Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=John+019

 

John 19 English Standard Version (ESV)

Jesus Delivered to Be Crucified

¹ Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. ² And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. ³ They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. ⁴ Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” ⁵ So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” ⁶ When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” ⁷ The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” ⁸ When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. ⁹ He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰ So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” ¹¹ Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”

¹² From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.”¹³ So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic Gabbatha. ¹⁴ Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” ¹⁵ They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” ¹⁶ So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.

 

REFLECTION

• Read over this passage a few times slowly. If time allows, read the whole chapter. Try to see and hear the story.
• Sing today’s hymn. What are your thought and your feeling? Talk to God about it. Wait for His response.

 

PRAYER

Dear Lord Jesus, today’s scripture made me see a terrible scene: Many of those who welcomed You into Jerusalem shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David” loudly, were also shouting “Get rid of him”, and wanted to crucify You! You were willing to lay down Your life for those who crucified You, and prayed for them on the cross, asking Heavenly Father to forgive their sins. What a great love! Lord, today I bow my head and meditate, to examine carefully whether I am among those who crucified You. Yes, although separated by time and space, I am ashamed to find that I am also one of them. Although I have already welcomed You to be King in my life, how many times have I actually regarded the glory of the world as king? My behavior is no different from that of those who nailed You back then! I saw the darkness of human nature, and I also saw that You died for us when we were sinners, and Your love was revealed to us! Lord, please cover my sins with Your precious blood and cleanse my soul, so that I can sincerely regard You as the Lord of my life, obey You and follow You wholeheartedly. Amen!

 

HYMN

Were you there when they crucified my Lord? – youtu.be/0Az2HIyyBTk

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=John+018

 

John 18 English Standard Version (ESV)

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

¹ When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. ² Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. ³ 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. ⁴ Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?”⁵ They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. ⁶ When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. ⁷ So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”⁸ Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” ⁹ This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.” ¹⁰ Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) ¹¹ So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

Peter Denies Jesus

¹⁵ Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, ¹⁶ but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. ¹⁷ The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” ¹⁸ Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself.

Peter Denies Jesus Again

²⁵ Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” ²⁶ One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” ²⁷ Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.

 

REFLECTION

• Read over this passage a few times slowly. If time allows, read the whole chapter.
• Peter seemed brave to take up a sword and attack the mob that approached Jesus. He was rebuked by Jesus. Then later, when Peter was threatened, he realized his vulnerability and, in fear, disowned his Lord. Have you also attempted at times to “help God out” in your own strength and wisdom?
• How does the story of Peter both humble and encourage you? When have you felt competent and righteous, but later became weak and fallen like Peter?
• Talk to God about this. Allow the Holy Spirit to work to heal and to mold you slowly and surely.

 

PRAYER

Dear Lord Jesus, Peter was one of Your most faithful disciples, yet he still denied You three times. I am a tiny, unfaithful disciple of You, how many times have I denied You? I can’t even count them myself! When I encountered setbacks and faced failure, I questioned why You didn’t come to help me; when I was smooth in life, and everything went well, I was arrogant and proud, forgetting Your kindness to me, and attributed all the credit to myself. Lord, what a corrupt person I am! Although I have been saved by You and I am Your disciple, I am often caught in many sins. Today, I want to confess my sins to You again, and ask You to have mercy on my weakness and forgive my transgressions; at the same time, I also ask You to give me more faith, and let me understand that sometimes I can’t find You in the midst of difficulties. It is not that You who have forsaken me, but I did not recognize Your works. Please continue to walk with me, mold my life, and give me spiritual insight, not only to discern everything in the world, but also to see the glory of Your kingdom of heaven. Amen!

