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John Chapter 20 Part 2
One thing that I find particularly interesting in the gospels is that the Holy Spirit allowed each individual personality to shine through. Johnconsistently writes about himself as if he were referring to someone else and he consistently shows himself as superior in some way. Remember back at the “last supper,” he writes, “one of his disciples , whom Jesus loved, was reclining at the table, close to Jesus.” In chapter 20, it says, that Mary ran to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved to tell them that the stone had been rolled away. As a result, Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple out ran Peter and reached the tomb first.” Scholars agree that this is John writing about himself.
This is so real and something that I think we can all relate to on some level. John consistently writes himself in the better light. He is the faster runner. He is the disciple whom Jesus loved. John makes me laugh – “Jesus loved me more.” “I run faster than Peter.” He reminds me of a little kid. And Peter. characteristically, ran right into the tomb. Impulsive Peter. Act first. Think later. “I find it charming and rather funny to see their personalities come out in their accounts.
I also see the same probing side of Jesus in His encounter with Mary that we have come to recognize in all the previous chapters. When she turns and sees Jesus for the first time, though she does not recognize Him, He asks her some questions. ” Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Now if we are thinking temporally these are pretty crazy questions. Our family tried to play this scene in our minds as if it were happening out here on our land with the graves of our parents.
Now all this is fact: We buried my mom in April and Mark’s mom in October in a family cemetery a field away from our home. We actually made and personalized with decoration each coffin ourselves. We lowered the coffins into the graves ourselves. We covered the coffins ourselves – mounding them with dirt and landscaping around each grave site. But then I tried to imagine what it would have been like, if the morning after my mom’s burial, I went to the gravesite, to find the dirt taken out of the grave, the coffin standing open, my mom’s clothes neatly folded and left behind and her body missing. Now of course I know I would not expect anything like this to happen with my mom. But I have to ask myself, did the disciples get what Jesus had been teaching them all along? Were they expecting a resurrection? We have the benefit of hindsight, so we read the account and say, “oh, of course he’s not there, he’s risen.” But, if you had never heard of the resurrection and no one had ever done that before, would you have gone to the tomb expecting it to be empty? I don’t think so. I think anyone of us would have gone there fully expecting His body to be there.
So, with that same attitude, not expecting my mom’s grave to be empty, what would I be feeling and thinking if I found it in that condition? In that case, aren’t the questions Jesus (aka gardener) and angels ask, seemingly absurd? “Woman why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”
Ummmmm….Now if that were me and my neighbor,who had witnessed my mom’s burial, calmly walked up to me the next morning as I stood in front of her empty coffin and asked me these questions, you can bet I would saying something along the lines of: “What do you mean, why am I weeping? What do you mean, who am I seeking? I am seeking my mother. I laid her body in this grave yesterday. Don’t you remember? Have you seen it? Do you know anything about this? If you took it, please just give it back to me.” would be hysterical.
And yet, these are the questions Jesus asks Mary. Why?
Well, we know Jesus is the same yesterday today and tomorrow. So, just as we saw in all the previous chapters, Jesus must be probing Mary’s heart. We know He consistently speaks on the spiritual level. The spiritual world is His reality. The temporal world is simply and illusion. It is not the real thing. And all along,throughout His lifetime, He spoke and taught of what was to come. Yet very few understood because most were lost in the temporal. This is where Mary was stuck that resurrection morning.
Then, comes the simple, but amazing reveal: “Mary.”
I don’t know about you, but I imagine Jesus to be shaking His head a bit and using a tone that is perhaps slightly scolding like when He confronted Martha about her bad attitude toward her sister Mary. “Mary, Mary – did I not tell you about these things? Didn’t you know I would be back? Why didn’t you get it? Spiritually His questions make sense. Don’t they? “Mary, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking? Or in other words, “Mary, why in the world are you weeping? You should have known I wouldn’t be here. Weren’t you listening to my teaching? Why didn’t you get it?”
