Great Grace on Believers

Acts 4:32-33   
32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. 33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.

When God first brought together the church, they shared what they had to make certain that everyone had what they needed.  This was because of their unity in Christ that they never knew before, transforming their hearts' desires from self to God and others to fulfill the two greatest commandments. Their witness to the resurrection of Jesus driven by God's Spirit now living in them was compelling to others and demonstrated His grace in their new lives. Christ was their unity, not their religion or nationality.

Shaken and Boldly Stirred

Acts 4:29-31   
29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

When threatened, the apostles prayed for boldness to speak and do the things Jesus did to prove it was God's working in and through them.  So they prayed and the place was shaken, as was soon the world also as they heard the good news that God provided salvation apart from men earning it by being impossibly perfect in keeping the law.  The law pointed to grace, salvation and reconciliation with God in Christ's work alone.

The Nations Rage

Acts 4:25-28 
25 who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? 26 The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His Christ.’ 27 “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.

God is in absolute control of history.  He allowed plots to kill His Son because He planned it ahead of time.  God did not just know how it would happen and then write it down ahead of time, He determined it to be so and then wrote it down.  So it seemed the world had the upper hand against Christ, but God's mighty hand created all who oppose Him, and His will was done on the cross and up from the grave.  This should quiet us in awe and wonder.

Sovereign Protection to Glorify

Acts 4:21-24 
21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. 22 For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed. 23 And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them,

God protected John and Peter so others could glorify God for making a man whole, one old for that time.  The authorities could do no more or look inhumane and suffer retaliation from the masses, so they let them go.  When the story was told, they others prayed to God and honored the one who did all these things - they acknowledged it was God's work alone, the creator and sustainer of all things. Do we?

Cannot But Speak

Acts 4:17-20 
17 But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.” 18 So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”

Threats to keep the gospel in chains always fail. The word of God is not chained. We are told to not to use the name Jesus, we are threatened by the ungodly and godless who fear accountability to God, and we too have the same answer as Peter and John.  We can't help but tell others who and what we have seen in Christ, and know we answer to God - so we listen to His commands and will to make disciples everywhere.  As Jesus said to the religious atheists of His day, if we are bullied into silence, the very rocks around us would call out.

Seen With Jesus

Acts 4:13-16   13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. 14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. 15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16 saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.

Peter and John were not educated nor trained in God's word, yet they spoke as and did things only someone knowing God and the Scriptures could do.  The studied and learned stood and marveled.  What could they say against the finger of God working through these two?  Though they wanted to refute and explain it all away to look better and keep their authority, God's clearly was displayed over theirs.  So they tried to think of a way to stop them.  So those today with only a form of godliness, the atheists, and the ungodly all try to attack God's word and work in Christ. 

Salvation in No Other

Acts 4:8-12 
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: 9 If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, 10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

When the rulers asked John and Peter by what power or name they healed a lame man, they pointed to Jesus as the healer of the whole man.  They pointed out the rejection of the foundation stone all is built on being killed, yet how He rose from death and so is the only way, name, and life for all.  Jesus Christ holds all of God's creation up to be delivered from due wrath to come.  No other person, prophet, or other has God's authority and power to change lives with absolute hope.  Psalms 2:12 "Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him."

Disturbed or Believed?

Acts 4:1-4 
1 Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

Opposition to Jesus Christ and the God's word gets people thrown in prison because people are afraid of truth.  But this only allows more to hear and see the cost that proves it's reality, and in Acts here many heard and believed.  You can hate and legislate God's Son, but the good news is still gladly heard through persecution for the truth that it is, cutting into the heart and setting men free from true bondage.

Hear the Prophet!

Acts 3:22-26 
22 For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. 23 And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ 24 Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. 25 You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ 26 To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”

Again we see Jesus proclaimed long before He walked here, and if we do not listen to Him then we have no hope.  God's covenant with Abraham is to all, beginning with His chosen of Israel and ending with His chosen from all nations of the earth.  He blesses as we turn from sin to Him. There is no other or greater prophet than God in our midst, and nobody else we listen to speaks for God for life and death.  Let us hear Him in all things.

Converted and Forgiven

Acts 3:18-21 
18 But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was ordained for you before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.

Since God prepared for all Christ did from the beginning of time, telling us in Scripture, and then brought it to happen - we should listen and turn from sin and to Christ to be changed and forgiven.  That is good news!  He refreshes us, making us New as we are before Him with His presence within us.  Ah, and He is coming back bodily again to restore all things as if we will be back to Eden. Sin, pain, crying and death will be no more - His word is absolutely trustworthy, so we have an absolute hope, no mere wish for our future. 

Faith in His Name Alone

Acts 3:12-16   
12 So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. ... 16 And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

Peter and John did not heal a lame man - through faith in the name Jesus, God's Son lifted up, the man was made perfectly whole in soul and body.  Salvation was the goal and the physical healing was the assurance for eyes to see. It was not the spirituality or strength of the disciples to heal, but God's work alone; they were just trusting to do as they were drawn to do and speak, trusting God to work.  Those who claim to heal apart from God's work with the goal of salvation often are self serving instead of God pleasing.

No Silver or Gold

Acts 3:2-6   
2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; 3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. 4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” 5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”

The Messiah was told to bring healing to a sinful people, demonstrated by physical healing to show the wholeness of soul only God could give to us.  So Jesus did these things to show His true healing, and the apostles followed in His steps.  When a lame man asked for money, Peter gave offered him the wholeness beginning with the ability to walk again.  It was to bring new life for the inner man, salvation from sin and death. Psalms 133:3 - For there the Lord commanded the blessing—Life forevermore.

