Today’s reading: John 21

Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written. - John‬ ‭21:25‬

The idea found in this verse has driven so many people crazy. The idea that Jesus did thousands of other miracles and taught hundreds of hours in additional teaching — it is enough to make the most contented person curious.

So, why weren’t all those additional details included?

We didn’t need all of the data and all of the moments that Jesus spent on this earth in flesh.

We needed to know about two moments:

1) His death

2) His resurrection

These two hold the power of Jesus’ identity, and they hold the potential for our freedom if we would only place our trust in Him alone.

John spend over half of his gospel writing about what happened during the last week of Jesus’ life. We should take note of that, and listen to the words that the writer of Hebrews (12:3) penned:

For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Today’s reading: John 20:1-31

“Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.” - John‬ ‭20:18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Many people believe that this is one of the greatest proofs for the truthfulness of the resurrection. Why is that? There would be no ancient advantage for John to place Mary Magdalene as the first to see the resurrected Christ. The word of a woman was so devalued during this time, that they could not even testify in court of law. John is essentially saying, “This is how it really happened. I mean, you can’t make this stuff up.”

Mary was clinging to Him, and Jesus told her to stop. Why? Because Him staying there, in His resurrected flesh, was not the plan. The plan would be for Him to ascend 39 days later. 49 days later, we will see the reason why. Jesus had His bride, the Church, to inaugurate with the coming of the Holy Spirit.

God continually, and intentionally, did (and does) things to shock and wake the world.

Mary Magdalene was no exception.

We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world. - C.S. Lewis

Today’s reading: John 19:23-42

This report is from and eyewitness giving an accurate account; it is presented so that you also can believe. - John 19:35

All of the Messianic prophecies that Jesus fulfilled during his life and death are incredibly impressive and statistically improbable. Yet the further proof is found in the testimonies of eyewitnesses. Otherwise we have no real way to know that these events actually took place. John (the writer of this gospel) was one of those eyewitnesses.

This quote drives this home:

“When we couple John’s knowledge of Jesus’ personal conversations with these nearly sixty historically confirmed/historically probable details, is there any doubt that John was an eyewitness or at least had access to eyewitness testimony? It certainly seems to us that it takes a lot more faith not to believe John’s Gospel than to believe it.”

- Norman L. Geisler, I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be An Atheist

Soak this in. Your faith in Jesus is resting on undeniable and historical facts. When we believe, we can speak like the Woman at the Well’s converts in John 4:42:

“Now we believe because we have heard him ourselves, not just because of what you told us. He indeed is the Savior of the world.”

Today’s reading: John 18:25-40, 19:1-22

"What is truth?" Pilate asked. - John 18:38

Many of us have found ourselves in the same kind of conversation with those who have no concept of objective truth. We know that most people want to cherry pick truth. Most people want truth to surface when it means that justice will be served to someone who has wronged them, but they really don't want truth to come in and reorient the way they are living their lives. They want to live their lives based on their personal preferences, especially when it comes to faith.

SIDE NOTE: Marketers make millions off of us due to our love of personal preference.

Jesus' goal was not to set up an earthly kingdom to give temporary relief to the Jews from Rome. His plan was looking much further than that.

The truth of Jesus will not wear out or become irrelevant. It is always steady, cutting edge, and transformational. Father God, we pray that more and more people would put their faith in your impregnable truth.

The grass withers, and its flower falls away, But the word of the Lord endures forever. - 1 Peter 1:24-25

Today’s reading: John 18:1-24

"After saying these things, Jesus crossed the Kidron Valley with His disciples..." - John 18:1

This may be a verse we would normally pass by on our way to the Garden scene, but it has a ton of significance in regards to it being the time of Passover. The following quote gives us vivid imagery of the scene:

All the Passover lambs were killed in the Temple, and the blood of the lambs was poured on the altar as an offering to God. The number of lambs slain for the Passover was immense. On one occasion, thirty years later than the time of Jesus, a census was taken and the number was 256,000. We may imagine what the Temple courts were like when the blood of all these lambs was dashed on to the altar. From the altar there was a channel down to the brook Kidron, and through that channel the blood of the Passover lambs drained away. When Jesus crossed the brook Kidron, it would still be red with the blood of the lambs which had been sacrificed; and as he did so, the thought of his own sacrifice would surely be vivid in his mind. 

- Barclay, W. (2001). The Gospel of John (Vol. 2, p. 258)

Some also say that the bed of the Kidron Valley was permanently stained by the blood of the lambs that were sacrificed.

