In Sync With the Angelic Love Song of The Father

 

Do What’s Right, No Matter the Cost

John 12, Part 5: Stay In Sync With the Angelic Love Song of The Father

Invitation: If you’re one of those people who can listen to music and read at the same time, click this link to “He Looked Beyond My Faults and Saw My Need, a great old song sung by Sandy Patty  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhHeuZ1CPLU

Actions always have consequences. Sometimes those consequences are wonderful, OR, like running a red light, sometimes painful, and sometimes deadly. We know it’s risky to speed up a bit when that light has been yellow for only a couple of seconds but we often do it anyway.

Looking at this in a Scriptural context, obviously there are usually good consequences for blessing people. On the other hand, there are always negative consequences for bad behaviors like bad mouthing a pastor, church elder, your spouse, your boss, etc. The Bible warns us avoid those consequences:

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Hebrews 13:17   Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

1 Chronicles 16:22   Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

1 Samuel 24:10   Behold, your eyes have seen today how the Lord had given you into my hand in the cave. Some told me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not reach out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’ [AMP]

Getting back to John 12, we see that Jesus always did the things that yielded the wonderful consequences. We saw in the last blog post that Jesus recognized the signal to change direction, to speed up toward what was before Him (see Love Triggers, @ https://lnkd.in/gXsuZQ9). His motive was always love for His Father and love for people. He was acutely aware of His purpose in coming to Earth and now the Father’s plan was moving towards its climax. Accomplishing the Father’s will is WHAT MAKES JESUS TICK, He was always in sync with the Father's Heartbeat.

We left off in the last blog with

John 12: 25   He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

In the next verse Jesus gives us some insight into what that means.

John 12:26   If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.

The terms concerning “serving the Lord” are so commonly used that we have the tendency to use them flippantly. Stop and think about it; what does it mean to serve the Lord, especially in the context of verse 25? Following His Father’s loving plan, even to go to the cross and pay the penalty for our sins, exemplifies His heart that beats John 3:16. Our love for Jesus grows and gradually becomes the strongest of motivation to want to be with Him. Vnd verse 26 above equates that with service to people.

When we do any introspection in the light of God’s Word we see the gap between us and the Lover of Our Soul. We hear those bars of the love song where we lose synchronization with the Holy conductor. Why was Jesus so troubled by what He knew was coming? Was it His understanding of the physical pain He was about to endure? I believe the biggest reason was He knew the Father would temporarily forsake Him. The love song was about to stop temporarily. I pray your ear is always in tune and synched with the angelic love song of the Father.

John 12:27   “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.

Luke 22:42   Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

This brings us to the concept that I started out with concerning consequences for actions; of the importance of Doing What is Right, No Matter the Cost. Knowing the consequences for following His Father’s plan motivated Jesus to follow it. His perspectives of those consequences were from eternity. Jesus is God, He is the beginning and the end and all things were created through Him. He knew the consequences would mean the most wonderful eternal life for all who believe

Jesus’ love for us motivated Him to look beyond this temporary separation. If you haven't already been listening to this song and you remember Sandi Patti, or just want a 5 minute musical blessing on this theme, check out this old song “He Looked Beyond My Fault and Saw My Need” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhHeuZ1CPLU

The verse above is for us, as we go through the “stuff of life” and see the consequences for actions vary. We don’t always see great positive consequences right away, even if we live a life of faith motivated by love, even if that is fleshed out in service to God and people.  Our life is not always a bed of roses, our service is not always appreciated, nor are our actions always completely motivated by selfless love. We’re a work in progress, and the Father will bring us more into the image of His Son, but it’s a lifelong process. Hang in there; He is the author and finisher of our faith. 

We’re only about half way through the Gospel of John, yet there is so much more to see, so many more examples of Jesus demonstrating selfless love. I pray you can hear and stay in sync with His Heart beat as we discover so much more of What Makes Jesus Tick.

Let's end with a Song:

This may not be a worship style you remember, but this song, this message of surrender to the will of God, will echo in your heart as this youth choir sings a great old hymn, “All to Jesus, I Surrender.” Crank up the volume and be blessed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_VAeLF9sZU