Come and See: The Trial - John 18:28-40 - September 3rd

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John 18:28-40

Things are moving quickly now as we read about Peter’s 2nd and 3rd denials. And it seems, if you read that section, that Peter is still around the coal fire made for the servants to keep warm outside in the courtyard of Annas.

John then turns us to the trial before Pilate. We see nothing of the actual religious trial before Caiaphas. Which brings us to think about what John wrote earlier that Caiaphas had already determined that one man – Jesus should die to unite all of the Jews in Jerusalem and abroad. This may be why John doesn’t go into the trial much by the high priest. And that takes us to the trial of Jesus by Pilate

John 18:28-40 (NIV) Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”

“If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.”

Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”

“But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.

Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”

“Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

“You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

“What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”

They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.

So in this instance John has some inside knowledge of what is going on inside. Could it be that John didn’t care about being ceremonially unclean? We aren’t certain but history would lend us to believe that John somehow got this information on the discussion between Pilate and Jesus – because John the Disciple did not have standing to go into the governor’s home – he wouldn’t have been permitted to go in.

Now, you notice that Pilate goes in and out – the Sanhedrin does not. If they had gone into the governor’s home, a Gentile, this would have made them unclean. The Passover Festival lasted at least 7 days, so the meal that most likely they  didn’t want to mess up by being unclean would have been the afternoon meal following the opening Passover meal. That opening meal would have been what Jesus would have shared with the Disciples the night before. So John is not saying all of the trials and the Crucifixion were on a different timeline.

Which brings me to something else ironic. Remember that Dr. Lyons and Dr. Daniels had written about Jesus’ Ironic Glorification in their commentary published by Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City.  Here is another irony. These men in leadership stood on ceremonial cleanliness issues so that they wouldn’t defile themselves, all the while their hearts were full of deceit. They were not truthful with Pilate – they dodged his questions. No wonder Matthew Mark and Luke record Jesus calling these men whitewashed tombs: all regal and glorious on the outside while full of death and rot on the inside. Now to you and me, who live in a society that does not value integrity, or honor.  We have so many people who hold honorable positions but they do not act with honor or integrity. But back then, honor and integrity were a big deal.

So we are left with the Sanhedrin, who is convinced that if Jesus dies as a criminal, not at their hands for fear  He becomes a martyr, but if Jesus dies like a Roman criminal it will end Him and His ministry.

What the Sanhedrin didn’t realize is that Jesus needed to die by crucifixion to fulfill prophecy. They probably would have been better off if they had stoned Him. Remember the conversation that Jesus had with Nicodemus? It was a reflection of Moses fashioning a brass snake on a pole. And those who would look to it would not die from the poisonous snakes and their bites, rather they would live. Jesus had to die in that fashion, up on a pole for all to see. Jewish capital punishment was by stoning. And His death could not have been that if He were the Messiah.

So the Jewish leaders conspire. They get the Roman government to go along with them and they convict Jesus falsely of nothing and anything they can come up with. The end result was that Jesus insights disobedience by claiming that He is the King of the Jews. What these men conspired to do, Jesus not only accepts, but He goes willingly to the cross. We will talk about that more in the days to come.

Jesus has lived with the people. He has discipled and taught the people, and now He willingly lays down His life for all of humanity that they would have a chance at finding heaven.

Come and See: And So It Begins... John 18:15-24 - September 2nd

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John 18:15-24

We are going to read today about Peter’s first denial of Christ. Now, before you pass judgment on Peter I first would say that there have been times in my life where I have denied Christ. And I would guess that at some point we have all experience something or been somewhere in which we did not make it known that indeed we follow Jesus Christ. If anything, most of us can relate to Peter in some way. But also relate to how he was reinstated by Christ, since we too have been forgiven for times when we have denied Christ.

Over the next few days we are going to see, more than one trial of Jesus and more than one denial by Peter. How John recounts the series of events. Remember from yesterday that Jesus was taken off to Annas. Now Annas had once been high priest of Israel. And in Jewish tradition once you have served in that position you were still looked to impart wisdom. But it wasn’t an official court that you held.

However, as we will see in today’s reading, the questioning by Annas isn’t truly His trial. Since Annas is a past High Priest he doesn’t have authority to hold court so to speak. Let’s watch and see what unfolds.

John 18:15-24 (NIV) Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard, 16 but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the servant girl on duty there and brought Peter in.

“You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” she asked Peter.

He replied, “I am not.”

It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.

Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.

“I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.”

When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby slapped him in the face. “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” he demanded.

“If I said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?” Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

So like I said Peter denies knowing Christ. We are not told the motivation here. We do see that Peter is told to wait outside and then later one of the servant girls asks Peter if He is one of the Disciples in a negative backhanded way. So it is possible that Peter picks up on this.  It could be that Peter was simply caught off guard at her question. We aren’t lead to believe that Peter is outright denying Christ just to save himself. There just isn’t enough narrative for us to read into this denial very far.

What I would say is that once Peter makes this choice and denies Christ for the first time, it is clear that he continues to lie and thusly deny Christ two more times. Which brings me to say that when we find ourselves sinning – if it’s easy the first time more than likely it will get easier the next time until your sin catches up to you.

John then changes the scene. Kind of like the old black and white TV shows – the ones I watched in reruns. The old Mickey Mouse Club show in black and white had a series on it called Spin and Marty.  It was about a boy’s ranch. They would come back from commercial and the title would say, “Meanwhile, back at the ranch…”

So meanwhile, inside the high priest’s house, Annas begins to question Jesus. And I believe we need to look at this because Annas is a former High Priest. His son-in-law Caiaphas is the current serving High Priest. And that would explain why someone would have slapped Jesus. You see – that kind of behavior was so disrespectful that it was not tolerated by the Sanhedrin. And Jesus is not being disrespectful to Annas – rather He is pointing out the injustice of the false proceedings.

