John 13 Service and Betrayal

Here we find one of the most popular acts of service that Jesus does throughout His time here on earth.  It is both a symbolical picture for us and an incredible example of Jesus’ call for us.  Jesus calls us to change serve as He did, so let us not simply glance over this story without some meditation.  Take a moment and pause.  Consider what it was like for each disciple to have his feet washed then watch his friends get their feet washed by their master teacher.  Think about what Judas was thinking.  Consider the conversation with Peter and the way he desired wholehearted devotion to the Lord.  Also, consider what it was like for Jesus.  In their culture, this was the lowest position of a servant, yet He went and did it out of love.  What does it mean for you to give your life in service for those around you like Jesus did?  How might you serve those in your dorm, or living in your house?  How about those in your class or hear at Cal? 

 

This chapter also has some incredible contrasts.  In between Jesus sending Judas out to betray Him and announcing that Peter was going to deny Him three times, He gives a new commandment.  A commandment calling His disciples to love like Him.  We talked about this at our Unity Retreat, so maybe you want to go and look at your notes, or simply reflect on what Jesus does in the following chapters.  His love goes forward despite those around Him who let Him down.  May we live lives of love as we walk through Cal no matter what things happen around us because we rely on Christ’s love for us?  What might happen if STAND starts to live daily lives of service with the love pouring from Christ to the students of Cal?

John 12 On the way to the cross.

This chapter is full of little pictures of Christ helping people see that He is about to go to the cross.  They did not grasp what they were about to see, but later they would recognize that Jesus was saying all along.  Jesus came for the purpose of saving the world though through His teaching many did not give Him the time of day, or they were so caught up in their evil desires that they could not grasp what He was saying.  Judas for example in the first section here contrasted with Mary was focused on Jesus as to what he could gain from Him.  Sometimes we follow Jesus because we look good in certain respects or selfishly get some gain from it.  Then we become solely focused on the stuff we can get from Jesus rather than Jesus Himself.  Mary here received much love from Jesus and her response was to love Jesus back not with the goal of getting more back, but with the desire to glorify Him.  Jesus constantly spoke about loving and caring for the poor, so He is not going against that here in verse eight.  Rather Jesus is pointing to Himself as the one who we should all seek to love first.  So often we try to live our Christian lives by doing some task or being involved in some action.  While these are good, they must be out of response to what Jesus has done for us, rather than a tool we use to try to earn His love.  I think of Matthew 6:33 as I read this passage.  May we not become focused on anything that might distract us from glorifying Jesus.

John 11 addition…

I wanted to also mention from verse 49 and following the intriguing statement of Caiaphas.  He is making a clear statement thinking that by Jesus’ death the people will be saved from Him, when in truth His death will save people to Him.  God used this member of the party plotting to kill Jesus to prophesy the extent of Jesus purpose on earth.  Praise be to God

John 11 What are you waiting for God?

How often do we get upset, stress out or impatient as we wait for something we desire to come along?  Whether it’s a job, a summer opportunity a special someone in our life, or the healing of a loved one, we desire God to move on our timetable.  Verses 4-6 are extremely challenging as they show Jesus is on a schedule that is focused on bringing glory to God.  Jesus love for Mary, Martha and Lazarus did not change this focus.   Later he used this to help them make a significant change in their thinking.  Martha looks to the time when Lazarus will be resurrected from the dead (vs. 24) with hope, but Jesus turns her thinking to consider that He is that resurrection and life.  We look for hope, happiness, joy, significance, peace, love and life in so many things that can ultimately only be found in Jesus. 

 

As we move throughout our day, let us rejoice in the fact that Christ has given us life, and now let us take off the grave clothes that are wrapped around us and be free in Him.  (vs. 44)

John 10 Full life…

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”  I loved this verse as I grew up, because it always seemed like Jesus was giving us something greater than the boring life I was living, but I never was quite sure what He meant by it.  A couple of years ago as I wrestled with this I started to understand that “worship” meant a lot more than simply singing music.  I worship in whatever I am doing if I am directing it to the glory of God.  Today as I skied was an act of worship as I rested from my normal work and trusted God that He was in control even though I was not working.  I will continue to grow and understand how God gives fullness to life by giving meaning to all areas.  For example, your academics when placed in Jesus’ hands is far more important than simply a grade to get through school.  It now becomes something that I do as worship for Him.  My life is full because I see all that I do, whether relationships with friends, my job, my studies, my free time all being cared about and transformed by God.  May it be our prayer to give our whole lives to God and not let the thief do anything to it.

John 9 Getting lost in Theology

Someone once said that all theology(thinking about God) should be practical theology, meaning if it does not matter in life, what does it matter?  God must impact our life daily, but sometimes Christians get so off trying to act and talk spiritually that we ignore the core of God’s love.  Jesus comes walking along with His disciples and they decide to hold a “theological” conversation about a blind man sitting on the side of the road.  First of all imagine if you were the blind guy hearing these guys discuss your sin.  Sometimes we as Christians try to explain the issues of the world without engaging with the people of them.  I heard Erwin McManus once describe the problem in this passage is that the disciples wanted to hold a theological discussion about this poor guys blindness when right next to them in the person of Jesus they have the cure.  Yes we must think deeply about God, but let us not overlook God simply to think about Him.  The blind man says it well to the religious leaders, I don’t know who he was, but I do know that I was blind but now I see.  He did not shy away from what God had done in his life and later when he met Jesus he was ready to follow because his life had been infected with Christ’s love and power.

John 8 God-man Hugh?

It is an important note just before the beginning of this chapter of the recognition of that from chapter seven verse 53 through verse eleven are not found in the earliest of manuscripts.  This means that it is possible that these are not true, but when reading the whole of Scripture, this also seems like something that Jesus would do as He did not condemn this woman, but showed her grace.  It reminds me of John 3:17 that we had read earlier.  “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” 

 

The rest of this chapter talks all about Jesus’ relationship with the Father.  It is such a fascinating thing and one that we can get a glimpse of understanding, but also will never fully grasp.  I am fascinated by the way both Jesus and the Father look to bring glory on the other instead of selfishly trying to gain the glory for them.  This is the perfect picture of a pure relationship without selfish intent.  It is so opposite the way most of us go through life.  Jesus is always directing the glory to His Father while knowing that His Father will glorify Him.  Imagine what it would be like if we did not worry about getting credit for our good actions and just focused on giving all the credit to Jesus.  How freeing that would be. 

 

At the end of this chapter Jesus says, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was,  I am.”  This is one of Jesus’ declarations that He is God.  He is referring to when Moses asked God what to tell the Israelites when they asked, “Who sent him?” and God responded, tell them “I am” sent you.  Now some people like to question if Jesus was really trying to claim to be God here, but I would say that it is quite clear because of the reaction of the religious leaders.  They did not have any question that Jesus was making a claim for deity because they were ready to kill Him because of it.  Jesus was either completely confident it was true, or He had a death wish. 

 

We may never fully grasp the incredible thing of God taking on the nature of man to come and commune with us, but we should definitely rejoice in it.