Scripture:

John 17:

1After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.

Observation:

Couple of observations. Jesus prayer for himself is the shortest of the three. Not real sure this means anything but it’s interesting nonetheless.

Three things Jesus does before he dies. He prays for himself. For his disciples. For the world.

That includes you.

Application:

Let that sink in for a second. Jesus is facing his impending crucifixion and he prays for you. Max Lucado says “you were on his mind”. I love that. Jesus says a brief prayer for himself. Prays that his disciples would be sanctified and protected. And prays for you and I to be one… so the world would truly know this Jesus and his Father who loves us dearly. I wouldn’t have blamed Jesus for being a bit preoccupied here. Maybe even a little selfish. But not Jesus… his focus is clear and his heart is set… on what? On us. On finishing his mission to rescue us. His prayers are laser focused, and they cut to the heart of what Jesus is all about.

Prayer:

Thank you Jesus.  You died on the cross for me.  Praise God your prayers were answered for me, for my boys, for my wife… for so many others.  I praise you today for your finished work. Continue to sanctify and unify all of us.  I pray in Jesus name, Amen.

Scripture:

John 16:

13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

Observation:

Is there a more clear verse(s) in the Bible about the role of the Holy Spirit and the concept of the Trinity?

Jesus pretty much lays it out here. The Spirit guides us into truth. He doesn’t speak on his own but only what he hears from?   You guessed it… Jesus… because all things belong to him… How is that?   Because all things belong to the Father… That’s how… and all that belongs to God… belongs to Jesus… belongs to the Holy Spirit. Crazy.

Application:

Another tidbit of wisdom from a pastor friend… “when it comes to the Trinity you have to give God his D.U.E.”

First they are all Divine. Second they are all Unique. Third they are all Equal. Truly 3 in 1. Divine: God is God. God is Jesus. God is Holy Spirit. Unique: God is God. Jesus is Jesus. Holy Spirit is Holy Spirit. Equal: God = Jesus = Holy Spirit = Jesus = God.

I could go on… But I’ll stop.  Suffice it to say that there are some things that we will only fully grasp when we finally enter God’s presence.  I’ll be writing this one down on my Big Chief Tablet to ask God when I get to heaven.

Prayer:

God you are my God. My boss. My father. Jesus you are my savior. My Lord. My friend. Holy Spirit you are my guide. My counselor. My comfort. I worship the 1 true God.  3 in 1.  Thank you God for your truly unfathomable person! You are truly worthy of my praise.  I pray in Jesus name, Amen.

Scripture:

John 15:

5“I am the vine; you are the branches.

Observation:

One of my all time favorite passages of scripture. My good friend Doug Cecil explains it this way.  Abide (vss. 1-8) Love (vss. 9-17)  Reach (vss. 18-27). 

I like…Truth, Community,  and Purpose. 

We must abide in Christ… truth and life is found there. We must love God and each other…that is where real community happens…ultimately to God’s pleasure. We must reach the world for Christ. This is our mission and purpose. There you have it. A pretty good road map for life huh? In all of this we must remember who the Gardener is and who the True Vine is.

Application:

I can’t do a thing apart from the vine. I can’t abide, I can’t love, I can’t reach. I will find nothing but falsehood, selfishness, and a lack of real purpose. I must remember that I am but a branch. Being a branch is good… when you are connected to the Vine.

Prayer:

God I am nothing without you. I pray my life will reflect the truth of John 15. I pray my family will reflect the truth of John 15. I pray my ministry will reflect the truth of John 15. Help me to trust you for all things as the True Vine.  I pray in Jesus name, Amen.

Scripture:

John 14:

1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.

Observation:

Jesus has just dropped a pretty big bombshell (Chp. 13) on the disciples with the predictions of Judas’ betrayal and Peter’s denial.  Now he comforts them…And  he takes a whole chapter to do it.

Application:

I’m surprised that I have often read these verses as “sound-bites”. There are so many quotable verses in this chapter that it is easy to do that… how many have you memorized at one point or another in your life?

It’s important to see the bigger picture and this walk through John has helped me do just that. Jesus comfort at this point is pretty remarkable. His words must have brought a sense of peace to the disciples and if his words weren’t enough he promises them the Spirit to come!

I am reminded that as I follow Christ difficult times will come… but his words and Spirit bring comfort. He will not leave me in a place of distress but offer the comfort only he can provide.  Have you ever been discouraged?  Ever been troubled?  Overwhelmed by fear, doubt, grief, conflict, guilt?  To trust in Jesus doesn’t mean we pretend to be strong… but rather recognize our weakness… and need for God’s help.  He alone will comfort!

Prayer:

This day is yours God… with it’s joy and with it’s distress. I trust your hand to lead, guide, comfort, and love. I pray that I will prove my love for you in obedience… Even when it’s difficult to do so.  I pray in Jesus name, Amen.

Scripture:

John 13:

14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.

Observation:

Jesus models what it means to serve by washing the feet of his disciples.  In response he encourages them to do the same for others.

Application:

Jesus models for the disciples what true servanthood looks like then… bam… Judas and Peter. It would be easy to pick on Judas and Peter but I’m not going to do that. The entire chapter is a telling dichotomy on service and betrayal and I guess that is where I spend a lot of my life.

Caught between the two.

I want to serve like Jesus but when the opportunity comes I often in a sense deny my affiliation with Jesus. Serving someone is one thing…serving them in Jesus name is quite another.  Serving is good… it’s what we should do… but eventually someone has to stand up and speak the name of Jesus. Otherwise… we are denying the one in whose name we serve.

