Showing posts with label John. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John. Show all posts
Make It Personal!
Read the words of John 3:16 and Romans 10:9. Put your name into these great verses. Make it personal - Jesus is my Saviour. Jesus is my Lord.
Our True Freedom In Christ (8)
We grow as disciples as we build our lives on the truth of God. Jesus emphasizes this point very strongly in John 15:7 - “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.” If we are to grow in prayer, we must build our faith and our lives upon God’s Word - “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love” (John 15:10). If we are to grow in love, we must build a living faith on the teaching of God’s Word -”These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11). If we are to grow in joy, we muse feed upon the Word of the Lord, letting His teaching form the rock-solid foundation for our lives. When we build on the truth of God, going on with the Lord day-by-day, we will be true disciples. In the presence of the Lord, each of us must answer honestly the searching question: What kind of disciple am I? - A disciple in name only? Or a real disciple, a true follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, living in the power of the Spirit of the Lord? God waits for your answer.
Our True Freedom In Christ (5)
In John 8, there are three very important verses, which teach us a great deal about the life of discipleship. These verses are John 8:36 - “If the Son makes you free, you are free indeed”; John 8:32 - “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free”; John 8:31 - “If you continue in My Word, you are truly My disciples.” There are three lessons here - (i) The life of discipleship is a life of freedom; (ii) The life of discipleship begins when you are set free by the Lord Jesus Christ; (iii) We grow in the life of discipleship as we learn to live in the light of God’s Word.
Jesus Loves Us So Much More Than We Love Him.
Jesus loves us so much more than we love Him. In love, He comes to us to draw out from us a greater love for Him. I find great encouragement in the story of the restoration of Peter in John 21. Peter had denied the Lord three times. For each denial, Jesus came to Peter with the question, "Peter, do you love Me?" Three times, Peter reaffirmed his love for Jesus. Following on from this, there is the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) when the Lord works through Peter in a very wonderful way. Three thousand people are brought to faith in Christ - for each denial, a thousand souls brought to faith! What a wonderful restoration! May we have much cause to say of the Lord, "He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His Name's sake" (Psalm 23:3). May our ministry of His Word prosper - "those who turn many to righteousness shall shine like the stars for ever and ever" (Daniel 12:3).
Salvation - The Healing Of Our Whole Life (6)
John 4:43-5:24 (Related reading - Psalm 51:1-19)
As we consider prayerfully the Psalmist's words, we must look away from ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ.God 's purpose is that "all may honour the Son, even as they honour the Father" (John 5:23). To those who imagine that they can worship God without coming, in faith, to the Saviour, the Lord Jesus issues this warning: "He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent Him" (John 5:23). To each of us, Jesus speaks this word of Gospel promise: "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life" (John 5:24). Has this great 'miracle' happened in your life? Have you passed from the death of unbelief into the eternal life, which is received by faith?
As we consider prayerfully the Psalmist's words, we must look away from ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Salvation - The Healing Of Our Whole Life (5)
John 4:43-5:24 (Related reading - Psalm 51:1-19).
The prayer of the Psalmist, in Psalm 51, may help you to come to know the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here, we see the Psalmist, confessing his sin to the Lord: "For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in Thy sight" (Psalm 51:3-4). We hear the Psalmist, crying toGod for salvation : "Hide Thy face from my sins , and blot out all my iniquities. create in me a clean heart, O God , and put a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not They Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation , and uphold me with a willing spirit" (Psalm 51:9-12). We also learn of the Psalmist's prayer that he might be a witness for the Lord: "Then I will teach transgressors Thy ways, and sinners will return to Thee ... my tongue will sing aloud of Thy deliverance. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Thy praise" (Psalm 51:13-15).
The prayer of the Psalmist, in Psalm 51, may help you to come to know the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here, we see the Psalmist, confessing his sin to the Lord: "For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in Thy sight" (Psalm 51:3-4). We hear the Psalmist, crying to
Salvation - The Healing of Our Whole Life (4)
John 4:43-5:24 (Related reading - Psalm 51:1-19)
When Jesus brings healing, He brings a wholeness of life, which the Bible calls "salvation ." Jesus was not only concerned about the man's physical health. He was also concerned about his spiritual welfare. In John 5:14, Jesus said to the healed man, "See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you." You may enjoy good health, but are you saved? - This is the question which the Gospel keeps on pressing home to our hearts. People often say, "The most important thing is your health." The Gospel says, "The most important thing is your salvation ." Are you saved? Do you want to be saved? These are the questions God is asking. He waits for your answer.