And when she reaches out to touch Him she is not allowed to. He commands her not to hold onto Him for He has not yet ascended to the Father. Did you notice that the next time Jesus appears to His disciples is in the evening? What happened to Him in between His time with Mary and His next appearance with the disciples? I have never noticed or considered these lost hours before. Might this be when He went to present Himself before the Father? Was this the time of the King’s coronation?
It is only after this time that He allows the disciples to touch Him.
Many unanswered questions remain for me that perhaps I will never know,but they fascinate me nonetheless:
- Where was Jesus when the disciples ran into the tomb?
- Was He watching them?
- Was He amused that they were running back and forth?
- What happened in those hours when He ascended to the Father? What was that reunion like?
- Why didn’t He want the disciples to touch Him until after He ascended?
John I’d love to hear any insights you have.
-March 20, 2016-
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John Chapter 20
In John Chapter 20, one of the first things that struck me was that the grave clothes were left neatly folded. I really never noticed or thought about this before. I know I had heard before that many were concerned that the disciples would try to pull off some kind of a hoax by stealing the body of Jesus. When His body was not found, this is what many people thought had happened. But I wonder, did they ever give thought to why the grave clothes had been taken off and left neatly folded if robbers were involved. In fact, we know that the perfumes used were very expensive and the clothes would have been very valuable especially because they would still contain the mixture of spices on them. So why would they be left behind? For all the skeptics, the grave robber theory really doesn’t make sense, but I guess if you don’t want to believe in something, you will find ways to justify your point of view.
I think there is something very significant about the clothes being left behind. The first time any one was clothed, was in the garden right after Adam and Eve sinned. God clothed them. Then there is the Scripture referring to special wedding clothes that must be worn by the guests invited to the wedding feast. When we are baptized, we are clothed in Christ.
Did you stop to consider that Jesus must have removed the clothes himself. He laid them in two different places and folded them neatly. I joked with my girls about this this morning. I took special care to note that Jesus loves order and neatness. 🙂
But then what? Did He snap His fingers and new clothes appeared.? The first time He is seen, He is mistaken for a gardener. Hmmm….. I wonder if gardeners dressed differently than others, or why did Mary first mistake Him for a gardener?
I really love all the emphasis on gardens and one day I hope to study out all the ways gardens and gardening are referred to in the Scriptures. You see. although much of my studies growing up were focused on the sciences and business (my dad had hoped I would either become a doctor or a business woman), it really was not who God created me to be. My last year of college, I radically changed my major and applied for a Fulbright Scholarship, because I really did not know what I wanted to do. My passion was much more geared towards the arts, but all my life, I ignored that passion because I was raised to “make money and be independent.” So I planned to use the two year scholarship as a sabbatical from life so I could have time to think through who and what I wanted to become. After much turmoil and wrestling with emotions, I decided to come back to the states and become a Landscape Architect. In my mind, this would make my dad happy, because it required a good deal of science and math, and it would make me happy because I could express my creative side while working in nature. So I ended up going to Harvard’s Graduate School of Design to become a “glorified gardener.”
Now anyone who has been to our home realizes that I simply don’t have the time nor the energy to actually put into practice the things that I have learned. It’s kind of like the story of the cobbler’s children having no shoes. But, I have a great love for nature, which is probably why we live across a swinging bridge in the middle of nowhere. I find great peace and joy being surrounded by God’s creation. And for this reason, I find it exceedingly wonderful that God makes His first appearance in a garden. The Scriptures also tell us that He frequently spent time in gardens with His disciples. John 19 notes that His tomb is in a garden and when He first appears after His crucifixion, He appears in the form of a gardener. It’s fun for me to think on these things because I readily identify with this aspect of God and long for the day when I can see His perfect garden.
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John Chapter 19
Sorry, I missed yesterday! It was, however my anniversary, so I think that is a good excuse..:-)
I readily admit that I have never, ever liked reading any of the Crucifixion accounts. I don’t like feeling pain. I don’t like being sad. The Crucifixion accounts and “Good Friday” have always made me incredibly sad so I generally do what I can to skip over those parts of the Bible. I have always wondered why the name, “Good Friday” when there really doesn’t seem to be anything good about it. And yet, here I am on day number 5 rereading the same account.
