Jesus Prays for Disciples

John 17:6-19

Jesus next prays for the disciples the Father has given Him. Notice He identifies them as coming “out of the world”. The word “world” is important in this chapter as we see it used many times. Although we have seen Jesus selecting the disciples earlier in the Gospels, in this passage He identifies the Father as choosing them. Next He reviews their spiritual development and acknowledges that they understand and believe God’s Word. Not only do they understand it, they have faithfully adhered to it.

Then He begins to make requests on their behalf. First He asks the Father to “keep them in Thy name”. I think this is a request for spiritual protection. They will face many trials, tests, and difficulties and will need spiritual strength to get through them. Next He prays for unity for them; “that they may be one, even as we are one”. Unity among these men was critical as they carry out their mission to spread the Gospel. It is equally important to Christians today and Satan loves to create disunity among Christians to negatively impact their testimony.

He also prays that His joy might be made full in them. An attitude of joy is important not only for our own peace but as a testimony to those around us. Others may impact us in many ways, but we control our attitude. We must be careful not to let outside influences rob us of our Christian joy based on our relationship with Christ. Satan tries to make us miserable so that we won’t be a good testimony to others. Jesus next request is that the Father “keep them from the evil one”. He knew Satan would aggressively work in their hearts and minds and that they needed protection.

Jesus then mentions a distinction that we need to keep in mind. We are in the world, but not of the world. We must live in a sin-filled world, but we can distinguish ourselves as Christians by the way we do that. Our priorities and life-style is distinctively different from those who are not Christians.

Finally He asks that the Father “sanctify them in the truth” and reveals for our sake “thy word is truth”. In order to maintain the proper relationship with our heavenly Father, we need to be in the Word daily; reading it, memorizing, it and applying it.

Jesus also prays for us just as He did these men and we will look at those verses next.

Jesus Prays for Himself

John 17:1-5

This chapter is one of my favorites for several reasons. I think it captures the heart of Jesus in a very unique way. It also provides a good pattern for our prayer life and finally Jesus prays specifically for you and I. Notice that He prays for Himself, the apostles He has been disciplining and for all future believers.

Consider the phrase “Glorify Your Son so that the Son may glorify You”. Jesus knows He will shortly face death through the crucifixion and His primary concern is that He will glorify His Father as He goes through that awful time. He also looks forward to the pristine glory He will have with His Father for eternity. He has suffered much during this time on earth, living in the midst of sin, and longs to return to His Father. As I meditate on this phrase I’m reminded that the chief end of man is to glorify God. Paul says in I Cor. 10:31 “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Notice also in v. 2 that Jesus is aware of the authority and responsibility the Father has given Him. Notice that He has the authority to give eternal life. Five times in this chapter He refers to Christians as those the Father has given Him. Consider the choices He has made for you. He chose the time you would be created and the nation and family into which you would be born. Most importantly, He has chosen you to be one of His children for eternity. What is eternal life? It is the experience of knowing the only true God through His Son in a personal, intimate way which is continuous, dynamic and eternal.

As Jesus prepares to face the end of His earthly life, He also recognizes He has finished the task the Father has given Him. The last component of that task is facing death on the cross, paying the price for our sin so that we may also have eternal life. Because of our sin He assumes even the Father has to forsake Him for a time. Then the Father will raise Him from the grave so that they and we may spend eternity together.

Thank Him for His indescribable gift.

Peace

John 16:33

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

As our Lord closes His teaching time with the disciples, He leaves them with an encouraging word. He has explained to them the secret of having peace in their lives and reminds them that although they may experience difficulties they can take courage because He has overcome the world.

Sometimes when studying the Bible I leave trails. Next to this verse I’ve written Rom. 8:18 where Paul shares “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us.” Next to that verse I’ve jotted 8:28; “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.” I’ve also referred to II Cor. 11:23-28 which reminds me of all the suffering Paul went through in his life.”

Finally, look at Romans 8:37 which says “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.” In the following two verses He exclaims that nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Christians go through as many trials, disappointments, and difficulties as anyone else but we have the ability to face them differently because of the peace we have as children of God. We have an eternal perspective that allows us to see all things differently. We also have a resource that the non-Christian can’t fathom. Paul says in Phil. 4:7 “the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

I pray that God’s peace may prevail in your life.

Prayer

John 16:23-33

After Jesus shares with the disciples about His departure He again teaches them about prayer. Notice He says in v. 23 “if you shall ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.” This phrase is not a magical formula for us to use in order to have our requests granted. In My name may be rephrased “in My will” or in order to carry out My will for you. In v. 24 He explains that our joy will be made full as we live our lives carrying out His will. Answered prayer brings complete joy in our lives.

The next time Jesus uses the phrase (v. 26) He says “I do not say to you that I will request the Father on your behalf; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me.” Because of what Jesus has done for us, we have a personal relationship with the Father. Paul says in I Tim. 2:5 “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” and the writer of Hebrews explains “He is also the mediator of a better covenant…”

What a tremendous privilege it is for the Christian to be able to communicate with our heavenly Father, knowing He loves us and desires the very best for us. Prayer is not simply asking for our needs but it also provides a way for us to personally express our love and adoration for the Father. We can thank Him and praise Him for what He does in our lives. Often we are like the nine lepers (Luke 17:11-19) who failed to thank Jesus for healing them. The Father loves our adoration and praise and we should honor Him with it. Prayer is also a time of confession; a time when we can ask the Lord to convict us of our sins and then specifically ask Him for forgiveness (I John 1:9).

Paul tells us in I Thes. 5:18 that we should “pray without ceasing”. Our relationship with our Father ideally should be that as we go through each day we should consistently seek His counsel and offer Him praise for His direction in our lives. I also think we should engage in a consistent time of prayer each day. My personal habit is to keep an excel spreadsheet of prayer needs with a column for each day of the week. That helps me to be consistent in my prayer life.

I pray that you would have a vibrant prayer life.

The Helper

John 16:5-15

Jesus, once again returns to the subject of the Holy Spirit and His ministry in the world and to us as Christians. Notice in v. 6 that Jesus sends the Holy Spirit. This statement helps us in our understanding of the Trinity. Remember that the Father sent the Son; now the Son sends the Spirit. There is order in the Trinity. We observe that the Son takes direction from and accomplishes the will of the Father. The Holy Spirit also glorifies the Father and the Son and carries out their will. We never see that order reversed.

Beginning in v. 8 Jesus begins to explain the purpose of the Holy Spirit; convicting the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. The Spirit works efficaciously in the heart of the unbeliever making him acutely aware of his sin and separation from God. He also helps the unbeliever understand that righteousness is achieved through a trusting belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. Finally, He helps the unbeliever understand he will face a day of judgment.

Next Jesus shares with the disciples why they do not understand what He is telling them. He explains that the Holy Spirit will guide them into all truth. The Spirit doesn’t do this through His own initiative, but as He is led by the Father. There are several aspects of this statement for us to consider. First He helped the disciples understand the eternal aspects of Jesus death and resurrection and how it applied to them. Then He guided them as they carried out their life mission. That included recording the Scriptures and preserving them for us. The Spirit was the Father’s agent in directing those who wrote the Bible for us. Now He is the one who helps us understand God’s Word, just as He helped the disciples understand.

Finally, the Spirit glorifies the Father and the Son. His purpose in all He does is toward that end. As He discloses God’s will for each of us personally, and leads us in understanding God’s will for our life and directs our daily activities He is doing that to glorify the Father and the Son.

I pray that you will recognize and be sensitive to the activity of the Holy Spirit in your life.

Our Relationship With The World

John 15:18-27

This passage is sturated by a number of “if/but” statements in which Jesus characterizes the disciples (and our) relationship to unbelievers. First He reminds them that because He chose them out of the world, the world hates them. We know each of the disciples was persecuted and that is true of many Christians today. We Americans are fortunate, because our nation was founded on Christian principles, but sadly it is rapidly becoming a post-Christian nation. The news reveals almost every day persecution of the Christians around the world.

In the second “if/but” statement He explains the persecution. They persecuted Him, the disciples and us because they do not know the Father (“the One who sent Me”). They either worship other gods or are atheists and do not believe in a supreme being.

Next He explains that the reason they hate Him is that He exposed their sin. We’ve seen that specifically in His conversations with the Pharisees. Since He exposed their sin they are without excuse. They know they need a Savior. He also shares that those who hate Him also hate the Father.

Finally, He explains the purpose. They observed His miraculous works and still refused to accept Him as their Savior. In v. 25 we read “but they have done this in order that the word may be fulfilled that is written in their Law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’”

Jesus closes this passage by reminding the disciples that the Holy Spirit will bear witness of Him in the lives of unbelievers. He also shares with the disciples and with us that we will also bear witness of Him. We do that with our lives and we should also do it vocally. It is a tremendous thrill to see someone trust the Lord Jesus as their Savior as we share our testimony and the Holy Spirit convicts them of their need to personally place their faith in Him. I pray that you will be effective in sharing your faith with others.