This is the Heart of Christ to his disciples before he goes to the Cross.  (what is called the “upper room discourse”) This in a sense is Jesus’  “Wake”… It begins with the washing of the disciples feet… and ends with Jesus prayer for himself, the disciples, and us.  These next 5 chapters are the Heart of Christ to you and I…and it begins with this simple act of service and an encouragement for us to do the same…in his name!

Prayer:

Jesus you modeled for me what serving others is supposed to look like. When the opportunity comes I pray I will be able to stand up for you and not turn away. Boldly speaking your name to those I serve.  I pray in Jesus name, Amen.

Scripture:

John 12:

10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well

Observation:

Jesus is anointed by Mary and questioned why she would waste such an expensive perfume.  Lazarus is there as well and many had come to see him…post resurrection.  On account of the impact he was having for Jesus…the chief priests made plans to kill him.

Application:

I’m very familiar with the story of Jesus anointing by Mary. The length she goes to both in material and personal humbling is pretty amazing. This “act of worship” is one of the most striking in the new testament (at least I think so). But… it’s the last two verses in this first section that get me. Lazarus deserves to die??

What?

This is the same guy Jesus brought back to life not too long ago and because he has influenced some Jews to turn to Jesus…he deserves to die? This guy just can’t catch a break. He’s already died once…now they are plotting for him to die again. I’m reminded that life isn’t always perfect or just how I think it should be. There are difficult times. Trying situations. Sometimes it’s going to feel like I can’t catch a break. I don’t want to say something that the text isn’t but it’s obvious that good ol Lazlo was having a pretty significant influence on those around him (vs. 11, 17). My hope is that in my trying times…when it feels like I’m just going to die…or someone’s out to get me…people will see the miracle of Jesus in me…and be influenced…turned to Him.

Prayer:

Allow me to die Jesus. So others will see you living in me. Give me opportunities to influence for you…and help me to make the most of those opportunities being bold in my witness.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Scripture:

John 11:

5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.

Observation:

Jesus delays going to Lazarus.  Lazarus as a result…dies.

Application:

I can’t remember where I read this but one possible explanation (and I think a pretty likely one) for why Jesus delays going to Lazarus… is that he spent those extra days praying. Praying for Lazarus healing. Praying for his body to be intact when he walked out of that grave. Praying for Lazarus to come forth whole! Pretty cool. Jesus delay is mind boggling if you read this at face value. But if you understand his plan… his ultimate plan… you see the ultimate goal of his procrastination. He delays so that they will believe.

“Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

He loves us. With the same powerful love he had for Lazarus. How do I know. He died. So we could live. For us. He rose. So we could rise again. For us.

Prayer:

Thank you Jesus for your death and resurrection.  Increase my faith in you… the “resurrection and the life”.

Scripture:

John 10:

11″I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14″I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Observation:

This is a beautiful description of what a Shepherd should do…and especially what Jesus…the “Good Shepherd” does for us.

Application:

I pray that I never allow what I do to become a job. It’s not my job to present the Gospel. It’s not my job to pray. It’s not my job to comfort the brokenhearted. It’s not my job to be a “pastor”.

If all I do is just a job… then I have become nothing more than a “hired hand” who flees at the first sign of trouble. I’ve been doing this “pastor” thing long enough to understand that undoubtedly trouble will come. I refuse to run. To leave the sheep to fend for themselves. I know I’ve got a long way to go to understand what it really means to be a “shepherd” but my “good” shepherd is an amazing mentor. I don’t want to do a job. I want to mirror Christ in whatever I do.

What about you?  Do you work for Jesus?  Or…do you love and serve Jesus…the Good Shepherd!

Prayer:

God I know I’m not perfect. I know you are still working on me to mold me into what you have called me to be. I pray that I would be pliable…ready to be formed into the shepherd you see in me. Increase my love for the sheep. Increase my love for you.  I pray in Jesus name, Amen.

Scripture:

John 9:

²⁰ “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. ²¹ But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” ²² His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ^[a] would be put out of the synagogue. ²³ That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

Observation:

When the Pharisees question the parents of a boy born blind.  They admit that he is their son and that he indeed was born blind but they deny knowing who it was that healed him.  They were simply afraid.

Application:

This really struck me as I read it.  They knew.  They knew it was Jesus.  But because of fear…or maybe trying to protect their own reputation…who knows…they denied knowing who it was that had healed their son.

Instead they said…ask him.  He’s old enough.  He should be able to tell you.

This makes me a little sad.  The boy’s faith seems to be more mature than his parents.

I want to be bold for Jesus in front of my kids.  Am I always successful…no.  But that is the goal.  I don’t ever want to “pass the buck” and “throw them under the bus”…they will have plenty of time to be bold themselves…I just hope they learned it well from me.

Prayer:

God embolden me in my witness.  Especially in front of those who are young in their faith!  Help me to be an example of how to proclaim you as Lord and Savior!  I pray in Jesus name, Amen.

Scripture:

John 8:

¹⁴ Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. ¹⁵ You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. ¹⁶ But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. ¹⁷ In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. ¹⁸ I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”

Observation:

Jesus testimony is valid and his judgements are right based on his relationship with the Father.  The Father backs him up…because the Father sent him.

Application:

Although Jesus testimony about himself is enough…He does not stand alone.  And neither do we as his followers.

We stand with the Father if we choose to follow the Savior.  We stand with the Father if we choose to do his will.

Judgement is still left up to God…but whenever we testify about his Son…he backs us up.  I don’t know about you but that is a comforting thought.

We do not stand alone.

Prayer:

God…I praise you for your ever present hand.  I am never alone when I testify to your grace…to your love…to your Son.  You are always faithful…always true.  I pray in Jesus name, Amen.