“Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” \u00a0<\/em>John 21:25 (ESV)<\/p><\/blockquote>\nAnd if we take John literally, the World itself is something Jesus did. All creation is something Jesus did.\u00a0He is the Word through whom all things are created.\u00a0Yet, maybe John is referring to what Jesus just did in chapters 20 and 21:\u00a0His Resurrection appearances.<\/p>\n
But, now after the Resurrection\u2026it\u2019s hard to nail Jesus down.\u00a0It\u2019s like He\u2019s everywhere\u00a0and can show up anywhere\u00a0and you won\u2019t always know its Him.\u00a0We just preached on most of these appearances:\u00a0In John 20 He\u2019s like, present but hidden in the garden, by the tomb. He waits for Peter and John to leave. He lets Mary weep. She\u2019s seeking Jesus (a dead Jesus) and the living Jesus is seeking her.\u00a0In John 20:13 Mary said to the 2 angels:<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.\u201d <\/em>14<\/em>Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. <\/em>15<\/em>Jesus said to her, \u201cWoman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n[Jesus is playing dumb\u2026teasing, coaxing, drawing out this desperate longing in Mary\u2019s soul \u2013 \u201cWhom do you want?\u201d \u201cMake a wish.\u201d<\/em>]<\/p>\nSupposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, \u201cSir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.\u201d <\/em>16\u00a0<\/em>Jesus said to her, \u201cMary.\u201d She turned and said to him in Aramaic, \u201cRabboni!\u201d<\/em>(which means Teacher).\u00a0John 20:13-16 (ESV) (Mary jumps on Jesus; clings to him and won\u2019t let go.) Jesus says, \u201cMary, don\u2019t cling to me for I have not yet ascended to the Father.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\nWell I think there are some amazing theological reasons Jesus appeared as the gardener (reasons we talked about a few weeks ago). But Jesus does it again, later that day, but not as a gardener. John doesn\u2019t record it but Luke does in detail. Jesus appears as a traveler on the road to Emmaus. He just walks with these two guys, probably for hours: \u201cBut their eyes were kept from recognizing him,\u201d <\/em>says Luke. He does the same thing. He plays dumb and asks them about their conversation. They say they had hoped that this \u201cJesus guy\u201d was the Messiah. Then Jesus (incognito) explains all the Scripture pertaining to Him. He stays with them and when He breaks the bread at supper \u2013 they recognize Him. \u201cTheir eyes are opened,\u201d <\/em>says Luke.<\/p>\nHe vanishes and they say, \u201cDid not our hearts burn within us while He talked and\u00a0<\/em>opened Scripture out on the road?\u201d \u00a0<\/em>That night the disciples are locked in a room, when according to John 20, Jesus just walks\u00a0through the wall. Thomas isn\u2019t there. Jesus lets Thomas hope and long for 7 days, and then does it again and Thomas goes nuts crying, \u201cMy Lord and my God.” <\/em>Then in John 21, Jesus appears on the Sea of Galilee. Once again they don\u2019t know it\u2019s Him. He just watches them struggle.\u00a0He\u2019s present but hidden and He plays dumb. He teases their longings:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\u201cDo you have any fish?\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cThrow it on the other side.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nEven the fish work for Him. He\u2019s controlling all the circumstances. They recognize Him and go nuts with joy and have breakfast. Jesus asks Peter three times for three denials \u2013 \u201cDo you love Me?\u201d\u00a0<\/em>I think Jesus enjoyed forgiving Peter.\u00a0And then John says, \u201cThere are also many other things Jesus did\u2026\u201d <\/em>Maybe He\u2019s doing this kind of stuff all the time.\u00a0But why didn\u2019t He just walk through the wall in my 7th period Jewelry Making class and\u00a0say, \u201cRepent Brad \u201d? \u00a0<\/em>Why didn\u2019t He manifest just once in Jerusalem or Rome?\u00a0Why doesn\u2019t He materialize on the set at CNN for Anderson Cooper? [They could get it on video and we\u2019d be done with this whole evangelism thing, right?]<\/p>\nWhat\u2019s Jesus doing?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nJesus is hiding<\/p>\n
So what\u2019s Jesus doing? …What\u2019s Jesus doing?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nWatching<\/p>\n
Hiding<\/p>\n
Dropping hints<\/p>\n
What\u2019s Jesus doing?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\u2026Manipulating all the circumstances but enticing hearts<\/p>\n
\u2026Asking questions<\/p>\n
\u2026Making people seek<\/p>\n
\u2026Present but hidden<\/p>\n
\u2026Playing hard to get; all so He can be got<\/p>\n