What we can see in this passage today is the challenge that we all face.     As disciples of Christ Jesus we are called to live faithfully and truthfully. We can also see how Jesus handled Himself. He truly is an example when we are faced with adversity we don’t have to be disrespectful or dishonest we can still speak truth without hate towards others. I want to leave you with this.

When we look at both Peter and Jesus we can see ourselves at our worst and best. The writer of Hebrews let’s us understand some of this here.

Hebrews 4:14-16 (NIV) Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Jesus understands, and He has made a way for us to get the help we need, when we need it.  We just have to live submitted lives – submitted to Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit.  That’s living the Jesus Way, and through that the Holy Spirit will lead us and guide us into all Truth, so that we can live the life, the Jesus life. That is the life designed for us to live at creation.

Come and See: Jesus Arrested - John 18:1-14 - September 1st

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John 18:1-14

So before we get to our passage of Scripture this morning, remember that Jesus made the statement that He had already finished the work His Father had asked Him to do.

And we need to pause for a moment and think about that.  Often times those of us who have grown up in the church read over these all to familiar words to quickly to realize that the work the Father gave Jesus was not just to die on the cross. It was everything that lead up to that very moment – remember that Jesus fulfilled prophecy so that He would indeed be the Messiah. It is only after He has done that work, which allows Him to become the Sacrifice that would end all sacrifices.

So today, let’s look at this pivotal moment where Jesus is arrested. Again don’t just read over everything like we have done most of our lives, take some time to listen to what happens.

John 18:1-14 (NIV) When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it.

Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.

Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.

“I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?”

“Jesus of Nazareth,” they said.

Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.”

Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)

Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”

Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people.

What do we read here? What is it that we’ve heard repeatedly? And what stands out, maybe we’ve heard it many times before but it’s speaking louder to us today? And why not ask yourself – where am I in this part of the story. If I were present in this part of the narrative, where would I be?

I find it interesting that Jesus again – using the “I Am” statement – is speaking with so much authority, and I would say control, that those who hear Him draw back and fall to the ground. Roman soldiers and the Temple guard fall to the ground. These are not wimpy men. And the “I Am,” which is the name for God speaks volumes to Who Jesus is – The Messiah.

But who do you relate to in this story? Are you like Judas standing with the powers that be – both secular and religious leaders? Are you like Peter – and I have to say I kind of chuckle a bit when I think that Peter needs to defend the Messiah, who healed the sick, made the lame walk, caused the blind to see, and raised the dead back to life. Peter thinks he needs to defend Jesus, the Messiah, who has been around since before time as we know it began.

But there is another place where we can find ourselves and that is standing with our Savior – Jesus Christ. We can be standing ready, willing, and able to take on the suffering and pain that comes with redemption.

Are we willing to make real sacrifice, living the Jesus Way, so that others will hear the Jesus Truth – and by so doing be invited to live the Jesus Life that is before us? To live that sacrificially is the Jesus Way, to abandon one’s self so that others may know that Jesus Christ is the Messiah.

Come and See: The Prayer of Consecration - Part 3 - John 17:20-26 - August 31st

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John 17:20-26

Let’s do a bit of review from last week. So we started this Passage of Scripture In John 17 – where we have Christ’s Prayer of Consecration. And He begins to pray for the Father to glorify Him – so that the Father would receive glory. Then Jesus turns His focus to His Disciples praying for their unity, their faith, and that they would be able to stay committed to the work that Jesus was to give them. Which was the mission of continuing what Jesus started.

And now Jesus turns to the future. He begins this next section, and we end the chapter here, with Jesus praying for you and me. Let’s here what He had to say.

John 17:20-26 (NIV) “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

As Jesus begins to turn His focus from His direct Disciples – the Apostles – we see His focus turning to what will come – the future of His ministry. Which tells me something about His prayer for His Disciples from the previous passage. The fact that He prays for all of us who will come as a result of the ministry of the Apostles and their disciples tells me that Jesus has confidence that His Disciples will continue the ministry after He returns to heaven.

Also this tells me that Jesus doesn’t believe that the world is beyond saving.  Jesus is placing His faith in people who can and will hear His voice through those He has called to be his disciples, To make a choice to follow Him.

You know that brings me to another thought about how we as a body all work together to do the will of God. And that is this – we are all called to be disciple-maker makers. Try saying that 10 times fast. We aren’t just to be discipling others, Just so that we can teach others. But so that the others we disciple can also one day be discipling others. It’s a multiplication thing.

And again Jesus ends by praying to the Father That He would be living in us. And that is such a large thought that God with us – would become God in us. I’m not certain that through the filters of western American thought, we grasp how big a deal this really is.

You see it’s by this power of the Holy Spirit living in us and through us, that we become set apart for His work. Remember once we accept Christ as Messiah or as our savior – once we believe unto salvation – we become citizens of the Kingdom of God. And in turn, become ambassadors for Christ in this world – in the world not of this world. We live in expectation of Christ’s return – it’s the tension of the now and the yet to come – when Jesus returns to take us home.

A wise person recently reminded me that some tensions are not to be resolved. And I know that some day this particular tension will be resolved. But for now this is the tension we live in. We are foreigners in this land, pointing people to Jesus.

Come and See: The Prayer of Consecration - Part 2 - John 17:6-19 - August 29th

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John 17:6-19

Jesus now shifts the focus of His prayer from Himself to praying for His current Disciples. And I say it that way because eventually Jesus will pray a prayer for all of the believers who come in the future – we are indeed disciples of Jesus.

