A Glad Surrender Has A New Home

Lent Starts Wednesday

The season of Lent begins tomorrow, a day traditionally known as Ash Wednesday. Starting tomorrow morning, we will post daily readings and prayers at the new home of our Cornerstone Church Lent Blog, A Glad Surrender: cornerstonelife.com/lent.

Our Lent Blog Has A New Home

If you are receiving this as an email, then you are an email subscriber to our old Lent Blog. However, if you would like to continue to receive the daily blog posts via email from our new Lent Blog, go to cornerstonelife.com/lent now and subscribe on the sidebar.

Lent is a time we set aside to prepare for the celebration of Jesus Christ's resurrection at Easter. Today, spend some time thinking about something that you might go without during this season in order to intentionally focus on seeking God first.

Luke 24

Read Luke 24.

"So they said to each other, 'Weren’t our hearts ablaze within us while He was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us?'" (24:12)

Tonight, at the Proclaim service, we will be examining the deep significance of the cross. But once Good Friday, and then Easter pass, what then can we do to keep our eyes focused on Jesus, the cross, the basis of our faith?

In Luke 24, we see Jesus use the entirety of Scripture to outline to the Emmaus disciples the plan that God had from eternity to redeem humanity to Himself. As the Lent season ends, make a priority to discipline yourself to continue to enrich your understanding of Scripture. As we have learned in the Gospel, such obedience is not a guilt-driven, dull pursuit, but instead a beautiful submission of your mind to the will of God.

As one who has been immersed in Scripture for years, I can attest that I still often have moments that "set my heart ablaze", many of which I have had the blessed opportunity to share in this blog.

Continue to examine God's Word, learn more about His redemptive plan, and turn it into action. I look forward to walking together with all of you in a lifetime of obedience!

Starter Prayer:

Jesus,

Prepare my heart tonight to encounter you at the foot of the cross
Humble my haughty mind before you.
Stifle me with your presence.
Give me a willingness to learn and be changed.
Set me on the course for a life full of joyful obedience with my brothers and sisters.
Continually refine my heart!

Luke 23

Read Luke 23.


“Don’t you even fear God, since you are undergoing the same punishment? We are punished justly, because we’re getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!”

And He said to him, “I assure you: Today you will be with Me in paradise.” (23:40-43)

As we arrive at the cross for the fourth time, may our hearts be in the same position as the criminal at Jesus' side. He understood that he deserved his suffering and that Jesus did not. He believed Jesus was who He said He was. That was enough for Jesus.

With the benefit of having the full canon of Scripture and 2000 years of church teaching, it becomes easy to over-complicate what saving faith really is. Cross-references, word studies, and concordances are beautiful tools, but they have the potential to make simple ideas unnecessarily difficult.

Saving faith is not a formulaic prayer. It is not a card you filled out at a middle school retreat. It is not something you have to renew like you would a driver's license. It is an attitude of the heart that says, "I am guilty and I need you, Jesus, to have hope!". This simple gospel transcends color, culture, and language barriers. This simple gospel overcomes any sin, any skeleton in the closet, and any catastrophe of our past.

Set yourself low and Christ high today. Consider your sin, hate it, and "repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord" (Acts 3:19). Be like the criminal in heart. Encourage believers and non-believers alike with the simple truth of the gospel.

Starter Prayer:

Jesus,

You alone are King.
You alone give hope.
I agree with the centurion, who proclaimed, "This man really was righteous!"
I agree with the criminal, "This man has done nothing wrong"
Thank you for remembering any who believe in your Kingdom.
By your grace, you made it so simple to gain entrance to your Kingdom.
May I not complicate it.
May I not dilute it.
Give me the boldness to share it!

Luke 22

"But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter. So Peter remembered the word of the Lord…And he went outside and wept bitterly." (22:60-62)

As you read through the same story from a fourth perspective, make sure to notice the differences in Luke's, such as the chilling detail above.

Read Luke 22.

"On the contrary, whoever is greatest among you must become like the youngest, and whoever leads, like the one serving." (22:26-27)

Immediately following Jesus' prediction of betrayal and death, the disciples begin to argue who is the greatest among them. Jesus points out that their understanding of leadership is based on how their culture defined leadership. To them, leaders were those who were served by others. Their leadership was evidenced by the number of people over whom they had dominion and authority.

