New Testament

Jesus warned Peter the last time we met, today in John 14:1-14 we see him making a declaration. 

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.² In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. ⁴ And you know the way to where I am going.”⁵ Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

⁸ Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. ¹¹ Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

¹² “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

Jesus starts off this passage telling the disciples to not be troubled.   He had just finished telling Peter that he would deny the Lord three times before the rooster crowed.  If I were Peter I would find such a statement troublesome.   Jesus though, eased Peter’s heart.  Reminding him and the rest of the disciples to  Believe in God; believe also in me.

And remember that Jesus told the disciples that he was going away and they couldn’t come with him.  Here Jesus tells them where he is going. ² In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? ³

He again offers them reassurance, if he goes away to prepare a place for them…. doesn’t it make sense that he would come back to get them?   Why prepare a place for someone if you aren’t going to show them the place prepared?   It’s like when we were expecting our Brazillian student and I made the guest room ready for him.  Would I then bring him in and put him in the basement?  Not on your life!!!   I made a room, I’m going to put him in it!  Show him the highlights, where to sleep or hang things up and such like. 

But the disciples didn’t get it.  We know this from when Jesus said And you know the way to where I am going.

Thomas’ response was but “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”

Makes me want to shake my head at them.  Cause I know it eh?  I have the benefit of history behind me, of people helping me to understand in hindsight what Jesus was talking about.  But the disciples were slow to understand sometimes (but then again, so am I sometimes).   So Jesus makes a declarative statement to him “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Jesus is the way to God.  He is the way, the truth, the life.  The ONLY way to get to God is through Christ. To me this is clear as can be, yet Philip comes back with “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”

GAH, Philip really?  Jesus just told you.  See him, know him, know God.  Yet Philip missed it.

How many times do you or I miss the obvious.  We can be told time and again and yet we miss it.  How many times have I read a bible passage thinking I know it by heart and then I read it one more time and it’s like GAH woman!!!!  SEE see it right there!!!!!  I shouldn’t be impatient with Philip when I do it myself!  I am amazed that Jesus didn’t yell at the disciples more often!  

And I can’t say that he yelled here either.  He did… I don’t.. plea with Philip.  I don’t know if plea is the right word, but it’s kinda (to me) like he’s saying “Philip, don’t you know me yet?   Haven’t you been paying attention?  Come on Philip, remember.  Knowing me is knowing God.  Don’t you believe what I’ve been telling you?”

⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. ¹¹ Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

Jesus goes on to emphasize (that’s what the double truly truly is, an emphasis).  If you believe in him (and believing in him is believing in God), you will do the work that he does. And even greater works will be done by those who follow him.  Jesus is heading back to God the Father. 

¹² “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

Jesus tells them  Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

The action of prayer

I read those words and I wonder, did the disciples understand the concept of praying to him at this point?  I know he taught them how to pray.  But did they truly understand?   I don’t know. Often I don’t act like it.  I often wonder if God will really do what I ask.  Sometimes he blows me away though eh?  Like when I am trying to figure out how to get something done (like our Brazilian student wanting to get to Stratford for a UN show tonight).  A family came through that can give him a ride.  🙂  I couldn’t be in two places at once and now I can give my student a good opportunity to show off Brazilian culture to a group of Canadians.  God is good in how he answered that one.  

How is God glorified?  I can try to tell my student that God made it all work out.  I’ve tried though the language is a bit of a barrier and I don’t know what he understands.  At least I can try eh?   And I’ve told you so you can praise God with me.  🙂  

Let us remember to ask God for help.  Ask it through his son, and it will bring glory to God.  Cool eh?   Let’s do it more often and with thoughtful and thankfulness. 

Last time we met we heard a new commandment given to us, today we hear a prediction in John 13:36-38.

³⁶ Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” ³⁷ Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” ³⁸ Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.

Jesus had mentioned in the preceding verses: Where I am going you cannot come.  Peter immediately jumped on that.  Where would Jesus go that Peter couldn’t go with him?  All Jesus said to him was “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.”  So he did not really answer Peter’s question, but mentioned that Peter would be following him.  I can totally understand why Peter would asked why can’t him come along now?  And Peter, not knowing what was to come even added “I will lay down my life for you.“

Part of me wonders if Jesus’ heart was sad or wistful even.  He knows what is to come, and he even knows what Peter’s response will be, and here Peter is saying I’ll lay my life down for you.   He must have loved Peter’s statement, even though he knew it wouldn’t hold up in the short term. We can’t really know though because scripture doesn’t tell me, it’s just me wondering.  All we do know is that Jesus challenged Peter’s statement when he answered “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.”