Love One Another

John 15:12

“This is My commandment, that you love one another,
just as I have loved you.”

Rather than comment on this verse let’s just let God’s Word speak to us as I quote below passages that contain the phrase “one another”. These passages describe wonderfully how we love one another.

Mark 9:50 “be at peace with one another”
John 13:4 “wash one another’s feet”
John 13:34 ”love one another, even as I have loved you”
John 13:35 “all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another”
John 15:2 “love one another, just as I have loved you”
John 15:17 “love one another”
Romans 12:10 “be devoted to one another in brotherly love; Give preference to one another in honor”
Romans 12:16 “be of the same mind toward one another”
Romans 13:8 “owe nothing to anyone except to love one another”
Romans 14:13 “…let us not judge one another, but rather determine this--not to put an
obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way.”
Romans 14:19 “so then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another”
Romans 15:7 “accept one another”
I Corinthians 12:25 “…there should be no division in the body, but that the members should  have the same care for one another”
Galatians 5:13 “…through love serve one another”
Galatians 5:26 “Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another”
Galatians 6:2 “bear one another’s burdens”
Ephesians 4:2 “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love”
Ephesians 4:32 “be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other”
Ephesians 5:19 “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs”
Ephesians 5:21 “be subject to one another in the fear of Christ”
Philippians 2:3 “…regard one another as more important than himself”
Colossians 3:9 “do not lie to one another”
Colossians 3:13 “bearing with one another, and forgiving each other”
Colossians 3:16 “…admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs”
I Thessalonians 3:12 “increase and abound in love for one another”
I Thessalonians 4:9 “….love one another”
I Thessalonians 4:18 “comfort one another with these words”
I Thessalonians 5:11 “encourage one another, and build up one another”
I Thessalonians 5:13 “live in peace with one another”
I Thessalonians 5:15 “always seek after that which is good for one another”
Hebrews 3:13 “encourage one another day after day”
Hebrews 10:24-25 “let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another”
James 4:11 “do not speak against one another”
James 5:9 “do not complain, brothers, against one another”
James 5:16 “confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another”
I Peter 1:22 “fervently love one another from the heart”
I Peter 4:8 “keep fervent in your love for one another”
I Peter 4:9 “be hospitable to one another without complaint”
I Peter 4:10 “as each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another”
I Peter 5:5 “clothe yourselves with humility toward one another”
I John 3:11 “love one another”
I John 3:23 “love one another”
I John 4:7 “love one another”
I John 4:11-12 “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has beheld God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love  is perfected in us.”



The Vine and the Branches

John 15:1-11

Let’s consider for a moment the picture Jesus paints here of himself as a vine, the Father as a vinedresser and Christians as the branches. Jesus, as the vine, is the source of all we need to sustain ourselves. We cannot exist without Him and really need to draw sustenance from Him on a moment by moment basis. To get a good picture of this example, find a vine, trim off a branch and see how long it lives.

Notice that the Father is the vine dresser and two activities are mentioned. First, He removes the branches that do not bear fruit. The proof of the Christian’s relationship to the Lord Jesus is the fruit we bear. That fruit may take many forms. The most obvious is our part in sharing the Gospel with other Christians and leading them into a personal relationship with Christ. Another not so obvious fruit is the prayer life we lead. If we effectively use the spiritual gifts the Lord has given us we will bear fruit.

The Father also prunes those branches that do bear fruit. He develops us so that our fruit is most productive for Him. To get a picture of this consider a rose bush. To get the largest, most beautiful blooms the gardener will prune off excess blooms on a branch so that each stem contains only one bloom; thereby producing a large beautiful flower. Another example is a fruit bearing tree. Frequently the orchard keeper will trim off many blossoms so that the largest, best fruit will be produced. The application, I believe, is that we should identify the gifts God has given us and carefully develop them and use them to honor Him. Notice v. 8 indicates the fruit we bear is proof of our relationship with Him.

Finally, the basis of our relationship with Him is love. He encourages us to “abide” in His love just as He abides in the Father’s love. Abiding in that love involves obedience to Him. We obey because we love and He provided the pattern for that. The result is that His joy is in us and our joy is full. The secret of Christian joy is abiding in Him as He does the Father.

The Holy Spirit

John 14:16-31

Jesus now shares more in depth about the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the disciples as well as us. First notice the Father sends the Holy Spirit to us at Jesus’ request. Here Jesus refers to Him as the Helper. He is truly the facilitator of God’s will for our lives. Next, notice that there is a promise that the Spirit will abide with us forever. That is a change that the disciples don’t fully understand. Up until this time the Holy Spirit may have ministered to individuals in specific situations but He did not abide with them.

Notice in v. 21 as He speaks about Christians He says “he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to Him.” That is a tremendous promise Jesus has given us. The Holy Spirit is active in helping us to understand God’s Word as we study it so that we might learn more about our Savior. One way Jesus reveals His love to us is the sending of the Holy Spirit to dwell with us and minister to us in so many ways.

Jesus mentions two different ways the Spirit helps us in v. 26; He teaches us all things and He also brings them to our remembrance. My parents urged me as a child to memorize the Scripture and it is continually evident that the Spirit brings those verses back to my mind as I have need of them in my life. It is extremely important that we memorize Scripture so that the Holy Spirit can use it in our lives.

The Holy Spirit is also an agent of peace in our lives. As Christians, we have a settled assurance that regardless of what transpires in this world, our future is secure in Christ. We know that God’s best for us is going to be accomplished if we remain in His will. We also have the confident knowledge that our eternal life is secure.

We’re told in other places in God’s Word not to grieve (Eph. 4:30) or quench (I Thes. 5:19) the Holy Spirit, because if we do He doesn’t have free reign in our lives and we are unable to receive the benefits discussed above. Unconfessed sin in our lives impairs our relationship to Him.

I pray that you will seek to be obedient to God’s will in your life and will thrive in your relationship with Him.

Jesus Relationship With God The Father

John 14:7-15

The disciples clearly did not understand the relationship between Jesus the Son and God the Father. Jesus expresses disappointment about that as He responds to Philips question about that. Even though we have God’s Word and the Holy Spirit residing in us as Christians the concept of the Trinity is still difficult for us to comprehend and one we will probably not totally understand until we are united in heaven.

Jesus does reiterate that He perfectly reveals the Father and mentions three proofs of this fact. First, His character reveals as He says “I am in the Father and…the Father is in Me” (v. 20). He also claims that His words are the Father’s words (7:16; 12:49-50; 24). He also explains that the miracles He performs are evidence of the Father’s working through Him (5:36). The fact that the works or miracles that Jesus performs (5:36; 10:25, 38; 11:47; 12:37; 20:30-31) are gracious pointers to faith is a key element of John’s gospel.

Jesus now makes a very intriguing statement in v. 12 as He says “he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do…” That is because of the greater work of the Holy Spirit in our age. Consider the impact of great evangelists down through the ages.

Finally, He shares in this section that if we, as His children, ask anything in His name and the Father is glorified through the filling of our request, He will do it and also makes the statement that if we love Him we will keep His commandments. He set the pattern; we only have to follow.

I AM

John 14:6

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life;

no one comes to the Father,

but through Me.”

This verse contains the sixth of seven “I am” statements in the book of John. These statements provide a good description of our Lord and His purpose on earth. In summary they are:

1. John 6:48 “I am the Bread of Life”
2. John 8:12 “I am the Light of the World”
3. John 10:9 “I am the Door”
4. John 10:10 “I am the good Shepherd”
5. John 11:25 “I am the resurrection and the life”
6. John 14:6 “I am the way, and the truth, and the life”
7. John 15:1 “I am the true Vine”

When we think of bread we think of sustenance and provision. For the Christian Jesus certainly provides that. Through His Word and the ministry of the Holy Spirit we are spiritually sustained as we live and grow in the spiritual life. He also provides all of our needs as we trust Him to do so. I’m reminded of the promise in Philippians 4:19 that He provides our need “according to His riches in glory”.

Secondly He is the Light of the world. Because of sin the world is spiritually blinded. As the Light of the world, He, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit provides the spiritual light we need to trust Him as our Savior.

Next He proclaims to be the “Door” by which we enter eternal life by believing on Him and trusting Him as our Savior. He was willing to come to earth and pay the price for our sins so that we might enjoy eternal life with Him.

He also is the “good Shepherd” and explains that the good Shepherd “lays down His life for His sheep.” He was willing to die so that we might have life. I’m reminded of Psalm 23 and would encourage you to review it now.