Perhaps I am that person that sees the glass as half empty…..It just seems to me, that many things have happened in my life that have brought me great sorrow. I remember sad times with much greater clarity than I do happy times. I wonder if the same is true for you.
For many years, Mark and I have prayed for a son. Don’t get me wrong, we absolutely adore our daughters. But our motivation was probably a bit selfish since the “Moormans” name ends with Mark and probably more importantly to me, we live on a farm, where another pair of strong muscular arms would be very welcomed. 🙂 We were shocked to have that prayer answered four years ago when I was 46 years old. Then, three months later on Good Friday, our dream was shattered. I had a miscarriage. We had suffered through several other miscarriages, but this loss was especially hard because we knew it meant the end of dream. Though we lost the baby late in the afternoon on that Good Friday, just a few hours later our family went to an evening worship service. It sounds crazy, even as I write about it now, but we felt we needed to go. All the previous years, I dreaded Good Friday services. But that day I wanted to be crying with God. I experienced His pain more intimately as I imagined Him weeping with me as we both mourned the loss of a son.
I highly doubt that any of us would say we love to suffer. But the older I get, the more I see the need for it in my life. It is so easy to neglect God when I don’t feel a need for Him.
We live in a society that tells us all the time that life is about being happy. Look out for # 1. Our goal should be to be pain free, to avoid suffering at all cost, even to the point of orchestrating our own deaths in our own time in our own way. This is what we have come to. There are pills to make us happy. There are pills to take away pain. There are pills to take away our lives. Move to a certain state and you can have someone prescribe you a pill so that you can avoid suffering and “legally” end your own life.
We are taught every day in many ways to paint on a fake, superficial veneer. This is especially true for women who are bombarded with photo-shopped images of creatures that are not real. And then we compare ourselves and our lives and inevitably come up short. We can never look like that. We can never do enough or be enough. And we are tempted to be sad and discouraged. I know I am.
I recently turned 50, and with each passing day I realize how very vulnerable and weak I am. It is humbling and downright scary. I am living in a world that is bombarding me with lies and waging war on my soul. And all too often my flesh is so tempted to listen to the lies. Isn’t that what Eve did in the garden? She listened to a lie instead of to the voice of God. And the result…………………………………………………?
Shame entered. Fear entered. Pain entered. Suffering entered. Tears entered. Death entered. And she was forced to leave the garden. A debt was incurred that could never be paid.
Until Jesus…..
Until Good Friday…
Until He uttered His last words….
“It is finished.” – (John 19:30)
Then, the entire debt was paid in full.
The dividing curtain was torn in two. Because of Jesus I can enter the garden again. Here. Now. I too can walk daily with God. And I can choose to ignore the lies. I can choose to cling to Him through my pain and suffering and suffering. And most importantly, I can look forward to that day when even death itself will be destroyed and there will be no more tears.
-March 16, 2016-
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John Chapter 18 Part 4
I am sad that I cannot adequately convey through email all the excitement and emotions associated with the things I am learning as we study together. I don’t think there are enough emoticons to express the passion that I feel and want to express to you. The Bible simply is amazing. Each day, I look forward to studying it it. And each day, I feel like I see and know Jesus better.
I think part of the reason I have been so exhausted though is that we decided as a family to get up earlier each day to study the Bible together before Mark goes to work. We always have tried to do daily Bible study as a family throughout our 19 years together, but some days we did it a night, some days slipped….. etc. We have read and studied with our girls since their infancy. In fact, I just found a video my dad took of one our our Bible studies while he was visiting us many years ago. Cosette was around 7 and Tess around 4. I am so grateful my dad caught that moment on video for us. There sweet little voices were belting out psalms and hymns and sharing scripture they had memorized. It was so encouraging to see and hear.
