Life of Christ Devotional - John 16:1-16

““All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you. “Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 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. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 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. “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.” ” (John 16:1–16, NIV)

Jesus says, “I tell you the truth…It is to your advantage that I go away.”
Can you imagine how strange this must have sounded to the ears of the disciples? Jesus, the Messiah, had finally come and now He is saying that it is better if He goes away. I really do feel for these guys because all this has to be overwhelming to them. Just think about it. Step in their sandals for just a moment.
One day you are a fisherman. An average Jewish man fulfilling his daily trade. Some strange man comes along and calls you by name. “Simon, throw the net on the other side of the boat.”
“You’re kidding, right? I have fished all day and you are going to tell me that the reason for my failure was that I was fishing off of the wrong side of the boat. What? Do I need to stand on one leg when I cast the net? Will that help?” (I really think Peter would have said something like that!)
And then you pull in the catch of your life. “What…just… happened?”, you say. And that was just the beginning. For years now you have repeated that same question over and over again…what just happened?
Until you realize…this is the hope of all Israel. Jesus is the promised Messiah. In fact, He asks you one day, “Who do you say that I am?” And without hesitation, you answer, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”
“Blessed are you, Simon Barjona,” said Jesus, “flesh and blood did not reveal that to you. That was from My Father in heaven.”
You think to yourself, “I am walking with my Savior”…and then He tells you, after years of deepening love and friendship, “I must go away now, and you cannot come where I am going.” Can you imagine? Deflated, confused, anxious… What does this mean?
From our perspective, we know what it means. We understand through eyes of faith what the disciples would soon learn for themselves. What Jesus did on the cross, and God validated by His resurrection, ushered in a new era never known before in all of human history. He didn’t put new wine in an old wineskin. Or a new piece of cloth on an old garment. He didn’t just fix a sin problem by patching things together. Jesus made something new.
The church of Jesus Christ is experiencing the blessing of God that exceeds even the unimaginable privilege of knowing Him in person and seeing Him face to face. If you are a follower of Christ, you are experiencing the greatest work of God in the history of the world. This is a day that the patriarchs and the prophets longed for… and God has now made possible through the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit in your life as a believer in Jesus Christ.
We don’t grasp the magnitude of this privilege do we? But its true!
To say that it is to “our advantage” may biggest understatement that Jesus ever spoke. The indwelling Holy Spirit in the life of a believer is the greatest work of God in the history of the world. And his going away…His death burial and resurrection…is what made it possible. You are no longer foreigners to the promises of God. As a Christian, you are the recipient of His greatest work in the history of mankind. Rejoice today and share this good news!

Life of Christ Devotional - John 15:18-27

““If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’ “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning. ” (John 15:18–27, NIV)

Persecution… Nobody likes it and so we do our best to avoid it. Many of us live very peaceful lives in the absence of persecution and so let me give you 3 reasons why this might be the case.
First of all, we can avoid persecution if we can transform the world into a collection of godly people who are unified in the truth of God’s word. If everyone is faithfully following His truth without compromise, then the truth is not offensive. However, this option will not work because we cannot create heaven on earth. Only God can do that. And He promised, “In the world you will have trouble.”
Trouble exists because of the presence of sin and until Jesus returns to establish a new heaven and a new earth where sin no longer reigns, we must accept the reality that we live in a sin cursed world and persecution is inevitable. Because sin exists, truth is distorted, Jesus is rejected and your identification with Him means the same for you.
But what if we isolated ourselves? Couldn’t we avoid persecution if we created protected communities of like minded people? This is the mistake we often make in our churches. We create a community where we live and interact with people like us and avoid any exchange with people “not like us”. In doing so, we can avoid persecution but we must sacrifice the great commission to do so. Jesus said,
“When there is a need for light, no one takes a lamp and then hides it under a bowl. No, they put it up high on a stand so that it can illuminate the whole house. In the same way, let your light shine before men so that they may see your good deed and glorify your Father in heaven.” Mt. 5:15-16
So now we’re down to the third way to avoid persecution: Knowing the truth, but not speaking the truth. That way you never offend anyone who is not living the truth. This is the one I believe we have crafted into an art form and have invented every possible justification.
“I don’t want to judge them… We should be tolerant of different beliefs… I’m not responsible for other people’s decisions…”
Actually… all those statements are true. But none of them are an excuse not to speak truth into people’s lives. Christians have been chosen and appointed. Chosen to be a distinctive people, a holy nation, a kingdom of priests. Appointed to be ambassadors of Christ, as though God were entreating through us, calling all men to be reconciled to God through faith in Jesus Christ. Everything about us should declare the story of forgiveness and grace through faith.
Speak the truth. It is the calling of every believer in Jesus Christ. But speak the truth in love. Suffering is a badge of true discipleship. Very often, your unapologetic identification with Him will be an inevitable offense to those who refuse to walk in truth… but only as long as you are living and speaking that truth in love.