Since He is “the resurrection and the life” it is through Him we have eternal life. He not only died, He rose again just as we will when He returns and calls us to be with Himself forever.

He is the one and only way for us to have an eternal relationship with the Father. He is the embodiment of truth and we can have complete confidence in every bit of truth He provides us. Since He has risen, He is also the life.

Words of Comfort

John 14:1-4

Jesus has revealed many difficult facts to His disciples. He has told them several times He is going away (7:34; 8:21; 12:8, 35; 13:33). He has also revealed to them that He would die (12:32-33). Now at the celebration of the Passover He has explained that one of them was a traitor and would betray Him (13:21) and that another would deny any relationship with Him (13:38). Another disciple, Matthew (26:31) also shares with us that Jesus told them that they would all “fall away”. Now in these last hours of His earthly life He shares words of comfort.

His message to them now becomes positive “Let not your heart be troubled”. Our heart is the center of our personality and we are responsible for its condition. Proverbs speaks much about our heart so let’s review some of its counsel:

3:1 “do not forget my teachings, but let your heart keep my commandments”
3:3 “do not let kindness and truth leave you;…write them on the tablet of your heart”
3:5 “trust in the Lord with all your heart”
4:23 “watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life”

I’m also reminded of a favorite verse in Philippians (4:7) which assures Christians that the “peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”.

He then shares with these men several facts about the future. He is going to prepare a place for them (and us). He will return and take us to that place so that we may eternally dwell with Him. The assurance of that hope is an outstanding promise to which we can look forward. We can endure and live victoriously in this sin sick world because we know it is not our home.

When difficult times and situations come into your life meditate on your relationship with your Savior and be careful to not let your heart be troubled. Thank God for His love for you.

Jesus Predicts His Betrayal

John 13:18-38

In this passage Jesus speaks of His betrayal by Judas and denial by Peter. You can imagine how you feel when friends disappoint you and realize how much Jesus must have been hurt by these actions.

First He tells His disciples in v. 19 that He is revealing the future to them. His reason for doing that is so that the disciples will understand what transpires. Although they may not grasp the impact of what is happening as they go through the next few days, later they will recall what Jesus has said and realize the importance.

Think for a minute about Judas. Although Jesus knew what Judas would do when He chose him as a disciple the other disciples were completely fooled by him. They thought Judas was a believer in Jesus just as they were. They completely missed the signs in Judas life that revealed his true character.

Consider how easy it is for those we associate with, those we even consider our friends who put up a front of knowing Jesus but really aren’t believers. Our life as believers, our daily walk with our Savior, is as important an example to them as is our testimony before those we know haven’t trusted the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior. We must be careful about judging others (Matt. 7:1) but we are told in that same passage (7:16) that we will know others by the “fruit” they produce with their lives.

Finally, in this passage Jesus gives the disciples a very important command; (v. 34) “love one another, even as I have loved you”. We’ll see this exhortation repeated later in the book but I would encourage you here to meditate on the depth of Jesus’ love as He was willing to give up His life and die a horrible death so that you might have eternal life. He says in the next verse that others will recognize your relationship with Him by the love you show them. How is your love quotient today?

Knowing Versus Doing

“If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”

(John 13:17)

I’m convicted by this verse. Notice that blessing is contingent upon action. Just knowing God’s Word is not adequate. In order to please God we need to put our knowledge into practice.

God’s plan for us is so complete that He gives us special abilities with which to serve Him. We call them spiritual gifts. They are mentioned several places in the Bible; one of them being Romans 12. There Paul speaks of the gifts of prophecy (speaking God’s Word), service, teaching, exhorting, giving, leading and showing mercy. Every Christian has at least one spiritual gift.

Our responsibility is to determine which of those gifts we have and then to use it effectively. John Piper says in his book Let the Nations be Glad “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” I believe we are most satisfied in Him when we are using the gifts He has given us to serve Him and others.

We must be careful how we apply the teaching of spiritual gifts. For instance, it is not proper to think that if we shouldn’t give to the Lord’s work unless we have the gift of giving. To the contrary, Scripture tells us we all have a responsibility to return a portion of our income to the Lord. In fact, that should be the first thing we consider when distributing our income. Proverbs 3:9 says we should “honor the Lord from our wealth and from the first of your produce” and in I Cor. 16:2 explains “on the first day of every week let each of you put aside and save whatever he prospers, that no collections be made when I come”.

We all also have the responsibility of sharing our faith with those who don’t know the Lord. Some, however, seem to have the gift of evangelism. I’ve observed this gift used two different ways; one by a gifted public speaker like Billy Graham, and another by a friend who effectively shares his faith with individuals at every opportunity.

How effectively are you practicing your Christian faith? Do others easily recognize your relationship with the Lord?

Jesus Speaks of His Death

John 12:27-50

As we begin to meditate on this portion of Scripture we learn of a conflict going on between Jesus’ physical nature and His spiritual nature. He mentioned that “My soul has become troubled”. Spiritually, He knew that it was His Father’s will that He die to pay the price for our sins and He desired the Father to be glorified. We also continually face a battle between our physical desires and God’s leading in our lives. We must be careful to allow God’s will to triumph over our will.

In verses 30 and 31 we learn that Satan is a defeated foe. One day he will be removed from this earth and will be forced to spend eternity in Hell. Today he still is active in our lives tempting us to sin but we know we have the power to overcome those temptations.

Then, just as now, many rejected Jesus. God knew that was going to happen and predicted it in Isaiah 53. Isaiah 6:10 also tells us the hearts of those who continually reject the offer of salvation will be hardened and their eyes will be blinded by God. However, many will believe and will trust Christ as their Savior but often they fail to confess Him because they fear man’s opinion and love man’s praise more than God’s praise.

Finally Jesus shares once again that He did not physically come into this world judge the world, but to save. He also reiterates His desire to accomplish the will of His Father. The time for judgment will come later and if we know Him as our Savior that is something we don’t have to fear.

Death is the Way to Life

John 12:20-26

Some Gentiles had been observing Jesus and wanted to meet Him. They approached Philip who through Andrew arranged for them to meet. I’m sure the entire conversation is not recorded but we know that Jesus made this comment to them: “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone; but if it dies it bears much fruit.”

We can see this concept demonstrated in several ways. Jesus speaks of a grain of wheat and I’m reminded of a kernel of corn. One kernel of corn produces a large plant with several ears of corn. Each of those ears of corn contains about 650 kernels. Consider how fast that multiples. Consider how many acorns an oak tree produces every year with each one of them capable of producing a tree.

From the animal kingdom we know that a caterpillar builds a cocoon and dies and becomes a beautiful butterfly which I think is a beautiful picture of what happens to us. We are living on earth in our sin racked bodies and are certain to die. Hardly anyone lives to be over 100 years old. But that is not the end of our existence for we are created to be eternal beings.

The Psalmist says in Psalm 116:15 “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones.” That is so because when Christians die we enter into an even greater relationship with our Lord. The fellowship we enjoy with Him is even greater than what we experience in our earthly lifetime. We are not burdened with the sin nature any longer.

While death is a rather scary process, because no one has been on the other side and come back to tell us about it, we as Christians can have a completely different attitude because we know our eternal destination.

It is good to be reminded, however, that the ability to trust Christ as our Savior ends at our physical death. Remember the story in Luke 16:19-31 of the rich man and Lazarus. That story reminds us that our eternal destiny cannot be changed after our physical death. This truth should lead us to share the wonderful story of our relationship with Jesus as our Savior.

Entry Into Jerusalem

John 12:12-19

The time for the Passover had come and a great number of people had come into Jerusalem to celebrate the feast. The multitude heard that Jesus was coming and there was much enthusiasm for they were ready to crown Him king.

You wouldn’t expect a king to come into a city riding on a donkey, but on a chariot surrounded by much protection and in kingly regalia. But that is exactly what Jesus did as He was fulfilling the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9 “Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Notice that even those He had discipled the most didn’t understand what was transpiring. But notice in v. 16 John records that they did later when Jesus was glorified and the Holy Spirit became active in their lives. As I consider this statement about the disciples I am reminded how often I don’t understand the purpose of some of the things that happen in my life until I reflect back later how the Lord used a situation in my life to mature me or to help me share my faith.

Once again as we read about Lazarus we are reminded that the multitude is attracted to Jesus because of the miracles He performed and their belief that He can right then become their king and provide for all their physical needs. They did not understand what was going on from a spiritual perspective. Neither did the Pharisees, but they did understand they were losing the battle as the people were attracted to Jesus. Because the reaction of the crowd was so positive they were afraid to take further action against Jesus

As we consider the reactions of the public to Jesus I’m reminded that it is not that much different than today. Many are really not interested in Christianity or a relationship with Jesus until they get into a situation beyond their control in which they need help. Then they look for a miracle to care for their physical needs. While Jesus is certainly willing to help us in that area our spiritual needs are much more important. When we understand that our relationship with Jesus is eternal, it takes on a completely different perspective involving different priorities.

