Day 22 – Jesus and a Samaritan Woman

JOHN CHAPTER 4

Read:  John 4:1-9

The disciples left Jesus to rest by a historic well while they went into town to get some food. As He was resting, a Samaritan came to the well. Jesus asked her for some water. Jesus’ request initiates one of the most famous conversations recorded in John’s gospel. Jesus’ exchange with the Samaritan woman is remarkable for several reasons. First, the inclusion of Jesus’ physical limitations highlights the reliability of John’s gospel. Given who Jesus claimed to be, it seems like His advocates would focus exclusively on His divine qualities, avoiding any mention of His human limitations. John does neither. He presents Jesus as He was, fully divine and fully human.

Another noteworthy aspect of this story is Jesus' willingness to engage in a conversation with a Samaritan woman. This was certainly not a story that would win many converts from Judaism. John, however, is more interested in demonstrating Jesus' broader mission as the prophesied Messiah, coming for the salvation of the world. "For God so loved the world …" John moves from a declaration of this concept in chapter three to its demonstration in chapter four. Through John's account we see an intentional progression from Jesus' interaction with common Jews – Philip, Nathanael, Andrew, and Peter – to an exchange with a religious leader – and now a Samaritan woman. John wants his readers to know that Jesus' mission is to reach everyone, regardless of their religious, social or ethnic backgrounds.

Two thousand years later, the church struggles to learn from Jesus' example. We like people who are like us. Crossing racial, social, and economic barriers was part of Jesus' mission and should be for His church as well. We cannot convince people that "God so loved the world" if we are not willing to love it too. That will mean putting ourselves in difficult and uncomfortable circumstances. 

God, Who Loves the World,

Thank You for loving me. I acknowledge Your mission is broader than I can see or comprehend. Thank You that no one escapes Your notice. Open my eyes to see the people I might otherwise ignore. Forgive me for neglecting people who are not like me, people You love and for whom You died. Fill me with Your love so I might love those I would otherwise ignore.

Amen

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Day 19 – The Best Man

Read:  John 3:22-36; Revelation 19:6-9; Matthew 25:1-13

After His encounter with Nicodemus, Jesus, and His followers again cross paths with Jesus' cousin, John the Baptizer. This was an especially significant moment for the Gospel writer who had, until recently, been one of "the Baptizer's" disciples. As Jesus' fame grew, others also left John to follow Jesus. When some of the Jews with John pointed this out, John's humility is once again on display.

The Baptizer describes his role as that of a best man at a wedding. The best man is an important part of the marriage ceremony. He plays a significant role in the life of the groom. He is the primary witness to the wedding ceremony. It is an honor to serve as someone's best man. It is not, however, the most important role in the wedding. It doesn't even come in second. There are two people far more important: the bride and groom. Without them, there would be no wedding. The Gospel writer, John, will return to this analogy in his final work, the Revelation, where he describes the church as "the bride of Christ." An analogy he no doubt learned from his former teacher, John the Baptizer.

John the Baptist states a simple yet profound truth: “The bride belongs to the bridegroom.” Those of us who serve in the local church would do well to remember that. The church does not belong to the pastor or a group of elders or deacons. She is not the possession of a board or a presbytery or even of her members. The church belongs to her groom, Jesus Christ. It is Jesus who has purchased her and rescued her. It is Jesus who will cleanse her and prepare her, and it is Jesus who must build her and lead her. “He must become greater; I must become less.”

Our responsibility is to be faithful attendants at the wedding. We are witnesses for the groom and caretakers of His bride. While we play a significant role, it is a role that would not exist without the bride and groom. 

Righteous Groom,

Thank You for allowing me to serve as a witness and caretaker of Your bride. May I, like John, continue to diminish in the sight of those attending the wedding so they may see You and Your love for Your bride, the Church.

Amen

Day 18 – Dressing in the Dark

Read:  John 3:16-21

The problem with light is that it reveals too much. On the mornings I need to get ready before my wife is awake, I dress in the dim light of my closet. Often, as I pass by the mirror in my dining room, the morning light reveals the truth about my clothing choice: I do not match. I must confess that, at that moment, I despise the light. Were it not for the cold hard truth of the light, I would be free to continue about my day ignoring my poor choice.

