John 20 The Empty Tomb and John 21 The Final Instructions

John 20 - The tomb where they put Jesus is empty…while sins pain was endured and Jesus gave up His life, after three days He was alive again.

He is alive today…He will be alive tomorrow! Have you put your trust in Him?

John 21 – I am sure that after denying Jesus Peter was feeling really bad. I am sure he was very disappointed and confused. However, when Jesus talks with him in chapter 21 He asks Peter to take care of Jesus’ followers.

What an amazing responsibility for someone who had just denied even knowing Jesus…how about you? Have you allowed past failures to stop you from becoming or accomplishing the great things that God has in store for you?

John 19 - To Be Continued...

It’s Good Friday, and we are reading the chapter in John that tells the story…Good Friday at first glance doesn’t seem like it should be called good at all!

We see someone who taught us to love our enemies and do good to those that harm us…who said love everyone…who never wrong anyone…who always was God honoring, brutally beaten and killed…

However, instead of thinking about the horrific scene remember it is the greatest act of love the world has ever known!

They saw a man beaten and ridiculed...we know the rest of the story today, and can boldly proclaim that this story is not over...no, it is merely TO BE CONTINUED!

John 17 – Be Glorified…

Isn’t it awesome that Jesus’ entire life was aimed at glorifying God? In life He gave God the glory, whether performing miracles, or being beaten and hung on the cross, He always gave God his full devotion! I wonder, are aiming to glorify God with every part of our life or with just parts of them?

If you examine your life, what does it SHOW that you are devoted to?

Are we glorifying God or ourselves?

John 16 - The Promise...

Doesn’t it feel amazing to be loved so much that Jesus was willing to go to the cross for us? His love is revealed over and over again in chapter 16. Another really awesome thing found in these verses is when he says that he is leaving so the Holy Spirit can come (verse 7)

Then we read that the Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of Truth…conviction or feeling rotten deeply for the bad things we do is one of the operations of the Holy Spirit. However, the Holy Spirit doesn’t guilt trip us, he isn’t getting joy our of making us feel rotten…no, instead He is helping us live holy and acceptable, fully devoted lives to God!

Christ was fully devoted, so much so that he died for us, how devoted are we?

John 15 - Grow love, Grow Love, GROW LOVE...

One of the most interesting ways Jesus talks about being part of His family is when He compares us to trees. He says if we are loving God and everyone else that we will grow fruit. However, anyone that does not grow fruit will be cut off from the tree and thrown away, eventually burned up!

Jesus is our source of life. As we read in chapter 14 and again in 15 we are to allow Jesus’ love to transform us and give us GREAT JOY! When we are living in Christ and his love is real to us, we can’t help but be different and to grow or bear fruit. Isn’t it AWESOME that Jesus calls us friends in this chapter…he says I no longer call you a servant but you are now my friend!

What an exciting chapter…aren’t you just amazed by God’s love?

What do you think about the verse: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Be blessed today, and bless others with the love of Jesus!!!

John 14 - In Christ

John 14 is another super powerful chapter...One thing I love is that Jesus tells his followers that anyone who saw Him, also saw the Father…and The Father is in me and I am in the Father.

Now since the death and resurrection we know that we are also in Christ (Romans 8:1-2) and through Jesus we have a new identity. We are forgiven, loved, perfected, healed, well, blessed, purified, strengthened and many other things…

What are you in Christ?

John 13 – Hosanna Here is the King…

It is amazing how quickly the book of John turns around. It seems like Jesus just started doing amazing miracles and now as He enters Jerusalem a massive crowd is shouting to him:

The Triumphal Entry
12The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
"Hosanna!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Blessed is the King of Israel!" 14Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written,
15"Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion;
see, your king is coming,
seated on a donkey's colt."

How quickly things can turn around though. In chapter 13 this heroic scene of Jesus riding into town is quickly brought back to reality when Jesus again predicts His own death…
How fitting that our chapter today fits with Palm Sunday…let us not be the kind of “Christian” that one minute glorifies Jesus as our Lord and Savior and the next turns our back on Him. Lets focus on Jesus and the sacrifice that He made with all of our hearts, souls, mind, and strength.