Jesus, the Great I Am

Posted on by korgrocker

In John’s Gospel, Jesus made seven “I am” statements, all true statements declaring who He was. To recap, here is the list.

In John 6:35 we read, “Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.””
John 8:12, “Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.””
John 10:7, “so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.”“
John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.”
John 11:25, “Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.””
John 14:6, “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.””
John 15:1, “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener.”

There are also a couple of occasions where Jesus referred to Himself with God’s name “I AM”.
John 4:26, “Then Jesus told her, “I Am the Messiah!””
John 18:5a, ““Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied. “I Am He,” Jesus said. …””

Jesus used ordinary objects and situations that the people would relate to. Things like bread, light, sheep, a gate or door, death, and a grapevine. And He wove the ordinary into spiritual statements that pointed to Himself, and statements that described life in God’s Kingdom. There could be no doubt as to who Jesus was and what His mission was all about. The problem for most of the Jews was that they seemed to have little appreciation or understanding that they could enjoy being part of God’s Kingdom during their natural lives by believing in Jesus. They also had to contend with the hostility of the Jewish leaders, who considered that Jesus was a blasphemer and a fraud. With all the miracles and signs that Jesus performed, that underpinned His teaching, it is a wonder that the people of His day, including the leaders, didn’t all wholeheartedly embrace Him and all He taught. But that is a sign of sin, because people generally love to sin is all its guises. And sin is incompatible with the Kingdom of God because there will be no sinners in Heaven. Various passages of Scripture in the Bible make it clear who will not be suitable candidates for living with God. For example, we have Revelation 21:8a, “But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars …”. Altogether, theologians believe that there are 120 separate sins listed in Scripture. To believe in Jesus and follow Him demands a life of repentance, as God’s people pursue holiness to be like Him. Our Holy Spirit inspired consciences will guide us into the truth Jesus taught about.

But the opportunity to believe in Jesus didn’t end with His death. In fact that was when the opportunity really started. The Bible is a legacy of spiritual truth that has continued Jesus’ ministry for the last two thousand years.  The life contained within its pages propagates the work and power of the Holy Spirit, as He lives within us. 

Dear God. We thank You for Your Word, the Bible, and for all it contains, the words of truth and life, Amen.

Jesus is the Life

Posted on by korgrocker

“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6 NLT

We have looked at the two previous statements that Jesus made about Himself – “I am the Way”  “I am the Truth”, and we now consider the last, “I am the Life”. We note, that of the seven “I am” statements made by Jesus and recorded in John’s Gospel, five of them refer to “life”. 

In John 6:35 we read, “Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”” Obviously, this reference to “life” is about spiritual life, and the “bread” to which Jesus refers is spiritual food. A person’s spirit has to be fed and the only true and valid “food” is Jesus. Many attempts are made to substitute this “food” with other sources but they never last or satisfy for long. So, there will be some who focus on cerebral activities such as mindfulness or yoga. Others might look for “food” in a beer glass or sex or drugs. But in the end only Jesus has the real “food” that satisfies the yearnings of our souls. It was interesting that Jesus, on two occasions, supernaturally and miraculously fed a large number of people with no more than someone’s packed lunch, one that included the staple diet of the day, bread. By so doing, He demonstrated for all time that He had the power to supply man’s physical needs, and, by inference, their spiritual needs as well. 

Then we read Jesus’ words in John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.” As we know, Jesus did in fact voluntarily lay down His life on the Cross at Calvary, but on the third day He rose from death, resurrected to prove that he had authority of life and death. “Life” in this context refers to physical life and we all know that one day our natural lives will come to an end. Jesus said, as recorded in Matthew 20:28, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many”. Jesus died to save many people, but in the process refused to save His own life, even though He had the power to do so. John 10:17-18, “The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded”. 

In a conversation with Martha (the sister of Lazarus), we read, “Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”” (John 11:25-26). And as we read further in John 11, we find that Jesus had the power to raise a man from the dead, even four days after he had been buried. 

The deliverance He was about to provide was not a political or social deliverance (which most of the Jews were seeking), but a true deliverance from a life of bondage to sin and death, to a life of freedom in eternity.

Dear Father God. Jesus encouraged us to be born again, a spiritual rebirth based on repentance and a belief in Jesus. And we look to You, with grateful acceptance of Your offer of eternal life. Thank You. Amen.

