"I am the Door": Metaphor and Symbol in the Gospels

The Prophet Jesus, our Master, nearly always speaks to us from the pages of the Scriptures in parables, symbolically. But this is the most forgotten and ignored Truth of his ministry, and causes much misinterpretation.

The Book of Mark tells us, “With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.” Mark 4:33-34

In the Book of John, we read of Jesus being called a door.

“So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:7-12

But was Jesus REALLY a wooden door? Did he REALLY lead around a small flock of animals? Of course not. If one is a Literalist, these sayings make no sense. But if one understands that we are the sheep, and he’s the shepherd, and that we, through him (like walking towards, and then through, a door) may have more abundant, productive lives, the parable opens to us and becomes clear.

When Jesus spoke of himself and his teachings as Living Water, the Samaritan woman at the well asked, "Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?” Obviously, he was speaking in metaphor, but the woman, like many people today, could not look past the imagery towards the greater Truth.

Jesus is compared to a Narrow Gate. But again, he had no stones or hinges, but instead offered the difficult (but holy) way to serve and know God, as contrasted to the Wide Gate, in which we delude ourselves by thinking we need not obey him nor serve others by our Good Works.

Nicodemus asks Jesus what he meant by being “Born again.” Surely, one can't crawl into his mother’s womb to be once again born! Jesus explains that he was speaking symbolically.

Luckily, most people today understand this. Most see the Jesus really wasn't a door, made of wood and hinges, or a bucket of water, sloshing around ancient Judea.

But what most don’t understand that ALL of the Gospel accounts should be taken as Parabolic and Symbolic, and their extreme literalism obscures and sometimes warps the vital teachings Jesus left to us.

When Jesus says one must eat of his flesh and drink of his blood, they, like the ancient Jews who heard this literally, ask, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" and they invent man-made doctrines that turn ordinary food, as if by magic, into flesh and blood.

When the Jews heard Jesus say, "My Father is working until now, and I am working." (John 5:18) they immediately accused him of “making himself equal with God.” But Jesus had repeatedly said that he could do nothing on his own without God, that he was God’s Prophet, that God was working through him, that he was God’s Son because he heard and obeyed God and said often that he was sent by God. And yet, most who have read the Gospels have believed instead the experts in Jewish Law sent to accuse him falsely (on this and other occasions) rather than believing God’s Anointed One.

Jesus is clearly speaking as the metaphorical shepherd in John 10:14-15, saying “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” Clearly, again, he is not a literal shepherd of animals, but the meaning is clear: he is laying down his life for his followers – those who obey him.

Clarifying this, he says also (using the symbolism of friendship) “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.” (John 15:13-14.) There, neatly laid out, without obfuscation or confusion, is why Jesus died. It is a call to obey our Prophet and Master’s example in word and deed.

But other men have crafted many clever ways which purport to show that Jesus died in order to allow us to get into heaven simply by believing his death was magical, when in fact, his life and death calls us to repent from sinning, obey God’s commandments, and forgive and serve Others. That, not mere belief, will allow God to reward us with eternal life.

“Scripture” bears witness to what is true, but if we willfully misread scripture, ignoring our God-given Reason in order to interpret and understand it, pretending the words are something other than what they are, we obscure its meaning, and lose the precious teachings the Master Jesus gave to us during his ministry.

Selected Scripture:

“Then the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" (Matt. 13:10)

“This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.” (John 10:6)

“The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" (John 6:52)

“Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" (John 3:4)

“The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?” Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:11-14)

“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:14-15)

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.” (John 15:13-14)

Jesus: Chosen, Adopted and Anointed by God

Who was Jesus? Was he one of many good philosophers throughout history? Was he a violent revolutionary? Was he a counter-culture teacher who preached free love and destroyed "restrictive" rules? Was he God disguised as a man, who came from heaven to die a ritual death and “buy” our souls from Satan? Was he a deity who only appeared to be human?

All of these theories have been preached and taught throughout history. But can all of them be true? Are none? Just who WAS this man? To learn this, we should probably listen to his own words, and to those who knew him.

A few weeks back, we introduced the opening sentence of the Jesus Followers' Statement of Belief, "We follow Jesus Alone." Now, we continue with the second of 13 Statements, which states that Jesus is, "God's Chosen, Adopted, and Anointed Spokesman."

It's clear that God set Jesus apart from other men, adopting and anointing him as a special spokesman at his baptism: chosen by God, anointed by God, and sent by God. Jesus himself is clear about this, the Gospels attest to it, and the Apostles taught it. And yet these truths are shockingly absent from today’s Christian pulpits.

The early church spoke of Jesus as a man, chosen by God. In Peter’s sermons in Acts, he speaks of him as, "Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God" (Acts 2:22.) At the Transfiguration, no less than God is quoted as saying, "This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!" {Luke 9:35).

