John 14:15-31
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
The Promise of the Spirit audio (5MB)
John 14:15-31
It seems to me that there are 2 issues that Christians face today that Jesus addresses here in this passage. The first is the question as to how we’re rating as a Christian. That is are we good enough for God to be happy with us? Are we good enough that God would listen to our prayers? How do you rate as a Christian?
The second issue has to do with how we know what’s the right thing to do; how we decide what we’re to do or say at any one moment.
Last week we saw how John 14 begins with the disciples being faced with just this problem. Jesus has just told them that he’s about to leave them, then he says these words to reassure them: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.” They’re clearly meant as words of comfort but you can imagine some of them thinking “That’s all very well, but it’s just pie in the sky when you die. I’m worried about what’s going to happen in the next few months when Jesus isn’t here to help us and guide us.” Up until now they’ve hardly done a thing without Jesus being there to direct them, or to correct them. Now they’re going to be on their own. It’s like the first time you’re allowed to take a car out for a drive by yourself; or how I imagine a pilot feels when they’re sent up to fly solo for the first time. The instructor’s not there anymore and everything depends on you.
So Jesus sets out to give them some more reassurance.
John 13:13-14:14 True Comfort
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- Written by: George Hemmings
The Source of True Comfort audio (5MB)
John 13:13-14:14
Sarah & I have learnt that we need to give Micah and Joshua plenty of warning before we leave somewhere, especially if they’re having a good time. If we try to just say, ‘OK, it’s time to go,’ without any warning, they’re usually not too happy. You might need to do the same with your family or friends, especially if you’ve driven somewhere together.
In these few chapters of John’s gospel, that’s exactly what Jesus is doing. He’s preparing the disciples for his imminent departure. Now that Judas has gone out, now that the final betrayal has begun, Jesus knows that the Cross is inevitable. Jesus might’ve hoped that as he offered Judas the choice morsel back in verse 26, that Judas would see the light, that he would repent, that he would turn back. But instead Judas rejected Jesus, he turned to darkness, and was sent off into the night. And so now Jesus’ betrayal, his arrest and trial, his suffering and death are inevitable. The wheel’s been set in motion, as we say in English. So Jesus can say that the ‘Son of Man has been glorified,’ as though it’s already happened. All that remains is to prepare the disciples for what’s coming.
John 13:1-30 True Leadership (Youth Service)
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- Written by: George Hemmings
True Leadership audio (5MB)
John 13:1-30
I wonder what you think a leader looks like? We asked that question at the CLAY small group on Friday night. Actually we asked people to draw a typical leader, and their qualities, and this is what we got. I wonder how that matches up to your ideas of a leader? I think there’s some pretty good descriptions in there. Confident, forward thinking, respectable. Few supermen there. Glad that at least one person drew a female leader. A few people drew tall, strong powerful. All in all, I think a pretty good likeness! And I didn’t have to pay anyone anything to write those things! What would you add?
John 13:1-30
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- Written by: Ruth Newmarch
True Leadership audio (6MB)
What characteristics do you look for in a leader? I asked this question while having dinner with friends on Wednesday. The first characteristic they came up with was – someone who does not dominate but leads humbly, by example. The second one was someone who is secure in themselves. The third was someone who knows where they are going, who has vision. The fourth was someone who takes responsibility when things go wrong. I was pretty stunned at how closely these describe Jesus in John 13.
But what is true of a leader, often becomes true of those they lead. If you belong to the new community begun by Jesus the Messiah, 2 millennia ago, people should notice three things developing in you:
1) a servant heart increasingly given to voluntary acts of menial service 2) a growing sense of security about yourself 3) and a sense of purpose and determination – like you're going somewhere.
John 12:20-50 The Time Has Come
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- Written by: George Hemmings
The Time Has Come audio (5MB) (NB Due to a technical problem the first minute of audio was not recorded)
John 12:20-50
‘1, 2, 4, 7, 9, Here we come.’ That’s how Micah and Joshua like to count down when we play hide and seek. There’s usually not much time to get ready! Actually every time they count down differently. One moment they’re counting, the next they’re seeking. There’s no warning when the change will come, when the turning point will be. Life’s a little like that isn’t it? Sometimes big changes come, moments that turn our world around.
Did you notice that today’s passage is a turning point in John’s gospel? If you think back through the passages we’ve looked at, if you read back through John, you’ll see that everything has been building up to this point. He’s performed all sorts of miraculous signs, which have led to crowds flocking to see him. He’s fed those crowds with a poor boy’s packed lunch. He’s given sight to a man born blind, he’s raised Lazarus from the dead. Then, as we saw last week, he was anointed by Mary and given a king’s welcome as he rode into Jerusalem. But then, all of a sudden, everything changes. In verse 36 Jesus goes into hiding. In fact, today’s passage is the last time Jesus appears in public, at least until his arrest and crucifixion.
John 12:1-19
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
The Anointed King audio (5MB)
John 12_1-19
We were discussing in our staff meeting this week the question of how you decide what to leave in your will, and to whom, when you die. As I was thin king about that I wondered how many of us have ever sat down and thought about what our priorities are in life; and when we come to write a will, to what extent do our stated priorities shape the content of our will. Have you ever done that? Have you ever stopped to think about what really matters to you and whether that’s reflected in your will? Or in the way you live your present life for that matter. Let me suggest some of the things that people make their priorities. There’s my wife and I. There’s our children and grandchildren. For some there’s their parents. There’s work or study. For some there’s a career path. There’s our leisure time. There’s our home; our retirement fund; our holiday fund; etc. You may want to add some other things in there. Of course I haven’t mentioned God or his Church have I? But that’s where today’s passage comes in. Today we see various groups of people with vastly different attitudes to Jesus and vastly different priorities.
John 11:1-45
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
The Raising of Lazarus audio (5MB)
John 11:1-45
How are you at reading the signs? I don’t mean street signs or advertising signs, I mean the signs of God’s kingdom? Over the last few months we’ve been looking at how John draws out sign after sign from Jesus’ life; signs of who Jesus is and signs of what he came to do; signs in fact of God’s kingdom being revealed on earth. And the point of all these signs is to bring us to belief in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God; to show us the way to life. In fact that idea of Jesus bringing life comes out very clearly doesn’t it? We’ve seen how Jesus is the bread of life; how he offers the water of life; how he is the light of life; and today we discover that he’s the resurrection and the life.
But the question is, what does that mean for us? In what sense is he the resurrection and the life for you and me?
Well, let’s see what we find as we look at this passage.
