Terry Storch

Writing about life, leadership, faith, and anything else I find interesting.

John 3:22 - An Invitation to Life

 

John 3:22 - An Invitation to Life

So, Jesus finished schooling and blowing Nicodemus’ mind with being born again and decides to retreat to the countryside. Before I get too far into this passage, I think the opening of this verse can and should give us some really valuable insight. 

“After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭3:22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Then Jesus and his disciples went out for a length of time into the Judean countryside where they baptized the people.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭3:22‬ ‭TPT‬‬

“After this conversation, Jesus went on with his disciples into the Judean countryside and relaxed with them there. He was also baptizing. - ‭‭John‬ ‭3:22 ‭MSG‬‬

We read in these different translations, Jesus took some time, relaxed with his disciples, for a length of time, and was away. While at the same time, he was still on mission, still baptizing, but he looks to have intentionally pulled away and taken some time. 

Intentional rest, strategic relaxing, and investing in others. Do you do it? Or, maybe you feel guilty taking time and retreating. Here we have Jesus, fully God and fully man, who is on a massive mission that is just getting started, and he opted to take some time, relaxing with his disciples and hitting the countryside. I suppose that if any of us feel like we are too important, have too much going on, and just have way too much happening to take some time, we just might need to check ourselves and see the Son of God found time to pull away.

Some things that jump out to me about this verse is the majority of the focus of the verse is Jesus pulling away with his disciples, resting, relaxing and spending time with them...and just a few words about baptizing. About 80% or more of the words were used to highlight this, and just 20% or fewer were used to say they were baptizing people. But then, John goes on and spends the rest of the chapter talking about the baptizing part. Why? I am glad you asked...I am not sure, but here is a theory of mine. 

A theory I have around this is Jesus was always strategically investing in his disciples, and it was just second nature in his leadership and being that he poured into them, and retreated with them, had meals with them, and did life fully with them. Relationship and union with others was what Jesus was all about. So, in this transition, John the storyteller and writer here just opted to bring light to the baptizing part, and just moved right past the Jesus being Jesus and just left those details out. All these details we are missing is what John said at the very end of this book. 

“Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭21:25‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Just because it’s not captured in the story, in words on the screen or in your physical Bible, doesn’t mean it’s not important. Back to the words, we are focused on, Jesus went out to the Judean countryside, and spent some time with his disciples. 

This principle and concept we are reading right here is so critical to us right now, in this world, we are living in today...a COVID-19 world. I feel this, and my guess is you do as well. The unsettled feeling, the odd stress, and semi-anxiety we are walking around with, the extra weight we are carrying this so-called new normal we are all processing. I have woken up and realized that I am way more impacted by this reality than I was originally thinking. All the things of life, our circumstances, and situations that are producing stress and weight have become a significant burden, and I did not even realize it. Here, Jesus pulls away and made time for his disciples. Jesus right now is offering a countryside getaway for us. Jesus is calling and offering a free weekend getaway, or even a week or more in the mountains and saying come, come to me! Let’s remember what is shared in the Gospel of Matthew.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” - ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:28-30‬ ‭NIV‬‬

As the weight of the world sits on our shoulders, as we go about our day, week and months with full calendars, full schedules, and heavy hearts let us not forget that Jesus is calling, offering and even asking us to come to him, and he will give us rest. 

I will go into the rest of this passage tomorrow. Until then, may we think, meditate, and process what rest we may need, what load we are carrying that is causing a significant burden. What is causing us to be weary, and do we even recognize it? Lord, thank you for calling us to the countryside with you. Thank you for the free weekend getaway with your presence. Lord, may we take seriously your willingness to lift our burden, to lighten our load to take away our weariness and give us rest. Lord, help us with our own selves, help us to let go and to release our grip on life, on the things we feel like we must control and with all the reasons we are rejecting your offer. Lord, we love you and receive your gift of life. Amen

other writing
John 20 - The Gospel

John 20 - The Gospel

The Gospel, the Good News! Jesus, Son of God, was born of Mary, lived as the Son of Man, died, and rose to life to rescue the world and bring about a new life. The central message of the gospel. Jesus, the centerpiece! John 19 & 20 cover the brutal death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

In this scene, I can not imagine how the disciples felt. John describes them as overjoyed...but those words just fall short of what I can imagine this moment was like.

