Category: Bible Reading & Meditation

“The Paraclete, the Holy Spirit Whom the Father will send in My name, will instruct you in everything, and remind you of all that I told you.” —John 14:26 Eternal life is to know God the Father and Jesus (Jn 17:3). Because love requires freedom and freedom requires some knowledge, knowledge is necessary to love. Therefore, we are created both to know and to love God. We can “perish for want of knowledge” (Hos 4:6). Because knowing is so important for life and love, teaching is extremely important in God’s plan. Although God the Father (see Jn 6:44-45) and Jesus...

“How can we know the way?” —John 14:5 We rely on our phone or GPS (Global Positioning System) to tell us where to go. The GPS device knows your exact location on earth. You tell it where you want to go. Then the GPS talks to you in a voice that tells you each street to turn on, and exactly where to drive. People trust the voice on the GPS. Each of us has problems in this life, and we want to know “the way” out of these problems. We’d like a GPS to show us “the way” to move...

“The disciples could not but be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.” —Acts 13:52 If you were persecuted and thrown out of town, what would you be filled with? Bitterness? Hatred? Fear? Or would you be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit? What if you were seized, led off to court, and lied about by false witnesses? (Acts 6:12-13) What would be the expression on your face? Would you be stoic, livid, or disturbed? “Throughout, Stephen’s face seemed like that of an angel” (Acts 6:15). If several people were grinding their teeth in anger against you and preparing...

“Do not let your hearts be troubled.” —John 14:1 Shortly after Jesus commanded His apostles not to be troubled, He was in agony. He prayed so fervently that “His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground” (Lk 22:44). To be untroubled does not mean not to be in trouble. Jesus was in trouble with the authorities because of His obedience to His Father. To be untroubled does not mean to be without fear or agony. Jesus’ heart was broken. To be untroubled does mean to have faith in our heavenly Father and thereby to have a peace...

“He who partook of bread with Me has raised his heel against Me.” —John 13:18 In the time of Jesus, showing the bottom of your foot to someone was a sign of contempt toward them. Judas, in betraying Jesus, no longer considered Jesus his Master. Judas had committed to the service of new masters, the Sanhedrin. “No man can serve two masters. He will … be attentive to one and despise the other” (Mt 6:24). Therefore, Judas despised Jesus. By eating the Last Supper with Jesus, Judas showed the greatest contempt for Him (Ps 41:10), even if he outwardly appeared...