But in this section Jesus prays for the preservation of the Disciples. He prays for their unity, faithfulness, and He prays they would be able to complete the work that He gave them. Let’s read this together this morning.

John 17:6-19 (NIV) “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

Again in Jesus’ prayer He and the Father are so connected, they are so unified in everything that has transpired to this point, you sometimes loose sight of where Christ ends and the Father begins.

Here Jesus is given these Disciples from the Father – they belonged to Him. Remember that when we make a decision to follow Jesus Christ as Messiah our citizenship moves from this world into the Kingdom of God.

But that doesn’t happen just simply because we make a conscious choice to follow Christ. You see before we make that decision, God enables us to see Jesus for who He truly is. God’s Holy Spirit goes before and prepares our hearts to receive Him. We call it prevenient grace.

Matthew 16:17 (NIV) Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.

Now here in this prayer we can see that the Disciples stay faithful. Jesus knows what is coming and He is praying For their faithfulness, unity, and for them to complete the work He will give them – to go and do with others what He did with them.

Jesus’ prayer was not to physically protect the Disciples, but was asking the Father to guard their hearts against falling away from what He had already taught them.

Jesus’ prayer was not to take them out of the world. God the Father loves the world so much that He sent Jesus down to the world to bring reconciliation of all creation to Him – the Father.

But Jesus is speaking of the Disciples and the job they have to love God and love others in the world while not being influenced by the world.

Which brings us to a close today, and I want to ask you, are you being influenced by the world – or – are you influencing those around you by the power and grace of the Holy Spirit Who lives in you and through you. That was their task then and our task now.

Come and See: The Prayer of Consecration - Part 1 - John 17:1-5 - August 28th

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John 17:1-5

We are all but at the point of Jesus’ trial and crucifixion. And Jesus turns from reassuring the Disciples and preparing them, to praying for Himself, for the Disciples, and for those like us who come to believe in Christ Jesus as a result of their ministry. Not only did Jesus teach about prayer, He also prayed. And so, there are three sections of this prayer. Let’s start today with that first section.

John 17:1-5 (NIV) After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

George Lyons and T. Scott Daniels wrote about and idea they call the “Ironic Glorification” in the New Beacon Bible Commentary: John 13-21 A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. © 2020 Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City. p49.

Here is what they write.

“Jesus’ final discourse in John 13-17 prepares readers to understand the Passion Narrative that follows in 18-19 as the fulfillment, not the failure, of Jesus’ mission. Throughout the first half of the Gospel, Jesus anticipate the “hour” of His glorification.  But in the eyes of the world, the honor he expected was the unimaginable shame of crucifixion. In His ironic glorification, God’s relentless love would prevail over the perverse violence and hostility of human rebellion.”

So it is, that which was supposed to shame and end the ministry of Jesus Christ instead glorified Jesus Christ and brought glory to the Father. Now you understand why they called it His “Ironic Glorification.”

And look at this prayer here. Jesus is praying for Himself, and yet is also praying for the Father to receive the glory. He and the Father are so intertwined, the relationship they have is so intimate I’m not convinced that we will understand it fully until we are in the presence of God.

But get this, Jesus had a mission and even though He had not died and rose again – He had come to the point where He was professing that the mission was finished. Jesus had brought the Father glory by completing the work that the Father had given Him to do on earth.

And when you think about it, He had done what was needed to be done, to that He alone as the second Adam would qualify to be the Messiah. By achieving this qualification, He becomes the sacrifice that ends all sacrifices. But He couldn’t have been sacrificed for all of humanity if He had not first finished the work of the Messiah.

I would contend that the “ironic glorification” is not simply the act of the crucifixion, but is the culmination of everything Jesus did while here on Earth to fulfill the messianic prophecy.

He was Born in Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth, there were healings, raising the dead, and all of  the other signs and miracles Jesus did. There was His ministry and teaching, the rejection He suffered from His own people. All of that and much more went into the culmination of time to bring Jesus to this moment where the hour has come to glorify the Son. Not to bring Himself glory, but so that the Father is glorified.

This culmination of His life is everything that has led up to the moment of sacrifice and that has enabled the sacrifice to mean something.

Paul in his letter to the Church in Philippi writes it like this.

Philippians 2:5-11 (NIV) In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Paul ends this passage with the point I want to make today. Everything Jesus did that points us to Him being the Messiah, He did for the glory of God the Father. And that leaves us today asking ourselves – reflecting upon all Jesus did that got Him to the point of becoming the sacrifice that we need, what are we doing to bring glory to Jesus Christ and God the Father?

Come and See: He Has Overcome The World - John 16:25-33 - August 27th

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John 16:25-33

I love this part of the study. We know what’s coming up next, it’s the terribly grueling part of God’s plan of salvation for humanity. But here, Jesus is telling His Disciples, and remember He is telling us today – that no matter what is happening next, He has overcome it all – everything. Let’s listen to what He says.

John 16:25-33 (NIV) “Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”

“Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

This is such an awesome passage. Jesus starts out by speaking to them in a way that is no longer figurative. It seems to be very plain and understandable in that the Disciples themselves have no need to ask questions. They can rightly and clearly see that Jesus is the Son of God, sent from Heaven – from the Father. Now they get it.

Here Jesus is telling His Disciples, that things are going to happen which will make you scatter and go to different places. You won’t be together because it’s going to get bad – really bad. But that’s ok. Did you notice that Jesus didn’t tell them they are failures for doing so?       Jesus didn’t chastise them, He is concerned that they know He loves them and here’s the best thing of all – no matter what is happening, no matter that you all scatter, I want you to know that I know all of this goings on is for a purpose. It has to be this way. And I’m telling you all of this so that – SO that – SO THAT – you will have peace about it all.

