John Chapter 17

John 17 contains the most extensive and profound prayer of Jesus that we have.   We are given the privilege of slipping alongside Jesus and listening to his prayer that has been called the “last will and testament”. 

In his prayer, Jesus prays for himself and his disciples. He then he turns his attention to prayers to the distant horizon and to prayers for the future generations of followers---which is you and me!

“I pray also for those who will believe in me through their (the disciples) message.” (verse 20)  Imagine that 2000 years ago Jesus prayed for us!  And what did he pray for??  He could have prayed for anything…He could have asked for health or prosperity but instead in the shadow of the cross he prays for our unity.  Verse 21 says, “That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.  May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

Our unity announces to the world that Jesus came from God.  How we live in unity is a walking advertisement of our faith and either it is attractive or it is not.  This is not to say that we must agree on everything.  We are all individuals with different opinions.  There will be disagreements in the church over music, ministry, preaching style etc.  We need to disagree without being disagreeable or divisive.  Our faith and heart and belief in Christ should transcend differences.

Verse 24 states “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.”  He is referring to heaven and since we as believers will be altogether forever he is praying that we love each other now---that we get a head start on loving each other.  He prays that the love of God will reside in us, making this unity possible. 

In any community there will be differences, most certainly, we are called to love each other, support each other in our ultimate mission to impact the world for Christ.  Our unity on earth is a slice of heaven.

John Chapter 16

One of my favorite traditional Christian hymns is “Holy, Holy, Holy” (Reginald Heber, England, 1826), which begins:

“Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!

Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;

Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!

God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!”

For me, this brings back fond memories of my childhood church, sitting on the same pew with my family, Sunday after Sunday. I simply love this hymn – it includes vivid imagery packaged in beautiful poetry, all praising the holiness of God and the blessed Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit).

Although the Christian doctrine of the Trinity is well-known today, certainly it was not well-understood by the disciples before Pentecost. In John 16:5-15, Jesus provided to the disciples foundational instruction regarding the Holy Spirit, preparing them for the events to come:

5 “But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. 6 Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. 7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come.

13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard.”

The word “Advocate” in verse 7 is frequently translated as: Helper, Counselor, Comforter, Companion or even Friend – this is the Holy Spirit. No surprise here…but God’s plan was and is perfect. The disciples had Jesus (in person) to teach them up until this point. Without Jesus’ physical presence, God knew the disciples would need someone else (the Holy Spirit) to teach and guide them. God also knew that the world would need the Holy Spirit to convict (bring awareness) regarding sin and convince regarding righteousness, and once convicted and convinced, conversions could occur.

I have been a believer for more than three decades, and it still amazes me that our holy, holy, holy God graciously sent his only his Son, Jesus so that we can join into a relationship with God as His sons and daughters. This family relationship is not intended to be idle or boring; rather it is expected to be dynamic and fruitful!

Every day, in relationship with God, His Holy Spirit is here to guide you and me – and yes, to keep convicting and keep convincing as well! Are we listening? Do we sense the Spirit’s leading? And more importantly, are we following?

John Chapter 15

Since becoming a follower of Christ, I have been told that  bearing fruit meant witnessing and winning people to Christ.  I began asking myself, what if I didn’t “win” anyone to Christ?  What if when I tried, no one committed themselves to Christ?  Does “bearing fruit” mean soul winning?  What if bearing fruit ALSO meant “answered prayer”  (John 15:7)?  “Joy  (John 15:11)” “Love” (John 15:12)?  Galatians 5:22-23 mentions the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.  Although Christian character is t=fruit, it ALONE does not cover the full meaning of my remaining connected to the vine (Jesus).  I know people who have good character but are not Christ followers – some are agnostics or atheists.  I also know people who call themselves Christians but show very little signs of the fruit of the Spirit or bearing fruit.  Are these the ones that this chapter  refer to as branches that will be cut off?

I Peter 3:15 says that when I am connected to the vine, I will be ready at ALL times to give an explanation (verbal) to those who ask for the reason I have hope in Christ.  I am reminded that the Holy Spirit, not me, that convicts, justifies, and judges.  In a similar way, bearing good  fruit in character brings glory to God (John 15:8).  I pray that I will be sensitive to the Holy Spirit today and every day to be able to hear and be open to any and all opportunity to bring lorry to God by my behavior and speech.

