The Gospel, the Good News! Jesus, Son of God, was born of Mary, lived as the Son of Man, died, and rose to life to rescue the world and bring about a new life. The central message of the gospel. Jesus, the centerpiece! John 19 & 20 cover the brutal death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. 

In this scene, I can not imagine how the disciples felt. John describes them as overjoyed...but those words just fall short of what I can imagine this moment was like. 

“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭20:19-22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Peace be with you. The disciples were behind locked doors, living in fear of the Jewish leaders, and Jesus comes with a message of peace. Jesus again brings a message of Peace...and then breathed on them and said, “receive the Holy Spirit.” I find it also interesting, and a bit fascinating, they did not actually receive the Holy Spirit, or at least the scripture does not say they do. That comes later. Interestingly again, the Lord tells them to do something, and they don’t. Oh, to understand what it is like to be human. :) 

A week later, Jesus came to doubting Thomas and brought the message, “Peace be with you!” 

The Gospel, the Good News! John closes his account with this;

“Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭20:30-31‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus defeated death, and he brings peace and abundant life. That by believing you may have life! Amen, and praise God. 

The day of Jesus' crucifixion fulfilled 28 Old Testament prophecies. Scripture was fulfilled! Beyond that, trying to wrap my mind around what happened this day, on the cross, and fully grabbing the magnitude of the cross is mind-boggling. 

Sure, we can dumb this down or simplify it to a place where I just don’t believe it is anywhere near accurate. We can get into penal substitution and argue over was God full of love or was God full of wrath and hate that he killed his son. To me, John 3:16 is pretty clear on the love part. 

NT Wright has a beautiful 10 min video about penal substitution that is worth a watch: https://youtu.be/pkXI33hpe2o

Another great short video from NT is here: https://youtu.be/qfnV69nIOrw

The power of the cross is mind-boggling, and so far beyond what I think our minds limit it to. 

In John 18, we come to the great betrayal. Judas came with the soldiers, officials, and chief priest and Pharisees. We know the scene. But this morning, I saw something I don’t remember reading and surly don’t remember learning about. 

“So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭18:3-6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus said, “I am he,” and they drew back and fell to the ground. Wait, what? We always talk about Peter going off and slicing off the ear of the guard...we focus on Jesus last miracle healing of the ear. But, Jesus said I am he, and the group of soldiers, official and all drew back and fell to the ground. How have I not read this, or don’t recall this?

So, picture it. They were carrying torches, lanterns, and weapons, ready to take down Jesus; this was a large group of soldiers who were ready. Jesus revealed himself to the large group, and they drew back and fell to the ground. Jesus showed at that moment, he was the Son of God, and they fell to the ground instantly. His glory so striking overwhelmed them, God revealed in human flesh. A little study this morning shows this fulfilling prophecy in the Psalms;

“May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay.” - ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭35:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“May all who want to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.” - ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭40:14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It’s humorous to me, reading this that Simon Peter drew his sword to fight off the soldiers after Jesus instantly leveled the entier army just by revealing himself. So many thoughts on this, but let me leave you with one idea that I am having right now. Simon Peter went on to deny Jesus three times after he drew his sword to fight for Jesus. My mind takes me to a place where Jesus does not need us to fight for him or defend him...Jesus desires us to live our lives for Him and follow him. Jesus, by revealing himself leveled the soldiers, he doesn't need our help defending himself! Jesus commands us to love others and love God. May we stop living our lives defending Jesus, and may we focus our lives on living for Jesus, and loving Him and others. 

John 17 is Jesus looking heavenward and praying to God the Father. So much beauty and mystery in this prayer. One thing that jumps out to me is that Jesus, fully God, and fully man prayed. Jesus is God fully. Why did he need to pray, He was One with the Father, He was God...and yet he prayed. This is so powerful;

“And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭17:5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus, fully God, was connecting and praying to His Father to glorify himself in the presence like it was before for the world began. Whoa. I can not imagine what this glory looked like, the glorious Creator, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as one in perfect unity and harmony before the world began. Jesus, just before his time on earth was done, was remembering what it was like before the world began, and He yearned for that presence with his Father. 

