May 29, 2022
Unified in LoveOn Palm Sunday the crowds thrill to hope Jesus will be the Messiah King who'll crush their enemies. On Good Friday, hopes disillusioned, their cry of Crucify makes of him an enemy they will crush. Because they miss the true signs of their trouble, they misdiagnose what is required to fix it. But through the sacrifice of the lamb of God, Jesus made a way to set God's people free no matter what trouble we face.
In John 19 we see Pilate act against his own conscience, and Jewish leaders blasphemously claim Caesar as their king. Both sacrifice what's central to who they are, for what they want more: power. In contrast, Jesus sacrifices power for what he wants more: to fulfill the Father's plan to be Savior for us. A good king offers his power for the sake of his people. How will we as the people of this King, choose to use the power we're given?
What is the truth and how do you know if something is true? The trial of Jesus before Pontious Pilate is the moment of truth for everyone - then and now!
Today as inside Jesus is facing the first of his trials, outside Peter is also facing his own kind of trial, which, with the crowing of the rooster, he's realized he's failed. The hard truth is, it will take the sacrifice of the Son of God to make right what we get wrong- but he is the God of second chances for all who put our trust in him. Sometimes in our failures, we see more of God's power: In our weakness, he is strong!
Before the cross Jesus both spoke and showed his love by washing his disciples' feet, reminding us he wants us to come to him, dirt and all. Jesus isn't afraid of our dirt. As we obey his command to love one another as he loves us, how can we help others to know they also can come to him, dirt and all?
In John 9 rather than answering the disciple's question "why" this blindness, Jesus responds by showing them what he came to do about it, A theological conversation becomes a renewed life! In response, one who had been blind sees, and those who claim they already can see, willfully choose blindness to what's in front of them. How will we respond?
The Gospel of John is full of signs. But if you focus only on the signs, you may miss where they are pointing.
The Woman Jesus met at the well had been defined and dismissed by her community as one without worth. Jesus shocks her by rising above every one of those definitions, to reveal how he sees her; as one God loves, who he came to invite into a life changing relationship with God, by his grace. From that moment on, that's what defines her. What does Jesus see in you?
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