But this year we decided to start Bible study before anything else in our day – first thing so that if anything had to slide, it wouldn’t be our Bible study. So, since January 1, we have studied together each morning usually at least an hour. Sometimes we get so into it, we end up going for two…… But I am not naturally a morning person, so getting up early wipes me out because I still stay up very late, usually until 1 am trying to get done all that needs to get done. But it has been good and not something we want to give up doing. If this is not something you have tried doing before, I highly recommend it. Not only do your children develop a good habit while they are young, but filling up on the Word early in the morning equips us to face the trials of the day.
My last day on Chapter 18 focuses on the question: Who is on trial?
The obvious answer, of course, is Jesus.
But upon closer examination seems everyone else, but Jesus is on trial.
As we studied the interactions of Jesus with Annas, the temple guard and Pilate, it became apparent that even in this high stress situation, just hours before His death, Jesus turns the conversations around and questions each individual himself. This is totally consistent to what we have seen in Jesus in the previous chapters where He uses all interactions to get to the heart of each individual.
When in front of Annas, Jesus answers Annas’ question by saying, “why do you ask me?” I wonder how Jesus said these words, because they earned him a smack from the temple guard.
Then, when he is struck by the temple guard Jesus asks Him, “why do you strike me?”
Pilate is the one that wrenches at my heart. Study out all the things that Pilate says and see what conclusion you come to. Here is the man who could change the fate of Jesus, but Jesus is not intimidated. In fact, Jesus turns everything upside down by delving into the heart of Pilate.
Even in His final hours on earth, Jesus is probing the hearts of men – making them think, saying the things that need to be said and most importantly, showing them their sin and pointing out to them that they are responsible for their actions.
If you haven’t done so, write out all the things Pilate says about Jesus. Then look for the place in chapter 18 where Jesus is silent and gives no answer when questioned. What is the significance of this silence? How does Pilate respond after the silence?
Sometimes silence is the loudest communicator. (Like, for example, when Jesus did not go to Mary, Martha and Lazarus when called). It is in those times of silence that we must often wrestle….. What does this silence say? And how does it effect Pilate?
-March 11, 2016-
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John Chapter 18 Part 3
I believe with all my heart, that who I am when I am alone, is who I truly am. What I truly believe and what faith I truly have, becomes evident when the only person that can see me is me and God. It doesn’t matter who I am in a crowd of people. It doesn’t matter who I am when I am all dressed up on a Sunday. It doesn’t matter who I am when I am pushed and prodded.
I am who I am when I am alone.
Why do I share this?
Well, look at who Peter was in the crowd? When the soldiers came to get Jesus, didn’t he act the part of a hero? Maybe he was remembering the haunting words of Jesus that predicted his betrayal….. I don’t know what was going through his mind, but the fact is, in the presence of Jesus and his friends, he acted bravely. He courageously came to the defense of Jesus.
Maybe he was expecting Jesus to congratulate him. I don’t know.
Instead, he was rebuked in front of everyone and told to sheath his sword.
I feel for Peter. I really do.
Not long after, when he is alone, when he is not surrounded by his friends, Peter caves. He is confronted by a servant girl, someone of very low standing…..the lowest of the low- a servant – a girl. Yet, he gives into his fear. Was he brave a few moments earlier because he was putting on a show? Was being in the presence of Jesus and like-minded friends what boosted his confidence? I really don’t know. But, I do know that I am often kinder, sweeter, more patient, more “godly” when in the presence of my church friends. Hmmmmm. And then, when I am alone or just around my family, I easily become, well….less kind, less sweet, less patient, less “godly.”
I often wonder, who would I be when confronted with a situation like Peter faced. If I believed my death was imminent because I am a Christian, would I cave under the pressure? I hope not. All I can do now, is practice for that day. I must push myself beyond my fears now. Is sharing about Jesus scary to me? Then I should share! If I don’t do it now, when I have my freedom and when the worst that would really happen to me is that someone looks at me funny or thinks I am weird, then will I stand for Jesus if someone says I will die if I don’t deny Him?
