The Word

Scripture Focus:

John 1:1-18
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . .
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (John 1:1, 14).
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The Word. Imagine speaking and then seeing whatever you had said come
immediately into being: light, land, living creatures! John writes about the One who
is the Word of God made visible, the Word who embodies such creative power that
to speak brings forth whatever the Father willed.

From the furthest reaches of eternity, from before the Creation of the universe, the
Word existed in perfect harmony with the Father. Then at a point in earth-time the
Father willed that the Word enter the world He had created and become as one of
the living persons He had placed on earth.

The Word came bringing life that has an endless supernatural quality, and light that
banishes a darkness that casts shadows over even the happiest human existence.
He came because the Father longed to communicate Himself to us. More than that,
the Word with all His creative power came to transform us so that we can hear the
Word and be so infused with heaven's life and light that we can actually become
children of God!

INSIGHT: It's hard to believe, but God, who has always existed in love and harmony
with His Son, has extended that love to include you and me.

The Lamb of God

Scripture Focus:

John 1:18-51
"Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). You
were redeemed ... with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or
defect" (1 Peter 1:18-19).
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God sent His Son to be the living link between His heart of love and the people He
created. His Son could have been introduced to us in any role: a potentate with vast
wealth and power to generate awe in his subjects, a teacher with an incredible
ability to attract followers, or a star to display a level of talent that would cause
people to swoon.

But the Son of God came to us an animal -- not a lion, the symbol of strength, but
as a lamb -- defenseless, needing care and protection, and destined to be
sacrificed for the sins of us all. John introduced Jesus as the Lamb of God!

God sent His Son to communicate who He is and how much He loves us. The Son
of God with all His power and majesty could relate to us in our naked humanness.
Jesus would speak to us as dearly loved individuals. He would offer strength for our
weakness, light in our darkness, and life that we could never find on our own. And
He would deliver this for us by being Himself the sacrificial Lamb who takes away
our sins.

INSIGHT: No matter how people may view you, God loves you and knows your
deepest need -- and only the Lamb of God can meet it.

Glory in the Ordinary

Scripture Focus:

John 2:1-11
“This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus
revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him” (John 2:11).
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jesus came to earth to reveal His Father. Suppose you were His public relations
director. How would you promote your client? Would you send Him to Rome to
capture the admiration of the empire? Would you send Him to Jerusalem to impress
the Jewish leaders?

Jesus went to a wedding. There, when the host was about to be embarrassed in
front of his guests, Jesus quietly performed a miracle of turning water into wine.
There was no public announcement, no spotlight beamed on Him, no roll of drums
to build anticipation. Amazingly, the host and guests didn't recognize the glory in
their midst. Only His disciples discerned it, and they put their trust in Him.
Jesus enters our lives, supplying a need even before we know we have it, guiding
us to the right person at the right time; or protecting us in a moment of danger. We
can assume these as ordinary happenings, or we can recognize the Glory -- that
Jesus, the Son of God, has revealed something of Himself in the ordinary events of
our day.

INSIGHT: Ask Jesus to open your eyes to see touches of His glory in the ordinary
events of your life. Then open your heart to trust Him for even more.

Focus on Meaning
Scripture Focus:

John 2:12-22
“To those who sold doves he said, `Get these out of here! How dare you turn my
Father's house into a market!'" (John 2:16)
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. It was an important celebration for
the Jews in which they remembered how God had rescued their ancestors from
slavery in Egypt.

As Jesus entered the temple, He found a busy marketplace. Money changers were
converting money from festival attendees into temple currency, and making a
healthy profit. In addition, merchants were selling animals for sacrifices at greatly
inflated prices.

Jesus was indignant. What should have been a celebration honoring His Father had
become a money-making scheme for temple personnel. What should have been a
meaningful act of worship for even the most impoverished person had become a
painful expense. God was being ignored in a celebration to His honor! Jesus made
a whip of cords and drove the offenders out of the temple.

What does Jesus see in your worship? Where is your focus as you sing, pray, and
give your offering. Are you there to honor God?

