Month: April 2024

Easter (4)

 Do You Love Me?

     Prayer

     Heavenly Father, we acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Emanuel, Lamb of God, and the Lion of Judah. We come to You on bended knees and with opened hearts. We thank You for this amazing adventure through the Gospel of John, in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

John 21:15-25

Verse 15,  15 So, when they had eaten their breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for (love) you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 

Reflection

     After the breakfast, Jesus interrogated Peter about his love for Him. He called Peter by his old name Simon because until now, he had not lived up to his new name.

    The Greek word that Jesus used for love  is ‘agape,’ the divine love of God for people. Peter replied that he loved Jesus. The Greek word that Peter used for love is ‘phileo,’ which means friendship love. Jesus commanded him to feed His lambs. 

Verse 16, 16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection (love) for you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”

Reflection

     Jesus asked Peter again, ‘do you agape me?,’ but Peter replied that he could only ‘phileo’ Him. Jesus commanded him to take care of His sheep. 

Verse 17, 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you have affection for (love) me?” Peter was grieved because he asked him the third time, “Do you have affection for (love) me?” He said to him, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I have affection for (love) you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 

Reflection

 Jesus asked Peter again,  whether he was able to at least phileo Him.  Peter was upset but he replied yes. Jesus commanded him to feed His sheep.

Because Peter had denied Jesus three times, Jesus gave him three opportunities to repent. Although Peter could not agape Jesus, He accepted Peter’s reply.

Peter was genuine and honest. After denying the Lord so many times, he could not use the word agape.

Jesus recommissioned him three times as a shepherd of His flock. 

Verses 18-19, 18 Most certainly I tell you, when you were young, you dressed yourself and walked where you wanted to. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you don’t want to go.” 19 Now he said this, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. When he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

Reflection

     “Stretch out of your hands” is a metaphor for crucifixion. After prophesying Peter’s martyrdom by crucifixion, Jesus commanded Peter to follow Him. 

Verses 20-21, 20 Then Peter, turning around, saw a disciple following. This was the disciple whom Jesus loved, the one who had also leaned on Jesus’ breast at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is going to betray you?” 21 Peter seeing him, said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?”

Reflection

     Peter wanted to know what would happen to apostle John but Jesus told him not to worry about other people’s destiny.

Verses 22-23, 22 Jesus said to him, “If I desire that he stay until I come, what is that to you? You follow me.” 23 This saying therefore went out among the brothers, that this disciple wouldn’t die. Yet Jesus didn’t say to him that he wouldn’t die, but, “If I desire that he stay until I come, what is that to you?” 

Reflection

     Jesus clarified that He did not say that John would not die until His Second Coming. Peter must worry about John because John had a different calling. 

Verses 24-25, 24 This is the disciple who testifies about these things, and wrote these things. We know that his witness is true. 25 There are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they would all be written, I suppose that even the world itself wouldn’t have room for the books that would be written.

Reflection

     Apostle John testified that he was the disciple who witnessed these things with his own eyes. Jesus did many more miracles that could not be recorded in this Gospel due to lack of space. 

Application

The Lord is gracious. He forgave Peter even though he denied Him three times. Jesus is full of Grace and Truth. Jesus is the God of second chance, third chance and even fourth.

If we failed, we can claim the promises of 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

We must not worry about other people’s destiny. Our calling is not the same as others. We must serve the Lord in the Kingdom diligently and faithfully and leave others to the Lord.

The church and congregation belonged to Jesus Christ. He is the chief shepherd and we are the under shepherd. We must look after His church and His sheep with extreme care.

     Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You that we have finally come to the end of John’s Gospel. Thank You for traveling with us on board this exciting, turbulent, and wonderful journey of faith through the eyes of John. Thank You for the blessings, in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Post Lenten Read

Easter (3), Doubting Thomas

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we acknowledge that You are the true and Living God of the Bible. Help us to be locked in to Your word, to understand, and apply them to our lives, in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

John 20:19-31

Verses 19-23, 19 When therefore it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were locked where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the middle, and said to them, “Peace be to you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus therefore said to them again, “Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit! 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they have been forgiven them. If you retain anyone’s sins, they have been retained.”

Reflection

     By now, it was Easter Sunday evening. The disciples were hiding behind locked doors in the upper room for fear of the Jews.

     The Risen Christ passed through the locked doors and appeared in front of the disciples. He pronounced peace or ‘shalom’ in Hebrews to them and showed them His hands and His side.

    Christ pronounced ‘shalom,’ again and imparted the Holy Spirit to the disciples through His breath.

