John 15:9-17

John 15:9-17

⁹ As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹ I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. ¹² "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³ No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. ¹⁶ You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. ¹⁷ I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.

John 15:9-17 concludes a segment that began in verse 1, having the theme of love and believers. Verses 1-6 is a mashal, with the allegorical elements emphasized.[1]  We shall see that John provides an explanation of the parable in terms of the Last Discourse in verses 7-17 in which the reality keeps breaking through the image.  In verses 1-6, Jesus articulates the parable of the vine, using typical parable imagery. In verses 7-17, Jesus elaborates on what the precise application of that parable means for disciples. In 15: 7-17, we find an explanation of the parable. There is an unfolding of the implications of indwelling.  

Verses 9-17 are an interpretation of bearing fruit in verse 8. At this point, John introduces the theme of love, a theme that he will develop throughout verses 9-17. The focus of this segment is love, a love of the Father for Jesus, the love of Jesus for his disciples, and the love of the disciples for Jesus.  ⁹ As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. The love of the Father for Jesus is the basis for the love Jesus has for his disciples. Love begets love. We do not have a different kind of love for God from the love we have for others. Love is love, regardless of the object. Abide[2] in my love. Contained in this simple statement is a warning. Once can lose the gift of living in the orbit of this love. We need to choose every day to live in this love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love. Jesus' emphasis on "keeping his commandments" might have been unsettling to the disciples. As good and faithful Jews, they knew just how arduous keeping all that the Torah commands could be. Is Jesus saying that all they need do is "be perfect" and then he will continue to love them? Love is not just an emotional response, but implies decisive, continued action on the part of the disciples.  The disciples must demonstrate that they love Jesus by keeping his commandments to remain recipients of Jesus' love. There is both respect and freedom for the disciples' chosen actions implicit in the design. Abiding in the love of Jesus is not just a moral demand, but also an abiding in the love of Jesus, and therefore uniting believers to each other and to Jesus and the Father.^[3] Jesus reminds them that just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. Thus, Jesus next reminds his followers that he, too, was free to act in obedience or disobedience to his Father's commandments and offers himself as a model of obedience and abiding love. Christ abides in the love of the Father so that to be obedient to the Father, those who belong to Christ are required to abide in divine love.^[4] 11 I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. Joy becomes a salvific gift. Jesus urges his disciples to choose obedience and to experience his abiding love so that they may also experience this kind of total joy. The "joy" Jesus goes on to speak of is the joy that he knows because of his absolute obedience to the Father, and the perfect unity they share. The whole meaning and purpose of the mission of Jesus is to bring joy.^[5] For too long, the church seems to have been against joy. I came across the story of a Scottish minister a couple hundred years ago in Scotland.  It was wintertime.  He had two churches.  The first service was a little late.  As luck would have it, however, a river connected the two churches.  The preacher simply put on ice skates and skated to the church.  Well, there was an uproar, and the leaders of the church called a meeting. Sabbath Law did not allow people to skate on the Sabbath.  The preacher responded that Sabbath law allowed works of necessity and that it was necessary for him to get to church on time.  Nevertheless, the head of the committee said, "The point, young man, is not that you skated on the Sabbath, but rather, did you enjoy it?" Among the best arguments for Christianity are the joy, certainty, and completeness of their lives. Yet, among the best arguments against Christianity are the somber, joyless, self-righteous, smug, and complacent lives of all too many Christians. When Christians become narrow and repressive, Christianity dies a thousand deaths.[6] ¹² "This is my commandment, that you love one another[7] as I have loved[8] you. Jesus clarifies what his commandment is. In a sense, he reduces the Torah to the all-encompassing command to love each other in a continuous, ever-present way. The content of that love receives its definition from Jesus. Love has Christological content. Jesus loved them throughout their life together but he will also love them to the point of dying on the cross for them. Thus, as nebulous and undefined as human beings can be about love, John does not let us go down that path. We have so much difficulty with love. Teens will flee parents because they fear burial under an avalanche of love from which they will not escape. Teens know they need to leave home and forge new friendships and new loves but fear the love of their parents will keep them from such discoveries. Adults are no different. Adults will talk about the need for personal space and room to grow. We fear the type of love that smothers.[9]  To love at all is to be vulnerable. If you love anything, your heart will stretch and break. You can protect your heart by wrapping it safely around hobbies and luxuries, keeping it safe in the casket of your selfishness. However, your heart will steadily change into something unbreakable, impenetrable, and irredeemable. Your heart will not fulfill its purpose. In fact, the longing of your heart is one of the hints we have of the possibility of fulfillment in God.[10]We want to love and to receive love. It seems placed deeply within us while at the same time something so difficult for us to learn.  ¹³ No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. First, it is the greatest love because it comes to expression in the greatest act of giving, the giving of his own life (see also 10:11, 15, 17). Yes, this was how Jesus loved them. His love was sacrificial, and thus becomes the template of the love followers of Jesus are to have for each other. Followers of Jesus are his friends.  His love is constant; it goes to the very end (13:1). Moreover, it is revelatory — it results in Jesus revealing himself to the ones he loves (14:21), and the following statements of Jesus disclose even more about his love for them. In Nazi Germany, some people ended up in concentration camps because they gave aided prisoners and orphans. It is rare to find love so present in a human being. It undercuts theological arrogance and pious isolation. Such an act is more than justice is and greater than faith or hope. Such an act is the presence of God in the form of a human being, for God is love. In every moment of genuine love, we are dwelling in God and God in us.[11] ¹⁴ You are my friends (φίλοι)[12] if you do what I command you. Here is an obedience that flows from the friendship disciples have with Jesus. There is nothing trivial or incidental about the designation "friend" when it comes from Jesus' lips. The direct implication of verses 12-14 is that if the disciples obey Jesus' commandments, they are his friends. As his friends, they know Jesus will gladly give his life to save theirs. In his Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle states that there are three types of friendships. The first is a friendship of utility, such as business associates. The second is a friendship of pleasure, such as fishing friends or bridge partners. The third is true friendship, in which one loves the other simply for the sake of the other. One has no other motive. Further, Aristotle teaches that true friendship is only possible among real equals! An employee cannot have a true friendship with a boss, for example, because too many other motives exist. Well, Aristotle did not know Jesus, of course. In John, he is the Word made flesh, the son of God, the one sent by his heavenly Father. Yet, is it not amazing, then, that Jesus would call us friends! What does it take to forge a friendship? Well, the answers will vary depending on just whom you ask. The two people who have been friends since college will tell you that friendship requires a shared experience that binds you together for a lifetime. Ask the three girlfriends who share shopping and coffee together every Saturday and they will say it is about having common interests over which you can connect. A group of inseparable 7-year-old boys will tell you that it helps to have a mutual admiration for all things Spiderman, as well as moms who let you spend time together at one another's houses after school. These are all great answers. For most of us, and I am tempted to say all of us, we can count the number of deep friendships we have on one hand. ¹⁵ I do not call you servants[13] any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. Second, Christ’s love creates a relationship of openness in which he discloses everything he has heard from his Father. Jesus clearly distinguishes the kind of relationship that exists between himself and his disciples from any sort of master/servant hierarchy. With his friends, Jesus has openly shared all that his Father has told him. No secret cache of esoteric knowledge keeps Jesus artificially elevated above his disciples on some "master" level. Though clearly Jesus' messianic identity, his intimate relationship with the Father, could warrant a dominant position, he nevertheless declares their official relationship to be one of friendship. Once in this relationship, Jesus expects certain actions from the disciples - love. However, no action originating from the disciples made the friendship possible. Jesus alone initiates and establishes the friendship. He chose the disciples. ¹⁶ You did not choose me but I chose you. Further, I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. Here is language that recalls the true vine imagery that opened this segment. One further demonstrates love and friendship for the disciples by the mark of openness, respect, and reciprocity that define their relationship. "Bearing fruit" is the reciprocal action Jesus requires of those he has chosen as his friends. This "fruit," since it is what distinguishes Jesus' friends from all others, is love - abiding, enduring, and steadfast love for others as for oneself. The bearing of fruit will lead to a special relationship with the Father: so that the Father will give you, whatever you ask him in my name. Finally, it is a productive love because his love that chooses and appoints his disciples brings forth their production of abiding fruit and their reception of whatever they ask (see also 15:7). The Spirit makes it possible to pray to the Father “in the name of Jesus.”^[14] Those bearing this fruit, this love, become part of an even greater relationship, finding favor with the Father even as they have with the Son. The love that Jesus commands of his disciples and then returns to them through the power of both the Father and the Son have the potential to transform the world.¹⁷ I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another. Hence, to love others like Jesus has loved them, the disciples will be asked as Jesus was to reveal what they have seen and know (15:27) and may even be asked to give their lives (15:20; 21:18-19) all so that they might give out love to others. Jesus is on his way to make his love a reality (16:16-20), but for the disciples to take advantage of it, they must follow Jesus’ commands. To move from the status of slaves, a status associated with sin (8:34) and second-class standing (8:35) and be his friends — those for whom Jesus has given his life — they must love one another (15:14, 17). Jesus’ love is certainly pre-eminent, preceded only by the love of the Father for Jesus. It provides both the example for and the possibility of the disciples’ love, but the disciples themselves must act to live in the love Jesus offers them. The way in which they show their love for Jesus is not in exclusive devotion to Jesus, but by loving one another. This might seem like an in-group exclusivism, but on the heels of the following warning about the hatred of the world (15:18ff) the disciples’ love for one another is a necessary source of strength considering the adversity from those outside their circle. Nevertheless, even in their testimony before those who hate them, the proclamation might result in others hearing and believing (17:20). Jesus has chosen and appointed his disciples so that they might go out and bear fruit (15:16). The only way they can do that is to abide in him (15:5), and the only way to abide in him is to keep his commandment — to love one another. When the disciples follow Jesus’ command, the circle is completed. To show that they love Jesus, they first should love each other. Then, the Father will love them (14:21, 23). Hence, in this instruction, Jesus is asking his disciples to embody the characteristic that defines the love of God. God’s love moves out to others — from the Father to the Son, from the Son to the disciples, and from the disciples to one another and to the world (17:18-21), the desired recipients of God’s love from the beginning (3:16).

