Grace and Truth, John 16:1-15, Our Advocate

“All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

 

Jesus began to warn his disciples of the trouble they would go through. He was leaving them, but he would not leave them, and us, alone.

 

He sent the Holy Spirit, an advocate, a helper, someone to stand beside us and help us through our lives as Christians. He will help us know and share the truth. Thank you, Father, for this unbelievable gift. 

Grace and Truth, Jesus Calls Us Friends, John 15:9-17

Verses 9-17: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.

 

Dear Jesus, what a heart-stopping thought that you would call us friends. Help us to bring you joy. Teach us to love each other. Help us to better grasp that you chose to die for us. We love you. 

Grace and Truth, Jesus Comforts His Disciples, John 14:15-31

Though Jesus knew his time of suffering was coming, he wanted to leave his disciples with hope. Jesus comforted them about when he would no longer be with them physically. The Holy Spirit would be with them and instruct them. In that way, Jesus would still be with those who loved and obeyed him.

 

Verses 15-18: “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

 

Jesus extended this promise to us today as well as to his disciples.

 

Verses 21-27: “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

 

Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

 

 “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

 

Father God, I am sure Jesus was afraid then, and he knew his disciples would be going through terrible things. But he offered them peace anyway. Help me to find your peace in my days. 

Grace and Truth, Amazing Promises, John 14:1-14

Jesus knew his time was close. He spent these final hours with his disciples, giving them comfort, answering questions, making promises.

 

Verses 1-6: “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.”

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

 

Jesus makes an amazing promise—that we, his people, will do even greater works than he did.

 

Verses 11-14: Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

 

Lord, help me lean into your promise, and do what will bring you glory. 

Grace and Truth, John 13:1-30, Love to the End

Verse 1: It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

 

Jesus loved his disciples until the last minute he was with them.

 

Verses 4-5: 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 washed his disciples’ feet, giving them a lesson and example to serve each other.

 

Verses 8-10: “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.”

 

Jesus calmly dealt with Peter’s usual impulsivity.

 

Verses 18-19: “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.’

“I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am.”

 

He continued to teach them Scripture, and worked to increase their faith.

 

Verses 21 and 27: After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”

As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.”

 

I believe Jesus had loved Judas, and it broke his heart that Judas was betraying him. And though the other disciples didn’t understand what was happening, Jesus dealt honestly with Judas.

 

Thank you, Jesus, for your strength and for your love. 

Grace and Truth, John 12:37-50

Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:

“Lord, who has believed our message

    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:

“He has blinded their eyes

    and hardened their hearts,

so they can neither see with their eyes,

    nor understand with their hearts,

    nor turn—and I would heal them.”

Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.

Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human praise more than praise from God.

Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

“If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”

 

Jesus stayed focused on speaking the message God gave him to speak.

 

Yet, knowing that Jesus was a man, with human emotions, I believe he must have felt hurt and alone when people refused to believe in him. Or, if they did believe, some would not say so as not to face conflict with the Pharisees.

 

Lord, thank you for sticking to your message. Thank you for being the force that saves us from darkness, and for bringing the command which leads to eternal life. 

Grace and Truth John 12:1-11:

Verses 1-11: Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.

 

Jesus was close to this family, good friends. In John 11:5, it says he loved them.

 

A feast was being given to honor Jesus, sometime after he raised Lazarus from the dead. They may already have known that Lazarus was in danger from the leaders, too, but Lazarus was willing to dine with Jesus to honor him.

 

Martha served Jesus, the best way she knew to honor him.

 

Mary anointed him with the costly perfume which she would have used to bury him. She wanted him to enjoy this honor while he was still alive.

 

When Judas objected to this, Jesus told him to leave Mary alone. When this story is mentioned in Mark 14, VERSE 9, Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

 

What a lovely picture of Jesus, that even though his crucifixion was coming soon, he took the time and thought to honor his friend.

    

Grace and Truth, John 11

This is another well-known Bible story, when Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.

 

Questions have been asked many times—why did Jesus Cry? Lazarus and his sisters were Jesus’ friends. Why didn’t he go to them immediately?

 

I’ve heard possible answers, and I have my own ideas, but truthfully, we only know what the Scripture verses tell us.

 

Lazarus, Jesus’ friend, was sick, and his sisters asked Jesus to come heal him. Jesus didn’t go until after Lazarus died.

 

Jesus would have known from the beginning that Lazarus was going to die, and that he was going to raise him from the dead.

 

In the meantime, he had to deal with his disciples’ questions, the sisters’ disappointment, the mourners’ speculations.

 

In the end, Jesus had his goals, and he explained this to his disciples.

