A PLACE TO GO

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

John 14:1-4

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

He was leaving.

Jesus, the man who had called each of the faithful members of His inner circle to follow Him, was now about to die. These men had abandoned everything to follow Jesus and now He in turn was about to abandon everything in order to save them and all others who would place their belief, hope, and trust in Him as Savior.

Put yourself in the place of the disciples who heard Jesus telling them He would soon be gone. It would have been very unsettling and difficult, right? I mean, talk about your world being turned upside down. I’m sure the minds of His followers were racing with anxiety and maybe these questions came to mind:

“Now what? All I’ve done for the past three years is go where Jesus went.”

“Where do I go now? Do I return home to the life I once lived? What is my purpose after all I have gone through with Jesus?”

“How will I be able to afford to live? Where will I stay? Where will I be able to find food to eat?”

I believe all these questions and thoughts - and even more - were running through the minds of the disciples. I also believe fully that Jesus knew their fears and worries without them even saying a word.

I say this because as we look at the opening four verses of John 14, we find Jesus trying to comfort His followers with words of assurance and promise, not just applying to their immediate state of need but their future as well.

First, we find Jesus exhorting His disciples to not let their hearts be troubled. These were words intended to bring peace in the midst of turmoil and they are words we need to remember as we find ourselves facing difficulty in life. For through Jesus, we can always find calm in the midst of life’s storms as He helps ease our troubled hearts and minds.

Next, we find Jesus reminding His followers as to why they shouldn’t let their hearts be troubled. For they believed in God and Jesus encouraged them to place that same faith in Him. After all, He proclaimed that He and God were one and so either had the power to do all things, to include meeting the needs of the disciples after Jesus’ passing.

Finally, Jesus wanted His disciples to know that although He was leaving them, it wasn’t permanent. In other words, it wasn’t farewell but rather just see you later. Jesus drove home the point that a wonderful, joyous reunion was ahead, a time when His followers would reunite with Him again.

So what would happen between His departure and the reunion?  

Jesus would be busy in preparation for the arrival of His followers. Like any good host, Jesus had the desire to show hospitality to those who would be coming to stay with Him. And He wanted His guests to know there would be plenty of room for everyone. For all who place their belief in Jesus will have a room in the Father’s house in heaven.

So when will that happen? When will Christ followers experience a permanent address change from this world into the Father’s house?

Jesus tells His disciples and us as well today.

For He didn’t leave any of His followers here in this world to abide permanently. Rather, He will be coming back to take them away so they might be able to be where He is and be there forever.

And with that, the disciples need not worry about where their Savior would be going. Yes, He would die but He would then live again, raised from the tomb by way of the resurrection power of His Father God, the Father God who would then draw His Son to His side and place Him in authority over all things in heaven and on earth.

This is where Jesus was going, to dwell with His Father in heavenly bliss and this is the place that awaits us one day as believers in Jesus. For no matter what happens to us in this life, we are never going to be left without a home. Through Jesus, God has made sure we all have a place to go.  

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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A NEW COMMAND

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In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. If you love each other, everyone will know that you are My disciples.

John 13:34-35

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

In the 22^nd chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, we read this question posed to Jesus by a Pharisee that the scriptures tell us was an expert in the law. The legalistic religious leaders of Jewish society who were in company with the law expert waited anxiously for Jesus to reply, not because they were interested in learning something but rather so they might find yet another thing to criticize Him with.

Jesus wasted no time in responding with an answer, drawing from a book of the law, the book of Deuteronomy as he replied:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.”

Then He added this from the book of Leviticus, another one of the books of the law:

“And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

How did the Pharisees react?

Well, we don’t read that they did at all which adds credence to the fact that Jesus had answered the question with such perfect surgical expertise that there was no room for any rebuttal.

Jesus made it clear that the greatest commandments were centered on love, first loving God with every fiber of one’s being, and then loving others as you love yourself. And it had to progress in that order.

Why?

Because before someone could love themselves properly, and then in turn love others properly, they had to first be all in when it came to loving God. For when they did, when every part of them loved God just as He loved every part of them, then, and only then, would His love be the same as their love. And then, a person could love their neighbors in the way that God expected, with the same love that He could provide.

This is how God’s people were to love and as Jesus made clear, it was a command. This simply meant that it wasn’t optional.

So with this already established by Jesus, we fast forward to the final Passover meal He shared with His disciples. Jesus knew that His earthly ministry was coming to a close and He would suffer and die within the next 24 hours but that didn’t stop Him from providing some final guidance to His faithful chosen followers. Part of that guidance is found in our text today, verses 34 and 35 of John’s Gospel as we find Jesus saying this to His disciples:

“But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. If you love each other, everyone will know that you are My disciples.”

Here we find a command that doesn’t appear to be new at all on the surface.

