THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

In verse 35 it says Jesus Wept,, Jesus was human and God at the same time, and He felt the pain of losing a loved one, and He shared the burden of Mary and Martha during their mourning, what a Perfect Saviour we have, He knows from experience every pain that we suffer, in the book of Isaiah chapter 53 it says in verses 4 and 5 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. The last part of verse 5 says that his death on the cross heals us, the beatings and then being crucified, He did that for us, to wash away our sins and make us clean,,for me He is a Saviour worth serving,,thank you Jesus..

 

I often meditate on "chastisement of our peace was upon Him." Jesus does NOT want us to worry and suffer. He wants us to live life in peace and joy. He has given us the formula for living life in Him and it is that life that leads to true peace and joy.

Vic, tying a prophetic verse to NT scripture is a powerful teaching tool. Jesus did it all the time.

Will it fall on deaf ears or will it plant a seed?

 

THE PLOT TO KILL JESUS
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3

John 11 :45-57

Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.
But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what he had done.
So the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council, and said, “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs.
If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation.”
But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all!
You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed.”
He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation,
and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the dispersed children of God.
So from that day on they planned to put him to death.
Jesus therefore no longer walked about openly among the Jews, but went from there to a town called Ephraim in the region near the wilderness; and he remained there with the disciples.
Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves.
They were looking for Jesus and were asking one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? Surely he will not come to the festival, will he?”
Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus was should let them know, so that they might arrest him.

 

As I read these verses, it just seems to me that the leaders of that day, could only think of themselves, it never occurred to them that how they treated Jesus determined their fate, they only wanted to make sure they stayed in power, they had no vision, or no idea that they lived in a time when the whole world was about to change, choices we make everyday determine our future, we have to recognize the times we live in, when we see things changing we need to ask ourselves is it for the better or for the worse, for the pharisees here, their decision was the worst one they could make, by turning their back on Jesus, they condemned themselves, and unfortunately took alot of other people with them...

 

Yes.....sometimes it is hard to go against popular thought and power. We all have a choice....God never forces Himself on us, even though He created us. I just can't imagine what I would do or what I would be without Him. Lost is a very good word to describe it.

 

FRIDAY, SATURDAY, & SUNDAY (December 4, 5, & 6)
JOHN 12


Mary Anoints Jesus
Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him.
Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said,
“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?”
Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it.
Therefore Jesus said, “Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial.
“For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.”
The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead.
But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also;
because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus.

Jesus Enters Jerusalem
On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.”
Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written,
“Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”
These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him.
So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify about Him.
For this reason also the people went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign.
So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him.”


Greeks Seek Jesus
Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast;
these then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to ask him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”
Philip came and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip came and told Jesus.
And Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
“He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.
“If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
Jesus Foretells His Death
“Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.
“Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, “An angel has spoken to Him.”
Jesus answered and said, “This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes.
“Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.
“And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”
But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die.
The crowd then answered Him, “We have heard out of the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”
So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.
“While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.” These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them.
But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him.
This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again,
“He has blinded their eyes and He hardened their heart, so that they would not see with their eyes and perceive with their heart, and be converted and I heal them.”
These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him.
Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue;
for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.
And Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me.
“He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me.
“I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.
“If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.
“He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.
“For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.
“I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”

 

Can you imagine being raised by the dead, then having the One who raised you come over to your house for dinner???? By this time word was getting out and people in large numbers were believing. When Jesus fulfilled the prophesy by riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, the people came out to worship Him. At this point the pharasees needed to make their move or lose power completely. The time was near for the Old Testament to be completed and the old covenant to be replaced by God's gift of salvation.

 

I love the example of Love that Mary did here, she used the hairs of her head to wipe Jesus's feet, a great example of humility and sacrifice to the Saviour of the world, We owe Jesus our all, and our BEST,, our Best for Jesus sometimes brings out the worst in others, and we see it here in judas, anything that brought glory to Jesus and not to him made him mad, obviously he wanted a chance at that money, money was his God, and Mary's act made him angry,,,,,,,,, during this time of year we see many people give to the poor, the hungry and homeless, without the birth of Jesus to celebrate, alot of people would suffer, thank YOU JESUS for letting us have a chance at bringing Glory and Honor to YOU...