The Ointment

“Mary therefore took a pound of very costly, genuine spikenard ointment, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment” John 12:3

I’d like to spend some time on this verse because it is ripe with meaning and application. We’ve considered Mary before and know quite a bit about her personality and her love for the Lord. In this verse we see that manifested in yet another way. Notice the verse says the ointment was very costly; estimated to equal almost a year’s wages. Think about the lavishness of that gift but also consider the lavishness of God’s love for you to be willing to give His own Son to die on the cross so that we might spend eternity with Him.

Consider also the fact that she wiped His feet with her hair, a dramatic demonstration of humility. She cared little for herself and much for Him.

Think about the lavishness of the Son’s love to go about the pain and agony of death just for you. Ephesians 1:7-8 says “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us.”

Now consider your approach to giving to the Lord’s work. Are you willing to do that lavishly or does your Savior get the leftovers. It is my firm conviction that our top priority with those things we consider assets should be to ask what does the Lord want me to return to Him and then be obedient to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

Look at the Lord’s response to Mary’s action. In verses seven and eight we see He was pleased. I don’t think that was necessarily true because of the cost of the gift, but because of Mary’s attitude. Consider his attitude when the poor widow gave two small copper coins. He was as pleased with that as He was with the ointment (Luke 21:2-3).

We know how great is God’s love for us; how great is your love for Him.

Jesus Power Over Death

John 11:1-57

This is a wonderful chapter of the Bible and there are many people featured in this portion of Scripture from whom we can learn much. For instance consider the person of Mary. I wrote several devotionals about her several years ago. Think about the personality differences between her and her sister Martha and examine how they both revealed their great faith. Which of them is more like you?

Consider verses 9 and 10 where Jesus claims to be the light of the world and all the ramifications of that. Think about the contrast of walking in the light of His teachings which we can learn from the Bible and walking in darkness, without the knowledge we can gain from the Scriptures and without the ministry of the Holy Spirit if we are not a Christian. Our desire to walk in the light should drive us to the daily study of the Bible.

Have you ever considered that Lazarus was not really resurrected but was resuscitated. He would have to face death again. Jesus is the only person in history who has been resurrected, but we, as Christians, can be assured that we will be resurrected with heavenly bodies when the Lord returns to take us home to spend eternity with Him.

It would be profitable to study the person of Thomas, who is most famous for doubting Jesus resurrection. Here he shows his devotion by being willing to follow Him to death.

Would you memorize verses 25-26: “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die.’” What a tremendous promise that is. Note the difference between physical death and spiritual death as both are mentioned here.

Jesus love is reflected in His conversation with Mary. Even though He knew that the resuscitation of Lazarus would bring joy to Mary He was deeply moved by her current sorrow and wept with her.

After this tremendous demonstration of His power over death many believed, but just as in the past many also did not believe and continued to plot to kill Him. We must realize that the Truth of the Bible always divides people. Many people accept it and live by it, but even more reject it and go their own way. Our responsibility is to share the good news of the Gospel and let the Holy Spirit work in the hearts of those with whom we share.

Two Great Truths

John 10:22-42

As we look at this passage I would like to dwell on two great truths that are extremely critical to our faith. After Jesus tells the parable of the Good Shepherd the Pharisees continue to argue with Him. They wanted Jesus to relate to them on their terms, but He continues to assert His deity.

In v. 27 He speaks again of believers as sheep and explains that they listen to Him and follow Him. He also says that He knows them and in v. 28 asserts that He gives eternal life and the believer will never perish and also that no one can take the believer from Him. Notice as He continues that thought in v. 29 he also says that no one can take the believer from the Father either. That means that we are eternally secure in Him. Once we have trusted Him as our Savior we will not lose our relationship with Him.

Some believe that it is possible to lose our salvation, but that implies that they are depending on their works or their attitude to help get them to heaven. This passage repeats a teaching we notice in John 6:37-39 where Jesus says “the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” and in v. 39 “all that He has give Me I lose nothing”. Satan will always try to put doubt into our minds regarding our relationship with our Savior, but we can resist that by recalling these Scriptures.

Verse 35 contains the second truth I would like to consider “the Scripture cannot be broken”. This statement supports our belief that the Bible is the inerrant word of God. We believe that the original text of Scripture contains no errors and is completely trustworthy. There is much internal evidence of this truth. II Tim. 3:16 assures us that “all Scripture is inspired by God” and II Peter 1:21 further explains that “men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God”.

This is another area that Satan loves to attack the Christian. If he can get us to doubt God’s Word then he has opened the door to further disbelief. As he attempts to place these doubts in our mind we must remember that inerrancy does not guarantee scientific exactness (but estimation), it is not exhaustive, but sufficient; and our lack of understanding does not reduce its credibility. We must keep in mind it is not a scientific book, but where it touches on science it is true; it is not a history book, but where it touches on history it is true.

We should be thankful to God for giving us His trustworthy Word and for the ministry of the Holy Spirit to help us understand the Scripture as it applies to our life.

Parable of the Good Shepherd

John 10:1-18

Previously we considered the healing of the man born blind. As Christ healed the physical blindness He was indicating to Israel that He was the One who could remove their spiritual blindness. As we see from the discussion with the Pharisees the miracle raised the question of the identity of the person of Christ. This question will be answered through the use of the Shepherd/sheep analogy.

He used the sheepfold to represent the nation of Israel. John the Baptist represents the “doorkeeper” or “watchman” mentioned in verse three. He fulfilled his mission by introducing Christ to the nation of Israel as both the Savior and the Sovereign Lord. One proof that Christ was who He proclaimed to be is that those who are His own sheep listen to His voice and recognize Him and are willing to follow Him (v. 3-4).

Next He explained the kind of Shepherd He is. In v. 9 He claims to be the way of salvation. He is also a Shepherd who liberates His sheep for we can “go in and out”. This speaks to the freedom and liberty we have in Christ. We will find “pasture” or provision for He is our provider and He does that abundantly. We not only have life, we have an abundant life because of all the blessings we have in Him.

Finally, He showed His deep love for us as a Shepherd because He was willing to lay down His life for us. He cares more for us than He does His own life. These are characteristics of Christ that no false shepherd can claim and are further proof that He is who He claimed to be.

Jewish people have had an especially difficult time recognizing Christ as their Savior, but so have many Gentiles. We can be thankful that through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we have recognized Him as our Shepherd.

Healing The Man Born Blind

John 9:1-41

The entire ninth chapter deals with Jesus healing a man born blind, which is the sixth sign miracle John records in his book. Jesus used this occurrence to teach His disciples, to challenge the Pharisees and to affirm His deity.

First, notice the disciples reveal an error in their spiritual thinking. They thought that his blindness, and likely other similar problems were caused by sin. Jesus response to them was that it wasn’t provoked by a sin problem but it was a way that God’s works could be revealed and glorified. It is natural to search for why we deal with various issues in our lives and when we do, we need to consider how God may receive glory through that circumstance.

Notice in verse four the use of the word “we”. Jesus is including the disciples in the statement about working the works of God. That includes us also. As Christians we have responsibilities for which God will hold us responsible. We will one day receive rewards based on how well we carry out those duties.

Do you wonder why Jesus puts clay on the blind man’s eyes and giving him a task rather than simply restoring his sight? I think He is doing that to help develop the man’s faith. Clay certainly had no medicinal benefit. He also may be using the washing of the clay to illustrate how He will cleanse us from our sins and restore our spiritual sight. It is interesting that all the elements of salvation are presented in this story; a Savior to save, a need recognized, and the obedience of faith.

As we look at the Pharisees judgmental attitude I am reminded of how easy it is to judge others without really understanding the situation. It is interesting that the parents were afraid to give an opinion; concerned that they would be excommunicated from the temple. It forces me to ask the question do I hold on to religious practices for fear of what others will think?

Finally, what does this passage teach us about developing our faith? We can read the Bible and be obedient to the things we learn just as the blind man was obedient to Jesus instructions. We should develop the courage to hold fast to our convictions in times of testing. We can be willing to suffer for His sake if we are placed in that position.

A Conversation with Pharisees

John 8:12-59

I’ll admit to really struggling with what I should share with you from this passage. It involves a long conversation that Jesus had with the Pharisees, a religious group of men who knew the Old Testament law but could not seem to realize that Jesus came to fulfill that law.

