13 May 2014 - voice of unity

13 May 2014 - voice of unity

and it was in Antioch that the disciples
were first called Christians.

At Antioch becomes apparent that all the old ways of referring to this Messianic movement which originates in Judaism are insufficient.  Once people begin "to speak to the Greeks as well, proclaiming the Lord Jesus" it becomes obvious that we need a broader term to refer to his followers. The family of God is no longer delimited along ethnic boundaries.  Rather all of those "turned to the Lord" are now included, whether or Jewish or not.  The branch of the Gentiles is grafted on.  The flock now consists of all those who hear the voice of Jesus.

My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me.

Before the voice of Jesus unites us we have to rely on other voices.  The others voices have been all too human.  Their guidance has been too uncertain.  The LORD speaks to his people through prophets and kings.  But the best of them are ultimately unreliable.  Because this is so God cannot unite his people around their voices.  He unites them around their ethnic heritage (and in doing so unites them around their shared origins in his covenant).  He unites them around a rigid understanding of law.  He does all of this to prepare a people to receive the shepherd when he finally comes.  He comes to find those who are dissatisfied and disappointed with human voices.  He prepares humanity to long for a voice which finally speaks "the words of eternal life" and then he speaks those words.  Today.  To each ones of us.

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.
No one can take them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,
and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand.
The Father and I are one.”

To be held in the hand of Jesus is to be held in the Father's hand.  There is no more secure place than this.  These are the words of certainty for which we long.  This is the place where true unity among nations can be realized.  We no longer merely hear the rigid demands of the law.  We perceive the love of the voice speaking the law.  When this assurance of love undergirds our  own efforts we feel freedom to unite with one another.  No longer do reject those different from ourselves.  We no longer fear intimacy.  Different origins no longer prevent us from sharing a common destiny.  We are given a new birth to a living hope in (1 Pet. 1:3) baptism.  This new birth is shared by all who are now called Christians.  This is how are united in the city of God: the Church. 

“One and all were born in her;
And he who has established her
is the Most High LORD.”

We finally belong!  We are not strangers or sojourners any longer!  We are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the very household of the most high (cf. Eph. 2:19)!  Let us be consoled by this and rejoice!

And all shall sing, in their festive dance:
“My home is within you.”