I can stay stuck in this thought, but I think the biggest takeaway for me is the practicality of this prayer. If you strip back all the content of the prayer, you have the structure of Jesus praying for Himself, for those closet to him, and then for those who would come to know Himself. His prayer is a prayer of unity with God, for himself in union with God, for those closest to Him to be united with God, and for those in the world to believe in Jesus through their message, that all of them MAY BE ONE! This simple structure should be a framework for my daily prayer, praying for unity with Christ, praying for those closet to me, and then praying for those coming to know Jesus and for the father to be glorified. Love is the central theme and a wonderful close to this prayer. 

“I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭17:26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

By the end of John 16, Jesus had done countless miracles, preached some amazing sermons, transformed so many lives, and developed a close and personal relationship with his disciples. So, when reading these verses, I am just utterly confused on so many levels.

“I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.” “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭16:28-31‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Seriously, this now makes us believe that you came from God?!?! I don’t know about you, but that is quite shocking. It’s also a bit surprising how Jesus replies to them. Just four words here are used, but I read them as loving, compassionate, and caring. I am not sure that is how they were said; maybe John interpreted it that way. But, Jesus doesn’t go off, or light into them. Jesus actually follows up this statement with more love and compassion. 

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭16:33‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This all leaves me with a critical question: what does it take to believe? The disciples got a front-row seat to it all, and we see how they wavered on so many levels. If I am honest, this does confuse me, but it also comforts me as well. There are far too many times in my life that I struggle with belief. I want to believe, but often I fall short. Not so much that Jesus is who he says he is, that Jesus is the Son of God and Man...I rarely struggle with that, but often I struggle with the nuance beyond that. Wrestling with pain and suffering, death and loss of life, struggling to really comprehend and believe blindly some of the stereotypical Christian responses to all the areas of unbelief. Looking at science and some interpretations of the Bible and just struggling to see how one might believe what they believe. Yep, today twenty-six years into my journey with Christ as a Christian, I still wrestle and struggle with areas of belief. 

So, amid that struggle, I am thankful that Jesus’ disciples that walked with, talked with, and did life with struggled with belief as well. A key for me is I have come to a place where I do not have to have all the answers to believe. I have also come to a place where I can separate who Jesus is and all the nonessential things that get wrapped around Christianity that I have the most struggle with. I wholeheartedly believe Jesus came from God, that Jesus is the Son of God and Son of Man, that Jesus has overcome the world. 

So, what does it take to believe? I suppose that depends on what you are choosing to believe. I find great peace in knowing and believing Jesus has overcome the world, the Gospel, and everything else I am ok wrestling with. 

Jesus’ time on earth is quickly coming to a close, and he finishes up his last sermon or teaching to his disciples as they walk to Gethsemane. This final teaching was a heavy one that no doubt left his disciples with a heavy heart. Jesus said it this way;

“...None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭16:5-6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus goes on to say;

“But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭16:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I am sure the disciples struggled with this. Honestly, we struggle with this, don’t we? How often do we catch ourselves wondering or wishing Jesus would come back? Sometimes in a joking way, but honestly, if we process this and think about that statement, it is as if we are diminishing the God in Spirit that lives and reigns in us. I love this thought from Levi Lusko.

As a human, the disciples enjoyed Jesus’ company. But His plan all along was not to be with them, but in them. As a human, Jesus could only be in one place at one time. By sending God in Spirit, He would be with all believers simultaneously. As a human, the disciples would watch Jesus preach, minister, and serve. But now, they would see Him moving through their hands, mouths, and lips as they trusted Him to work through them.

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” -‭‭John‬ ‭16:13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I have to say that my biggest takeaway is how much I undervalue God in Spirit. The Advocate has come, dwells in us, guides us into all truth, and is with all Christ-followers everywhere, simultaneously. It is almost as if one-third of the Trinity gets downplayed and lost in the mix. 

Lord, forgive me for undervaluing the Holy Spirit. May I turn to the Spirit of truth, Lord, may you guide me into all truth by your Spirit that lives and reigns in me. Amen. 

We were built for growth, constant growth. From birth, all the way until our death, we were designed by God for constant growth. The problem is, we often can find ourselves stuck in a belief, a phase, or a part of life where we stop growing. 