 

HYMN

He Will Hold Me Fast – youtu.be/936BapRFHaQ

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=John+017

 

John 17 English Standard Version (ESV)

⁶ “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. ⁷ Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. ⁸ For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. ⁹ I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. ¹⁰ All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. ¹¹ And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one even as we are one. ¹² While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. ¹³ But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. ¹⁴ I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁵ I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. ¹⁶ They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁷ Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. ¹⁸ As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. ¹⁹ And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

²⁰ “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, ²¹ that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²² The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,²³ I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. ²⁴ Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. ²⁵ O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. ²⁶ I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

 

REFLECTION

• Read over this passage a few times slowly. If time allows, read the whole chapter.
• Knowing that this is Jesus praying for you, substitute your name when it comes to “them” or “they”. Read it one more time.

Example: “I have manifested your name to [insert your name]whom you gave me out of the world. Yours [insert your name] is, and you gave [insert your name] to me, and [insert your name] has kept your word. (v6)

• What are you most excited about Jesus praying for you or saying about you? Why?
• Thank Jesus for praying for you. Talk to Him about the prayer phrases you found most meaningful. Pray also Jesus’ prayer for His followers in the world.
• Walk around today with the sense that Jesus is in you and that this was always His plan – to be in you.

 

PRAYER

Dear Jesus Christ, thank You for Your prayers for all the chosen children of the Father in the world, including me! At this moment, my heart is filled with heavenly joy just as You said! Your prayer reminds me that although I am still living in this world, I am not of this world, but a glorious citizen of Heaven with the blessings of eternal life. As a person still living on earth, although I will encounter many difficulties and face many challenges, Your prayers have given me infinite faith and courage to overcome difficulties and challenges. I know that I am not alone, because You love me, You are with me, and I have many brothers and sisters walking with me. We are a consecrated and united community, and we are all Your faithful disciples. Lord, may You continue to pray for us every day, we also pray to You, You are in us, we are also in You, please lead us on the road ahead, and testify to the world with Your love. Amen!

 

HYMN

My Worth Is Not in What I Own – youtu.be/05jKxv8ApuI

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=John+016

 

John 16 English Standard Version (ESV)

⁴ But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.

The Work of the Holy Spirit

“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. ⁵ But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’⁶ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. ⁷ Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸ And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹ concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;¹⁰ concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; ¹¹ concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

¹² “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. ¹³ When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. ¹⁵ All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

 

REFLECTION

• Read over this passage a few times slowly. If time allows, read the whole chapter.
• Jesus’ disciples were filled with grief at the thought of losing Jesus. Jesus explained that His departure was for their benefit. Christ left, but sent the Holy Spirit, who is a living presence within every believer.
• The mission of the Holy Spirit is to guide believers into “all truth”. His mission is to help us experience reality: to know Jesus as He is, to live a life in accord with true holiness, and to build relationships rooted in real love. When we are eager to know Jesus and please Him, the Holy Spirit will surely guide us nearer and nearer to our Lord. We will know God’s truth, and our experience of that truth will set us free (8:32).

 

PRAYER

Dear Lord Jesus, now You have gone to heaven to prepare a place for us to receive us into Your glory in the future; the Holy Spirit Counselor has also lived in my heart, working in my heart every day, guiding me to understand the truth of life just as You proclaim it. Lord, although I know that it is beneficial for You to leave me, I often long to see Your face, because my faith is too small. If I don’t see You, I still have doubts about Your promise. Sometimes I miss You so much that I wish You would appear to me and speak directly to me, as the scripture say. But You only speak to me in my heart, telling me that those who believe without seeing You are more blessed! Lord, I know the value of faith for the growth of my life. Although I can’t see You now, I firmly believe that You are walking with me, and I will meet You in heaven in the future. I wish to have such faith and hope living my life on earth. Amen!

