Having Everthing you need

1 John 2:26-27 "26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him."

As you read the letter of 1 John it becomes clear that there is some kind of a massive controversy that is brewing in this early Christian community. There seems to be some pulling and tearing at the fabric of unity within this early church community that 1 John is addressing. We don’t have the various perspectives of those involved yet we do have John's responce.

Thus John says, in the above passage, that “I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.” By the way, the word astray in Greek is where we get the English word for planet. In John’s time a planet was a wondering body. So John says I am writing to you about those who are trying to get you to wander off. John is very concerned that this controversy is threating the unity of this Christian community. Instead of naming and shaming those involved in the controversy John seems interested in talking about something else. Perhaps to get a grasp of what John is saying here we need to go backwards to go forwards.

There is this question that kind of lingers around in the Bible. It is the question of where is God? Where do you find God? In Exodus 25 this questions gets asked and answered. Exodus 25:8 “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.” Here God says build a temple and I will live there. I think we are okay with that. God says build me a temple and I will live there. That sounds reasonabile. Where is God? God is in the temple which is where we would expect him to be. In Exodus 25 God is seeking a Tabernacle which is kind of movable temple prior to the temple being built in Jerusalem. Part of the tabernacle and the temple system involves priests.

Part of what priests do are to lead the people in their temple worship. In Exodus 28:3, the priests are given instructions by God, “Tell all the skilled workers to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest.” The word for consecration is also where we get the word anointing. The same word that John uses in the passage above. In the Old Testament and in Jesus day being anointed with oil was a way to signify that God had called you to serve in a certain way. So priests were not part of the regular mass of people. They have been consecrated by anointing their heads with oil. It meant that God dwelled with them in some special way.  

In 1 Samuel 16 we have the story of the prophet Samuel going out and looking for Israel’s next King. Samuel goes to the house of a man named Jesse. Jesse has a bunch of sons but God says none of them are going to be King. That is until the runt of the bunch, the youngest of Jesse’s sons, shows up and his name is David. God tells Samuel that David is the one who will become the next King. 1 Sam. 16:12-13 “So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” 13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David.”

Where is God? God is in the temple.

Where is God? God is with the priests.

Where is God? God is with the powerful people like Kings and Prophets.

Then Jesus comes along and one day he stands in his hometown synagogue and reads from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. In Luke 4:18, Jesus says, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me.” Another interesting thing about the word anointed is that it is where the word Messiah comes from. It is also where the word Christ comes from. When a person says “Jesus Christ” they are truly saying Jesus the anointed one. So Jesus comes from a long line of people who have been anointed and a long story about where God is.

Where is God? God is in the temple.

Where is God? God is with priests.

Where is God? He is with the Kings and Prophets.

Where is God? God is in this Christ.

In each of the Gospels Jesus talks about what is going to happen when he leaves. Sometimes he tells that straight out and sometimes he tells a story. The disciples often fight Jesus when he talks about leaving. Jesus basically says I am not going to be around very long and the disciples respond with no Jesus we will stay with you. John 14:16-17 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” Jesus says I am leaving but the very presence of God will be in you. God will live in you! Later in John 14:25-26 Jesus says “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

Jesus says there this Spirit coming that will guide you, teach you, and remind you of the things I have taught you. This Spirit will make clear for you just who Jesus is and this Spirit will reside “in you. John 16:8-11 “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.”

So this Spirit, Jesus says, will convict and expose sin. This Spirit will also reveal who Jesus is and be remind his followers of the forgiveness and love that is found in Christ. This Spirit will also remind Jesus’ followers that God’s has story and things are headed somewhere. That there will be a day when things will be put back the way that God intended. John 20:22 “Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Here the Disciples are given the indwelling of the Spirit.

Where is God? God is in the temple.

Where is God? God is with the priests.

Where is God? God is with the Kings and Prophets.

Where is God? God is with Jesus and then Jesus says I am going to leave and the Spirit of God will be in my followers.

That is a bit of an overview yet we study scripture for more than just knowledge. We seek transformation. Jesus came from a tradition that said – Where does God dwell? God is in the temple. God is with the priests. God is with the prophets. God is in the holy places. God is in the sacrifice. God is in the worship. God is in the prayers. Jesus says God is with him and then he says he is leaving and guess what? Those who follow him are now going to be where God resides. The answer to the question where is God will now be – in you. This is what John is referring to when he reminds this early Christian community of the anointing you have received.

Jesus is the anointed one and says I have the Spirit and God dwells in me. Jesus says I will be leaving for a bit and the Spirit that dwells in me will now dwell in you. Jesus says if you believe me, you follow me, if you are a baptized follower – then you will have the spirit. You will be an anointed one. Well if that were true or more importantly if the followers of Jesus truly believed that and lived that. . . well it would change everything. Jesus is saying that which has dwelled in me will now dwell in you.

Suppose you liked listening to music by Alisha Keys. You could download a song of hers. You could play a song of hers on your cell phone or you might even go to one of her concerts. You can be in the presence of her music. Perhaps you could become a friend of Alisha Keys. Maybe you could have breakfast with her. Maybe you might go do Yoga with Alisha Keys or whatever it is she does. So you could be in her presence all day long.

You could also do what Anna Gracemann did. On the TV show America’s Got Talent eleven year old Anna Gracemann got up and sang an Alisha Keys song. She did a great job! She sounded great and a lot like Alisha Keys. So you could hear an Alisha Keys song. You could play it in your car. You could go to an Alisha Keys show. You could even be a good friend of Alisha Keys and be in the presence of Alisha Keys. That is something fundamental different from Alisha Keys being in you. There is being in the presence of Alisha Keys and then there is her presence being in you. These are two very different things. 

Jesus is with very ordinary first century people who are in his presence. They see him do the unexplainable like healing people. They listen to his teachings and observe God’s presence just pour out of him. They are in his presence and then Jesus says you have been in my presence but now I am going to leave. I will no longer be in your presence. So I will leave my presence with you. Jesus says the Spirit will come and living in my followers and now you will do what you have seen me do. Jesus takes this even farther. John 14:12 “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” Jesus says I am leaving yet my presence will be in you and you will do greater things. This is something that Jesus says and he seems to be very serious about it.

 In considering the implications of this there is a stark warning. You can have Christianity. You can have church services. You can have songs, hymns and all manner of worship songs. You can have all your Biblical and theological doctrine nailed down. But if you don’t have the Spirit you don’t have life. When people meet Jesus and became a follower of his that began to consider what was possible. That Jesus was calling them to some wild adventure. They were no longer ordinary. They were people through whom God was using to establish his Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

Back to the book of 1 John. There is some massive controversy going on. People are splitting off. There is a conflict that is so bad that 1 John indicates that Christians are tearing at the unity of the church. John writes to this group of Christians in the midst of a great conflict and says don’t be lead astray. Remember, John says, the anointing you have received. It is as if John is saying something like you have everything you need. You have the Spirit. Maybe we need a reminder of that anointing. That as followers of Christ (the anointed one) we have everything we need. Perhaps then this might help us re-imagine that forgiveness, grace and forgiveness are all totally possible even in the middle of a controversy that seems to be getting out of hand.