It encourages me to know that both John and Peter became wholly different men. It would be worth your while to read Acts 4, when Peter and John are again in the presence of the priests, Pharisees and other officials. Acts 4:13 says, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”
As the days get longer, the nights get shorter and work on our land increases, I increasingly grow weary. Working on the land isn’t easy and by this time at night, I am physically exhausted. Being with and teaching 3 different grade levels throughout the day (elementary, middle and high school) is draining too. Add to that making three meals per day…… Each of us are given 24 hours and have so many people and responsibilities vying for our attention. It is my prayer, that we help each other stay focused on our number one priority – our time and relationship with our Lord and savior. What I highlighted in bold above, is to help us remember, that we can be different – we can be bold – and we can astonish those around us, if we continue to abide in Jesus and not neglect our relationship with Him. May everyone around us recognize that we have been with Jesus!
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John Chapter 18 Part 2
Do you know what a “band”of soldiers is?
I didn’t, but we looked up the original Greek meaning. Another word for it would be “cohort,” which is a military term that stands for 1/10 of a legion or 600 soldiers.
WOW!
So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. “
This is never how I saw it portrayed in a movie, have you? Or have you ever seen those men falling backwards to the ground when Jesus said He was the “I Am?”
I was so amazed when I learned this fact. What do you think about that?
By the way, if this is helpful to anyone, I use Bible Hub to look up the meaning of the original words as they were written in Greek. Bible Hub is a great source of information. I have deliberately been steering away from commentaries, as I really want to do my best to just read the Scriptures for myself to see what I can glean from them. But, Bible Hub can be used to read several different translations at the same time, or look up meanings, etc…. I find it a helpful site to go to.
I hope and pray you are all doing well this day. I very much enjoyed having the warm weather today, but I must confess that I feel like I could use three more months of winter to finish up my indoor chores before the grass starts growing. I felt very tired today as I contemplated having to prune fruit trees and berry shrubs and soon start mowing. I think I am starting to feel my age, so now I will continue on with Chapter 18 more tomorrow. May your slumber be blessed.
-March 9, 2016-
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John Chapter 18 Part 1
Well today, I got stuck right after the first few verses. I saw so many things here that I had never noticed before.
The chapter begins with Jesus going into a garden with His disciples. The Scriptures tell us that this is a place He liked to come with them. It struck all of us that this is reminiscent of how it all begins in Genesis. God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden.
I wonder too, if anyone ever considered what this scene looked like as described by John. I have seen representations of this in movies before, but none like what is actually written here. It says that the soldiers and officers came after Jesus with lanterns, torches and weapons. I wonder why they felt the need for weapons? In the past, soldiers had been sent after Jesus and when they returned empty handed, they told the Pharisees that they had never heard anyone speak as He did.
And then, Jesus, doing the unexpected as usual, steps forward. He tells them who He is. And when He tells them who He is, the soldiers and officers step back and fall to the ground. Have you ever seen that portrayed in a movie? I never have. And then, while they are on the ground, Jesus asks again, “who are you seeking?” It’s almost comical as I imagine Him standing over them, asking them again. They must have recognized Him. He was a popular figure in the last days as He rode through Jerusalem and yet they didn’t just take Him right away. They seem to hesitate. Were they afraid of Him? Were there some among the soldiers that believed in Him but were afraid to go against orders?
I think that it is significant that Jesus’ last time with His disciples was spent in a garden, just like “in the beginning.” I also think it speaks volumes about who Jesus was, that though He carried no weapons, yet the soldiers and officers fell to the ground. It is so very clear here that He gave himself up. No one captured Him. He came forward willingly and began the process of laying down His life for us.
All this and I only got to the first 6 verses. 😉 The Scriptures are so rich!
-March 8, 2016
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John Chapters 13-17 Marks of a Disciple of Christ
1. Disciples are known by the world by loving each other as Jesus loved them. (John 13:34-35)Was this a new command? (v34-35) What about the command was new?
