Jeremy L. Berg

I had the privilege to travel to Israel in 2020 with my doctoral cohort from Northern Seminary. There were many memorable places and moments from the trip, but one the most poignant moments was visiting the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus sweat drops of blood and stared great suffering square in the eyes and moved forward with faith.

My good brother in Christ, Dr. John Phelps, shared a powerful sermonette in that place that brought many of us to tears. He grabbed us all with his opening line, “This is my first time standing in this place, and yet I’ve been here many times before.” He shared wonderful wisdom and perspective on facing our own “Gethsemane moments.”

What we didn’t know then was that a little over a year later, John would find himself in his greatest Gethsemane yet as he would be diagnosed with brain cancer. John is a rock for Christ and his faith in the midst of his suffering is a great example for all of us.

It’s John’s birthday this weekend, and in honor of this great man of God I want to share the following 2 minute video clip I’m so glad I captured from that powerful moment we spent in the Garden of Sorrows.

In my correspondence with John recently, let me tell you that his eyes are not too focused on the Garden of Gethsemane, because his heart and mind are too energetically preoccupied with the Garden of New Creation and Resurrection!

John is not focused on halos in heaven, or harps in the clouds. He’s writing and preaching and talking incessantly about the way the power of New Creation and the Spirit of Resurrection is already available here and now for Kingdom people! In a letter to John this week (and I hope he doesn’t mind me sharing) I was contemplating the scene of the disciples in John 20 hiding behind locked doors in fear after the crucifixion, when the Resurrected Jesus first appears to them. I wrote:

The Second Adam walks through the walls of our hardships, despite our locked doors and fear-filled hearts (John 20). The Resurrected Christ says to us what he said to the frightened disciples long ago: “Peace be with you!” And then, “He breathed on them saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit/Breath.” Yes! We are New Creation people. We are those whom Jesus has breathed into our nostrils New Creation oxygen. The Spirit-Wind that rolled the stone away from Death’s doorway can fill our lungs today. 

If there are any rooms in your heart where fears lurk in the dark, I want you to visualize Jesus walking into that space right now and receive his word, “Peace be with you.” Perhaps you may find it helpful to visualize Jesus breathing that clear and cancer-free Resurrection Air into your nostrils, into your fatigued body as you ingest those chemo pills and drive in for another radiation zap. A little divine CPR for the soul! 

I have been telling everyone this past week about the ramifications of being part of the community of people called to be the New Humanity, indwelt by the Resurrection Spirit, with lungs and hearts filled with New Creation air, and sent out into a world to breathe fresh air into others. As I told another person this week, “There’s a lot of bad breath in this world, and fresh mints aren’t gonna cut it. So take in a few deep breaths today and keep fighting the good fight. His word doesn’t return void, and neither does his Holy Spirit Breath we get to breathe into others.”

So, Happy Birthday to John, and dear reader give yourself a gift on his behalf by taking 2 minutes to watch this video of John’s message on facing our own Gardens of Gethsemane. And please lift him and Team Phelps up in prayer as they continue this battle. And to quote Jesus, “Peace be with you!”