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[1] Many scholars suggest that verses 1-6 did not originally belong to the Last Discourse because it uses present tenses rather than future tenses, which predominate in the discourse.

[2] The verb "remain" or "abide" used in verse 9 is in the aorist form (which seems to suggest a translation of "begin to remain" or "start remaining"). However, coupled as it is with the imperative, it primarily serves to make Jesus' command to "love" more emphatic.

[3] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 3, 183.

[4] Barth, Church Dogmatics IV.2 [68.2] 758.

[5] Barth, Church Dogmatics IV.2 [64.3] 182.

[6] Sheldon Vanauken in A Severe Mercy writes: 

"The best argument for Christianity is Christians: their joy, their certainty, their completeness.  But the strongest argument against Christianity is also Christians -- when they are somber and joyless, when they are self-righteous and smug in complacent consecration, when they are narrow and repressive, then Christianity dies a thousand deaths." 

[7] Present imperative, grammatically suggesting that this be continuous love.

[8] Past tense

[9] Get out of My Life!  But First, Could You Drive Me and Cheryl to the Mall?  A Parents' Guide to the New Teenager, 1991.  

[10] C. S. Lewis put it in his book, Four Loves.  

"To love at all is to be vulnerable.  Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possible be broken.  If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal.  Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness.  But in that casket--safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change.  It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable."  

[11] In a sermon entitled "The Power of Love," Paul Tillich, writes of a Swedish woman who aided prisoners and orphans during the First World War. She ended up in a concentration camp herself because she gave aid and comfort. Tillich writes, "It is a rare gift to meet a human being in whom love – this means God – is so overwhelmingly manifest. It undercuts theological arrogance as well as pious isolation. It is more than justice and greater than faith or hope. It is the very presence of God in the form of a human being. For God is love. In every moment of genuine love we are dwelling in God and God in us."

[12] Throughout his gospel, John employs two different verbs for love - agapao and philio - which he uses synonymously. The Greek for the noun "friend," philos, likewise stems from one of those two verbs. For Jesus, and for John, one who is a friend is one who is loved. 

[13] Although one could translate the term used here as "slave," it is unlikely that usage was intended. Jesus had played the role of rabbi, teacher and spiritual master to these 12 followers throughout his public ministry. The master/servant image would normally be the established relationship between Jesus and his disciples. However, Jesus now turns his back on that traditional pattern and declares that his followers are more than just students. They are his friends.

[14] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 3, 203-4.

I John 5:1-6

I John 5:1-6

¹ Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. ² By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. ³ For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, ⁴ for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. ⁵ Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? ⁶ This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth.

                      The theme of I John 5:1-6 continues the theme of love to one another and closes with the theme of a faith that conquers.

The theme of I John 5:1-4a is a continuation of a theme begun in 4:7, that those who are part of a Christian community are to love one another.