Lord Added Daily to the Church

Acts 2:40-47 
40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

When people first heard the gospel after Pentecost, they gladly heard and became the church together in unity.  They listened to sound teaching, prayed together, shared everything together, and met in the temple building and also in each other's houses.  They were glad and thankful, praising God who kept adding more being saved by their word and testimony.  These are all still critical elements for the church toda

Jesus, Lord and Christ, Calls

Acts 2:36-39 
36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

Jesus is both the anointed of God and Lord of all, and mankind crucified Him. With that knowledge and knowing we deserve the death for sin that He took in our place, what should we do?  We do not respond to God by joining a church or merely trying to live a moral life, but do as we hear here: turn from our life of sin with a mind knowing Jesus was perfect for us, and be immersed into Christ Himself and find a new birth with God Himself coming to live in us by faith He gives to as many of us as He calls out. When God opens our eyes and gives us the ability to believe, we turn to Him through Christ.  No group we join or works we do can earn such a priceless gift!

Promise of God's Spirit

Acts 2:30-33 
30 Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, 31 he, [king David] foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. 33 Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.

God promised David to have his descendant sit as King, raised up from the dead and not just raised up to be King.  He would not stay dead, but return for many witnesses to see.  So the other promises also were to be seen, as this day when God promised His Spirit to be poured out on His people and all calling out on His name would be saved from judgment.  What God promises certainly comes true every time, no matter how much time passes before it happens.  His time is as perfect as the promises.

God's Purpose and Foreknowledge

Acts 2:22-24 
22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— 23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.

Israel saw God in Jesus by all He did and said, then God delivered His Son as He planned in order to suffer and be killed on a cursed tree.  But He also planned for Jesus to defeat death as man and God, making a way for us to be called to faith and life from spiritual death from our sin.  This was God's plan and purpose set from before time and given through Jesus Christ.  The binding chains of sin are loosed and dead men now live for God in Him. 

Spirit Poured Out

Acts 2:17-21 
17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. 21 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.’

God poured His Spirit into His people, and they spoke of His glory and things He did and would do - all so those who through Jesus Christ called on His name to be saved from the justice of God's due anger for their cosmic rebellion (sin) against the Most High. God revealed His plan through His Son and the apostles who wrote it down for us to live by.  This was the oneness from John 17 'that was now the Church.

Many Tongues Praising God

Acts 2:5-11 
5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. 7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? ... —we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.”

When God first came to live forever in His people, they spoke to many from around the world who came when they heard Jesus' followers talking in all their languages of all the wonderful things God has done. They marveled.  They were amazed and in awe.  The tongues, the world's languages were all spoken to unconfused listeners, bringing together what confusion was given when the Tower of Babel was attempted.  Now unity would come in Christ, made possible by God's Spirit making it possible.  The church had begun as the gospel was heard.

Babel vs. Pentecost

Acts 2:1-4 
1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The day finally came that Jesus told the disciples to wait together in Jerusalem for.  God's Spirit filled men, who then began speaking in many different languages in the midst of a large crowd from all over the area.  Jesus told them before to make followers from all the world, so Hod brought the world first to them.  God gave them the words to speak, they did not whip themselves up into a frenzy or force what only God could give - for the purpose of telling the good news to all, reversing Babel's curse.

Chosen Successor

Acts 1:21-25 
21 “Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.” 23 And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen 25 to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.”

Apostles were those who were witnesses from the baptism of John through the resurrection and into the clouds.  They were eyewitnesses and shared together Christ's teaching.  So they were led to pick one from two such men to fill the spot of Judas, and God confirmed which would be the one. The pattern is similar for elders and deacons - God shows the need and leads the others to the ones needed that God chooses.

Upper Room Accord

Acts 1:12-14 
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey. 13 And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

After the apostles returned from watching Jesus go up into the clouds, they walked all day to go back to the place they were staying - and together they prayed.  Continually.  They prayed as they thought of His words and all that happened, but mostly because He told them to wait for enabling authority and ability to tell the world of Him and all they had seen and heard.  They needed first to be changed by and in-dwelt by God to speak with understanding.  So they waited and prayed.

He Will So Return

Acts 1:9-11 
9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

Jesus commissioned His followers to give testimony of what they had seen and heard and then saw Jesus go up into heaven.  They were assured by angels that He would come back down the same way when it was time for His return.  We also have this call and hope, certain and clear.  Many will try to explain it all away, but for us who have been reconciled and know His living presence within us, we have a certainty in hope and mercy that cannot be lost or taken away from His almighty hand.

Witnesses to End of the Earth

Acts 1:6-8   
6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

God has a plan that is finished, and He chooses to show what and when as He pleases. Our focus is not to be on the times of all things until the end, but is to be enabled by His presence living inside us to bear witness to His work to the world.  This means we tell forth that Christ is the way, truth, and life unending - the good news of reconciling His children He calls out to Himself. The time of His future kingdom on earth will come, but we must be about our Father's business. 

Wait for the Promise

Acts 1:4-5 
4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

The apostles listened to Jesus when He told them to wait for God's Spirit to immerse them as promised, for then His law would be in their hearts made new and not on stony ones.  The call to repentance had a ceremonial washing of water, but the salvation would be God filling all His children with Himself.  So they waited.  We now who are His have His Spirit, having repented and been reborn; there is no more waiting for more of Him - yielding, we offer more of us to His sovereign reign over us.

