“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35 (Read John 13:31-35)

Before going to the cross to suffer and die for the sins of all, Jesus sought to prepare His disciples for the next phase of their discipleship — going out into the world and calling all to repentance and faith in Him as their crucified, risen and ascended Lord and Savior!

Their discipleship would be different because Jesus would not be visibly present with them but would ascend to the right hand of God the Father in heaven, a position of power and authority over all things that He might direct the ministry of His disciples and build and preserve His church, as promised in Daniel 2:44, a kingdom established by God that would supersede all the kingdoms of this world and endure forever.

Before returning to the Father, Jesus also gave His disciples a new commandment to guide them in their ministry, a command crucial to building the church: “As I have loved you, that you also love one another.”

How is this new? Jesus had already summarized the law by citing from the Old Testament Scriptures, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind,” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:37,39; cf. Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18). The difference between these commandments and the new commandment lies in the example of how we should love. Not only are we to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, but we are to love one another as Jesus loves us.

How has Jesus loved us? We see that love explained in Romans 5:6-8: “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

In 1 John 4:10-11, we read: “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

Do you see Jesus’ point? We, as disciples and followers of Jesus, are to emulate Jesus’ sacrificial, patient, and enduring love for us in our dealings with one another. In fact, Jesus said, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Since the goal of discipleship is to become like our teacher (cf. Luke 6:40; Rom. 8:29; Eph. 4:11-16), our goal is to be more and more like Christ Jesus as we grow in our knowledge of His great love for us, love that moved Him to take our guilt and punishment upon Himself and to die in our stead that we might turn to Him in faith and be pardoned and forgiven and given spiritual and eternal life through faith in His name.

This leads to the question: Do people recognize us as Christians, as followers of Christ, by our love for one another? Do we love one another as Christ has loved us? Do we live for others? Lay down our lives for others? Deal patiently with others? Forgive others? Seek the eternal welfare of others?

Sadly, it seems that Christians are often the worst when it comes to emulating the love of Jesus in their dealings with each other. We are often quick to judge and condemn, impatient, unloving, unforgiving, and self-serving. If Jesus loved us as we love others, He would have given up on us and condemned us to the fires of hell long ago!

How thankful we can be that Jesus’ love for us is far greater than our love for one another, that we are called to emulate Him rather than He to emulate us! Despite our unloving and self-serving nature, Jesus loved us, died in our stead on the cross to pay the just penalty for our sins, and now lovingly and patiently calls us to repent of our unloving ways and trust in Him and His cross for pardon and forgiveness. And He continues to work in us, His disciples, to cleanse us from our unloving ways and make us more and more to emulate His love in our dealings with one another.

Dear Lord Jesus, my loving and merciful Savior, let me see Your selfless love for me so that I might look to You for pardon and forgiveness and emulate Your love in my dealings with others. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.]

“When many of the Jews learned that He was there, they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.” John 12:9-11 (Read John 11:55 — 12:11)

The chief priests and the Pharisees were watching for Jesus at the Passover feast so they could arrest Him and put Him to death. In fact, they “had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him” (John 11:57).

Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived in Bethany (about two miles east of Jerusalem), the village where He had raised Lazarus from the dead. There, a supper was prepared for Jesus. Lazarus joined Jesus at the supper, Martha served, and Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with costly ointment and wiped them with her hair.

Jerusalem was crowded with people coming for the Passover feast, with some coming early to purify themselves before the feast began. When they learned that Jesus was in nearby Bethany, many of the Jews came there to see Him, not only Jesus but also Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.

The Gospel of John tells us: “So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus” (John 12:10-11).

The chief priests and religious rulers of the Jews were so opposed to anyone believing in Jesus that they were excommunicating anyone who professed faith in Him (cf. John 9:22,34-35), and now they planned to put Lazarus to death, as well, because he was living and breathing proof, after being dead and in the grave four days, that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and has the power to raise the dead. They planned to kill Lazarus because he was a back-from-the-dead, living witness for Jesus and caused many to believe in Jesus as the Christ.

What happens when people reject Jesus and refuse to believe in Him? They become hardened in their unbelief and refuse to accept the obvious truth. After all, how could Jesus call forth the dead from their graves if He were not the Son of God? The chief priests and religious leaders of the people heard about and saw the mighty miracles of Jesus, and they knew the Scriptures that pointed to Jesus as the Messiah — who He is and what He would do! Yet, they clung so tightly to their religious system of rites and works that they refused to believe and planned to silence the truth by killing Jesus — and Lazarus — and excommunicating all who professed faith in Jesus as the Son of God and Savior.

