John 18

Read John 18

Peter stared into the remains of the charcoal fire breathing at his feet.  The rooster’s crow had fallen on his ears like the clap of a gavel.

-Lord, why can’t I follow you now?  I will lay down my life for you-

Across the fire, his questioner spoke again, but Peter didn’t answer, didn’t stir.  After a moment, the man strode away, a shadow passing into shadow.

-I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times-

Peter swallowed, his gaze swinging to the courtyard door wherein Jesus his rabbi, Jesus his Lord, Jesus the Son of the Living God stood trial.

And here Peter stood, shivering outside.

-I will lay down my life for you-

The rooster crowed again, and someone slipped out the courtyard door.  Whispers that Jesus was going to Pilate.

Peter shuddered and folded his arms against his chest.  In his mind, the weight of his denials hung like a millstone around his neck, dragging him beneath the waves.

This moment marked the lowest point of Peter’s life.  For three years he had followed Jesus as one of the hand-picked Twelve, and in a single night, he had disowned both his discipleship and his rabbi, the man who Peter himself had confessed was “‘the Christ, the Son of the living God’” (Matt. 16:21).

If ever grace seemed impossible for Peter, this was the moment.  And it is a moment to which all people can relate.  Small missteps here, a white lie there—these Jesus can forgive.  For these his grace is sufficient.

But this…

Even this, says Jesus.  In that moment of the rooster’s crow, Peter had not stepped outside Jesus’ capacity to forgive.  In that moment of the rooster’s crow, Jesus still loved Peter.  The lonely road of ridicule, torture, and death that Jesus walked, he walked for Peter.

And for us—no matter how great our sin.

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 9:7).

Written by Ben DeVries, a New Life member and a senior at Illiana Christian High School.

John 17

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Jesus continues to pray.  First he acknowledges that his arrest, trial, crucifixion and resurrection are about to take place….”Father, the hour has come.”  And he lets us know that the reason for this is to show God’s glory…”glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you…”  Even at this moment where he is about to die a horrible death, Jesus is about doing His Father’s work.

Then, he prays for his disciples.  He acknowledges that they have been with him the whole time and prays for their protection…”holy Father, protect them… He follows this by praying for joy for them…”that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.”  He knows that in the coming days, joy will be hard to come by but then it will explode on them(at the resurrection).  His next thoughts are about their sanctification “…sanctify them by your truth…”  It is not enough that they have believed, accepted and obeyed.  There is the lifelong process of becoming all that God intends for them.  Jesus see this and prays for it to continue.

Finally, He prays for all believers.  He prays that all will be one just as the Father and the Son are one.  He prays this because he wants all believers to know the incredible love the Father has for his children.

I am amazed by the sacrificial nature of this prayer.  I marvel at the incredible grace and love it took to offer it.  And I am forever thankful that Jesus, my Savior, prayed it for you and for me.

Written by Pastor Roger Visker

John 16

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Preparation

In the last week of his earthly life before his crucifixion, Jesus asks his disciples to make sure that arrangements are made for the Passover Feast.  Jesus asks that the necessary preparations be made for this last meal before his death.  . 

The Passover Feast was the memorial that commemorated and celebrated the release of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt by the hand of God.  So many Passover Feasts later, Jesus – the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:28) - is preparing for his sacrifice by which we are released from the slavery of sin and death. 

Besides preparing himself, Jesus is mindful of preparing his disciples for what will happen in the next few hours and also in their life.  On Maundy Thursday, we remember the command of Jesus to love one another and also that Jesus was willing to give his life for ours. 

For many of us this is also a week of preparation.  Some of us may be preparing for a Spring Break trip.  Others of us are preparing to host family and friends for an Easter dinner.  All of us can prepare for the message that “He is Risen” by remembering the sacrifice, suffering and death of Jesus for us. 

At the communion service on Thursday night, we have the opportunity to again hear the words of Jesus to be prepared for the trouble that is in this world, but also to take heart about the future that is still held by him.

Hear the promise of Jesus that he is preparing for our victory – “In this world you may have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”  He overcame the world of sin and death by way of the Cross.  This Man of Sorrows is our Savior!      

Man of Sorrows – what a name for the Son of God who came ruined sinners to reclaim.

Hallelujah, what a Savior. 

And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior’s blood?

Died he for me, who caused his pain – for me, who caused his bitter death?

Amazing love!  How can it be that you, my Lord, should die for me?

John 15

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Well I don’t know about you… but I really appreciate how Jesus used such down to earth illustrations such as agriculture, dirty feet or pruning branches…  to get a point across.  He really gets his point across with this picture of pruning branches, one that can be rather painful… but with great results. 

I remember a particular backyard that I did some regular yard maintenance in (back in what seems like another life) and what I really remember about it was the huge hedge of bushes that surrounded the backyard.  When I say huge I mean it… first the backyard itself was huge and to trim the top of the hedge you had to use a ladder all the way around them.  After trimming that hedge for a number of years I remember they were starting to look a little sparse… so to get them to revive and come back stronger and more full I needed to do some severe pruning.  Trimming out all the old dead growth and bringing those 8 foot tall hedges down to half their height was a huge undertaking… it looked pretty severe when we were finished but that year when they came back they came back in nice and full.

In this passage Jesus is talking about two kinds of pruning… and specifically this passage is challenging us to be the true branches that are connected to the one who really gives life… life to the full. 

In chapter 14 (verses 9&10) Jesus confronts Philip’s questioning him about his relationship to the Father….

