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.

Life of Christ Devotional - John 13:18-30

““I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: ‘He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.’ “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.” After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me.” His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.” Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. “What you are about to do, do quickly,” Jesus told him, but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night. ” (John 13:18–30, NIV)

We see from this passage that Jesus chose every disciple, even the one who would betray him, in order that scripture would be fulfilled. The point here is Jesus is not surprised by the betrayal. In fact, He chose Judas knowing He would betray. Jesus knew it would happen because God said it would happen. But where did God reveal this betrayal? The verse Jesus quotes out of Psalm 41 seems vague at best…or is it?
The verse Jesus uses is one written by David as he reflected on the betrayal of His friend Ahithopel. (You’ll find the details in 2 Samuel, chapters 16 and 17.) Ahithopel was a friend of David’s who used that friendship to gain information in order to inform David’s son, Absalom, in his sinful rebellion against his father. If you read that account of betrayal, you will find that the guilt of Ahithopel’s sin so overwhelmed him that it became more than he could bear. Guess what he did in the end?
He hung himself…just like Judas will do.
Jesus is reminding His disciples, you remember the events surrounding David and the betrayal of his friend? Watch closely…It’s about to happen again.
The disciples are all listening trying to make sense of what He is saying. All the disciples…including who? Judas!
Judas is still in the room and the passage says that Jesus was troubled in His Spirit. I believe Jesus was troubled because there was one He truly loved who would reject that love for personal gain…and it broke His heart.
You’ll notice that the disciples were quick to look at each other, not themselves. John (after being prompted by Peter) finally asks Jesus, “Lord, who is it?”
And look what Jesus does…he answers John by fulfilling the verse He quoted from Psalms. He takes the bread and he offers it to Judas.
It’s important to see: this as act of friendship. Jesus is fulfilling scripture but He is doing so through an act of love. One final offer to Judas, which he once again, refuses. Judas has been following Jesus for years. But throughout this time, he has been more interested in what he could gain than what he could give. In his pride, he pilfered money he had been given the responsibility to steward. Probably small compromises at first…but persistence disobedience hardened his heart to the point that his mind became calloused to the truth…the truth that Jesus was the promised Messiah. The truth that the verse Jesus just used was a verse about Him. Judas had let sin reign and he was responsible for his decisions. Jesus says, “Do quickly what YOU are about to do.”
Satan may be directing his path, but Judas is willing to follow, and both of them are doing what God knew would happen in order for His plan of redemption to be fulfilled.
Faithful obedience flows out of humility but pride comes before the fall.

Life of Christ Devotional - John 13:1-17

“It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. ” (John 13:1–17, NIV)

So, in case you didn’t know, the land of Palestine is basically a dusty desert. People walked around in sandals all day. It was hot and sweaty and so when you come into someone’s house, you basically had mud all over your feet. And so it was customary for the host of the house to provide a servant to wash people’s feet. It was a mark of honor and respect for your guest.
But in our passage, no one is willing to lower themselves to do this menial task because verse 2 says they were already eating supper. Instead of washing someone else’s feet, they decided to sit on the floor and eat with stinky, dirty feet. (Typical men, right)
Well, Jesus uses the occasion to teach a very important lesson. In the middle of supper, He stands up and the text says, “He laid aside his garments and girded himself with a towel.” Some versions say, “He removed his outer clothes” or “laid aside his robe”.
I don’t think Jesus had to do this. I think He did do it because He wanted to make sure His disciples didn’t miss the point. When He removed his robe and girded himself with a towel, he assumed the dress and posture of a slave – a servant for the guests. Had a servant been in the room, this is what it would have looked like and Jesus is saying, “I am that servant.”
And then He went to each disciple and washes their feet in a servant’s dress and a servant’s posture. I can only assume that there was complete silence in the room… until Jesus came to Peter.
Peter’s question was more of a protest. “Lord, you…wash my feet?” You notice that Jesus doesn’t try to explain. He just says, “It doesn’t make sense right now Peter, but it will soon enough. Just trust me.”
What does Peter say? “Never shall you wash my feet.” Peter challenges Jesus.
This was his pride talking. He was certain that He would never dishonor Jesus. Peter was saying, “Maybe these other guys in the room are willing to dishonor you, but not me! I’m different. I am uncompromising!”
We learn from the other gospel writers that during this same meal, Jesus will tell uncompromising Peter, “Before the cock crows, you will deny me 3 times.”
Pride comes before the fall…Faithfulness flows out of humility.
You see…When we think we have all the answers. When our theology is wrapped with a nice little bow. When we look at others and say, “Maybe them Lord, but not me!” Watch out!
If we are not humble in our relationship with God and with others, admitting that apart from Him we can do nothing, our enemy grabs a foothold that he will undoubtedly use against us.
He’ll convince you that community within the body of Christ is really not that big of a deal. That’s for people that are weak. I am strong enough to do this on my own. And when the lion can section you off, he will chase you down for the kill.
And what about our dependence on God? Isn’t it pride that keeps us from spending just 5 minutes a day in the truth of God’s Word? Let’s be honest. When we can’t seem to find time for God, what we are saying is “You know…I’m pretty good on my own. If I get in trouble, I’ll give you a call. And I will definitely see you on Sunday. But otherwise, I think I can do this without you.”
No you can’t! Be careful!
Pride comes before the fall…Faithfulness flows out of humility.

Life of Christ Devotional - John 12:37-50

“Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: “He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.” Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him. Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God. Then Jesus cried out, “When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. “As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.” ” (John 12:27–50, NIV)

Dead, Playing Dead, or Living in the Light. Which one are you?
That’s what John describes in this passage. He turns first to those who refuse to believe. Their consistent denial of God’s truth has hardened their heart and their conscious has been seared. Truth is literally standing right in front of them as Jesus speaks, but just as the prophet said it would happen, they did not believe. Even the miracles of Jesus did not penetrate their hardened hearts. They were dead because of their choice to deny life in Christ.
But others decided to take the step of faith only to turn around and pretend like they were dead. They put their trust in the message of Jesus and His promise of redemption. And yet, because of their position of influence, they kept their decision a secret. The fear of man’s condemnation prevented their ability to rejoice in God’s redemption. How can this be!
If we live to please people, our reputation will be our only reward. Oh, we’ll get a pat on the back and an “attaboy” or two. We will receive some awards and recognition. But it will always fall short. It will never meet the need that our heart desires. It will always leave us wanting. Our strength will be reduced, our outlook confused and our joy taken from us.
Only when we walk in the light are we truly satisfied. Only then do we experience the love of God that is beyond all comprehension – exceedingly, abundantly more than we could ever ask or imagine. Only then do we truly live the life that He has made possible.
Make the choice today not to divide your life between the sacred and the secular. What you do Monday through Saturday is just as sacred as what you do on Sunday. This undivided life of Jesus is the perfect example. Everything He did was to please His Father. He did nothing on His own accord or out of selfish ambition. So should it be with us. May His kingdom in your heart be undivided.