 

HYMN

Let Your Living Water Flow – youtu.be/bLE_YbpI_qo

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=John+015
 

John 15 English Standard Version (ESV)

I Am the True Vine

¹ “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. ⁵ I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. ⁷ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.⁹ As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹ These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

¹² “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. ¹⁷ These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

 

REFLECTION

• Read over this passage a few times slowly. If time allows, read the whole chapter.
• Jesus’ disciples are branches, He is the vine. As we remain in Him, we produce fruit. A branch draws its nutrients from the vine. In the same way we draw the spiritual vitality from Jesus in order for us to produce fruit. Thus Jesus says clearly, “for apart from me you can do nothing.” (v5)
• For the branches to bear more fruits, the gardener needs to prune his vine regularly. The great Gardener, our heavenly Father, works with extreme care to prune His vines. We’re assured that God, the gardener, actively tending His vineyard, is fully committed to bring us to maximum fruitfulness. God’s pruning work benefits us, it doesn’t threaten us.
• Remain in the Lord and thank Him for the necessary pruning in order for you to be fruitful.

 

PRAYER

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for reminding me again today that You are the true vine, and I am a branch grafted on You. If I leave You, I will wither and be picked up and thrown into the fire to be burned. Please help me, let me absorb the nutrient juice of life from You more; please clean me up, let me bloom and bear abundant fruits. Lord, I know that You prune me for my benefit. Although the process makes me painful, it can make me please You and gain the peace of heaven. Lord, I am moved by Your love to come and let You prune and fulfill Your purpose in my life. I beg You to cut off all the superfluous branches and leaves on my body. Although they are temporarily green and lovely, pleasing to the eyes, they will not bear fruit and are useless. May the Lord help me to have an obedient heart, not to sway sideways according to my own will, but only to grow according to Your will. In this way, I will have the happiness of bearing the fruit of life. Amen!

 

HYMN

Remain In Me (I am the Vine) – youtu.be/07nI8uLwmNo

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=John+014
 

John 14 English Standard Version (ESV)

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

¹⁵ “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, ¹⁷ even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

¹⁸ “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ¹⁹ Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. ²⁰ In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. ²¹ Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”²² Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” ²³ Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. ²⁴ Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

²⁵ “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. ²⁶ But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. ²⁸ You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. ²⁹ And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. ³⁰ I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, ³¹ but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

 

REFLECTION

• Read over this passage a few times slowly. If time allows, read the whole chapter.
• Ask the Holy Spirit’s guidance for today’s devotion. Make the reading a prayer in itself.
• The Holy Spirit is the most neglected personhood of God. Yet Jesus promises to leave His disciples (and us as His followers) with this important Friend. What do you learn about the Holy Spirit in vv16-17, and 25-27?
• What does it mean to have the Holy Spirit in you and to guide you throughout your day, as this passage says: “But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you”? Is it comforting? Discomforting? Frustrating? Hard to understand? Awesome? How can you grow today in the awareness that the Friend lives in you?
• As you drive, walk, work, study, and interact with others today, call on your Friend for His guidance with your thoughts, your words, and the decisions you make.

 

PRAYER

Holy Spirit, guide me in all things! When I am far away from God, I ask You to work, to pull my mind back to the paradise of heaven, and not to be attracted by the prosperity of the world; when my heart is hard, proud and rebellious, I ask You to make me soft and humble , willing to imitate the spirit of sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, take up my cross and follow Him; when I encounter setbacks and discouragement, please give me courage and faith, and rekindle the fire of love in my spirit; When I am lonely and sad and under heavy pressure, please give me peace and joy, and make my burden light; when my life is dry and it is difficult to open my mouth to pray, please pray for me with unspeakable sighs. Dear Holy Spirit, You are the comforter sent by Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. You are my reliance and the strength in my heart. Please continue to guide me and bring my life to a new level. Amen!