INSIGHT: Worship is not formal procedure but the expression of a relationship that
is full of personal meaning. How meaningful is your worship?
Love Lifted Up
Scripture Focus:

John 3
"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted
up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life" (John 3:14-15).
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Jesus came to provide the way for us to meet God and respond to His love. To help
us understand the extent of God's love, Jesus pointed back to an incident from Old
Testament times. Once, when the Israelites rebelled against God, they were
punished by poisonous serpents. Many Israelites died. Then God told Moses to
make a bronze snake and raise it high on a pole. To be saved from death, the
smitten people had only to look up at that serpent.

Jesus explained that He would be lifted up in the most incredible expression of

God's love. On the cross Jesus would bear the punishment we each deserve. In
order to receive the gift of eternal life, we need only to look up at the cross,
believing that Jesus gave His life there for us. The cross is a symbol of
unspeakable suffering and punishment for sin. It is also the symbol of God reaching
out in love and grace, offering forgiveness and eternal life. Our part is to believe
that this wondrous expression of love is for us.

INSIGHT: Have you believed the good news? God has provided in His Son the way
in which you can have eternal life. Believe it . . . and receive it!

God's Seeking Heart

Scripture Focus:

John 4:1-42
"A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the
Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks"
(John 4:23).
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Most of us would want to avoid a conversation with a woman from an "outsider"
race who is being shunned by her own people. Yet Jesus chose to open a
conversation with such a person.

A Jewish teacher would never have spoken to any woman, let alone a Samaritan,
especially one whose visits to the village well were timed to avoid her neighbors.
But Jesus initiated the conversation, guiding it until He broke through to concealed
facts: she was a sinner, having had five husbands and was living with a sixth man.

Jesus did not blame her or tell her how abhorrent her sins were. Instead, he offered
her living water as a gift, water from the fountain of eternal life to quench her
desperate thirst. Then he shared with this woman the most amazing truth: His
Father is seeking people who will strip themselves of pretense and defensiveness
and will turn their hearts to Him. He doesn't wait for them to try to improve -- He
seeks people with open hearts who will worship Him sincerely, just as they are.

INSIGHT: Stop making excuses for your wrongdoing. Recognizing that God sees
who you really are, open your heart to worship Him in sincerity and truth.

Discerner of Hearts
Scripture Focus:

John 4:43-54
"The royal official said, `Sir, come down before my child dies.' Jesus replied, `You
may go. Your son will live.' The man took Jesus at his word and departed" (John
4:49-50).
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The man who stood before Jesus was a royal official. But more importantly, at that
moment, he was a frantic father. He had rushed some 20 miles to beg Jesus to
come heal his dying son.

If I were writing the story, I'd have Jesus immediately go with the father and place
His healing hand on the boy. But that's not what happened. Jesus appeared to be
indifferent to the father's desperate request. He spoke of people needing to see
miraculous signs and wonders before they would believe. While it seemed that
Jesus was putting the man down, He was actually helping him believe in Him.
When Jesus said simply, "Go; your son lives," the father believed and returned
home, expecting to see his son alive and well.

True faith meant walking away not knowing what he could find at home, yet
believing that Jesus had kept His word. Jesus discerned the father's heart. He saw
faith there and rewarded it, knowing the man wouldn't have proof of the miracle until
he was met by his servants with good news.

INSIGHT: Jesus discerns your heart. Does He see that you will trust Him even
when you can't see what He will do for you.

The One Who Heals

Scripture Focus:

John 5:1-15
"One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. . . .Then Jesus said
to him, `Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.' At once the man was cured; he picked
up his mat and walked" (John 5:5, 8-9).
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The pool of Bethesda was the place of last resort. Desperately infirm people
gathered there, hoping somehow to benefit from its healing water.

Jesus spoke with a man who had been paralyzed for 38 years, depending on others
to care for his needs. Jesus asked, "Do you want to be healed?"

Though the answer was obvious, the man gave an excuse for not getting into the
pool. "I'm helpless. I have no one to help me." He wanted someone to lean on,
someone to take responsibility for him.

Jesus did not assume that role. Instead, He told the man to get up, pick up his mat,
and begin walking. Impossible as it must have seemed, the man responded and
found that Jesus had healed him.

No matter what our need is today, no matter how long it has defeated us, Jesus
asks, "Do you want to be healed? Do you want to be healed of painful memories
that paralyze you? Do you want to be rid of habits that have you in its grip?" If we
want His healing, He asks us to get up and walk in new life. As we heed His voice,
we'll see the healing.