Then Jesus says this next thing. I think if He were talking today He would say it and DROP THE MIC!!!        You can have peace about all of what will happen – and beyond this particular happening – because I have overcome this world. BOOM – DROP – THE – MIC!!!

Now – let’s tie some of this together and answer the “why” question. Why you and I as believers in Jesus Christ can have peace in the midst of everything that seemingly is going wrong in our world. It is simply this…

Jesus told the Disciples that the Advocate, we call Him the Holy Spirit, can come and live in us and through us. And because Jesus has already overcome this world, we are overcomers as well. Did you get that? The Jesus that lives in and through the believers has already overcome this world. And because He lives in us and through us, we are overcomers as well.

Come and See: Our Guardian - John 16:1-6 - August 26th

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John 16:1-16

Jesus has been with the Disciples and now things are coming to an end. It truly is time for Jesus to go through the pain and suffering and the death that He must endure to complete the Father’s plan of redemption for the entire human race. Jesus needs His Disciples to know that they are not going to be alone. Let’s here what He had to say.

John 16:1-16 (NIV) “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. 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. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

I love this passage of Scripture from the Disciple John. There are some really great theological thoughts here. Such as – judgment has come for the Prince of this world – ha Jesus is already Judging the Adversary – the Devil – Satan. Did you ever stop to realize that Jesus has already pronounced judgment against the one who antagonizes us.        What does that mean – it means that Satan is powerless against us – those who are filled with and walk in the Spirit – The Church! I think that’s kind of cool.

I also think that it’s pretty awesome that Jesus is thinking of His Disciples so much that He is warning them and telling them what will happen. Jesus wants them to keep the faith and to not loose hope in the coming events. Because His death, is part of the plan. This is what needs to be done.

And then Jesus talks about the work of the Holy Spirit. And I want to concentrate there because I believe that His work is so vitally important to our walk with Christ.

And just like in the last chapter we read, here Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit brings to us only what Jesus gives to Him to bring to us – in the same way that Jesus only brought to us from what He was given by the Father. And here Jesus puts out there that the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth. And it’s this leading that inevitably leads us (The Church) to Jesus as His bride. And really the job of the Advocate is to be our Guardian until we meet up with Christ as His bride.

This reminds me of the story in the Old Testament you’ll find in Genesis 24 of how Abraham sends his servant to find a wife for his son Isaac.

Abraham sends the servant to the land of his fathers. And he finds Abraham’s brother’s granddaughter to be bride to Isaac. You might remember her – Rebekah. Rebekah and Isaac have a couple of sons, one is Esau the other is Jacob. And Jacob becomes…wait for it…Israel who has 12 sons, and now you know the rest of the story.

So this servant leads Rebekah all the way back to Abraham and to Isaac.  She didn’t know the way, but she followed the servant and this servant lead her to Isaac. This servant protected her as they traveled. Each day she followed even though she didn’t know all the details of the journey. She allows this servant to move her by his moving. And so it is with the Holy Spirit. We go where He goes as He leads, even when we don’t know how or where the destination lies. And we do this, so that like Rebekah, we will end up in the dwelling place of our Savior. I would invite you to ask the Holy Spirit each and every day to guide and guard you on this journey.

Come and See: Citizenship - John 15:18-25 - August 25th

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John 15:18-25

So I wish I could tell you that becoming a Christian would make everything just come up roses. Well – according to Jesus Himself, that is simply not true. Let’s listen to what He had to say about it.

John 15:18-25 (NIV) “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’

That’s some sobering teaching right there. And it’s not always easy to hear, but it’s not without hope because there are those who will see you living the Jesus Way and they will be accepting to the Jesus Truth and then will come to live the Jesus Life that was designed for us to live when humanity was created.

Let’s take a short rabbit trail for a moment. Do you understand what I mean when I say living the Jesus way, truth, and Life?

Jesus told us that the most important command was to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And a second command was just as important as the first, to love your neighbor as yourself. That is living the Jesus way. As you are living the Jesus way, the Holy Spirit will lead you into all truth – even those parts you don’t want to hear. We call that conviction – it’s the good kind of guilt from when we commit sin. But you Love Jesus so much that those things that you are being convicted of in your heart become non-issues compared to loving God and loving others. And that then opens up your life to be inviting to others in joining us living the Jesus life – the life we were designed to live at creation. That life is to be in right relationship with God and others. Rabbit trail over.

Verse 19 says…“If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”

So the rabbit trail actually does tie into today’s devotion. When we make that conscious choice to make Jesus Christ Lord of our lives our citizenship changes. Not our national citizenship but we no longer belong to the kingdom of this sin-broken world. We are now citizens of heaven.

When we make Jesus Christ Lord of our lives, we become citizens of the Kingdom of God. And that kingdom – transcends all others. It does not have earthly boarders, and that kingdom is the kingdom which will last for eternity. What a glorious day that is, when someone makes Jesus their Savior.

Come and See: Love Each Other - John 15:9-17 - August 24th

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John 15:9-17

You know we read something similar last week in Chapter 14. And Jesus is going to repeat Himself today when He tells the Disciples to love one another. Hmmm… how are we doing that? I’m going to ask each of us who claim to be Christians, before we even get to the scripture today, how are we doing with that?

I don’t know but I’ve been seeing many times on social media where Christians – and this is usually over something political – are not being very loving to each other. And why…because they have differing views politically. I’ve recently experienced how that feels. But before we get into that, let’s see what God’s Word says about this very thing…

John 15:9-17 (NIV) “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.  My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command.  I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.

