John 13 “Love One Another””

“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (v.35)

Jesus spoke of love often during His ministry, encouraging all His followers to; "Love the Lord their God with all their heart, all their soul and all their mind" (Matthew 22:31), to "Love your neighbor as yourselves" (Matthew 22:39); and even to “Love your enemies" (Matthew 5:44).

Now Jesus is giving His disciples a new commandment, to  "love one another." Therefore, in light of Jesus's teachings (which His disciples bore witness to), this seems like a very strange command. Why would He feel the need to say this? The first part of our text gives us the answer, "All will know that you are My disciples, IF you have love for one another."

Love is the ID card of the Christian. It is the outward sign to those around us that we identify with Him. The Apostle Paul describes this kind of brotherly love in first letter to the Corinthians, "Love like this suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

This is the type of love which allows us to have peace in the middle of the storms and trials of life. This kind of love binds us together and draws others to it. May your life be marked with His love for others.

The Truth
"For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another." (1 John 3:11)

John 12 “Lazarus, A Living Testimony”

Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also because, on account of him, many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus." (vv.9-11) 

The chief priests were for the most part Sadducees (Acts 5:11). Their hostile attitude is shown in that, while no charge is brought against Lazarus, they took counsel on how they might kill him, and watched for their opportunity. Why? because his life was a living witness to the divinity of Jesus Christ, and a denial of their own doctrine that there is no resurrection (Acts 23:8). 

During this time many Jews were coming to Bethany, not only because Jesus was there, but to see the risen Lazarus as well. What a testimony he must have had. The truths he must have spoken giving honor and glory to God. As a result, Christ’s followers were increasing while the priests and Pharisees followers were decreasing. Therefore, they consulted to take the life of Lazarus and Jesus as well, to preserve their positions.

Today there are those who are consulting to kill the Gospel, trying to legislate God out of existence. But your changed life, your resurrected soul, can be a living witness to the power of the gospel. And like Lazarus, you can bring many to Christ by sharing your testimony of what God has done for you. 

The Truth: “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” (2 Peter 1:16)

John 11 "Do You Believe?"

"Jesus said to her (Martha), I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Believe you this?” (v.25-26)

Here Jesus is once again speaking to Martha of the resurrection. But this time He states, “I Am the resurrection." Signifying He is able to raise men from death to life and that He could do it now. Literally telling her not to worry, your brother Lazarus will rise. 

Martha is so grief stricken she does not make the connection. She believes in the resurrection of believers “in the last day”(v.24), but, did not see it as a possibility this day. However, from the moment Jesus heard Lazarus was sick He knew, “It was not unto death, but for the glory of God. That the Son of God might be glorified thereby” (v.4), and men would acknowledge Him for who He is.

Today many are sick unto death, but there is a remedy for all who believe. Just as Lazarus’s was raised from physical death and was resurrected to glorify the Father and the Son, so all who believe in Jesus may be resurrected from spiritual death to glorify the Son and the Father. Fro He has concurred sin, death, hell, and the grave (1 Corinthians 15:55-56). 

Thanks be to God!  

The Truth: Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You.” (John 17:1)

John 10 "He Knows His Sheep"

 Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.” (vv.24-29)

Here we see a hostile ambush of Jesus as He simply walked into the temple. The sense is that the Jews encircled him, preventing His escape with a hostile purpose. The religious leaders (once again described as the Jews) refused to listen to or believe in Jesus. The problem wasn’t that Jesus was unclear about who He was and where He came from. The problem was that the religious leaders had hearts of unbelief that they wanted to discredit Jesus. Yet, the works Jesus did demonstrated that He was from God, and that He was true to His word. 

The religious leaders wanted Jesus to speak plainly, and here He spoke more plainly than they probably wanted. Jesus previously told them they were not true shepherds (John 10:5, 10:8, 10:10, 10:12-13). Now Jesus tells them they were not even true sheep, because the Messiah’s sheep believe and hear His voice. Meaning, His people, those who believe He is the Son of God, hear and obey His Word - and He knows them. 

In Jesus’s day many people that followed Him were not of Him. Not being true believers they wanted something from Him; healing, food, to witness one of His miracles. But those who truly believed He knows, and gives them eternal life (v.28).

Some people today are still looking for something from God. In times of trouble they check-in with Him, even make a request of Him pretending to know Him. Oh they might even go to church on occasion. But, according to our passage, He does not know them. Why? because they do not believe in Him (v.26)  and neither do they hear His voice (v.27). 

The Truth: “The Lord knows those who are His.” (2 Timothy 2:19)

John 9 “Who Sinned”

 “And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind.” (v.2)

When something unexplainable happens some people want to immediately blame God for the illness, misfortune, or tragic event that has occurred. When an illness like cancer strikes someone, some tend to think of it as a punishment from God for some secret sin. While it is true that all death can be traced back to man’s original sin, we should not reason that some sin must be the cause of sickness, misfortune, or tragedy in any individuals life. This is why our LORD replied, “Neither has this man nor his parents sinned (v.3), undercutting all pat answers to affliction.

Perhaps emotional illness, more than any other kind of suffering, is subject to shortsighted, judgmental responses. Most physical diseases are socially acceptable, but a stigma still hangs over most psychological disorders. 

In her book God's Remedy for Depression, Vivian Clark tells of a discussion on the topic, "Is Depression Sin for the Christian?" One person said, "Because it can't coexist with the fruit of the Spirit, which is joy, it must be a sin." Another added, "There is no reason for Christians to be depressed." Just then, a sad-faced woman slipped away from the group. For days she had been despondent and unable to gain victory. Those remarks added to her depression.

Some emotional problems may indeed be caused by wrong attitudes or secret sins. But all of us transgress, and yet not everyone breaks down. The causes of depression and mental illness are so varied and complex that we must not engage in simplistic solutions. To help someone, we shouldn't immediately ask, "Who sinned?" Rather, we should pray for those who suffer with this illness that they may receive His peace and that the glory of God may be revealed. 

True compassion invests everything necessary to heal the hurts of others.

The Truth
“Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (Psalm 103:1-5)

John 8 "The Slavery of Sin"

 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say unto you, everyone who commits sin, is the slave of it.” (v.34)

When we repeatedly give in to a particular sin, we become a slave to it. Slowly it begins to take over lives until most people feel powerless to break free from their habit. Guilt and shame begin to mount while ones self identify and confidence begins to fade. 

Once we start down the wrong path, turning back is difficult. Some of the most dangerous practices bring only temporary pleasure but a lifetime of pain and misery. Those who are willing to endure the pain for the temporary pleasure are addicted, hooked, enslaved. 

Freedom however, is found in becoming a slave of Jesus Christ. When we are in the grip of any evil practice that is ruining our life, we can simply acknowledge our sin and helplessness to the LORD, submit fully to Him, and be assured that He will forgive and deliver us.

The pleasures of sin are for a season, but its wages are for eternity.

The Truth: “Don't you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.” (Romans 6:16)