John 13 & 14

Chapters 13-17 are powerful chapters that warrant reading and re-reading because they reveal the nature of Jesus and his great love for us. He takes the position of the most humiliating servant posture to wash the feet of his disciples; even the one who had turned against him. In a world that strives for position and control, Jesus goes against the grain. Jesus was very aware of his position as Son of God. Yet he didn't find it necessary to continually state his position to get what he wanted. He came to serve. I'm in a leadership position and there are situations where it is my responsibility to set agendas and make hard decisions, but I have to remember that I am called to lead sheep; not drive cattle.

Jesus, knowing what the next hours would bring, still ministered comfort to those who were near to him. John 14 is one of my favorite chapters of the entire Bible as he speaks comfort and encouragement to his disciples. They hadn't shown much to this point, but Jesus told them that they would do more than he had done when his Holy Spirit came to them. And you know what? He was right.

John 11 & 12

It's a little unfair to know the ending of the story while you are reading it. Then tension builds between Jesus and established religion. As Jesus loves and heals people, even bringing his friend Lazarus back to life, the religious authorities try more desperately to hold on to power. They call Jesus to account over tiny matters of the law, and plot to murder him to maintain their position. Lazarus is resurrected, so they plot to kill him. But Jesus is not threatened by the end of his earthly life, because he is eternal. It is almost funny that those who received life by the creation power of Jesus are threatening him with death.

Jesus said in 11:25 "I am the resurrection and the life."  Not "I have access to resurrection and life". I Am. That's the name God gave Moses when he asked for a name to tell Pharaoh. At the burning bush, God is I Am. While he walked on earth, Jesus is I Am. And today, in the difficulties we face, he is still I Am. Not I was, not I'm gonna be, not I'll be if I can get you on my side. I Am. Past. Present. Future.

"I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me though he die, yet shall he live. and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die."

John 9 & 10

It is amazing what can be overlooked if something doesn't fit within our agenda. No one was happy that a guy who was blind could now see except for the guy who is seeing for the first time. The Pharisees were afraid that Jesus would get more powerful than they were. The parents were afraid that they would be put out of the church if they acted excited about their son being healed.

Those who had their minds set on protecting their turf were never happy when Jesus, who didn't show them the fear and respect they felt they deserved, did something miraculous. They heard the explanation of Jesus' divinity many more times than those who were converted. And their judgment will be much more severe than for those who have never heard.

Jesus is that keeper of the sheep who is willing to die for the sheep. Many want to have a lot of sheep for the status they bring, but when trouble hits, it's "bye bye sheep".  But Jesus said, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand." (Jn.10:27-28)

John 7 & 8

I get frustrated when I read these chapters. Educated people who have dedicated their lives to the service of God are speaking to God in human form but they don't recognize Him. As a matter of fact, they see Jesus as the enemy. The people who need healing and restoration need no deep theological discussion; they believe in Jesus because of who they see Him to be. The Pharisees spent so much of their time studying and discussing the expected Messiah that they failed to recognize Him when He stood right in front of them. But Jesus kept on healing and delivering between fruitless verbal exchanges with those who were not interested in a Messiah that didn't look or act like they wanted him to. But He promised that "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (Jn. 8:31-32)

John 5 & 6

When someone has brings about changes to the status quo, it is not uncommon for it to cause opposition to arise. Those who were invested in the way things have always been chose to focus on small violations instead of big miracles. Jesus taught about his divinity and his mission to complete the plan of the ages to bring the perfect suffering savior to the world so that it could be saved, but I find no record that any of his adversaries were convinced and converted. That is a shame, because Jesus was very clear that "the will of my Father; that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."(Jn. 6:40)

Jesus' words can seem difficult to grasp sometimes, but those who believe in Him will never regret it.

John 3 & 4

I love how the gospel of John slows down and spends quality time in the conversations Jesus has with people in these two chapters. Beginning with Nicodemus, Jesus patiently explains the plan of salvation. Visiting with the Samaritan woman at the well, He lovingly explains the kind of worshiper He looks for. The official whose son was at the point of death learned that having Jesus' word carried the same authority as His presence. Jesus told him that his son would live. The man believed His word and headed home. His son was healed.

These conversations teach us a lot about the way that Jesus interacted with people. He sees no difference between a high ranking Jewish rabbi, a woman with a sketchy past, or a government official if he saw that they were seeking Truth.

I've got a long way to go to get there.

John 1 & 2

John 1 goes to great lengths to identify Jesus as the Son of God, the Word, the Light, and the Lamb of God. The entire ministry of John the Baptist was to announce the coming of Jesus. Jesus begins to assemble his ministry team. But then in chapter 2, Jesus' first miracle occurs at a nameless couple's wedding where he miraculously supplies refreshments. It seems like a big under utilization of a miraculous ability. But maybe it speaks to the nature of Jesus that he began his public ministry by taking care of a small thing that helped spare a party planner some embarrassment. Most of the miracles we encounter are not of the dramatic mountain variety. Most of them are small things that reconfirm to us that Jesus is interested and involved in the normal, mundane aspects of our everyday lives. Our lives are mostly normal and a Savior that is involved in normal is a greater blessing than one who only gets involved in crises. How encouraging to think that a Jesus who can create the universe and raise people from the dead isn't too big to help us through the day by day issues that make up our lives.  It reminds me of the old song, "How Big Is God":

How big is God? How big and wide His vast domain.
To try to tell, these lips can only start.
He's big enough to rule His mighty universe,
Yet small enough to live within my heart.