¹ Everyone who believes (πιστεύων) that Jesus is the Christ has been born (γεγέννηται) of God. The Johannine literature has a strong preference for speaking in terms of the action of believing rather than the idea of “faith” (πίστις). As we have been learning in Chapter 4, John identifies the action of believing with keeping the command to show love to each other (I John 3:23 and 5:2-3). Thus, belief for this community is hardly esoteric, but immensely practical and pragmatic. Yet, this passage has its own concerns as well. One of those concerns relates to what people often think of as one of the most esoteric doctrines of Christian theology, namely what later theologians would call the “two natures of Christ.” Around the time John wrote his letters, there was beginning to emerge an idea among some Christian thinkers that we would eventually know as “Docetism.” The term derives from the Greek verb δοκέω which means “to seem,” and it designates the idea that the Christ just “seemed” to be human but was in fact only and completely divine. Christ was a fully spiritual being who took on the outward appearance of physicality without taking on any genuine physical attributes. The teaching of the Johannine community adamantly opposed this way of thinking about the Christ. Christ received his birth from God, which we see here and in John 1:18. The God who is spirit (John 4:24) has nevertheless brought to birth a son who has genuinely become physical in nature (John 1:14). That is why this author opens the letter with the insistence that they had not only “heard” but also “seen with our eyes … and touched with our hands” the “word of life” who had taken on human flesh (1 John 1:1). Anyone who should teach otherwise is not only a “liar” but also the very antithesis of Christ himself, an antichrist (2:22). We are to understand the opening statement against this background discussion. The issue is not whether Jesus was the Messiah or someone else might be the Messiah. The issue was whether one believed that the human being Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the Christ who was born of God. If one believed that the spiritual Christ was identical with the human Jesus, then one would understand the necessity of relating the spiritual and physical realms. Therefore, in addition, everyone who loves the parent loves the child (γεννήσαντα participial forms).[1]He inherently links love of God with keeping God’s commands to love others because God has shown by giving birth to the Christ that the spiritual and physical have this link. Notice as well that this opening verse makes it clear that the Christ is not the only one who “has been born of God.” All those who “believe” — that is, act in accord with this truth — that the human Jesus is the Christ are likewise “born of God.” Naturally, such children who have received such birth will not only love the parent who has given them birth but also all those likewise born — both the Christ and those born of God by their belief in the Christ. The next verse begins with the little phrase ²By this. It seems to refer to what follows.[2] One might imagine here that the author is envisioning an interlocutor from the community to which he is writing who asks, "You say you want us to love the children of God, but how are we to know when we have fully achieved all that is entailed by that exhortation?" The second half of the verse provides the answer to this imaginary question. We know (γινώσκομεν) that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey (literally “do,” which might make more sense here[3]) the commandments of God. John has been drawing a correlation between loving each other and obeying the commandments. Among the natural human activities is the desire to know. We can think of several ways we acquire knowledge, such as through the senses, through our rationality, through emotions, and even through faith. None of them are infallible. The use of any of them apart from the others can lead to deception. Faith is a good example. Some things in life you will never know, such as whether a person will be a genuine friend or lover, without entrusting yourself to the person. You may well learn that the person was not worthy of that trust, and therefore must withdraw. We might think of a variety of areas of knowledge, each of which will vary in the way one gains knowledge: mathematics and natural sciences will have a higher degree of certainty through their mathematization, human sciences, history, the arts, ethics, and religion will have far less certainty as they rely more upon intuition, feeling, and faith. Yet, such discussions of human knowing can be abstractions. We need to see such ways of knowledge as working together, the knowledge of art, morality, and religion keeping science from becoming inhuman, and the knowledge of science and math keeping art, morality, and religion from becoming ridiculous. John is not interested in an abstract approach to what “we know.” His concern is with what his community is experiencing. One can be certain that one has accomplished love for the children of God when one demonstrates love for God and simultaneously does God's commandments. "Doing" the commandments, suggests that specific actions are required on the part of those to whom the author of the epistle is writing. John shows apprehension that his adherents would experience discouragement and leave an opening for his opponents. Thus, John is connecting belief in Jesus Christ with being a child of God, recognizing that children of God love God and other children of God. When all this comes together, “we know.” We may be unaware of the factors that influence us as we try to gain knowledge. We need to distinguish between information and data on the one hand from belief or opinion on the other. We need to become aware of the power of narrative. A great storyteller — whether a journalist or editor or filmmaker or curator — helps people figure out not only what matters in the world, but also why it matters. A great storyteller dances up the ladder of understanding, from information to knowledge to wisdom. Through symbol, metaphor, and association, the storyteller helps us interpret information, integrate it with our existing knowledge, and transmute that into wisdom.[4]Yes, we can create a narrative (a belief system) through which we see the world. A good narrative can inspire us to be better people than we would be without it. Yet, the world may not actually conform to our narrative! Will we have a sharp enough desire for truth and knowledge regarding our world to allow the narrative to change? One can insulate oneself from a body of knowledge by staying within the walls of our political ideology. We take that narrative as self-evident, even though adherents of another tribe might consider it heresy. Thus, we need to be increasingly how our assumptions influence the way we assess what we see in the world, as well as the way others whom we hear or read have a narrative that guides the way they share what they “know.” People who claim to be following the data can arrive at vastly differing conclusions. What we know needs to have a degree of coherence with other things we know. We need to be careful of our use of “consensus,” for it may be nothing more than the consensus of those who adhere to the same political ideology. We need to test the reliability of our reasoning process, of our sense perception, of that in which we have placed our trust, our memory, and so on. In matters related to the human sciences (political and economic theory, morality, psychology, and religion), the history of the tradition is so important. One moment in history can forget or ignore important truths from the past. Another moment can gain new insight into a truth previous generations did not have. We might even be afraid of genuine knowledge, for it would require a degree of humility regarding what we know and openness to what others know that we simply do not want to have. You might even want to accept the challenge and take the risk of stating what you “know” in essay. ³ For the love of God is this, that we obey (τηρῶμεν or keep) the commandments of God. Evidence of the depth of our love of God is the level of our obedience to the will of God. Expanding on the theme of doing, he now focuses on keeping the commandments, which is the way we fulfill the action of the love of God. Yet, he quickly adds for clarification that the commandments of God are not burdensome. Yes, the commandment is not burdensome, even if it is simple, serious penetrating, and inescapable.[5] For members of the audience who were familiar with Jewish scriptures, the author's insistence on the ease of keeping the commandments may have sounded reminiscent of Deuteronomy 30:11-14, which expresses a similar sentiment concerning the commandments. While there are those who may feel burdened by the commandments put forth in 1 John, the imperative of loving God and one another is meant to enhance life, not encumber it. Loving God and one another is not only an ethical stance, but it is also an invitation to participate in a lively network of relationships where God and humankind are drawn together into rich companionship and communion. He concludes: ^4a for whatever is born of God echoing verse 1 regarding the link between believing Jesus is the Christ and being born of God, conquers the world. The context for conquering the world can be found earlier in 2:13b-17, where the evil one is overcome (2:13b, 14c) and it is imperatively stated: “Do not love the world or things of the world” (2:15a).John seems, here, to be very close to a seam of thought we find in the gospel of John, a seam which emerges (for instance) at 12:31, where Jesus speaks of “the world’s ruler” being “thrown out”; at 14:30, where he declares that “the ruler of this world” has “nothing to do with me”; and at 16:33 where, after warning the disciples that they will face persecution in the world, concludes, “But cheer up; I have conquered the world!” In the gospel, all this is meant, so it seems, to draw the eye up to the two dramatic chapters 18 and 19, in which an odd, unbalanced conversation takes place between Jesus, Pontius Pilate and the chief priests. Jesus and Pilate argue about the great themes of kingdom, truth and power, with the chief priests accusing Jesus and finally persuading Pilate to have him crucified. Somehow, we are meant to understand, these events and their aftermath, more particularly Jesus’ death as “king of the Jews,” are in fact the moment when, and how, “the world’s ruler” is being “thrown out.” They are how Jesus is in fact conquering the world, even though it looks for the moment as though the world is conquering him. There is a deep mystery here. The victory that conquers the world is the saving death of Jesus. And those who by faith cling on to the God who is made known personally in and as the Jesus who died on the cross — they share that victory, that conquest of “the world.”[6]

Why did the mutiny occur? No one can know for sure. It is probable, however, that the split happened at least in part concerning the issue of the identity of Jesus Christ. In the first centuries of the church, there was much division surrounding the tension inherent in claiming Jesus both human and divine, and many in the early church stressed one at the expense of the other. Whatever the historical reality, John's letter expresses the converging orthodoxy of the early church: Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and the Savior of the World. Those who confess this to be true and abide with those who do, witness to the love of God.

