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By Jeremy Myers Filed Under Bible Commentary, Jesus, Luke Written on August 24, 2011

You Cannot Reform Religion

Many people believe that Jesus was trying to renew, reform, or overhaul the religion of Judaism. The idea is that in general, Judaism is good, and Jesus just needed to tweak and modify a few things to make it universally applicable to all.

I don’t believe this one bit.

Sure, Jesus was Jewish. And sure, Jesus was a Rabbi. And sure, Jesus practiced, observed, and obeyed the Jewish law.

But none of this means that Jesus wanted all of His followers everywhere in the world and throughout time to also be “Jewish.” Jesus never taught this, and while some in the early church believed that following Jesus required conversion to Judaism, the idea was quickly condemned by the apostolic leaders within the church.

New Wineskins

One of the places where Jesus explains the type of ministry and mission He was engaged in is Luke 5:33-39. With three short and humorous images, Jesus shows that He is not remodeling or patching up the old way of doing things, but is bringing a brand new way of doing things. A way built upon grace, love, and forgiveness.
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By Jeremy Myers Filed Under Bible Commentary, Jesus, Luke Written on August 23, 2011

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The Humor of Jesus

Humor of Jesus

The humor of Jesus is not like that of many comedians today, whose monologues are full of coarse language and perverted jokes. (Although, I must admit, Jesus does tell a few “bathroom humor” jokes.)

But in general, the humor of Jesus is rich, deep, insightful, and most of all, intentional. His humorous stories and witty remarks were always for the purpose of making a point, and getting people to think about what they believed.

Jesus was no serious, dour-faced, religious teacher who never smiled and looked down his nose at those who did. I believe one reason Jesus attracted the crowds He did is because of the sparkle in His eye, and the constant half-smile which hinted at a secret joke only He knew.

The Humorous Stories of Jesus

I did not realize this about Jesus for the longest time, but when I first began to understand the humor of Jesus, I soon realized that in the Gospels, Jesus is telling a humorous story on almost every page.

By Jeremy Myers Filed Under Bible Commentary, Jesus, Luke Written on August 22, 2011

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Laughing With Jesus

We Christians are far too serious.

In seminary, Howard Hendricks used to look at us students all sitting there in class and say, “When I look at most of you, it just makes me want to cry.”

It is for this reason that I really enjoy the following blogs. Some contain “Christian” humor, some atheist humor, and some just good humor.

Do you know of any others?

Some of these may offend you, but here is how I think Jesus responds to every single one (including the last one there which pokes fun at religion with a really big stick):

The more and more I learn about Jesus, the more convinced I become that Jesus was not only a man “acquainted with grief and sorrow” but was also a man full of joy and laughter. It is high time for us who follow Jesus to learn to laugh again.

This post was (loosely) based off of the Grace Commentary on Luke 5:33-39.

By Jeremy Myers Filed Under Jesus Written on April 24, 2011

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The Resurrection of Jesus is the Answer

the resurrection of Jesus This is the last post in my series on the death and resurrection of Jesus this week.

This final post follows up on my previous post where I stated that the resurrection of Jesus is the answer to everything. Here are some ways this is true:

Resurrection shows that the death of Jesus was not a shameful defeat, but was a glorious victory over all the forces of evil, over sin, death, and the devil.
The death and resurrection of Jesus is God taking responsibility for what happened to His creation.
Though there are many skirmishes yet to be won, the resurrection of Jesus is the inauguration of the rule and reign of God on earth and in our lives.
The call of the resurrection is for me individually, and for the people of God as a whole, to continue the work which Jesus began, and to implement the victory of God in the world through suffering love. “The cross [and the resurrection] is not just an example to be followed; it is an achievement to be worked out, put into practice” (Evil and the Justice of God, 98). The result of such living is resurrection.
The resurrection of Jesus creates a vision for the future of people dying to self, and being raised to new life for others. It allows us to envision a community of healing and hope, beauty and creation, love and peace, and then take self-sacrificial and Spirit-empowered steps toward accomplishing that vision.
The resurrection is a summons by God, not just to believe in Jesus, but to live in a new way in God’s new world, which we can not yet fully see.
The resurrection of Jesus is call to do justice, and love mercy, and protect the weak and vulnerable. It calls for education, medical care, and economic generosity, not because it is mandated from above by a government, but because it springs out from within us, from hearts filled with faith, hope, and love.
The resurrection stops us from asking what is best for me and for my town and for my country, and starts us to ask what is best for you, and for your town, and for your country.
Resurrection allows us to freely forgive others and forgive ourselves, because God has already forgiven everything. It means that we forgive, whether or not people accept it, and whether or not they ask.
The resurrection of Jesus removes all fear and guilt, leaving only love. It releases debt, it releases burdens.

In the end, we see that the resurrection of Jesus is not only the answer, it is also the catalyst, or the springboard, by which God intends to make you and I the answer. While God’s solution to evil is the resurrection, this is only true because God’s solution to evil is you and I living out the resurrection.

We, by living out the resurrection, are to reverse the curse. We, by living out the resurrection, are to be a blessing to the world. This is why the resurrection of Jesus is found on nearly every page of the New Testament. When you allow the resurrection to get a hold of you, it changes everything. It is an all-consuming call to live the in the Kingdom of God here and now.

So, how are you living the resurrected life today?

For more on this, see NT Wright, Evil and the Justice of God, chapter 3 and The Challenge of Jesus, chapter 6.

By Jeremy Myers Filed Under Jesus Written on April 24, 2011

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Bored with the Resurrection of Jesus

I used to be bored with the resurrection of Jesus.

Sure, I believed it. Sure, I was glad it happened.

But every time I turned to those passages in Scripture which talked about the resurrection of Jesus (which are everywhere!), I shuttered an inward groan. “I get it, God!” I often thought. “Jesus was raised from the dead so I can have eternal life. That’s awesome, and I thank you for it, but can’t we get on to something that will help me with my life here and now?”

Instead, I just keep reading and hearing about the resurrection.

Then, one day, it hit me: While the resurrection of Jesus is about God making eternal life available to those who believe in Him for it, this is only a tiny scratch in the surface of what the resurrection is really about. The resurrection is primarily about exactly what I was looking for: help with living my life here and now.

The Resurrection of Jesus is the Answer to Everything

The resurrection of Jesus is the answer to all of life’s questions: how to live my life, how to make decisions about work and finances, how to get along with my spouse, how to raise my kids, what is the meaning of life, how to treat other people.

It also is the answer to life’s tough questions, like why there is evil, and what, if anything, God is doing about it, and who is responsible for it, and what happens when we die, and is there life after death.

The resurrection of Jesus is what gives meaning, significance, and purpose to life. The resurrection is how peace can come to the world, how economies can be fixed, and how leaders can lead with wisdom and justice.

I know it may seem that I am overstating the case, but I do not think I am. Lots of people have bumper stickers which say, “Jesus is the answer” and while that is true, I would like to modify it and say, “The resurrection of Jesus is the answer.” The resurrection speaks to questions about any number of topics, including questions about life, morality, economics, government, religion, family, and many more.

I cannot even begin to answer these questions in a short blog post, so in one final Resurrection week post later today, I will summarize some of the truths of the resurrection that can be applied to all of these situations.