What is true about dressing in the dark is also true about issues of the soul. There are parts of our souls that resist the light of day. Light exposes the dirtiness and shame, revealing what is true. The darkness, however, lets us ignore the truth and continue to live as if the dirt does not exist. The absence of light does not negate the effects of our sin and shame, but only hides them. If someone comes along and shines the light of truth in the dark corners of our souls, we recoil and hide, avoiding the light and resenting the one who brings it.

After describing Nicodemus’s nighttime encounter with Jesus, John returns to a theme he established in the opening of his Gospel: “In [Jesus] was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4-5). The darkness may not overcome the light, but it certainly tries to resist it. “Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed” (John 3:19-20). That describes me on the mornings I get dressed in the dark. That describes my soul when I know there are deeds, thoughts, lies, and shame I would rather keep hidden in the dark corners of my soul. The problem is I cannot come to Jesus and avoid His light. I must choose between the light and full exposure or darkness and the absence of Jesus.

What are you trying to hide in the darkness? Pray for the Light of the World to illuminate your heart.

Light of Mankind,

I confess I have loved the darkness because it has deceived me into believing my sins are hidden. But my sin is never hidden from You. The darkness is a lie. Shine Your light in the darkest corners of my heart. I may recoil at Your brightness and squint with the pain Your light brings, but I choose the light of Your love and the warmth it will bring.

Amen

Day 17 – To Do and Not to Do

Read:  John 3:1-21 & Luke 6:37-42

John 3:16 is arguably the most famous verse in the Bible. From homemade posters in the stands at football games to the great cathedrals of Europe, this verse has been proclaimed so that even those who know little of the Bible can quote it from memory. Equally important but far less known is the verse that follows. If verse 16 provides the reason God sent Jesus into the world, verse 17 clarifies something God did not send Jesus to do.

Most people are familiar with "to do" lists. Some people live by them. I have friends who make lists that include things they have already done so that they can check them off the list! Many of us, however, would benefit from making a "don't do" list. This is a list of things we should never do because they are outside the scope of our mission, gifting, calling and purpose. Knowing God's purpose for you, your family and your church is important, but you should also consider those things that may be a distraction from that calling. Once you've identified those items, add them to your "don't do" list before you find yourself off task and outside of God's purpose.

John 3:17 says God did NOT send Jesus to condemn the world. The reason this was unnecessary, we are told, is because the world already stands condemned. It would have been like sending Jesus to collect parking fines from prisoners on death row. Unfortunately, many Christians believe the primary mission of the church is to do the very thing Jesus did NOT come to do. Such Christians face two problems. One, they are unqualified to judge the world. If Jesus, who was without sin, was not sent to condemn the world, certainly His sinful followers are not qualified to do so. Instead, the church must focus on proclaiming the message of God’s grace. The condemning Christian’s second problem is that they not only defy Jesus’ example, but His instructions: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37).

  

If you are starting a "don't do" list, you may want to put "judging and condemning others" at the top. According to John 3:17 it was on the top of Jesus' list too.

Merciful Loving Father,

Thank You that in the midst of my sin You loved me enough to send Jesus to rescue me from death. Rather than focusing on my problem, You delivered the solution I need. Please forgive me for passing judgment on others. Make me bold as I live to tell others of Your amazing love, and the hope found in Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen

Day 16 – High and Lifted Up

Read:  John 3:1-21 & Numbers 21:4-9

Forty years of listening to complaints and criticism would be enough to drive anyone to a fit of anger. Moses must have been worn out by the Israelites’ constant grumbling. In Numbers 21 we find that even God had tired of it. The Scripture reports that God sent venomous snakes among the Israelites. This must have been a terrifying experience. For many it was deadly. The Israelites begged Moses to pray for them.

Before we go on, I want to confess that I don't think I would have prayed on their behalf – at least not right away. After all of the griping and backstabbing, I would have let the Israelites suffer a little longer. I would have at least waited until my biggest critics were swollen up and in some serious pain before I asked God to remove those snakes. Moses didn't do that. He immediately prayed, asking God to rescue his people. And God did. He instructed Moses to "make a snake and put it on a pole." Moses then held the pole up before the people allowing anyone who had been bitten to look upon the snake and be healed.

This is an odd story. Why wouldn’t God just remove the snakes and heal the people? I believe it was because God was offering a glimpse of something that was still to come. There would be another servant who would be sent to lead His people out of slavery. This servant would also suffer the rejection of those He came to save. This servant would Himself be nailed to a pole and lifted up for a dying world to see. And like Moses’ snake in the desert, anyone who looked upon the Cross of Christ would be healed.