INSIGHT: Don't wait for someone to take responsibility for your needs. Look to
Jesus. Obey His instructions. Then rejoice in His inner healing.

The Bread of Life

Scripture Focus:

John 6:1-15, 25-71

"The bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. .
. . I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry" (John 6:33,35).
------------------------------------------------------------------------

For many of us, bread rounds out an already calorie-loaded meal. In Bible times
bread was the necessary food to sustain life. It was basic in every day's diet. When
Jesus performed the miracle of multiplying bread to feed the hungry multitude, He
pictured Himself as the source and sustainer of spiritual life. But the people missed
this. Instead, they reasoned that if one meal was good, many more meals would be
better. If they made Jesus their king, He could supply them with miracle bread every
day!

Rather than receive Jesus as the source of spiritual life, the people wanted to use
Him for their physical hunger. Jesus told them the truth that they needed to accept
and believe His words, but their minds were set on material things. They wanted
bread to satisfy their body hunger, and they went away heart-hungry.

Peter spoke the truth for each of us when he said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You
have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that You are the Holy One of
God" (v. 68)

INSIGHT: Where do you go to have your heart-hunger satisfied? Jesus is the Bread
of Life. He alone is the source and sustainer of your spiritual life.

Learn from the Wave-Walker

Scripture Focus:
John 6:16-21
"He said to them, `It is I; don't be afraid.' Then they were willing to take him into the
boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading" (John
6:20-21).
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Imagine you were one of Jesus' disciples. You've just seen an amazing miracle in
which Jesus took a boy's small lunch and provided a satisfying meal for thousands
of people! Then, when the crowd decided to make Him their king, Jesus slipped out
of sight.

You join the other men and set sail across the lake. Suddenly the evening wind
whips up a fierce storm. The situation becomes desperate.

Then in your panic you see something. Someone is walking calmly across the
heaving waves! You cry out in terror. Then you hear a voice you recognize, "It is I;
don't be afraid" (v. 20). Jesus is coming, and you join the other disciples in
welcoming Him into the boat. Suddenly you are at the shore.

After the miracle of feeding the crowd, Jesus chose to reveal Himself on the storm-
tossed sea to His closest friends. Knowing their faith in Him would be tested, He
showed Himself in a private revelation as Lord of the Sea. No matter how the winds
and waves may threaten us, we can count on Jesus to be with us in the worst
storms and to bring us to shore safely.

INSIGHT: Ask Christ to open your understanding so that you recognize Him as He
comes to you in the storms of life. Believe that He's there to help you.

Tuned to God's Timetable

Scripture Focus:

John 7:1-24
"`You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right
time has not yet come.' Having said this, he stayed in Galilee" (John 7:8-9).
------------------------------------------------------------------------

We've met people who set goals and then seize every opportunity to advance
toward them. Being in the right place at the right time is key to their success. Jesus'
brothers taunted Him with this kind of self-promotion. "No one with any sense works
miracles behind the scenes. Go to the Feast of Tabernacles and put on a real
display!"

Unbelief blinded them to Jesus' single-minded devotion to His Father. They didn't
understand that His motives were not political, and His schedule was not centered
around showing off His power.

Because Jesus lived to please His Father, He was tuned to God's timetable. He
knew when to show His miracle power and when simply to speak, because He was
responding to His Father's will.

Jesus went to the Feast a little later. He taught in the temple and aroused heated
questions about His authority. According to God's timetable, the occasion was right
for challenging the crowds to choose to do His Father's will and thus discover
Jesus' true identity (v. 17).

INSIGHT: You come to know Christ and see His power at work in your life when you
truly want to do His Father's will.

Source of Living Water

Scripture Focus:

John 7:37-44
"If a man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the
Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him" (John 7:37-38).
------------------------------------------------------------------------

As part of the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles, priests filled a golden pitcher
with water and carried it to the temple. While the festival crowds sang joyful praises
to God, they poured the water out on the altar. The ritual was a reminder of God's
provision of water from the rock for the thirsty Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus
17).