Now – if we look over these last two chapters, it seems as if Jesus is repeating Himself. So maybe we should pay attention. It kind of goes like this – if you love me, obey me. Then He says it like this – if you obey my commandments then I know you love me, now go and love each other.

But here in chapter 15, as if there could be any question from the previous chapters, Jesus says it all over again just as plainly. Verse 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Then He drops this bomb – greater love has no one than this, that one lay down their life for friends. Go on down the passage a short ways and in verse 17 He makes it plain again – this is my command: Love each other.

Now, I know that in my past, and from time to time I have not done this very well. But Christian to Christian we are not to be yelling and screaming at each other – especially about politics.

Remember when Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

No one is going to want to listen to the Jesus truth if you’re not living the Jesus life, and that means brothers and sisters – we are to love each other.

John 13:34-35 (NIV) “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

It didn’t say if you argue on Facebook calling each other names and putting up hate-filled memes that the world would know you are a disciple of Jesus Christ. And I’m not certain what it is that we think or feel that will allow those of us who walk with Jesus in our hearts to hate – it’s not Christ-like behavior.

Hate is what happens when we put our preferences above others. Hate is what happens when we look only as far as to take care of ourselves. Hate is what happens when we forget that this journey walking with Jesus is simply one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. I believe it’s simply a reflection of the kindness of Jesus toward all humanity that we can show others Christ.

Come and See: Pruning and Bearing Fruit - John 15:1-8 - August 22nd

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John 15:1-8

I grew up in East Wenatchee, Washington. Now, the Wenatchee Valley, which like includes towns from Leavenworth to Quincy and up to Chelan, is famous for fruit – mostly apples in my day. However, because of irrigation, you can grow just about any fruit you want. Now days, the orchards are getting smaller and vineyards are springing up all over.

And I talk about this because when you are around orchards/vineyards you will notice during different seasons there comes a time of pruning. And Jesus talks about that here today.

John 15:18- (NIV) “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Now – this is one of those famous passages that we tend to have heard preached or studied or taught on so much in the church, that we often times skip over it.

We actually may spend more than one day in this particular passage because there is so much here. Today I want to talk about this aspect of pruning – what does that mean? First – that Jesus is using a vine and branches illustration is actually interesting on another level. In the Prophets – not just one prophecy, but the collective voice of the prophets, they talk about the Messiah being a branch of Jesse – who was…David’s father – King David’s father.

And not only that, but the word for branch is the root word for Nazareth. Nazareth – that’s where Jesus grew up. The Messiah was to be a Nazarene. And remember way back to the beginning of our study, I believe it was Nathanael that  asked can anything good come from there? It shows the insignificance of the place where Jesus grew up. Again another fulfillment of prophecy that points us to Jesus as the Messiah.

But that’s not our devotions for today. That’s just some extra something to know. All part of the service you get here with me doing devotions. It’s the trivial pursuit version devotions of the Bible today.

Jesus talks about the vine and branches to show us how we are completely dependent upon Him for our very lives. The branch cannot produce fruit all on it’s own – it must remain in the vine.

And then Jesus talks about pruning. Ah yes – we all love a good pruning don’t we? I would say that at our best when we are being pruned we are viewing the pruning as some kind of loss. However, if you step back a bit and you look at the entire vine, or like I saw growing up with fruit trees, the pruning was actually to encourage growth in the healthy part of the tree. This is the idea that Christ is talking about.

Pruning does a few things. It removes sick or diseased branches. It removes the parts that were once fruitful but are no longer bearing fruit. It removes “sucker” branches, these are branches that grow and take up lots of resources but never bear any fruit. They can also be branches that block sunlight from the fruit bearing branches. Pruning removes the lower branches again that take resources to grow but are to low to the ground to actually grow large enough to bear fruit.

And so Jesus asks us to allow for the painfulness of pruning. But in and around that, he also instructs us to remain in Him. Stay connected to Him. And I believe it to be so that the life giving nourishment we need can be given to us to allow for the fruit to grow in the healthy parts of our lives.

I want you to take a moment and think back of those things you might have counted as loss in your life, but turned out – they weren’t real losses. I want you to reflect on what it means to allow yourself to remain or rest in Him when you experience those times. That’s where our faith in Jesus Christ as the Messiah comes in. We can trust Him to prune away those branches in our lives that will help us to be healthy fruit-bearing disciples.

Come and See: The Peace of Christ - John 14:25-27 - August 21st

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John 14:25-27

Have you ever been misunderstood? As a pastor I’ve been misunderstood, and I’ve misunderstood others. It happens to all of us from time to time.

You know what, if you’ve been misunderstood you’re in good company with Jesus. He had to teach and reteach  the Disciples who lived life with Him throughout the days He ministered here on Earth, and we are not much different from those Disciples. Let’s look at today’s passage.

John 14:25-27 (NIV) “All this I have spoken while still with you. 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. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Think about this for a moment, this passage has a similar teaching to the passage we read yesterday. Jesus is once again promising the Holy Spirit or the Advocate who will come to us with some specific purposes.

The first is to teach. Now this is interesting as Jesus has just spent about 3 to 3-1/2 years teaching the Disciples. But the teaching part wasn’t just for them it was also for the believers that would come later…ummm…like you and me.

And that’s what the Holy Spirit does. As we read the Word of God, the Holy Spirit living in us and through us, is constantly revealing God’s will to us. He is teaching us – the Holy Spirit teaches us. Jesus said earlier that the Holy Spirit or the Advocate would come and live within us – why? It was all so that He could teach us the teachings of Christ Jesus.

The second is to remind us what Jesus taught His Disciples. It goes hand in hand with the teaching, the Holy Spirit reminds us of the teachings of Christ. All throughout this section of the Gospel of Jesus Christ According to John, we see Jesus talking about how if you love me, you’ll obey my teachings. And If you obey my teachings I know that you love Me. He speaks of this repeatedly in this chapter alone.

