Through the Bible - Leviticus 24-26, Mark 3
Good morning,
Yesterday's verse (Rom. 12:2) told us that we are not to be conformed to the "pattern" of this world but we are to be tranformed, from within, by the renewing of our minds.
As we go consider today's verse, stop and think for a few minutes about being loved by Christ. What Christ has done for you should influence how you might want to live for Him.
As you consider your reaction to Christ's love, let me share Paul's feelings from Gal. 2:20 "The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. "NIV
For today's verse we'll go to John chapter 13, where Jesus, knowing that He would soon be leaving His disciples as He headed for the cross, wanted to share His servants heart as an example to the disciples.
John 13:1 Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. NLT
The Amplified Bible says that "He loved them to the last and to the highest degree."
The fact that He was about to depart adds more significance to what He was about to do. They had experienced His love. Now He would display that love in humility and service to His servants, then proceed to make the greatest sacrifice the world would ever know.
John Piper, in a sermon on this passage states, " We are moved to believe that someone loves us when two things appear—they stick with us over time, and they stick with us when it is costly. These are the two things I see here in this verse: having loved us over the years (patient with all our sin and misunderstanding) he now loved us to the uttermost, to the depths of suffering for us.
This is what we long for, and this is what we have by faith—an experience of being loved with a love that lasts, that is not fickle, or uncertain, or capricious, but durable, constant, stable. But not only a love that is extensive, that lasts over time, all time, but also a love that is intensive. We long to be loved radically, deeply, excessively, passionately. "
Piper ends the sermon with the following statement. "O, may God give us the power to comprehend with all the saints what is the height and depth and length and breadth and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge that we might be filled with all the fullness of God. "
May you be moved to experience the height and depth and lengthe and breadth of His love today, and every day.
Blessings,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com John 13:1-6
Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet
13 Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. 2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples' feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. NLT
No comments:
Post a Comment