Account for Lovers of God

Acts 1:1-3 
1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, 3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

Luke here picks up from the end of his gospel account where Jesus told the apostles ("lovers of God") to wait in Jerusalem for Him.  He reminds us to think of all Jesus did and said - including His resurrection and last commands to make disciples everywhere.  Jesus proved again His authority for 40 days after He rose from death, telling more of His kingdom to them for us.  Then they waited for Him again.

Not Enough Books

John 21:25
And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

Jesus Christ was God's very word become a man like us, yet He was the infinite God who could speak everything God knows and chooses to reveal to us.  Though He did not say everything, the amount He did say in three short years could fill the libraries of Congress and Alexandria, and still only be the prologue of an infinite God of unending knowledge.  Add to that all the wonderful actions with those words, and we are left speechless with what is written down.  It is more than sufficient to know in a lifetime here.  But in eternity we will know completely as we are completely known... Awe.

You Follow Me

John 21:21-24   
21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.” 23 Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?” 24 This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.

Jesus may allow some like John to live long until He is done revealing things to them and using them to tell of God and His glory.  Others like Peter may be put to death for faith in Christ or even just be taken home early.  The true testimony is what matters as it aligns with God's sovereign plan. Since He is in absolute control of all, we who are His should embrace our calling and follow to be conformed to His image, that of God in whose image we were created.

Do You Love Me?

John 21:17-19 
17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. 18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”

Jesus wanted to make certain that Peter understood that really loving Him meant giving up his life for others, not just Himself.  So Jesus asked three times if Peter loved Him - then got him to admit He knows his heart as part of all things.  So the call to follow allowed Peter to count the cost of suffering and dying in serving.  Do we follow by taking up a cross of imminent death each day in following where Jesus went, or do we just want to follow the first fruit of the resurrection into eternity apart from it?

Come and Eat

John 21:9-12 
9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.” 11 Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?”—knowing that it was the Lord.

God provides the fish we catch, yet even in large numbers keeps the net from breaking.  He also provides for our needs with food as needed while we labor as for the disciples here.  So should we eat of all He provides and launch out to fish where He leads us to bring in the harvest ready to be collected.

It is the Lord!

John 21:4-7 
4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.” 6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea.

When Jesus came to some of the disciples fishing in their old trade for food, they did not recognize that He was with them until following His direction on where to fish.  Then they caught so much that the net was too full to bring in the boat. John then realized it was Jesus and Peter swam to shore to meet Him.  We can learn from this lesson to follow God's guidance to fish for men by the commands, principles, and examples of Scripture and His Spirit's lead as we keep in step with Him.  Acknowledging who He is, we plunge in and follow.

That You May Believe

John 20:30-31 
30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

Not every action or word Jesus said was recorded for us in John's gospel account, nor in the others - but what we require to know in order to have life by faith in Jesus as the Anointed man who is Son of God is written down.  God gave us the exact amount needed so we can know what reconciling work He did to justify and rescue us from the justice of our due wrath.  Much is hidden until that time we see His glory and know as we are perfectly known.  But what we have is complete for our salvation and life on this earth to be conformed to the image of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  We need not seek elsewhere or speculate beyond the absolute.

We Have Seen the Lord

John 20:25-29 
25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” 26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Thomas doubted what he could not see with his eyes, even when trustworthy witnesses told him they saw Jesus alive after death.  We should not have to touch and see to believe He is our Lord and God; faith accepts reliable testimonies of the truth, and God is looking for those who will take Him at His word, even through we who are witnesses of Him in ourselves. We bear witness to that truth who lives in us, based on His reliable word handed down from His mouth through the eyewitnesses.

I Send You

John 20:21-23   
21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Jesus breathed enough of His Spirit on the apostles until Pentecost for immersion in Him forever, as in the OT where God's Spirit came long enough to do God's work and then went away gain. Here they received to be able to forgive sins in Jesus' name as they waited in Jerusalem for the promise.  The real importance here is that God's work needs His power and authority by His presence in us to be effective.  This is peace to us and to those we minister to. 

Peace Be With You

John 20:19-20 
19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

Proof of the resurrection stood before the disciples who were to be the foundation as apostles, and they began to know peace with God with certainty of life through death, hope for eternity.  How glad they were to see Him, just beginning to grasp all Jesus said about needing to suffer, die, and rise again!

Ascended to the Father

John 20:17-18 
17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.

Jesus had to go to the Father bodily and not just in spirit.  He is our Father and God, and we too will go to Him when we die, for Christ as the first fruits made the way.  So we have peace with God.

Why are you Weeping?

John 20:12-16 
12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” 14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).

Jesus came back to life by His own power - no trick or deception or substitute for the Son of Man and God.  So the disciples left and Mary stayed to see angels sitting where Jesus was laid until Jesus stood behind her outside the tomb looking in.  He asked who she was looking for, and she did not know Him until He called her name.  So we do not see Jesus right in front of us until He calls us by name and shows Himself to us.

Believe He is Risen

John 20:1-9 
1 Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” 3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. 4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.

When Jesus was not found in the opened tomb, the assumption was that someone stole the body; but the disciples saw the burial cloths empty and the one from His head neatly folded up as if removed and put purposefully in place.  So they believed when seeing Jesus was gone - but not that He rose from death in the grave to life again in the body.  Their understanding was still not able to know this was what the Old Testament and Jesus Himself had told them.  They needed God's Spirit to resurrect their understanding to know what happened, just as we do to have faith to believe.

Identify With Christ

John 19:38-42 
38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. 39 And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. 40 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.

Jesus was buried by fearful disciples and who still risked excommunication and shunning to properly prepare Jesus for a religiously proper burial.  They then laid Him in a tomb close by to get ready more quickly for the Sabbath, not wanting to miss the religious day nor upset religious leaders, doing all things orderly and to fulfill the requirements of the law.  They risked much to be identified with Christ, as should we.

