There are only two rules in this game called life.

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John 12:20 - 50; Numbers 21:4-9

As you read the Gospel of John, remember that when Jesus spoke these words to his disciples, there were no Christians. Even the word, Christian, didn't exist. And, there were no churches. From the perspective of a Jew living in Israel, there were only Jews and gentiles (non-Israelite people).

In this passage of scripture (John 12:20), some Greeks have asked to meet Jesus. It is just six days before Passover. Just the day before, Mary had poured three quarters of a pound of expensive aromatic oil from nard or Spikenard. It is a flowering plant of the Valerian family and that oil could have been sold and earned 300 silver coins - denarii - or a year's wages at that time.

Jesus has already entered Jerusalem on a donkey where crowds of people, anticipating that he was the new Messiah, shouted, "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!" And, the powerful people of this time and place, the chief priests and Pharisees were beside themselves, "Look the world has run off after him." (John 12:19)

Jesus had demonstrated miraculous powers. He had just called Lazarus to rise from the dead. And, those in power were ready to stone him to death.

The world hasn't changed much. The two rules, also known as commandments, haven't changed either: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength," and "Love your neighbor as yourself." These rules eluded most of the people of Jesus time and they elude most people today.

How well do we know these two commandments? You can read the source materials, Matthew 22:37 (also, Deuteronomy 6:5) and Matthew 22:39 (and also, Leviticus 19:18)?

What don't we understand?

What is so hard to get about this simple message?

Now, Jesus was a relatively simple man. He was a carpenter's son and he probably was a carpenter's apprentice. You can still get a job as a carpenter's apprentice. They still get splinter's in their hands and we can assume that Jesus was no exception.

He was fully a man.

Yet, in John, the Gospel writer quotes Jesus as saying in John 10, verse 17, "This is why the Father loves me - because I lay down my life, so that I may take it back again. No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again. This commandment I received from the Father." And then in verse 30, he continues and says, "I and my Father are one."

Yes, Jesus was also fully God.

So what do you do as a result of John 10? ...with John 11 and John 12?

Do you believe that this man did come to show us a new way?
Do you believe the way is simple?

It is. And, it is not. We are all so perfectly human, we sin (separate ourselves from God) and we fall short. We simply must be forgiving... forgiving others for their shortfalls, their humanity, and forgiving ourselves for our own shortfalls.

Let us in this time and in these times, walk to the cross and die within that perfect love so we, too, may live forever.

God Won't Give Up on You

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Deuteronomy 30:1-19; Romans 10

There are some people you enjoy being around. The people you like might be fun or funny or smart or extremely knowledgeable. Just like you enjoy certain people, God enjoys you. You are his favorite. However, he only wants to be with you if you want to be with him. God wants each of us to choose to have a personal relationship with him and he tells us how to come close to him and he has been doing this since the beginning of time.

There is a catch.
For you to freely choose God means you can freely not choose God.
You can embrace God's way or reject it. God gave his instructions to Moses for how to live a life that will keep you close to God and as a result, you will have happy and safe life. You can read these 10 commandments in Exodus 20:2-17 and in Deuteronomy 5:6-21. These 10 clear instructions proved too difficult for most people. Again in Deuteronomy 30:15-16 it says, " See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess."

God is nearly screaming to us, just do a few things I tell you to do and you will be blessed! God does not say go to a certain church, or wear a certain type of clothing, or give your money to a certain cause. Soon after God gave the 10 commandments, the Jewish leaders came up with 613 more laws you can read in the Torah. Leave it to people to take the simple and make it complicated.

To get ready for Easter and to understand the cross we have to understand God's love. Even after each of us sins all day every day, God keeps loving us and giving us ways to come back to him. Deuteronomy 30:11 God says that he has written his words on our hearts. We don't have to make some big trip somewhere to meet God, see God, experience God. We must look into our own hearts, be still and ask God to reveal himself to new everyday.

Hundreds of years pass and people keep missing the mark so God reaches out in a new way to save us from ourselves. God sends Jesus to show us how to live. In Romans 10:1-13 we read the same message God delivered in the Deuteronomy passage. The new part is that God sends Jesus to be the final law, to be the final chance for this human race that can't seem to get things right. Romans 10:4 says, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."

God keeps loving us; he keeps reaching down to us. His free gift of a life with him now and forever is made possible by the cross. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice and he was crucified, died, went to hell then rose back to life to clear the path to heaven for us.

Amen.