When Jesus brings healing, He brings a wholeness of life, which the Bible calls "
Salvation - The Healing Of Our Whole Life (3)
When, in John 4:53, we read, "The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, 'Your son will live'; and he himself believed, and all his household", surely we are reading more than the story of a physical healing. This is the story of salvation . I'm sure that this man would look back on this hour in the same way that John Newton, the author of "Amazing Grace", looked back to his conversion: "'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed." Again, in the story of the healing of the man who had been ill for thirty-eight years, there are lessons concerning salvation . When, in John 5:6, Jesus asks the question, "Do you want to be healed?. we must hear, in His question, another question - "Do you want to be saved?"
Salvation - The Healing Of Our Whole Life (2)
John 4:43-5:24 (Related reading - Psalm 51:1-19)
In the two healings, - the boy with the fever and the man who had been ill for thirty-eight years, we learn lessons concerning salvation. The key moment in the healing of the boy is found in John 4:50 - "Jesus said to the boy's father, 'Go; your son will live.' The man believed the word which Jesus spoke to him and went his way." When we hear Jesus saying, "your son will live", do we think only of physical life? Do we not also get a hint of the eternal life which Jesus gives to all who trust Him? When we read the words, "your son will live", we should recall John's purpose in writing this Gospel: "these are written that you may believe that Jesus is theChrist , the Son of God , and that believing you may have life in His Name" (John 20:31). When we read the words - "The man believed the words that Jesus spoke to him", do we not, again, get the hint of a deeper dimension? Believing the word also involves trusting the Person who speaks the word. we hear the Word of God and we put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is God's way of bringing us to Himself, God 's way of bringing us into a real experience of His salvation.
In the two healings, - the boy with the fever and the man who had been ill for thirty-eight years, we learn lessons concerning salvation. The key moment in the healing of the boy is found in John 4:50 - "Jesus said to the boy's father, 'Go; your son will live.' The man believed the word which Jesus spoke to him and went his way." When we hear Jesus saying, "your son will live", do we think only of physical life? Do we not also get a hint of the eternal life which Jesus gives to all who trust Him? When we read the words, "your son will live", we should recall John's purpose in writing this Gospel: "these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the
Salvation - The Healing Of Our Whole Life (1)
John 4:43-5:24 (Related reading - Psalm 51:1-19)
At the heart of our Bible reading from John's Gospel, we have two healings - the healing of a boy suffering from a fever (John 4:46-54) and the healing of a man who had been ill for thirty-eight years (John 5:1-16). In our reading from the Psalms, we have a man crying out to God for spiritual healing - the healing of a life, hardened by sin and guilt. When we come to Jesus' miracles of physical healing, we must learn to look beyond the physical healing. We must seek to learn whatGod is teaching us concerning the healing of our whole life. What is God saying to us about our salvation in Jesus Christ? - This is the key question we must ask when we read the Bible. Scripture leaves us in no doubt about its central theme - "the Holy Scriptures are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:15).
At the heart of our Bible reading from John's Gospel, we have two healings - the healing of a boy suffering from a fever (John 4:46-54) and the healing of a man who had been ill for thirty-eight years (John 5:1-16). In our reading from the Psalms, we have a man crying out to God for spiritual healing - the healing of a life, hardened by sin and guilt. When we come to Jesus' miracles of physical healing, we must learn to look beyond the physical healing. We must seek to learn what
Jesus Christ - Risen For Us
John 19:17-20:10
‘It is finished’(30). These are not words of despair. They are words of triumph. At an early stage in His public ministry, Jesus said, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me to finish His work’(4:34). Even then, He was looking ahead to the Cross, to the completion of the work of redemption. In one sense, ‘it is finished’- on the Cross. In another sense, there is more to be done - by the Father. The Cross is followed by the resurrection - ‘God raised Him from the dead’(Acts 2:24; Romans 10:9). To come to the words, ‘It is finished’ is not to reach the end of the story. Jesus was laid in the tomb (42). Still, this was not the end of the story. Something else had to happen - ‘Jesus had to rise from the dead’(11). For our salvation, Jesus died ‘and was raised to life’(Romans 4:25).