The new part of this commandment is that Jesus says we should love one another as he has loved us. This is certainly a hard teaching. Jesus loved us and died for us while we were sinners. Jesus loves me and shows his love to me even though I do not deserve it. He blesses me beyond belief daily, even though daily I fail him. He washed the feet of Judas and loved him and served him no differently than the other disciples. This is how Jesus calls me to love. It is impossible to do unless I am in Him. This is not something that can be faked.
How did Jesus just demonstrate his love?
Jesus demonstrated this love when he washed the disciples’ feet. It was a humiliating act. Here was the creator looking up as His creation, serving the very beings He created. He served impartially and without showing favor to one over the other. Because He was so impartial, the disciples could not tell at all, who His betrayer was.
How did what Jesus did make the disciples feel? Was it awkward? Uncomfortable? Why?
Yes, it was an awkward and uncomfortable situation. Just before this account, Jesus was hailed as King in the triumphal entry. He was worshiped and lauded. Now, he took on the role of the most menial servant. He willing did the job that no one else wanted to do.
Is this how I love others? Does the way I love others seem over the top? Does it make others uncomfortable? Do other people notice how different it is?
I do think I am often willing to serve others in this way, but it is a hard life style to sustain, as it is exhausting on so many levels – physically, spiritually and emotionally. And, I do have a much harder time serving those that have hurt me in some way. I do it, but I have to pray constantly and struggle through it. And sadly, I often get grumpy when I am tired and then my acts of service lose their potency. I can end up doing more harm than good.
2. Disciples prove they are disciples by bearing much fruit. (John 15:8)What is the fruit Jesus is referring to?
I believe that Jesus is saying that those who abide in Him, will make other disciples. They will share Jesus with others and teach them to obey the things Jesus commanded.
What kind of fruit does an apple tree bear? What kind of fruit does a grape vine bear?
Apples, of course. Grapes of course.:-)
What kind of fruit therefore does a disciple vine bear?
Jesus call disciples to go and make other disciples(Matthew 28)
Jesus says “I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit.” (Chapt 15:16) Does what I think the fruit is make sense in the context of this verse? Does it reflect the purpose and focus of Jesus’ life (i.e. that this is why He chose them)?How do I bear fruit?
I bear fruit for Jesus, by teaching others about Him and calling them to believe in Him, repent and be baptized. Then I must continue to be involved in their lives so that they stay faithful. We help each other to obey.
How much fruit am I supposed to bear?
Much fruit.
What does it indicate if I am not bearing fruit?
If I am not bearing fruit for Jesus, then it means that I am not abiding in Him, because He promises that those who abide in Him will bear fruit. If I do not believe this, then I am calling God a liar.
How fruitful am I?
This is a tougher one to answer. I have personally studied the bible with many women. One of the women I studied with is currently working as a women’s ministry leader alongside her husband who leads a church in Europe. I still stay in touch with around 20 women that I studied the Bible with and we remain open with each other about our struggles and continue to encourage one another in our faith.But, for several years I did not study the bible much with anyone. I felt then that I was in a desert, as our lives increasingly revolved around the care of our parents. I know this was a special season in my life and I am grateful that we could care for all three of our parents, but I know it hurt me spiritually to not be more involved on a regular basis with helping others to become disciples. I forgot how important it is to regularly experience the joy of witnessing changed lives. I praise God, that after many, many years of sharing my faith with my mom, studying the Bible on numerous occasions with her, she finally repented and was baptized just two weeks prior to her death. This week is an emotional time for me as next weekend mark’s the one year anniversary of her baptism.My focus now, is on raising my daughters in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Our two older ones were baptized a few years ago after years of studying the scriptures with us. Now we pray for Joy and teach her daily what it means to repent and obey.I also pray and ask for your prayer for my father, because I do not believe that He is in a right relationship with the Lord. Though he comes to church with us on occasion, he has never understood the need for repentance and he has never been immersed. I would be so grateful if you would pray and ask the Lord to open my dad’s heart and mind to understand before it is too late. I want so badly to see my father saved and this is probably the area I lack the greatest faith and peace. I sometimes feel frantic about reaching him before he dies. I want to change this in me because I know it is sin. It is simply not trusting God. I would be grateful if you would pray for me to daily give my dad to God and trust that He knows best whatever the outcome.
