Trust in Jesus: Overcoming Life’s Challenges

Today’s encouragement is for us to be obedient/faithful in a manner that is impossible for us to accomplish if we rely on ourselves. When reading through the Gospels have you noticed that Jesus calls us to believe in Him during hard times: something we can’t do through human will or wisdom? Jesus invites us to believe and trust when the situation is humanely impossible. This post is part 1 of a series: Impossible Tasks. Passages from Berean Standard Bible, images created using Night Cafe Studio. Including various quotes from articles available at got questions.

Gospel Example: John 11:26

Jesus speaks with Martha during her time of immense grief and loss. Jesus calls her to faith in Him personally and a new understanding of Him.

John 11:26: Believe that life is found in Him and that He has power over death.

Let’s consider John 11:26 in context. First, Jesus is speaking with Martha after Lazarus has been dead for four days (John 11:39). In verse 24, Martha affirms her belief in resurrection. Martha and others of her historical time period believed that God would restore the faithful to life in “the last days”. Consider when reading the Gospels what statements and concepts would mean to a 1st century reading/audience!

Bible ref.com comments:

“Rather than despairing, or reacting in anger, Martha’s answer implies that she has an eternal perspective (Hebrews 11:13–16). She knows that, even if death wins this battle, it has already lost the war (Hebrews 11:39–40). Martha’s next words with Jesus back up the suggestion that she’s faithful, even amidst her doubt and pain.”

Source: https://www.bibleref.com/John/11/John-11-24.html

How is God speaking to you in your times of despair and loss? Have you lost someone? Are we not like Martha in the sense of facing loss? Dreams and hopes that have died? Relationships that ended and left you feeling lonely and unheard? Careers or jobs that didn’t work out leaving you to pick up the “pieces of life”? We all have grief in our life and God speaks into our lives in grief if we will listen to His Word and Holy Spirit.

God calls us to trust in Him to be our life and truth. Do we trust in earthly ideas or leaders to redeem hearts and save us? Are we following our own ideas or the Person of Jesus Christ?

John 11:25-26: Resurrection & Victory!

We’re called to believe in Jesus as our resurrection and life! Have you ever seen or touched Jesus? We are called to have faith and believe in He who isn’t physically visible.

Jesus explains to Martha:

25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies. 26And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Everyone experiences physical death and this will continue until He returns to establish His Kingdom. So what did Jesus mean?

What is Jesus’ meaning in verses 25-26? He is inviting Martha to a new understanding of resurrection and eternal life–the key is relationship with Him. Got Questions explains:

Martha believed that the resurrection is an event;

Jesus showed her (and us) that the resurrection is a Person. Martha’s knowledge of eternal life was an abstract idea;

Jesus proved that knowledge of eternal life is a personal relationship.

Martha thought victory over death was a future expectation; Jesus corrects her, showing that victory is a present reality.

Article Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/resurrection-and-life.html

Jesus and the Rich Young Man

Matthew 19:22-26

22When the young man heard this, he went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.

23Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

25When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

26Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

The young man was unwilling to part with his wealth in order to follow Jesus. The disciples rightfully understand the call to follow Christ involves making sacrifice as indicated by Peter saying in Luke 18

28“Look,” said Peter, “we have left all we had to follow You.”

The miracle of redemption is not what we give up, but how that He enables us to follow Him and let go! Bible ref.com explains this verse: check out the link for the social context of Jesus’ statements:

https://www.bibleref.com/Matthew/19/Matthew-19-26.html

The proper understanding is as follows:

“He says that with God all things are possible. He does not close the door on human salvation, but He does declare that God must bring it about.”

True redeeming faith is a work of God-not our wisdom, or any other human factor!

Is He our Light in the storms of life? He is the Light that shines through the storm clouds!