John Chapter 14

John 14, in my red-letter Bible, is almost entirely the words of Jesus.  The theme of verses 1-14 is that Jesus is the way to the Father; then of 15-31 is the promise of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus teaches the themes of love, trust, peace and faith throughout the chapter to the disciples whose minds are stretching to understand these new concepts.  For example, in verse 8 Philip said, “Master, show us the Father, then we’ll be content.”  Jesus replies gently, “…To see me is to see the Father.” (verses 9-10)  Did Philip ever become “content” that he could enter into this love, trust, peace and faith?  Do I?  Or do I ask for “one more thing” to be shown to me and “then I’ll be content”.

Do I really believe that the presence of God in my life is enough for me?  In 2 Cor. 9:8, it says “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:…”  It seems to me we have a fairly easy time seeing how the Lord has been present in our lives as we look backwards in time and recall how things worked out in the end.  More difficult for us, it seems, is having the same faith for our present and future concerns, those that have not been worked out yet.  As challenges arise, we question…what is this going to mean to me and my family?  What changes will be required of me?  Am I up to the challenge?    

If we knew the answers to those questions, we would need no faith.  In fact, there will come a day when we will know all of the answers to the questions that beset us today.  On that day, it will not be possible for us to have faith to believe God, trust in Him, have faith and be in peace for those concerns.  Instead, we can only trust God for our present and future concerns.  The best news to us this about this is that the Lord is there too because time does not constrain Him.  He will never leave us and the promised Holy Spirit even resides within us as we walk through the hills and valleys of this life.  As He does, He brings His promised gift of peace…not as the world gives but as only He can.  Let us walk, and encourage one another to walk, trusting in the truth that God has good plans for us, that the Comforter lives within us and He really does make His home in us.  We are not orphans but beloved children of God.  Let’s walk today, not doubting that in the least and experience God’s peace, from which springs joy, from which springs our very strength.         

John Chapter 13

A friend of mine recently told me that when he first read the bible he wrote “wow” in his bible every time he read of a miraculous thing Jesus did.  He was amazed!  Looking at this chapter it is miraculous in verse 11 that “Jesus Knew who would betray him” and again talks about the “one who has turned against him in verse 18” and again in verse 21.  It is miraculous in verse 31 that He knew that “the time has come for the Son of Man (Him) to enter into his glory (die)”.   It is miraculous that He knew in verse 33 that the disciples would search for him.  And of course, it is miraculous in verse 38 when He told Peter that “before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me”.  I want to thank my friend for pointing out that healing people, bringing dead people back to life, and His resurrection are not the only miracles that set Jesus apart.

Oh, and if I am trying to hear God speak to me and guide me as I read this chapter, I heard him say “Love each other.  Just as I have loved you.  Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples”. 

John Chapter 12

Two questions jump off the pages to me in this chapter.  Do I love Jesus?  Or do I love the praise of men?  I don’t like these questions, at least not in the way they are connected together in scripture.  I prefer to answer them separately.  Do I love Jesus?  Yes, of course.  He is my savior.  Do I love the praise of me?  Well yes, maybe a little.  However, it isn’t a problem for me.  Why is it wrong to want the admiration and affection from my friends and colleagues?  I think it might actually help my Christian witness.  I want to have my cake and eat it too, but scripture and Jesus won’t allow it.  These questions require an either or response.

Mary doesn’t have a problem answering these questions.  She loves Jesus extravagantly, and doesn’t seem to care a bit about what people think of her.  Mary takes a 12oz. jar of expensive perfume and pours it over Jesus’s feet.  Judas criticizes her for wasting this money, and I wonder if others at that dinner felt the same way.  Can you imagine taking something that cost a year’s wages and pouring it over feet?  Mary could and did because her love for Jesus had no rival.  It was total and complete.

In verse 42 and 43 we learn that many people believed in Jesus, including Jewish leaders.  However, their answer to these questions were different than Mary’s.  They had a rival to their belief in Jesus.  Scripture says that they loved human praise more than God’s praise and wouldn’t admit their belief in Jesus.  Ouch!  These verses feel a little too personal for me.

Jesus says in verses 25 and 26:  “Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.  Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.”  The paradox of scripture is that when we learn to love Jesus completely, and not ourselves, we get real life for eternity in the bargain, and God will honor us.  We can’t please two masters.  Jesus will not have any rivals.  Mary got it right when she lavished Jesus with expensive perfume.

I want to have a love for Jesus like Mary’s.  No rivals, no worries about what other’s think – extravagant love and loyalty to Jesus.  It’s going to require some “heart surgery”.  I know I can’t do it alone, but I’m confident that he who began a good work in me will bring it to completion.

John Chapter 11

The Raising of Lazarus

The thing that stands out the most to me in this passage is the “amount” of faith people had in Jesus and his abilities. Mary, Martha, and the disciples claim to believe and know that Jesus is Lord. So often we say one thing but our actions show something different than what we are saying.