In verse four, we see that Jesus "fully realized all that was going to happen to Him" -- this is all starting to sink in. This is after he has prayed, "not my will, but yours be done" in the Garden.

What Jesus did for us on the cross was not just intense physically, it was also intense mentally. He had known the plan, but now he was going to experientially know the plan, which was more painful than anyone could have ever imagined.

This gives a new feel to the following verses (also written by John):

These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. - Revelation 7:14

They triumphed over him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb. - Revelation 12:11

Jesus, thank you for being our sacrificial Lamb, doing for us what we could never on our own.

Today’s reading: John 17

This is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. - John 17:3

The word used for know is ginosko in the Greek, and the following definition is on point:

“to learn to know a person through direct personal experience, implying a continuity of relationship” (Nida/Louw)

Is this how you would describe your relationship with God? Is it through a direct personal experience that shows continuity?

Consistency in seeking to know God has to be one of largest weaknesses we have as Christians. We are so up and down in our pursuit of the One who matters most.

When you have been the most steady in your pursuit of Jesus in the past, what has made the difference? For most of us, accountability was the catalyst, a being aware that someone we love would be checking in on our pursuit of Jesus.

If you are married, dating, or have a best friend — and that person isn’t keeping you on track, something isn’t right.

Knowing Jesus has to be number one, always.

Today’s reading: John 16

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. - John‬ ‭16:33‬

When Jesus speaks to His disciples about the coming work of the Holy Spirit (the Counselor) and of His resurrection, they were aimed at giving them peace (like we walked about yesterday). Peace is most necessary in times of trials and trouble.

We would probably like to hope at this point that Jesus exempts His followers from trials and trouble, but He doesn’t. We weren’t promised an easy way to follow Him. Look no further than 16:2, “Those who kill you” 😯

We are promised trials and victory, side by side.

This being the case, we may need to change our perspective about everything always working out the way we want it to.

This is why we need the convicting work of the Holy Spirit and the hope found in the resurrection. This world isn’t heaven, but each day in it will get us that much closer to eternal life.

Today’s reading: John 15

“Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” - John‬ ‭15:5‬

This is a shocking verse to many of us. Largely because when can do a great many things without Jesus’ help. Right?! Or can we...or...do we really want to live life like that?

The Apostle Paul was quoted as saying this in Athens: “For in him we live and move and have our being.” - Acts 17:28

There are two sides to this:

1) Jesus is sustaining all things (including our lives). See Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:17.

2) We cannot produce anything of LASTING value apart from Jesus. We may pretend we are getting along well without His help, but it will be revealed in the end. See 1 Corinthians 3:12-15.

It is kind of like playing NBA 2K (video game) and truly believing that we are good enough to play pro basketball.

The only way we will love others sacrificially and sufficiently obey Jesus is to remain in Him.

“...He will produce this kind of fruit in us.” - Galatians 5:22

Today’s reading: John 14:15-31

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. - John 14:27

Jesus is in the process of re-breaking the hardest news the disciples have ever attempted to digest. In John 14, He promises that another Counselor would come (14:16), and the biggest difference would be that this Counselor would not just be WITH them, He would be IN them (14:17).

Yet Jesus doesn't just give them this information and leave it at that. He knows they are troubled at the news that He was going to leave them. So He gives them a glimpse at what this future life of walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16) would look like.

Jesus promises them what the world cannot offer: PEACE, and apparently this peace dispels fear when our hearts are troubled. The Greek word for peace here is eirene, and it means "to have freedom from worry" or "harmony".

Is your heart troubled today by fear? Peace is available!
(see Philippians 4:6-7)

Today’s reading: John 13:31-38, 14:1-14

“So now I am giving you a new commandment...” - John 13:34

How is this a new commandment? Isn’t it one of the oldest ones? Isn’t this the commandment that Cain broke when he defiantly killed his brother, Abel? We know much of the command from the Old Testament. So, what is Jesus trying to telling us?
(He will repeat this “new commandment” again in 15:12)

The following quote speaks volumes to this:

In the OT the Israelites were commanded to love their neighbour as they loved themselves (Lev. 19:9-18), but Jesus said to his disciples, As I have loved you, so you must love one another. This raised the ante considerably. The measure of love for their neighbour was no longer their love for themselves, but Jesus’ love for them. (Colin Kruse)

This teaching is, of course, coming on the heels of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet, and it shows the new standard Jesus was setting for his followers. We do not get our standard from others.

Our new love goal?
Unconditional, unwavering, truthful.