The theme of I John 5:4b-6, a segment that continues to verse 12, is faith as conqueror. The focus of 4b-6, a segment that extends to verse 8, is giving a Christological content of faith in terms of water, blood, Spirit. This last unit arises out of the suggestion in John 20:31, emphasizing that the Gospel of John is itself is a testimony the author hopes will bring people to believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah and therefore the Son of God. Through such belief, the reader will have life.   

Verses 4b-6, a segment that extends to verse 8, has the theme of water, blood, and Spirit. Verse 4a ends with the children of God overcoming the world. This unit sees the agency of that victory as faith. This faith is not trust in the power of God but a Christological affirmation. ^4b In addition, this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith (πίστις). Here is the only time in the writings of John that we have the noun, referring to “the faith,” rather than the act of believing.[7] Even in this sole use of the noun “faith” within this literature the emphasis remains on what it does, namely, “conquers the world.” Clearly, one achieves victory not by an idea that “conquers the world” but rather by the actions of those who do or keep God’s commands to show love not only toward God but all those who “have been born of God.” ⁵ Who[8] is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? Although one might expect the conqueror to possess superior strength or courage, the epistle here claims that the only requirement is belief. In verse 1, belief in Jesus as the Christ is central. The use of these concurrent titles indicates a certain flexibility in naming the divine dimension of Jesus, a flexibility that may reflect a time in the early church when Christological determinations were much more in the process of being developed than they were settled and definitive. Of additional significance to this verse is how, between the bookends of verse 1 and verse 5, believing that Jesus is the “Christ” or “Son of God” is the crux of the convergence of being born of God, obediently loving God and one another and the victory of faith that conquers the world. If such belief recognizes the divine dimension of Jesus, the power to conquer is available. This is an extraordinary claim indeed. When heard within the context of an empire that conquered the world through brute force, military might and the occupation of conquered territories, the claim that the only "weapon" one needs for this task is the belief that Jesus is the Son of God is a radical assertion. John calls us to extend the rule of peace and wholeness, of justice, goodness, compassion, caring, sharing, laughter, joy, and reconciliation, for God is transfiguring the world through those who believe. In this sense, Jesus is the king that anticipates what the world shall be. As such, Jesus as the Christ and the Son, the king who conquers, will conquer any threat from the world through our faith in who he is and what he promises to bring to this world. In a sense, God also believes in us, loves us, and works through us. Nothing can separate us from the love of God for us, of course. When we share the love of God with others, no tyrant can resist, no opposition that will prevail, no hatred that one cannot turn to love, and no dream that cannot find fulfillment.[9] ⁶ This is the one who came ˆ(aorist participle, emphasizing both Jesus' messianic identity as "the coming One" and to solidly pronounce Jesus' arrival as a historical fact.) by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. Here, water signifies Christ’s baptism, and blood represents Christ’s sacrifice. The statement has received much discussion.[10] The focus is upon the historical witness to Jesus. It is easy to find the place of water and blood in Jesus' historical life. Water marked the beginning of Jesus' public ministry, the moment of his baptism. John the Baptist anointed him for his prophetic ministry with water and the descent of the Spirit upon him. Blood, Jesus' own blood spilled on the cross, marked the completion of the historic incarnation with Jesus' death. He fulfills the priestly role in the Temple in his offer of himself as the sacrifice that will bring forgiveness of sin. Jesus is king, prophet, and priest. The text makes it clear that one must not separate these two witnesses. The opponents of John could accept “water,” for it would refer to the baptism of John the Baptist, where in the Gospel of John we have the revelation of the Incarnation. His opponents would have no problem with that. The combination of water and blood goes back to John 19:34-35, witnessing the blood and water. The water flowing from the body of Jesus is symbolic of the life-giving power of the death of Jesus. Both water and blood relate to the insistence of the real physicality of Christ, especially to his crucifixion and therefore to the reality of his suffering and death. The grittiness of this reality, the physicality of Jesus' genuine incarnation, is further emphasized by I John's focus on the very earthy evidence of "the water and the blood."[11] In addition, the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth. The author has three witnesses, the legal number rather than the secessionist one witness, John the Baptist. The Spirit that testifies is the divine presence through whom we know “[Christ] abides in us” (3:24), “every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God” (4:2) and “we abide in [God] and [God] in us” (4:13). There is a continuing witness to these in baptism, anointing, and Eucharist. The third witness, identified as part of God's divine testimony, the Spirit, is in fact the witness‑bearer ‑‑ the one who translates for us the meaning behind the water of baptism and the blood of the crucifixion. The Spirit "is the one that testifies" ‑‑ an ongoing identity ‑‑ forever keeping the historical evidence of the water and the blood intelligible to each new generation of believers.

The Beloved Disciple and the Spirit continued to offer their testimony. The act of God in Jesus of Nazareth, who was the promised Jewish Messiah and therefore the Savior of us all, required witnesses for others to receive the life-giving benefit of the act of God. The Spirit testifies to us internally and leads us to truth. Such truth will always stay close to Jesus as the promised Messiah. If we are believers, we are such because of the testimony of others. However, such human witnesses long for us to have the internal witness of the Holy Spirit, or comforter, advocate, and guide. In a sense, the real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it. It comes when we awaken in the morning. Our wishes and hopes for the day rush at us like wild animals. Our first job of the day is to push back all these voices. We need to listen to the other voice come through that wants us to gain another view of a larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing into our minds.[12] Such is the power of the Spirit who testifies to truth and is in fact truth.

            I have been around long enough to experience the anguish some theologians and preachers have regarding hymns that focus on the blood of Jesus. The United Church of Christ denomination in 1995 published its new "politically correct" The New Century Hymnal that, among other editorializations, deleted all references to Jesus' blood from a host of old familiar hymns. Now you will not find hymns like "Nothing but the Blood," or "There Is a Fountain Filled With Blood," or "Heal Me, Hands of Jesus." Or when you do find the blood songs, the language is changed (verse 3 of "The Old Rugged Cross" gets changed from "stained with blood so divine" to "which bore love so divine"; or verse 2 of "O How I Love Jesus" gets changed from "It tells me of his precious blood, the sinner's perfect plea" to "Whatever problems may befall, we'll live in dignity").  The UCCs should not be singled out completely here. At least they are honest. Most of the other old‑line traditions have dealt with blood‑soaked songs by simply never singing them. When was the last time you sang "There Is a Fountain Filled With Blood," or "Nothing but the Blood," or "Heal Me, Hands of Jesus"? 