3, The world will know who Jesus is by the unity of the disciples. (John 17:20-23)How does Jesus define the level of unity that should exist between disciples?
There should not be disunity between disciples. We should be one as Jesus and the Father are one.
What are Christians known for today?
Sadly, Christians and the church is known for extreme disunity. All it takes is opening up a phone book to see how utterly divided we are.
What prevents us from being unified?
1. Pride – Thinking that our way is the best or only way.2. Lack of holding to the Bible as our standard. Disunity comes when we create our own practices or traditions and hold them on the same level as Scripture
What should I conclude if we are not unified but that’s what Jesus prayed for those who would believe in and follow Him?
If we are not unified and this is what Jesus wants for those who believe in him and follow him, we should conclude that we are in sin and need to repent. We should always work towards unity. It takes work and effort. Unity will not just happen. It takes and openness and willingness to hear others. It takes humility
How do these areas relate to the condition of “the church” today?
Honestly, I wonder if you all have felt the way I often do. It is hard not to get discouraged by the condition of” the church” today. I truly think we would probably all be shocked by what Jesus would say about how we worship him and what our fellowships look like. I saw a movie many years ago that addressed this very issue. It was about a man who had come into our times after being catapulted forward from the far past, and he was dismayed by what he saw in “the church.” He didn’t recognize it at all as the body of Christ. Half-hearted singing, superficial relationships, bickering and disunity, immodest dress….. etc…..It seems that in an effort to draw the crowds, “the church” has succumbed to the world. Rather than stay true and faithful to the Word, “the church” tries all kinds of gimmicks to draw people in and sadly is not taken very seriously anymore because people don’t see much difference between it and any other club. Quite frankly, there have been many times in my life, where I questioned going to church myself. Not because I don’t love Jesus, but because I felt I had no place to take someone to, that adequately reflected what Jesus died for. Jesus wants His church to be a living and breathing example of the agape love He calls His disciples to. It is this love that will draw in the masses. This love cannot exist without Jesus. This love is what the world needs. If we as His disciples show this love to one another and model it to the world around us, Jesus will give us abundant fruit. But. we have to truly be exceedingly different from the world around us. This can only happen if we cling to Him and His Word, rather than our feelings, emotions or traditions. We can and should love how He loves us. This is what He commands us to do. – March 7, 2016
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John Chapters 13-18 Marks of a Disciple
1. Disciples are known by the world by loving each other as Jesus loved them. (John 13:34-35)
Was this a new command? (v34-35) What about the command was new?
How did Jesus just demonstrate his love?
How did what Jesus did make the disciples feel? Was it awkward? Uncomfortable? Why?
Is this how I love others? Does the way I love others seem over the top? Does it make others uncomfortable? Do other people notice how different it is?
2. Disciples prove they are disciples by bearing much fruit. (John 15:8)
What is the fruit Jesus is referring to?
What kind of fruit does an apple tree bear? What kind of fruit does a grape vine bear?
What kind of fruit therefore does a disciple vine bear?
Jesus says “I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit.” (Chapt 15:16) Does what I think the fruit is make sense in the context of this verse? Does it reflect the purpose and focus of Jesus’ life (i.e. that this is why He chose them)?
How do I bear fruit?
How much fruit am I supposed to bear?
What does it indicate if I am not bearing fruit?
How fruitful am I?
3, The world will know who Jesus is by the unity of the disciples. (John 17:20-23)
How does Jesus define the level of unity that should exist between disciples?
What are Christians known for today?
What prevents us from being unified?
What should I conclude if we are not unified but that’s what Jesus prayed for those who would believe in and follow Him?
How do these areas relate to the condition of “the church” today?
Let’s take tomorrow thinking through these three areas and sharing with one another as we feel led.
Posted in Andrea's Attic
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Wild Hope 