As the Kings and the prophets of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) were set apart and "anointed" by God to be his servants and messengers, so, too, was Jesus anointed by God, and in his first sermon, he says specifically, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me." (Luke 4:18) and in Acts, Peter says, "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth." (Acts 10:38.)

Thus anointed and chosen, this Jesus was adopted by God as His unique "Son." At his baptism, God’s voice says, “This day, I have begotten you,” (Acts 13:33, Luke 3:22 Codex Bezae vers.) thus becoming his father by adoption.

Jesus said himself that it was God who “sent me” (Mark 9:37, Luke 9:48, John 5:37-38) and so also taught the first disciples of Jesus, who went out preaching his words.

Jesus, therefore, isn't merely a philosopher with his own theories, but a spokesman for God. “My teaching is not mine,” he says, “but His who sent me” (John 7:16.) Nor can he be a non-human hybrid, through which we can live with God eternally if we simply believe in Jesus’ death, but ignore his words, which he said would “never pass away” (Matt. 5:18, Mark 13:31, Luke 21:33.)

The early Church that gathered in Jerusalem after the death of Jesus and his return to God in the resurrection, saw Jesus as a man (Acts 2:22) chosen by God, sent by God and adopted by God at his baptism to proclaim a Good and Beneficial Message to mankind, the Gospel. They recognized this message as calling on all to repent and turn back to God, seeking God’s perfect standards, living meekly and in holiness, and being a light of Righteousness to all the world. We can do no less today if we call ourselves Jesus Followers.

Jesus our Example of Meekness

(Guest Sermon by Rev. Anthony Forster)

“Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart.” Matt. 11:29

To the sincere Christian, whose heart is filled with the love of truth, nothing affords so pleasing and so instructive a subject for meditation as the character of our Lord. In his conduct we beheld all his divine precepts of moral duty illustriously exemplified.

So truly was he the light of the world, and so evidently was he a teacher sent from God, that what he taught he practiced; thereby setting an example for his followers, as well as enlightening them by his instruction. A moral glory ever adorned his presence and his conduct; for in him shone "the brightness of his Father's glory."

Surely, then, wisely meditating on his character and conduct is calculated to fill the heart of the pious believer with inexpressible delight. For, from him, must we receive all those examples of moral excellence which constitute the image of God in the soul; and without which, we never can, in any degree, be assimilated to the divine perfection; or be at all prepared for the enjoyment of Heaven.

That trait in our Savior’s character, my friends, of which our text reminds us, and to which I would invite your most serious attention, is one of the happiest and most interesting graces which the Gospel inculcates. It is, indeed, a high attainment in virtue; for the peaceful possession of which, no self-denying sacrifice can be too great.

Meekness is the result of a due self-knowledge and self-control, of wise reflection and pious exertion. It has for its object, the immediate subjection of those turbulent dispositions of our nature, which would urge us to acts of violence. It particularly keeps in view the suppression of the passion of anger; and thereby prevents all those unhappy consequences which would flow from its unbridled indulgence. It guards us against passionate storms without, and unhappy agitations within - against the provocations of others, and the vengeful emotions of our own breasts.

Says Jesus: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest unto your souls.” And, on another occasion, “Blessed are the meek,” he proclaimed, “for they shall inherit the earth.” And, says the Psalmist; “The meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” May God grant that we may so far drink in his spirit, that that mind which was in him may be also in us, that, like him, we may be "meek and lowly in heart.”

Let, then, the words of our Savior be ever present on our minds, and by zealously striving thus to possess the mind which was in Christ Jesus our Master, in humble dependence on God’s divine assistance, we shall not be disappointed in the end.

Rev. Anthony Forster (Jan. 11, 1785- Jan. 18, 1820) was a former Presbyterian minister who converted to Unitarianism and was founding pastor of Second Independent Church of Charleston, SC in 1817. 

Christians Ought to Stop Crossing their Fingers

The practice of "crossing one's fingers" comes from ancient times, when people would do so in order to invoke God's blessing or "hope" things would turn out right, simply by wishing it would be so. Oddly, it's was, and still is, also used (by adults as well as children) to "cover" a bold-faced lie, while it's being told, as if the crossed fingers (like the Cross of Christ Jesus) would "cover" the act of continual sinning.

But many have forgotten, apparently, that Jesus actually called on us to REPENT, which means to STOP sinning, and to follow his example, working towards the goal of moral perfection, which he himself achieved. Relying on God's continual gifts of wisdom, guidance, and strength, we then are called to humbly confess our sins and seek forgiveness. Then, we are assured that we, too, are forgiven our sins and shortcomings.

Is the previous paragraph shocking to you? Is it something you've never heard before from your pastors and other Christian friends? It shouldn't be, but it probably is.

