May 8, 2019
WHOSE APPROVAL DO YOU SEEK? Jesus contrasted his motives with that of the Jewish leaders who questioned his authority. He boldly told them that their approval meant nothing to him (v.41). For he only sought the approval of his Father in whose name he had come. However, he accused them of only caring for the
May 7, 2019
JOINING THE FATHER IN HIS WORK Jesus described His activity as being inspired by and empowered by the Father. He did nothing by himself. He spoke and moved as the Father did. There is a great principle on how to live the abiding life on display here. Rather than asking God to join us in
May 5, 2019
DOING GOD’S WILL IS LIKE FOOD FOR THE SOUL When the disciples returned from the town of Sychar with food for lunch, they found Jesus at Jacob’s well speaking with a Samaritan woman. They encouraged Jesus to eat something, but He answered that He had food of a kind they knew nothing about. When they
May 2, 2019
DO YOU SEEK THE SIGNS OR THE SAVIOR? This was the first of seven “signs” that the apostle John recorded in his gospel. John calls them signs and not miracles because signs point to something other than themselves. On a trip a few years ago to see the Grand Canyon, I noticed “Grand Canyon” road
April 30, 2019
THE WORD THAT WALKED AMONG US John began his gospel as Moses began the Torah, “In the beginning…” This signals the lofty aspect of John’s gospel that clearly proclaims Jesus as God’s Son. Using the Greek for “word” (λόγος, logos), John proclaims Jesus as not only equal to God in every way (essence, preexistence, eternality,
July 1, 2018 | John 13:34-35 |
We live in a time when it is easier to stay in touch, but people are still starving for a personal touch.What’s the solution to our increasing loneliness? A loving relationship with Jesus and through Him a loving relationship with one another. Jesus invites us to follow Him and belong to His family. In the gospel of John, Christ gave a new commandment to His disciples to love one another just as He loved them, demonstrating their heart for each other. As His disciples, we can follow Christ’s new commandment and have a heart for each other.
June 2, 2018
THE LAST LIVING APOSTLE
After Jesus told Peter the manner in which he would someday die for his witness, he asked about John’s future. Peter asked, “What about him, Lord?” The Lord responded that he shouldn’t worry about the plan God had for John’s future. He should focus on following Jesus, not on what happens to John.
John, who was probably the youngest disciple, perhaps still a teen when he started following Jesus, was in fact the last living disciple. He died around the year 100 AD. He was boiled in oil by the Romans but survived. He was exiled to the Island of Patmos where he wrote the book of Revelation. He eventually returned to Ephesus where most accounts state that he died peaceably. All of the apostles died a martyr’s death, except for John. The disciple who Jesus loved lived to see the gospel successfully carried into the next century.
June 1, 2018
THE RACE TO BELIEVING
When Mary Magdalene told Peter and the “disciple that Jesus loved” that the tomb was empty, they ran to see it for themselves. The unnamed disciple won the race, but paused at the tomb entrance, while Peter ran straight in. Finally, John, the beloved disciple, entered the tomb. Remembering the Scriptures concerning Jesus’ resurrection, he believed. John may have been the faster, but Peter was bolder. Yet, both of them won the race to believing.
May 29, 2018
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO MALCHUS?
All of the gospels tell the story of the high priest’s servant losing an ear to one of the disciple’s swords. Yet, only John names names. We are not surprised to learn that the sword belonged to Simon Peter, but we are somewhat amazed to learn the name of the ear’s owner, namely, “Malchus.” The Synoptics only referred to him as the “high priest’s servant,” but John gave us his name.
John recorded the names, but only Luke recorded the miracle. Jesus healed the ear. Malchus did not have to go through the rest of his life without his right ear. It’s absence would have always reminded him of the sword, but it’s presence no doubt, always reminded him of Christ’s healing touch. I wonder. Does John record his name to add further fact to his testimony? Or is it because Malchus became better known to the disciples later on, having become a disciple himself?
May 28, 2018
CHRIST’S JOY NOW AVAILABLE TO US
What is this joy that resides in Christ? Isn’t it the continual, irrepressible joy that He shares in fellowship with the Father? As Jesus prayed in anticipation for His return to the Father, He prayed that we might become one in this same fellowship. And by being one in fellowship with the Father, Son and Spirit, we might share in their mutual joy.
The apostle Paul wrote that believers are to “be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18), “walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16), and so bear the “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22-23). One of the chief attributes of this “fruit,” second only to love, is joy. This joy comes from being in union with the Spirit.
The apostle John also wrote about this fellowship of joy. In his first epistle, he wrote, “That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete” (1 John 1:3-4).
What is this joy? It is the joy of being in fellowship with the Father, Son and Spirit. It is being held in the embrace of the One who made us, died for us and now offers to live in us.