Yet, Jesus' Kingdom is different. You could even say it is an upside-down kingdom. The leaders are the servants. The least are the greatest. Jesus' journey to the cross is perhaps the greatest example of true servant leadership.

What does this mean for us? We all hold positions of leadership in some capacity - whether at home or at work. We all have a sphere of influence within which we have the opportunity to lead, to serve. Think of the effect you could have on the culture of your sphere if you set the pace for servant leadership. If the leader serves, what will the followers do? Will they not be encouraged to serve as well?

As the church, we must create a culture that is based on service. In this way, the Kingdom will expand deeper and wider.

Starter Prayer:

Jesus,

Thank you for turning the world upside down.
Gone from the believer's mind are aspirations for power, dominion, tyranny.
In their stead are aspirations to love and serve others.
Give me opportunities to lead, but not for my own gain!
Use me in your service.
Open my eyes to needs. Give me your strength and power to fulfill them.
Let people look at me as a leader not because of my talents or abilities,
But because of my heart to serve any and all.
Let people look at me and see you.

Mark 16

Read Mark 16.

As we come to the resurrection for the third time in this Lent season, let us take a closer look into this central doctrine of the Christian faith. The Apostle Paul gives the best explanation of why this doctrine is so important in 1 Corinthians 15:12-22.


"Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say, “There is no resurrection of the dead”? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is without foundation, and so is your faith. In addition, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified about God that He raised up Christ—whom He did not raise up if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Therefore, those who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished. If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone.

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive."

As believers, we have gone all out for God. We have staked our lives on the claim that Jesus came, died, and rose again. We have sacrificed time, assets, ambitions, comforts, and even relationships due to our belief in the resurrection. Paul is right, if we have done so for a false hope, we should indeed be pitied more than anyone!

But, since the resurrection is true, the sacrifice of our resources is actually the safest investment we can possibly make. As we contribute to Christ's kingdom and to our eternal inheritance, we can reap the hope and joy of the gospel now and into eternity. We can look forward to an eternal future with a new body and a full life that transcends the shadows in which we currently live.

Starter Prayer:

Jesus,

I know you rose from the dead.
I believe it.
Thank you for securing a new life for me.
This life contains only tastes of what Heaven will be life.
I look forward so much to that day, when I will experience the fullness of relationship with you.
I am excited to sacrifice earthly gain for that!
Keep my eyes set on that day.
Give me the strength to love and to sacrifice.

Mark 15

Read Mark 15.

At the festival it was Pilate’s custom to release for the people a prisoner they requested. There was one named Barabbas, who was in prison with rebels who had committed murder during the rebellion…Then, willing to gratify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. (15:6-7,15)

The symbolism of the story of Barabbas is powerful and should not go unnoticed. Barabbas was known to be guilty and a murderer at that. Yet, Jesus took Barabbas' place on the cross. The nails intended for Barabbas were plunged into Jesus' hands instead. The torture, the mocking, the bullying which Barabbas deserved fell upon Jesus the Innocent.

We, as human beings, are all guilty. We have all sinned and we know it. When reading this story, we can't escape the fact that, of all the characters, we are most like Barabbas. We have been rebels, not against the Roman government, but against the holy God of the universe. If you or I were the one standing opposite Christ, the crowd would be just as wrong to choose to release us. My resume doesn't come even close to comparing with his! I deserved the nails and torture, not he!

God knows what happened to Barabbas after this point. Did he follow the crowd to the cross, realizing that Jesus had taken his place? Did he feel the earth quake, see the sky turn dark, and understand the power that his substitute had? Did he repent and believe? How could he not leave changed?!

As we approach the cross in this Lent season, we can't afford to be unchanged either. Consider your guilt to be earned, an offense to God - because it is. Consider Christ's substitution to be gracious, full of love - because it is. The greater we perceive the gap between our depravity and Christ's perfection, the more we will appreciate who He is and what he has done!

Starter Prayer:
Jesus,

Thank you for the reminder of your gospel that this passage provides.
Before I knew you, I rebelled against you.
I considered myself as the center of the universe.
By my lust, I was an adulterer.
By my selfishness and mistreatment of others, I was a murderer.
But no longer.
Your perfect record replaces my tattered one.
By your grace, I am free from the shackles of sin.
By your power, guide me today into all righteousness.

