Childlike Faith
It seems a bit surprising at this juncture Jesus would call his disciples “little children” after all they had just spent three years of intense mentoring at his side. Did he use this as a term of endearment or as a gentle criticism of their immature faith? Perhaps it was because he knew they simply wanted to stay close to him, like a young child who clings to their mom and dad. But Jesus knew they would soon have to learn how to live without him. It was going to require a quantum leap in their faith. So even after spending three years at his side, in relative terms, their faith was still like that of “little children.”
Mature faith involves complete trust even when we can’t see the future, when the doctor shares a traumatic diagnosis, or when we are desperate or fearful and no answers are available. Mature faith involves complete trust in what God will do even when you know there’s nothing more you can do. Come to think of it, mature faith is a lot like a child’s faith…pure, simple, and trusting.
We will each arrive one day at a juncture where God will say one final time to our soul “Have faith my precious child and do not be afraid to close your eyes. You may not know this road but I do. Simply trust that I am taking you home. When you awake you will be safe in your eternal home.” I pray that whenever that day may come your faith in our heavenly father will prove to be pure, simple, and trusting - being fully assured He knows the road ahead and will bring you safely home.
Pastor Dave Korinek
God’s Glory Doesn’t Always Look Like What We Think It Looks Like
The phrase, “When he had gone out,” is about Judas Iscariot. As soon as Judas left the room to initiate the betrayal that will happen later that night, Jesus says, “Now is the Son of Man glorified.” It is easy to picture glorification happening later. Glory would come through and after Jesus’ death and resurrection. But why does Jesus say the glorification starts now?
More questions:
Is the glorification because all facets of Jesus’ life have come together, leading to this moment?
Is the glorification related to the fulfillment of numerous prophecies?
Is Jesus’ reference like the opening scene or act of a play that will culminate in the author’s praise at the curtain call?
The next verse shows that the glorification isn’t about what is coming, but what is here right now.
“If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once.”– John 13:32
The Son of Man is glorified “at once.” Jesus just washed Judas’ feet and then sent him out to do what he was going to do. Then, Jesus is glorified, and God the Father through him. So, glorification must come through faithfulness, acceptance, and love. Jesus was faithful to his father, and he continued to love and accept Judas right where he was at.
Two important notes here:
People tend to think of glory as it relates to spotlights and applause. Yet, at this moment of glorification, Jesus gives his disciples “a new commandment” – to love each other the way Jesus loves – vs 34-35. He emphasized that the world would know him if his followers loved each other the way he loved Judas.
In this passage, Jesus references “the Son of Man.” This was his favorite way of referring to himself. The prophet Daniel had a vision of the Son of Man, recorded in Daniel 7:13-14.
I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
The Son of Man is the king of all and his glory looks like his people serving him by caring for each other.
At the conclusion of John chapter 13, the disciples don’t acknowledge Jesus’ comments about God’s glory, and they don’t acknowledge anything Jesus said about loving each other. Let’s not miss out on the correlation between loving those around us and the glory God gives and receives.
Pastor John Riley
Do it Quickly
Many fascinating things happen in John 13, yet one thing that stood out to me is the last thing Jesus said to Judas. Our Lord ousted the traitor in their midst with the dipped bread, but then, right before Judas fled, Jesus said, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” (v. 27) There’s no farewell, no pleading, no convincing, or anger. Jesus is resigned to the betrayal and simply wants it over as quickly as possible.
Psalms 41 gives us some clues as to why Jesus said this. When He gave Judas bread to identify the traitor, Jesus wanted his disciples to think of Psalms 41. The protagonist had also given bread to a friend who betrayed him. However, verse 10, is about how the Father will lift him up in victory over his foe and how wonderful everlasting fellowship with the Father will be.
Our Lord was masterful at maintaining the eternal perspective, we can see that on display here. Jesus is looking forward to the other side of the cross! He’s telling his foes, Judas and Satan, to hurry up. The moment was surely somber and heavy because of the price. But the grand victory of the resurrection and ascension provided the mountainous hope to offset the horrors of the cross before him.