How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?

Then in chapter 15 (15:5) He gives us another one of those wonderful pictures to help us understand so that we can believe.  But also reminds us that it is the fruit that shows if you are a Christ follower (15:8)

What does remaining in Christ mean?  What does it do to our lives? What might pruning look like?  How will you let the master gardener grow you to bear fruit? And glorify the Father!!

Written by Pastor Todd Wessels

John 14

The God of All Comfort!

John 14 continues the journey of Jesus towards the cross.  What would you say in those last few hours?  What is the gift that you would want to press into the hands and the hearts of those you love? 

Just before Christmas this past year, I was privileged to see Amy Bulthuis in her last week on earth, on this side of heaven, begin to lay out jewelry and then give those items away.  She wasn’t just giving away jewelry – she was creating a memory.      

As we continue to follow Jesus by reading through the Gospel of John, I ask that you list the numbers of gifts that Jesus gives.  He gives assurance of a future with Him.  He reminds them that he will be the one who “bridges” the way from our life away from God to a life with God. 

Jesus also provides a challenge for living life.  (If you love me, keep my commands.  John 14:15)  Finally, he notes that the Father will send “the Advocate” (another name for the Holy Spirit) to lead us in truth, to be “in us” and to remind us of everything that he said. 

In times of sorrow and loss, one of the emotions that we will face is the feeling of being alone.  Jesus provides comfort to his disciples by noting the gift of one who can be with us – now and always.  The Triune God gives.  Jesus Christ gave his life.  The Father gave us the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit gives us this assurance – “We Are Not Alone.” 

One of the titles given to Jesus that we particularly note at Christmas is Immanuel meaning God with us.  Christmas is tied to Easter by knowing that God is with us – even as Jesus goes to the cross for us.

Comfort, comfort now my people; speak of peace so says our God.

Comfort those who sit in darkness, mourning under sorrow’s load.

Cry out to Jerusalem of the peace that waits for them;

tell her that her sins I cover and her warfare now is over.

Written by Pastor Jul

John 13

It’s so weird how much the bible talks about feet. The word is used almost 250 times, many of those times, as in John 13, in reference to the washing of feet. Washing feet was a normal custom of Bible times, as people wore open sandals and traveled by foot through a semi-arid, dusty terrain. I traveled in similar circumstances for over a month in the bush of Kenya several years ago, and let me tell you that there was nothing more refreshing at the end of the day than washing your feet...and nothing more disgusting. The sweat from your body would be running to your feet all day, making a muddy mess out of your feet as they collected dust from walking.  In Jesus’ day, disciples were to take care of the needs of their Rabbi. They would arrange for his meals, his travel arrangements, and his sleeping quarters. Yet there was one thing a disciple was not required to take care of: his feet. This was considered too gross. Too humiliating. Too disgusting. Too below them.

Jesus blows away everyone’s thinking when he models to his disciples how they are to live. He puts on the clothing of a slave and the Rabbi washes the feet of the disciples who weren’t even culturally required to touch his feet! He shows them that nothing is below them. Service requires us to set aside whatever status the world has granted us, take on the clothing of a servant, and get our hands dirty...really dirty.

Written by Kyle Stambaugh, Director of Student Ministries at New Life Church

John 12

John 12 records the end of Jesus' public ministry as he moves into Jerusalem for his passion.  It also offers us a good point to stop and reflect broadly on where we've been in the first half of John's gospel.  Chapter 12 is full of themes and motifs used through the entire gospel:

·      light-Here John records Jesus' words, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer.  Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you.  The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going.  Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light" (v. 35).  These words echo John 1, where Jesus is presented as "the true light that gives light to every man" and Jesus' own words in John 9, where as he heals the blind man he says, "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  John wants desperately for us to know that Jesus alone can open our eyes to where we should go and how we should live.  Without his light, we stumble blindly through our broken lives, confused and afraid.

·      life-Near the end of the chapter, Jesus says, "I know that his [the Father's] command leads to eternal life" (v.50).  In chapter  11 Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."  In John 6, Jesus says, "I am the bread of life.  He who comes to me will never go hungry. . . Everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life."  And famously in John 3 Jesus claims, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  Over and over, John makes clear that Jesus has the power and the desire to give us life-true life-now and forevermore.  No failure, no mistake, no disease, no power, can stop him.

·      the unity of Father and Son-Why can Jesus do all this?  Because he is no less than God himself, clothed in human flesh that we might know him.  Here Jesus explains, "For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it.  I know that his command leads to eternal life.  So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say" (v. 49-50).  Again, the words resonate because we've heard similar ones before-frequently.  In John 10 Jesus says, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I have said you are gods'? If he called them 'gods,' to whom the word of God came-and the Scripture cannot be broken-what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world?  Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'? . . . The Father is in me, and I in the Father."  Or in John 8, Jesus says, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here.  I have not come on my own; but he sent me."  Jesus and the Father are one.  God almighty loves us so much he became one of us that we might know him and rest in his love.

·      belief/unbelief-To receive this light and life and rest, we need only believe.  Many whom Jesus encountered did believe; many others did not.  By the end of Chapter 12, the word believe has appeared 64 times in the gospel of John.  Clearly, we have a choice to make: will we believe or not?

Chapter 12 ends with Jesus uniting all these motifs in a single last public statement before beginning the road to the cross.  In a loud voice, Jesus cries out, promising us light, life, and rest in God if only we'll believe. 

Believe.

Written by Jeff DeVries, a member of New Life Church.