The crucifixion means everything. Everything that can be known about God is in some way present at the cross. It’s the pinnacle of divine self-disclosure, the eternal moment of forgiveness, divine solidarity with human suffering, the enduring model of discipleship, the supreme demonstration of divine love, the beauty that saves the world, the re-founding of…
Fix your eyes on… JESUS!
“If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) What does it mean to remain (or abide, stay) in Jesus?Jesus adds “and my words remain in you” (v.7) to expand what He means.I think this describes the way an apprentice remains close…
Less fruitful christians?
“He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (John 15:2) Jesus describes Himself as God’s vine, and His followers as branches.If there is no evidence of the fruit of the Spirit, the branch is dead.But even…
The threefold fullness of God!
“If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.” (John 14:28) If Jesus is God, then how can the Father be greater than Jesus?We need to distinguish between God as God is, and God as God relates to us.Essentially God is One, yet…
The fruit of God’s fullness in me!
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” (John 14:27) Jesus promises a new relationship with God, through Him, by the Spirit.The Spirit of God comes, and in this way the Father and Jesus come.Here again we see the threefold fullness of God – over, with and in us!And the result is restored understanding…
More gracious…
“I don’t care who you are. Atheist or Christian. MAGA or woke. Catholic or Protestant. Republican or Democrat. Trans or cis. Conservative or liberal. Evangelical or progressive. Or anything else you can think of. The world would be a better place if all of us were a drop more gracious than we are right now.”…
The commands of Jesus!
“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.” (John 14:21) Christians often stress that they need to obey the Bible.The Bible is filled with thousands of commands – do we obey them all?No Christian obeys them all, and each Christian has their preferred commands.We need to be honest about this pick…
Immersed in the fullness of God!
“But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (John 14:17) The Spirit of God is the personal presence and power of God, with us and in us.God breathed this Spirit in Adam and Eve when they were first created (Genesis 2:7).This was more than just physical breath, it was God’s own…
The glory of His love through us!
“I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (John 14:13) Reflecting God’s love (Exodus 34:6-7) is how we glorify God.God-like love produces the greatest of all works.As we freely have received God’s love, we freely share it.When we seek to love like this, Jesus is working…
The true way to life with God!
“Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing.” (John 14:12) Jesus came to bring humanity back into its loving relationship with God.This is the ‘where’ that Jesus is going, and ‘where’ He is leading us.God comes to us through Jesus, in order to bring us back to God.When we see Jesus in…