Jesus is the Truth

Posted on by korgrocker

“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6 NLT

We can understand that Jesus is the only Way into God’s presence. Only He has the key that unlocks the door into Heaven. But why did He add that He is the Truth as well? In John 8:31-32, we read what Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”” So what Jesus taught was truth. In John 17:17, we read in Jesus’ famous prayer, “Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.” So, we find that Jesus endorsed God’s Word, the Bible, as truth. Often, Jesus preceded what He was about to say by emphasising its truth, for example, as we read in Matthew 11:11, “I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is!” And then there was that time when Jesus was before Pilate. We can read the conversation in John 18:37-38, “Pilate said, “So you are a king?” Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.” “What is truth?” Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, “He is not guilty of any crime.” 

Pilate, the pragmatist, a man probably well used to the challenges of governing the Jewish people, with their religious customs and beliefs, basically and cynically asked the question, “What is truth?” And that is a question that we can ask today as well. We find ideologies that demand recognition for their own particular “truths”. For example, there are those who believe in the self-determined “truth” that a man can become a woman and vice versa. There are also those who believe in the “truth” that the world is flat. On social media, many people take a particular situation and explain it away by posting “truths” based on misinformation. Often these fringe “truths” come head to head in conflict with Biblical truth, resulting in the persecution of Christians. Sadly, some branches of the established churches have abandoned Biblical truth so that they can accommodate the beliefs and actions of people who choose a life style blatantly opposed to God’s Word. 

Our world and societies are riddled with “truths” that are, for the great majority, only relative. Relative truth is conditional, subjective, varying and contradictory, so it’s capable of changing over time. But we pilgrims know that God is eternal and unchanging, and the truth that Jesus declared is absolute. He is the same, yesterday, today and forever. 

Just as Jesus is the only Way to Heaven, he is also the only Truth that matters. Those who oppose Jesus and His truth, the people who follow their own “truths” that they have concocted to satisfy their own feelings, will find out that He is the only Truth one day. Thankfully, our Holy-Spirit-inspired consciences will guide us into the truth Jesus taught about.

Dear Lord Jesus. In this topsy-turvy world full of conflicting “truths” we are so grateful that we can stand on the only Truth that matters. And so we search the pages of God’s Word to find Truth and build our faith as we follow You. Amen.

Jesus is the Way

Posted on by korgrocker

“When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.” “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
John 14:3-6 NLT

Was Thomas just a bit slow on the uptake or did he voice what all the disciples were thinking? It would usually be Peter who would act as their spokesman, but perhaps he was still smarting a bit after Jesus’ rebuke with the rooster crowing comment. Jesus had previously warned His disciples about His death and resurrection, as we read in Mark 8:31, “Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead“. But the Gospels don’t record what Jesus might have said about events that would follow. From Thomas’ question the disciples genuinely might not have known about Jesus’ intention to return to His Heavenly home, but they surely must have had some idea. After all, they knew that they were in the presence of the Son of God. Their expectation, however, was still that Jesus would usher in a Kingdom bringing autonomy to the Jewish nation, something that they had yearned for, for centuries. 

Jesus then went on to utter the profound and far-reaching statement, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me”. To the Jews, the phrase “I Am”, was the name of God, and by using it Jesus was in fact saying that He was, and is, God. Previously, the Jewish leaders had accused Him of blasphemy, as we read in John 8:58, “Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I Am!”” Jesus then went on to say that He is the Way. The word “Way” implies that He is the only way to Heaven. There is no other way. All the other religions will fail to find the pathway that leads to Heaven. There will be no Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, or any other religions or sects there unless they renounce their previous faiths and instead embrace the One who is the only Way, through believing in Him and repenting of their sins. I know a man who claims that he had a revelation from God, who told him that there are many different compartments in Heaven, one for each faith group. Deluded?

We pilgrims must also be careful when other Christian groups or sects make claims about Jesus. For example, the JW’s believe that Jesus is the Way, but they don’t believe He is God. They conveniently overlook verses such as John 10:30, when Jesus said, “The Father and I are one.” The Mormons have an even more confused approach to Jesus’ deity, claiming that anyone can be a “god” like Jesus. 