Jesus essentially took the greatest commandments mentioned earlier and reworded the direction, placing Himself in the place of where God was before. And we know that Jesus had proclaimed that He was one with His Father so there is no real distinction when we use one in place of the other. Both God and Jesus loved perfectly and in order for a person to love as they should, to love as God and Jesus expected, then they would need to let the love of God and Jesus to be their love. In other words, a person would need to allow God and Jesus to love others through them, essentially becoming an instrument or vessel of God and Jesus’ love.

So why say it was a new command?

I think the answer comes from what Jesus tagged on at the end:

“If you love each other, everyone will know that you are My disciples.”

You see, this wasn’t discussed before. There was no mention by Jesus that if a person carried out the greatest commandments properly then others would identify them as being of God or godly people.

What Jesus was getting at here is that if a person was truly going to be identified as a Christian, someone who was a disciple of Christ, then they would be identified that way by the love they showed one another.

Jesus knew the disciple faced some difficult days ahead after His death. Emboldened by their false assumption that they had successfully eliminated Jesus, the Jewish religious authorities would next turn their focus to eradicating any followers Jesus had and that would put His specially chosen disciples at great risk. They would need to depend on one another and have each other’s backs, and this would require them to love and care for one another. Jesus felt confident they would do just that if He commanded them to do so and so He did just that.

These words from Jesus brought a hymn to mind. They wonderful lyrics go like this:

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that our unity will one day be restored
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love

We will work with each other, we will work side by side
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we'll guard each man's dignity and save each man's pride
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love.

We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
And together we'll spread the news that God is in our land
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love

In a world where we see so much disunity, can we see the simple way back to where the Lord Jesus not only expects us to be, but commands us to be?

For it’s time that Christians start to love one another as Jesus loves them and then make His love their love as they go forth and love others. It’s time for all Christ disciples to follow Jesus’ new command and show everyone that their truest, purest identity lies in Him and Him alone.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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GLORIFIED

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Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will glorify the Son in Himself, and will glorify Him at once.

John 13:31-32

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

glorify /ɡlôrəˌfī/ (v): 1. praise and worship (God). 2. acknowledge and reveal the majesty and splendor of (God) by one's actions.

glorified /ɡlôrəˌfīd/ (adj): (in religious contexts) to be made glorious.

glorious /ɡlôrēəs/ (adj): 1. having, worthy of, or bringing fame or admiration. 2. having a striking beauty or splendor that evokes feelings of delighted admiration.

The scene was the end of the Passover meal, the last meal that Jesus would share with His disciples. In less than 24 hours, He would be dead and laid in a tomb. Not exactly a glorified ending, wouldn’t you agree?

During the meal, Jesus had much to say. In yesterday’s devotion, we saw where He washed His disciples’ feet before calling them to do the same. The point was grounded in His expectation that His followers would be humble servants, mimicking His actions.

Jesus also took the bread and wine cup, using them as symbolic representations of His body and blood respectfully, and then commanded His followers to remember Him every time they would partake of the elements from that time forward.

And of course we know that Jesus exposed Judas as His betrayer, much to the surprise of the accused who thought he was about to sell out His Master without Him knowing beforehand.

Well, as we look at our two verses for today, we read where Judas had departed the upper room where Jesus was sharing the Passover meal with His disciples. Very soon, he would surface again in the garden of Gethsemane and break faith with his Master through a kiss, but before that happened, Jesus had a message for the eleven who remained.

For soon He and God, His Father, would be glorified and there were some specific steps in order for this to happen.

First, Jesus tells His followers, “Now the Son of Man is glorified.”

Here we know Jesus is speaking about Himself and at that instance in time, He had become glorified or as we look at the definition, made glorious. This would further mean then that Jesus had reached a place where He warranted fame and admiration having reached a place where His splendor conjured up feelings of appreciation. Indeed, Jesus deserved the fullest extent of His disciples respect, awe, and wonder.

This leads to the next iteration in the progression of being glorified for just as Jesus was glorified, so was God, His Father, through Him.

This makes total sense if you think about it. For if the Son of God had been elevated to the highest levels of fame and admiration, then His Father deserved the same because after all, God had sent Jesus in the first place. In other words, Jesus wouldn’t be glorified if God had not put Him in the position to be held in that esteem.

Now Jesus could have probably stopped there and He would have already shared a lot but He still had more to add. Again, there is a succession of truths spoken, one linked to the next.

First, Jesus proclaims that if God is glorified in Him (and He said that His Father was), then God would glorify the Son in Himself. Going back to the definitions again, we learn then that God would make the way for His Son Jesus to be praised and worshipped, and indeed, this happened, has continued to happen, and will continue to happen for all eternity. For during His life and in every moment thereafter, Jesus acknowledged and revealed the majesty and splendor of God. It had happened up to the time He announced it and it soon would once again be validated as Jesus was resurrected from the tomb by almighty, divine power. This was what Jesus meant when He said He would be glorified by His Heavenly Father at once.  

Friends, today we worship and praise a glorified Savior and there is coming a day when we all will see our worldly lives come to an end and move onto the everlasting life God promised through His Son. Until that time comes, we need to be like Jesus and ever seek to glorify our Father God with all that we do. For if it wasn’t for Him and the love He had for us, Jesus would have never been sent to save.

