Just look up

I was reading John 3 today - the passage where Nicodemus sneaked over in the night to ask Jesus a bunch of questions. The more Jesus explains, the more confused Nick gets. Jesus reminds Nick about the strange time when the Israelites were being attacked by poisonous snakes. Moses had made a big bronze serpent and put it on a flag pole. When I was a kid, I had a Bible with a picture of that bronze snake - really creeped me out! Anyway, if the wounded people would look at the bronze snake, they would be healed.

Jesus makes this comparison for Nick: just as they looked up at it and received life, anyone who looks up to me on the cross will receive eternal life. So simple. So clear. I'm not sure why I forget to look up so often.

Tonight I'm going to be intentional about spending at least a couple of minutes at dinner talking with my kids about why it's important to look to Jesus. Will you join me and do the same at your table?

Wine at a wedding

This weekend I "did" a wedding. I'm never quite sure how to say that. If I say "I married someone," then it sounds like I'm a polygamist. And if I say "I officiated a wedding," then it sounds like a fight broke out and I had to give the groom a standing 8-count. Anyway, I was reading John 2 this morning about the wedding that Jesus attended. This is the time when Jesus changed the water to wine (and I'm glad they didn't ask me to do that this weekend!).

As I read the story carefully, it sounds like the water didn't change to wine until the moment the chief servant tasted it. That means that the servant who Jesus told to draw the water and take it to the chief had to trust that Jesus was going to do something amazing... just in time. This anonymous servant walked all the way to the chief looking down at a ladle full of plain old water. What happened next (if anything) was completely beyond his control, but it wouldn't have happened if he didn't trust Jesus enough to obey. Wow - I want to be like that servant! It seems like most of my stress comes from wanting to see God do something amazing and transform my plain old water before I ever take the first step. But it's not faith if it's within my control. So I'm committing today to obey and do the part He's called me to do, and then trusting Him to show up and do what only He can do... just in time.