January 5, 2020
Scripture:
Hymn 312 - Jesus loves me! this I know
Prayer
Galatians 5:22-23
The fruit of the Spirit is important for each of us to have; today, we are going to look at the first item in this list: love
Love is mentioned 442 times in the Bible.
There are four different kinds of love: Romantic, Parental, Friendship, Unconditional. We are going to focus on unconditional love. This is the love that God shows to us.
John 3:16
God showed us love by sending His Son.
God loves us unconditionally even though we don’t deserve it.
John 15:13
Jesus showed us love by dying for us. This was the greatest form of love
John 13:34
We need to love everyone.
Romans 13:9d
Anyone we come in contact with is our neighbour.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
These verses tell us how we can love one another. But notice that they do not say that we should always agree with one another. We should never encourage someone else to do wrong for the sake of being agreeable. True love will share the truth of the Bible with them.
Love is a choice we have to make everyday.
John 18:19-40
This chapter is different to the preceding chapters because in those Jesus was talking to His disciples. In this chapter we have a whole cast of characters all with different agendas. Last time when we were reading we stopped with Peter warming himself by the fire. Now we are back with Jesus and the High Priest.
The High Priest was the highest religious authority. Pilate was the political authority. The religious authorities wanted to get rid of Jesus. This confused the political authorities, because the Jews were usually against them, but now they were selling out one of their own.
The High Priest asked about Jesus’ doctrine and disciples. But Jesus could see right through. The disciples would be in trouble if He answered them. Instead, He asked them a question (vv. 20, 21). He avoided answering the question because they were trying to incriminate Him and He wasn’t going to hang on the cross for something they had convicted Him of. He gave an honest response.
The religious authorities were losing patience with Jesus. He was there in meekness, yet He was suffering. He suffered from, for, and with man. Man made a mockery of Him as if He hadn’t acted as He should.
We now come back to Simon Peter. He was warming himself by a fire of coals with the enemies of the Lord. Previously, it mentioned another disciple that also followed them. In verse twenty-five Peter was asked if he was also a disciple. It seems they already knew the other one was a disciple. Peter, who was originally willing to die for Jesus, sees Him as a prisoner and walks off to warm himself by a fire and denies that he is one of Jesus’ disciples. He made himself comfortable in a world that hated the Lord.
A big contrast between Peter and Jesus is that Peter was trying to protect himself and Jesus was doing the Father’s will in going to the cross. It is amazing to see how a child of God could act this way and still be restored. No matter what is done, it is still possible.
Verse 28 shows the religious authorities’ hypocrisy. They never found a real reason, but they sent Him to Pilate anyway. They wouldn’t go into the judgement hall so as not to defile themselves. Pilate had to come out to talk with them. They tried to incriminate Him for something He said, but, as we read elsewhere, none of their witnesses could agree. They ended up convicting Him for what He said about rebuilding the temple in three days.
Hymn 335 - I am so glad that our Father in heaven
Prayer