One of the most brilliant investors embodies this understanding. Charlie Munger, at 96 years old, is still learning and growing as a person. I love this quote:

“Knowing what you don’t know is more useful than being brilliant.”
- Charlie Munger

Knowing what you don’t know! Think about that statement for a moment, what don’t you know? If we approach this way of thinking, it takes humility and a posture of openness. We naturally want to know, to solve the problem to have the right answer. The need to be right is rooted deeply in the ego, and one thing our egos are not is humble.

Let’s take a look at Jesus' words in John 15. 

““I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭15:1-2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus is the true vine; God is the gardener. God cuts off every branch in Jesus that bears no fruit. Look a this, we see constant growth in Jesus. We also read that Jesus has branches that did not have fruit, and God cut them off. YES! So, if Jesus is being pruned, then do you think we might need to be pruned? 

In every part of our lives we need to have a mindset and posture of growth, humbleness that fights off our ego, and an open heart to being molded by our creator, God. As we carry this posture, Jesus goes on with this vine and branches analogy and delivers an essential part in v5;

““I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭15:5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Staying tethered to the vine, pursuing, and remaining in Jesus is vital and critical. However, this does NOT mean being rooted in beliefs you “think” about Jesus, or our dogma that has nothing to do with Jesus, it has everything to do with religious baggage we are carrying that we have not inspected and discarded appropriately. This could be concerning for some or even a little scary, but let me share a quote that I recently read that really summed it up for me. 

“I must confess I spent many years studying the bible to prove what I already believed rather than allowing it to shape my beliefs.” - Randall Worley

This concept can be taken towards the Bible, or really anything in our lives. Are we studying and reading to confirm our biases and beliefs. Or, are we humble, learning, growing, and seeking to expand our minds and thoughts in a way that genuinely bears fruit. 

If you are squirming in your chair or uncomfortable with the thought of expanding your mind with the Scripture or allowing your view of Jesus or the Bible to evolve and grow, let me show you the perfect example of growth. 

“Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well, had arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt. He had been taught the way of the Lord, and he taught others about Jesus with an enthusiastic spirit and with accuracy. However, he knew only about John’s baptism. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately.” - ‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭18:24-26‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Apollos had an incomplete theology! Yes, he knew the Scriptures well; yes, he had been taught the way of the Lord. Yes, he was preaching boldly in the synagogue, but his theology needed more growth and understanding. Priscilla and Aquila took him aside and poured into him. 

Think about it this way...our world view and context is limited to our experiences. If you have lived and grown up in the Western world, America, or wherever, you are missing so much context of the world. We already have no way of grasping the breadth, size, and magnitude of God, but we also really do not have the ability to step outside of our own world view and see the world, Scriptures, etc. as the other nearly 8 billion people on earth. 

If we are not continually growing, evolving in our thought, views, and theology, I grow concerned that we might get stuck in our ways, miss the growth that Jesus is calling us to, and stop producing fruit. Constant growth is critical; may we remain in Jesus and continually be growing in all areas of our lives. 

““I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭15:5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

John 14 opens with Jesus, saying, Don’t let your hearts be troubled. And the chapter closed down with Jesus saying Don’t be troubled or afraid. 

A message that needs to resonate with our spirit and our inner self. This was such a good reminder, reading through John 14 over and over. This passage lifted off the screen.

“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭14:26-27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We have been given a gift, a gift that provides peace of mind and heart. This is our gift! You have this gift, and I have this gift. The question is, have we received this gift, and have we opened it? Peace of mind and heart is not being held from us; we have access to this, we have this gift...we must receive it and open it. 

This is pretty easy to say and type...but when you are in the deep, and not anywhere near peace, this is not so easy. I recognize this, and in areas of my life, and in times of my life, I deal with this very thing. We must meditate on this passage, and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us, and minister to us...and at the same time we have to understand that we have a gift, and that gift needs to be recieved and opened. The gift of peace, the gift of freedom, the gift of unconditional love is ours. Do not be troubled or afraid, rest in Jesus and who he is. Recieve the gift today. 

The world today seems so volatile and chaotic. Everywhere you look, whatever we read and see on TV just seems to be troubling. Last night, I noticed my lovely wife Tweeted this;

“I can’t be the only one who watches the news and is simply embarrassed right now, right? (Dear Jesus, we tap out. Come on back.)”

