Author: kezha1

We know that the Jewish Leaders were already looking for a way to get rid of Jesus…of plotting how they might kill Him…and we can assume that word had gotten out onto the streets. We also know that Judas was a thief, only thinking of himself. This being revealed in John 12:4-6 when he objected strongly to the woman pouring the expensive nard on the feet of Jesus…calling it a waste of money. Not because he had such compassion for the poor, but because he was pilfering the moneybag he was in charge of. The question Judas posed to the Jewish Leaders overflowed with arrogance, haughtiness, and pretentiousness…”What will you give me if I singlehandedly give you Jesus?” The corrupt nature and operation of Judas’s evil heart was readily seen here as he chose to please self rather than please his God.

In this Chapter of John, Jesus is again comforting His disciples as He readies them for His departure. And as they attempt to grasp it all, Jesus reassures them not only of His love, but the Father’s love for them. For the three persons of the Trinity are united in their love for Believers…and we are simply to respond to this love with faith and trust. This affection between Jesus and the Father shown here is the same as Jesus had for His disciples…or for that matter, you and me. The wonderful thing of this being the impossibility of this tie to ever be broken… either between Jesus and God, or Jesus and us.

The image of Job sitting among the ashes scrapping his painful sores…his mind reeling from all the devastating losses, vividly displays his experience of both physical suffering and spiritual desolation. But yet, as overwhelmed as he was, Job never lost sight of the goodness of God. But for the wicked, there is another kind of dread…their fear being God’s punishment and righteous judgment which is inevitable for all who reject Him. “What the wicked dreads will overtake him.” (Proverbs 10:24) Fear is the common denominator…whether saved or lost, but for the Believer we have the foundational truth of Romans 8:31, “But if God is for us, who can be against us?” Yes, we may have affliction and fear come into our lives…but we have the gift of grace and the work of Christ as He intercedes on our behalf to fall back on and put our trust in.

The disciples were confused and sad as Jesus told them He was leaving, but then He gave them and for that matter us, the greatest promise He could…”I am coming back for you and will take you to heaven to be with Me forever.” Think of it, Jesus could send angels back to earth to do His bidding, or He could miraculously transport all Believers with a word. But no, Jesus Himself will be coming back to fetch us…just as a Bridegroom fetches his beloved and cherished Bride…His heart’s affection for us the same as between God the Father and Him…a love so strong that it’s impossible for the knot ever to be broken. Jesus is preparing a place in heaven for all Believers, just as the Holy Spirit is today preparing us for our place there…until that day He comes to get us.

II Corinthians 1:9 warns us directly to not rely on ourselves but on God. But human pride and our selfish egos often pull us the opposite direction. Even though this Scripture tells us quite bluntly what will happen if we rely on any other type of security other than God..(we will be cursed)…we often times continue to resist Him. For anytime we depart from God’s Will in our life and put our confidence in ourselves, we’ll find obstacles at every turn, and the folly that’ll ensue will only show our true weakness, in contrast to the power of God.

Jesus had been truthful to His disciples from the beginning of His Ministry about Him returning to heaven. The disciples had heard what He was saying, but never fully grasped the meaning until the end. In this conversation with them here in John the disciples are very sorrowful…their anguish heightened at the thought of being abandoned as deprived and defenseless orphans. But Jesus reassures them with the promise of the coming Holy Spirit, “You will know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you.” In other words, the Holy Spirit will come as a Counselor who dwells in you not just with you. And Jesus went on to assure them, “And He will remind you of everything I have said to you.” …telling you nothing but stories of My love for you, turning your sorrow into joy.

It’s not if I’m going to stumble, but when will I trip up, blurt out a blundering comment, or fall short of what God desires of me. The sad truth is I stumble daily…all my good intentions going out the window as I come up short time and time again. So that’s why this Scripture gives me such hope today. For even though I may not be able to stand firm in myself, the Lord will keep my feet from slipping…He will guide and protect me with the certianity that He is directing my path, and He will strengthen and sustain me on the journey. For He is compassionate towards the weak…restoring the erring ways of those who wander. And every time I come back to the Lord again asking forgiveness, I can rest in His merciful kindness, knowing my ultimate recourse is to, “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.” (Psalm 55:22)

Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, was the first Christian to die for his belief. The opposition couldn’t stand up against or deny Stephen’s divine insight and knowledge, for his life was firmly residing in his Savior, Jesus Christ. So instead they stirred up the people with false witnesses that slandered, maligned, and defamed Stephen’s character. But in spite of a masterful, Holy Spirit inspired, presentation of his faith, (see Acts 7) Stephen was interrupted by a furious mob, charged with blasphemy, and stoned to death. Persecution for the faith comes in all shapes and sizes…from simple harassment, to actual suffering for one’s beliefs, but we can, like Stephen, take heart in the words of Jesus when He assured His disciples in Luke 21:15, ” I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.”

At the beginning of Chapter 31 we see revival break out as the Israelites smashed and destroyed foreign idols in Judah. King Hezekiah then called for contributions to be brought in as written in the Law. It tells us in verse 5 that as soon as the order went out, the Israelites gave generously…so much that soon there were mounds of grain, vats of new wine, and buckets of honey in every nook and cranny of the Temple area…not to mention the multitude of herds and flocks. The people were giving out of grateful hearts, and God was blessing them more than they could manage. Malachi 3:10-12 illustrates this well, “Bring the whole tithe – Test Me in this says the Lord Almighty, and see if I won’t throw open the flood gates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you won’t have room enough for it.” Now typically, God tests man,,, but only in a few instances are we invited to test Him, and this is one of them. God was saying, “Test Me, and see if you can out give Me.” We shouldn’t need prompting or perks to give generously. Paul encouraged the Church in Corinth to “See that you excel in the grace of giving.”…that love should move us to great generosity rather than obligation or the Law…and that the Old Covenant requirement of tithing is the minimum we should be giving.

Jesus knew the hour had come for Him to depart from the world, but His mind wasn’t on Himself but those He was leaving behind. This loving them to the end was shown in a very striking way as He took up the very menial task of washing the disciples feet. With love and humility Jesus demonstrated His great concern, devotion, and affection as He moved slowly from man to man… taking the time to carefully wash and dry their feet as He spoke words of encouragement to each one. This washing of their feet symbolized not only Jesus’ servanthood as an example for us all to follow, but the ongoing and ever increasing work of God called Sanctification…a foot washing, so to speak, performed daily by God for the Believer. Whereas we see the Greek word for the bathing or washing of the whole body symbolized justification – a work by God done once for all. Jesus washed their feet, putting into action His love for them, that they might love one another in the same way.