Predestined to Die

John 19:33-37 
33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. 36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”

How Jesus did all according to the sovereign Father's will - God told us long before that the soldiers would not be able to break Jesus' bones, and that the crowd before the cross would gaze at the one they pierced by the Roman soldier's spear.  None of this could be humanly orchestrated.  It was God in perfect control of history and circumstances. So should we who are His trust that all things are allowed for good (His glory and what is best for us), no matter how painful or seemingly hopeless in the moment.  Look ahead in absolute trust because of who He is and rest in the promises.

It is Finished!

John 19:28-30 
28 After this, Jesus, seeing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Jesus hung long enough on the cross to fulfill scriptures like Psalm 22, then said that His work was done to suffer and die for us.  His thirst satisfied, Jesus gave His Spirit leave of the body and died to pay the price of our sin as the final and complete sacrifice to satisfy God's just anger on our disobedience to Him.  He did all He said since Genesis, and died as a blameless and pure lamb on the final altar of wood as foreshadowed by the one Abraham built for Isaac long ago.  The promises of the Messiah were finished, and soon to be effective by the resurrection.

Behold...

John 19:25-27 
25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

Jesus ensured His mother would be taken care of by a trusted disciple after He died - even on the cross He fulfilled the Law regarding care of family, and He did it in love by choosing one who was loved and could love.  So we learn in the body of Christ to care for each other by this example, not just going through the motions but with love and thought.

Gambling for Christ

John 19:23-24 
23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. 24 They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: “They divided My garments among them and for My clothing they cast lots.” Therefore the soldiers did these things.

Therefore the soldiers did these things - what God wrote centuries ago in Psalm 22 came true in history as Jesus was hung to suffer and die on a cross.  So they stripped Him, divided up and gambled for His clothing.  They wanted the wrong parts of Jesus, missing the forgiveness, reconciliation, wisdom, and unending life with God in Him.  They gambled and lost everything. 

The King of All

John 19:19-22   
19 Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. 21 Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.” ’ ” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

Jesus was titled as King of the Jews by a Roman authority, which angered the religious leaders because they denied Jesus' claim as their King and Lord.  But their protests fell flat as Pilate used a phrase similar to scripture's authority of "it is written."  He said what he wrote he had written.  So even then God's plan to fulfill scripture was glaringly obvious, as the sign was both given and posted to remind all who the Son of God and Man is, the King of kings.

Crucify the King!

John 19:14-16 
14 Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” 15 But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!” 16 Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led Him away.

Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar they said, and that Jesus should die because He was not their king.  The religious leaders wanted the Son of God dead so they could continue to falsely worship on their own terms with their own laws.  So Jesus was led away to be horribly killed, nailed to a tree in shame.  But God planned this from long ago, and the King of kings would rise again with mercy in His wings to pass over our sin against Him once and for all He calls.

Sovereign Authority to Crucify

John 19:7-11 
7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.” 8 Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid, 9 and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?” 11 Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”

Jesus was killed for saying He is God's Son, equal to God and more than just a religious man or prophet.  Pilate the was afraid because he was about to anger God - but still thought it was up to his will to bring life or death.  Jesus mad it clear that He, God alone, has power over these and all else in creation.  So we can rest in knowing Jesus Christ is God among us, bringing life according to His free will and not our own powerless will or effort. 

No Fault in Him

John 19:4-6 
4 Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.” 5 Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!” 6 Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.”

The law could not accuse Jesus because He was most innocent.  Yet the soldiers beat and humiliated Him, and the religious authorities demanded Jesus be put to death while blameless - He was so led as a sinless lamb to the slaughter to die in our place.  The one without any fault, the Son of God, willingly died so we, every one sin-filled and deserving the wrath of judgment, might be made faultless in Him.

What is Truth?

John 18:38 - 19:1   
38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all. 39 “But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 40 Then they all cried again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.  1 So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him.

Though Pilate could not grasp the higher truth of who Jesus is, he did see the truth of His innocence.  But the will of the mob put on the robe of righteousness like wolf among sheep, a thief was released instead of the righteous and true one, and Jesus was whipped in preparation for death on a cross.  Truth never changed.

Not of This World

John 18:36-37   
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” 37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

Our kingdom is in the heavenly places before the presence of Almighty God Himself.  So Jesus did not fight to create politics to gain an earthly throne, and we must follow Him, not fighting and entangling ourselves here.  Jesus was born to bear witness to the truth, and we who are His hear His voice and so bear witness to that same truth as citizens of that kingdom. 

Knowing the King

John 18:33-35   
33 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”

Did Pilate know the King stood before him?  He knew the Jews brought Jesus to be judged, so He asked Pilate if that was his belief also.  Pilate said it was the charge brought to him and so asked what Jesus did to have them bring Him up on charges.  So we must answer the question - do we know Jesus is the King of kings, or is it just what others tell us that we echo?  Our answer is eternally significant.

Predestined Death

John 18:29-32   
29 Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?” 30 They answered and said to him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.” 31 Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.” Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” 32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.

Jesus was to be crucified, nailed to a tree and hung for all to see whom they pierced, just as God said would happen long before.  In His sovereignty, God allowed His Son to be tried as a sinner while without sin, judged falsely by the law of God's word whom He was in the flesh, and put to death in our place to pay the price for us and take away God's just wrath from all who find Justification in Jesus Christ.  Looking back, this is why we celebrate Christmas where God brought this plan into the world.

