God Time May 30-June 3

Tuesday May 30

John 20

“Truly, truly I say to you, when you were young, you dressed yourself and walked where you desired. 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 He said this, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. When He had said this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”

Jesus invites Peter to take his place as leader in the new Christian community. Jesus begins with the key reason for Peter’s leadership- Because he loves Jesus. This is so basic to Jesus’ understanding of why we follow him. We follow him because we love him!

Then Jesus gives Peter the core command of what he is to do. “Feed my Sheep.”

Peter must have been like, “I can do that!”

But then Jesus brings a somber reality to Christian life. Peter will suffer as he leads. Even more specific in Peter’s case, he will follow Jesus to his death.

“Truly, truly I say to you…“Follow Me.”

So not everything has changed with the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Followers will still suffer and die.

Did you ever think that being a Christian means everything is great in your life?

Wednesday May 31

John 21

20 Peter turned and saw following them the disciple whom Jesus loved, who also leaned against His bosom at 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?”

The disciple whom Jesus loved is John. Why is Peter concerned about him?Probably for a couple of reasons.

First, Peter and John both play significant roles in key events in the life of Jesus. For example, they are central figures at the Last Supper, at the arrest and trial, and in the resurrection accounts.

Yet, as we will soon learn, now they will take very different paths.

And second, it is normal for Peter to be concerned about John. After all, they have been living side by side in the life of Jesus these last years. So, when Jesus tells Peter he is going to follow him to lead his sheep and to meet his death as a martyr, it isn’t unusual that he ask if John is going to go down a similar path.

But, they will both learn what we learn today. God does not make mistakes when he calls us to follow him. There are times we are confused and maybe envious when we look at other Christians. We may even wish we could have their call!

But, we continue to learn that to follow Jesus, we are following where he leads us, not where he leads someone else.

There are places out there in the world that you are called to influence. Territory that has your name on it!

It’s not about being the most gifted or the biggest, whether we are talking about Christians or Christian churches.

This becomes a serious problem. Christianity today is always looking for the next superstar pastor or leader to follow, apparently because Jesus is not enough!

Yes, Peter wants to know about John. As if to say, “If I am going to suffer and be brought to a place I don’t want to go, then what about John? What’s going to happen to him?”

Jesus will have none of this thinking.

What is the influence of our celebrity culture on the Church?

Thursday June 1

John 21

22 Jesus said to him, “If it is My will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow Me!”

Jesus is clear. If we follow him, we follow him. We don’t follow a Jesus that fits into our way of thinking. This is what Jesus is addressing here. He is using the end times as an example. Peter wants to know if John is going to suffer and die like he is. Then Jesus says, “What’s it to you?” Just another indication Jesus shares our humanity! “Hey, what’s it to ya’?

Jesus is telling Peter that, he, Jesus, can do whatever he wants. If Jesus wants John to be remain alive on earth until Jesus comes back from heaven at the end time, that’s his business. What is that to Peter or anyone else?

Yes, if he wants to, Jesus can keep John alive until that time, or Jesus could be saying the end time is just around the corner. But, Jesus is not saying any of this. He is saying he can do whatever he wants. When we follow Jesus, it is not up to him to have to explain everything to us.

When Jesus speaks about the end times, for example, it always seems mysterious. And when he speaks of end times, his followers seem to always get confused anyway.

What have you learned about the end times?

Friday June 2

John 21

23 The saying went out among the brothers that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If it is My will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

This gives us a clue to why chapter 21 is written. Chapter 20 appears to close the Gospel.

John 20

30 The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.

So why add chapter 21? John actually explains why. It looks like John added this last chapter later in his life because the Christians thought Jesus said John would not die. When John is writing, he is the last of the original 12 disciples alive. He must have had great prominence in the first century church and so it looks like the Christians are connecting his prominence with great favor from God.

But, that’s not what Jesus was saying, remember? He is telling Peter, “It’s none of your business,” not, “John is going to live until I come again.”

Then John wraps his Gospel up again.

What are some beliefs about the end time that some Christians have that confuse you?

Saturday June 3

John 21

24 This is the disciple who testifies about these things, and wrote these things. We know that his testimony is true.

25 There are also many other things which Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that not even the world itself could contain the books that would be written. Amen.

Here we see that John is the author or this last chapter, and he has other students who affirm his writing. “We know that his testimony is true.” This probably goes along with the Jewish court system custom of having to have more than one person to give testimony.

Then we are given a summary by John that helps us understand the Bible as God’s Word.

25 There are also many other things which Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that not even the world itself could contain the books that would be written. Amen.

There are many more things that Jesus did then are recorded in the Gospels. There are many more things he said that are not written down. Why is this important?

This teaches us the Bible we have is enough for us to learn to trust in Jesus and follow him. We don’t need an exhaustive number of events and teachings to convince us of his Lordship. If not for the Holy Spirit leading us, we wouldn’t understand or believe anyway.

At the same time, with the Holy Spirit as their guide, people became Christian before the Bible is collected into one volume, not until 110 or so anyway. At the beginning of the church growing after Jesus ascended to heaven, the Christians only had eyewitness stories handed down before they are written down, then some of Paul’s writing and later, the Gospel of Mark. But, that’s enough for them.

The same is true for us. We don’t have to memorize the whole Bible or know all that is in it to know that Jesus died for us and rose again and rules now. Our sins are forgiven and we can enjoy life in his Kingdom now. When we read the Bible now, it is like a treasure hunt where we are constantly discovering new treasures that reinforce what we already believe in his name.

What is something new that you learned recently from the Bible?