Perhaps a shock?

What a shock that must have been for Peter, for Jesus to answer him this way. 

We don’t see a vehement denial…which is what I could see myself doing. But to have his love for the Lord challenged. I wonder if it made Peter just pause and think for a minute, wondering what Jesus meant.  Deny him?  and not only that, deny him three times?  It would set me back a bit I think.   Yet you know what we aren’t told?

We aren’t told that Peter stormed out of the room.  It isn’t mentioned that Satan entered him, or that he had hurt feelings.  Seeing  Peter getting angry and upset is just not there.  We just find ourselves sliding in chapter 14 where Jesus continues to talk to the disciples.   I won’t get into that whole passage today, but Jesus tells Peter and the rest of the disciples “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.”   Do you see the reassurance that Jesus immediately offered?  Just a lovely thing in the midst of a challenge.  As much as I want to delved into chapter 14 more I need to wait!   (come back tomorrow eh?)

Yesterday, betrayal, today a New Commandment in John 13:31-35.

31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

I have to tell you this, I’m getting tired as the day is hastening on, but I just wanted to spend some time with the Lord before I went to bed. Bear with me if I’m brief though.  🙂

Judas has left, he’s the betrayer of Christ.  Jesus lets him go.

He doesn’t just ignore the rest of the disciples though, heart-sore or not.  He goes on to tell them “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Yeah I know… lots in this passage eh?

First off, the Son of man is glorified, but not only that.. God is glorified in him.  And, if God is glorified in him, God will also glorify that Son of Man IN HIM.  It goes both ways you see?   I know.. took me a bit to read that too.  But glory is happening that’s the big thing I get from these two verses.

Jesus calls the disciples little children… I don’t know why, but tonight that just makes me smile.  Did you know I used to struggle with being able to discern God’s voice from Satan’s?   It took me a while and I felt dumb you know?  After all, scripture tells us that the sheep know the sound of the shepherds voice and here I was struggling.  It took me some time but then I realized something, GOD was the only one to ever say “listen child, hear me child”.  Satan doesn’t do that.  He never calls me child.  So seeing Jesus calling the disciples children… just makes me smile.  🙂

Anyways, moving forward. He goes on to tell them that he won’t be with them forever.  He’s with them for just “a little while“. He knows they will look for him, but just as he told the Jews he tells them now, where he is going, they can’t tag along.

Tonight in our Heidelberg study one of the questions was “why did Jesus go to hell?”.   We can’t go there with him, we are in him now, but when Christ went there we couldn’t go with him.  We just can’t. He went there though, so that even in our darkest moments, we know we can’t go there.  Jesus keeps us from that.

But Jesus leaves them with a new rule to follow: Love each other.  Love like Jesus has loved them. THIS love, oh, this love will show others that they are truly Jesus’ disciples.  Jesus was so known for his love and we should be too.

Let us then show out our love for each other eh?   Showing Christ’s love for the world.  Even when we are pressed and hurried and ever so busy.  Let us remember, show love. 

Last week we saw the Jesus wasn’t surprised, he knew that one of the 12 would betray him, he also knew which of his people were his own.   Today we learn more in John 13:21-30.

21 After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. 23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side, 24 so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. 25 So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” 28 Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. 29 Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. 30 So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

Do you remember that Jesus said one of those that ate bread with him would betray him?  After he finished talking he was upset.  “Troubled in his spirit” we read. 

Jesus was fully human.  Imagine investing your life in 12 men.  Spending all your time with them, teaching them, showing them a new way to be, and then having one of them totally reject you.  It would be like when a parent raises a child, pouring their love into them, showing them how to be a good citizen and having that child turn their back on you and all you’ve taught them.  Wouldn’t that upset you?  As much as Jesus knows his people, as much as he knew that Judas would betray him, it’s still a hard thing to take. 