All of Satan’s scheming only heightened Christ’s triumph.
So when life betrays us, we can intentionally lean into our security in Christ. We can fix our gaze on the eternal life to come. We can collect ourselves, look at whatever opposes us, and repeat our master’s words, “What you are going to do, do quickly.
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing
with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18
Jonathan Duncan
Oh, Peter . . .
It’s that time of year again, the holidays we anticipate all year long, the ones where family comes together; we see friends we haven’t for some time. You know the routine…We eat turkey and pumpkin pie, decorate the tree, sing carols, wrap presents . . .it’s what we do.
In the first century, Passover was that time of year. They knew the routine: unblemished lamb, a road trip to Jerusalem, a symbolic meal shared amongst family and friends, storytelling of the olden days…
Luke 22:8
Jesus sent Peter and John saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.”
Peter knew the routine. Until Jesus hijacked the routine.
John 13:5
“After that, Jesus poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” What’s happening? This isn’t right! this isn’t routine, Peter must have thought.
John 13:6-8a
“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.”
Oh, Peter . . .
You just gotta love Peter, don’t you? You gotta love a guy who calls Jesus Lord, and rightly so, then proceeds to tell Lord Jesus precisely what he can and cannot do.
Verses 8b-10
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, Peter…
Oh, Peter . . .
This time around, Peter tells Jesus straight up he has a new and much better plan of his own!—wash me more, wash me most, wash my hands, my head, wash my…. Oh, Peter…
Do you and I act like our friend Peter at times?
Am I quick to call Jesus Lord but not quick to listen?
Do I say he’s my Master but I’m more about my own agenda?
Do I worship him as King, even when the King’s ways seem crazy?
I love that Jesus chose Peter to follow him.
I love Peter because we’re all Peter sometimes.
Thank you, Lord, for your patience with Peter.
Thank you, Lord, for your patience with me.
Donielle Winter
Judas’ Journey from Light to Darkness
Judas Iscariot along with the other eleven disciples were with Jesus for almost three years. He walked with the Light of the world, heard Him, saw His love for people, saw miracles, saw lives transformed and, yet, Judas never believed in Jesus and was never cleansed of his sins. Let us look at the scripture to see the denouement of Judas’ descent into darkness. In Mark 14:10-11, shortly after Judas and the other disciples had berated Mary for using the expensive nard on Jesus’ feet, Judas went to the chief priests and offered to betray Jesus to them. They promised to give him 30 pieces of silver.
In John 13, Jesus washes the disciples’ feet, even Judas. In vs. 10-11 in response to Peter, Jesus said, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” The others did not know to whom He referred. In verses 21-30, Jesus gives a piece of bread dipped in the dish to Judas as a sign of friendship. Then probably the worst statement ever read “As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.” Satan himself, not a demon, but Satan entered him. “…he went out. And it was night.” Judas left the light to go into darkness, would collect his 30 pieces of silver, and betray Jesus with a kiss.
We are left with the question why and really have no answer. Perhaps it was his love of money, or that Jesus had not established a political kingdom, or perhaps he did not know this was Satan’s plan all along, but he became a willing pawn.
In John Eldredge’s book, Walking with God, he writes about epiphanies that we have on our journey of faith and one of them is realizing that Satan exists and is our enemy. Many followers of Christ are not awakened to this even though we are told in Revelation 12:17 “Then the dragon was enraged…and went off to make war against …those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” We are in a war, have an enemy, and are commanded “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
I Peter 5:8. We are also told in James 4:7 “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” And then “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11 We are not engaged in some fantasy game but in a war and are part of His army. The devil cannot make us do anything. As believers, the evil one cannot enter into us, but we can be influenced by minions of bitterness, discouragement, despair, etc. If something like this occurs, pray to the One who can show you the source that you may know how to resist.
Prayer: Lord, remind me to put on the full armor of God every day so that I might resist the wiles of the evil one. Reveal to me the source of _______________ . May he be defeated and thwarted at any attempt to influence me or my family. I ask this in the name of my Savior, the Lord
Jesus Christ. Amen.