For a long time now, the church has sent out a message that all that blood imagery is gross and disgusting, messy and maudlin.  What the UCC hymnal did with all these blood images was both botched and brilliant. By substituting "love" for "blood," this new vocabulary demonstrates in an ironic but profound way that in Jesus Christ's blood, there is love. Love and blood have an intimate connection. The UCC hymnal admits that relationship when it consistently replaces "blood" with "love." However, it misses the power of this connection by wiping away bloodstains from the pages of their hymnal.

John refuses to clean up the messier moments that make up the whole of God's redeeming work through the Son. I John makes it clear that God did not bring salvation through a bloodless coup. It took water, blood, and wind (Spirit) to make the promise of eternal life a reality. God wrote the testimony of love in red. The church must not sanitize the realness of sacrifice for the sake of being politically correct. In a violent world, Christ's loving sacrifice has never been so powerful. 

People are spiritually starved and frantically searching for any crumbs of hope and compassion. Yet, the church has often settled for sloppy, feel-good spirituality, something vague that costs little. To those caught amid this world's deepest troubles, to the denizens of our most violent neighborhoods, our most hopeless situations, the church has always had an answer as gritty and real as the nightly news.

 ‑‑ Christ knows about blood.

 ‑‑ Christ knows about death.

 ‑‑ Christ knows about violence.

 ‑‑ But Christ knows no defeat.

Jesus Christ experienced these portals of pain. Nevertheless, through the cleansing, healing, transforming power of divine love, Jesus broke their hold over humanity forever. Jesus' love for you and for me and for the world is "written in red." 

Verse 1

 In letters of crimson, God wrote His love

 On the hillside so long, long ago;

 For you and for me Jesus died, 

 And love's greatest story was told.

 

 Chorus 1

 I love you, I love you

 That's what Calvary said;

 I love you, I love you, 

 I love you, Written in Red

 

 Verse 2

 Down through the ages, God wrote His love

 With the same hands that suffered and bled;

 Giving all that He had to give, 

 A message so easily read.

 

 Chorus 2

 I love you, I love you,

 That's what Calvary said; 

 I love you, I love you,

 I love you.....

 

 Bridge

 Oh, precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow;

 No other fount I know, nothing but the blood, 

 The blood of Jesus.

 

 Chorus 1

 I love you, I love you

 That's what Calvary said;

 I love you, I love you,

 I love you, Written....In Red (hold out)

"Written in Red" by Gordon Jensen ((c)1990 Word Music), sung by Janet Paschal (1996)

---

[1] This idea that Jesus was “born” of the Father is so foundational to their thought that the references to “parent” and “child” here are in fact participle forms of the verb in either the active (“the one who brought to birth,” thus “parent”) or passive voice (“the one who was born,” thus “child”).

[2] It is not patently clear whether the "by this" in verse 2 refers to what precedes it or to what follows. If the phrase "by this we know that we love the children of God" goes with what precedes it, the implication is that the one who loves God will love the children of God. While this could make sense, the imperatives to love one another, which are peppered throughout the epistle (3:11, 23; 4:7, 11), would seem to imply that the community to whom the author of the epistle is writing has room to grow in the area of mutual love of Christian brothers and sisters.

[3] The Greek verb here translated by the NRSV as "obey" is more literally translated as "do" or "make." In a context where it may be that the epistle's audience is seeking a definitive way to know that they are fulfilling the author's appeals, a translation of "do the commandments" rather than "obey the commandments" may be more fitting.

[4] —Maria Popova, Brainpickings.org, September 9, 2009.

https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/09/09/wisdom-in-the-age-of-information/.

Retrieved December 4, 2020.

[5] Barth, Church Dogmatics IV.2 [37.2] 579.

[6] —N.T. Wright, Early Christian Letters for Everyone: James, Peter, John and Judah (Westminster John Knox, 2011), 163–165.

 

[7] One of the unique features of this passage within the Johannine literature is that it does use both the noun “faith” (, v 4) and the verb “believe” (πιστεύω). Indeed, within the gospel and letters of John the noun πίστις occurs only in this verse, whereas the verb πιστεύω is used 107 times (98 in the gospel, 9 in 1 John). Compare that pattern of usage to the rest of the New Testament where both noun and verb are each found 243 times but almost half (45 percent) of the total occurrences of the verb are found in the Johannine books but only 0.4 percent of the occurrences of the noun.

[8] The odd choice in verse 4 of "whatever" as a subject in relation to the verb "conquer" is exchanged in verse 5 for the more expected "who." Building upon the comments in verse 4, the author uses verse 5 to explicate who is able to conquer the world.

[9] --Desmond Tutu, God Has a Dream: A Vision of Hope for Our Time (Doubleday, 2004).

[10]         Although there is no consensus among commentators as to the precise intention of the references to “the water and the blood” in 5:6, it seems likely that they do in some way relate to the insistence on the real physicality of Christ who is said to have come “by water and blood.” The mention of the blood, understood in this way, is almost certainly to Jesus’ crucifixion and so to the reality of his physical suffering and death. The mention of water might serve to emphasize this same point (cf. John 19:34-35), but the more natural reading of the statement, “not with the water only but with the water and the blood,” would suggest some contrast or at least distinction between their respective roles as witnesses (see 1 John 5:7-8). This distinction might be between Jesus’ baptism in water (which we know was construed by some Docetists as a moment when the spiritual Christ descended upon Jesus as a dove only to later withdraw from him before the crucifixion) and his death, or alternatively a distinction between his birth (having been “born of water”; cf. John 3:5-6) and his death.
            Yet another possibility is that mention of “the water and the blood” is a symbolic reference to the rituals of baptism and the Lord’s Supper respectively. This interpretation was particularly popular among pre-modern interpreters of I John and has had its supporters among modern critical commentators as well. The chief difficulty with this understanding is that the Johannine literature does not have any explicit references to the institution of the practices such as are found in the synoptic gospels. Moreover, an insistence that Jesus Christ “came” by means of these ritual practices would seem to prioritize the spiritual work of Christ in the ongoing life of the community over work of Jesus Christ during his ministry that founds the community. The Johannine authors clearly believed in an ongoing spiritual presence of Christ with and leading the community (cf. John 16:4b-15), but that ongoing presence was only possible because of what Jesus had begun when he “became flesh and lived among us” (John 1:14).