Modern Christianity, encrusted with nearly endless sources of speculation, philosophizing and interpretations, has buried this Truth so deeply that most Christians are shocked to hear it. Most Christians today (especially in the Protestant Tradition) are quick to recite from memory the "proof texts" from Paul of Tarsus, Martin Luther, John Calvin, and modern-day evangelists that spell out a clever, but quite anti-Christian message that sets us up for an excuse for perpetual failure and a half-breed version of Jesus' Good and Beneficial Message (what we call the "Gospel.")

They teach that because a snake spoke to one of our original ancestors, and convinced them to sin, WE, therefore, cannot ever do anything but sin. And since we cannot do good, all we must do is believe that Jesus (who was God in disguise) was perfect (which he was) and say a magical prayer, and then we, too - by means of a "free gift" - are INSTANTLY perfect and will be guaranteed a place in Heaven with God forever and ever. Jesus' call for perfect behavior on our part, they say, was just as way to tease us - to show that it cannot be done.

This, of course, is all nonsense, and is contrary to every word Jesus spoke. And if Jesus' words truly do never pass away, they are important enough to believe, and to base our lives and our eternal salvation upon.

While Jesus calls for us to believe, that is only the BEGINNING of faith. He says we must also repent - with no crossing of fingers or hesitation - which means we feel regret for past sins and vow to actively stop sinning. We must then take up our own crosses, bear the yoke of obedience, and follow the example of and teachings Jesus - without hesitation. 

We are called by Jesus to perform acts of Righteousness, to treat others like we would wish to be treated, to "go the extra mile" and not return evil for evil. We must obey God's commandments, must not be hypocrites in doing so, must not pray just to be seen by others, and not seek after earthly riches, but instead seek after Heavenly riches. 

These are commands and duties we must perform, and when others stumble, we must forgive them, as a condition of our being forgiven by God when WE fall short of the duties we've taken on by agreeing to follow his anointed one, Jesus.

Perfect fulfillment of these goals is not going to happen overnight. To say we aren't stumbling means we're lying. 

But to assert that we can "claim" perfection in some vague, spiritual sense - without any Good Works or effort on our part - gives us a false sense of security. It allows us to cross our fingers and pretend we have "made it" and have fulfilled all of our obligations. 

Just as the complaining student wishes he or she didn't have to do homework, the teacher knows that by performing the task of doing the work, we become enriched and educated. 

So, too, God in His wisdom knows that by living according to the life and teachings of his servant, Jesus, we become enriched, more perfect, and more spiritually complete, as God wishes us to be, and knows we CAN be.

We follow Jesus Alone

What if you thought someone was very, very important. Would you think what that important person SAID was important, too? Of course, that follows naturally. 

What if that person said that his words and actions were totally and completely in accordance with God, the creator of the Universe, and that they would last for all eternity? Would those words be important enough for you to consider “important?” Of course. Any reasonable person would consider that to be the case.

As followers of Jesus, we believe, “The words and teachings of Jesus, not any other teacher, savior or man, are the core of our beliefs.”

When we look to Jesus, we believe we see through a glass CLEARLY towards the life God wishes for us. God chose this humble Galilean man, Jesus, to be our model and our example, by which we can know His will for our lives. There is no other person to which we need look as an example – no other person who should be reinterpreting his teachings for us or adding to them, as if they are insufficient or deficient in any way.

Therefore, anyone who calls for us to minimize, ignore, misconstrue, or put aside the teachings of this important person would be asking us to do this to the one whom God has chosen to be our most perfect example.

If Jesus’ words are sufficient for us, no other person’s words, interpretations and examples are required for us to follow him. It’s not “But ____ said…” Instead, it’s “JESUS said…” It can never be said, “Jesus’ teachings CANNOT be followed,” but rather, “Jesus’ teachings MUST be followed, because he said we could, and must, do so.”

For the Jesus Follower, only the true, pure teachings of Jesus, God’s Anointed One (“Christ”) the Prophet whom God sent to us, can Save us and bring us back to God – Who is his Father, and ours.

“Everyone who hears these words of mine and DOES them,” says Jesus, “will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Who can then claim that his words are unimportant, or that we cannot do exactly as he commands?

We are called to follow his example, heed his words, do Good Works, and then, and only then, we are told, will we be considered “saved.” There is no magic shortcut, no magic prayer that we may recite, that will allow us to ignore the teachings of Jesus and not ACT upon them, and still call ourselves Followers of Jesus.

The words, example and teachings of this Jesus are, therefore, of utmost importance for us to understand, grapple with, and follow, to the very best of our abilities. If we say we follow him, we ought to follow his example, and walk EXACTLY the way in which he walked. To do, say or preach something less would mean that we don’t REALLY believe that his words would not pass away into history.