I find this first humorous, but then I also find it sad. It’s true, watching the news as a Christ-follower is pretty embarrassing. In John 14, we see Jesus connecting with and pouring into his disciples. Jesus opens John 14 with this;

““Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭14:1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Such good words for us right now. In a world full of chaos and volatility, we have the rock of Jesus, and our hearts should not be troubled. 

Furthermore, beyond allowing our hearts to become troubled, we also, as Christ-followers, should rise above and look different. Jesus, a few verses later, shares this;

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭14:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Whoever believes in me (Jesus) will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things... In this world of chaos and turmoil, we must stand out with our works and actions. We must move past being troubled and move into being a disciple of Jesus and doing the work he started. Jesus also said we would do even greater things than him. What?!?! Yes, we can and will do even greater things because the Spirit of the Lord lives and breaths in us. Do not fall for the lie, of our depravity or brokenness. When God created Man (you and I) He declared us Good! Very good. God breathed life into us, and the Spirit of truth, the advocate, is with us and will help us forever. 

““If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭14:15-17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

If you need reminding, may Paul's prayer and words be a guiding light. 

“Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you. Now we offer up to God all the glorious praise that rises from every church in every generation through Jesus Christ—and all that will yet be manifest through time and eternity. Amen!” - ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3:20-21‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! 

We must check our troubled hearts at the door, lean into Jesus, and follow his ways and do the works he was doing. Love God, and Love Others!

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭14:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Greatness is in you! Greatness is awaiting you to step in, and do the work of Jesus. Do not let your hearts be troubled, for you can and are capable through the power of Jesus to exceed your wildest imagination. Now is the time to respond; now is the time to act and rise up. 

Summarizing John, chapter 13, looks like this. The Lords Supper takes place. Jesus washes the disciple's feet. Jesus calls out Judas, and Satan enters him. Night comes, Judas leaves, and Jesus says he must go, and where I am going, you can not come. To cap it all off, Jesus also calls out Simon Peter and tells him that he will deny and completely disown Jesus three times. Whoa, a really full chapter, and historical day.

Nestled in the wrap up of the day is the parting message Jesus leaves his disciples, a message Jesus is sharing with us right now. 

“I am giving you a new commandment that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too are to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love and unselfish concern for one another.”” - ‭‭John‬ ‭13:34-35‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love and unselfish concern for one another. 

I loved how the Amplified translation added the “unselfish concern” language. Love sounds good; I have it tattooed on my forearm as a reminder to love others...but unselfish concern, that’s significant. 

Jesus' time on earth is coming to an end, and he is having his last moments with his disciples. As he is preparing them and basically leaving this his final words, he gives them a new commandment. Love one another, and have unselfish concern for one another. What would our families look like if we had unselfish concern for one another? What would our schools, our neighborhoods, our communities, and cities look like if we as Christ-followers truly lived lives of unselfish concern for one another? Think about it, visualize your family, your neighborhood...unselfish concern for one another. May we think about this today, and work towards modeling this, and truly loving others today. Even those that do not look like us act like us or believe like us. 

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

Jesus and his disciples gathered one last time for an evening meal, and Jesus decided to act out a parable instead of speaking it. Jesus got up from the table and did culturally the unimaginable. 

“Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭13:3-5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This was unimaginable because the lowest of all the servants would have been prepared and ready to wash the guest's feet, not the honorable host of the meal, and indeed not the Son of God. I read this in a commentary this morning, and it said it perfectly;

Jesus knew actions speak louder than words. So when He wanted to teach the proud, arguing disciples about true humility, He didn’t just say it – He showed it. He showed it in a way that illustrated His whole work on behalf of His own.

Jesus, Son of Man, and Son of God modeled humility by serving and loving. He then challenged the disciples to do the same, and He is speaking this into our lives. 

“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭13:13-17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We should serve one another, love one another, and follow Jesus’ example. Often less words, more love is the right response. 

For they loved human praise more than praise from God. Ouch! This hits home, and really reminds me to check my focus, where is my focus, attention, and motivation? The Jews in this story believed in Jesus but did not openly acknowledge their faith. 

“Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human praise more than praise from God.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭12:42-43‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Stepping out and acknowledging our faith in Jesus can often lead to challenges, persecution, being overlooked for a promotion, or not accepted into the “club.” These fears can often be real, and other times the fears are just feelings and are lies. 