Mark 14

After encountering the cross accounts of John and Matthew, we now move onto Mark's gospel.

Read Mark 14.

The Gospel of Mark is famous for its action language, and we see in quick succession many events that we've already seen in John and Matthew. Let us turn a microscope one of the events, the first Lord's Supper.

"Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks, He gave it to them, and so they all drank from it. He said to them, “This is My blood that establishes the covenant; it is shed for many." (14:23-24)

With this seemingly subtle allusion to the Old Testament, Jesus was actually letting the disciples in on a major divine secret that was to be revealed in mere hours - the coming of the new covenant.

The Old Covenant was founded on human regulations aimed at restoring the relationship between God and mankind. You can almost sense the author of Hebrews sighing at the drudgery of it all.

"Now the first covenant also had regulations for ministry and an earthly sanctuary…With these things set up this way, the priests enter the first room repeatedly, performing their ministry. But the high priest alone enters the second room, and he does that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance...This is a symbol for the present time, during which gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the worshiper’s conscience." (Hebrews 9:1, 6-7, 9)

The New Covenant, on the other hand would be based, not on human work, but on Christ's work. And he would willingly credit that work to the account of anyone who would believe.


"But the Messiah has appeared, high priest of the good things that have come. In the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands (that is, not of this creation), He entered the most holy place once for all, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow, sprinkling those who are defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of the Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to serve the living God?

Therefore, He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance, because a death has taken place for redemption from the transgressions committed under the first covenant." (Hebrews 9:11-15)

Starter Prayer:


Jesus,

Thank you for replacing the old covenant with the new.
In an act unlike any seen before, you actually sacrificed yourself to God.
It sounds morbid, but your blood really is the reason I can have hope
You covered all sins for all time, and won for us an eternal inheritance.
Thank you for including me. You didn't have to!
Help me to live my life today in remembrance of what you did on the cross.

Matthew 28

Just as the earth had quaked upon Jesus' death, so also did it quake upon His resurrection.

Read Matthew 28.

"Then Jesus came near and said to them, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.'" (28:18)

Jesus had come to earth with the mission of restoring the broken relationship of mankind with God the Father. The Cost: The torture and sacrifice of a sinless, innocent man and a temporary, but ever painful separation from God.

The Reward:

"and I saw One like a son of man
coming with the clouds of heaven.
He approached the Ancient of Days
and was escorted before Him.
He was given authority to rule,
and glory, and a kingdom;
so that those of every people,
nation, and language
should serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that will not pass away,
and His kingdom is one
that will not be destroyed."     (Daniel 7:13-14)

His authority, as evidenced by his defeat of Death itself, is the basis by which we have the authority to "make disciples of all nations". Because of the magnitude of the deed Christ completed on the cross, the Father gave to Jesus every square inch of the universe. As the Church, when we make disciples, we are essentially claiming for Jesus what is already His.

It is a great privilege that we get, as mere sinners, to be included in the establishment of Christ's reign on earth. Take a moment today to consider Christ's authority over the universe. How would a firm confidence in his authority change your everyday actions and thoughts? How often do you remember that Christ is your King? How are you currently contributing contributing to the Kingdom?

"And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (28:30)

As we obey Christ and teach others to as well. We can be confident in Jesus' authority and his desire for relationship. I AM is with us.

Starter Prayer:

Jesus,

I confess that I often forget to consider your place in the universe
I often make myself the king.
Maybe I don't explicitly call myself, "King", but my actions and thoughts say otherwise!
Please forgive me.
Please let your authority give me confidence to obey and to GO.
Please use me to advance your Kingdom on earth until you return.
Thank you for being a loving, merciful King.
I would not want to serve anyone but you!
I am yours.

Matthew 27

Read Matthew 27.

“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (27:46)

From eternity past, Jesus had been one with the Father. Now, at the appointed time, Jesus experienced his first and only separation from his closest relationship. The Father could not be associated with Sin, so he departed from Christ temporarily. 

First, the desertion of his disciples, then the torture of the trial, and now the simultaneous rupture of relation with His Father and of the sins of all people for all time on pressing down on his shoulders. Jesus' lungs were unable to contain His voice.