Now yesterday we talked a bit about how obedience, love, and faith are all intertwined together. And again Jesus repeats Himself to His Disciples to reassure them.

And then if that wasn’t enough, Jesus assures them and leaves them with His peace – not as a greeting or like saying “goodbye” but a peace that can go beyond all understanding.

You know in these uncertain times that peace can sure come in handy. I know people who are living afraid right now. They are living in real fear, fear of being sick, fear of getting someone else sick, fear of dying there is a lot of fear right now. And you know – that kind of fear doesn’t do us any good – it steals from us. That kind of fear steals the life from us we could live today.

It’s in times like these that I have the blessed assurance of Jesus. I am His and He is mine because I have made up my mind, and I believe in Jesus as the Messiah. And since I believe that Jesus has given me His Spirit – to live in me and through me. And His Spirit living in me means that while my physical body will someday expire – just like everyone, my Spirit will live on with Him. So I don’t have to fear.

Jesus promised us that His peace, was unlike any peace this world could give. and He’s right – the peace I have within me goes so much further than just the absence of conflict. It’s a peace that I can have, no matter the circumstances that surround me.

Come and See: The Helper - John 14:15-17 - August 20th

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John 14:15-17

Yesterday we talked about living the Jesus Way, so that the Jesus Truth would be heard, and others around us would be invited to live the Jesus Life. I want us to keep that focus throughout the remainder of our study. In fact I want that to be your daily focus from here until we are with Jesus face to face.

Today we are going to hear the words of our Savior speak of the Holy Spirit. Remember that Thomas had asked Jesus to show him the way to get where Jesus was going. Then following that conversation Phillip speaks up and asks to see the Father. And in a similar fashion Jesus speaks  and He tells the Disciples that if they have seen Him – then they’ve seen the Father. And then we come to the passage where Jesus begins to explain how they can find comfort when He leaves this world. Let’s see what Jesus says.

John 14:15-17 (NIV) “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.

Do you notice that faith, love, and obedience are linked in these few passages? It seems as if they run in and out and through each other. Loving Jesus brings us to faith in Jesus and faith in Jesus brings us to obedience. It’s like these three thoughts or ideas are intertwined and not separable. And it’s the Advocate that Jesus is sending that can and will make this happen in us and through us for those around us.

Let’s also not forget that the Advocate is a promise from Jesus. Jesus is making a promise to the Disciples in that if they are obedient in living the Jesus Way and speaking the Jesus Truth inviting others to live the Jesus Life. He will send to them another Advocate.

Now that term Advocate actually comes from a legal understanding of someone who advocates for another person facing legal issues – on their behalf. Or someone coming alongside of a person to assist in some way. It has also been interpreted as Comforter, Consoler, Counselor, Intermediary, and Helper. No matter how you look at Him, the Holy Spirit is here for our benefit.

And Remember Jesus said – another Advocate. Now, there are two words translated from the Greek language into English as another. Eteros we translate to mean another from a different kind, and allos  meaning another of the same kind – allos  is used here. So Jesus promises another Advocate just like Himself except…this One wont’ ever leave our side, and Jesus’ own words are that this Advocate will live in each of us who believe in Him.

Now that is a big, no huge, no enormous thought. If any Jewish person were to read that God’s Holy Spirit would live in them, it would blow them away. You have to realize that very few people of their faith had the Holy Spirit either with them or upon them. When you begin to list them, you see Moses & 70 elders, Saul, David, some of the Judges (some of the time or only specific times) – you get my point. Not many could say that. But here Jesus is promising that if you were to believe in Him, God’s Holy Spirit will live in you.

And that’s what I want for me and for all of you. I want the Holy Spirit to live in me to the point that others see less of me and more of Jesus. And I want it to be to the point that I become more and more like Jesus Christ each and every day. I want us to live the Jesus Way so that others can hear the Jesus Truth, that they will be lead to live the Jesus Life.

Come and See: The Way The Truth The Life - John 14:1-1 - August 19th

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The Way, The Truth, and The Life

John 14:1-7

There is no transcript for today’s devotion.

Come and See: Final Instructions - John 13:31-35 - August 18th

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John 13:31-35

Jesus was coming to the place where the Disciples could no longer walk with Him. This part of the journey Jesus must walk alone. And before He goes, He gives to them some final Instructions, let’s look at what He says.

John 13:31-35 (NIV) When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.

“My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

You know often I believe that those of us who have grown up in the Church look at these familiar passages and we don’t ever take time to truly listen to what they say. I’ve looked at this often and wondered if we are to love each other, as Jesus loved the Disciples, what does that look like? Here are just a few thoughts on this

Jesus loved selflessly. Often times we think we love selflessly, but there often seems to be a human element in much of what we do that expects some sort of return. Friendship, loyalty, relationship of some sort are usually the paybacks we receive for loving others. That is not selfless love. What if we showed love and compassion to someone who could not do anything to love us in return – that would be selfless love.

Jesus loved understandingly. Jesus was able to see into the hearts of those around Him. We can’t do that, and what we usually see is the people around us on their best behavior – especially when we’re at church. It’s not till we live with someone a while that we get to see how they truly are. And real love means we are concerned with the well beings of others regardless if they care about yours.

Jesus loved sacrificially. Jesus has no limits on His love for humanity. And He shows us that when He put His life up as the payment for sin. Nothing He experienced went beyond the boundaries of His love for His creation.

