A New Commandment2/8/2016 Last week we saw the humility of Christ and how He displayed that humbleness by performing one of the most menial tasks of that era. Now we’re going to look at the first teaching Jesus imparted during this rich Upper Room Discourse. The topic—divine love.
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Servant of All2/1/2016 Chapters thirteen through seventeen of John are known as the Upper Room Discourse and are the recorded words of Christ the night before His arrest. As the shadow of Calvary loomed in front of Him, Jesus spent the night teaching, encouraging, and praying for His disciples, both the twelve with Him and those in the future—us. However, before the night began, our Savior did something quite unexpected…
Loved to the End1/29/2016 “When Jesus knew that his HOUR had COME to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he LOVED them to THE END.” ~John 13:1 Welcome back! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and joyous New Year! Back in November, we completed studying the first twelve chapters of the gospel of John, and are now, as promised, returning to finish the book. For we couldn’t end at chapter twelve! It would be like quitting a book right before the climax of the story!
To Receive or Reject11/9/2015 In John 12, Jesus was wrapping up His ministry because, as we studied last week, His hour had come in which to truly glorify the Father. His words, as recorded in verse forty-eighty, were part of a final appeal to the Jewish populous. Jesus knew that He was heading toward the cross, and therefore, was making one last effort to make people understand who He was and why He had come. But the question is, do we understand? Like the Jews of early A.D., we have walked with Jesus throughout His ministry, as we’ve studied the gospel of John. We’ve watched as Jesus turned water into wine, healed the sick, fed the thousands, made the blind see, and declared that He is the I AM. Therefore, Jesus’ words in John 12:48 apply to us also. Have we received or rejected Christ’s words? Or as literally translated from the Greek, have we taken hold of the teachings and signs Jesus performed or have we disesteemed or brought to naught the things that He said and did while on earth?
Father, Glorify Your Name!11/2/2015 Is your soul weary or troubled? Are you in the midst of or approaching a difficult journey and don’t know how to go on? Does your heart want to cry “Save me from this trial!”? Well, I have encouraging news for you, you are not alone! Our Savior, Jesus Christ the perfect Son of God, also faced heartache and unrest on the journey to the cross. In John chapter twelve, we get a glimpse of His inner turmoil and how He managed to continue on the road placed before Him. So let’s study and learn from our Lord’s perfect example.
Faith that Sees10/27/2015 This week we’re going to wrap up our study of the Lazarus miracle. But before we do, carefully read or re-read the verse at the top. How do these words speak to you? Take a moment to ponder them…
In this verse, Jesus is speaking to Martha who was questioning His instructions to open up the tomb of her dead brother. Throughout the gospel of John we find the word believe, which is generally used regarding belief in Jesus as the promised Messiah and Savior and that He is God. But what about this instance? Was Martha doubting Jesus’ divinity? No! Ten verses earlier she declared Him to be “the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” So then, why was Jesus chastising her for her unbelief? Let’s answer that by putting ourselves in Martha’s place. Unusual Love10/19/2015 “Now Jesus LOVED Martha and her sister and Lazarus. SO, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he STAYED two days LONGER in the place where he was.” ~John 11:5-6 Did you know that God loves you? And that His love for you surpasses that of all the people in your life—siblings, parents, friends, family, spouses—put together?! The psalmist said that as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him. And through our study of the gospel of John, we’ve seen God’s inexpressible love put into action. So this week as we begin chapter eleven, we’ll discover another example of Divine love, displayed in an exceedingly unexpected way.
In His Hand10/12/2015 Last week we looked at Jesus as our Good Shepherd, who knows us and calls us each by name, and this week we’re going to discover that we are held in His capable hand. Verse twenty-eight of chapter ten gives us a glorious promise that we, believers in Jesus Christ, have eternal life and will never be snatched out of Christ’s hand that holds us. What a reassuring promise! What a beautiful picture!
Called By Name10/5/2015 John 10 is a beautiful picture of how deeply and tenderly the triune God loves us, His flock. Throughout Scripture, God’s people are pictured as sheep. The psalmist of Psalm 95 wrote, “We are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.” Sheep are totally dependent upon their shepherd for protection, guidance to new pastures, and a myriad of other things. Likewise, we must be totally dependent upon our Good Shepherd and allow Him to take care of us. Because just as woolly little sheep have dangerous enemies and predators, so do we. Our enemy, the devil, is a thief whose sole mission is to steal, kill, and destroy. So let’s stay close to the Shepherd and out of harm’s way!
Was Blind, But Now I See9/29/2015 “For judgment I CAME into this world, that those who DO NOT see may SEE, and those who SEE may become BLIND.” ~John 9:39 The story of the blind man is full of many, great treasures; however, this week we are only going to look at one found in verse thirty-nine. After the blind beggar miraculously received his sight, preached a mini sermon in the synagogue, and then was consequently kicked out, Jesus found him and asked him the question all must face, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” And the formerly sightless man believed. Why did the man so readily believe?
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