Jesus said some interesting things in this passage as He continued to reveal Himself:
born, I AM”

“I am the Light of the world”
“I am not judging anyone”
“I am not of this world”
“Unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins”
“He who sent Me is true”
“I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me” “He who sent Me is with Me”
“If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine”
“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”
“If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed”
“I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He who sent Me”
“He who is of God hears the words of God”
“I honor My Father”
“I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges”
“If anyone keeps My word he shall never see death”
“It is My Father who glorifies Me”

If you examine how the Pharisees responded you will see that they clearly did not understand. Jesus, however, remained extremely patient with them. I wrestle with why this conversation is recorded in God’s Word. Perhaps it is here to caution us that as we share with others we will get rejection and should not be surprised by that. When that occurs we should not get defensive and argumentative, but patiently share the truth. We should also remember that it is our responsibility to share; it is the Holy Spirit who convicts and leads hearts to trust Him.
Finally, we should also see there is a time to walk away, but not be discouraged. When we have faithfully shared the Gospel we have accomplished our mission and now can pray that the Spirit’s ministry would be effective in their lives.

Judging Others

John 8:1-11

A note in your Bible probably mentions that most scholars feel these verses were not a part of the original text because they are not in the earliest manuscripts we have found. Most agree, however that the incident was historical and this is a part of history mentioned by John in the last verse of this book: “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books which were written” (John 21:25). Jesus does speak on this subject in Scripture and in Matt. 7:1 He says “Do not judge lest you be judged yourselves.”

The Pharisees brought this woman to Jesus to try to trap Him. If they could get Him to condemn her it would give evidence of a lack of grace and failure to act as a Savior, but if He did not condemn her He would fail to uphold the Law. If He failed to uphold the Law the Pharisees thought the people would reject Him and cling to Moses and they would have a pretext for bringing Him before the Sanhedrin (ruling council).

Jesus, as He often does as a teacher, rather than responding to their question makes a very convicting statement: “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” We’re told that the Pharisees, beginning with the oldest, and wisest, all began to leave, realizing that they, too, were sinners. Jesus then reveals His grace by saying to the woman “Neither do I condemn you; go your way; from now on sin no more.”

Paul instructs in I Corinthians 11:28 that we should examine ourselves to assure we are in right relationship with the Lord. We all succumb to temptation frequently and when we do God provides forgiveness when we confess those sins (I John 1:9). We are to be concerned about the spiritual relationship of others, but should express that by sharing the message of salvation with them. It is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit to bring them to the point where they will trust Jesus as their Savior. Our responsibility is to pray for them and relay the message.

Sent from God

John 7:14-37

Three times in this portion of Scripture (v. 16, 28, 29) Jesus mentions He is sent from God. Last time we looked at His statement that He was living His life according to the Father’s timing. Now we see that He also claims to be taught by the Father. Notice in v. 16 He says “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.”

We also know that when Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:32-42) He acknowledged and accepted the Father’s will for His life. Notice in v. 36 He say “yet not what I will, but what Thou wilt.”

As we consider His teaching we find He speaks often of His relationship with His Father. He also makes the statement that if we know Him, we know the Father. He was sent from the Father, faithfully carried the Father’s message, fulfilled the Father’s will, and ultimately returned to the Father. He speaks of His return to the Father in v. 34.

It is good to often reflect on the Father’s love for us. We should thank Him often for being willing to send His Son to the earth and allow Him to die to pay the price for our sins so that we might have a personal relationship with Him and spend eternity with Him. We should also give praise to Jesus for His willingness to be faithful to the Father’s will even to the point of death. We should be grateful that He gave us the Holy Spirit to reside within us so that we might also live our lives in a way that pleases the Father. Finally, we should be careful to live according to His will in complete obedience to Him.

God’s Timing

John 7:1-13

Twice in this passage Jesus comments about God’s timing versus human timing. In both instances He was in a dialogue with His human brothers and they were encouraging Him to go to the feast. Apparently this was the feast of Tabernacles and was one of three great feasts the Jews celebrated, lasting for an entire week.

Interestingly, Jesus chooses to reveal to us here that His brothers did not believe in Him yet as their Savior. It is not too difficult to understand this as they grew up with Him as their oldest brother. We don’t know whether their parents had shared His miracle birth with them. I imagine though, they must have seen a difference in His demeanor because we know He never sinned and that certainly wasn’t true of the rest of them. Jesus responds to their urging with the comment “My time is not yet at hand; but your time is always opportune.” What do you think the last phrase means? Since He is addressing His brothers He is telling them that it is time for them to trust Him as their Savior.

It could mean to us today that we should recognize that we should continually be in a Spirit of worship of our God. Day by day, moment by moment we should rejoice in who He is and what He has done for us. Christianity is not a one day a week event, it is a moment by moment walk.

It may also mean that we should be continually alert to opportunities to share our faith in Christ with others. Often the Holy Spirit urges us to speak to others about our faith and we remain silent. A reason for that may be that we are not prepared. How might we prepare ourselves? First, we should develop an awareness of those around us who do not know our Savior and pray regularly for them. We might write out our testimony so that we can share it succinctly and clearly. Consider memorizing Scripture that applies to a personal relationship. A good example is a series of verses known as the Roman Road (Romans 3:23, 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-10). Keep a gospel tract handy that you can share with others.

I pray that you will be sensitive to God’s leading to share your faith with others.

The Winnowing of Disciples

John 6:60-71

In this context I think we can describe disciples as followers. Many of them weren’t true believers but thought Jesus could take care of their every present need. They didn’t understand that Jesus was omniscient and knew their every thought. He knew and knows who really believes in Him and who does not. In v. 64 He made the statement that He knew who did not really believe in Him and those people began to leave because they could not make Him their political king.

This passage helps us understand each member of the Trinity a little better. Notice in v. 63 Jesus explains “it is the Spirit who gives life”. The Holy Spirit is effective in drawing us into a personal relationship with the Son.

Notice the statement He makes in v. 65 “no one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him by the Father.” This comment speaks to God’s sovereignty. We are God’s children because He chose us.

The disciples aren’t yet mature in the faith, but they are learning. Jesus doesn’t ask the question of them “You do not want to go away also, do you?” because He did not know. He asked because He knew it was time for them to declare their faith. They were going to need to take public stands as His disciples and this is a step in that direction.

Each of us who have trusted the Lord Jesus as our personal Savior should be willing and excited to share our faith with those around us. We should not be ashamed of our identity as Christians. We need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading in talking to others about our faith.

God is going to give you a burden for those around you who do not know the Lord Jesus as their Savior. I pray you will be faithful in sharing your faith with them.

Jesus’ Conversation with the Jews

John 6:41-58

As Jesus was talking He discerned that some of the Jews who were listening were grumbling about His teaching. Specifically they were concerned about his statement that He was “bread that came down out of heaven”. He uses that phrase four times in the verses mentioned above. He uses another phrase twice that helps us understand the passage; “I will raise him up on the last day.”

Verse 51 is key to understanding what He means. Notice He speaks of “eating this bread”. That means to believe in Him as our Savior. He also describes the bread as His flesh which He will give for the life of the world. He is speaking there of His death on the cross. Christ knew in every detail how and when His death would take place.

We also think of bread as sustenance. We must eat in order to survive physically. We also need to eat spiritually so that we may grow spiritually. It is a good habit to study God’s Word daily. Real study is more than just reading; it is learning. Effectively studying God’s Word requires a three step process. First, we must observe what the text says. Next we must interpret what it means and finally we must apply it to our lives. Using that formula has been very effective for me and I encourage you to try it.

The other phrase Jesus repeats is “I will raise him up on the last day.” Notice the “him” is not capitalized (v. 44, 54). That helps us understand He is talking about those who “eat this bread” or who come to trust Him as their Savior. If we have done that we can be assured of spending eternity in heaven with Him. I Thessalonians 4:16-17 states it very clearly “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

I am gratefully for the confidence God has give me that I can look forward to eternity with Him.

Jesus Interaction With The People

John 6:26-40

There are several truths in this passage that Jesus shares with the people that are important. Notice in v. 27 He urges them to make a priority of concentrating on things that matter eternally. In America today there is a tremendous temptation to value the material more than the eternal. We tend to concentrate on gaining wealth, enjoying daily pleasures, and neglect our spiritual lives. Our priorities are reversed.

Secondly Jesus again tells the people that the most important thing we can do is to “believe in Him whom He has sent” (v. 29). The people mistakenly believed they could work their way to heaven, as so many do today. They mistakenly thought obedience to the law was required to gain eternal life.

He also shares in v. 37-39 that He and the Father are sovereign. Notice He says “all that the Father gives Me shall come to me”. He and the Father know who will trust Him as their Savior. That speaks to the irresistible work of the Holy Spirit in our lives that draws us to Himself. Notice He says in v. 39 “of all that He has given Me I lose nothing”. Later, in John 10:28, He says “no one shall snatch them out of My hand”. Once we have made the decision to accept the Lord Jesus as our Savior we are eternally secure in Him.