Troubled in his spirit he repeated “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”

Can’t you just see the confusion this would cause among his disciples, those who loved him.  They’d be wondering just who Jesus was talking about, knowing it wasn’t them. Peter (at the behest of the disciples) asked the question :  “Lord, who is it?”

Jesus was clear in his answer “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.”

Betrayal

He gave it directly to Judas. Telling him “what you are going to do, do quickly.” That’s just what Judas did.  

His quick departure raised questions which surprised me.  Jesus had literally just said that the one he gave the bread to would betray him, so why would they think Jesus sent him off to buy bread or give to the poor.  That some thought that boggles my mind! 

Not only that “No one at the table knew why he said this“.  I suppose it came as a surprise to them later that Judas betrayed the Lord.  They would have figured that he was one of them completely and then to have the pieces fall into place later. They would have then been thinking “Ah, see Jesus knew.  He even told us!”

I feel sad

I read this passage and I just feel so sad you know?

Sad because Jesus was upset knowing he would be betrayed. Upset that the disciples didn’t get it.  Sad that they would have understood afterwards, when it was too late, so they would (I’m supposing here) be questioning themselves as to why they didn’t understand it, or notice it.  Sad because Judas spent so much time right with Jesus and he still turned away.  And horrified in a way, that as soon as Jesus gave the bread to Judas, SATAN entered into Judas.   Can you imagine that?  Having that darkness in you?

And so my heart is troubled.  Knowing all this, knowing Jesus lived with this knowledge inside of him.

Yet, he willingly went.  He struggled yes.  But he allowed events to unfold.

Why?

Because of his love for us. Due to his love for me.   In light of his love for the Father. 

Oh heavens but I am tired today.  I worked hard all day!   BUT I wanted to spend time with God today yet, so we are.  We’ve finished off John 12 and now move on to John 13, the first 20 verses.

13 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.”

Last time we talked, Jesus was talking to the people that were gathering for the Passover. It is still pre-Passover feast, and Jesus knows that his hour has come. He would soon leave this world to go  to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

Tonight we were reading from our catechism and it talked about the suffering of Jesus… from the very moment he came to earth, leaving his infinite life for a finite one with all the cares and concerns that brings.   But he came and in his coming is LOVED this own who are in this world.  He loved them until the end.

See what Jesus does in the love that he has for his own.  He knows that Judas Iscariot is going to betray him, he knows what the future holds for him.  He holds these things that he knows.  See what he does.   He takes up a towel, ties it around his waist and takes up a basin and fills it with water.

Can you imagine what the disciples must have thought?

The Shock

Peter tells us plainly. “Lord, do you wash my feet?”

When I read these lines, especially with the follow up… It’s like shock and horror mixed together.  How could Jesus do this?  Jesus was not a servant, he was a leader, a teacher, a master.  Servants wash feet.

Jesus attempted to reassure Peter (and ergo the rest of the disciples). “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.”

Peter rejects that idea.  The idea of his master washing his feet!  I DON”T THINK SO!  Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.”

But watch Peter’s response to Jesus’ answer, “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!” Oh, that eagerness makes me smile!  Peter is so in love with Jesus, and he simply won’t risk not being part of him. He immediately back tracks. 

I love Jesus’ response.  I can almost see him smiling as he responds to Peter’s enthusiasm.  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.” Jesus makes it clear though that he knows that not all of those present are good folk.  

Jesus’ Explanation

Jesus went all to explain what he did.  He gave them “legs” on the table he had set.   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.

Jesus is clear though… his words are not for everyone.  They are for those who has chosen.   He is telling them now so when it comes time for them to know and understand, they will understand. He tells them that one of them among them has lifted his hand against him. (This is a fulfillment of scripture).

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.”.

I wonder if that was a comfort to them.   Afterwards, to know that Jesus wasn’t surprised by the betrayal of Judas. Followed by the reassurance about the reciprocity of receiving Christ is receiving God and vice versa. Judas wasn’t chosen, other disciples were, and Jesus knows the difference between the two. 

Did you notice though?  Jesus washed the feet of all the disciples, not just the clean ones. 

 

Last time we met we saw Jesus with a troubled heart, but a determination to fulfill his purpose.   Today we see unbelief in John 12:37-43.

