3-21-14 Loving Unconditionally and Faithfully

31When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. 32If God is glorified in him,^c God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.

33“My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.

34“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

36Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?”

Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”

37Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”

38Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times! (John 13:31-38)

Thoughts: For Jesus, the glorification of God was equivalent with his Passion and crucifixion.  One of his last commands was to love each other as He loves- giving His life for them.  His love was selfless, sacrificial, unconditional.  Leviticus had the old command to love neighbor as self.  But Jesus gives us a command to go beyond love of self- to sacrificial- selfless love.
      Peter has good intentions that he would follow Christ anywhere, but really he was fickle.  When confronted with his own possible arrest he would claim that he did not know Jesus.  Too many times, we have good intentions to be faithful, but we do not follow through.  Our hopes are that our love for God will be unconditional and faithful as His love toward us is unconditional and faithful.  

Prayer: Lord, may my love for you never fail.  May I not put conditions or my own safety as a part of love for you.  

3/8/14= The Works of Jesus

38But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” 39Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.

40Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed, 41and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true.” 42And in that place many believed in Jesus. (John 10:38-42)

Thoughts: John the Baptist did no miracles.  But his great miracle was his recognition of Christ as the Messiah.  Jesus did many miracles, but his enemies did not see these as messianic credentials.  Rather, they saw them as threats to their keeping the status quo.  John the Baptist was against just keeping the status quo- for his message was one of repentance- turning away from the norm.  But those who were open believed in Jesus.  To be open to Jesus, we must also be open to changing and humbling ourselves before God.  We can see Jesus for who He is if we are willing to humble ourselves before Him.  We can see answered prayers if we put our faith in Him.  Those who do not believe will always have "choice blindness"  to God.  

Prayer: Help me Lord to see you and your miracles.  Help me to put my faith in you, and trust in you.  

(Jordan River site where John baptized)