Finally, He assures all Christians that although we may die physically He will raise us up to spend eternity with Him. For that reason the Christian has a different perspective of death than the non-Christian. When we die we simply pass into a greater eternal relationship with our God. The psalmist says in Psalm 116:15 “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones.” I think that’s why Psalm 23:4 talks about death as a shadow. God looks at death very differently than we do. Although it is difficult to leave our loved ones here on earth, we look forward to that enhanced relationship with our heavenly Father.

These thoughts have been of great comfort to me as I’ve worked through the death of my parents and others I love. I pray that they may comfort you also.

Feeding of the Five Thousand

John 6:1-14

This miracle is one of the few that is recorded in all four gospels. There is much we can learn from it. First of all we are reminded of the need for rest. When Mark (6:32) records this miracle he explains that Jesus and His disciples went to a “lonely place” to rest. Our lives are so busy that often we don’t get adequate physical, mental, or spiritual rest. That causes us to be less than maximally effective in many areas of our life.

We also see that Jesus was sensitive to the needs around Him and was willing to change His plans to accommodate those needs. He saw a great multitude that needed to be taught and that needed to be fed. He also saw this as another opportunity to teach His disciples that He would provide for them. It is interesting to note in Mark 6:7-12 that when He sent the disciples out to witness He instructed them to “take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belt” because He wanted them to learn that as they exercised their faith He would provide for them. Now they would see Him provide abundantly for the needs of the crowd.

Why do you think the Bible records that there were twelve baskets of leftovers? Notice that He says “that nothing may be lost”. I think this is a caution about being wasteful or not using God’s provision to the fullest extent. We are to value the resources God provides for us and use them wisely. Secondly, I think these leftovers are also proof of God’s abundant provision. We can always trust Him to take care of our needs.

Notice that the people really did not understand; they tried to force Him to become their king so that He could always provide for them. As we read this account in the book of Mark, we see that the disciples even missed the miracle. Mark 6:51-52 explains that shortly after this miracle they were out on the sea of Galilee when the wind came up and He came to them and calmed the water the disciples were “greatly astonished” because “they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened.” We need to be alert for the lessons God is teaching us as we go about our lives.

Witnesses

John 5:31-47

Read this passage and count the number of times you find the word “witness” or “testimony”. Notice who and what Jesus speaks of as a witness to His authenticity. First He speaks of John. We discussed earlier John’s purpose as a witness and as a forerunner.

Next He mentions His works. A primary reason for the works He did and the miracles He preformed was to authenticate that He was indeed the Son of God. He also mentioned God the Father as a witness. Consider how the Father authenticated the Son. Remember at Jesus baptism the Father spoke from heaven saying “This is My beloved Son…” (Matt. 3:17). He spoke the same words to the disciples again at the transfiguration (Matt. 17:5). In John 12:28 we will see the Father responding to the Son when He is praying. Remember Nicodemus (John 3:2) said “We know you have come from God”.

Finally, Scripture (John 6:45, I John 5:-12) shares that God has written on our hearts that Jesus is His Son. As we study the Bible and the Holy Spirit works in our lives we are convicted that certainly Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus closes this passage that He is revealed even through Moses as he wrote in the Old Testament.

Even today with all these witnesses people down through the ages and today reject the fact that Jesus is the Son of God. One of our responsibilities is to share our faith with others and introduce Him to others. We do this because Christians are commanded to be witnesses by Jesus and also because of our love for Him. In Matt. 28:19 He says we should “Go therefore and make disciples”. Often we get discouraged when others don’t believe us or don’t trust Jesus as their Savior. We must constantly be reminded that our job is to share the truth; it is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit to bring conviction to the heart.

We must also remember that if we are known as a Christian, we are a witness. We may be a good witness or we may be a bad witness. The lives we lead are as important a witness as the words we speak. I pray that you will be bold in your witness for the Lord Jesus.

Two Resurrections

John 5:28-29

“Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds, to a resurrection of life, those who committed evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.”

We all have a natural curiosity about the future. Here Jesus helps us understand that we are eternal beings. He explains that everyone will be raised from the dead and will stand before Him in judgment. However, there are two different judgments. Those who have trusted Him as Savior will be judged based on their works for Him. It is called a rewards judgment (bema judgment). If our works were done for His glory I Cor. 3:12 refers to them as “gold, silver, and precious stones”; but if they were done with the wrong motive they are called “wood, hay and straw”. We will be privileged to return those rewards to Jesus because of our love for Him.

Those who have not trusted Jesus as their Savior will stand before Jesus at the “Great White Throne judgment” (Rev. 19:11). The basis of that judgment will be whether their names are written in the “book of life”. The names in the “book of life” are those who trusted Jesus as Savior. Rev. 20:15 explains that “if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown in to the lake of fire.”

Those of us who know the Lord Jesus have a responsibility to pray for and to share our faith with those who do not. It is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit to convict them of their need to place their faith in our Savior. If we are faithful in sharing we have accomplished our purpose. I can share from personal experience that it is a tremendous thrill to have the privilege of leading someone to the Lord.

I encourage you to memorize Scripture that will allow you to share your faith from God’s Word. I would suggest Romans 3:23, 6:23, John 3:16; Romans 5:8, 10:9-10, I John 5:13 and John 5:24. I also suggest you write out your own personal testimony of your salvation on one page so that you may effectively share it with someone.

The Paralytic

John 5:1-15

John now shares with us another miracle Jesus performed. He had gone up to Jerusalem and noticed a man that had obviously been ill for a long time (38 years) and was in such bad physical shape that he needed help to do almost anything. Apparently, he was unable to walk. In this passage we observe Jesus performing a miracle that was independent of any act of faith by this paralytic. He simply said to the man “Arise, take up your pallet, and walk” and the man did that. We notice Jesus found him later in the temple and shared with him his spiritual need. At that time the man trusted Christ as His Savior (v. 4).

Notice in verse ten that rather than rejoice at this man being healed some of the pharisaical Jews were upset that Jesus asked the man to perform a task that violated their rules for the Sabbath. According to their law the man was not allowed to pick up his pallet and walk on the Sabbath. That was considered work. We all look at this situation and see their foolishness. Yet, many Christians live their lives legalistically in many ways. Many believe, like these Pharisees, that we achieve eternal life by obeying a set of rules and by performing good works. Yet the Bible clearly teaches that we obtain eternal life simply by confessing our sin and accepting Jesus as our Savior (John 3:16). Notice the 24th verse of this chapter. It says that “he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” We must be careful not to put other restrictions or requirements on people regarding their salvation.

After we have made the decision to trust Him as our Savior we should recognize His Lordship of our lives. That means that we should desire to live our lives in obedience to His will, not to earn our way to heaven, but to please Him. The Christian life is more than a decision about where we will spend eternity. It involves life-style changes as we study the Bible and learn His will for our lives and then constant submission to that will, realizing that He loves us and desires His very best for us.

The Nobleman’s Son

John 4:46-54

This passage records the second miracle Jesus performed. After the encounter with the woman of Samaria, Jesus had continued his journey to Galilee. He was met in Cana, a city of Galilee, by one of the officials of the country whose son had become ill to the point of death. He asked Jesus to come to his house to heal his son.

One of the purposes of this miracle may be to show us the gradual development of belief and trust in the Lord. This man was probably acquainted with Jesus only as a worker of miracles. He did not understand Jesus mission as Savior. He asks Jesus to come to his house and heal his son.

We must remember that Jesus, in His omniscience knew this man’s heart, and now applies a severe test to his faith. He tells the man to return home; that his son had been healed. This was an indication that Jesus possessed more power than the man thought, that He could heal from a distance and without visibly seeing the need. The nobleman’s faith rose to meet the demand and he started home.

We see a third stage of his faith reached as he meets his rejoicing servants. They were rejoicing that his son had been healed and he immediately asked when that had occurred. When they confirmed that it happened at the time Jesus spoke he believed and led his entire household to saving faith.

It is interesting to contrast Jesus first two miracles. The first (turning the water to wine) occurred at a joyous occasion and the second at a time of anxiety and pain. Both point to the divinity of Christ, result in a deepening faith, and illustrate the joy and blessedness that result from trusting in Him.

The Samaritan Woman

John 4:1-45

The story of the Samaritan woman is familiar to most Christians and the subject of many sermons. Today, rather than go into the details of the story I would like to reflect on it by following Jesus’ methods as He witnesses to her.

First, let’s consider His attitude. Although He was weary, thirsty, and hungry, His main concern when He met the woman was her spiritual condition. Compare this to most of us today as we are so often preoccupied with problems of the moment.