John 20:11-31
Christ is ‘the Lord’ (2,18,20,25). Christ is ‘my Lord’ (13,28). Faith becomes real when Jesus comes to us. Here, we see Jesus coming to Mary, the disciples and Thomas. Here, we see Mary, the disciples and Thomas - changed by the power of the risen Christ. In love, He comes to them, and they are changed. (a) Mary was ‘weeping’(13,15). Jesus came to her, and she became a confident believer - ‘I have seen the Lord!’(18). (b) The disciples were filled with ‘fear’. Jesus came to them. He gave them His ‘peace’ and ‘joy’(19-20). (c) Thomas found faith hard to come by (25). Jesus came to him, and he believed - ‘My Lord and my God!’(28). Through the Gospel, we find faith: ‘These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His Name’(31).
John 21:1-25
‘Fishers of men’(Matthew 4:19) - Set your goals lower than this, and you will take others with you. Together, you will discover the emptiness of life without Christ at its centre - ‘they caught nothing’(3). Note the contrast between the self-centered life (5) and the Christ-centered life (6,8,11). Loving, serving and following Jesus - These are the most important things in life (15-17,22). Don’t look over your shoulder at someone else - ‘Lord, what about this man?’(21). Let it be personal - Jesus says, ‘Do you love Me?’(15-17). He asked Peter, ‘Do you love me more than these?’(15) - more than you love these other disciples, more than these other disciples love Me, more than your boats, nets and fishes? Look back and ask yourself, ‘Do I love Jesus more than I did a year ago?’
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
Jesus Christ - Crucified For Us
John 18:1-27
The story continues. Jesus is betrayed. Jesus is arrested (1-11). He stands before the Jewish authorities (12-14,19-24). Jesus is ‘drinking from the cup which the Father has given Him’- He drinks from the cup of our condemnation that we might drink from the cup of His salvation (11; Matthew 26:38-39; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Jesus’ death was not only ‘expedient’. It was ‘necessary’- for our salvation (14; Luke 24:26). Alongside the story of Jesus was the story of Peter (15-18,25-27). Jesus’ death was not the end of His story - He rose from the dead (Luke 24:5-6; Acts 2:23-24). Peter denied the Lord three times. This was not the end of his story. For each denial, there was a new commitment (21:15-17). For each denial, there were, on the Day of Pentecost, 1,000 people brought to Christ (Acts 2:38,41).
John 18:28-19:16
‘Barabbas was a robber’. He was released (39-40). There was ‘no crime’ in Jesus. He was ‘crucified’(38,4,6,16). Was Jesus no more than the innocent victim of a shameful and tragic miscarriage of justice? No! Jesus, the King of kings, chose to die. Looking ahead to the Cross, He said, ‘For this I was born...’(36-37). In love, He chose death on the Cross. As truly as Barabbas, each of us can say, ‘He took my place and died for me’. In His death, Jesus did not only take the place of one sinner, Barabbas - ‘He took the place of many sinners’. He did not simply bear the punishment deserved by one sinner, Barabbas - ‘The Lord made the punishment fall on Him, the punishment all of us deserved’(Isaiah 53:12,6).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
Jesus Is Still Praying For Us.
Jesus prays for you. Jesus prays for me. We have come to faith in Him through the written Word of His apostles (20). The story of the Cross (1-5), the story of the first disciples (6-19) is an ongoing story. It continues in us. The saving effects of Christ’s death are still being felt today. The written Word of His apostles is still exerting its powerful influence on today’s world. Jesus is still praying for us (Hebrews 7:25). He prayed for His first disciples - ‘that they may be one’ (11). He prays the same prayer for us (20-23). Among His first disciples, there was Judas Iscariot, ‘the one who chose to be lost’ (12). If we are to ‘maintain the unity of the Spirit’, we must take account of ‘the Judas factor’ - ‘take notice of those who create dissensions... avoid them’ (Ephesians 4:3; Jude 4; 1 John 2:18-19; Romans 16:17-18).
Overcoming The World Through Faith In Jesus Christ
Jesus was ‘persecuted’. We will be ‘persecuted’ - ‘all who desire to live a godly life will be persecuted’ (15:20; 2 Timothy 3:12). We have no guarantee that life will be easy. In all our difficulties, ‘the Spirit of truth’ directs our attention to Jesus our Saviour (15:26; 16:13-15). Whatever our problems, we draw encouragement from Jesus’ words: ‘In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world’ (16:33). Here, we have realism and faith. The world is trying to squeeze us into its own mould (Romans 12:2). Sometimes, we feel like faith is slipping away. Sometimes, we feel like giving up. What are we to say to all this? ‘Who is it that overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?’ - This is our faith’ (1 John 5:4-5).
