Drawn By The Father

I love the Bible! What a dance this next passage is of free-will and God moving and waltzing with a person's decision-making faculty. Hoping that a bond will form and remain.

"For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.' So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, 'I am the bread that came down from heaven.' They said, 'Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, 'I have come down from heaven'?' Jesus answered them, 'Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, 'And they will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me - not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life." - John 6:38-47 ESV

The Father draws a person close enough to hear the words and those words are like bread. Jesus Is the bread. He Is that Heavenly manna. But will we eat? It is our choice. Will we look and not turn away? I believe in this next passage Satan is counterfeiting the work of the Father.

"Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, 'All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.' Then Jesus said to him, 'Be gone, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.' " - Matthew 4:8-10 ESV

I believe the Father draws us out of the forest of ideas and shows us His Son. We momentarily have an option that was not there a moment before and may not be there a moment later because we will again be living with a mind that is at enmity with God.

"Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." - John 20:30-31 ESV

We were musing with this next idea on outreach this last Saturday.

"And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, 'Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' ... And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, 'You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.' Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." - Mark 10:17, 21-22 ESV

We know Jesus loves people but this is a very specific instance where the Bible says it explicitly. This man called Him 'good teacher' and used the Greek word for good that implies Heavenly good. I believe it was flattery but does Jesus look at this man and hear these words and say in his heart, 'Look. My Father Is drawing this man. He says things no one can know now.' This man was brought to the place of decision and Jesus saw that and loved him in part because He saw that His Father loved him.

"Simon Peter replied, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' And Jesus answered him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.' " - Matthew 16:16-18 ESV

Peter was drawn by the Father and taught by the Father. The rich young ruler was drawn but turned away choosing to cling to his personal possessions.

We get a glimpse or glimpses and we have a real choice to make. We have that moment when a friendship could form but then off we go traveling in our own circles again prehaps never to see that person again.

"Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision." - Joel 3:14 ESV

We have this one day. We have this one life. What will we say about Jesus? Who is he? Was he just a man like us or was He the 'good teacher'? Was He manna from Heaven?

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