Believing in Jesus is one thing, but following Jesus and walking with him daily is another. May our walk, our lives, and our actions openly acknowledge our belief in Jesus. 

Jesus had developed quite a following; the raising of Lazarus had spread throughout the lands, and people were being drawn to Jesus and believing in him. So much so, we read this in v10,11. 

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

Tensions were high, and as I read John 12 it’s hard to imagine how Jesus was enjoying his time with his friends, but it appears as he was. After he spent the day with Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and others, he headed off to Jerusalem. Here is the scene that we have seen in movies, in storybooks, and illustrations, this is the scene of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a little donkey and the crowds going wild. This is the Bieber fever experience! Try and imagine the scene:

“The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! ” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!” Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”” - ‭‭John‬ ‭12:12-15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

You see, another prophecy coming true. We see Zechariah 9:9 fulfilled here, a word and story the Jews and culture at this time would know well. 

“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” - ‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭9:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The king is coming to you, righteous and victorious, riding on a lowly donkey. Here we were, at the center of the story, the king entering Jerusalem as it was written, and the crowds were going wild. But here is a verse, a verse following all of this that just seems out of place. 

“At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭12:16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How odd is that verse? It just seems out of place and kinda unimportant to the story John is telling. But here is what really stands out to me with this verse, and a point John is making. At the moment, the disciples didn’t see the full story; they didn’t really connect all the dots of what had been written about Jesus and prophesied about him. The ark of the story and what was being played out they didn’t have a full picture. This friends happens to us all the time. When we are in the thick of it or walking through the pain and suffering, or dealing with whatever we are dealing with, we often miss the ark of the story and journey we are on with Jesus. It’s only after the full narrative has been played out after we get through everything we are going through that we can reflect and see the glory, beauty, and wonderful work of Jesus in our lives. 

The power of reflection gives us the ability to see Jesus in a way that brings the full glory that is needed. Often in the moment, walking through the situations and circumstances, we really do not see Jesus or even realize the glory and grace that is being extended. We get caught up in the events, the celebration, the pain, the anxiety, the anger, the whatever, and we miss the Christ, just as the disciples did. 

Today, do yourself a favor and reflect...pause and take some time to look back on your life, look back on events and situations and see the glory, grace, and beauty of what Jesus was doing the whole time. In the moment and at first, we may not understand or even see Jesus in our situations, but give it some time, and upon reflection, we will be able to see and realize all the wonderful work Jesus was orchestrating. 

Jesus' death was approaching, just days away, and yet he is attending a dinner party with friends. Many commentaries mention this gathering would have been celebrating Lazarus' life, which is a bit ironic to me because we were days away from Jesus' death. Nevertheless, Mary is the centerpiece of this story for me this morning. 

“Six days before the Passover, Jesus, therefore, came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at the table. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭12:1-3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Here we see again, Martha was serving and tending to the guests, and Mary was focused on Jesus. We have seen this same situation play out before:

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”” - ‭‭Luke‬ ‭10:38-42‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Mary seems to be very centered on Jesus and in tune with the situation around her. This is not to take anything away from Martha; hosting in this culture and tradition was extremely important. Honoring guests was one of the highest responsibilities, so Martha is doing great work. But it seems to me as if Mary is blessed with a gift mix that others didn’t have. Let’s look at a key verse here backward. 

Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair.

• With her hair: what is interesting with this is to wipe and wash Jesus' feet with her hair means that Mary had to take her hair down in public. This was something that no respectable woman in the culture would do. Mary was not concerned about her self or how others saw her, she cared for and loved Jesus so deeply that her hair came down, and she served Jesus.  

• Wiped Jesus' feet: Anointing someone’s head with oil in this day and age was a sign of honor. However, Mary’s action shows us she was full of humility and humbleness, she bypassed his head and bowed to his feet. 

• Took a pound of perfume: Finally, Mary’s love for Jesus was so deep, she tapped into her core gift of giving and poured out a year's worth of wage to bless and honor Jesus. 

Mary was so centered and focused on Jesus she was not caught up with any worldly struggles or distractions. She was not concerned with what others thought of her, she was full of humility, and she gave extravagantly. Because of all of this, we then read:

The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

Mary’s faith in and love for Jesus lead to an action that filled the entire house with a fragrance. A commentary I read this morning expresses this beautifully:

Many fathers of the Church and many scholars have seen a double meaning here. They have taken it to mean that the whole Church was filled with the sweet memory of Mary's action. A lovely deed becomes the possession of the whole world and adds to the beauty of life in general, something which time cannot ever take away.