 

HYMN

Holy Spirit Living Breath of God – youtu.be/kDYjn-YdnD4

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=John+013
 

John 13 English Standard Version (ESV)

Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet

¹ Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. ² During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, ³ Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, ⁴ rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. ⁵ Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. ⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” ⁷ Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” ⁸ Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” ⁹ Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” ¹¹ For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

¹² When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? ¹³ You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. ¹⁴ If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. ¹⁶ Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. ¹⁸ I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ ¹⁹ I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. ²⁰ Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

 

REFLECTION

• Read over this passage a few times slowly. If time allows, read the whole chapter.
• In the Last Supper, Jesus acted out a lesson in servitude. Jesus also shows us the spirit He expects in those who follow Him. Greatness in Christ’s eyes does not come from having many servants but from being the servant of many.
• In your early spiritual life, who was one of the people that demonstrated to you what it means to “wash feet”?
• How will you put Jesus’ teaching into practice in at least one relationship this week at home, work, or church?
• Ask God to give you a humble spirit.

 

PRAYER

Lord, please give me a humble spirit! How big is my pride? So big that I don’t consider myself a proud person! When I deeply examine my heart, I realize how great the darkness inside me is. I find that the less proud I think of myself, the more proud I am. Lord, the human heart is really deceitful above all things. It always disguises pride as humility and falsehood as sincerity. I am like a bowl full of mud. If I don’t empty the filth, how can I hold Your living water of life? Lord, I would like to learn from You in denying Yourself and imitate Your humility in washing the feet of the disciples. Empty me, cleanse me, and make me a suitable vessel for You to hold the living water of Your fountain of life and give it to those who are thirsty to drink freely. Lord, I am willing to be faithful in all small things, to count others more significant than myself, to sympathize with the weaknesses of my brothers and sisters, and to use my humility to tolerate the pride of others. I know it is very difficult to do this, but I wish to rely on the strength of the Lord to overcome, and may the Lord be with me at all times. Amen!

 

HYMN

The Servant King – youtu.be/A0FSZ_iSYO8

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=John+012

 

John 12 English Standard Version (ESV)

Some Greeks Seek Jesus

²⁰ Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. ²¹ So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” ²² Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. ²³ And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴ Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.²⁵ Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶ If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

The Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up

²⁷ “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”²⁹ The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”³⁰ Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. ³¹ Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. ³² And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” ³³ He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. ³⁴ So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” ³⁵ So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. ³⁶ While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”

 

REFLECTION

• Read over this passage a few times slowly. If time allows, read the whole chapter.
• Jesus realized it is time for Him to make the final sacrifice. He went on to explain why He was willing to face death. Just as a seed will never become a plant unless it “dies” and is “buried” so the death and burial of Jesus is necessary to His glorification. Before there can be resurrection power and fruitfulness, there must be death.
• We are called by Jesus to hate (disregard) our life in the sense that we freely give it up for God. We are to disregard our life in this world, seeing instead that we are mere pilgrims and sojourners, with our home in heaven instead of earth (Hebrews 11:13-16).
• If we are Christians, we must follow Jesus in this path of others-centered and heaven-centered living. This path will lead us to the way of the cross, but it will also take us to the resurrection glory of the empty tomb.
• In your own life are you more interested in earthly acclaim and glory or are you willing to lose your life for Christ’s sake? Examine your direction and life goals in the light of Jesus’ commitment to do the will of the Father.

 

PRAYER

Lord, thank You for enlightening me, allowing me to draw the most profound truth in life from today’s scripture: that is, to gain Your eternal life from imitating Your death! Lord, I picture myself at this moment as a grain of wheat, lying quietly in an urn, with the soft kernels and germ inside, and the hard outer shell. The grain of wheat is very willing to lie down like this all the time, because it is comfortable and safe. However, if the grains of wheat are not scattered in the soil, how can they accomplish their destined goal? After a long time, it will die and can no longer germinate and grow. Lord, though I feel pain and trouble, I beseech You to sow me in the ground in time, and let my outer shell be broken—these are but the lust of my eyes and the pride of this life, which will hinder my growth. Lord, I want to grow and bear many seeds; I want to take up my cross to follow You, and save my life to eternal life by denying myself. Help me grow and give You all the glory, Amen!