Denial Crowed

John 18:25-27 
25 Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not!” 26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” 27 Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.

Peter was afraid and refused to be identified as Christ's; he outright denied Jesus to avoid being identified with and suffer with Him, even when he was seen with Jesus before.  Then Peter remembered when the rooster woke him up in mourning.  Do we openly identify with Christ, or do we hide until awoken to the great privilege we have as His children?

Speak Openly

John 18:20-23 
20 Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing. 21 Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said.” 22 And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?”

Jesus spoke publicly of many things, yet was questioned what He said and taught by those set against the truth.  He did not say anything evil, yet was hit for his answer of truthfulness.  They did not want truth, but their religious views and control over the people, so they began to find a way to stop God's word from speaking further lest people tun and be set free.  Any system that does not hear His word and attacks those who do is against Christ, the word and Son.

Expedient For One Man to Die

John 18:12-14 
12 Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him. 13 And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year. 14 Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.

Jesus was taken to the high priest who was the father in law of the other high priest that spoke without knowing that Jesus would die for His people.  Just as this was for God's chosen people of Israel, so He died for His chosen from every people and nation in the world. And so they began legal proceedings to put Him to death to bring it to pass - thinking they would stop Jesus, they fulfilled His will.

Drink Deeply of the Cup

John 18:8-11 
8 Jesus answered, “I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,” 9 that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, “Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.” 10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. 11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?”

God already planned that Jesus would die and those given to Him would live in Him.  We do not get lost again.  Nothing could stop what He planned and written of - not fighting, but drinking deeply and fully according to plan.  He is sovereign. 

I AM

John 18:4-7   
4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?” 5 They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. 6 Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 Then He asked them again, “Whom are you seeking?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”

When the soldiers and religious leaders came to arrest Jesus to try Him for blasphemy, Jesus told them He was the I AM - God.  This truth literally knocked them to the ground in the presence of almighty God.  When we read Jesus' words, we must remember that they are God's and not a mere man's with power and authority. 

Betrayal in the Garden

John 18:1-3 
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. 2 And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples. 3 Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.

Right after Jesus spoke with the disciples of His glory and their unity, He took them to the garden to deal with the sin of the original garden by offering up His life.  He was betrayed as He said would happen long ago, being confronted with armies of soldiers and adversaries of religious leaders and teachers.  They came armed for the One who allowed it to save all who were His.  And Jesus willing and knowingly permitted it all to pay the price for our sin once and for all.  This is why He came into the world, and we remember this at Christmas.

Loved Before Time Began

John 17:24-26   
24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

We know Jesus who was with the Father before the world was created, and who came into the same world as a man to bring us into His presence of that same glory.  The word became flesh as a baby, grew in wisdom and stature, told us the good news, suffered, died, and rose again.  So His love to come to us and which is now in us is what we tell others, good news to a wayward world heading only to destruction. 

Faith Unites Us in Christ

John 17:20-23 
20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

Jesus prayed for His followers standing before Him then, but also for all through time called out who believe as well.  Why?  So we can all be united in God as Father and Son by His Spirit living in us.  Then others see and give glory to God for this, knowing Jesus was sent to us to bring us, reconciled, to God in and through Him.  That is the good news of God's love that Christmas begins.

Sanctified by Word of Truth

John 17:14-19 
14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

We who belong to Christ are no longer part of this world - its ruler, system of morality and religion, or anything else opposed to God's law.  As Jesus was while in the flesh, so do we follow, and so do we need protection from the evil ruler in the unseen realm.  So we are made holy and set aside for our God by His word and will (seen by Jesus prayer here).  The truth sets us free and guides our every step, so knowing we are not loved for truth and being conformed to Christ should bring joy and nothing else.

None is Lost

John 17:12-13 
12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.

Jesus keeps those who are His, but not those who were set aside not to be of God, like Judas.  He chooses and calls us from being lost to forever adopted as sons and daughters who cannot be cast out.  This is unmerited favor, grace.  This is a call we cannot initiate nor cancel.  So we also have joy in this good news as the disciples did here.  His word to us is all the authority and certainly we require, based on God's unchangeable and good character.

Given to Christ

John 17:9-11   
9 “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. 10 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.

Jesus prayed for those who are God's, the ones chosen by the Father to bring God glory.  We are in this world that He came and ascended from, but the prayer is that we be kept by the Father for the Son (by His Spirit living in us as well).  We are called and chosen, the church, and are one with each other as the Son and Father are.  So He keeps us for His glory - we are never lost again...

Elected to Christ

John 17:6-8 
6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. 8 For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.

God chose men and Jesus showed them who the Father is by words and deeds. They came to know God was with them, and so followed in obedience and with open ears and eyes.  As they listened, they received faith to believe who He is and what He did for them after the resurrection.  So we are called, chosen, and faithful to listen and follow our master's voice.

Son Glorified in the Father

John 17:4-5   
4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

Jesus glorified His Father by completing the work He had to do.  His own glory was as God's Word from before time and creation, become flesh to complete our redemption and reconciliation by teaching, suffering, dying, and rising again to life from death for us.  We who are called out glorify God in Christ's sufferings and for the gospel, the good news of God's work in Jesus and in us.

Know God and Jesus He Sent

John 17:1-3 
1 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, 2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

The Son of God glorified His Father through obedience to the cross so He could give unending life with God to all His Father gives to Him through the grace of faith. So we have eternal life in knowing (not facts alone, but intimate knowledge) Jesus Christ sent and so God in and through Him.  There is no other God who is truth and life and so the only way - only knowing Jesus is knowing God.