As we think about Mary and her living our her gifts and loving Jesus as she did, we see how those actions filled the house and blessed others with such a wonderful fragrance. May we see this picture and understand that this is what happens when we are centered and using our gifts to serve and honor Jesus with our lives. Our gifts will extend well beyond our comprehension, and the Kingdom of God will be blessed. 

Father, may we keep our eyes on you today and use our gifts in a way that honor and glorify you. Keep us humble, centered, and not worried what others think of us. Draw us to you, and give us the courage and faith to live extravagantly for you like Mary did. Amen.

Fear motivates. Think about how natural and wired into our being fear is. If you wake up in the middle of the night, and your smoke detector is going off, and you notice a fire in your home, that instant fear will become a motivator to get you and your family out of the house. Fear, as a primal instinct, works and is powerful. 

Researching this, I ran into an excellent Psychology Today article; here is an excerpt:

Nothing makes us more uncomfortable than fear. And we have so many fears: fear of pain, disease, injury, failure, not being accepted, missing an opportunity, and being scammed, to name a few. Fear invokes the flight or fight system, and our first reaction is often to flee back to our comfort zone. If we don’t know the way back, we are likely to follow whoever shows us a path.

Marketers use fear as a motivator as often as they can. They present a scenario they hope will invoke our sense of fear. Then they show us a solution – a path back to our comfort zone – that entails using their product or service. Fear is used to sell almost everything: cars, tires, and life insurance are classics. But clever marketers also use it to sell breakfast cereal and deodorant. As a result, we purchase all sorts of things that a generation ago were considered unnecessary: antibacterial soap, alarm systems, vitamins. The list goes on and on.

This tactic is not new, it was alive and well in Jesus' days, and we see it in John 11. Jesus just raised Lazarus from the dead, and the Bible says many of the Jews then believed in him. Hearing this, the religious leaders were brewing with anger, and they were filled with fear. 

“Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”...So from that day on they plotted to take his life.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭11:47-48, 53‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Pharisees were filled with fear, believing that the Romans would take away their temple and their nation. Fear blinded these leaders, and can often blind us as well. As we read here that the Pharisees, lead by fear, plotted to kill Jesus, may we be on guard of our actions and responses to fear. What are we being sold by fear, is a political agenda being marketed to us leveraging fear? In our current climate of COVID-19, racial tension, general negative media sources, we have fear marketing all around us.  Let’s meditate on the following verses:

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” - ‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭1:7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“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.” - ‭‭1 John‬ ‭4:18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“But in the day that I’m afraid, I lay all my fears before you and trust in you with all my heart.” - ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭56:3‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Jesus came to Lazarus' tomb, asked for the stone to be taken away, and then he prayed.

“Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”” - ‭‭John‬ ‭11:41-42‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Lazarus, four days dead, then responded to Jesus’s calling, and he awoke and came out. 

“The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”” - ‭‭John‬ ‭11:44‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I am trying to get a visual in my mind of what this might of looked like, or how everyone would have responded. It was mentioned in the text earlier, but Lazarus would have stunk, and my guess is his grave clothes would have been pretty nasty. But he arose, he walked, Lazarus was alive! And because of this radical healing and transformation, we read this. 

“Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭11:45‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Because of this life transformation, many Jews now believed in Jesus. Powerful. This takes us back to v4 when Jesus responded pretty strangely at the moment.

“When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”” - ‭‭John‬ ‭11:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Lazarus healing and transformation was for Jesus to be glorified and to draw people to Him. A powerful thought, and as I process this thoroughly this morning, I am taken to the place that this is quite possibly the ultimate Will of our Father...that in all things, Jesus Christ is glorified, and people come to Him. 

Christ is in all things, He is before all things, and He holds all things together. Reflecting on Paul’s words here in Colossians;

“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” -‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1:17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.” - ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

As Paul said, Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. I pray that as we walk into our day, that we recognize that our transformation, Christ in us, is a way for people to be drawn to Jesus and for Him to be glorified. May our lives be a witness to the beauty of Christ today. 

John chapter 11 is the story of Lazarus, a dear friend of Jesus. 

“Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”- ‭‭John‬ ‭11:1-3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

There is so much in this story that just makes me wonder and ask a lot of questions. Today, I am just going to write about some of the odd things that jump out to me. Right out of the gate, listen to these words of Jesus.

“When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”” - ‭‭John‬ ‭11:4-7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

What?!? Jesus dear friend is dying; he responds that Lazarus won't die, God will be glorified, and God’s Son will be as well. That’s a bizarre response. It’s also really strange that Jesus stayed two extra days. I suppose if you fast forward to the end of the story, this response makes a bit more sense, but at the moment, this had to seem off...and odd. I guess that is what it would have been like hanging out with the Messiah.

Leaning more into this, we see a bit more about this decision here:

“So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”” - ‭‭John‬ ‭11:14-15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This odd response from Jesus is starting to come into light a little bit. Jesus is basically saying that He let Lazarus die, so he could bring him back to life so that others may believe. This makes me think of a quote from Levi Lusko, “Sometimes God chooses to deliver us from hardships, and sometimes he delivers us through them.” I have to believe and that it is safe to assume that this continues to be a way that Jesus handles situations today. He has the ability to deliver us from hardships...but sometimes, or even often, He chooses to use the hardships and delivers us through them. 

So much strange stuff in this story...here are two more things that stood out to me. 

“When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭11:32-35‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Ok, I find it odd that Jesus knows the end of the story, Jesus knows He is going to raise Lazarus, that was his entire purpose of the trip...and yet he wept with Mary. Jesus met Mary in her state, in her emotion and empathized and brought compassion. This does highlight the character of God, His love for us, and grace for us. It still seems odd to me, but I am moved by the love and compassion of Jesus. 

Finally, a much deeper theological question. One that has many sides of debate and questioning. Where was Lazarus’ soul for four days? Lazarus dies, is wrapped, prepped for burial, and then put in a tomb. He was dead long enough that Martha was concerned that when they rolled the stone away from the tomb that there would be a horrible odor. Where did Lazarus go? We can read these stories and just move right past little details like these that kind of matter, or maybe they don’t. 

Did Lazarus die and go to Heaven? If so, can you imagine what a horrible shock it would be to come back to life on this earth? If he was really in paradise, in Heaven, what a shock to the system. I would think that it would have been such a shock that Lazarus would have mentioned a detail or two from Heaven. Maybe not. 

Another option is mentioned many places in the Bible, and Martha said it in this story;

“Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”” - ‭‭John‬ ‭11:24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

There is so much written on this topic of Sheol and Hades, the resurrection at the last day, and much more. My mind often wanders into this place, really trying to understand the in’s and out’s of Heaven and Hell and how it all works. Honestly, when I dive in and read the Bible, I just find my self in a bit of a loop and have come to find comfort in not having a definite answer. My faith rests solidly in Jesus, but when it comes to some of these details, I am comfortable with a lot of unknowns. 

Here is the greatest news of all, Jesus saves!

“...Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”” - ‭‭John‬ ‭11:43-44‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus is continuing to press on the religious leaders about their blindness. Its irony is thick that Jesus heals a blind man, gives him sight, and he believes Jesus is the Messiah...and yet the religious leaders see the miracle healing and are still spiritually blind. 

This again must be a warning sign to any of us who could fall into the religious leader camp, what spiritual blindness could we be faced with? What thoughts, beliefs, idols, religious dogma are we carrying around that is not in line with Jesus teaching? My guess is, it’s way more than we realize. 

Jesus brings a message to the Pharisees about being spiritually blind, and they didn’t get it. So, he transitions to an illustration of being the good shepherd with sheep, and they were still struggling. So, he lands with this:

“Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭10:6-11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus made it clear that: All who came before me were thieves and robbers. 

Jesus later says: The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. 

We typically hear John 10:10 referring to Satan as the thief. I am not arguing against that assessment or teaching. However, reading this in context and all of Jesus' words leave me more thinking that if it is Satan, it will be people that are influenced and used by Him. 

It might not be a popular topic or something we like to think about, but...how could Satan be using us? Could elements of our own spiritual blindness be impacting our witness? Maybe we are carrying baggage that is not teachings of Jesus that are preventing us to truly see Jesus as the Messiah. It’s really easy to read Jesus’ words and take it to the big evil Satan and His attacks on others or us and miss the possibility that we just might be the one who has been tricked and robbed. 