Let’s recommit ourselves right now to do everything in our power to tell of God’s glorious nature through our actions, revealing His splendor and majesty to all as we carry out His will and way.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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A CALL TO HUMBLE SERVICE

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In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God; so He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.

He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.”

“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For He knew who was going to betray Him, and that was why He said not everyone was clean.

When He had finished washing their feet, He put on His clothes and returned to His place.

“Do you understand what I have done for you?” He asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

John 13:2-17

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Jesus was God’s one and only Son. He was one with His Father and so He was always about His Father’s business. And He perfectly carried out His Father’s will and did so with flawless humility, all the way to the cross, a cross He would be nailed to and left to die in less than 24 hours.

As a reward for this selfless sacrifice, Jesus was elevated to the highest place of authority, placed over all things in heaven and on earth by His Father. Indeed, Jesus was always greater than any other man or woman but you would never have known He held such a lofty status by the way He carried out His ministry.

For if you were going to define the life of Jesus in just two words, I think you would be hard pressed to find any more appropriate description than this: humble Servant.

It’s true, right?

Jesus was the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords but yet He spent a great deal of His time, not with royalty or the rich and famous, but rather those who were marginalized or rejected by society. Yes, Jesus was a Jew but He didn’t push aside the Gentiles like the rest of His fellow countryman liked to do. Instead, He showed the world the truth embedded in His coming, a truth that God had sent Him to save all people, whether Jew or Gentile.

It was this attitude of humble servitude that we find Jesus trying to show His disciples, one final act for them to follow after He would leave them. And we get a sense that the disciples were surprised at what they saw their Master doing.

For the scriptures tell us that during the Passover meal in that Jerusalem upper room, Jesus got up, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist before pouring water into a basin. He then proceeded to wash His disciples’ feet.   

Almost predictably, it was Simon Peter who had something to say about what Jesus was doing. He could not believe that Jesus, His Divine Leader, was going to wash his feet. This was completely counterintuitive to Peter who felt within that the roles should be reversed.

Jesus, sensing Peter’s confusion, tries to ease his concerns by acknowledging he wouldn’t completely understand now but would latter. In other words, comprehension would be delayed but it would come.

But we read where Peter was indignant, refusing to allow Jesus to wash his feet. In return, Jesus gets a little more forthright with one of His first followers, saying:

“Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.”

Jesus’ words underscored the fact that His feet washing wasn’t optional. If Peter or any of His fellow disciples wanted to be on Jesus’ team, they would have to allow Him to be their humble Servant.

Well, we see that Peter gives into Jesus and makes what is almost a comical comment, saying “Then, Lord, not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

Jesus had already told Peter that he wouldn’t understand and it’s obvious he didn’t because he thought Jesus would wash his whole body but Jesus reminded him he was already clean because he had bathed. The feet were the only part that needed washing because they easily dirtied as one walked from pace to place on dusty thoroughfares with only sandals on. Jesus assured Peter he was clean along with most of his peers, all that is except Judas Iscariot who Jesus knew would betray Him.

And with that, Jesus washed feet, one disciple after another until He had finished. He then got dressed and returned to the table to do one of the things He did best, teach His followers. He began His lesson with a simple question:

“Do you understand what I have done for you?”

It was a comprehension check kind of question but a loaded one because Jesus already knew His disciples didn’t understand. They were pretty much clueless as to what had just occurred. So Jesus went to work bridging their knowledge gap.

He starts by reminding them who He was. Yes, He was the Lord but He also was their Teacher and everything He had just done was to teach them all a valuable lesson, one He taught by example. For just as Jesus had washed their feet, they, in turn, were to wash the feet of their brother disciple. In other words, Jesus commands them (and those of us reading this today) to follow His lead and commit themselves to humble service. To reject His command would be akin to the disciple making a statement that they were too important or significant to do something so lowly, and this attitude would basically say that they were greater than their Master who didn’t believe He was too noteworthy to humble Himself and serve others.

And if this wasn’t a good enough reason on its own, Jesus makes sure the disciples know that they will be blessed if they obediently carry out His calling to humble service. It was a promise that was true then and it’s a promise that remains true today.

With this, these scriptures bring a couple questions before us to consider as we reflect on our lives.

First, are we answering the call from Jesus to engage in humble service?

This doesn’t necessarily have to be feet washing but it does need to be work to meet the needs of another person, work that shows you are not any better than they are, work that reflects the very Spirit of Jesus Himself.

Second, do we allow Jesus to serve us? Or are we like Peter, indignant, or worse yet, indifferent to the attempts of humble service provided by our humble Savior who is alive and well?

Jesus expects us to allow Him to continue caring for us as He sits at the right hand of God’s throne. He delights in helping His faithful followers and we should never reject His unbelievable graciousness and generosity.

Jesus, our Lord and Teacher, has not only told us what to do but He has shown us by example. All we need to do is walk in His footsteps as we answer His call to humble service.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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