Jesus is the only way to the Father. This is a statement that many around us, who claim to be more “enlightened”, find divisive and even offensive. But we need to be clear about the reality that Jesus is the only Way to Heaven. There are no short cuts. There are no alternatives. And when we share our testimonies about the love and grace of God, we must emphasise the exclusivity of our faith

Dear Lord Jesus. You have revealed to us Your glory and all we need to follow You to Heaven. You are the only way to the Father, and we announce the truth to all at every opportunity. Amen.

The Father’s Home

Posted on by korgrocker

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”
John 14:1-3 NLT

We wonder sometimes about what the home, the one that Jesus is preparing for us, will be like. There are some facts that we do know. For a start, God and Jesus will be there. And because God is holy and pure, so will our home be. The location of our future spiritual home will be in Heaven, because that is where Father God lives. We know that wherever Jesus is, there we will be as well. Some translations refer to the “room” being a “mansion”, but because God is wonderful, our new home will be as well. We can also assume that because we are not there already, Jesus is still in the process of preparing the new home.

We can find a few hints of the process before we enter our new home from other places in the Bible. In Acts 1:9-11 we read, “After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”” Jesus will return to Planet Earth for a second time, the angels at the Ascension said, and it will be just in the same way that He left. If we had taken a video of the way Jesus left this world, ascending into the clouds, then if we replayed it backwards, that would be how He will return. In 1 Thessalonians 4 we can read what the Holy Spirit revealed to Paul, “For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:14-18). It will be noisy time when Jesus returns, with shouting and trumpets. Will that occasion be the time when we are allocated our new bodies? John 6:40, “For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day“.

But to find out where are new bodies will live, we need to turn to Revelation 21:1-2, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband”. And to cap it all, God will set up His home on the new earth with His people. Revelation 21:3, “I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.” For all those people who perhaps think that when they die they will live with God in Heaven forever, there may be a bit of a shock!

Father God. We only see dimly those parts of our future that You have revealed to us through Your Word. But come what may, we trust in You. Amen.

Trust in Jesus

Posted on by korgrocker

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”
John 14:1-3 NLT

At the end of the previous chapter, Jesus had just prophesised that Peter was going to betray Him soon, in fact, before the rooster had crowed three times. But He swiftly moved on, and, perhaps seeing the distress building in the disciples’ faces, Jesus started to talk to them about the future. In this chapter, and the following two, Jesus spoke many words of comfort, including what was going to happen in the coming month and years, and beyond, and about the coming of the Holy Spirit. Then we have Jesus’ prayer, leading up to His arrest in the garden. Wonderful words of comfort that must have sustained the disciples’ through the coming turbulent times.

Jesus started by saying “Don’t let your hearts be troubled”. Don’t be sad or worried, He said; rather, “Trust in God, and trust also in me”. These words have had a timeless impact in the lives of the followers of Christ, and still do today. We look around at world events and issues we are facing and the words of Jesus hang in the air before us, as He says, “trust in Me”. What are we pilgrims facing today? Do we need encouragement? Well, Jesus has the answer. No-one else can supply the security and assurance for the future than Jesus. All the disciples, except John, were to suffer a violent death, prematurely ending their lives. I can almost hear the thinking going on in their minds, as they faced into a horrendous series of events unfolding around them. The words of Jesus to not be anxious and fearful, and to trust in Him, would have been with them, providing comfort in their times of need.

But what does it mean to trust in Jesus? These are not just words of comfort. They are living and real, and we find in the Bible all about why we should trust Jesus. We overlay the Bible and its truths over world events and find practical advice and instructions that will never disappoint. In Jeremiah 17:7-8 we read, “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit”. 

So, fellow trees, we are truly blessed as we trust in God. There is no other person or circumstance in this world, and never will be, worthy of our trust. 

Dear God. In You we trust. Forever. Amen.

Before the Rooster Crows

Posted on by korgrocker

“Simon Peter asked, “Lord, where are you going?” And Jesus replied, “You can’t go with me now, but you will follow me later.” “But why can’t I come now, Lord?” he asked. “I’m ready to die for you.” Jesus answered, “Die for me? I tell you the truth, Peter—before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
John 13:36-38 NLT

Events on that fateful evening were starting to accelerate. So much had already happened, with the shared meal, the bread and wine, Jesus humbly washing His disciples’ feet, Judas leaving to look for an opportunity to betray Him, and Jesus giving His disciples a new commandment – to love one another. Within a few hours Jesus would be tried in an illegal court, whipped, and then crucified. In less than a day He would be dead and buried. God’s plan for salvation was almost complete. The devil just did not know what was coming.