[11] Some scholars suggest there were now‑lost connections between Jesus' role as Messiah and these properties of water and blood. This distinction might be between Jesus’ baptism in water (which we know was construed by some Docetists as a moment when the spiritual Christ descended upon Jesus as a dove only to later withdraw from him before the crucifixion) and his death, or alternatively a distinction between his birth (having been “born of water”; cf. John 3:5-6) and his death. Yet another possibility is that mention of “the water and the blood” is a symbolic reference to the rituals of baptism and the Lord’s Supper respectively. This interpretation was particularly popular among pre-modern interpreters of I John and has had its supporters among modern critical commentators as well. The chief difficulty with this understanding is that the Johannine literature does not have any explicit references to the institution of the practices such as are found in the synoptic gospels. Moreover, an insistence that Jesus Christ “came” by means of these ritual practices would seem to prioritize the spiritual work of Christ in the ongoing life of the community over work of Jesus Christ during his ministry that founds the community. John clearly believed in an ongoing spiritual presence of Christ with and leading the community (cf. John 16:4b-15), but that ongoing presence was only possible because of what Jesus had begun when he “became flesh and lived among us” (John 1:14).

[12] --C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity  (Zondervan, 1952), 198.

Acts 10:44-48

Acts 10:44-48

⁴⁴ While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. ⁴⁵ The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, ⁴⁶ for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, ⁴⁷ "Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" ⁴⁸ So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.

                                    The theme of Acts 10:44-48 is the response to the preaching of Peter as baptism. It contains the sixth section of the story of Peter and Cornelius, and thus, the first conversion of a gentile through the ministry of the Jerusalem church and an apostle. This section validates Peter's interpretation of his vision by the interruption of the Holy Spirit's descent on Cornelius and his family. The Spirit has moved and the church must now respond. This story raises an important question we need to consider when reflecting upon the history of the people of God in the Bible. History is the record of new knowledge and experiences of a people. Being new, a people need to respond and adapt themselves to such change circumstances. Even today, the church looks back to the Patriarchs, to Moses, to David and the Jewish prophets, viewing itself as a continuation of the actions of God in Israel, even if now, these acts occur among the nations.  The question of how we remain a people of God with such a history while addressing the challenges of this historical moment is difficult. This passage gives me an opportunity to reflect briefly on some of the issues that divide Christians today. 

Luke shows the consequence of the acceptance of the gospel by the Gentiles.  ⁴⁴ While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. ⁴⁵ The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, ⁴⁶ for they heard them speaking in tongues (as in 2:1ff) and extolling God. We see here that the gift of the Spirit relates to those to whom God sends the Spirit, in contrast to the theological notion of the eternal procession of the Spirit.^[1] Then Peter said, ⁴⁷ "Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" ⁴⁸ Therefore, he ordered them to receive baptism in the name of Jesus Christ. Primitive Christian practice may have been that of baptism in the name of Jesus, preceding the use of the Trinitarian formula.^[2] Then they invited him to stay for several days. This event becomes a Gentile Pentecost. Early Christian testimonies usually link the giving of the Spirit to baptism. An exception, as we have here, proves this rule, for water baptism in this case follows reception of the Spirit.^[3] Early Christianity quickly came to relate baptism to the eschatological gift of the Spirit, in this case suggesting that the prior reception of the Spirit brings baptism after it.^[4]

            Luke looks upon the exception as the decisive event for the future. Therefore, we see the ramifications of this message immediately. Combining divine impartiality with the gift of Jesus' redemptive resurrection transforms Peter's mission. His lot is not simply to die with Gentiles or mingle with them socially. The kerygma to which Peter witnesses before Cornelius extends salvation itself to all people, Jew and Gentile, who receive the gospel and believe the Good News it expresses.  Immediately following Peter's sermon, the Holy Spirit falls upon Cornelius' Gentile household, and Peter calls for them all to receive baptism. With this act, the apostolic witness and the church's future have expanded beyond all boundaries. The world is suddenly Peter's mission field. All who will hear his witness and believe Luke now fully understands as brothers and sisters in Christ.  To seal Peter’s acceptance of Cornelius and his household, Peter stays with them for several days — an action that causes some discussion among others in the community. 

 

The incident undoubtedly raises difficulties. Cornelius was a "God-fearer" (10:2), i.e., an adherent of Judaism who did not accept the conditions of proselytism. However, he was a Gentile by birth. He was not even a proselyte. His admission to baptism without circumcision was a new departure and violated the principles that had hitherto controlled the extension of the church. The question in scholarly circles is whether such official action by Peter, and its confirmation by the apostles at Jerusalem, can reconcile with the future course of events as revealed by Galatians and Acts. 

An event occurs in the lives of these gentiles and in the life of Peter. The Holy Spirit acts. Peter wants to listen. Even if listening to the Spirit goes against his Jewish perspective of the way in which God acts. What can we learn? Certainly, the Bible is partially a record of people unwilling to let go. The exile was a time when Israel understood itself as standing under the judgment of the Lord as it broke covenant with God and with each other, typified by the way they broke each of the commandments. Their sin led to their suffering. Exile meant taking stock of their faith. They renewed faith in the Lord. Yet, they did so in differing ways. One group, represented powerfully by II Isaiah, saw that they now lived among the nations without a king or temple. Yet, the Lord still wanted them to witness to the Lord being the only God. Here was a new mission. However, another group we see reflected in Ezra, Nehemiah, Chronicles, Haggai, and Zechariah, tended to focus upon Torah as the unique position of the Jewish people. Torah included purity and dietary laws that separated them from the nations. The story of Jesus is partially a story of returning to the basic vision of II Isaiah and understanding that redemption might come through suffering, and of witness to the Shema of Israel among the nations. Jesus clearly had a different idea regarding torah. He lived and taught a different path for the faithful. Religious authorities rejected his path. As Peter shared the story of Jesus, the audience of Gentiles received the gift of the Spirit. 

Today, the church has a tension within it as well. The point is not so much whether to change. We will change. The question is how we will change. We do not agree about homosexuality, premarital sex, medical ethics, ordination of women, divorce, the morality of war, and other critical issues that confront us. Many of us feel the tension within the church on such matters deeply. Jesus advocated change. We need to remember that Jesus healed on the Sabbath, touched menstruating women, welcomed little children, and preferred the company of sinners to that of saints. Jesus pushed for change in the face of opposition. He pushed for a purity of love. The Judaism of purity laws was failing. The failure of Israel opened the door for a revelation from God that Christians believe occurred in Jesus of Nazareth. It was time for the people of God to let go of their past devotion to torah and re-learn what was essential. Jesus also offered his version of the essentials of the faith. He saw that Shema was essential, with that powerful addition he offered, to love your neighbor as yourself, also taken from the Torah. He saw the need for change while adhering to the essential of love toward God and others. Peter saw the importance of letting go, not through a special insight of his, but through the gift of the Spirit to which he could testify. He focused upon the essential kerygmatic preaching of the church. He was open to trying something new. He saw what God was willing to do in giving the gift of the Spirit. 

It is time for us to ask God to do a new thing in our lives. If we do, here are a few suggestions. Embrace the core values of the faith. Here is where much of our problem is today. For many of us, the basic moral code of the Bible remains essential. For some, it has become an option because historical research or personal experience has discredited it. We are dealing with the essentials of the faith, so of course, the heat and tension will rise. Explore your options. Be thankful in all things. Be willing to dream new dreams. It might also be helpful to keep a journal of the journey. You will need the support of some valued friends. Of course, be open to the Holy Spirit filling you for the task ahead and be willing to see the gift of the Spirit intrude in new ways.

