteously—regardless of race or creed. As fellow image-bearers and as members of the community, we are our brother’s keeper. Hear the call of Micah 6:8: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” Notice that while Micah is addressing God’s people, he says, “O man.” Doing justice, loving kindness, walking humbly are issues for every human. The story of the Good Samaritan, Luke 10:25-37, answers the question “Who is my neighbor?” It also answers the question, “What is written in the law?” It brings us back to the summation of the law, to love God and love our neighbor (Matthew 22:37).

I’m convinced that as believers, we should stand for George Floyd and his family. This was not righteousness, so we should mourn and pursue justice. I believe that we should listen and learn from the black and African-American members of our community, walking humbly before them and the Lord. I believe that when oppressive systems are exposed, we should oppose them and demand that our elected leaders change them, or vote them out. I believe that we should be careful not to adopt ideologies that are being used to advance corrupt agendas. Some of the current situation is simple right and wrong; some of it is complicated and requires discernment to remain biblical. I will put together some resources to help you do some investigation, but one book I would immediately recommend is Heal Us, Emmanuel by Doug Serven.

Now is a time for renewal and reconciliation. Now is a time for mourning and lament. We should all be praying, “Heal us, Emmanuel.” Christ is the great reconciler! We have hope in his ability, and we look to him for wisdom and grace.

God bless you,

Pastor Tim Locke

[Ed, Stephen Helwig]