Peter was his usual impetuous self, and had committed himself to die for Jesus, but then came the ominous reality – Jesus could see what was coming and He knew that Peter wouldn’t stand by Him when the time came. But what was the significance of the crow of a rooster? There in the middle of Jerusalem the sound would pierce the air, as the dawn started to appear. In our 21st Century world, knowledge of the time of day is everywhere, with almost everyone having a wrist watch or some other access to a clock. Time zones have been in place for many years and scientists have measured the unit of time to an infinitesimal part of a second. But in Peter’s day, knowledge of the time was uncommon and natural events had to be relied on. No wind up mechanical clocks – they didn’t appear until 1300 years later. So the ubiquitous rooster served Jesus well. 

We don’t know what Peter’s response was, to being told that he would soon deny his relationship with Jesus, not once but three times. He would have been devastated, but events were moving so quickly that he didn’t have too much time to process what he had been told. 

We pilgrims also have to beware of denying our relationship with Jesus. There will be occasions when it is easier to go with the flow and follow the crowd. Perhaps in the workplace, or at a social event. Sometimes we will be needled and tormented by a family member or neighbour. But at such times we must stand strong and lift Jesus high. We must proclaim His place in our lives and ignore the consequences. Jesus made an ominous warning, when He said, “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33). But we pilgrims are overcomers and realise that by publicly declaring our faith in Jesus, may lead to another seeker after salvation finding their Lord. There may be a personal cost to our declarations of faith but we know that God has our backs and has reserved a place for us when we need it.

Dear Lord Jesus. We speak Your name over the lives of our friends and families, knowing that by so doing we release Your Spirit in power. We praise and thank You today. Amen,

‭

To Die For Jesus

Posted on by korgrocker

“Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. 
Simon Peter asked, “Lord, where are you going?” And Jesus replied, “You can’t go with me now, but you will follow me later.” “But why can’t I come now, Lord?” he asked. “I’m ready to die for you.””
John 13:33, 36-37 NLT

Jesus knew that His time in this world would soon be over. The end of His mission was soon to come, and there was nothing more that He needed to do. Mission accomplished. He was going home, to be with His Father in Heaven once again. Just a few loose ends to tie up, to be accomplished in the forty days or so after the first Easter morning. But Peter was devastated and pledged his allegiance to Jesus, expressing a desire to be with Him wherever He was going. Perhaps, Peter just hadn’t grasped that there was no big fight coming, resulting in the establishment of a physical kingdom. Instead, as we know, Jesus was soon to pass through death into life eternal, death and satan defeated, leaving an outpost of the Kingdom of God remaining in the hearts of all His believers everywhere. The relationship between Jesus and His disciples, particularly Peter, had strengthened over the past three years and Peter didn’t want it to end.

How strong is our relationship with Jesus? Would we, like Peter, express a willingness to die for Him? Is Jesus so real to us that nothing else in this world, or what it can offer, have any significance for us? A sobering thought, because we have so much we are attached to, our families, our possessions, the things and activities that we enjoy, just for starters, and to leave it all behind and then follow Jesus into another world, a spirit world that we know little about other than what we read about in the Bible. We read about ordinary people on fire for Jesus who did in fact die for Him. The first martyr was Stephen and we can read about what he said when he died in Acts 7:56-60, “And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honour at God’s right hand!” Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died“.  Stephen, and other first Century martyrs, gave their lives rather than compromise their beliefs. They joined the other saints, the Old Testament ones listed in Hebrews 11:32, “How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets”. And many more people in New Testament times right up to the present days have given their lives just for believing in Jesus. According to the UK charity “Open Doors”, 5,000 Christians died for their faith in 2023. In 2013, the Vatican claim that this number could have been as high as 100,000.

We pilgrims in the West don’t suffer the persecution and danger that Christians in totalitarian states like North Korea do. We are comfortable in our religious freedom and never find ourselves in a position like our Christian brothers and sisters do in other parts of the world. But we mustn’t become complacent. Jesus warned His disciples in John 16:33, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world“. There may be trouble ahead, and if we read the Book of Revelation we will get some idea of what is coming. But in the meantime, we must be on our guard, always ready for anything the world and the devil hurl against us, trusting in the World Overcomer, Jesus Himself.

Father God. Thank You that in You we have eternal life and that we are safe from the devil’s attacks. We worship You today. Amen.