---

^[1] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 1, 305.

^[2] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 3, 240.

^[3] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 3, 267.

^[4] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 3, 240.

Psalm 98

Psalm 98

¹ O sing to the Lord a new song,

for he has done marvelous things.

His right hand and his holy arm

have gotten him victory.

² The Lord has made known his victory;

he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.

                        ³ He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness

to the house of Israel.

All the ends of the earth have seen

the victory of our God. 

⁴ Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;

break forth into joyous song and sing praises.

⁵ Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,

with the lyre and the sound of melody.

⁶ With trumpets and the sound of the horn

make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord. 

⁷ Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

the world and those who live in it.

⁸ Let the floods clap their hands;

let the hills sing together for joy

⁹ at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming

to judge the earth.

He will judge the world with righteousness,

and the peoples with equity.

Psalm 98 is an enthronement hymn. 

Introduction

The central theme is joyful praise as an act of faith in God’s saving rule, especially during suffering or uncertainty. I interpret Psalm 98 not merely as a celebration of a past victory, but as a proclamation that God’s righteousness, justice, and gracious kingship will ultimately encompass the whole world.

Several related themes develop from that core idea:

• Praise rooted in salvation: Worship arises from God’s “marvelous deeds” and deliverance, not from human optimism alone.
• Hope amid crisis: The post-exilic setting frames the “new song” as a courageous response to hardship rather than a reaction to favorable circumstances.
• Universal divine reign: The movement from Israel to “all the earth” presents God’s saving purpose as global.
• Creation participating in worship: Seas, floods, and hills join human beings in praise, giving the psalm a cosmic scope.
• Justice as a source of joy: God’s coming judgment is welcomed because it promises righteousness and equity.
• Christian reinterpretation: New Testament examples, “Joy to the World,” and reflection on Jesus connect the psalm’s imagery to Christian hope.
• Praise completing joy: The later philosophical reflection argues that delight reaches fullness when it is expressed in words, music, worship, and action.

 

With the rise of the Persian Empire under Cyrus and the return of the exiles came the renewal of the belief in the royal rule of the Lord over the nations.^[1] Thus, the date of this Psalm is post-exilic. The Psalm connects saving history to the experience of worship. We see again the event nature of the experience of the Lord in Israel and therefore in Christianity as well. The marvelous deeds and victory the Lord gave to Israel become the occasion for bursting forth in praise, even during a time of exile. The relationship to Psalm 96 is so close that some scholars suggest the same author. The heading of the psalm, mizmor, usually translated “a Psalm” has the connotation “song of praise,” which would relate closely to verses 4-5. Exodus 15 and Judges 5 are early Hebrew songs of praise for the victory of God. Psalm 68 is of a similar nature. Psalm 97 and many other psalms have similar themes. I Chronicles 16:23-36 and Isaiah 40-55 have major parallels. This psalm praises the rule of the Lord, triumph over heathens in primordial and historical times, and foretelling of a universal reign of justice. The poet looks forward to the judgment of the Lord with joy, for the Lord is gracious and this overcomes fear. This Psalm occurs in a section of the book of Psalms (Book IV, Psalms 90-106) that one commentator says arose out of a response to the crisis of exile and its aftermath. In other words, the writer did not write it for a celebration of a happy event; he wrote it for people who were amid challenging times.

Verse-by-verse study

Psalm 98:1-2 describe the victory of the Lord. It invites people, ¹ O sing to the Lord (YHWH) a new song. A new song matches the New Year. We see the phrase in Psalm 33:3, 40:3, 96:1, 144:9, 149:1, Isaiah 42:10, Revelation 5:9, 14:3. The focus of hope for the community is the Lord. The reason is that the Lord has done marvelous things. It stresses that the right hand and the holy arm of the Lord (metonyms meaning the power of the Lord) have gotten the Lord victory (yshc, salvation, saving power, and deliverance.) Further, ² the Lord has made this victory and revealed the vindication (righteousness or justice) of the Lord in the sight of the nations (goyim, peoples). Having experienced powerful deliverance from the Lord, they joyfully sing praises to the Lord. The event nature of the faith of Israel, and therefore of Christian faith as well, comes out here. The writer can look back upon events of victory and the marvelous deeds of the Lord. These events will give rise to the praise we find in this song. These events reveal the nature of the Lord, who is worthy of praise today. 

In 98: 3-8, we find a summons for people to worship. The past marvelous and victorious events give rise to a summons to an event in the life of the community and individuals to praise and worship. The fact that ³ He (the Lord) has remembered brings comfort to the righteous.^[2] In this case, (the Lord) remembers divine steadfast love and faithfulness, attributes of the Lord that refer to the consistency the love the Lord has to the house of Israel. Again, the public witness to this faithful love is such that the ends of the earth have seen the victory of their God. Thus, the coming of God is not just for Israel, but also for the whole world. Everyone will see the righteousness of God. These marvelous and victorious events also give rise to the hope that the Lord will remember who the Lord is today and act today in similarly marvelous and victorious ways today. Thus, the goal of history is revelation of the righteousness of the Lord. The deliverance the Lord brought was a public act to which the peoples can witness, a notion important in scripture. Thus, only in this future consummation of world history, with the deity of God and divine glory manifest to all peoples, will history reach its goal.^[3] For that reason, the response of persons to such marvelous and victorious deeds will always be a matter of faith and hope. In verses 4-6, the psalm calls upon the world to give homage to the Lord. It urges ⁴ Make a joyful noise (to raise a noise by shouting or with an instrument, whether in wartime victory or worshipful praise, also in Psalm 66:1, 95:1-2, and 100:1) to the Lord, all the earth. They are to break forth into joyous song (ranan) and sing praises (zamar). The heading of the psalm, mizmor, usually translated “a Psalm,” could also mean a song of praise, such as we find here. The Psalm invites the people to ⁵ sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, and the sound of melody (or melodious praise), ⁶ with trumpets (crafted from silver), horn (shophar or horn of the ram),. The heading of the Psalm, mizmor, has a close connection with such praise. Psalm 150 also celebrates with instruments. They are to make a joyful noise before the King, who is the Lord. I Samuel 12 makes it clear the Lord is the true king of Israel. We can see this emphasis in I Chronicles 16:31, as wells as Psalm 96:10, 97:1, 149:1-3, and 47. As king, the Lord rules and judges the world. In the context of this Psalm, the judgment of the Lord is favorable, so the people offer praise. The Lord has righted wrongs and therefore elicits praise from the people of the Lord. In verses 7-8, nature sets itself in motion to give praise to the Lord. ⁷ Let the sea roar (its chaotic roar vanquished), and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it. ⁸ Let the floods (overwhelming but vanquished) clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy. Psalm 24, I Chronicles 16:31-33, Isaiah 44:23, 49:13, 55:12 testify to the enthusiastic songful praise of nature. The sounds of nature join with human voices to offer praise to the Lord. The Lord has calmed nature on behalf of human beings. Praise is the natural anticipated response of all creation for its Creator. 