Jesus followed by saying: My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. 

In other translations is says: I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

The Greek word for ‘abundance,’ perissos, has a mathematical meaning and generally denotes a surplus. Jesus came that we may live in surplus, with more than enough, perissos. 

Take this thought in full context, all the way back to Jesus, trying to bring his point home with the religious leaders after he healed the blind man. Jesus brought abundance into this man's life, a life that before Jesus was darkness, blindness, and waywardness. When confronted by Jesus, this was the healed man said;

“He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭9:38‬ ‭ESV‬

Abundance is available to us today from Jesus. Jesus has come to bring light into our lives, to remove the scales from our eyes, and to walk and see as He does. What I am left contemplating is our salvation is secure, but our abundance is not. The abundant life today that Jesus came for can be robbed and stolen from us, unlike our salvation. Recognizing this, we must continually lean into Jesus and allow him to be our good shepherd and follow his excellent guidance. When we don’t, we can find ourselves blinded, and our abundance stollen. 

In John chapter 9, Jesus heals a man born blind. This is the story of Jesus spitting on the ground, taking the dirt/mud and rubbing in on the man's eyes, and having him wash his face clean in the Pool of Siloam. This former beggar, who was born blind now can see. 

The Pharisees, the religious leaders, heard of this and started grilling the man with questions. They were hyper-focused on this healing happening on the Sabbath and lost sight of the miracle itself. Here is one of the interactions:

“A second time, they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.” He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?” Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.” The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭9:24-34‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This is fascinating to me. Here we have a man that was born blind, born into bondage, and a lifelong beggar due to his situation, and the religious ones are looking right past the miracle. 

“Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”” - ‭‭John‬ ‭9:28-29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The religious were so focused on what they knew, their traditions, their upbringing, their view of God through Moses that they missed the Messiah’s Miracle right in front of their eyes. These religious ones could see, but they remained blind to what mattered. 

How many times does this same situation happen to us? Our limited view of situations, our religious traditions that are just that, traditions and not truly about Jesus, our rootedness in the Law and not in the Grace of Jesus. Our inventory of things that move us into disciples of Moses and not Christ-followers. We so often can enter into blindness. Jesus addressed this.

“Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭9:38-41‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus came to heal the sick, and pave a way to spiritual awakeness...for us to have sight. For those of us who have been healed, may we worship God and give Him glory. May we not fall into traditions, or get wrapped up in our own Moses followings that we miss the Messiah. 

In this passage and verbal exchange between Jesus and the religious leaders, there is so much wisdom and application. 

“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭8:31-32‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Holding to Jesus' teachings, knowing the truth, the truth will set you free. Freedom or bondage, this is ultimately our choice, our Lord and Savior gives us this choice and ability to guide our steps and path. What is so sad, I am seeing it now with a friend, and I have seen it in my own life more than I would like to admit - it’s when we choose bondage. Yes, we choose it, we specifically opt-out of holding to Jesus teachings, we ignore the truth and listen to the lies and native language of our enemy. I have a dear friend, a man of God that loves the Lord, but right now, he is unable to clearly hear and hold to Jesus' teachings. He is stuck in his head, and Jesus' words and language are not clear to him right now. I am lifting him up in prayer, asking for Christ to break the bondage he is sitting in, and the life he is listening too. 

“Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”” - ‭‭John‬ ‭8:42-47‬ ‭NIV‬‬

These are some heavy and harsh words from Jesus. All truth and these words are also pure love. I think too often we can read these words, or different encounters Jesus was in, and we can pull ourselves out of the story because we are “Christians.” But, these words must speak to us, or even as Christians, there are many times we are not following Jesus. Times when Jesus’ words and his language is not clear to us. When His truth is not what we hear; we are listening to the lies and the native language of our enemy. When we can not get out of our own heads, and start believing the lies. 

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭8:32‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus came to set us free! 

Watching a dear friend being torn apart from the inside out by the lies of Satan is a horrific experience. But, I have the hope, faith, and belief that it’s never too late for repentance and for the freedom that comes from Christ to prevail. Freedom or bondage that is our choice...Jesus provides freedom, and we must choose to step in and believe the truth, not the lies. The truth will set us free.