In much the same way, the earth could not contain the gravity of the event that had just occurred. The earth quaked, releasing some of its dead. The veil in the temple ripped, removing the symbolic separation between God and mankind. The world would never be the same.

“This man really was God’s Son!” (27:54)

Soon, because of this cross, the earth will quake itself new. For those whose testimony matches that of the centurion, the separation from God will be fully removed. 

Starter Prayer:

Jesus,

My sins are responsible for your death.

But, Jesus, I'm thankful that you paid for them.

If you hadn't, what hope would I have?

Thank you for standing between me and the overwhelming flood of darkness that is sin.

Thank you for following even unto the point of death, when you had legions of angels a word away.

Today, remembering your sacrifice brings me joy anew!

Matthew 26

Today, we will begin going through the Passion Week accounts of the other gospels.

Read Matthew 26.


"'But after I have been resurrected, I will go ahead of you to Galilee'. Peter told Him, 'Even if everyone runs away because of You, I will never run away!'”


Just yesterday, we read about the account of Jesus going out to Galilee to meet Peter. Here we see that event predicted by Jesus before he was killed. Hardly a coincidence, I believe.


 “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.” (26:39)

“My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, Your will be done.” (26:42)

"After leaving them, He went away again and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more." (26:44)



In reading Jesus' prayers just before his torture began, we see clearly that his preference was not to go through with what lay ahead. He didn't have to go through with it. As he points out to Peter, he could be swiped up by legions of angels who could have kept him from any harm.

Yet, the beauty of Jesus' obedience to the Father is that he always has a choice and he always chooses to obey. There was something that lay on the other side of the cross that, to Jesus, was worth the suffering. He was willing to lay aside what he desired in the temporary for the sake of the eternal. In what way can you do the same today?

The Lent season is intended to be a time for us to identify with Christ by sacrificing comforts for the sake of His glory. How is God calling to you to obey right now?

Starter Prayer:

Jesus,

I confess that I often do things to serve myself.
I often love myself more than I love you.
Let it not be!
Your eyes looked beyond the cross to the greater reward ahead.
Give me the same vision.
I give my momentary desires to You.
Use my actions today for your glory eternal!

John 21

"And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if they were written one by one, I suppose not even the world itself could contain the books that would be written." (21:25)

The world can barely contain the progress of the Christian faith that has come as a result of the 4 gospel accounts of Jesus' life, much less could it contain us if we had even more good books!


Read John 21.

In the concluding chapter of John, we get one last glimpse at Jesus' post-resurrection time on Earth. He specifically targets Peter, who had boldly denied him days before.

In the toughest trial of Jesus' life, Peter had failed him. Yet, Jesus comes back to him eager to reconcile. He shares an intimate breakfast with Peter. For each of the three denials Peter had given before, Jesus gives him an opportunity to reaffirm his love. And, as he does often in John, Peter takes the affirmation of love and turns it into a call to obey.

Jesus' call to "Feed my sheep" is not unlike his call to "love one another" in John 13, for the sheep of Jesus' flock compose the Church. Far from casting Peter out for his weakness, Jesus invites him right back in to his mission to shepherd his people, saying to him, "Follow Me!". Jesus still loves those who sin and will bring them on mission if only they repent and align their hearts with His.

We find ourselves in the middle of the Lent season. Take the opportunity today to realign yourself with the purpose of the season - to make less of self and make much of Christ.

Starter Prayer:

Jesus,

Thank you for second chances.
Thank you for overcoming sin with grace.
I praise your name today.
Give me the courage to obey.
Through prayer, through your Word, I need the intimate guidance from You.

John 20

The disciples hadn't put the pieces together that Jesus would rise again, so his death brought sadness and fear to their hearts. They were hiding behind locked doors trying to make sense of how they could proceed. They had given their lives to Jesus and his message, and now he was gone.

Read John 20.

It's hard to grasp just how amazed the disciples would have been at the sight of someone who had been raised from the dead. Somehow, with the Christianization of our culture, we are almost USED to the story of someone rising from the dead. We must instead stop and be amazed! They had just seen this man, bloodied, beaten, and punctured, hanging lifeless on a cross and now here he was again, walking through walls. How?! Why?!