While the focus was on the symbol, the reality was standing in their midst. Suddenly
Jesus called out above the celebration, inviting people to come to Him to have their
inner thirst quenched. Jesus went on to promise that if they would come to Him for
satisfaction, they would then become channels of refreshment for the spiritual thirst
of others!

Religious symbols may be rich in meaning, but Jesus promises reality! He will fully
satisfy our thirst for spiritual life when we turn to Him. Once we do that, we'll be
amazed at how He will use us to become channels of blessing to others. All glory
belongs to Jesus when others find refreshment through us.

INSIGHT: Are you thirsty? Come to Jesus and drink deeply. Then watch as He uses
you to bring refreshment to others.

Power to Forgive
Scripture Focus:

John 8:1-11
"`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.'" (John 8:10-11).
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The self-appointed sin-spotters brought a woman to Jesus whom they had caught
in the act of adultery. These respected religious men forced the woman to stand
before Jesus and the group that had gathered to hear His teaching. Catch their tone
as they laid a trap for Jesus. According to the Law of Moses, they claimed, the
woman should be stoned. Then they added, "Now what do You say?"

Jesus did not answer directly, but bent down to write on the ground with His finger.
After they persisted with their questions, Jesus said, "If any one of you is without
sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." One by one the accusers slunk
away. In one of the tenderest scenes in the Bible, Jesus assured her that He did not
condemn her. "Go now," He said, adding, "and leave your life of sin."

Jesus read her heart, and knowing that someday He would bear the condemnation
both she and her accusers deserved, He offered her forgiveness. The accusers
went away with their guilt; she went away cleansed and forgiven.

INSIGHT: Jesus did not come to earth to condemn you, but to offer you forgiveness
and cleansing.
The Light of the World
Scripture Focus:

John 8:12-30
"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'" (John
8:12).
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A thrilling part of the ceremonies of the Feast of Tabernacles came when the priests
lit the giant lamps in the temple court. The people gathered to sing praises to God,
remembering how He had provided the pillar of fire at night when their ancestors
lived in the wilderness (Numbers 9:15-23).

This time the people enjoyed the symbol without recognizing that the reality was in
their presence. They loved the shadow, but Jesus was the substance. "I am the
light of the world," He announced.

Our world is full of darkness and spiritual delusion. Evil holds whole nations in its
clutches. But Jesus promises that whoever follows Him will be bathed in pure
beams from God. Jesus, as the light of the world, brings salvation and a totally new
atmosphere in which believers can walk. In Jesus' light, His followers are able to
discern what is evil and will be guided to the truth. They live in the light, for no
matter how evil their surroundings, it can never blot out the light, for the light of life
lives within them.

INSIGHT: Though you were born in darkness, you can step into the light and live
there as you trust Jesus and follow Him daily.

Sight for the Blind

Scripture Focus:

John 9
"For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who
see will become blind" (John 9:39).
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jesus performed the miracle of providing sight for a man who had been blind from
birth. He used the occasion to expose the deep problem of spiritual blindness,
which we all have from birth.

The man with physical blindness had lived with his disability until Jesus turned it
into an occasion to display God's power by giving him physical sight. God's power
was also at work as the man understood who Jesus is. That day the man received
both physical and spiritual sight.

In contrast, the Pharisees, who had physical sight, were spiritually blind, and their
blindness became more intense as they determined not to acknowledge who Jesus
was. In rejecting His power to provide physical sight, they also rejected His power
to provide spiritual sight.

The Pharisees said, "Jesus made mud on the Sabbath; therefore, He cannot have
come from God." In response, the healed man said simply, "I was blind; now I can
see." The Pharisees remained blind; the man enjoyed sight -- physical and spiritual.

INSIGHT: Jesus came to bring you spiritual sight. Are you willing to accept the
evidence of His power and trust Him for sight?

The Door
Scripture Focus:

John 10:1-10
"The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. . . . I am the gate;
whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find
pasture" (John 10:2,9).
------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Jesus introduces Himself as the Good Shepherd, we may wonder why He
starts by speaking of the doorway to the sheepfold.

Jesus says simply, "I am the entrance into the sheepfold." Why is the doorway so
important? In Jesus' day the sheep were led into an enclosure where they could
rest safely at night. A wall of stone surrounded them, except for the entrance to the
sheepfold. This would have left them unprotected, except for the commitment of
their shepherd. At night he would stretch his body across the entrance and thus
prevent harm from entering the sheepfold. How safely the sheep could rest knowing
their shepherd was making his own body the door!