Notice that Jesus immediately places Himself on a level with the woman by finding a common interest. She is coming for water and He asks her to get some for Him. Her response is interesting.

Next He appeals to her curiosity which creates receptivity. She obviously could tell He was a Jew and knew that they normally didn’t mix with Samaritans. He brings up the subject of “living water” and she has no idea what He is talking about so she asks Him a question that presents the opportunity for further discussion. As we share with others we need to consciously avoid conversation killers. Those are comments or questions which do not evoke a response.

Notice His appealing question about never thirsting again. If someone offered you the opportunity to do something that would forever cure your thirst, wouldn’t it stir interest on your part. These comments allow Him to move deeper into the conversation by appealing to her conscience. He obviously knows about her past and now is opening up for her the opportunity to consider it.

This allows a transition into spiritual things as she brings up the subject of worship. Jesus talks about true worship and the woman expresses her knowledge of a coming Messiah, opening the opportunity for Jesus to reveal Himself. She becomes so excited she forgets about her water pot and returns to the city to share with others what she has learned. Now the opportunity has opened to share the message of salvation with many others.

This dialogue presents an outstanding example of how we can effectively share the gospel with others. Meet them where they are; appeal to their curiosity; transition to spiritual things; and close by clearly sharing the gospel.

I pray that you will be effective in sharing your faith with others.

The Humanity of Jesus

John 4:4-6

“And He had to pass through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; and Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, was sitting by the well.” We believe that Jesus was fully God and fully man. This is a mystery we don’t understand, but we see clear evidence of His humanity in this story. It was a difficult, walking journey that took several days to go from Jerusalem to Galilee. Based on what I’ve seen of that territory the ground was probably rocky. There may have been a path, because many made this journey, but there certainly wasn’t a paved road. Notice our passage says He was weary from His journey. God doesn’t get weary and tired, so that must be evidence of His humanity. We notice in verse seven that He was also thirsty. He asked the woman to give Him a drink because He didn’t have a way to get the water out of the well. He was also probably hungry. Notice in verses 31-34 the disciples were trying to get Him to eat. They were obviously traveling with Him and became hungry so they assumed He must be also. The real impact of Jesus humanity comes home when we consider the pain and agony He suffered on the cross for our sins. God, His Father, turned His back on Him in His agony. I’ve seen people suffer physically and emotionally before, but never to the point of death on a cross. Especially each Easter we are reminded of the tremendous price He paid. Can you imagine that Jesus loved you enough to do that? Can you imagine that the Father loved you enough to turn His back on His suffering Son so that you could spend eternity with Him? We often get so caught up in the resurrection that we forget the suffering of taking the burden of our sin on Himself in death. We should thank God and His Son for their great love.

Testimony of John the Evangelist

John 3:31-36

Most scholars believe the testimony of John the Baptist ends with verse 30 and verse 31 begins the testimony of the book’s author, John the evangelist. First he shares the preeminence of Christ. He speaks of Christ as above all and one who bears witness of His perfect knowledge of the words of God. He also explains that Christ gives the Spirit without measure. The phrase “without measure” is interesting. We as Christians receive the Holy Spirit immediately when we trust Jesus as our Savior. The Spirit resides within us (indwells) for the rest of our lives. We will never get more of Him and He will never leave us. I think that is what the phrase “without measure” means. We can impact the Spirit’s work in our lives by grieving the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30) or by quenching the Spirit ( I Thes. 5:19) and we are encouraged to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:30). We are filled with the spirit by living within God’s will and by confessing sin when we recognize it in our lives. John next proclaims the Father’s love for the Son. One way the Father expresses that love is that He “has given all things into His hand.” God has a plan for this earth and for each one of us. He has entrusted that plan to His Son to carry it out. His will will be accomplished through His Son. The Holy Spirit carries out the will of the Father and the Son on this earth and in our lives. John then closes this section by explaining that if we place our faith in the Son, we have eternal life. Notice that statement is present tense. It is not a state we will attain, but one we have. That should give us much confidence. John also explains the consequences of not obeying the Son; the “wrath of God abides on Him.” The book of John is truly one of love and this is the only place in this gospel where the “wrath of God” is mentioned. What a blessing it is to contemplate what God has done for us. We should rejoice that we have been chosen to be a part of His kingdom.

John’s (the Baptist) Last Testimony

“He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30

John 3:22-30

John the Baptist’s ministry was to proclaim the Lord Jesus as the Christ. He was known as His forerunner. Now that Christ’s ministry has begun, John’s ministry comes to a close. This fact is somewhat difficult for John’s disciples to understand and in this last testimony he seeks to help them understand his purpose and his position.

I’m impressed with his final words “He must increase, but I must decrease.” That is the attitude we all should have and project toward our relationship with Jesus. It is easy when God gives one success in ministry, or any other aspect in life, to think more highly of himself than he should. As Christians, we should realize that any success we have belongs to the Lord and we should give Him the glory.

One of the areas in which Satan attacks us frequently is the attitude of pride. The Lord realized this was going to be a problem and gives us some help in Scripture. Proverbs 16:18-19 says “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling. It is better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.” I John 2:16 reminds us “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.”

Just as God gave John the Baptist special abilities and special responsibilities, He does the same for us. He gives us gifts and expects us to use them to honor Him. When we do that He blesses us and we can rejoice that we have been able to serve Him. We must be careful to remember that He has given us His Spirit to work through us and any glory we gain must be given to Him.

Nicodemus

John 3:1-21

John uses the story of Nicodemus to introduce us to probably the most well-known verse in the Bible: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (3:16). It is a verse we all should memorize and be eager to share with others.

Nicodemus was a religious intellectual and was well respected in the Jewish community. As he listened to Jesus teach, he did not completely understand what Jesus was saying and he approached Him with questions. We are not sure about his attitude, but the important thing is that he came to Jesus, willing to listen to Him. He apparently did not understand the statement in v. 3 “unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

We shouldn’t be surprised that Nicodemus didn’t understand Jesus. Paul says in I Corinthians 2:14 “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” One of the valuable ministries of the Holy Spirit in the believer is to give him understanding of the Scriptures as it applies to his life. As Christians, we still may not comprehend everything in the Bible, but we can understand those things we need to know when we need to know them. As we study God’s Word He gives us understanding and, interestingly, we can read a passage many times during our lives and continue to increase in knowledge. That is because we are growing in our faith.

Notice in verse seventeen Jesus carefully explains why He came to the earth: “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through Him.” Jesus purpose in His first coming was to bring eternal salvation to wicked man. He will come again to judge the world after He has taken the believers to heaven with Him (I Thes. 4:13-17).

Jesus then helps Nicodemus understand that man can’t sit on a fence. We must either actively choose to trust Him as our Savior, or we will choose to live life without Him. If we reject Him, we have chosen to live without Him for eternity, not for just our life on earth.

If you have placed your faith in Jesus as Your Savior, thank Him again today for your salvation. If you have not made that decision I urge you to do it today. If I may be of any help, please let me know.

The Resurrection

John 2:22

“When therefore He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had spoken.”

One commentator said of this verse ““It is in the light of the resurrection that we can understand the Bible, and can interpret and believe the words and claims of Christ.”

In my opinion, the resurrection is the single most important event in the Bible. Jesus appeared many times to many people in His resurrected body so that no one could prove that the resurrection did not occur. From that day forward, continuing to today, people have tried to prove that His resurrection did not occur.

During Jesus time on earth many saw Him as a great healer but they were unwilling to trust Him as their personal Savior. We still hear that same thing from many today. He was a great person, they say, but they deny He was God.

We are also told that as His disciples witnessed the resurrection and believed on Him as their Savior, they truly began to understand much of His teaching and the Old Testament Scriptures. They understood to the point of believing His words and claims. Those He poured His life into began to share that good news with others.

Now we, as believers, accept by faith His resurrection. The Bible predicts it, documents it, and provides witnesses testifying to it so that we may trust Him as our Savior. Because of His resurrection some two thousand years ago we can be totally assured of our eternity with Him.

We should thank God daily for His great love for us as manifested by sending His Son to take on human form, die for our sins, and for raising Him to eternal life so that we too might enjoy eternity with Him.

Conformity to Religious Rites

John 2:13-25

Jesus next travels to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. We know from the Gospel of Luke (2:41-52) that He had made this trip since He was a child. The temple had a large courtyard surrounding it and in that area people were buying and selling to those who had travelled to the event and were taking advantage of them. Jesus was highly offended because He knew their heart.

The real offence, I think, was that many had maintained the ritual but were neglecting the purpose. I remember when we visited the wailing wall in Jerusalem I was disturbed about the evidence of ritual without true meaning. It is just as easy for us to maintain rituals we have been taught without really worshipping our Savior. A couple of areas come to my mind; the first is the practice of communion.