"I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live." (11:25)

Jesus said these words right before he raised Lazarus from the dead. His own resurrection serves as a final proof that Death is dead. Jesus could not be defeated by the greatest enemy of life itself. And if He defeated Death, what is it that Jesus cannot defeat?

"These are written so that you may believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and by believing you may have life in His name." (20:31)

John's purpose in writing his gospel was to foster belief and life in his audience. May we heed the instruction of John's running mate, Peter, as he reflects on Christ in 1 Peter 1:8.

"You love Him, though you have not seen Him. And though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy."

Starter Prayer:

Jesus,

I cannot wait to see you face to face.
I cannot wait to spend eternity in your dwelling place.
I cannot wait to rest in the body you will give me.
I thank you that I have nothing to fear in this life, or in death.
You are stronger.
Take my momentary fears and failures,
Let me see them as powerless and impotent.
I believe.

John 19

Today, we reach John's account of the event upon which our faith finds its foundation. As we inch closer to Good Friday, we will intersect the scene of the cross 3 more times, in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. There, we will explore more deeply the specifics of Jesus' work on the cross.

For today, mediate on John's account. Place yourself at the scene. If it's your 100th time reading this, put in the back of your mind words like justification, redemption, and propitiation. Focus on the raw details. Read this section as if it is your first time encountering the story.

Read John 19.

With all of the action in the first 18 chapters, the climax of John's gospel seems quite abrupt. And it was. On Sunday, Jesus had been welcomed into Jerusalem as a king. By Friday, he was dead. Just like that.

At the center of the travesty of the cross is the flogging, torturing, ridiculing, and crucifixion of an innocent man - a fact that Pilate himself admits.

"Look, I’m bringing Him outside to you to let you know I find no grounds for charging Him." (19:4)

Yet, even unto the end, Jesus obeys. 

"Jesus knew that everything was now accomplished that the Scripture might be fulfilled…He said, “It is finished!” Then bowing His head, He gave up His spirit." (19:28-30)

How do we respond to this?

Pilate encountered the Truth and sensed that there was something different about this Jesus. It seems clear that he didn't want to do what he did, but that fact alone does not absolve him of his guilt - he may as well have been holding the hammer that nailed Jesus' hands! In each stage of this sorry excuse for a trial, Pilate had the opportunity to do the right thing, but he didn't. He feared the crowd, and Caesar, more than God. Can we afford to have the same response when we encounter Jesus? It is not enough to be intrigued by Him. We're either with Him or against Him.

Joseph of Arimethia and Nicodemus (John 3) encountered the Truth and followed Him. They asked for His body, knowing the dangers involved with such an act, and spent egregious amounts of money to give Jesus the equivalent of a royal burial. They had once followed in secret, but now boldly claimed Jesus as King. May we live our lives with the same bold loyalty!

Starter Prayer:

Jesus,

Thank you for enduring the suffering on the cross.

Your obedience is the example for mine.

Forgive me for valuing the opinion of man over You.

I've often gone the way of the crowd instead of what I know is right.

You alone are King.

I long to hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Bring me there.

John 18

"Look: An hour is coming, and has come, when each of you will be scattered to his own home, and you will leave Me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me." (John 16:32)

Read John 18.

The Pharisees were so determined to follow through with their evil plan, and the disciples so full of fear, that not even an earthquake (verse 6) could shake their minds in to right thinking. This was the Christ! They would have been better served to stay on their knees and worship!

Instead, following Jesus' betrayal, His disciples "deserted Him and ran away" (Matthew 26:56).

Alone he faced Annas. Alone he faced Caiphas. Alone he faced Pilate. Even his right-hand man, Peter, denied him out of fear.

For Jesus, it was only the beginning of the suffering he would endure over the next 24 hours. Yet, the same Shepherd heart seen in John 17 is here in John 18, and beyond. The same King's power, as much as Pilate doubted it, remained. This God-man, the Truth, would remain true to his Father and His mission to the end.

“You are a king then?” Pilate asked.

Daniel 7:13-14 - "I saw One like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before Him. He was given authority to rule, and glory, and a kingdom; so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away,and His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed."

“What is truth?” said Pilate.

John 14:6 - “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.