Francie Overstreet
"All the Feels”
The word “love” chosen here is the Greek word agapē—the kind of love that is sacrificial and has the best interest of the other in mind. It’s a serving kind of love. A love too vast to be encapsulated by emotion alone and always backed-up with physical expression. It's love that defines love and is the root of all other forms. Love was in the air! Yet there were other emotions in the air that night that John records. Human ones. Ones you and I know well, that the Son of Man was experiencing while He embodied agapē by washing the feet of His disciples. Jesus certainly was “feeling all the feels” as He spent His last hours with His disciples. Jesus knew the purpose behind His begotteness. To die an innocent death carrying the guilt of all humanity. He knew that He would soon endure physical pain from thorns, nails and suffocation. He’d seen how loss impacted His friends before and He knew His departure would initially be devastating and confusing. Jesus knew He had just washed the feet of the one that would betray Him. He knew He would soon be with the Father and victory was on the horizon, but first there would be an agonizing separation. He knew.
Can you imagine knowing all of this and keeping it together, staying the course, confident and determined to carry out the redemption plan? None of us could—only Jesus! Jesus was Lord even over all of the intense emotions, and not only kept himself together enough there at the table, but continues to hold all things together by His reconciling act of peace on the cross. Because of Jesus we can have a peace that “surpasses all understanding” (Phillipians 4:7) even amongst feeling all the feels that come along with being human. We don’t have to hide or be ashamed of our emotions, Jesus certainly wasn’t. Instead, we must follow the example of Jesus who had full confidence in the Father, His identity as Son and who understood the mission for which He was sent. May we too show up at tables—real and metaphorical ones—with the same grace and humility demonstrated by King Jesus and have love be the most tangible expression in the room.
Jessica Klootwyk
Group & Women’s Discipleship Director
He Loved Them to the End
John 13:1b
Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
The cross was only a day away. After three years of doing ministry together, Jesus decided to give His disciples a meaningful farewell (Jn. 13-17). The night before He went to the cross, Jesus displayed to His disciples a memorable act of humbleness by washing their feet, extending them grace, and by teaching them significant lessons on the implications of being followers of Him. Finally, as the night progressed, Jesus prayed for them. In the apostle John’s words, “He loved His own to the end”.
Jesus loved His disciples with the love that He experienced and shared throughout eternity within the community of the Triune God (1 Jn. 4:8). When Jesus came into the world, He displayed this kind of love so that those who would believe in Him would join Him by receiving eternal life (Jn. 3:16). In other words, in Jesus, God was inviting the disciples, and the whole world, to participate in His community of love. But, unfortunately, not everyone has said yes to our Lord’s invitation. Many people, like Judas, have rejected it because they have preferred to live in the darkness of the night (Jn. 13:30b). But despite the rejection of many, Jesus has loved His own to the fullest extent assuring them that nothing and no one will ever be able to separate them from His love (Rom. 8:35).
If you are one of them; if you are part of the ones whom Jesus has loved to the end, I would like to encourage you to rejoice in the truth that nothing would separate you from His love, and to reflect His light to those around you (1 Jn. 2:9-10)! Have a blessed day!
Pastor Esteban Tapia
The Quest for Glory
…. for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. John 12:43
We all like to hear stories of individuals achieving personal glory. For many people, these stories become a source of inspiration to pursue fame. However, building a good name requires others to be impressed. Since the quest for glory feeds off of others' praise, it gets very frustrating and disappointing when people don't appreciate or recognize one's performance. In other words, living to pursue glory could easily become a very exhausting and vain quest.
But there's a better way: the way of the upside-down Kingdom of God, the way of Jesus. And we can definitely learn from Him. To begin with, Jesus lived His earthly life with only one audience in mind: His Father. Jesus knew the Father loved Him (Jn. 3:35), and He was never worried about impressing or being rejected by simple men. Jesus was always focused and entirely devoted to the Father's glory. As a result, He lived a very uncomplicated and purposeful life without worries and concerns about what others had to say. The kind of life that, as His followers, we should embrace.