The back and forth conversation with Jesus, “if you had been here then Lazarus wouldn’t have died” is one that is still relevant today. There is nothing that we have done or can do that will change God’s mind. He knows what is going to happen and knows what our actions will be; thus Jesus in verse 4 “it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” Personally this is the most challenging idea for me to wrap my head around. Our circumstances are not a result of how good a Christian we’ve been, because there is never a point to where we can measure up on the good Christian scale. We can never attain that title because, our “measuring stick” is Jesus who was perfect. However, just because we can never be perfect, doesn’t mean we stop trying. I think the most important part to keep in mind is that our relationship with God is a journey. It’s not going to stop and will constantly change and evolve as we grow and learn with him. If we strive for hearts and actions that reflect Jesus, doesn’t that show our faith?

John Chapter 10

The book of John's primary intention was evangelistic. John states his main purpose clearly as “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”   

In John 10 Jesus is using the analogy of comparing himself to the Good Shepherd and his believers as the sheep.  In the Old Testament the concept of “shepherd” symbolized a royal caretaker of God’s people.   In the first illustration Jesus refers to those who enter the sheepfold other than through the gate as a thief or robber.  But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.  The sheep recognize his voice and come to him and follow him because they know his voice.  In the second illustration, because those who heard him did not understand, He explained to them that He was the gate for the sheep.  All who came before Him were thieves and robbers.  But the true sheep did not listen to them.  He explains that He is the good shepherd, he knows his own sheep and they know him, just as his Father knows him and He knows the Father.  He will sacrifice his life for them voluntarily because this is what his Father commanded.  To me these passages provide the assurance that Jesus knows me just as his Father knows him, and if I know him, he will provide me with a “rich and satisfying life”.  The more I spend time with Him, the more I am able to hear his voice.  He has sacrificed his life for me so I can have a relationship that provides everlasting peace and love and fellowship for all eternity.  

In the second part of the chapter Jesus claims to be the Son of God, but the people did not believe him because they were not his sheep.  Jesus used his evidence of good works and miracles, and the fact that God set him apart and sent him into the world to carry out his work.  The evidence of the miraculous works shows that "the Father is in him and He is in the Father."  To me this just reinforces the fact that God sent Jesus into the world to take away the barriers to my having eternal life as long as I believe, and that God loves me, has a plan for me, and that plan is for good!

May we all spend time with Him so we can hear his voice!

John Chapter 9

This chapter makes me think of how many times I have chosen to be blind. And the longer I stayed blind, the more I didn’t even realize that I was blind

My family came to faith when I was in middle school, and I loved church! But after high school, life changed and I was now out in the world on my own. I made one bad choice after another. By the time I realized what a mess I had made of my life, I was married with 3 children and was a regular substance abuser.  My children were wonderful little humans, but my life and marriage were a mess. I had chosen to be blind, and now my blindness affected the little people whom I loved so much. I had to make a choice—stay blind or choose to see.

I am delighted to say that I chose to see. It was a long hard battle, but I wasn’t alone. One of the first steps I made was to put Jesus first, above everything else. Substances left my life and a new journey began.

It’s been over a decade since the blinders came off, and every day I am grateful that “power of God could be seen” (v3) and for his redeeming love that saved me from a life of blindness. 

John Chapter 8

As he [Jesus] was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

 Jesus’ response revealed his heart for all of us. Jesus, the only one with the right to condemn the woman’s actions showed love and mercy. At the same time reminding the religious leaders of their sinful nature. It is easy to identify with the woman shamed by sin made public. The part of me that could identify with those holding the stones was convicted.

All my life I have been a news junkie, I like to stay informed of the latest world events. I especially love podcasts and talk radio. As of two years ago, my listening habits began to change. I realized I was informed. However, it was also influencing how I viewed others. In my opinion, much of the news had become stone throwing. Who was the latest person or group to get caught in sin? The more salacious, the better, their misdeeds were entertainment for others. Although I didn’t join the stone throwers, through “likes,” “shares,” or forwards, often I participated in my heart.

For me, the inner struggle is the judging of groups I don’t agree with, people I think reject my beliefs or skin color. In reality it’s people who sin differently than I do through lifestyle or group affiliation. I thank God for placing me in situations where my judgments are exposed. Interactions with people very different from me have allowed me to see the stone in my heart and bring me to my knees.

We are called to a higher standard. There are places in all of our hearts that tend to reach for a stone. I praise God softening those spots allowing us the ability to love even our fellow sinner.

17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 19 We love each other[a] because he loved us first.

1 John 4:17-19New Living Translation (NLT)