Starter Prayer:

Jesus,

Thank you for enduring your suffering.
Thank you for regarding the good of all mankind as worth suffering for.
We don't deserve it!
By adhering to your truth,
By submitting to you as our King,
May we not fear for our own lives or well-being.
May we be willing to obey!

John 17

Read John 17.

This passage provides an intimate glimpse at Jesus' heart for the Father and for his disciples. As believers, these words warm our hearts and give us much courage. Everything that Jesus prays comes true!

"This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and the One You have sent — Jesus Christ." (17:3)

Eternal life, "life to the fullest", is not something we should speak of as yet future. Eternal life begins at the moment we repent and confess Jesus as the Christ, Son of God. The "future" eternal life is but a continuation of the lives we are currently living as Christ-followers. Evaluate your life with this in mind. How can you live your eternal life today?

"I am in them and You are in Me. May they be made completely one, so the world may know You have sent Me" (17:23)

In John 8:58, Jesus answers "I AM" to the Pharisees in the temple. In doing so, he staked his claim as equal with Yahweh, the all-powerful creator God who spoke to Moses at the burning bush. In his prayer, Jesus places the locus of that power in the Church. I AM is in us. As the Church, when we are one, as Jesus and the Father are one, the world will know Jesus was sent by the Father.

"I made Your name known to them and will make it known, so the love You have loved Me with may be in them and I may be in them." (17:26)

Go forth today in the love that brought you from death to life. Spread the love. Spread the word.

Starter Prayer:

Jesus,

Thank you for choosing me!
You chose me out of your love, not because of the deeds I did or had the potential to do.
I want to be a part of the same unity you share in the Trinity.
As your Church, give us patience and grace in these tough times.
Let us be a beacon of hope, joy, and truth!
Not condemnation, pride, and arrogance.
That collective goal starts in this individual heart.
Guide me today to submit my will to you - to obey you and serve others.
You are I AM.
I am not.

John 16

Read John 16.

In this passage, Jesus once again explains to his disciples that he will soon be leaving them. Noticing their sorrow, he gives them courage by pointing to reasons for hope in suffering. These reasons apply to us today!

1. The Holy Spirit indwells us to guide us into all truth

"It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you." (14:7)

2. The Father cares for us

"Anything you ask the Father in My name, He will give you…Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete." (16:23)

There is something about the process of praying to the Father when we are in need that makes our joy complete! Note that Jesus has given this SAME promise 3 times before:

"Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son." (14:13)

"If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it." (14:14)

"Whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you." (15:16)

3. Jesus claims the final victory

"I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world." (16:33)


Starter Prayer:

Compose your own prayer. Pray in Christ's name. Pray with Christ's Purposes. Pray BIG. 

John 15

Read John 15.

"Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me." (15:4)

In a continuation of His speech as recorded in John 13 and 14, Jesus now provides an example of the interplay between obedience and love. A vine's purpose is to transport nutrients absorbed in the roots all the way to the fruit. In his example, Jesus is the vine, his disciples are the buds which bear fruit by obedience, and love is the valuable nutrient that keeps the plant alive.

"My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples. As the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Remain in My love." (15:8-9)

It is quite easy to look at the "fruit" we are producing as Christ's disciples and feel dismayed. Shouldn't we be producing more? Our response to this feeling is often to try harder and to take things into our own hands. In this Lent season, let our response instead be to set our hearts on Christ. Of course we should DO things - and that is what this whole section is talking about - obeying and producing fruit. But obedience devoid of relationship with Christ will NOT produce fruit. 

Stay on the vine. Spend time with Christ. Obey first and always the oft-repeated command in Jesus' discourse, "Love one another". Be encouraged.

"I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete." (15:11).

Starter Prayer:

Jesus,

I confess that I so often try to take control of producing fruit.

I love to obey your commands, serve others, and do, do, do.

But, Lord, when I get caught up in the deeds I lose sight of you.

Stifle my heart today.

Remind me in this time that without you I am a lowly sinner.

But supported by you, Lord, you can do great things - and already have!

Remind me in this time that you provide true nourishment for my soul - peace and joy.

And I will pass it on.

John 14

Jesus continues his final instructions to the disciples, this time giving them insight into the roles of the members of the Trinity.

Read John 14.