Overcoming Trouble

John 16:32-33   
32 Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Peace comes in the midst of hard times, not in good times alone.  We have tribulations and trials because of being Christ's, yet can have great joy in knowing He overcame and continues to overcome all things of this world.  We are so much more than conquerors in Christ! 

Gospel Spoken Plainly

John 16:28-31 
28 I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.” 29 His disciples said to Him, “See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech! 30 Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?

Do we believe as the disciples, only when it is clearly laid out for us by God and not in parables or allegory?  Or do we trust that His word has both clear and hidden or hard to understand parts as well, and yet put our trust fully in Him in the known and unknown?  Do we now believe....

Believe Jesus is from God

John 16:25-27 
25 “These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; 27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.

When Jesus was nearing the cross, He began speaking clearly and no longer with allegory or parables.  He told them of God our Father and how they and we can pray to Him in Jesus' name because of the Father's love since they love the Son.  If you see Jesus you see God.  If you believe Jesus Christ is God's Son sent into the world (the Word become flesh), you are loved by God.  This is the true God and eternal life. 

Ask in His Name for Joy

John 16:23-24   
23 “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

Jesus told the disciples many things, asking about some things - yet when He left and they received His Spirit, they would know and so ask less.  But they could then ask for things that He would do while still walking with them.  They could thus pray with confidence to Him, in His name, for God's will to be done as when Jesus was there with them.  Joy flows from such prayer, not from selfish asking, but for the glory of God.

Joy Resurrected

John 16:19-22 
19 Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, “Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’? 20 Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. 21 A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.

The world rejoiced as Jesus died, but His followers were sad; after He arose, the situation was turned upside down with the world itself.  We who are His now can also have great joy in His death because He arose from it.  So will we.  Nobody can take that deep seated joy from us.

Spirit of Truth Within

John 16:12-15   
12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

We can bear to hear some things only when God's Spirit lives in us, leading and guiding our understanding of the truth of God's word and its impact.  His Spirit in us glorifies God as the things of Christ become real in our minds and hearts as God gives to His Son and on to us. We now can bear to hear many things, and more will follow in eternity.  Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

Ruler of World is Judged

John 16:7-11   
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

Jesus left bodily so that God as Spirit could take over to help us by living in His whom He calls out.  He also, through us, convicts those around us of their sin which we all have against a holy God, their need of righteousness found only in Christ, and their certain judgment apart from Jesus Christ taking their place to justify those repenting with faith in Him - this victory has overcome Satan's destruction of us by disobedience in Eden, leading to his absolute judgement and sentence in the end.

Killing Christians

John 16:2-4   
2 They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. 3 And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. 4 But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. “And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.

Followers of Jesus were excommunicated from the synagogues because of the testimony of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ Alone, apart from the works necessary in keeping the Law.  Through time His followers were burned at the stake and drowned as witches for not adhering to church laws; yet they stood firm in God's grace in Christ when church leaders thought they did service to God in their religion.  So we look back as the apostles to remember that Jesus said these things will happen.  We stand valiant for the truth before Rome and others like them.

Helper Keeps Us

John 15:26 - 16:1 
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.  1 “These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble.

God puts His Spirit in His children, the regenerated and reconciled ones called out to Himself.  So we known Him and of Him by the inner testimony of God Himself living in us, and so we show this truth and reality to others - bearing witness.  So we should also not stumble, to run into obstacles to continue to hold to truth and hold it out to others, no matter the verbal or physical assaults from those opposed to Jesus Christ we bear witness of.

No Excuse for Sin

John 15:22-25   
22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. 25 But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’

Once God had shown us our sin by the inability to keep the Law, we have no excuse.  And if we hate Jesus Christ, we hate God because we are accountable to Him and refuse to admit He is Lord of all.  That is no good reason to hate God when we are the guilty ones; so Jesus said He was hated without a real reason.  Ah, but when we admit our sin and turn from it to Him for who He is, then we love Him and are loved by Him forever.

Hated Ambassadors

John 15:18-21 
18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.

Because the world hates good and denies accountability to God, it hates Jesus Christ who demands repentance and faith.  So it hates and persecutes us who are His ambassadors, attacking the heavenly kingdom we represent. He chose us out of this world and so we are no longer its citizens, but those of a larger kingdom, without end.  Why are we attacked?  Because they do not know God through Christ and refuse to bow to the King of kings, at most having a form of religion but denying its source. 

Command: Love One Another

John 15:14-17 
14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another.

We are Christ's friends when we obey, especially the commands to love each other.  We serve, but are more than mere servants in Christ; we have been chosen, not choosing Christ ourselves, to be fruitful in a way that lasts.  So in Him we ask for what is fruitful and God-honoring to receive those things for Him.

Abide in His Love

John 15:9-13 
9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 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. 11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.

To really dwell in God's love, we should be doing what He told us. This is Jesus' example as the Son of God, and as His sons and daughters we must be no different.  So we are not only to love God, but to love each other even to the point of laying down our lives.  But this is primarily possible only because we are abiding in God's love in loving obedience. 

"He is committed to the display of his glory (Isaiah 43:7) and invites you to embrace that mission as one of utmost importance (1 Corinthians 10:31)."

Vine of His Word

John 15:5-8 
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

To abide or remain in Christ means we must grow in and out of Him, just as a branch does from a grape vine.  If we are not getting nutrients from Him we wither, die, and are cast aside to be disposed of.  But if we remain in Him then we listen and obey His words to us, and so are fruitful and can expect answers to prayer for those things He wants and not our own.  This is how we glorify God in Christ, by remaining in His living and written word and communing with Him.

