August 7, 2023
Perfect Counsel
“So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, ‘An angel has spoken to Him.’ Jesus answered and said, ‘This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes.’” John 12:29-30 (NASB)
It is always a relief when someone comes to our rescue. Years ago while serving in ministry I had a negative experience with the new senior pastor of a medium size church. He just held meetings with some members who were actively trying to undermine me at the time. One wanted my job (as youth pastor). She was a female. I wanted to give up. I was tired of fighting. The problem was that I knew the Lord wanted me to stay and fight against the evil which was transpiring. So I stayed. The new pastor finally called me in to speak. He was angry. He berated me for about 30 minutes based on the false allegations. After 30 minutes, I asked him, “Wouldn’t you even like to hear my side?” He said, “Well, go ahead.” I was not going to respond. I thought he should hear both sides of the story. I knew this from working cases in law enforcement. Investigate both sides, then determine facts. To shorten this long story, I resigned about 2 weeks later. After seeking counsel from the previous interim pastor, he told me, “Run, not walk away.” He told me it was the worst circumstance he had seen in over 40 years of ministry. His clear leading was an affirming voice during a troubling time. I am ever grateful I didn’t give up on ministry. But it was because of the affirmation from my interim pastor. God moved that new pastor shortly afterward, but I went on to serve the Lord.
“An angel has spoken to Him.’ Jesus answered and said, ‘This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes.” Lenski says, “This word of Jesus is addressed only to his disciples, who, together with Jesus, had heard and understood the Father’s reply. Jesus himself needed no audible answer from the Father to any of his prayers; he knew that the Father always heard him. This miraculous reply was for the disciples, that they might hear directly and with their own ears both that the Father had, indeed, answered Jesus and what that answer was. It was another attestation of the Father, of the clearest and the strongest kind, that Jesus was his well-beloved Son. This explanation Jesus gave with others standing by who thus might also learn what really had taken place.”[1] Jesus wanted those who heard to know His Father was connected to Him. It was necessary for them to hear God’s approval. This was another affirmation of God’s leading.
When I look back to the interim pastor who gave me wise counsel, I think of him fondly as my mentor, and a father figure. He provided some of the wisest counsel I could ever obtain, while also mentoring me. He and I often had times eating lunch together (and he was a busy man). He would always ask how I was doing. He cared. He was a cheerleader while I went through seminary. He encouraged me to further my education. I’d have to say if I hadn’t had his leadership in my life, my time in ministry might have been short lived. He encouraged me to know that ministry is hard, and some I would deal with in the future would be tougher than those I put in jail. But his voice in my life was not for “my sake, but your sakes,” just like Jesus’s was with His Father. Jesus’ Father, was always connected with Him, and it would be so important for Him as He began to see the end of His life here on earth. But His Father was there cheering and encouraging Him all the way to the cross. And it was for our sake...
[1] Lenski, R. C. H. (1961). The interpretation of St. John’s gospel (pp. 872–873). Augsburg Publishing House.