Jesus: Empowers Faith John 14:6

He means that He is the Way, Truth, and Life (John 14:6). What does this mean? Exposition for each of the three:

https://www.gotquestions.org/way-truth-life.html

Let’s consider the context of John chapter 14. First, it’s important to remember that Jesus is speaking with His disciples at the Last Supper. This particular account is part of a larger narrative that begins in chapter 13 and extends to chapter 18. To properly understand His Words and discern the correct application, we consider the theme and purpose of the accounts. Jesus is giving His “last” teaching discourse to His disciples to prepare them for His death and resurrection.

The Disciples are facing their darkest hour in John as Jesus speaks and is later arrested. These events crash on them like a sudden storm.

Impact of Culture, History, and Expectations

Jesus’ disciples and us have something in common that is important to take into account. We live within a specific historical period and culture. The disciples frequently misunderstand Jesus. The Gospel authors records events and how disciples question Jesus or fail to understand. Here’s one example of Peter the context is Jesus and Pharisees disagreeing over ritualistic purity and what “defiles” a person: Matthew 15:15-20

15Peter said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”

16“Do you still not understand?” Jesus asked. 17“Do you not yet realize that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then is eliminated? 18But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man. 19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander. 20These are what defile a man, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile him.”

Expectations

The disciples, Pharisees, and common people had expectations for who the Messiah would be and what he should do. The idea of a suffering Messiah (Isaiah 53) wasn’t part of this expectation. As Herod the Great, later Herod Antipas, and the Pontius Pilate as well as the religious leaders ruled over the people politically with heavy taxation and strict purity laws, people yearned for a Messiah to come and restore the Davidic Kingdom.

This is why that Peter struggles with Jesus suffering and dying (Matthew 16:21-23)–it didn’t fit into his understanding of Messiah. In verse 16, Peter correctly identifies Jesus, yet when Jesus explains “suffering Messiah”, Peter rebukes him. This rebuke doesn’t go as Peter intends! Commentary for reflection:

Unwittingly, Peter was speaking for Satan. Like Jesus’ adversary, Peter was not setting his mind on the things of God—His ways, His plans, and His purposes (Colossians 3:2; Isaiah 55:8-9).

Instead, his mind was set on the things of man, the things of the world and its earthly values.

Jesus was saying that the way of the cross was God’s will, the plan of redemption for all mankind.

Peter’s reaction was most likely shared by the other disciples although, as always, it was Peter who spoke first.

Peter was inadvertently being used of Satan in thinking he was protecting Jesus.

Satan had purposely tempted Jesus in the wilderness to divert Him from the cross, from fulfilling the grand design of the Father and the Son (Mark 1:12-13).

Innocently, Peter was doing the same thing. He had not yet grasped Jesus’ true Messianic purpose.

Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/get-behind-me-Satan.html

Let’s be honest in recognizing that Jesus doesn’t always fit into our modern notions of Savior or Messiah either! In a sense, we make the same mistake/error that Peter makes when we desire Jesus/God to be “earthly” solutions to our contemporary issues.

Our cultural, political, and social events of our nation impact how we feel and process faith. We attend church, live within family systems, and interact with others in our communities. Others’ ideas and beliefs impact us as well. There really is only one stable foundation and we know that it’s not the world around us for followers of Christ. Events seem to be out of control and there is a real sense of powerlessness in our society.

Ever feel like you’re stuck walking on a path surrounded by a thick fog of anxiety?

Implication: Being a Spokesperson for Satan

This quote is terrifying! How that even with “good” motives and desire to be for God (like Peter), we can be led astray!

“But we must also see how easily we can become an unwitting spokesperson for Satan. This is especially true when we lose sight of God’s plan for us. This comes about when our focus is on our careers, our possessions, our security, and the things of the world rather than upon sacrifice and service and the proclaiming of God’s message. When Peter’s focus shifted to his own desires and plans, Jesus rebuked him in order to get him back on track. May our focus always be on God and His plans, that we may never experience a similar rebuke from our Lord.”

Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/get-behind-me-Satan.html

When I feel overwhelmed with my own weakness, I listen to a song by Keith and Kristyn Getty. His Mercy is More. Praying through hymns or Psalms is helpful in the difficult seasons.

May our gaze be upon Him who redeems us and calls us to trust and believe upon Him!