 

As I read these verses over and over it jumps out at me just how many miracles Jesus did, His Love for us can not be measured, and most of the people of that day were still blinded by their own worldly thoughts and actions, this kept them from seeing the real Jesus, sometimes I let the world blind me, and it always costs me a blessing, help me O Lord to always put you first, things always seem to go better when I do...

 

Amen

 

Amen

 

TUESDAY DEC. 8th and WEDNESDAY DEC 9th
JOHN CHAPTER 13

1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put 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 was come from God, and went to God;

4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.

5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?

7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.

8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.

9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.

10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.

11 For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.

12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?

13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.

15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

18 I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.

19 Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.

20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

21 When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
22 Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake.

23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.

24 Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake.

25 He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it?

26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.

27 And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.

28 Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him.

29 For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.

30 He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.

31Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.

32 If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.

33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.

34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
36 Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.
37 Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.

38 Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.

 

The Last Supper is a famous painting alot of people have in their homes, I know alot in my family has one, Its hard to imagine the pain Jesus was feeling here, knowing that He was about to be betrayed by one of His own, Every year that I can remember we have had in my family a Christmas dinner, in honor of our Lord, but I have never had a dinner where I was really worried about one of my own betraying me to point of DEATH.. Even facing death Jesus continues to teach here, and actually teaches one of His greatest lessons to His disciples, LOVE,,Love is the reason we celebrate the birth of Jesus, its the reason we are here, without the Love of Jesus we would not be here today, and as Jesus said, we need to Love one another, just think what kind of country we could have if everyone actually cared more about His neighbour, than He did himself, what a country we could be,, I thank you Jesus for the Last Supper and I ask you to fill my heart with a Love for my fellow man, a Love that can change the world, one person at a time,,,thank YOU JESUS!!!

 

.....and we are to serve one another as our Lord has commanded. Serving fills us with the love of Jesus.

 

Thank you for this thread.

 

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10 & FRIDAY DECEMBER 11
JOHN: CHAPTER 14

John 14
Jesus Comforts His Disciples
“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
“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.
“And you know the way where I am going.”
Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
Oneness with the Father
“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”
Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.
“Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.
“Truly, truly, 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 the Father.
“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
“If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
Role of the Spirit
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;
that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
“After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.
“In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”
Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?”
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 abode with him.
“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.
“These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you.
“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 that I said to you.
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
“You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
“Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe.
“I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me;
but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here.

 

As a Hospice volunteer I sit and read to alot of patients, chapter 14 of John is one that alot of them want to hear, it is a comforting feeling to know that Jesus is preparing a place for us and will come again and take us where He is, it is amazing how a person who is terminally ill will find such peace and rest in the scriptures, all the while knowing that they could die at any moment, In these verses Jesus promised that He would send His Holy Spirit into the heart of His believers, and I see it and feel it everytime I go to do my volunteer work,,,,,, the Holy Spirit brings peace to my heart, and I thank the Lord for His goodness and mercy,and for the rest that He gives me in my soul, without it I could not make through one day,, thank you Jesus for changing my life!!!

 

What a day it was when the Holy Spirit came to me. What a wonderful gift God gave to His children. The Holy Spirit sustains us, teaches us, and reminds us of that peace Jesus promised.

 

The thing that strikes me is that I feel so much like Thomas some days.....if you aren't there how will we know the way? Sometimes I ask the Lord, "Am I even getting it right here Lord?" And I love the first few words Jesus says here...."I am the way". What about my finances Lord? " I am the Way. Lord what about my health? "I am the Way." Over and over....and was Jesus God? When Moses says what should I tell them your name is, who should I say sent me. He said tell "I am". Love it!!!!!