And what of Lazarus? Do you think he was shaking in his sandals at the thought of being put to death for his witness to Jesus? He had already been dead once and Jesus raised him from the dead by calling him forth from the tomb, saying, “Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:43-44). Could death hold him and silence him? He had nothing to fear!

Jesus’ enemies were so blinded by their unbelief that they failed to consider Jesus’ power to raise the dead — to raise Lazarus again should they kill him and to rise from the dead Himself on the third day after being crucified! They failed to see that they were fighting against the truth — against God Himself — and would not prevail.

My question is: What about you? Do you believe that Jesus is the eternal Son of God who came into this world as a man to atone for your sins and provide a way for you to be pardoned, forgiven, and have eternal life in communion with God? Or are you so set against the truth that Jesus is God the Son and the only way of salvation that you fight against the truth and seek to silence it and keep it out of your life?

It’s not too smart to reject and oppose the one who will one day soon call forth all the dead from their graves and be our Judge (cf. John 5:28-29; Psalm 2). Not only did He raise from the dead the daughter of Jairus (Matt. 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43; Luke 8:40-56), the young man of Nain (cf. Luke 7:11-17) and Lazarus of Bethany (John 11:1-44); He Himself rose from the dead after being crucified for our sins (Matt. 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20-21)!

Dear Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man, grant that I not ignore or reject the truth of who You are and what You have done for me, but trust in You as my God and Savior and look to You and Your cross for pardon, forgiveness, and life everlasting in fellowship with You. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from The Holy Bible, Modern English Version, Copyright © 2024, 2017, 2014 by United Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House. All rights reserved.]

“Then Mary took a pint of very costly ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.” John 12:3 (Read John 12:1-9)

Not much is told to us in the Bible about Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha. We know that she sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His Word on one occasion when Martha was busy serving (Luke 10:38-42), and we know that she was present when Lazarus died and when Jesus came and raised him from the dead (John 11).

Just before Jesus entered Jerusalem to suffer and die on the cross for the sins of all mankind, Jesus was the honored guest at a supper in Bethany. Martha served, and Mary came and anointed the head and feet of Jesus with a very costly ointment (cf. Matt. 26:6-13), worth around 300 denarii (approximately 300 days wages).

The disciples, and especially Judas who kept the money box and stole from it, were upset and indignant over this extravagant act, but Jesus told them to leave Mary alone. She was anointing His body for burial, and this deed of hers would be remembered and spoken of wherever the Gospel was preached.

Mary acted in love for her Lord and Savior. She understood what Jesus’ disciples had not yet grasped: that Jesus was going to the cross to suffer and die for her sins and the sins of all.

Do you know the love of Jesus? Do you realize the tremendous love He has for you — love which moved Him to willingly lay down His life for your sins so that you might have forgiveness and life everlasting rather than the condemnation and eternal punishment of God you deserve? Have you taken the time to sit at Jesus’ feet and hear His Word? Through His Word, God desires to graciously bless you with an understanding of His love and mercy toward you for Jesus’ sake!

Consider God’s great love for us sinners: “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8); “In this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10); “Jesus Christ … loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Rev. 1:5).

O dearest Jesus, thank You for loving me so much that You came into this world and willingly went to the cross to bear the punishment for my sins. Forgive me for all that I have done wrong and for my failure to love You and appreciate Your great gift of salvation. Give me the desire to sit at Your feet and read and study Your Word, and open up my heart and mind so that I might understand what You have done for me, trust in You, and follow You unto life everlasting. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from The Holy Bible, Modern English Version, Copyright © 2024, 2017, 2014 by United Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House. All rights reserved.]

“He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.” John 13:18 (Read John 13:18-30)

Jesus here cites Psalm 41:9, which says: “Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.”

While David certainly had close and trusted friends who betrayed him and rose up against him, and we may also have experienced the same, David here speaks of the fact that one of Jesus’ own disciples, eating bread with Jesus at the table, would betray Him.

When His disciples questioned which one of them would do this, Jesus identified Judas Iscariot as His betrayer by handing him a piece of bread that He had dipped.

Why would Judas, a trusted disciple and the group’s treasurer, betray Jesus? Jesus said, “I know whom I have chosen” (v.18), indicating Judas was not among those He had predestined and chosen to inherit eternal life.