Following Jesus: A Mission Statement for Service

Organizations dedicated to serving God faithfully should never fear to spell out exactly how it will do so, and on what basis it does so.

In 2014, as the Jesus Followers organization moves out of the conceptual stage and into the “real world” as well as in the “virtual” world of the Internet, it’s fitting to spell out clearly from where it obtains its values and beliefs.

In the coming weeks, sermon/messages will focus on 13 Statements outlining the Jesus Follower organization’s faith, and a Mission Statement by which we will be guided.

This week, let’s take up the group’s Mission Statement: “Following Jesus, we love God and Serve Others, Working Righteousness,” which is at the same time simple and radical.

We are called, first and foremost, to follow Jesus. This isn't a mere word game, a passive commitment we can easily forget, or a look back upon as a past event. No, following Jesus an ongoing, substantial recognition that Jesus is a man whom God adopted and anointed as His son and prophet at his baptism, and sent into the world. Jesus says, “Come, follow me,” and expects us to not look back.

To Love God seems simple, and yet it is an all-encompassing command Jesus gives to those who say they will follow his teachings. Apart from acknowledging the absolute Oneness of God, Jesus makes it clear we are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. This doesn't mean that we simply “love God” the way we love a favorite food. This is a deep love that demands from us all that we have, and all we can give. 

When we learn that God our Creator has given us much, and learn from Jesus that we will be judged by God according to our deeds, we must take God’s Will for our lives seriously, and follow the example Jesus sets for us.

That we are called by Jesus to Serve Others as ourselves is a remarkably clear teaching. We are to become the servant of others, turn the other cheek, and serving in humility. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him DENY HIMSELF and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it.”

Finally, we are clearly called by Jesus to perform Works of Righteousness, not in a spirit of pride, but in a spirit of the pure service to which we are called by God’s servant, Jesus. As followers of Jesus we are, he says, to let our light “shine before others, so that they may see your good Works and give glory to your Father, Who is in Heaven.”

So, let us go forward together in this New Year with joy in our hearts for the work we must do as servants of God as called by Jesus, His servant, and our Teacher. 

Remembering Jesus' teachings at Christmas

We have grown up to love this time of year. The carols, the presents, and the pageantry of the arrival of the "Christ child," the one who will one day die, allowing us an easy path into heaven.

We check in for his miraculous birth: his mother impregnated by God, the story of wise men following wandering stars, an evil king who kills entire towns to destroy him. And then we ignore him until we are ready for him in the spring - when he is slaughtered on the cross.

In fact, many Christians believe this is the only act for which he was born.

But lost in all the anticipation of this "easy" salvation is the fact that this man was not only a baby, and not only one who was killed, but in between, he was teacher. He was a teacher, and the chosen prophet of God, who actually said things, and told us that those things, those words, will never pass away.

And yet, his teachings are often ignored or even openly disparaged by modern Christians, as if they were irrelevant and meant for another time.

Christians love the baby Jesus, love the dying Jesus, but ignore the teacher and Prophet Jesus. Why?

The teachings are difficult, and we seek the easy way - the WIDE GATE, as Jesus called it.

Jesus calls us to take the Narrow Gate, and says few will choose it. He was right.

Jesus teaches us to love our enemies, and defeat them with kindness. Today, we're told to hate our enemies and make cultural or literal war on them.

Jesus teaches us to turn the other cheek if we're struck on the cheek. We are told today to be "prayer warriors" and fight back.

Jesus tells us to go into a closet and pray in secret, and not be ostentatious when we pray amongst others. But we like those long prayers that are performed in pulpits and stages for show before 10,000-member congregations.

Jesus says riches on this earth are meaningless, and we should instead act righteously to store up treasures in Heaven. Christians today pray to God to make them rich, and deny that we must be righteous at all.

Jesus tells us we will be persecuted and cursed for performing righteousness, for believing in the Gospel, and for serving God Christians today expect to receive "favor" from God - including riches and perfect health - simply because they utter Jesus' name when they pray to God.

And Jesus tells us we must perform Good Works in order to obtain the Kingdom of Heaven, and that mere words will not gain us Heavenly rewards. Christians today blatantly deny this, and teach the opposite - that a "Sinner's Prayer" magically forces God to give us eternal life.

When the teachings of Jesus are the center of our faith, we begin to live the life that God knows we can achieve. His words and commands are challenges - challenges for us to live up to our God-given potential.

Through the life and teachings and death of Jesus, we see through a glass CLEARLY towards what God intends for our lives.

This Jesus, God's Anointed Prophet, challenges us to rise up higher and higher in our Righteousness, performing Good Works and acts that please God, all the while relying on God for forgiveness when we fail to live up to God's high standards, and relying on God's Grace to strengthen us and help us become spiritually complete.