John 19 - The Magnitude of the Cross

John 19 - The Magnitude of the Cross

The day of Jesus' crucifixion fulfilled 28 Old Testament prophecies. Scripture was fulfilled! Beyond that, trying to wrap my mind around what happened this day, on the cross, and fully grabbing the magnitude of the cross is mind-boggling.

Sure, we can dumb this down or simplify it to a place where I just don’t believe it is anywhere near accurate. We can get into penal substitution and argue over was God full of love or was God full of wrath and hate that he killed his son. To me, John 3:16 is pretty clear on the love part.

John 18 - Jesus levels an army

John 18 - Jesus levels an army

In John 18, we come to the great betrayal. Judas came with the soldiers, officials, and chief priest and Pharisees. We know the scene. But this morning, I saw something I don’t remember reading and surly don’t remember learning about.

“So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭18:3-6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

John 17 - The Lords Prayer

John 17 - The Lords Prayer

John 17 is Jesus looking heavenward and praying to God the Father. So much beauty and mystery in this prayer. One thing that jumps out to me is that Jesus, fully God, and fully man prayed. Jesus is God fully. Why did he need to pray, He was One with the Father, He was God...and yet he prayed. This is so powerful;

“And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭17:5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

John 16 - What does it take to believe?

John 16 - What does it take to believe?

By the end of John 16, Jesus had done countless miracles, preached some amazing sermons, transformed so many lives, and developed a close and personal relationship with his disciples. So, when reading these verses, I am just utterly confused on so many levels.

“I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.” “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭16:28-31‬ ‭NIV‬‬

John 16 - Undervaluing God in Spirit

John 16 - Undervaluing God in Spirit

Jesus’ time on earth is quickly coming to a close, and he finishes up his last sermon or teaching to his disciples as they walk to Gethsemane. This final teaching was a heavy one that no doubt left his disciples with a heavy heart. Jesus said it this way;

“...None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭16:5-6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus goes on to say;

John 15 - Constant Growth

John 15 - Constant Growth

We were built for growth, constant growth. From birth, all the way until our death, we were designed by God for constant growth. The problem is, we often can find ourselves stuck in a belief, a phase, or a part of life where we stop growing.

One of the most brilliant investors embodies this understanding. Charlie Munger, at 96 years old, is still learning and growing as a person. I love this quote:

“Knowing what you don’t know is more useful than being brilliant.”
- Charlie Munger

John 14 - The Gift of Peace

John 14 - The Gift of Peace

John 14 opens with Jesus, saying, Don’t let your hearts be troubled. And the chapter closed down with Jesus saying Don’t be troubled or afraid.

A message that needs to resonate with our spirit and our inner self. This was such a good reminder, reading through John 14 over and over. This passage lifted off the screen.

“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart…

John 14 - Troubled Hearts

John 14 - Troubled Hearts

The world today seems so volatile and chaotic. Everywhere you look, whatever we read and see on TV just seems to be troubling. Last night, I noticed my lovely wife Tweeted this;

“I can’t be the only one who watches the news and is simply embarrassed right now, right? (Dear Jesus, we tap out. Come on back.)”

I find this first humorous, but then I also find it sad. It’s true, watching the news as a Christ-follower is pretty embarrassing. In John 14, we see Jesus…

John 13 - Unselfish Concern

John 13 - Unselfish Concern

Summarizing John, chapter 13, looks like this. The Lords Supper takes place. Jesus washes the disciple's feet. Jesus calls out Judas, and Satan enters him. Night comes, Judas leaves, and Jesus says he must go, and where I am going, you can not come. To cap it all off, Jesus also calls out Simon Peter and tells him that he will deny and completely disown Jesus three times. Whoa, a really full chapter, and historical day.

Nestled in the wrap up of the day is the parting message Jesus leaves his disciples, a message Jesus is sharing with us right now.

 
thoughtsTerry Storch