A Life Of Obedience And Fruitfulness
Those who love the Lord are called to a life of obedience - keeping His ‘commandments’, keeping His ‘Word’ (21,23). We cannot live this life in our own strength. Christ must make His home in us (23). Once He has come to live in us, we are to abide in Him (4). Jesus says to us, ‘Apart from me you can do nothing’ (5). You cannot live the Christian life until Christ comes to live in you. ‘The Holy Spirit teaches us all things’ (26). Christ’s ‘words’ abide in us (7). We are called to a life of fruitfulness (15:5,15) - ‘the fruit of the Spirit’: ‘love, joy, peace...’ (Galatians 5:22-23). Jesus loves us (21). He gives us His peace (27). He gives us His joy (11). Love, Joy, Peace: Let this ‘fruit’ be seen in us. Let it be shared with others. ‘Love one another... Go and bear fruit... love one another’ (15:12,16-17).
Beyond Our Difficult Times, There's His Glorious Future!
Difficult times lay ahead for Jesus. He would be betrayed by Judas Iscariot (21-30). He would be denied by Peter (36-38). For Jesus, there was His departure (31-33). It would be a difficult time for His followers.
He tells them to ‘love one another’: ‘By this all men shall know that they are His disciples’ (34-35).
Jesus points them beyond the difficult times. He speaks of His glorious future. He assures them that the best is yet to be. He is preparing a place in His ‘Father’s House’ for us. He will come again to take us to Himself (1-3). He is the Way to this place, the true and living Way (6).
Now, He reveals the Father to us (9). Now, He is working in and through us (12-14). He is preparing us for His place: ‘Lord Jesus... fit us for heaven, to live with Thee there’ (Church Hymnary, 195).
Believe In Jesus And Confess Him As Your Saviour.
The Pharisees continue to exert their evil influence. ‘For fear of the Pharisees’, many remained silent, ‘loving the praise of men more than the praise of God’ (42-43).
Whatever the opposition, Jesus calls us to believe in Him and confess Him (Romans 10:9). He calls us out of darkness into light (46). If you are a believer, come out into the open. Make it known that you belong to Christ.
Do not only read God’s Word for yourself. Speak His Word to others (50). The ‘hour’ of Jesus’ suffering draws near. Satan is busy. Jesus is in control (1-3). It is the ‘hour’ of His love. We are ‘washed’ in His precious blood (8; 1 John 1:7; Revelation 7:14). What God has done for us comes before what we ‘ought to ‘do for others. Jesus is our Saviour before He is our ‘Example’ (14-15). Knowing Him, let us do His will (17).
God's Great Plan Of Salvation
The Pharisees are developing their wicked plan. God is fulfilling His saving purpose (49-53).
The voice of ‘common sense’ is not always the voice of the Lord (4-6). There is a higher wisdom than ‘common sense’. We are to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
He leads us to put Jesus at the centre of our lives. Jesus is not suggesting that the poor are unimportant. He is emphasizing that we must not lose sight of Him.
If our concern for the poor is not truly grounded in devotion to Christ, it is not the obedience of faith (8).
The Pharisees are lying in wait for Jesus. They say, ‘The world has gone after Him’ (19). They are going after Him too - in a different way!
The crucifixion draws near. God is to be ‘glorified’ in the defeat of Satan and the salvation of sinners (28,31-32). Jesus had ‘come’ for this ‘hour’ (27).
Jesus - The Resurrection And The Life
John 11:1-44
Everything is moving on towards Christ’s death and resurrection.
On His way to the Cross, Jesus performs a mighty miracle - the raising of Lazarus (43-44) - which points unmistakably to an even greater miracle - His own resurrection (Acts 2:24). Accompanying this miracle - the raising of Lazarus - , we have Jesus’ great declaration concerning Himself: ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die’ (25).
His words are immediately followed by the question: ‘Do you believe this?’ (26).
This question is put to each of us.
Jesus waits for the answer of faith: ‘Yes, Lord I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God...’(27).
This is ‘for the glory of God’ - receiving new life from ‘the Son of God...’ (4).
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