In the morning, the shepherd would stand in the doorway and call his sheep by
name. They could follow him, knowing he had only their well-being on his heart. He
would protect them throughout the day as he had throughout the night.

Jesus is our Shepherd. He is also the door. We are safe in His care.

INSIGHT: Your Shepherd is calling you by name. If you belong to Him, you will
recognize His voice. Follow Him today.

The Good Shepherd

Scripture Focus:

John 10:11-30
"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"
(John 10:14-15).
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Of all the portraits of Jesus, seeing Him as the Good Shepherd is a favorite of
children. They have no problem admitting that they need the care of someone who
knows them intimately and would sacrifice Himself for them.

Jesus gives an amazing dimension to His promise to be your Good Shepherd. He

knows and loves you just as He and His Father know and love each other. He links
that perfect relationship with His relationship to His sheep!

Jesus knows every detail of your body, mind, emotions, and spirit. You can have no
desire, no regret, no fear, no aspiration that is secret from Him. He knows you
completely and He loves you totally.

Jesus loves you so much that He willingly laid down His life for you. He will never
turn from you in your time of need, but promises to be with you always. He calls you
by name and knows you will recognize His voice. He gives you eternal life and
holds you so securely that nothing can possibly snatch you out of His loving hand.

INSIGHT: Take time to reflect on the love and care your Good Shepherd gives you.
In every way He has committed Himself to you forever.

The Resurrection and the Life

Scripture Focus:

John 11:1-32
"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he
dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die" (John 11:25-26).
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lazarus was sick -- so sick that his sisters, Mary and Martha, sent an urgent
message to Jesus. Knowing His love for Lazarus, they were confident that Jesus
would come immediately. But He didn't.

While the anxious sisters waited, Lazarus died. Perhaps even before the
messenger reached Jesus, Lazarus' body was being prepared for burial.

Four days later, as Jesus came, Martha hurried to meet Him. Jesus spoke gently, "I
am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in Me will live forever, even
though their bodies die. Martha, do you believe this?"

"Yes, Lord!" she replied. "I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God" (see vv.
25-27).

Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave, but some time later Lazarus died physically,
but because he believed in Jesus, Lazarus will be part of the resurrection Jesus
promised to all who are His. Jesus is the resurrection and the life, giving hope to all
who believe in Him and comfort to all who grieve the physical death of believers.

INSIGHT: Praise Jesus, the source and sustainer of life. He is the resurrection and
life for all eternity, and you will be with Him after your body dies if you believe.
Love Given and Received
Scripture Focus:

John 12:1-8
"`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'" (John 12:7-8).
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Calculate your annual income. Imagine that you invest that amount in a rare
imported perfume. You hide it away, sensing that someday you will use it for a very
special expression of love.

This is how it was for Mary. At a dinner given in Jesus' honor, a feeling of urgency
built within her heart. She must express her love for Jesus. She must do it in a way
that would communicate the depth of her gratitude to Him.

Mary slipped away to get her perfume. Opening the container, she poured the
precious oil onto Jesus' feet, and in a moment the house was filled with the
fragrance. Judas, who was treasurer of Jesus' group of twelve disciples, pretended
to be horrified. He protested that the perfume should have been sold and the
money used to feed the poor. He really wanted some of the money for himself.

Jesus defended Mary. She had seized the appropriate moment to give her love,
and He had received it. He had read her heart as she poured out her love with
reckless abandon.

INSIGHT: Mary's love broke through the confines of what is prudent. How do you
express your love for Jesus?

The King of Israel

Scripture Focus:

John 12:12-19
"They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, `Hosanna! Blessed
is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!'" (John
12:13).
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Excitement grew as word spread quickly through Jerusalem. The great crowds of
people who had arrived to celebrate the Passover Feast became wildly enthusiastic
when they heard that Jesus was coming. Surely now He would announce that He
was their Messiah, the King of Israel. They stripped palm branches from trees, and
waving these symbols of victory, they surged out to meet Him with shouts of praise.
But He did not come as King.