 

Verses 14-15: So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

 

He spoke to his Father and explained to all of us what the whole event was about.

 

Verses 40-42: Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

 

He wept. Certainly he was upset. For the suffering of his friends? For the confusion of his disciples? For the lack of faith toward his Father? For the horror yet to come for all of them?

 

Maybe. Jesus was human with human feelings.

 

And he was God, completing his work, moving, with purpose, toward the finish. 

Grace and Truth, Jesus and the Father are One, John 10:11-42

Verses 14-16: “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

 

What a joy, that Jesus was thinking all the way to us today and beyond, not only of the people with him then. What a privilege to be accepted as part of his family.

 

Verses 17-18: The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

 

We have no reason to doubt that Jesus wanted to give his life for us.

 

Verses 28-29: I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.

 

I grab on to this promise, that no one can snatch me from the hands of Jesus.

 

Verses 30-33: “I and the Father are one.”

Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”

“We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

 

Jesus knew he would make them mad, but he had the courage to tell the awesome, important, necessary truth anyway.

  

John 10:1-10 Grace and Truth

Verse 10: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

 

The Thief, Satan, comes only to steal and kill and destroy. His purpose is to make our lives and our eternities hell. That is no surprise to most of us.

 

But what about the rest of verse 10? Jesus came to give us life, full, abundant life.

 

How often do I think about that?

 

What is the abundance of life Jesus wants to give to me?

 

In verse 9, he says I will be able to go in and out and find pasture. To me that says that as I stay close to Jesus, not only will I have my needs met, but also I have freedom to move about and find even more of what is available to me in life.

 

Verses 3-5: The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.

 

Jesus knows us so well, he calls us by our names. He wants us to recognize his voice, and he promises to lead us. The closer we stay to him, and the more we listen to what he says to us, the harder it will be to hear the voice of any who want to steal and destroy us.

 

Jesus, you want to keep me safe from those who would harm me. Teach me to listen to you and to open my eyes to the lavish delights of life you want to give me. 

John 9, Grace and Truth

The man in this story is one of my biggest heroes.

 

Verses 1-3:  As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

 

Surely all of his life, the blind man heard people saying that either his or his parents’ sin had caused his blindness. He lived in this shame; still, the only way he could feed himself was by begging out in public.

 

Verses 6-7: After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

 

Had the man heard that Jesus healed people? Anyway, he obeyed him, and was glad.

 

Verses 14-17: Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided. Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” The man replied, “He is a prophet.”

 

This man probably had no education, but he spoke with confidence to his neighbors and, to the Pharisees. Though his parents were afraid of the Pharisees, the man born blind bravely called Jesus a prophet.

 

Verses 18-34: They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?” “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.” He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?” Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.” The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.

 

He surely knew he would be treated harshly, yet he challenged the Pharisees, with knowledge and assurance, when they spoke against Jesus.

 

Verses 35-38: Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

 

And in the end, he made the right decision, to worship Jesus. 

Grace and Truth, John 8:12-58

This is a long passage of Jesus confronting the Jews at the temple. I don’t understand everything here, but the first verse catches my attention and gives me hope.

Verse 12: When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

What a promise! If I will stay close to Jesus, he will shine light on my questions and fears and uncertainties.

Jesus was bold in stating his status and the consequences for not believing in him.

Verse 24: “I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”

Another promise.

Verse 31-32: To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

He explains what we will be freed from.

Verse 34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.”

I am so grateful Jesus has given me this freedom.

Jesus confronted the devil and those who listened to him.

Verse 44: “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

And although Jesus knew they would condemn him, he claimed for himself the name which had always only been used for God.

Verse 58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

Lord, thank you for the promises you gave us, and for the truth you did not hesitate to speak.

Grace and Truth: John 8:1-11

The gospel of John is my favorite book of the bible, and here in chapter 8 is one of my favorite passages.

The Jewish leaders brought a woman caught in adultery to where Jesus was in the temple and asked if he thought they should stone her, as Moses said.

They didn’t care about the woman breaking the law. What they wanted was to trap Jesus, so they would have a reason to accuse him.

He was not threatened.

He said whoever had never sinned could throw the first stone, then he quietly went back to what he was doing.

They didn’t like Jesus, but his words convicted them. Every one of them left.

Jesus was left alone with the woman, the only one who rightfully could have stoned her.

But he said, “Then neither do I condemn you.”

Jesus was so calm during this interaction. The men must have been shouting; the woman was probably crying.

But Jesus, steady and unruffled, offered her hope for a new life. Uncondemned. And with confidence, he told her she could lead a life without sin.

She had probably given up on herself and her ability to lead a clean life.

