John 13:18-38 – Messengers of Jesus

Read John 13:18-38

Jesus’ meal and time with his closest friends continue in this reading. Jesus gives a promise to us as his messengers, identifies his betrayer, issues his final command, and surprises Peter with some news. There’s a lot packed into these verses to reflect on.

Do you know who the disciple Jesus loved refers to? Many believe it to be the author of this gospel, John. Although Jesus loved all of his disciples, John is one of the inner circle who was witness to things the others didn’t see. John had to have felt the love of Jesus because of being chosen in that manner. I know I would. Imagine being singled out by Jesus to see his power at work! Continue reading “John 13:18-38 – Messengers of Jesus”

John 13:1-17 – Be a Servant

Read John 13:1-17

Are you as perplexed by Jesus’ actions as his disciples were?  The foot washing ritual was regularly done by slaves, certainly not by the Messiah himself. But Jesus didn’t want to waste this opportunity, another teachable moment. Jesus knew his time had come; it was the moment he had anticipated his whole ministry. His disciples hadn’t quite grasped what that meant.

Jesus chose to care for and serve his closest followers with the time he had left. That speaks volumes to me about how much Jesus loves his chosen ones. There would be no slipping away this time. Jesus’ time had come, and the lesson on being a servant leader was left to last. Continue reading “John 13:1-17 – Be a Servant”

John 12:16-50 – To Believe or Not to Believe

Read John 12:16-50

John does a great job of capturing the crowd’s response, showing their lack of belief. Even the disciples didn’t understand everything completely, and it wasn’t until later that they connected what they had lived through as fulfillment of prophecy. Isn’t it amazing that even though “most” of the people didn’t believe, including religious leaders, we are still talking about Jesus all these years later?

When we read about the prophecies of Isaiah, it makes perfect sense why some couldn’t see Jesus. It was supposed to be that way. Yet Jesus spoke truth to those who would listen. Plenty of people were open and receptive to Jesus’ message. They would be the ones to carry Jesus’ message to us. Continue reading “John 12:16-50 – To Believe or Not to Believe”

John 12:1-15 – Anointed

Read John 12:1-15

Passover is a big deal in the lives of Jesus and his fellow Jews. John points to a specific day for this event, which is unlike many of the events John records. The timing was crucial, and whenever we hear these words, it can move us to be a little bolder in our faith.

Were you surprised by the backstory shared about Judas? John does not want to leave his readers in suspense. He calls out the betrayer by name in the story before the disciples would have known it in real time. The truth about Judas helps explain his outburst about the extravagance of Mary’s actions. Continue reading “John 12:1-15 – Anointed”

John 11:28-57 – What a Miracle!

Read John 11:28-57

Not only do we see the blessing Jesus brought to Lazarus and his family, but we see how such a sign has sent ripples of discontent in priestly circles. Let’s not rush past the beautiful miracle and blessing that happened as our Lazarus story continues from our last reading.

When Jesus first saw Mary, now after Martha had left, he was moved. John tells us Jesus had anger well up inside him, asked a question, and then he wept. Anger is a deep emotion that can often resolve itself in tears, hopefully tears of relief. In Jesus’ case, the tears would still be of grief for the pain Mary and the others felt. His anger would remain so long as his loved ones were hurting. But this grief would soon be washed away, and Jesus knew that, too. Continue reading “John 11:28-57 – What a Miracle!”

error

Enjoy this blog? Please spread the word :)