In this section, we see Jesus weave together the different characters involved in "The Way". Glance at the chapter and notice how many times these terms are used:

1. "Father"
2. "Son" (and "I", since Jesus is talking)
3. "Spirit/Counselor"
4. "you" (referring to the disciples)
5. "world"

To describe the interaction generally, the Father gives the command, the Son follows the command, and the Spirit enables obedience of the command. As mankind looks upon this interaction, there are two responses:

1) Christ-followers know, see, and believe. They understand and appreciate that Jesus' obedience is the evidence of His love for the Father.

2) The world is unable to see Jesus (14:19), unable to receive the Spirit (14:17), and thus, following Jesus' logic in 14:9-10, they cannot see the Father either.

So what can we learn from this?

It is clear from this text that we show our love for God through obedience.

Jesus answered, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word (14:15)

The one who has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me (14:21)

If you love Me, you will keep My commands (14:23)

Taken on their own, these verses could indicate that obedience is a guilt-driven repayment of our insurmountable debt to God. It could be seen as passionless, hopeless, love-less drudgery. But...the Father knows of no such obedience! Read the rest of these 3 verses below.


"Jesus answered, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."

"The one who has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me. And the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father. I also will love him and will reveal Myself to him.”

"If you love Me, you will keep My commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth…you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you."

When Jesus was on earth, his role was to carry out God's commands. Now that He is with the Father, he has left us, the Church, in that role. In obeying, we are fueled by the Holy Spirit and included in the illustrious interaction of the members of the Trinity. Obedience is inextricably tied with love, relationship, and glory.

Drudgery, it is not.

Starter Prayer:

Jesus,

Thank you for modeling obedience.
It was difficult and painful, but the gains far outweighed the cost.
Thank you for including us in relationship with you and the Father!
Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to help us!
Use my obedience today to bring glory to yourself - even at a cost to myself.
By my actions and words, may the world look at me and see you.

John 13

The scene shifts from the public forum to an intimate dinner with his closest friends. With the cross mere hours away, Jesus begins preparing his disciples for his departure with a series of ethical lessons.

Read John 13.

Like he does often in John's gospel, Jesus uses an object lesson to communicate a principle. This time, the principle he wants to communicate is Christ-like love.

"I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (13:34-35)

His means of communicating the principle: washing the disciples' feet.

"So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example that you also should do just as I have done for you." (13:14-15)

To Jesus, service is the language of love. Love is not an undefined, ethereal, or vexing emotion. It is grounded in self-sacrifice and loyalty. Truly, if this brotherly love is supposed to be the proof that one is a disciple of Christ, the acts of love have to be observable!

We all have people in our lives whom we love. Today, in the spirit of the Lent season, let's go out of our way to specifically and tangibly love one of these (or more!) in a special way.

Starter Prayer:

Jesus,

Thank you for your example of service and love.
You served nobly on earth, and even more so on the cross.
May your sacrifice motivate my own today.
May I lose my life and give it to others, and to you.
May those around me know and see my love for them.
For your glory!

John 12

Read John 12.

Jesus is welcomed into Jerusalem with a joyous reception. This "Triumphal Entry" is similar to the way the Greek world would welcome a conquering emperor.

Yet, though Jesus does not turn away the (deserved) worship, he does have a solemn perspective on the situation. Immediately following his entry, he prophesies about his impending death.

We see in this chapter a great lesson in obedience. Look at the verses below. Meditate on the significance of what Christ did and the implications that his obedience could have on your obedience.


Christ's Obedience -

"Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces a large crop." (12:24)

"As for Me, if I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all people to Myself." (12:32)

"I know that His command is eternal life. So the things that I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me." (12:50)


Man's Obedience -

"The one who loves his life will lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." (12:25)

"If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me. Where I am, there My servant also will be. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him." (12:26)

"The one who rejects Me and doesn’t accept My sayings has this as his judge: The word I have spoken will judge him on the last day." (12:48)


The Purpose of Obedience -

"What should I say—Father, save Me from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name!”

Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again!” (12:27-28)

Starter Prayer:

Jesus,

Thank you for your obedience, even unto death.
You always saw clearly the end goal of your actions and decisions - God's glory.
By your Holy Spirit, help me to see the world in the same way.
I need your vision and guidance to have the strength to "lose my life".