Behind the scenes, the religious leaders were aghast. Their plans to kill Jesus were
going awry. They would have to watch and wait a little longer.

The crowd did not understand what was happening. Even Jesus' closest friends did
not see that prophecy was being fulfilled as Jesus prepared to give His life for the
salvation of the world. Yes, He is King, but the victory celebration is still to come.
Someday we will all fall before Him as our King (Philippians 2:9-11). But today we
can acknowledge Him as our King. We can honor Him as we give Him our love and
obedience.

INSIGHT: Is Jesus your King? Today -- right now -- is a good time to acknowledge
Him again as King of your life.

Kernel of Wheat
Scripture Focus:

John 12:20-50
"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains
only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds" (John 12:24).
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Greek visitors to the Feast of Passover asked to meet Jesus, the celebrity who was
holding Jerusalem in a state of excitement. What an unexpected opportunity to
promote Himself! Instead of rising to the occasion, however, Jesus spoke of an
entirely different kind of glory. Yes, He would be glorified, but not in the way the
Greek visitors imagined. He would be glorified by doing His Father's will -- and this
meant death!

Jesus gave a truth in the form of a paradoxical principle, something that must have
mystified His disciples. He told them that the way to be glorified lay in giving up His
life. A kernel of wheat is a single kernel, He explained, until it is planted in the
ground. When it "dies" under the soil, it produces many seeds and provides life-
giving nourishment. Jesus would be that kernel of wheat. He would give up His life
in order to produce life in others. Similarly, Jesus' loyal disciples must follow Him by
being willing to die and be buried in self-sacrificing service. Only then will they see
fruit multiplied in the lives of many others.

INSIGHT: Do you want to turn away from the thought of dying? Jesus says that
giving up your self-life is the way to fruit-bearing life.

A Servant
Scripture Focus:

John 13:1-17
"Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash
one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for
you" (John 13:14-15).
------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Jesus prepared His disciples for His death, He gave them an experience that
would open their hearts to what He had to say. They were in an upper room to eat
the evening meal before the Passover. In this setting, the moment came for Him to
show them "the full extent of His love" (v. 1).

Jesus got up from the table, wrapped a towel around His waist, poured water into a
basin, and began to wash His disciples' feet and dry them with the towel. This was
usually the task of a lowly servant, and none of the disciples had offered to perform
it. Jesus assumed the role of a servant, knowing His disciples were bickering over
their positions in a hierarchy of greatness in Jesus' kingdom.

By stooping to wash their feet, Jesus demonstrated both His greatness and the
extent of His love. He was also setting an example for His disciples and for all who
follow Him. None of us is greater than Jesus; therefore, none of us should hesitate
to demonstrate love by being a servant. The cost is humility and patience. The
reward is Christlikeness.

INSIGHT: Jesus says that His true followers will demonstrate their love for Him by
being servants. Are you a servant?
The Promise-Keeper
Scripture Focus:

John 14:1-4
"In my Father's house are many rooms. . . . I am going there to prepare a place for
you. . . . I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I
am" (John 14:2-3).
------------------------------------------------------------------------

I worked at one time with a group of 200 children who had one thing in common.
They didn't smile! Their hopes have been dashed so many times that they don't
believe they can trust any adult to keep a promise or to be for real.

Jesus gives a promise that can bring a smile -- even though tears. In the hour of
deepest anguish, Jesus gives a promise to His disciples and to each of us who
believes in Him. Though He has left us, He has not forgotten us. Even at this
moment He is with His Father preparing a place for us. Imagine the love that
prompts this preparation and the attention to detail as He designs each place to
bring delight to its chosen resident.

To reinforce His commitment, He promises to come back and take us to be with

Him. We don't have to worry about how to find our eternal abode. Nor do we have
to be concerned about our welcome. Jesus will personally escort us to the place He
has prepared just for us. What joy and hope this gives! We can count on our
Promise-Keeper.
INSIGHT: Do you need someone you can count on? Trust Jesus for your future -
and for whatever you need today. He is your Promise-Keeper.