Life of Christ Devotional - John 15:12-17

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other. ” (John 15:12–17, NIV)

Unimaginable!

He who spoke the universe into existence. He who breathes life into every living creature on earth. The One in whose image every human being has been created. This high and mighty God, looks at those who follow Him and says, “I no longer call you servants…I call you friends.”
As a follower of Christ, you are a friend of God. Now think about that for a minute. Because it is, in fact, the distinguishing characteristic of our faith.
Examine any other religion in the world, and you will not find a god that is being served whose compassion so moved him to condescend from his throne on high to dwell among his creatures. Not only that, our God willingly enters into the sufferings of His creatures in order to redeem them and this world. No other theistic religion in the world will make this claim!
You are a friend of God and no greater love has anyone than he who lays down his life for his friends. And that is exactly what He did for you and I.
We did not earn His favor. We did not merit His love. We were dead in our trespasses and sins and dead people don’t move!
And so, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He love us, God moved first. He made us alive together with Christ. For by grace you have been saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.

Did I already say unimaginable?

If this is true, and it most certainly is, do we need any greater motivation for us to go out and do the same? That’s the point Jesus is making!
Those who have received this great love must share this great love. Those who have been forgiven much, must forgive much. Those who have been given mercy, must show mercy. In other words, do unto others as it has been done unto you. Jesus is our example. Go and do the same. He withholds nothing from those who walk in the ways that He has prepared beforehand.

Life of Christ Devotional - John 15:1-12

““I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ” (John 15:1–12, NIV)

“I am the true vine...remain in me.” What a profound statement! When Jesus says He is the true vine, what He is proclaiming is that there is no life outside of Him. In fact, He clearly states that “apart from Him, we can do nothing”.
But yet, we often try to attach ourselves to different vines don’t we. We try to find life in religious systems. For the Jews, it was Judaism. In our culture, Christians attach to denominations and ritual church routine. We look for the meaning of life in science or the way of life in politics. We seek security in relationships. And we find satisfaction and contentment in our hobbies, or our possessions, or our wealth.

How’s that working for you?

Jesus says that every option we choose apart from Him will leave us empty inside - like a disconnected branch that withers and dies. Oh, we can choose to attach ourselves to many things… but only one will give us life.
“Remain in me,” Jesus says, “and I will remain in you.”
Take some time to look at your life and examine the fruit of the vine. Do you see evidence of life in healthy relationships, peace during difficult times, and hope in something bigger than yourself. Or has the branch become heavy with the decay of a failing marriage, an uncontrollable habit or an unfulfilling job. Jesus is the only true vine. There is no life outside of Him. You can try….but you will find that apart from Him, you can do nothing.

Life of Christ Devotional - John 14:15-31

““If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me. “Come now; let us leave.” (John 14:15–31, NIV)

Now, if you’re one of the disciples and you’re listening to Jesus, even though you may not understand everything He just said, what you do know is that Jesus is not going to abandon you. His departure is temporary. And when you see Him again, He has something to give you that will change your life forever.
Trust me… the disciples could not comprehend everything Jesus was telling them. But Jesus didn’t expect them to. He is just keeping His promise of letting them know things ahead of time so that when they do happen, they will understand. The light will come on…their faith will be confirmed and they will say, “Surely this is the Son of God!”
Is it not amazing that Jesus spoke about things before they actually happened so that when they did occur, it would validate who He is as the promised Messiah? Is it not equally amazing that these very accounts have been preserved in such a way that 2000 years later you are still reading them in order to fulfill the very same purpose – so that you may believe?
That tells us something about Jesus, doesn’t it! He wants you to believe… and to follow Him in faith… and to be strengthened in your faith.
You see, when these things unfolded for the disciples, it served to confirm their convictions and ignite their passion to the point that most every one of them would be martyred for their faith. These guys hit the tape running. The distractions of the world would not slow them down and convince them to pull over and park. No compromises…they were all in!
What about you? Does His truth still confirm your convictions and ignite your passion? Are you willing to lay down your life, your dreams, your desires for His sake? Are you all in?
Know that you don’t get there by taking control. You get there by relinquishing control. The Spirit is given, not gotten. Did you notice that Jesus did not give the disciples a list of requirements to meet in order to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit? The fact is, the disciples were mostly confused and had no idea what was going to happen.
So, it’s not a reward for good behavior is it? It’s not a second blessing. It is THE blessing as a result of faith in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is the fulfillment of His promise not to leave us as orphans but to continue to guide us in truth and love. Your submission is the only limiting factor for your experience of His resurrection power. The Spirit is given, not gotten. Are you all in?