 

HYMN

Living for Jesus – youtu.be/Jn-czHr13FE

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=John+011

 

John 11 English Standard Version (ESV)

I Am the Resurrection and the Life

¹⁷ Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. ¹⁸ Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, ¹⁹ and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.²⁰ So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house.²¹ Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²² But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” ²³ Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” ²⁴ Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” ²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, ²⁶ and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” ²⁷ She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

Jesus Weeps

²⁸ When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” ²⁹ And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. ³⁰ Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. ³¹ When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. ³² Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” ³³ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. ³⁴ And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” ³⁵ Jesus wept. ³⁶ So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” ³⁷ But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”

 

REFLECTION

• Read over this passage a few times slowly. If time allows, read the whole chapter.
• “Lord,if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Mary’s words express faith, and perhaps reproach. Jesus should have been there for His friend Lazarus. But He wasn’t. And Lazarus died.
• If we look back over our lives, we can all identify times when God could have intervened for us, but did not. He could have changed things. Yet for some reason we can’t understand, He did not. At such times it’s likely that we too mix a measure of faith with a measure of reproach.
• Have you had similar thought like Mary’s? What was your complaint or accusation of the Lord?

 

PRAYER

Use the song WHEN I CRY by Marshall Hall and Ben Gaither as your prayer today.

 

HYMN

When I Cry – youtu.be/YuAdgCo9Qik

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=John+010
 

John 10 English Standard Version (ESV)

I Am the Good Shepherd

¹ “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. ² But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. ⁵ A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” ⁶ This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

⁷ So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸ All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. ⁹ I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. ¹¹ I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹² He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. ¹³ He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.¹⁴ I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. ¹⁷ For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

¹⁹ There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. ²⁰ Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” ²¹ Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

 

REFLECTION

• Read over this passage a few times slowly. If time allows, read the whole chapter.
• The “good shepherd” is a unique designation, for it emphasizes the willingness of the shepherd to die for his sheep. A “hired man” – here Jesus refers to Israel’s religious leaders – will care for the sheep only so long as it is profitable or safe. The good shepherd who values the sheep for themselves will lay down his life for them. In fact, it is in this, the laying down of his life, that the goodness of the shepherd is established.
• If it seems foolish to think of a man being willing to die for mere animals, however great his affection for them, remember this. There is a far greater gap between God and human beings than there is between human beings and sheep! The amazing goodness of God is fully displayed in this awesome wonder: Jesus loved us enough to lay down His life for us.
• Have you ever felt like a little lost sheep, alone and frightened in a dark and hostile world? Remember the Good Shepherd. You can know He loves you because He laid down His life for you. He who loved you this much will never desert you. In Jesus, you are never, never alone.
• What usually prompts you to have doubts about your salvation or your walk with Christ? —Your own sin? Feelings of unworthiness? Personal failures? Talk honestly with Christ about your doubts.

 

PRAYER

Lord, thank You for comforting me through today’s scripture and strengthening my resolve to follow You! Yes, You are the good shepherd, and the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep; I am Your sheep, and I know Your voice. Thank You for taking me through the mountains and valleys, to the stream with lush water and grass, and leading me all the way to today. Lord, I used to be a rebellious and stubborn sheep. Even if I heard Your voice, I turned a deaf ear, so that I went astray several times. Thank You for pulling me back to Your side from the lost way time and time again, enabling me to establish an intimate relationship with You. Lord, although I follow You closely now, I still sometimes have doubts and fears in my heart; in this dark and evil world, there are lions and wolves around me from time to time. I pray that Your rod and staff will comfort me, protect me, and give me greater faith to follow You to the end. I understand that I am just a sojourner in this world. Because of Your guidance and protection, I will not be afraid of harm, and I will follow You to a more beautiful hometown in heaven in the future. Amen!

 

HYMN

The Power of the Cross – youtu.be/hAk0nvV5jJo