Month: May 2022

Our scripture this morning is John 12:44-50.

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 tells the people that it is God who has sent Him, and it is God who told Him what to say. This might lead people to think that Jesus was merely programmed to do what He did, but that is not the case. What makes His sacrifice for us so amazing is that He chose to obey God’s instructions, when He could have refused.

Unfortunately, we know what it is like to disobey. In all of human history Jesus is the only one who was completely obedient to God, even unto death. God could have made us obedient, but that was not His plan for us. God created us for relationship with Him and wants us to choose Him in return. We have free will to make our own decisions, but there are consequences for every choice we make.

Jesus chose the path of obedience even though it was hard, and He tells us that when we choose Him, our way may be hard as well. However, it is the only way to be saved for eternity, and Jesus promises that reward is worth any hardship we face. We know our existence here is only temporary and our real home is in heaven.

Gracious God, we are grateful for the example Jesus gave and the love He shares with us. Help us to be a light in a dark world, sharing Your love everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is John 10:11‭-‬16.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 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.”

Jesus explains His call from God to the Pharisees and those gathered outside the temple. He uses the example of a flock of sheep and the shepherd to help them understand. Of course, many in positions of power didn’t want to understand, fearing the loss of their authority.

Comparing us to sheep isn’t very flattering, but it is unfortunately true. Sheep are prone to wander and get into trouble without a shepherd to guide them. People suffer a similar limitation, each following their own way unless they accept Jesus as savior and Lord. He came to save us from ourselves, to lead us back into the relationship with God for which we were created.

Jesus closes this passage, saying “They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd”. No one is rejected except by their own choice to wander away from Him. Let us pray for the day when all will choose Jesus and be part of His flock.

Loving Lord, we are grateful that You sent Your son to be our Good Shepherd. Help us to love one another as You first loved us, and be obedient servants of Your kingdom. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is John 8:12-20.

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.” The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.” Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.” Then they asked him, “Where is your father?” “You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.

Jesus was always kind but He had no time for silly human controversy, as shown in His ongoing debate with the Pharisees and other religious and political leaders. Even in these discussions He shared the Father’s love and truth. It was this that most threatened people in power.

I think the leadership of that time knew the truth of Christ, but as humans had done before, they rejected God’s offer, preferring their own strength and “wisdom”, wanting desperately to hold on to their place of prominence. They often conspired to have Jesus arrested but they were always prevented until the time and place God had planned for Jesus, as we read in verse 20, “Yet no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.”

Do we suffer the same problem? Are we more concerned with the things of earth and our own doings than being children of the Creator who offers us salvation? It is a choice we must all make individually, and Jesus waits with arms open to welcome us to eternity when we choose Him.

Loving Lord, help us to be truly wise, loving God and each other. Bless us to be a blessing to the world, sharing the Good News everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is John 6:43-51.

“Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

Jesus reminds those gathered that earthly things will never bring us to eternal life. Only a relationship to God through Jesus can save us. He shares Himself with all who believe and promises “I will raise them up at the last day” (v. 44).

Jesus teaches us “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). It is essential that we make Him part of our lives, as much as air, food, and water. Our bodies can’t live without these, and our souls can’t live eternally without Jesus.

When He is part of all we do, we don’t need to fear death because we have the New Covenant of forgiveness through His sacrifice for us. He died and rose again to prove God’s power and love. Jesus lives in us and we live to carry out the task He set for us: to make disciples of all the world.

Heavenly Father, we are grateful for the blessing of having Jesus in our lives. Help us to be strong in our faith and carry Your love to everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is John 5:25-30.

“Very truly, I tell you, the hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself; and he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not be astonished at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and will come out—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me.”

Jesus spoke frequently of the coming day of the Lord, and the fact that those who believe would be raised to everlasting life. Later Paul tells us “The trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52). The time will come when all must stand before God to be judged.

While that may sound frightening, those who follow Christ should have no fear, but look forward with joy to His return. No, we are not perfect, but we can confess our sins, repent, and know that He forgives those who are earnest in their desire to be connected to God and share His love. As the disciples of today, we are called to tell others about Jesus and the gift of life He offers.