What\u2019s Jesus doing \u2013 that He must do Himself?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nNot with a program,<\/p>\n
an argument,<\/p>\n
book,<\/p>\n
law,<\/p>\n
or army?<\/p>\n
What\u2019s Jesus doing? That He won\u2019t let someone else do for Him?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nWhat\u2019s He doing? …I think He\u2019s doing what He said He\u2019d do:<\/p>\n
\u2026And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.\u201d He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. \u00a0\u00a0<\/em>John 12:32-33 (ESV)<\/p><\/blockquote>\nWhat\u2019s He doing? He\u2019s romancing His Bride.\u00a0He said, I will \u201cdraw\u201d (helkuso <\/em>in Greek). It\u2019s a fishing term as in \u201cto draw in a net.\u201d\u00a0In John it means \u201cto draw to one\u2019s self in love\u201d according to the Theological Dictionary of New Testament Theology. \u00a0<\/em>It means to woo a lover\u201d <\/em>writes D. A. Carson.\u00a0It means to control everything except the one thing you want most \u2013 a human heart that loves in freedom.\u00a0It means to entice, romance or allure.\u00a0It\u2019s what Jesus said He would do and what the prophets said God would do.<\/p>\nIn Hosea, God says he\u2019s just gonna decimate Israel because she\u2019s played the whore and then He says:<\/p>\n
Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her. And there I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley at Achor (trouble) a door of Hope. \u00a0<\/em>Hosea 2:14 (ESV)<\/p>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n
He\u2019s gonna take her camping and romance her in the wilderness \u2013 good strategy.<\/p>\n
In Isaiah He gives Israel a divorce (Isaiah 50:1). Then He says in Isaiah 54:5-6<\/p>\n
“…for a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. For your Maker is your husband.”\u00a0<\/em>Isaiah 55:3<\/p>\n“I will make an everlasting covenant with you.” \u00a0\u00a0<\/em>Isaiah 62:5<\/p>\n“I will rejoice over you as a bridegroom over his bride.”\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/em>In Ezekiel 16 He says<\/p>\nI married you and you played the whore so I\u2019ll pour out my wrath and then I\u2019ll have compassion on Sodom and Samaria and you too Jerusalem. I will quiet your arrogant boasting when \u201cI atone for you, for all that you have done,\u201d declares the Lord.\u00a0<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\nOn the Cross, God atoned for all we have done\u2026formed an everlasting covenant and Jesus is the door in the Valley of Trouble.\u00a0He said, \u201cWhen I\u2019m lifted up, I will draw (romance) (entice) all people to myself.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nLast week we preached that each person is a Love story that God is telling, with His Word, who is Jesus.\u00a0What\u2019s He doing?\u00a0He\u2019s romancing His Bride.<\/p>\n
It was 1977; Masterpieces of American Literature, Heritage High School – Mrs. Rydberg read the seating chart:\u00a0She placed Hiett\u00a0next to Coleman.\u00a0It was a miracle and sign from God. Under my breath I muttered, \u201cThank you Jesus!\u201d <\/em>I was sitting next to a total \u201chottie.\u201d And then and there I had a mission \u2013 \u201chelkuso\u201d \u00a0<\/em>I would romance her to myself.<\/p>\nI would do it (no one could do it for me).<\/p>\n
I was the bait; she was the catch.<\/p>\n
I would be present to her every Monday, Wednesday, Friday during American Lit\u2026present but hidden.<\/p>\n
Hidden as her future lover, spouse and lifelong companion.<\/p>\n
Unbeknownst to her, I would manipulate circumstances. I would control the environment to be conducive to love.<\/p>\n
I would allow her to steal my junior thesis and forgive her (just to demonstrate my grace).<\/p>\n
If all went according to plan, I\u2019d take her to scary movies (just so she\u2019d cling to me.)<\/p>\n
I\u2019d take her to the wilderness hiking, camping and I would be her strength.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
But for now I\u2019d play dumb (that would be easy). I\u2019d be subtle (that would be hard).\u00a0I\u2019d advance and withdraw. Maybe even play hard to get. And I\u2019d use words like seeds\u2026<\/p>\n
Creating a longing within her.<\/p>\n
Hope in her.<\/p>\n
Faith in her.<\/p>\n
Love for me in her \u2013 Love.<\/p>\n
That means I couldn\u2019t force her. I couldn\u2019t argue her into love with me, or threaten her into love\u00a0with me. It would be her free decision\u2026but created by me with romance. She\u2019d choose because she was chosen. I would romance her to myself such that on the day that I dropped to my knees and said \u201cWould you marry me? Form a covenant with me?\u201d <\/em>she\u2019d go insane with joy.<\/p>\nI romanced her:<\/p>\n