Psalm 98: 9 concludes with the coming of the Lord and a messianic era of worldwide justice. Such praise from nature and human beings is ⁹ at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming for the Lord is coming to judge the earth/world/peoples with righteousness and equity.

Application

People have an amazing capacity to sing joyfully, even write new songs, at the most difficult of times. Well, how can that be? When we are in difficulty, we do not feel much like celebrating, like smiling to the Lord. Nevertheless, consider this: The hunger for joy is so persistent that it at least suggests that joy is more lasting than our troubles, that joy connects us to the great secret God has imbedded in the universe. 

"How many of us ever stop to think

of music as a wondrous magic link

With God; taking sometimes the place of prayer,

when words have failed us neath the weight of care.

Music, that knows no country, race or creed;

But gives to each according to his need."

--poet unknown 

 

The idea of singing praises to the Lord is one we find in the New Testament as well. Matthew 26:30 and Mark 14:26 mention that Jesus and his disciples sang a hymn together before they headed out to the Mount of Olives, where authorities arrested Jesus. Acts 16:25 speaks of the jailed Paul and Silas singing hymns to God. Ephesians 5:18-20 and the similar Colossians 3:15-17 speak of singing thankful psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to the Lord. Revelation 5:11-14 has angels and elders “singing with full voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb [the sacrificially slain and risen Lord Jesus Christ] that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!’” Then we join “every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing, ‘To the one seated on the throne [God] and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!’” Christian people have understandably come to read many Psalms in the light of God’s revelation to us in Jesus Christ. In 1719, the early, great English hymn-writer, Isaac Watts, published “Joy to the World”; in this hymn/carol Watts wonderfully paraphrases and Christianizes many themes from Psalm 98. We join all creation in singing a song of joyful praise to the Lord for the saving and ruling work of the Lord among us.

Among the interesting reflections of the philosopher Hegel, in his Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion, is that for the believer, if this life is all there is, it seems like a desert. However, viewed from the standpoint of faith, God is the sacred center that animates and inspires all things. Believers view this life within God, and therefore have a resulting feeling of “bliss,” joy, and happiness. The grief of this life passes away in devotion, worship, and hope. Anxiety passes away because in God, we consider ourselves fortunate. We can have liveliness, confidence, and enjoyment because of the promised happiness of eternity. For him, promised happiness in eternity radiates life here and now. In fact, when the knowledge we have in our heads reaches into our hearts, it truly becomes our own. Such knowledge will animate us in a way that compels us to act. One of those acts is worship and devotion, in which we find supreme enjoyment because we experience our lives within the life of God.

Could it be that Jesus, even in his grief, sadness, and anger, smiled within because he knew the great secret of the Lord? He knew the promise of the Lord for deliverance and redemption of all creation.[4]

Praise is compliment, approval, and giving honor. In one sense, the world rings with praise. Lovers praise each other. Readers praise favorite authors. Walkers praise their surroundings. Sports enthusiasts praise their favor sport and team. We might praise the weather. The list continues with your favorite alcoholic drink, actors, horses, schools, countries, historical persons, children, flowers, mountains, and even a politician or scholar. Yet does not all of this praising of finite things give us a hint of the supremely Valuable? Yet, praise is more than complement. We praise to complete the enjoyment of that which we praise. The feeling that gives rise to praise needs to find expression in our words to reach its completion and fullness. Our words say much about what is in our hearts. Think of praise in the context of lovers. They do not tell each other of the beauty of the other simply to offer compliment. Their delight in each other is incomplete until they put into words the delight they have in their hearts.[5]

In human life, sometimes, the old songs simply do not suffice. We feel the urge for a new song. Many Psalms, even Psalm 98, have the historical context of exile. Jesus sung psalms on the way from the upper room to Gethsemane. Paul sung songs while in prison. In one sense, such joy and praise take great courage and confidence, making an affirmation of faith in God when the evidence for doing so is not so good.

“Joy to the World,” for we as believers join with creation in offering praise, not so much for what is, but for what will be. The focus is not here, not now, and certainly not human beings. Rather, the focus is on the future reign of God. 

Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.[6] The kinship we come to feel heart to heart and the way we look at the world is what can knit us together in happiness. Prosperity alone cannot do that.[7] In times of suffering and struggle, we can still have this kind of happiness.

Therefore, sing, smile, and rejoice, even if you can think of no reason to do so – other than your confidence that the Lord has your future, and the future of the world, in loving and gracious hands.

 

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[1] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 2, 394.

[2] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 1, 379.

[3] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 1, 246.

[4] G.K. Chesterton wrote in Orthodoxy a century ago, to the effect that although Jesus let his grief, sadness and anger show on his face, he had to restrain himself from smiling because he knew Christianity’s great secret — that the promise of the kingdom of heaven, the promise of which Revelation speaks, the promise of deliverance is all true. In order to meet us where we were, Jesus had to restrain himself from breaking out in joy. As Chesterton put it:

“There was some one thing that was too great for God to show us when he walked upon our earth; and I have sometimes fancied that it was his mirth.” 

[5] In Reflections on Psalms (93-95), C.S. Lewis brilliantly uncovers the true nature of praise. 

“But the most obvious fact about praise — whether of God or anything — strangely escaped me. I thought of it in terms of compliment, approval or the giving of honor. I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise unless (sometimes even if) shyness or the fear of boring others is deliberately brought in to check it. [I must say that I never thought of praise in such a way. We praise all the time, and we hear praise all the time. Do you not think so? Hear him out on this.] The world rings with praise — lovers praising their mistresses, readers their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favorite game — praise of weather, wines, dishes, actors, horses, colleges, countries, historical personages, children, flowers, mountains, rare stamps, rare beetles, even sometimes politicians and scholars. [Praise is everywhere. What you add to this list? Now, here is the point in terms of our relationship with God] ... My whole, more general difficulty about the praise of God depended on my absurdly denying to us, as regards the supremely Valuable, what we delight to do, what indeed we can’t help doing, about everything else we value. [In other words, the most natural thing in the world is to offer praise for what we consider valuable in our lives. Of course, the challenge here is, does God so animate our lives that we therefore offer praise.]

“I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses, but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. [A feeling does not have its completion until we can express it in words. A thought reaches its fullness when we express it in words. Frankly, human language is so much a part of us that we forget how powerful it is when we can express ourselves in words. Of course, you expect a preacher, one who lives by words, to say such a thing. Yet, pay attention to your use of language. It will say much about what is “in here,” in your heart. Then he offers an example.] It is not out of compliment that lovers keep telling one another how beautiful they are, the delight is incomplete till it is expressed.”

[6] Mother Teresa.

[7] It is not the level of prosperity that makes for happiness but the kinship of heart to heart and the way we look at the world that knits us together. —Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.