Pruned for Fruitfulness

John 15:1-3 
1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

If we grow in Christ, we will be pruned in the areas needed - especially when we are not bearing godly fruit for eternity. If we do not conform to Him in character and obedience, that part must be cut off in order to grow back properly.  Though we are already clean (pruned) in our position in Christ, sanctified in position, we must grow into His image daily.  This means discipline and pruning by His hand from the Word and Spirit.

That the World Knows

John 14:28-31 
28 You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I. 29 “And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. 31 But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here.

Jesus went to His Father and returned after dying. We should all rejoice in this, for it is what we believe (the gospel), and we need reminding as the adversary stalks us a a lion without hope and without Christ.  Jesus did His Father's will so we could follow from death to life so we can arise and go from here in this grace by faith in which we stand. And He is coming back for us again...

Holy Spirit Will Teach Us

John 14:25-27 
25 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

When Jesus walked the earth with His disciples, He told them many things, many of which were written down for us.  But when He left, God's Spirit came to His followers to not only remind us of all He said, but to teach us those things with understanding.  The apostles then wrote down the rest of what we need for His Spirit to teach us. So we have God's peace and do not have to worry or fear - He lives in us who are called out and reborn.

Obedience is Love

John 14:21-24 
21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.

Do we follow Jesus Christ to put off sin and put on His righteousness?  Or do we purposefully refuse out of a lack of love for Him?  He called us out of sin into a life of following; that is how we really see Him, as we choose to read His word and - in His strength - then choose to not do what is dishonoring to instead do what honors Him who suffered and died for us.  He shows Himself to us whom He calls out, and He alone gives the ability to follow.  We do not work for faith, but work out this faith given to us with fear and trembling.

Indwelling Spirit of Truth

John 14:15-18 
15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

We who love God obey Him out of love and honor in return. He has even given His own Spirit to live in us forever, the same Spirit who moved on the face of the waters at creation and was around the disciples before being in them after Jesus arose at Pentecost.  We are His children, never orphaned and never alone.  The world around us cannot see or know Him unless we tell them and God opens their eyes; so we are driven by Him to them - as He commands and out of love.

Greater Works of the Gospel

John 14:12-14 
12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

We do "greater works" to reach a greater part of the world with the gospel by Spirit's work (Ac.1:8), not works that are more miraculous or that have greater authority than Jesus's.  So if we ask aligned with His will to accomplish His work (not indulging our own wants) of the gospel, we as the church will collectively reach more than Jesus within Israel at that time.  He is the one who gets the attention of glory, that is what "in My name" means.  We do not use prayer selfishly nor self-willed to get what we want by affixing "in Jesus name" to our demands.

Show us the Father

John 14:9-11 
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.

Philip did not understand that seeing the Son of God meant he was also seeing the Father - they are the same God who said let Us make man in our image.  All that time Jesus was with the disciples He spoke words as no mere mortal, just as He discussed detailed knowledge and understanding with scholars while only 12 years old. The living Word and Son in the Father and the Father in the Son spoke and did wonders that man cannot.  So we see God in Christ, backed by all He said and did.

A Place Prepared For You

John 14:1-6 
1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Why worry, unless we do not believe in Jesus Christ as we do God? He has made a place for us with Himself, and the only way there is through faith in Him. There is no other truth, and no other way to the life He is and offers. No other religion or work of the mind or hands can work up enough effort to go through death to life without end in God's presence.  Jesus Christ is the absolute only way to be reconciled with God and remain with Him.

Follow Jesus into Life Everlasting

John 13:36-38 
36 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.” 37 Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.” 38 Jesus answered him, “Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.

The disciples could not follow Jesus through the suffering and death and back, they could not lay down their lives to pay the price for others - only Jesus could do that as both man and God.  Like Peter, we think we can perfectly obey and follow, but we stumble, and even more without His power and strength in and through us.  However, the good news is that we can follow Him as the one who leads us through death into life unending.  So daily we lay down our lives in picking up the cross to die to self and live to Him.

Love as He Loved Us

John 13:34-35   
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

To love others as Jesus loves us is a new command, since He loves us when we do not deserve it. We often love conditionally, seeking something in return or based on how someone measures up to a set of standards (often our own).  Followers of Jesus reflect His love for each other. We must imitate Christ. 

Jesus Glorified in the Father

John 13:31-33 
31 So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. 32 If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately. 33 Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you.

Jesus was glorified in Himself, which meant God was glorified in Him because they are God. Jesus said He would immediately or shortly be giving and given glory - He spoke of the suffering, death, and resurrection about to transpire.  When leaving, the disciples could not yet follow into death and back.  That would come only after Jesus had gone first as the first fruits of we who are His.

Satan Entered Judas

John 13:21-28   
21 When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” ... 26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” 28 But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him.

Judas was prepared for perdition; it just took the right timing in God's plan to be known. Even the dipping bread to eat with Jesus was set in motion, and Jesus told the others about it. Then Judas was told to get it over with, to betray Jesus to begin the suffering, crucifixion, death, and resurrection to come. But still the others did not grasp all of God's plan until later - until He opens our eyes we cannot see His works.  Ah, but when He opens our eyes with faith...

Chosen and Rejected

John 13:18-20   
18 “I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.’ 19 Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He. 20 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”

Jesus spoke to those He chose out of the world, the ones He called out, so they could also see the one who was not called and how He knew the betrayal to come. But the ones called receive Him truly, even through them and us as we tell the good news of reconciliation with a holy God in Him.  So we believe, and so we bear witness to all that some may receive Him through us.