Present but hidden\u2026<\/p>\n
Wooing\u2026<\/p>\n
Enticing\u2026<\/p>\n
Alluring\u2026<\/p>\n
Romancing.<\/p>\n
But now imagine if that first day in English class I would\u2019ve sat down next to Susan and said,<\/p>\n
\u201cHey you\u2019re a \u2018hottie\u2019 and I\u2019ve decided you\u2019re going to marry me; give birth to 4 children by me; wash my dirty underwear and love it.\u00a0<\/em>If you disagree, you need to know I\u2019m the logical choice. I have a 3.2 GPA and I\u2019m a Christian and you\u2019re not. So, if you don\u2019t date me, you could burn in Hell.\u00a0<\/em>So hope in me; have faith in me; love me; date me now!\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nIf I did that, she\u2019d have totally freaked and run out of the room.<\/p>\n
When Jesus appears to John in all His glory \u2013 the Glory of His Love. When Jesus appears to John on the Island of Patmos, John drops as if dead.\u00a0When Jesus appears to Paul on the Damascus road, Paul is literally knocked over and blinded by the Light \u2013 the Light of Love.\u00a0In 2nd Thessalonians 1:9, He writes that those who disobey the Good News will be destroyed by the Glory, from the face of Christ. If right now you were to truly see\u2026that every atom in your body only exists because He continually wills it. And that you have continually rejected Him and\u00a0yet He continually and absolutely desires you. If you saw Him, who is Love, right now as He is in all His glory, you\u2019d die.<\/p>\n
So, Jesus is present, but hidden\u2026preparing your weak little heart for that day\u2026present but hidden\u2026<\/p>\n
Like a gardener asking questions<\/p>\n
Like a hitch hiker on the road to Emmaus<\/p>\n
Like a guy on the beach offering advice<\/p>\n
Like a baby in a manger<\/p>\n
Or \u201csomeone sick or in prison\u201d like \u201cthe last and least\u201d<\/p>\n
Drawing love out of you<\/p>\n
Inspiring love in you.<\/p>\n
Present but hidden like a word, a thought, an idea,,,<\/p>\n
\u201cThe mere idea of you, the longing here for you.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nHe is the Way, Truth, Life, and Light.\u00a0John tells us \u201cthe only way to the Father is through Jesus the Son.\u201d \u00a0<\/em>But John also tells us \u201cHe\u2019s the light that enlightens all men.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cHe\u2019s the only Way, but the Way descends into Hell and ascends in order to fill all things.\u201d <\/em>(Ephesians 4:9-10)<\/p>\nI\u2019m just saying Jesus is still present, but hidden.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s He doing? Is He a stalker? What\u2019s He doing?<\/p>\n
He\u2019s \u201cromancing all people to Himself.\u201d (John 12:32)<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t write it. It\u2019s in the Bible.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Does God “force” His salvation on people and make them love Him like a “Stepford Wife”? Or does He just provide all that He can do to save us and…<\/p>\n
Read MoreHave You Considered the Power of Divine Romance?<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[108,1,109,100,97],"tags":[61,62,103,33,14,130,108,107,109],"class_list":["post-1409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-peter-hiett","category-evangelical-universalism","category-the-sanctuary","category-universalism-and-arminianism","category-universalism-and-calvinism","tag-arminianism","tag-calvinism","tag-christian-universalism","tag-election","tag-free-will","tag-j-p-moreland","tag-peter-hiett","tag-roger-olson","tag-the-sanctuary","excerpt"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/godslovewins.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1409","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/godslovewins.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/godslovewins.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/godslovewins.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/godslovewins.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1409"}],"version-history":[{"count":38,"href":"https:\/\/godslovewins.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1409\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3841,"href":"https:\/\/godslovewins.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1409\/revisions\/3841"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/godslovewins.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1409"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/godslovewins.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1409"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/godslovewins.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1409"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}