When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. 37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
40
“He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes,
and understand with their heart, and turn,
and I would heal them.”
41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

This section starts with the worlds “when Jesus had said these things“

What things?  The previous verses have these words : “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.”

Anyways, he said those words and then he disappeared, we are told he left and hid himself.   We read the sad words that even though Jesus had done many signs, people still didn’t believe in him.   This was to be expected since Isaiah had foretold this. 

“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

and

40
“He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes,
and understand with their heart, and turn,
and I would heal them.”

Do you see it?   God blinded eyes, and hardened hearts.   God’s choice.   I have to admit, I don’t quite get it.  Why would God do that?  Why wouldn’t he want people believe in him?   I know that he is gracious, kind, and loving to his children that he calls by name. He heals our wounds and eases our sorrows.   So why wouldn’t he let eyes be open and hearts be soft? 

I had to ponder this for a while so I went and did some dishes and laundry.  Busy hands help my mind to settle and think. 

Perhaps the reasoning is found in verse 42 where many did believe in him but didn’t make any sign of it because they were afraid of the Pharisees. They valued their positions and the opinions of others over God.  God wants people that believe in him fully, that don’t let fear stop them from declaring their faith. 

It leads me to the question.   Whose glory is more important?

God knows whose glory we will seek.  So hearts are hardened who won’t truly seek after his glory. Eyes are closed for those who won’t put God first in their lives. He knows long before we even think about it.

What a reason to praise God eh?   Those who believe in him.  He knew even before we did that our hearts would seek after him and his ways.  That we would want to God’s glory known more than the opinions of others. 

The question left for me then is this: Do I act in a way that shows what God knows?   Do I seek after God’s glory or do the opinions of those around me matter more than God?   Am I letting him down?  He knows my heart and so called me to him, is my heart showing forth to the world, honouring God’s glory?

 

Last time we met we learned how the disciples remembered events from Jesus’ life and then once they understood them later, told others what they knew.  Today we study from John 12: 20-26.  The Greeks come to talk to 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.

So we know that Jesus was at the Passover preparations/feast.  We know that people had been looking for him.   We’ve also seen him being welcomed with hosannas, a trail of coats and a young donkey to ride in on.   Today we learn that Greeks were part of the crowd… they came to worship at the feast.  

You know what that tells me?  They were converts to Judaism…otherwise why would they come?   Greeks wouldn’t show up at a Jewish event to take part, to worship, unless they had converted to Judaism.    Therefore we have these Greek Jews on a mission.  They came to Philip and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

Philip went to Andrew and then together they went and told Jesus. 

Jesus’ answer seems a bit odd to me.  It wasn’t sure… bring them on over, rather it was more total end game.    His response:  “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.

I gotta wonder, did the disciples take that response back to the Greeks?

Or did they wonder… what is Jesus talking about?   I know they didn’t really understand that Jesus came to die, so these references probably had them shaking their heads a bit.  In retrospect we understand what he says.   Jesus’ time to die was fast approaching.   But his death would bear much fruit just like a wheat kernel dying to produce a new plant with many seeds.   It’s important to realize this truth you know?  Especially in light of his next lines. 

Then we get the reference to those who follow after Christ.  They need to be willing to die for him.  But that death would yield eternal life.  Service to Christ requires that we follow him, and since we are following him we are with him.   Christ’s servants are honoured by God the Father.   Jesus’ death lead to much fruit.  We need to be willing to follow Christ…even to the point of death.  What might our deaths bring in terms of fruit borne?  Do we even really ever think about that?

I know that I don’t tend to. In fact most days I have to admit I often don’t think of my relationship with Christ in those terms… of dying to myself so that I might serve Christ better?   I rarely wonder about how I might die to myself as I follow the Lord… and that’s not a great thing you know?   I shows how very self-centred I can be.  That is SO not a good thing.  How can I follow the Lord well if I mostly see myself and my own needs/desires?   Here the Lord reminds me well what my calling in… service, willingness to follow him regardless because where I am… so is he.  

What a word for the Greek Jews eh?  To hear Jesus say to follow him and be honoured by God?  

What a word for us now.  To be reminded on just who we follow… a glorified Jesus.  The Son of God and how through following him and serving him, God the Father will honour us.