John 14

Scripture John 14:12; 25-27; 30-3112 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father….25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid….30 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, 31 but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me. Observation and Understanding-What does it say and mean? In this chapter, Jesus is speaking to His disciples and preparing them for His departure from this world. He gives them comfort and encourages them with 4 important truths: 

1. He will prepare a place for them in Heaven.
2. They will do even greater things than He did.
3. He will send His Holy Spirit to teach them, remind them, be with them and empower them in His name.
4. The devil (prince of this world) has no hold over Jesus and Jesus leaves with them His peace, not the world’s peace. Jesus also told them why the devil must come-so that the world would learn that He loves the Father and does exactly what the Father has commanded Him to do. (Without evil, we cannot recognize good. We need the darkness in order to see the light.) 

Life Application 

Jesus’ legacy lives on through us, since we are His children/disciples.

This past month, I’ve been grieving over the death of my Grandma, who passed away on July 21st. Actually, tomorrow, we will be sealing her urn in a wall in a memorial park. Tomorrow is also her birthday and she would’ve turned 92.

Besides grieving with my family, death has made me think a lot about legacy...Grandma’s legacy of faith, 63 years of marriage, family and music, and the legacy that I want to leave behind for my kids and the generations after me. As Jesus was speaking to His disciples to encourage and comfort them because of His upcoming physical death from this world, His words were basically a passing on of His legacy on to them.

If you are a Christ follower reading this, how would you rate yourself regarding continuing the legacy that Jesus left behind for us? Even in a difficult season of life, are we living like victims of this world or conquerors through Christ? Do we truly believe that we could do greater works than He did through the Holy Spirit living in us? Remember, the enemy has no hold over Jesus, so that means he should have no hold over us either.  The life Jesus lived on earth lives on through us.

Dear Lord, help us to fully believe and live out the legacy You have left behind for us, with the help of Your Holy Spirit. Amen. 

-Michelle Gaddi

John_13

Scripture:John 13:15-17, 34-35¹⁵ I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.  ¹⁶ Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.³⁴ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Observation:John 13 covers Jesus washing his disciples’ feet, then his prediction of betrayal (by Judas) and denial (by Peter).  But it also reveals his heart of love and servitude to his disciples.  As usual, I found a commentary that captures the lead up far better than I could.“Now before the feast of the Passover: This gives us a time reference. Jesus was about to share a meal with His disciples…Jesus knew that His hour had come: Jesus lived His life in anticipation of this hour…That He should depart this world to the Father: The cross is not specifically mentioned in John 13:1, but casts a shadow over almost every word. We see the shadow of the cross over His hour had come. We see the shadow of the cross over loved them to the end. But we also see the shadow of the cross over depart this world. It is phrased softly, but there is an iron-hard reality underneath the soft cover. Jesus would only depart this world through the cross…Having loved: Surely, Jesus had loved His disciples. He led them, taught them, cared for them, and protected them. What Jesus gave them was already more than any other teacher or leader would or could give his followers…Having loved His own: There is a love Jesus has for all people, and then there is a love for His own. It isn’t so much that Jesus’ love is different, but the dynamic of the love relationship is different. The love of Jesus for His own is greater because it has a response, and love answers to love…He loved them to the end: Jesus had loved His own. But He hadn’t finished loving them. He would love them to the end. The idea behind the phrase to the end is “to the fullest extent, to the uttermost.”…For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you: Jesus was far more than an example to the disciples and they needed more than an example. Yet Jesus certainly was an example to those disciples and all who would follow Him. They must take Him as an example for both attitude and action…A servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him: If Jesus – who is our master and who sends us – if this Jesus humbly served in this way, it is even more appropriate for His servants and sent ones to do so…If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them: The theory of being humble and being a servant isn’t worth very much. But the practice of being a servant pleases God, fulfills our calling, bringing blessing and happiness.https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/john-13/ Understanding:So, let’s drill it down…

• Jesus LOVED His disciples…even those he knew would ultimately betray and deny him.
• The example He gave was one we must follow in both attitude and action.
• “The theoryof being humble and being a servant isn’t worth very much. But the practice of being a servant pleases God, fulfills our calling, bringing blessing and happiness.”

Jesus loved and served. Jesus said the example he gave was one His disciples [and we] should follow.We are called to respond both in attitude (love towards others) and action (love and serve others). Life Application: It may seem oversimplified to sum things up week after week with the phrase “Go love on somebody,” yet it also seems quite biblical.Galatians 5:14For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Mark 12:28-31²⁸ One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”²⁹ “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.^[a] 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’^[b] 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[c] There is no commandment greater than these.”So, as we go throughout our day, let’s LOVE – love God, love others, showing this love in ways big and small, through our actions and attitudes towards those we know and those we don’t.  Let’s go! <3Rei

John_12

Scripture:  John 12:3-5  Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.  But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?” Observation-What does it say?  A feast is prepared for Jesus, as a way of celebrating the resurrection of Lazarus.  As Jesus’ time before his ultimate sacrifice is drawing close, he spends time with those who are close to him, as if he is saying goodbye.  It is in this time we see some contrasting behaviors towards Jesus, and some slight modifications of behavior.  Martha, who in Luke 10 was complaining about her sister’s behavior, is still serving, but has dropped the complaining.  There is also the contrasting behaviors of Mary and Judas.  “ Mary gave a token of love to Christ, who had given real tokens of his love to her and her family. God's Anointed should be our Anointed. Has God poured on him the oil of gladness above his fellows, let us pour on him the ointment of our best affections.” (Matthew Henry Commentary)  Judas was still looking after his own interests. Understanding-What does it mean?  There was a clothing company that put out a line of comedic t-shirts a few years ago that really struck a chord with me.  They had sayings like, “World’s Okayist Dad!” and “Medium speed, Some drag.”  While they were most definitely celebrating mediocrity, they may have been one of the more truthful line of shirts you would ever see anyone wear.  It was a breath of fresh air to see a shirt that wouldn’t make the wearer try to live up to an arbitrary and impossible to meet standard like “World’s greatest dad!”  For one thing, there isn’t enough data to prove that anyone wearing that shirt really is that great.  Unfortunately, sometimes this is also the attitude I want to carry into my worship of God.  I want to bring forth a mediocre effort and have it be good enough for God.  But God doesn’t just want part of us.  He wants all of us.  We learn this very early on, with the story of Cain and Abel.  Cain offered a mediocre sacrifice and God told him it wasn’t good enough.  Cain, like Judas, was trying to hold the best back for himself.  But, God wasn’t having it with either.   Mary, though, poured out her all on Jesus.  In return, God lavished His love on her.  God also tells us that we can give him our everything because He will make our burden light.  Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”  Even in times where the world seems to make it impossible to give everything to Him, God makes a way.
Life Application:  Jesus, help me to let go of the sin I am holding onto (Hebrews 12:1-3), help me to leave my anxiety at your feet (Philippians 4:6), help me to fix me eyes on you.  I want your best for me, and I know I can’t hold anything back, or give you my “Okayist” gift.  

 

-Tyler Galloway