The Way
Scripture Focus:

John 14:5-31
"Jesus answered, `I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as
well'" (John 14;6-7).
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When Thomas asked Jesus for help in finding the way to the prepared place, Jesus
did not give a set of directions nor hand him a map. Instead, He offered Himself. In
Thomas' personal relationship with Jesus he would find everything he needed to
enter eternal life and enjoy its blessings on earth and forever in heaven. Jesus
makes the same promise to us. He gives additional promises to reinforce what He
would do for all His followers:

He will enable us to do even greater works than He had done on earth (v. 12).

He will fulfill our prayer requests in ways that bring glory to His Father (vv. 13-14).

He will send the Holy Spirit to be our Counselor, to be with us forever (vv. 15-18).

As we love and obey Him, He will show Himself to us so we will enjoy fellowship
with Jesus and the Father (vv. 21-23)

The Holy Spirit will teach us all that Jesus would have us know (v. 26).

We will enjoy the peace Jesus gives (v. 27).

INSIGHT: Jesus, the way and the truth and the life, offers Himself to you. He is all
you need for now and for eternity.

The Vine
Scripture Focus:

John 15:1-11
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will
bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing"(John 15:5).
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As Jesus prepared His disciples for His approaching death, He pointed out their
dependence on Him. Then He comforted them by telling of His ability to be there for
them in ways far beyond anything they had experienced with Him.
He spoke of the intimate relationship believers have with Him when He said that He
is the vine and we are the branches. The life flowing through the vine flows also
through the branches, providing the life that will burst forth in fruit.

What exactly is involved in this vine-branch relationship? Jesus gave important

insights: We are to "remain" in Jesus (vv. 4, 9). This means we are privileged to live
in His loving presence, in harmony with His purposes so that we respond to His
desires.

As we live in harmony with Him, we will be free to voice our requests and know He
will give us what we need (v. 7).

We will bear fruit that will identify us as Jesus' own disciples (v. 8).

We will know joy as we obey Him (vv. 10-11).

INSIGHT: Jesus desires a close relationship with you. He wants His life to flow into
you so that you can bear spiritual fruit for Him.

The Counselor
Scripture Focus:

John 15:26-16:33
"I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the
Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you" (John 16:7).
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Jesus loves without end. He understood the confusion His disciples felt as His
departure drew near. He promised, however, all their sorrow would turn to joy when
He would rise from the dead and He would send the Counselor who would fulfill His
promises to them and to every believer.

The Counselor, the Holy Spirit sent from the Father, would witness to Jesus' true
identity as the Son of God. He would equip Jesus' followers to represent Him in the
face of opposition. The world that hated Jesus would also hate His followers. They
would not have to face that hatred alone. The faltering witness of the weakest
believer would be effective with power from heaven!
As the Counselor opened their spiritual understanding, the disciples would identify
so closely with Jesus that when they would bring their requests to the Father in
Jesus' name, they would surely receive His answer.

Just think: all those promises are for you today! The Holy Spirit is Jesus' gift to you.

INSIGHT: Do you need the Counselor to open your understanding? Reach for the
Word and trust Him to open your heart to receive all that Jesus promised.

Jesus' Priorities
Scripture Focus:

John 17
". . . that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is
eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom
you have sent" (John 17:2-3).
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In His last hours of earthly life, Jesus opened His heart to His Father in what has
been called His High Priestly Prayer. He expressed His priorities -- His desire to
glorify His Father and to see His followers down through the ages enjoying such an
intimate, loving relationship with His Father that they too glorify Him. Jesus desired
to have every follower enjoy the closeness with His Father that He has always
enjoyed. This is the purpose for which we humans were created, but that closeness
was lost through sin.

Eternal life, received by faith in Jesus Christ, is not just an endless existence. It is a
completely new life -- living in an intimate relationship with God so that we know
Him, talk with Him, make choices that please Him, and enjoy Him. Jesus prayed
that we would enjoy oneness with Him that is like the closeness He enjoys with His
Father. And when this prayer is answered, the world will recognize the difference,
and they too will turn to Jesus for eternal life and oneness with the Father.
INSIGHT: Oneness with the Father, love, and joy -- Jesus desires these for you.
How are you allowing His prayer to be answered?
Poised in His Father's Will
Scripture Focus:

John 18
"You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I
came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to
Me" (John 18:37).
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Jesus was arrested and humiliated before friends and critics. Throughout the
unspeakable ordeal, He remained poised.