Life of Christ Devotional - John 14:1-14

““Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. ” (John 14:1–14, NIV)

Betrayal, denial and now departure. This is the news the disciples have received from Jesus in the past few minutes of conversation. One of them would betray Jesus, one would deny Him, and in the end, Jesus would be going to a place they could not go. To suggest that the disciples were confused and troubled would be an accurate understatement.
And the words of Jesus were intended to bring comfort to their troubled hearts. Although His disciples could not follow Jesus right away, they would eventually go to where He was going and in the meantime, Jesus was making the necessary preparations.
As you and I read this, we probably have the same mental image as the disciples. We picture a physical place… maybe a mansion. It is found at a specific location and it is furnished and prepared for lots of guests. So the question Philip asks is logical, “How do we get there?”
Great question! “Can you at least give us a map Jesus? We definitely want to meet you there, but having never been to this place, we need some directions.”
But Jesus explains, “The destination is a person, not a place. It is not a list of things to do, it is a person to follow. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life.”
What Jesus would accomplish through the cross was not limited to a heavenly mansion. It was life giving relationship with God that would begin at the moment of faith. We don’t need directions to get to this place because we have a guide who has shown us the way and unless we follow him, we will never find what we are looking for.
Jesus then explains to His disciples the unique relationship He has had with the Father, who was living in Him and doing His work. “If you have faith in Me, you will do what I have been doing,” Jesus said.
Amazing! This is the reality of those who have found life in Jesus - His Spirit lives within those who believe in Him so that we may do what He demonstrated in His life and ministry. He made disciples, and we are called to go and do the same. The work He does through us is greater than anything we could ever do on our own. Each day He is still leading us. He is offering to be our guide.
Not through a map or a set of directions, but through a relationship. His Spirit guides us in all truth and life. Are you following Him?

Life of Christ Devotional - John 13:31-38

“When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once. “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times! ” (John 13:31–38, NIV)

“Love one another as I have loved you…”
Now that’s a tall order! How many examples of that do you see around you?
The honest truth is that not many of us have loved someone else to the point that we have been falsely accused, tortured and cruelly crucified on their behalf. For that matter, I don’t know that many of us have even lowered ourselves to the point of washing another person’s feet as an expression of humble devotion. Is it really possible to love others like Jesus loved us?
If the picture you have in your mind is our personal commitment to mirror the life of Jesus by following the example of His love for others, then I would say that we are setting ourselves up for failure. Asking ourselves, “What would Jesus do?” is a great question, but the fact of the matter is, nobody has the ability to match the pattern of His life. His ways are not our ways and the depth of His love is humanly incomprehensible. The example of Peter’s denial seems to illustrate this point.
Peter was a courageous man whose faith stood out boldly in the landscape of the disciples. When Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I am?”, it was Peter who replied, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.” His confession is one of the great professions of faith in all of scripture. And yet, Peter would not risk ridicule for the sake of following Jesus, much less give His own life.
At least not yet…
In just days, Peter would stand before the people and boldly proclaim Jesus as the promised Messiah. It was a step of faith that could (and eventually did) end his life. So what is the difference between the Peter who fearfully denied Jesus and the Peter that stood up on Pentecost and fearlessly proclaimed salvation in Christ alone?
The difference is the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Without it, following the example of Jesus is only wishful thinking. It’s an admirable effort to live a good life, but it will always fall short of what is necessary to be a child of God.
Following Jesus, loving as He loved, is based on the power of the Holy Spirit and not the power of the human will. It is accomplished not by valiant effort but by willing surrender. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life by trusting Jesus will find it.
Each day, every one of us has to make the choice of who will be in control. Choose today to surrender to God so that He can do in you what you cannot do for yourself. Your life literally depends on it.