Paul shares with us in I Corinthians 11 the fact that we should practice communion and the method of doing that. We do that to be reminded of the price our Savior paid for our Salvation. He sacrificed his body and blood so that we may have eternal life. We are told that we should take part in communion on a regular basis. Some churches do it as often as weekly. Sadly, it has become a ritual for many and we really don’t reflect on and appreciate its true meaning. We are cautioned in I Cor. 11 to examine ourselves to make sure we are without unconfessed sin in our lives before we take communion.

I’m afraid many have much the same attitude in the area of giving. We are taught from the Bible that we are only stewards of God’s resources and we should freely give to the Lord’s work as He leads us. That applies to giving not only our financial resources, but our time and our abilities as well. So often we think we satisfy this requirement by putting a few dollars in the offering plate, or even tithing. The Bible teaches that God owns it all and we are responsible to Him in the way we handle these resources. We should hold everything with an open hand and let him take what He wants. We are as responsible to Him for the dollars we spend and save as the dollars we give. We are as responsible for the time we waste as well as the time we use wisely.

We need to be careful about establishing rituals in our lives. We need to make sure our actions do not become meaningless, but that our attitudes are correct.

Jesus’ First Miracle

John 2:1-11

In this passage we have recorded the first of 35 miracles preformed by Jesus that are preserved in the Bible for us to learn from. It is recorded only in the book of John and occurs at a wedding feast which in that culture often lasted for seven days.

One of the purposes of this miracle was to help Jesus’ mother further understand her Son’s mission. I don’t think she expected a miracle from Him when she told Him they were out of wine although she knew He was a special child from God. As far as we know, she had not previously witnessed any miracle by Him. Jesus was now around 30 years old. His answer to His mother in most translations may seem disrespectful but it certainly wasn’t in that culture. It did remind her that He truly was the Son of God. You can see that she was not offended by the statement she made to the servants” “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

Another important lesson is to consider that the provision of Jesus is always adequate, and often in abundance. Each of the six stone water-pots would hold 20 to 30 gallons of water; they were very big. Therefore, Jesus provided 120 to 180 gallons of wine for the party. Not only was there plenty, it was also of high quality. Notice that the headwaiter commented on how good it was. We can always be assured, as Christians, that Jesus provision will be adequate. It may not be what we want but it will always be what is best for us.

This miracle, as well as the others, witnessed to the fact the Jesus was the Christ. We see from the quote in verse eleven that “His disciples believed in Him”. But I think the deepest meaning related to the life of believers and the joy of the wedding feast. It provided clear evidence that being a Christian does not rob life of its happiness. We can actually enjoy life more than others because of the joy that we have. Our perspective is different though because of our relation-ship to Him. Our loyalty to Christ is not inconsistent with enjoying life.

I pray that you might consistently recognize and be satisfied with Jesus’ provision in your life and that your joy may be full.

Peter

John 1:41-42

“He (Andrew) found first his brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ. He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, “You are Simon the Son of john; you shall be called Cephas” (which translated means Peter).

We are now given a brief introduction of Peter and it is good to reflect on this great man of God. I’m impressed that as our Lord was choosing His disciples he so often chose the common men to be the leaders of His church. Peter, for instance, was an uneducated fisherman. As we study the disciples it is evident that Jesus knew their heart much better than we. While man looks mostly on the appearance of others, Jesus knows our hearts. He immediately identified Peter as the man upon whom He would build his church. Notice Jesus response to Peter’s confession of faith in Matthew 16:18: “…you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven….”

We know from Luke’s gospel that life was not a bed of roses for Peter. In Luke 22:31-34 we learn of Peter’s denial of Christ in a time of crisis. Even after much personal mentoring by Jesus, Peter still failed. That points up to us the fact that we must be constantly on guard against Satan’s devices. Neither are we able to depend on the strength of our own personality to bring us through difficult times. We must continue to strengthen our spiritual lives and our dependency on Him.

We get another glimpse of Peter at the end of John’s gospel (John 21:15-17). There Jesus asks Simon three times whether he loves Him. I believe this passage stresses the love motivation in our lives. The success of our lives as Christians is dependent on our consistent love for Him.

Andrew, The First Convert

John 1:35-42

This passage reveals the beginning of Jesus public ministry. Notice that John saw Jesus and identified Him as “The Lamb of God!” Two of John’s disciples heard Jesus speak and followed Him. One of those men was Andrew and he obviously quickly recognized Jesus and believed Him. He immediately went to find his brother, Peter, and exclaimed to him “We have found the Messiah.” I take it from this phrase that the subject of the Messiah had probably come up in earlier conversation.

One of the things we learn about Andrew was that he was not bashful in his faith. It doesn’t appear that he was a great preacher that ministered to thousands, but he faithfully shared his faith with those he knew. In this instance, he introduces his brother Peter to the Lord. We are all familiar with the impact Peter had through his testimony. He became one of Jesus closest friends; one He chose to disciple in depth.

Andrew’s personality was probably like many of us. He apparently was not a gifted orator like Paul, or a public person like Peter, but he was a strong believer and shared his faith with his friends. We all have that responsibility. We can most effectively share our faith by telling others what Jesus means to us and how our relationship with Him impacts our lives. We can also live our lives in a way that reflects our faith in Him. In fact there is an old cliché, that our lives speak so loud, others may not hear our words. Our lives need to be consistent with our verbal testimony.

Notice how simple Andrew’s testimony was to Peter. He didn’t quote a lot of Scripture nor did he go into great depths of explanation; he simply said “We have found the Messiah” and he brought Peter to Him. Our testimony may be as simple as inviting others to church with us or to hear someone else share their testimony. We don’t have to be a theologically trained student to be an effective witness.

I pray that you will be faithful in sharing your faith with others.

John The Baptist

John 1:19-34

John the Baptist and Jesus had a very unique relationship. We learn from Luke 1:36 that they were physically related. John was important enough in Jesus life that when the angel informed Mary of her pregnancy, he also informed her of John’s conception. We are also told that when Elizabeth heard Mary’s voice, the baby (John) “leaped in her womb”.

John was faithful to his ministry. Some may have believed that he was their Savior and pride could easily have allowed him to accept that mantel. But notice that he quickly shared that He was not the Christ (1:20), but only a faithful messenger (1:23). He also clearly recognized who Jesus was. Notice he says in v. 29 “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

I can imagine that Jesus and John spent time together as children since they were close in age and also were related. A great love must have developed between the two of them. Jesus said of John in Luke 7:27 “among those born of women, there is no one greater than John.”

John also clearly knew his purpose and boldly accomplished it. He says in John 1:34 “And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” I think that is the primary message the author wants to share with us about this man.

As I reflect on this section of Scripture I’m reminded that God has given every one of us a purpose. A major part of our purpose as a child of God is to share our faith with others. We are to be faithful in doing this just as John was.

Sharing our faith is more than just verbalizing it. It involves living our lives in a way that reflects the fact that we are Christians. Others should be able to see Christ in us. We are stewards of the life God has given us. Not only are we to share with others financially, but we are also to use the time and the abilities God has given us in a way that pleases Him.

I pray that you will be a faithful steward and servant of the Lord Jesus.

The Word Made Flesh

“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14

Have you considered the tremendous sacrifice Jesus made to be willing to assume human form and come to this sin-sick world just for you and I? He left all the glory of heaven; went through all the testing and temptation we do, yet without sin, and ultimately suffered the pain and agony of death on the cross to pay the price for our sins so that we might have eternal life.

While His sacrifice for us was His primary mission, He also poured His life into twelve men so that they would be able to carry forth His message. Verse eighteen tells us that while none of us has seen God, the Son “has explained Him”. A part of his mission was to help us comprehend God’s love for us and His plan for our lives.

We also begin to understand that He introduced a new age in God’s plan. John mentions (v. 17) that “the law was given through Moses” but “grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ”. No longer are we subject to the law, but we now live in the age of grace. As the acronym explains we experience Gods riches at Christ’s expense.

John uses the phrase “full of grace and truth” to describe Jesus. In verse eighteen he states “He has explained Him (the Father)”. Jesus’ life on earth and the love He demonstrated helps us understand the Father. Jesus taught much about life while He was here and those teachings were faithfully recorded in the Bible so that we might live our life in a way that pleases Him.

Later in this book (15:13) Jesus says “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus also loved us so much that He shared with us difficult things about life, so we would know how to walk through the tests and temptations we face.

One of the most important teachings was about forgiveness. John shares with us in I John 1:9 that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Just as He forgave us, we are to forgive others. Eph. 4:32 says “and be kind to one another, tender-hearted forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

We should thank the Lord daily for His willingness to come dwell among us, teach us, and provide the way for us to share eternity with Him.