Going really quick here, folks. I don’t have a lot of time, but I do want to get this done.
We’re going through John 20-21 today, and I’m not going for words here, more than just to get things from a paper notebook to here on Evernote and eventually on WordPress.
It’s been a wild ride since John 12. We came from Christ’s triumphal entry, to His washing of His disciples’ feet, to His telling them of His being the Vine and their being the branches. We came from what many people call His ‘High Priestly’ Prayer, and His eventual capture in Gethsemane. Until this time the general idea we established was that it was imperative for us today, as much as it was for the disciples back then, to (1) love one another, as Christ loves us, and (2) to pray for one another, as Christ prayed for us.
Last week we went through the scenes as described by John, of the crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus Christ. We covered on His betrayal and on Peter’s denying Him three times.
We covered on the back and forth between Pilate, the mob, and Jesus Himself. Jesus was brought to Pilate, and told him His kingdom was not of this world. Pilate returned to the crowd, offering to release Jesus, but they shouted out that they wanted Barabbas instead. Pilate had Jesus scourged, and Roman soldiers also humiliated Him with a crown of thorns.
Pilate, possibly assuming this was enough to placate the mob, presented Jesus to the mob, who then cried out to crucify Him, because He claimed to be God or the Son of God. Pilate asks Jesus where He is from, and gets no answer. Pilate implores Christ, indicating he has the power to release Him or to crucify Him – Christ responds (1) that the only power he has over Him comes from above, and (2) those who brought Him have the greater sin.
Pilate still tries to release Jesus, but the mob insists, now saying that if he DOES release Him, then Pilate ‘is no friend of Caesar‘.
Pilate gives in (other Gospel accounts mention him washing his hands), and sends Christ off to be crucified, but not before writing ‘This is the King of the Jews’ on paper, to be nailed on the cross above Christ’s head. The Jews protest, but Pilate’s words stay, and they are seen by the multitude watching Jesus and the two criminals.
John reports on the soldiers casting lots for Christ’s clothes, and then on the dialogue between Jesus, Mary (‘Woman, behold thy son!‘), and John (‘Behold thy mother!‘)…
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.John 19:28-30
I topped everything off by just lamenting on my own life, considering how things are getting worse from all angles. On an international scale, we read of Christians beheaded and persecuted around the world, on top of the wars and conflicts – the ones we know (Israel, Ukraine, Venezuela), and the ones that mainstream media don’t even bother to talk about. On a national scale, we’re still reading about the issues in leadership, and the talks on Philippine sovereignty, and so on. On a local scale, we’re observing the escalation of dialogue as the election campaign period comes closer and closer, as well as the issue of the City Charter that didn’t even go through public scrutiny and approval. On a relational scale, I’m seeing cracks in my armor, regarding my integrity and the constant threats to image and reputation… and, on a personal scale, simply put, I’m not as rich as I used to be.
Yeah, not sure if I said all of that in detail, and I’m not even sure if that’ll all make its way to the pulpit, but one thing for sure that I mentioned was that, in all the chaos of life, and in all the darkness that we see, we were reminded in the discussion of John 18-19, of one thing above it all – that is, a Truth that remains when everything else is in question: Christ said, ‘It is finished.’
I even went as far as playing the crying card.. but I will admit, it did get me emotional. And why shouldn’t it? This is, after all, the pinnacle of God’s everlasting love for us – His Son, forsaking divinity and endless glory, then setting all earthly matters and concerns aside, and finally laying His literal body and blood down, becoming sin for us to become His righteousness, fulfilling the promises of the prophets, satisfying the perfect standards of the Law, serving as the perfect sacrifice no priest can offer, absolutely, completely reconciling us to God, that we may call Him our Father.
Christ said, ‘It is finished’.
That’s the Truth that keeps us standing. That’s the Truth that keeps us together. That’s the Truth that has us loving and praying for one another.
Amen.
Not as quick as I wanted, after all. Anyway, here’s what I scribbled down for the final couple of chapters of John:
14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”John 20:14-17
19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.John 20:19-20
26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:26-29
4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 8 The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.John 21:4-8
12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.John 21:12
13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.John 21:13-14
Mary saw Jesus but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said Mary’s name, and she responded, ‘Teacher!’
Jesus told Thomas to touch His scars, and he responded, ‘My Lord and my God!’
The disciples saw Jesus on the shore, but they did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus told them to cast the net on the right side, and when they were overwhelmed by the fish, John said, ‘It is the Lord!’, and Peter swam towards Him (versus the first time this miracle happened, before His death and resurrection, where Peter said ‘get away from me, a sinner!’)
They had breakfast with Jesus, and they knew it was the Lord.
‘know the Lord’, serving God (Love the Lord with all…) vs. ‘Mary!’, ‘look at how I served You’
Verses to go through and sort of think about:
Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”John 20:17
- Mary couldn’t touch Him, but Thomas could touch His scars? (Or rather, Jesus offered for Thomas to touch His hands and His side?)
Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29
- That means all of us, right?
Also, Peter’s Conversation with Jesus:
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”
20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”John 21:15-22
John’s Final Verse:
25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. John 21:25
About those verses… Could be something there, or not. I still have to look at it all together, to answer the question: What did we ultimately gather from John and Daniel?
Hoping to answer that question soon.
Until the next post, God bless us all.
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