Jesus explained this to Nicodemus when He came to question Him. John was there and captured the exchange for us in chapter three of his Gospel. I do not believe that either Nicodemus or John understood the comparison that night. Both men were later present at Jesus’ crucifixion. As they stood at the foot of the cross looking up at Jesus, His words from this night must have come flooding back to their minds.

Jesus, high and lifted up,

Thank You for interceding on my behalf even though I deserved the wrath of God.

 I am powerless to save myself, but I look to Your cross as the source of my healing. Thank You for being willing to intercede on my behalf.

Thank You for dying a death that was rightfully mine to die.

Amen

Day 15 – Jesus After Dark

JOHN CHAPTER 3

Read:  John 3:1-21 & Jeremiah 29:11-13

Today we read of a religious leader who approached Jesus after dark. The timing of his visit underscores its controversial nature. For the Jews and many cultures of Jesus' day, anything undertaken at night would have been considered questionable.

Perhaps it was Jesus’ radical actions in the Temple that inspired the Pharisee named Nicodemus to come. It was certainly why he chose to do so at night. After all, Jesus had not made many friends among Nicodemus’s colleagues. Maybe Nicodemus had himself questioned the religious practices in the Temple, but was unwilling or unable to take the bold steps necessary to bring about reform. Whatever the case, we know by his words and the timing of his visit that Nic was earnestly searching for answers. Jesus, whom you’ll remember, “knew all people,” certainly knew the sincerity of Nicodemus’s heart. Whereas most of Jesus’ encounters with Pharisees and religious leaders are combative in nature, Jesus’ approach to Nicodemus is more instructional. This is because Jesus knew that Nicodemus was sincere and teachable.

God, speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, told the nation of Israel, “‘You will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 29:12-14a). God responds to those who earnestly seek Him. Nicodemus was searching for God with all his heart. The darkness did not prevent him from finding what he was looking for. After all, the Light of the World cannot be hidden by a little darkness.

What or whom are you earnestly seeking? If it is God, you can claim the promise of Jeremiah 29:13. It is okay to come to him in the darkness of doubts and fears. He will meet you there with the warm light of His love.

Light of the World,

I often come to You in the darkness of my sin and shame. Thank You for meeting me there and bringing Your light into my darkness. Thank You for understanding the sincerity of my heart and answering my call. Thank You that, like Nicodemus, I can find You if I am earnestly seeking. 

Amen

Day 12 – Knowing the Human Heart

Read:  John 2:24-25; Psalm 139

John 2:24 and 25 offer an interesting insight into the mind of Jesus. John says that though many people followed Him, Jesus "would not entrust himself to them," because He knew people and what was "in them." Psalm 139 details the extent to which God knows us, understanding our thoughts better than we understand them ourselves. He knows our words before they are formed on our tongues. The Psalmist exclaims that "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain" (Psalm 139:6). We might all agree and perhaps admit we wouldn't even WANT the burden such knowledge would bring.

Can you imagine knowing the thoughts of every person you encounter? While it might be interesting for a moment, it would soon reveal more about the human heart than we could handle. Just consider all of the thoughts you entertain about the people you encounter on a daily basis. What would that lady you work with do if she knew what you were thinking while she went on and on about her sick cat? What would the man working the cash register do if he knew what you were thinking about him as he was scanning your groceries? How would your spouse react if he or she could know your every thought? I venture to say our world would be a much more hostile place.

John has already established Jesus as the Creator. He now reminds us that this same Creator knows the hearts of those whom He creates. Jesus never had to be "told" about anyone. He already knew (and knows) each and every person. He understands our frailties and weaknesses. He knows how fickle we can be. He knows the thoughts you've had about the lady with the cat, the man running the register, and each of your family members. What is more, He even knows what you think about Him. How you have deep doubts and questions. How occasionally you make bargains and test His love. How you evaluate His faithfulness based on the balance in your checkbook or the score on a test. Yes, He KNOWS you. What's more amazing still is that with all of that knowledge He loves you.

As you pray today, confess your impure thoughts, unspoken doubts and hidden fears to Jesus. After all, He already knows them. The only one you are deceiving is yourself.

All-knowing God,

Your knowledge of me is too wonderful for me to comprehend. You know me better than I know myself. Thank You for loving me anyway. "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23-24)

Amen

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