Love One Another

Posted on by korgrocker

“Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
John 13:33-35 NLT

Jesus poignantly told His disciples that He was about to leave them. The sadness hidden behind His “Dear children” was clear – perhaps Jesus could see in His Spirit what they would have to face into in the years ahead, without being there in person with them. And then Jesus made a statement that puzzled His friends, that although they would look for Him, they would be unable to follow Him to the place where He was going. Well, not yet anyway – they would join Him in Heaven soon enough.

Because Jesus was leaving them, He gave them a new commandment, that they were to love one another. This wasn’t a wishy-washy, sentimental sort of love, but one that would bind them together in unity. A love so counter-culturally obvious that the people around them would take note that these men had been disciples of Jesus. A love that set them apart from societal expectations. Jesus repeated His commandment to the disciples in John 15:12-13, “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”. Paul picked up this theme, relating it back to Jesus Himself, “Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:7-8). That was the sort of love that Jesus commanded when He said, “love each other”.

Sadly, the “love for one other” that should be a feature of the Christian faith is far from obvious. In fact, in-fighting and denominational rivalries portray a picture to the world of Christians who are no better than anyone else and certainly not proving their status as followers of Christ. The media will always try and find a situation where Christians have fallen out with each other and secular journalists will relish stories of strife and love-less behaviour. The many occasions, where Christians do exhibit the love for one another that Jesus commanded, go unnoticed, conveniently overlooked in a Godless world.

The Apostle John wrote, “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:7-8). Believers look outward into their communities, looking for opportunities to show the world what God’s love looks like. They cast aside the “what’s in it for me” worldly attitudes and instead do good to others without expecting anything in return. And such an attitude must especially be present in our churches and fellowships. John continued to write, “We love each other because he loved us first” (1 John 4:19). That was John reminding his readers what Jesus said all those years before, “Just as I have loved you, you should love each other“. There is no other way.

Dear Lord Jesus. Your love for us is limitless and available to all who believe in You. Please be with us as we love others. In Your precious name. Amen.

The Time Has Come

Posted on by korgrocker

“As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, “The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will give his own glory to the Son, and he will do so at once.”
John 13:31-32 NLT

The exit of Judas from that upper room, where Jesus had been sharing the Passover meal with His disciples, started a train of events that have had profound and eternal consequences for the human race. Most of the Jewish nation lived outside Jerusalem and they wouldn’t have known much about what was going to happen over the next few hours. But Jesus did, and He told His disciples that “the time has come”. By saying that He was going to “enter into His glory“, Jesus told His disciples that he was about to return to be with His Father in Heaven. Many old songs, like Woody Guthrie’s “This Train”, refer to Heaven as Glory. But the glory of God is His perfection, in all the attributes we recognise such as His love, grace, mercy, holiness, and many more qualities besides. And Jesus was returning to His Heavenly home to be a part of it. John recorded in His Gospel, “So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son” (John 1:14). Those who had lived with Jesus during His ministry years had discovered the perfection that John called His glory. Through Jesus they received a glimpse of the glory of God. 

Jesus’ time on Planet Earth was coming to an end. The glorious climax of God’s rescue plan for mankind, through Jesus’ sacrificial and unjust death on a cross at Calvary. Redemption from the consequences of sin for all who believed in Jesus and repented of their sins. A pivotal moment that changed the course of history. “The time has come”. 

I looked out of my office window as I was writing this, to see the heavy and dark clouds, full of water and thundery menace, briefly part and expose a small patch of blue sky. Most of our fellow members in society are living under permanent clouds of doom-laden peril, unaware that they have an opportunity to look up and see the glory of God. Their clouds of sin can be parted in an instant by the simple act of repentance and belief that Jesus’ time two thousand years ago provided an opportunity to join God in His glory one day sooner than they think. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 6:1-2, “As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvellous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation“. But most people in the secular West prefer to live in permanent doom, under clouds of sin, rather than move house into a world of light, saved for eternity.

Who do we pilgrims know today, someone who needs to look up and accept that “the time has come” for them? A loved one, a workplace or school colleague? We pray for just the right opportunity to show whoever it is that glimpse of Heaven up through the clouds. The place where God’s glory can be seen. 

Father God, as we look to the future and the paradise awaiting us, we thank You and ask for Your help in our daily lives as we continue our journey. Please help us too encourage others to join us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.