Truth and Commands
2 John
I began with you all here at the Thurston church on June 26. Not long after, we started in 1 John and we have worked our way through that letter. Now we move into 2 John, 3 John and Jude. It's not clear who the author is exactly. These 2nd and 3rd letters get attributed to John on the basis of language and sound. It sounds like John. It sounds like things he would say. Because of the time frame, it might very well be written by one of his own disciples who knows his teaching style and has written in John's words. The same could be said of John's Gospel, which has phrases in it that John would not serious use when referring to himself. "the disciple whom Jesus loved" Whatever the semantics here, it is John's handiwork, whether through actual lettering or through inspiration.
Truth Matters
John was present through much of the Gospel record that bears his own name. Unlike Matthew, Mark and Luke, which seems to be written from afar or on second hand knowledge. Even Matthew's account, and he having been an actual disciple, seems as times to be written from an edge that records history while not putting himself in the actual record. With John's words, we see someone who was right there through the entire account. Very little, except some of the gospel right at the beginning, seems to have that second account nature. John was there. He saw it. He heard it. It is truth.
John's audience here seems to be a woman and her children. "To the lady chosen by God" There has been much speculation as to who John is actual speaking to in this letter. After much thinking and background work, it occurs to me that for all the similarities we have considered between John and the other writers at this time, especially Paul, who has feverishly penned much of the New Testament instruction we have, that the lady referred to his John's letter might simply be the church itself. To the lady chosen by God and to her children The letter here isn't written to anyone in-particular. It is written to the church and the people following Jesus. Our Lord has always referred to his people, his family, as children. Jesus likened those who walk with the Lord as His children. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. All themes and words that John would have used in his Gospel and seems to find there way right into the opening here.
John was always close to Jesus. We find him in the inner circle of three who seemed to be with our Savior all the time. John is sitting right next to Jesus at the Last Supper. It is that same closeness that John seems to want for everyone who reads his words. John knows what that life is all about. He has breathed it and lived with it. It would be natural for him to want to share that with those who come along and seek to follow in the truth. Everything that John has discovered and experienced it truth connected to Jesus. Jesus is truth. That is a reality we find hard to share with a world seeking truth in so many other places. For John's audience, they have to be seeing the offerings of what the world would call truth all around them. The temples. The government. The temptation to leave the struggle of holding onto to Jesus behind. For John, there is nothing else to do but hold on to Jesus. All else has been left behind already. The truth is that there is no life without Jesus in the picture.
Reaffirming the Truth
We talked about repetition in John's first letter. We need to see and appreciate that we will hear similar or the exact same themes over and over again as we go through the scriptures. Sometimes we might read the exact same wording from one book or letter into another. Jesus spoke at length with his disciples about this joy he had. The latter chapters of John's Gospel show us how Jesus handled heading tot he cross. He could have been over come with sorrow. He could have just shut down with grief about having to give up his life. But, he doesn't. Jesus uses the final moments to continue to teach and share. "My joy I give to you" Jesus was most joyful when he was about His Father's business. Right from the start we see and have record of Jesus being about what his Father wanted when he separated himself from Joseph and Mary on that trip to the temple. Looking for him everywhere, they find his in the Temple, asking questions and creating discussion. What else should we find ourselves doing? If we are hear to follow in the footsteps of our Savior and do what He was doing, then maybe that is what it takes to love one another.
Our church has a great thing going with these Tuesday and Thursday lunches. More important than the food itself being shared, it is the sense of community that it brings to those involved. The command we hear from John's words in this second letter is a reaffirmation that we follow and love one another. Loving people is what Jesus wanted. If putting some food in someone else's hands help us get the message across about God's Love, then we do that. There are many different vehicles we could use to get to that destination. There are many different ways to get ourselves involved in the ways of showing God's Love to other people. Let your imagination run wild in that department. Do whatever you have to in order to share God's Love with a world that needs to hear about it.
Truth and Deception
John's chief goal through out his writing has been to keep his readers on task with following Jesus despite what they are hearing from the world around them. There are so many ways and teaching they could follow. In 2022, we see and hear much about other means of saving ourselves, bettering our hearts and minds through the means of DIY methods. Steven Curtis Chapman gave us some heart felt truth in a song he presented back in 1997. The words will forever speak.
I have come to this oceanAnd the waves of fear are starting to growThe doubts and questions are rising with the tideSo I'm clinging to the one sure thing I know
I will hold on to the hand of my SaviorAnd I will hold on with all my mightI will hold loosely to things that are fleetingAnd hold on to Jesus, I will hold on to Jesus for life
I've tried to hold many treasuresThey just keep slipping through my fingers like sandBut there's one treasure that means more than breath itselfSo I'm clinging to it with everything I am
I will hold on to the hand of my SaviorAnd I will hold on with all my mightI will hold loosely to things that are fleetingAnd hold on to Jesus, I will hold on to Jesus for life
Like a child holding on to a promise I will cling to His word and believeAs I press on to take hold of thatFor which Christ Jesus took hold of me
So I will hold on to the hand of my SaviorAnd I will hold on with all my mightI will hold loosely to things that are fleetingAnd hold on to Jesus for lifeI will hold on to Jesus for lifeI'll hold on to Jesus, I will hold on to Jesus for lifeHold on for life
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: James Isaac Elliott / Steven Curtis Chapman
Hold on to Jesus lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Capitol Christian Music Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Let Jesus be your all is all.
Hold on to Him no matter what.
Hold on to Him no matter what.
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