To follow Jesus, one must be willing to live in His way, which includes committing to live for God's glory and not caring about the praise of man. As mentioned before, the way of Jesus is a better way, but this doesn't mean it is easier. Jesus' invitation to follow Him requires the willingness to die to self (Gal. 2:20) and to hold to His Father's will, just as He did (Jn. 6:38). In the end, embarking on the quest for the glory that comes from God, leads to a more fulfilling and unpretentious life.
May God give us the courage to live for His glory rather than seeking the glory of men.
Pastor Esteban Tapia
"Words that Endure”
According to the scientific principle of “entropy,” the level of energy existing in any physical system dissipates more and more over time. As a result, the energy level of our sun and the whole physical universe is in a constant state of decay. A spiritual variation on this principle is provided in Mt. 24:35 where Jesus reveals, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” On the basis of this spiritual principle we understand that while the entire cosmos is destined to expire someday, the words Jesus has spoken are destined to endure for eternity.
Born-again believers love God’s Word because it is truth, it is spirit, it is life and it is eternal. We can rejoice in knowing that even if all existing Bibles and every electronic/digital copy of Holy Scripture were somehow destroyed, the words spoken by Jesus still would not pass away! Since his words are spirit and truth they will go on forever in the spiritual dimension. One way I envision Jesus’ words enduring forever is through how they are treasured and revered in the souls of God’s people. We can trust that the Holy Spirit - who inspired every word, jot, and title of the Bible - is able to bring Jesus’ words to our remembrance in this life and the next. Ironically, the Spirit of God will also bring Jesus’ words (as judgment) to the remembrance of those who reject God’s Son.
In Jn. 5:22, Jesus proclaimed “The Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son.” Jesus also revealed in John 12:47-48 that such judgment is reserved for the end of time declaring: “If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.” (NKJV)
On that great day of judgment, no additional revelation or evidence will be needed in order to judge those who reject God’s Son. The eternal, unchanging words Jesus Christ has already spoken - as revealed in the scriptures - will by virtue of their own authority execute judgment on all who reject him as savior. On the other hand, as a beloved child of God, may you be blessed today and always by the living Word of God which will never pass away!
Pastor Dave Korinek
From Darkness to Light
A few weeks ago, my husband and I were watching something mindless on television when suddenly all the electricity went off. It was an area-wide outage; we went outside to see that there was no light anywhere we looked. As we live on a hill in Bonsall, we can usually see all the way to the ocean to the west and Palomar Mountain to the east. There was not a smidgen of light anywhere. It was DARK, enveloping darkness and I don’t remember there being any moonlight that night either. So glad for flashlights, lanterns, candles, and the light on our phones. It stayed that way for several hours and we hovered near our light sources. Eventually, the electricity came back on! The relief we felt was tangible when we were in the light again.
Through the past weeks’ study of John’s gospel, Jesus is presented over and over as the light; Jesus refers to Himself as light. In John 12:35-36 Jesus says, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you still have it…” Jesus was referring to His imminent death and the loss of His physical presence. Then in verse 46, this was so important He actually raised his voice saying, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should stay in darkness.” Recently, I watched a video of the testimony of a former Hezbollah terrorist who came to Christ while praying. He said, “A man appears in front of me normal size but he shines like light but it is not a normal light. It carried identity, he was holy and just. Instantaneously, I knew I was not holy or just. I cried out “Forgive me”. He touched my shoulder and I knew I was forgiven. But who was this who forgives me? He said, “I am Jesus Christ.” He came from darkness into light and walks in the light of Jesus today leading a ministry of peace in the Middle East.
We who have been brought out of that darkness through trusting in the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ are commanded to walk in that light. What does that look like? If we spend some dedicated time reading through Ephesians 4:27-5:21, we discover what this command means. Consider getting some paper and your Bible, prayerfully read through this passage of scripture, and write down what God speaks to you about regarding your walk in the Light.
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
Live as children of light.” Ephesians 5:8
Francie Overstreet