As He waited in an olive grove in the Kidron Valley, He was betrayed by Judas, who
traded his personal knowledge of Jesus for 30 silver coins.

Peter, who had declared his undying loyalty to Jesus, denied his Lord. Finally, after
a night of interrogations and false accusations, Jesus was sent to Pilate, the Roman
governor, who found no basis for a charge against Him. As Pilate played to the
crowd, they shouted that they didn't want Jesus released.

Jesus, the sinless Son of God, was misunderstood, denied basic human rights,
falsely accused with no defense -- and more. Still, He stood before His enemies
with poise and divine dignity.

Jesus came to earth to fulfill His Father's plan for our salvation. He had lived by His
Father's timetable and had accomplished His Father's will. Now He stood poised
before the worst His enemies could do to Him because He was secure in His
Father's love.

INSIGHT: Jesus will give you poise when you face opposition for your commitment
to Him. He will never leave you to stand alone.

Here Is Your King!

Scripture Focus:

John 19
"`Here is your king,' Pilate said to the Jews. . . . Pilate had a notice prepared and
fastened to the cross. It read: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews" (John
19:14,19).
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We have seen portraits of Jesus of Nazareth. He pictured Himself as the Bread of

Life, the Light of the World, the Door, the Good Shepherd, the Resurrection and the
Life. One day the admiring crowds had even welcomed Him as King of the Jews,
the hope of Israel.

Now Jesus hung on the cross, and seemingly it was all over. No more miracles. No
more talk of the kingdom. The sign over the cross read like a cruel mockery.

But it wasn't all over. And the sign on the cross proclaimed the truth. Jesus had
lived His 33 years on earth by God's schedule. Even as He suffered on the cross,
He was there because that was what His Father had sent Him to do. Jesus died for
the sins of the world -- my sins and yours. The King of the Jews willingly gave His
life as the sacrificial lamb so that we can be redeemed with His precious blood.

We can pity the man who suffered a cruel and unfair death. Or we can worship Him
who, though He was King, chose to die as a lamb in our place.

INSIGHT: Jesus is your King and your Lamb. Believe He is your sacrificial lamb,
paying the price for your redemption. Worship Him as your King.

Alive Today
Scripture Focus:

John 20
"`Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not
seen and yet have believed.' . . . These are written that you may believe" (John
20:29,31).
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Jesus' disciples had been plunged into grief and despair when He was arrested,
tried, and crucified as an imposter and criminal. Three days later, though, their
devastation was replaced by wonder and joy.

Jesus, who had died on the cross and been buried in the tomb, was alive again. Joy
came flooding in when the disciples believed that their Lord was indeed alive.

It's the same for us today. We may be crushed by failure or battered by unfair
accusations and betrayal. We may feel like giving up because we see no escape
from our circumstances. In our despair we hear the angel asking, "Why are you
crying?" (v. 13) We weep because we feel desperately alone.

That all changes when we truly believe that Jesus is alive today and we can count
on His presence with us. Our circumstances may not change, but we have joy in
knowing that the One who died for us is alive today and will never leave us.

INSIGHT: Let praises overflow. Jesus has died for you. Now He is alive for you and
you will never walk alone.

An Unfinished Portrait
Scripture Focus:

John 21
"Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, `Do you love me?' He
said, `Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.' Jesus said, 'Feed my
sheep'" (John 21:17).
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As Jesus prepared to leave His disciples, He promised, "I tell you the truth, anyone
who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things
than these, because I am going to the Father" (14:12). It was time now for Peter to
step out and begin his service for Christ, but he was not ready. Think of the excuses
he could have made. Maybe you have made some of them yourself:

I'm too weak. Look at how I failed Jesus.

I'm not qualified. Remember how I boasted of my loyalty then even denied knowing
Him.

I don't have the right temperament. One minute I'm a hothead and the next I'm a
coward.
I'm too busy now that I have gone back to my fishing business.

Excuses - until Jesus had a private conversation with Peter in which He revealed
the depth of His love and grace. Jesus not only forgave Peter for denying Him, He
also restored him as a disciple and even trusted him with a special assignment.

INSIGHT: Have you experienced Jesus' forgiveness? Then you can count on Him
to qualify you for a special assignment. He will give you the joy of serving Him.