Wash One Another's Feet

John 13:12-17 
12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Jesus gave the example to serve, not to lord position or authority over others. We are not greater than Him who sends us, so humility should move us to do the things which fulfill the second greatest commandment, both to those within and without.  Do we "wash each others' feet?"

God's Planned Hour

John 13:1-4   
1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. 2 And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself.

God had the plan in place before Jesus stepped into the world, and so the Son knew exactly when it was time to leave it to return to Father God. He loved those who were His fully, the enemy made desperate plans to vainly stop Jesus, and Jesus then demonstrated serving to those called out to Himself.  God determined in advance all these things, calling some to Himself while knowing the gates of hell could not overcome His called out ones - the church. So we must continue to follow and serve as He demonstrated, knowing His call.

Son has Father's Authority

John 12:47-50   
47 And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. 50 And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”

Jesus has the authority as God to command we have life that cannot end - not just existing forever in hell, but eternally in God's very presence with joy instead of the torment we deserve. If we believe Him, we receive life; if we reject Jesus, we receive completed justice, the sentence on our sin from birth. We can therefore but turn and live by believing He died in our place by grace to find life.

Praise of Men, or God?

John 12:41-43 
41 These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him. 42 Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

The prophet Isaiah saw God's glory long before Jesus came to us, and many saw this and believed - but the religious leaders wanted their own importance and kicked out anyone who did not go along and reject Jesus.  Even now some will go by the name of Christ, yet only as it profits them.  Those disagreeing by believing what God said in the Bible they shun or attack.  But those of us who were blind yet now see find joy in all God said and did for us, humbly receiving grace over judgment in knowing we deserve one and cannot attain the other.

Blinded and Hardened to Signs

John 12:37-40 
37 But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, 38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” 39 Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: 40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.”

Some cannot believe because God has closed their eyes and ears of their hearts, choosing to show Himself to the ones He chooses.  This is a hard saying, and so many refuse to believe even when they see God working in front of them and hear of all He does around them.  For those who believe what we hear God shows His power, mercy, and goodness because He opened our eyes and heart.

Walk in Light as Sons

John 12:35-36 
35 Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.

We see clearly what is in front of us when light shines our way.  So it is with Christ - we are blind to what is around us and above us until He opens our eyes to truly see. With opened eyes we know where we are going, for we have believed the light of the world and are God's children of His light. Jesus is only hidden to those unable to see.

Lifted Up to Lift Us Up

John 12:32-34 
32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” 33 This He said, signifying by what death He would die. 34 The people answered Him, “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”

Jesus rose from death in order to draw people, not to offer a free deal to all.  He calls and we respond as we are made able because He died to offer us life and righteousness. The Christ, the messiah, does exist forever - through death into eternity from where He came. As the Son of Man, Jesus provides this certainty of hope (no mere wish) because He died as one of us to make payment on God's just wrath to give deliverance and reconciliation to us who He calls and draws out. 

Saved for This Hour

John 12:27-31 
27 “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.” 29 Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.” 30 Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.

Jesus as a man was troubled to go through the beatings and crucifixion, but as God knew the purpose to glorify the Father and defeat the ruler of this world in final judgment. So the Father spoke from above as thunder, promising glory through it all. So Jesus came, spoke good news, suffered, was beaten, hung on a tree to die, and then rose from the grave - that glorifies God and gives us a certain hope.

Honored to Serve

John 12:24-26 
24 Most assuredly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 He who loves his life will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there will my servant also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

We must all die to live. The old has gone and the new has come when we are reborn by faith in the Son of God alone. Only then can we bear true fruit of righteousness to Him, and that means giving up the hold on our life to live towards eternity. So serving Christ we honor and glorify the God who made and sustains us, and so are honored by Him.

Greeks Wish to see Jesus

John 12:20-23 
20 Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. 21 Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus. 23 But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.

Those who were not Jews, God's people, wanted to talk with Jesus and asked His followers to see the men.  But Jesus pointed beyond just seeing or speaking to the fact that He was about to be glorified in the torture, ridicule, death, burial, and resurrection.  But even the disciples only vaguely knew what Jesus meant. The hour had come and Jesus had said most of what He came to tell the world. Now it was time to come and see Jesus glorified.

Behold Your King!

John 12:12-19 
12 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!” 14 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: 15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey's colt.” 16 His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him. 17 Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness. 18 For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign. 19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!”

Those seeing Lazarus brought to life came to see Jesus enter Jerusalem, putting down branches and quoting the Old Testament about the Messiah as King coming. Not even they probably knew who He was, but were moved to worship - and the Pharisees grew more afraid and frustrated as the world went after Jesus. Later the disciples understood as we can also look back to see God's sovereignty on display on the way to the cross.  Our King came, died, and rose again to accomplish everything.

Lazarus, Hope of Resurrection

John 12:9-11 
9 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. 10 But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.

While coming together to celebrate the week of Passover, Jesus sat with Lazarus - many came to see a dead man and the one who brought him back to life after being dead 4 days. The religious leaders looked for ways to kill the evidence as well as Jesus for claiming to be God and ruining their religious system with its power and control over others.  So others like Hus were killed for revealing the truth of Christ and His work to justify us by faith alone. But we fight the good fight.

Fragrance Filled the Air in Honor

John 12:3-8 
3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. 4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who would betray Him, said, 5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. 7 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. 8 For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”

A gift for Jesus to honor His death was turned by Judas to disdain because he wanted the monetary value to take for himself. Even as the aroma of his perceived waste filled the room, personal gain filled his heart and crowded out any honor to glorify God. We can always earn money and help the poor; to honor God with our hearts and possessions reveals where our love lies.