We can speculate further as to why Judas wasn’t among the chosen (perhaps a love for money as we see in John 12:6, expecting Jesus to establish a worldly kingdom, etc.), but we can only say with certainty that Christ died for all (cf. John 1:29; 3:16; 2 Cor. 5:15; Heb. 2:9; 1 John 2:1-2) and that God desires all (including Judas) to be saved (cf. 2 Pet. 3:9; Ezek. 33:11) but that Judas did not let the Word of God, which he heard continually from the lips of Jesus, sink into his heart and produce the fruit of true and enduring faith in Jesus as the Son of God and His Savior from sin.

Jesus was troubled over what Judas was about to do, not that He would be betrayed and go to the cross but that His disciple Judas would turn against Him and then remain unbelieving and hang himself in despair (cf. Matt. 27:3-10).

We remember that Jesus’ disciples fled in fear and that Peter denied Jesus three times, but they later acknowledged their sins and trusted that Jesus forgave them and accepted them as His disciples and apostles. Judas, on the other hand, despaired of God’s mercy and took his own life rather than trusting in God’s mercy and partaking of Christ’s forgiveness. How sad!

While it is easy to point the finger at Judas, we must also ask ourselves how often we have betrayed Jesus by disobeying God’s Word, hiding our faith in Jesus from those around us, and failing to hear Jesus’ Word and follow Him. Have we ever let our desires for worldly goods and recognition get in the way of faithfully following Jesus? How sad!

God also desires that we repent by acknowledging our sins and shortcomings and looking to Him for mercy and forgiveness for the sake of the blood Jesus shed on the cross for the sins of all. Indeed, Christ died for our sins, and God reaches out to us in mercy, offering us pardon and forgiveness through faith in Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross for the sins of the world.

Don’t let your love of money, earthly goods, or earthly fame keep you from hearing God’s calling and receiving in faith God’s love and mercy in Jesus! Don’t despair and die in your sins. Turn to Christ Jesus for mercy now, before it’s too late!

Have mercy upon me, O God, for I have oft betrayed Your Son and my only Savior by my words, thoughts, and deeds. Wash away my sins in the blood of the Lamb, whose blood was shed to take away the sins of all. In His name, I pray. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.]

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, yet shall he live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?’” John 11:25-26 (Read all of John 11.)

If only Jesus had been there, Lazarus would not have died! So thought both Martha and Mary, Lazarus’ sisters (John 11:21,32). We, too, may have had similar thoughts when we lost a loved one to death — if only Jesus would have been here!

Yet Lazarus’ death was for the glory of Jesus Christ, God the Son in human flesh (John 11:4). Jesus was going to raise him up from the dead. When those who have trusted in Christ are raised up again on the Last Day and given everlasting life in heaven, this too will bring glory to God the Son; for without His innocent sufferings and death in our stead and His glorious resurrection, we could only rise to the eternal torments of hell!

When Jesus told Martha that her brother would rise again, she said, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day” (John 11:24). It is then that Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, yet shall he live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26).

Jesus was telling Martha that not only would her brother rise again on the Last Day, but He (Jesus) is “the resurrection and the life”! Jesus is the one who will raise up all the dead on the Last Day, and Jesus is the one who gives life. He breathed life into Adam’s breathless body at creation (Gen. 2:7); He breathes spiritual life into us today (John 1:4; 5:21,24-26; 10:10); and He will raise up all the dead on the Last Day and give eternal life to all who have believed on Him (John 5:27-29)!

And so it is that the one who trusts in Jesus as his Savior, even if he dies, shall live again; for Jesus, who is the resurrection and the life, will raise him up at the Last Day. And whoever lives and trusts in Jesus shall in no way [a Greek double negative amplifying the negative] ever die, forever and ever into eternity; for even when their body dies, their soul goes to be with the Lord Jesus in heaven (Phil. 1:21-23; 2 Cor. 5:1-10; Rev. 7:9-17). Then, on the Last Day, when Jesus returns and raises the dead, their bodies will be raised up and reunited with their souls, and they will live forever with the Lord (1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15)!

Do you believe this? Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that it is He who will raise the dead and give everlasting life to all who believe in Him? Consider the evidence. Not only did He heal the sick and open the eyes of the blind, He raised the dead. When Jesus went to the tomb of Lazarus, who had already been dead for four days, He said, “Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:43); Lazarus walked from the tomb alive!

Not only this but after His own death on the cross for our sins, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day in victory so that we might trust in Him and be assured of forgiveness and everlasting life in His name!

O dearest Jesus, grant us faith to trust in You as our Savior and hold fast to You, even in death, that we might be raised up on the Last Day, at the sound of Your voice, unto life everlasting and to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from The Holy Bible, Modern English Version, Copyright © 2024, 2017, 2014 by United Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House. All rights reserved.]