Jesus loves forgivingly. When Jesus starts this part of the journey everyone scatters – Peter denies Him, He is totally abandoned by the Disciples. And yet Jesus held nothing against them even before this they were insensitive, slow to learn, lacked understanding often, and yet Jesus held nothing against them. He continued to disciple them. Because Jesus knew that love without forgiveness isn’t love at all.

Throughout Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we see Jesus being filled with compassion for the crowds that follow Him. He sees them as sheep without a shepherd, He sees them as hungry without food, He sees them as sick and lame with no hope. And each time His love for them moves Him to action .

How do we do at loving each other? Right now there is so much going on. There’s so much politically and racially going on in our country. Have we forgotten what it means to love each other the way that Jesus asks His Disciples to love?

Are we loving each other selflessly, understandingly, sacrificially, and forgivingly? Knowing and experiencing God’s love for us, could we turn that love outward to love others the way that Christ has loved us?

Come and See: Victim or Savior - John 13:18-30 - August 17th

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John 13:18-30

Within the last couple of years there have been some discussions regarding Jesus Christ as a victim. And I have wondered myself if we could actually use that word when speaking of our Lord and Savior. Christ suffered much mental anguish and physical beatings on our behalf. He pays the price for the sin of humanity, but was He a victim? Then it got me to thinking, wow do we define victim?

Merriam Webster define victim as follows:

“one that is acted on and usually adversely affected by a force or agent; one that is injured, destroyed, or sacrificed under any of various conditions; one that is subjected to oppression, hardship, or mistreatment; a living being sacrificed to a deity or in the performance of a religious rite”

Most of that definition we would agree with. But it seems to me that most of what we just heard carries the thought that the person suffering victimization has no control, not enough intelligence, or does not possess enough strength to stop what is happening to them. I’m not certain that we can say any of this about Jesus Christ.

John 13:18-30 (NIV) “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.’

“I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am. Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”

After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”

His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him.  Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.”

Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”

Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

Look if you’re like me, you’re thinking – how could they not understand what Jesus just said. And then He turns to Judas and basically and says – Git ‘R’ Done! I’m not trying to make light of this, but at the same time when you read this you have to think – how come the disciples seem so clueless. And you also have to realize there are some things here that might bear fleshing out.

Once again I want to interject that as we ask ourselves if Jesus was a victim we need to remember that it was Jesus who set what we just read in motion. Jesus did not heal the lame, blind, sick, and raise the dead without knowing what it would lead to.

And here’s another thing to know, when people ate meals together back then it wasn’t like it is now.  They didn’t sit around tables and pass the food to the left. They reclined on the floor around a table.  And if you hosted the meal you were in the center and you chose where people sat.

It was customary to have the most honored guest to sit at your left, because you reclined to your left leaving your right hand to deal with food. So Jesus would have asked Judas to sit to His immediate left – in a place of honor. That would enable Jesus to speak to Judas where no one else heard, or even saw for that matter that they shared a bite of food between them.

And when you think about this for a moment, that means Judas was in a position of honor and trust all the while, as John wrote earlier he wasn’t a trustworthy person. Remember Judas dipped into and took funds out of the treasury – not so trustworthy. But also remember – Jesus chose Judas just like He chose the others.

And just as Jesus shares with Judas, there is a moment where I believe Judas had the ability to reject the bread and not betray Jesus. And the reason I say this is because it wasn’t until after he choses to take the bread from Jesus that the Bible tells us Satan entered into him. Jesus then responds and tells Satan to do what you are about to do quickly.

So when we look at just this small passage you can’t help but see Jesus is indeed in full control. I don’t believe that there is a way we could make an argument that Jesus fell victim to those who put Him to death.

And so to that I remind you of a past passage we recently studied from the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to the Disciple John. It’s where Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd.

John 10:17-18 (NIV) The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Isn’t it ironic that what was meant to destroy Jesus, what was about getting rid of Him to keep the peace between Israel and the Roman government, was actually the plan of salvation that created peace between God and humanity – there is no victim here. Jesus willingly gives Himself as a sacrifice.

Come and See: Bare Naked Toes - John 13:1-17 - August 15th

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John 13:1-17

John’s focus changes here from the preaching and teaching to crowds, from performing miracles to simply being with and discipling the Apostles – privately. Let’s read what’s happening.

John 13:1-17 (NIV) It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Wow – all I can say is wow! Wow to what Jesus did, wow to how Peter responds, wow to Jesus’ response to Peter, and wow to Jesus’ lesson to His Disciples.

So why was this such an event, why does John include this specific account with the teaching of being a servant – specifically of Jesus being a servant. You have to understand that sanitation was not like it is today.  Lot’s of gross stuff would have lined the streets – if you could call them streets.  And, you didn’t wear shoes with socks, you might have been lucky or wealthy enough to afford some thick leather you lashed to your feet.  It was extremely dirty.

And I have to say that I believe that Jesus fully understood what it means to be God and at the same time provide for the salvation of His Children, which it turns out to be the humility of servanthood leadership.

Jesus never forgot Who He is – Son of God. And included in Who He is – is the ability to love. Through this love Jesus was giving everything of Himself to save humanity from death and sin. And that is what He wanted the Disciples to learn from Him, before He dies.

Paul said it like this in his letter to the Church in Philippi.

Philippians 2:1-8 (NIV) Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

It’s this idea of being a servant that Paul tells us we need to adopt from Christ.  If we are going to be more Christ-like, we need to be servants. So who have you served today? For whom have you set aside your priorities, your needs, your desires to be able to meet their needs, priorities, or desires. And in what you did, how did you serve Christ?

