Do you ever feel like you are still waiting for a promise from God to be fulfilled?
I opened up facebook today to see one of those memory sharing opportunities. This time it was a post that I shared 4 years ago: "I passed Greek, Hebrew, German, and French....PhD here I come." That was a great day, I remember feeling the forward movement and the promise of what was to come. That day was also 4 years ago...
I have finished my class work, I have passed by comprehensives, and I have even submitted the first two chapters of my dissertation for review, but its been 4 years. I thought when I came here I would get my class work done in 2.5 years and then go back to full time work, perhaps as a Pastor of a church or dream of all dreams I would get hired to teach while I worked on my dissertation. Did I mention it has been 4 years...? I moved here to start this program on the providence of God and I still believe that Jesus spoke to me through scripture in my devotions moments before I went into my departmental interview to get into the program. I have an anchor point of reassurance that this is where I am supposed to be and I need it today more than ever, after 4 years...
In John chapter 18 the gospel writer tells the story of Jesus' arrest by the temple guard. They come in the middle of the night led by Judas who betrays Jesus with a kiss. John describes one of my favorite moments when Jesus asked who they have come for and when they say Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus proclaims, "I am he." The whole group falls back at the power of that statement, awesome! Jesus asks again who they have come for and they have the same exchange, then Jesus tells them to let the others go. John then points out that this is the fulfill what Jesus had said at a previous occasion, that not one of those you gave me would be lost.
There are two other times in this chapter when John references Jesus' words coming true. One is explicit and the other is implicit. The implicit moment happens first, Peter has been let into the courtyard of the high priest and he denies Jesus three times before the rooster crows. Jesus said this was going to happen back in John chapter 13. The explicit moment happens next when the Jews take Jesus before Pilate and Pilate tells them to judge Jesus themselves. The Jewish leaders reply that they don't have the ability to put someone to death. John then points out that this fulfills the words of Jesus about how he was going to die recorded by John in chapter 12.
John does not pull any punches about his purpose for writing his gospel. He tells us that he is writing these things in order that we might believe in Jesus as the Messiah. So he builds into his narrative the moments when Jesus spoke and then when those words came to fulfillment. At the end of chapter 18 Jesus is speaking to Pilate and he tells him that, "everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice." The words of Jesus are true and John is demonstrating that within the narrative of his gospel.
Do I believe that Jesus had lead me to this place? Do I believe that he spoke to my heart through the scriptures that day, now more that 4 years ago and gave me the answers for the interview with the Theology Dept.? Yes I do. Well then...it's only been 4 years...and he has and will see us through.
May we listen to the voice of Christ today and believe that he speaks the truth.
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