God sent His Son to show us how to be in full relationship with Him, that all might know His mercy and live out the plan He has for us. Jesus is our help and strength in a world that wants its own way, rather than the Lord’s way. We must turn from the evil the world worships and turn to Him who is our salvation.

Gracious God, we thank You for the gift of our savior, who is the way, the truth and the light of all creation. Help us to hear His word and follow in faith. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is John 4:46‭-‬54.

Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.” The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed. While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.” Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed. This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.

I tend to see Jesus as being kind and warm all the time, but scripture tells us there were times that He responded in ways that make us stop and think. In this passage a royal official asks Jesus to heal his son and Jesus replies “Unless you people see signs and wonders you will never believe” (v. 48). While each and every life is important to Jesus, he has a deeper message we must understand.

In another passage a Cannanite woman asks Jesus to heal her daughter and He tells her “it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs” (Mark 7:27‭-‬28). In each case when Jesus sounds as if He is refusing the request, He is really leading us all to the truth.

God is not merely about granting wishes, our relationship with our Creator is much more than simply getting what we want. In each of these examples Jesus leads us to faith in God, not based on miracles we can see but love for Him and each other. It is this eternal connection that will heal us all.

Gracious God, we bring our needs to You in faith, knowing that You love us. Help us to see Your plan for us and follow the path Jesus showed, believing even when we have not seen. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Luke 5:17-26.

One day, while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting near by (they had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem); and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. Just then some men came, carrying a paralyzed man on a bed. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus. When he saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, “Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, “Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the one who was paralyzed—“I say to you, stand up and take your bed and go to your home.” Immediately he stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went to his home, glorifying God. Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen strange things today.”

Jesus shows us the power of our faith in action through this encounter with a paralyzed man. Of course, the healing is very important, but the lesson and the demonstration of God’s love and mercy is of eternal value. Jesus takes this opportunity to show all those gathered there how God works in our lives.

Friends brought this man to Jesus in faith, believing that he would be healed. When they were unable to get through the crowd, they didn’t give up, and found another way to bring the man to Jesus. They were steadfast in their faith and did not let the obstacle prevent them from reaching Jesus.

Are we as strong in our faith as those in this passage? Do we let worldly things interfere in our relationship with God? It is essential that we live in connection with Him but just as essential that we act in faith and love in all we do.

Loving Lord, please send Your healing mercy to all in need. Help us to be the voice of faith in a dark and troubled world, sharing the love we first received from You. In Your name we pray, amen.

Our scripture this morning is Luke 5:4-11.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

I can imagine Peter’s reaction to Jesus asking them to drop their nets again. “Who is this guy? We’ve been fishing all night, we’ve caught nothing, and we’re the professionals here!” However, Peter and his friends do listen and are amazed at the enormous catch they achieve, just as Jesus said. The scripture tells us “So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him” (v. 11).

As they journey with Jesus, they learn to trust Him more in everything He teaches them. After His resurrection, He tells them to go and make disciples of all the world, continuing His ministry through the gift of the Holy Spirit. Each of His followers had a mission and nearly all were martyred for their faith.

We are called to trust Jesus the same way they did. While we may not be asked to leave our home and family or suffer death for Him, we must be ready for whatever comes. Christ has opened the door to eternal life for all who confess Him as Lord and savior, and we must follow.

Loving Lord, we thank you for the blessing of forgiveness and the call You place on our lives. Help us to be strong against the ways of the world, loving all our brothers and sisters as You first loved us. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Romans 11:17‭-‬24.

If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

I don’t know a lot about branch grafting, but it was already practiced in Paul’s time. Like Jesus, Paul uses examples from nature that people can understand. Here he speaks of how the Gentiles – all who are not Jews – can become part of God’s chosen.

Paul tells us that the divisions between us are artificial, of our own invention and not God’s. This passage speaks of God’s fairness, that those unproductive branches are cut off and replaced by fruitful branches grafted in. However, it also speaks of God’s mercy, that those who call on Him in faith will be saved.

Paul warns against arrogance in being chosen, which does not demonstrate faith and can incur God’s wrath. We are all God’s children, made in His image and called to share His love with everyone. May we go into the world joyfully to spread the Gospel.

Heavenly Father, we are grateful for our relationship with You and all the gifts we have received. Bless us to be Your representatives, telling all that Your kingdom has come near. Amen.