Come and See: The Plea To Believe - John 12:42-50 - August 14th

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John 12:42-50

As we continue to watch this drama unfold as John communicates what he remembers being witness to, there is a focus here on the unbelief surrounding Jesus. John does note that some of the Jewish religious leaders believed, and it reads as if it’s more than just Nicodemus. But because of the Pharisees, those leaders who came to belief would not speak up at the time.

John also remembers the words of the prophet Isaiah. John speaks them here to affirm that this is indeed what was going to happen to the Messiah – that He would be rejected by His own people. That’s where we pick up the story.

John 12:42-50 (NIV) Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human praise more than praise from God.

Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

“If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”

In John’s account these are the ending words of Jesus’ public ministry. He would later recline with His Disciples and explain things to them, but no longer preach or teach to crowds.

It seems very fitting for this to be Jesus’ ending to His earthly ministry. And honestly it’s a call that John has been giving us rom the beginning of His account of Gospel of Jesus Christ. And there is still much more to John’s account that we haven’t gotten to yet.  His book isn’t over. But as far as the public ministry of Christ is concerned it has come to an end with this final plea.  This final plea could not be more direct.

Jesus reaffirms not just to those people who physically heard Him, but also to the readers down throughout the generations that have handed these wonderful Scriptures to each of us even today. He reaffirms the call – no the plea – to believe in Him and by doing so, believe in the One who sent Him.

This was the time where His mission was coming to an end. The completion was near, everything was coming to culmination, and it was one last plea for the people to hear His call and the call of the Father to believe. So where does that leave us? I believe that we are in that same crowd. It may be 2000+ years later but we are still like the people represented in that crowd of people.

Some within the sound of my voice are people who have never believed in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  Some are people who have believed and followed Christ for such a length of time that you have become a mature Christian. And then there are those who are everywhere between those two points on the spectrum of discipleship.

No matter where you are today, no matter if Christ is calling to you to believe in Him for the first time, or if He is calling you to strengthen your faith in Him, we have an opportunity to respond to His Word this very moment.

What do you believe, do you believe that Jesus is the only Son born of God Himself, the Messiah – the Savior of all Humanity?

Come and See: Triumphal Entry - John 12:20-35 - August 13th

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John 12:20-35

Now we are starting to see some excitement from the people surrounding Jesus. It’s exciting seeing Him ride into Jerusalem on a donkey, however the excitement also stirs up even more issues for those in leadership of the Jewish faith. Mainly because Jesus resurrected Lazarus. And from the ongoing testimony of crowd it is picking up momentum. Let’s see what’s happening next.

John 12:20-36 (NIV) Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”

Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

Often times we get to this part of Scripture around the time of Palm Sunday. But there is so much more for us to see. Remember that throughout the Gospel of Jesus Christ According to John we see Jesus – God – being represented as the Light of the World. And here Jesus is speaking of Himself in this very way.

So I asked myself, what is it that The Light does? Well, light removes, overtakes, or dispels darkness. Now, the darkness cannot ever overtake The Light. Darkness can overtake people. And we will see this in next passage, another letter from John.

1 John 1:1-10 (NIV) That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

Jesus is getting down to the wire back there in chapter 12, and He knows what is coming next. Later, in a letter, John tells us that Jesus is the Light – no question it came from what he witnessed and wrote about in his account of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Here John is encouraging us to walk in the Light – walk in the teachings of Christ, or in His Spirit. And here’s why, when we do so we make progress as a disciple of Jesus. We grow to be more Christ-like in our everyday living.

Walking in the light speaks of an on-going progressing relationship with God and with others. Walking in the light is striving to walk humbly with God, allowing God to cleanse us from within. Walking in the light is living a life of holiness resulting in fellowship with God and others along this journey.

Come and See: Final Preparations - John 12:1-12 - August 12th

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John 12:1-12

We are beginning to see the turn in direction of Jesus’ ministry. It’s not quite time and yet there is a definite turn towards the cross for Jesus here. And usually when we read this particular passage we concentrate on simply three characters: Jesus, Mary, and Judas. Let’s take a look.

John 12:1-11 (NIV) Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.

Now that we read this looking for them, you can see that there are more characters here in this drama we see than just Jesus, Mary, and Judas.

First, there is Lazarus and his testimony to others. The chief priests who are scheming with the Sanhedrin to put Jesus to death are here. Now when we focus on this passage we should see one main character – Jesus, and other supporting characters – who in their own part bring a lesson to us. Even Judas and the chief priests have something to teach us.

Focusing on Mary, we see the absolute generosity of what she did and a reflection of the extravagant sacrifice Jesus is going to make for all of humanity. Or as John put it earlier in 3:16, whosoever would believe in Him will have everlasting life.

When you look at Judas, and knowing what he does here, and what he does in the future, it’s easy to simply think that maybe he didn’t actually follow Jesus because He thinks Jesus is the Messiah – he has other motives here. And frankly, after reading this passage, I do question his motives. This entire time, as the Scripture reveals, he had been helping himself to the bank account.

Then there is a crowd of people. And I find it interesting that they come around, not only to see and hear Jesus, but also to see if what they have heard about Lazarus is true. Did Jesus bring him back to life? They want to see and hear about the miracle.

And it’s in this last two verses of this passage, that I believe we see something maybe we haven’t seen before.

John 12:10-11 (NIV) So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.

And here it is once again, we are faced with a choice. Do we believe in Jesus as our Savior, do we believe in Jesus to the point of being saved from sin and hell? Many in the crowd of people did. That was why the chief priests were making plans to kill Jesus. And now, because Lazarus was living proof, his life is jeopardy as well.

But it takes me back and I have to ask myself, what does it take to change my heart, what does it take to change your heart? These people saw the proof and their hearts changed to the point that it more than worried the religious leaders of the day. Let me leave you with this, do we let Jesus change us in that same way today?