And it wouldn’t be easy. Jesus knew that. He knows that for us too. But he is confident we can do it with his help.

Verses 9-11: At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Matthew 11:28-30:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,

for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Grace and Truth, John 7:25-53

There was much division among the people about Jesus, with the common Jews, and even among the leaders.

Some in the crowds were confused, knowing Jesus was the one the leaders wanted to kill. Others believed in him because of his miracles. Jesus bravely declared He’d been sent by God.

Verses 28-29: Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.”

The Pharisees sent to have Jesus arrested, but he boldly promised that the Holy Spirit would be given to anyone who chose to follow him.

Verses 37-39: On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

The people continued to be confused, and though some wanted to arrest him, because of his power, they were not able to at this time. Jesus was able to choose that time.

The leaders were only brave enough to scoff at Jesus and his believers among themselves, but Nicodemus, one of them, was willing to stand up and defend the truth.

Verses 50-51: Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?”

In John chapter 3, Nicodemus was not so brave. But with Jesus’ grace, he grew to have that courage.

Lord, help me to be brave for you, like Nicodemus.

Grace and Truth, John 7:1-24:

Jesus had to be careful. The leaders wanted to kill him. His brothers did not believe in him. The crowds disagreed about him. But he did go up to teach during a festival.

Verses 14-15: Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. The Jews there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?”

Jesus was careful, but he was brave in his challenge to the leaders. He made an outright statement that he came from God. He confronted the people for wanting to kill him. He challenged their hypocrisy in the way they used the Law.

Verses 21-24: Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”

Father, thank You for teaching me more about the man Jesus was on Earth. Help me to be open to Your Word.

Grace and Truth, John 6:22-71

This was a difficult chapter for me to unravel, with many truths from Jesus hard to understand and hard to accept.

It was the day after Jesus fed the five thousand, which caused many to follow him and seek him out. Jesus told them he knew they only came, not because they cared about him, but because they’d eaten the bread. He warned them not to strive only after physical goods, which will not last, but for what will last for eternity.

Jesus told them he is the bread of life, and that he would give his life for the world. He said that those who eat his flesh and drink his blood are the only ones who will have eternal life.

After a long time to study this, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we know that Jesus is talking about spiritual things. But at that time, people grumbled against him, and many of his followers left him.

It seems that Jesus showed his human feelings then, asking if his close disciples would leave him too, and Peter gives one of his great statements:

Verses 68-69 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”

Some of this chapter is hard to understand, but some things are easy, and I cling to these.

Verses 28-29 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

Verses 37-40 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

Grace and Truth, John 6:16-21, Matthew 14:22-33

I love this story about Jesus, and Peter, walking on the water. Read both accounts in Matthew and John to view the whole picture.

Jesus was always training the disciples. I’m guessing he could just have shown up on the boat with them, but he chose to stretch their faith and belief by walking on the water.

They were afraid. They thought he was a ghost. But when he came on the boat and safely brought them to the other side, they worshiped him.

This is a comfort to me. When I’m buffeted and weak in faith, Jesus will still help me.

And my friend Peter. Yes, he became afraid, and Jesus had to ask why he had doubted, but Peter had the guts to step out on the water in the first place. And he didn’t hesitate to ask for help when he needed it.

Matthew 14:33: Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Grace and Truth, John 6:1-15:

This is a well-known passage, but I am thankful for the new ideas God gives me from reading it again.

Jesus was always concerned about many things.

He wanted to meet the physical needs of these thousands of people by giving them food, by showing them he is God, by showing them he cared for them.

He was also training his disciples, to believe in him, to take care of people’s needs.

And he always had to keep his mission in mind, slipping away so the people wouldn’t capture him and mess up the timing.

He was god, but he was also a man who got tired and discouraged.

Thank you, Lord, for your continuous love.

John 6:1-15:

Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Festival was near.

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

Grace and Truth, John 5:31-47

Jesus’s priority was to save us, to give us life. To prove his credentials, he boldly listed supporters of who he is:

John the Baptist

Moses

God, the Father

Scriptures

The mighty works which he performed, which his father sent him to do.

Verses 31-34,36-37: “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true.

“You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved.

“I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me.

Grace and Truth, John5:16-30

This is an amazing passage of the truth of who Jesus is.

The leaders of the time knew exactly who Jesus claimed to be. They wanted to kill him because he described himself as equal with God.

Jesus made clear, bold statements about his relationship with God. God loved Jesus and gave him authority, so that Jesus would receive honor.

Jesus said he only did what God did and what pleased God; if people did not honor him, they did not honor God.

And what grace! Those of us who listen to Jesus and believe have already crossed over into a new life.

Verse 24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.