Verses 24-25, 24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, wasn’t with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

     Reflection

     However, Didymus or Thomas was not there when Christ appeared to the disciples. When the others told him about it, he was adamant that he would not believe unless he saw the Lord with his own eyes and touched the Lord’s hands and side, with his own hands.

Verses 26-29, 26 After eight days again his disciples were inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors being locked, and stood in the middle, and said, “Peace be to you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Reach here your finger, and see my hands. Reach here your hand, and put it into my side. Don’t be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed.”

Reflection

     Eight days later, Christ appeared to the disciples again at the same place, passing through the locked doors and pronouncing ‘shalom’ on them.

     He turned to Thomas and told him to touch His hands and His side, and told him to believe.

    At once, Thomas confessed his great confession of faith, ‘my Lord and my God.’’

     Christ replied, ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.’ We, who are reading this 2000 years later are ‘those who have not seen and yet believed.’

Verses 30-31, 30 Therefore Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.

Reflection

     Jesus Christ did many other miracles that could not be recorded in the gospel due to lack of space. But John wrote all these events as a testimony to us that Jesus is the Christ so that readers down the generations will believe and receive eternal life in His name. 

     John wrote this Gospel so that ‘you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in His name,’ John 20:31.

      The Gospel of John ended on the high note of John 20:21.

      John chapter 21 was added in later as an epilogue by another writer.

     Application

Jesus rose from death on Easter to conquer sin and death. Even death could not hold Him in the grave.

Jesus, who has no sin, paid the penalty of our sin through His death.

Jesus died that death that we deserve, so that we may have eternal life through faith in Him.

The resurrection power of God raised Jesus from death. The resurrection of Jesus proved beyond any shadow of a doubt that Jesus is God and He is everything that He claimed to be.

We can be absolutely certain that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Son of God, and by believing this, we will have eternal life in His name. 

In the kingdom of the world, seeing is believing, but in the Kingdom of God, believing is seeing. It is only by believing that we will see the Glory of God.

     Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You that Jesus Christ is the substitutionary atonement for our sin. I pray for those who have not committed their lives to Him or have wandered away from Him. We pray that they will turn away from sin and turn to Him as their Lord and Saviour today, in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Post Lenten Read

Easter (2)- The Witness of Mary Magdalene

     Prayer

     Heaven Father, we acknowledged that Jesus Christ is the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the author and perfecter of our faith, the Resurrection and the life. We pray for clear minds and teachable spirits, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

John 20:11-18

Verses 11-13, 11 But Mary was standing outside at the tomb weeping. So as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb, 12 and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have laid him.” 

Reflection

     After Peter and John left the tomb, Mary Magdalene stayed on and wept outside the tomb. When she looked inside the tomb, she saw two angels seated at the place where Jesus’ body was supposed to be, one at the head and one at the foot. When the angels asked her why she was crying, she replied that tomb raiders had stolen her Lord’s body. 

Verses 14-16, 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, and didn’t know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” She, supposing him to be the gardener, 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, “Rabboni!” which is to say, “Teacher!”

Reflection

When Mary turned around, she saw Jesus standing beside her, but she mistook Him for the gardener. When Jesus called her by name, she recognized Jesus voice and proclaimed, Teacher!

Verses 17-18, 17 Jesus said to her, “Don’t hold me, for I haven’t yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had said these things to her.

Reflection

     Jesus told Mary Magdalene not to cling on to Him. As the first fruit of the resurrection, Jesus had to present Himself to God as a wave offering first, before He could be touched, Numbers 5:25.

     Numbers 5:25, NIV, “The priest is to take from her hands the grain offering for jealousy, wave it before the Lord and bring it to the altar.”

     Jesus’ God is Mary Magdalene’s God, our God, and the  God of all who believed in Jesus..

Mary Magdalene was the first person to see the Risen Christ. Jesus told her to go back and tell the disciples about what she saw.

Jesus called the disciples His brothers. Mary went back and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord. 

     Hebrews 2:11(NIV),“Both, the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So, Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.” 

     Application

Mary Magdalene saw the Risen Christ standing beside her but still did not recognize Him. Sometimes Christ is standing right beside us and we did not recognize Him until He calls us by name in a still small voice.

We must be sensitive by raising our spiritual antennas, to listen to His still small voice. Listen and you will hear Him call you by name.

Jesus called three people by their names twice, Marta, Marta, Simon, Simon and Saul, Saul.

Jesus called four people by their names once, Peter, Lazarus, Philip, and Mary Magdalene.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we pray for sensitive ears, eyes, spirits, hearts, and minds to hear you speak to us and call us by name. Help us to be in Your will and direct our steps, in Jesus’ name, Amen.