Word in Five

How kind Jesus is to Peter. He gives Peter the opportunity to make a good confession three times, to counteract his bad confession that he made three times. Jesus tells Peter he will have another opportunity to choose to die for him and this time he will do the right thing. Jesus really is the Good Shepherd. Peter would have learned so much from this 'knock'. He would have learned kindness...

There's so unfinished business for John in his gospel even though it seems like ch20 should have been the end. He wants us to ensure we always go fishing with Jesus. Without him we can do nothing. So, let's make sure we keep in touch with him and know his help, leading and strength. That means praying. That means doing things together in church life. It means following his word. And John g...

We really should get FOMO when we can't be with church on a Sunday! Thomas missed out on the risen Lord Jesus! Jesus has been raised bodily. The life to come is a physical life. Our bodies matter and so does God's creation. Jesus equipped his disciples (and us) to share the good news of Jesus with the nations. And he shows the importance of church life - the Lord's Supper, baptism, fel...

Grief blinds. When we know people who are in grief, we need to pray for them, get alongside them, walk with them and gently remind them that Jesus lives. The angels and then Jesus asked Mary questions that were lovingly designed to get her to realise Jesus couldn't possibly still be dead! And then Jesus says her name. He knows her! And he calls the disciples who had deserted him, 'brothers...

Remember Jesus Christ from the dead. Let's begin every week with that truth when we gather for church and let it impact how we view everything. There is no situation that is beyond hope because Jesus lives. Peter and John should have understood their Bibles about the resurrection. May God help us to understand. Jesus didn't his grave clothes anymore - and nor will we when he returns.

Jesus did everything - complete - finished - to rescue his people and his creation. He didn't cut any corners. He thirsted. Think about that. The One who created the sea, lakes and rivers thirsted. The source of living water was thirsty. He thirsted for being at his Father's right hand. He was cut off for us. Forsaken. His legs didn't need to be broken. He is the perfect Passover Lamb....

John begins his gospel by telling us who Jesus is. He is the 'in the beginning God'. And here he is crucified. What a God we have. One who comes down and gets his hands dirty in order to rescue us. Let's make sure we get more than the soldiers from the cross of Jesus. All they got was a souvenir - some clothes. Let's see the beauty of Jesus and trust him and then be those who like...

A horrible chapter full of cruelty and injustice. A beautiful chapter that shows us our willing Saviour, laying down his life as the Passover Lamb. An ugly chapter that shows how grim it is to have 'no king but Caesar'. The Jewish leaders were nothing like Jesus. They didn't care about justice and used intimidation and cruelty. Pilate was in it for himself - what an opportunity he had...

O may God keep us from being hypocrites. The Jewish leaders totally missed the point. They did not understand that the Passover was all about Jesus. He was the One who had rescued their ancestors from slavery in Egypt and he was not here to do the great rescue as the Passover Lamb. Jesus calls us to be on the side of truth. We show we are on the side of truth by listening to him.

Jesus says he has lost none of his people. But what about Peter? Not even Peter. Jesus wasn't caught off guard. He had warned Peter earlier on. Peter loved Jesus, but was self-confident. Jesus knows what we can bear. Peter would have the opportunity to serve again and make a much better confession. How kind Jesus is. He keeps us - now and forever.

Jesus was willing to die for us. He didn't hide. He went to the place Judas knew about. Jesus is the one who steps forward. Jesus literally says "I am" and the people drew back. But they still arrested him. Beware of having a hard heart. Jesus drinks the cup we deserve. He says, "let these others go". That's what he has done for us. And he will not lost a single one of...

Jesus was set apart as our sacrifice - pure and blameless. He prays for us to be set apart by his truth - changed to be more like him so we can be his ambassadors in this world. That means being one - unity matters. When we fall out with other Christians and are part of division in church life, we are teaching that God is not one! That's a very serious thing. Jesus reveals his heart's desi...

When we hear Jesus pray not long before he is going to die we get to see what really matters to him. He wants to show off his Heavenly Father for the good of everyone and he is deeply concerned for his people. As he prays we see the very heart of our God. A heart that gives and goes so low, to the cross to rescue and save us. And a heart that will do everything to keep us and never lose us. May Go...

There is (not maybe) trouble ahead, but in Jesus we can face the music and dance! Why? Because Jesus has overcome the world through his life, death and resurrection. He has overcome Satan, satisfied God's justice and removed the sting of death. Any grief we know in this world will turn to complete joy in the world to come. So we can keep going, confident of peace in him even in the trouble.

It's very tempting to play it safe and try to defend what we have got because the world is a scary place. But Jesus says he is giving us his Spirit so that we will get the Light out there. We can pray that he would guide us in how to do that, give us people to speak and courage to speak the truth. And we can pray for the Spirit to open people eyes to the truth. Let's be bold in the power o...

Jesus is such a good Master - we can trust that he always has our best interests at heart. He doesn't do 'small print' or hard sells. He tells us the truth so that we are always prepared. He tells us people will hate us because they hate him. Sometimes our kind responses will expose people's unkindness and they will be annoyed. People will want us to be angry with them or gossip an...

If we are cut off from Jesus, we will become a dead branch without any possibility of bearing any fruit. We need to stay connected with Jesus, because without him we can't do anything. How do we remain in Jesus? By being connected and active in a local church. By spending time thinking about what we hear and sing about in church and doing some Bible reading of our own. And if we really get the...

Jesus gives his church the Holy Spirit to empower his people to obey his commands and show to a watching world the love of God. He always equips us to do everything he asks us to do.

When we look at Jesus, we don't see 'God-lite'. There isn't a better version of God than the One we see in Jesus. He perfectly shows us the Father. So we can't say, "I like the God of the New Testament, but not the God of the Old". That is to completely misunderstand the Old and therefore the New Testament. Jesus has shown us all the way through the Bible that we have...

When you look at the cross of Jesus, is it just gory or do you see glory? This is where we see the heart of our God - who he is. And Jesus is a wonderful friend who knows what it is to be lonely. He urges us to love one another - that's how we show Jesus off! And he challenges us about self-confidence - but even his words to Peter are words of care. Peter, I know you and I love you.

Jesus was willing to be betrayed for us. When he said "here am I send me" he did do knowing the cost. What love he has for us! How certain we can be that we will finish his work in us. And what a Good Shepherd - he wants to be know surprises. He lovingly prepares us for all that lies ahead. Jesus was willing to enter right into the darkest place to bring us into his kingdom of light. Hal...

This is a 'wow' event! John will not let us get away from the Passover. Jesus is the One Moses wrote about and the life of the Old Testament church was to be centred around. And now we get to Jesus being aware of his greatness - he is above every authority and he knows it. So what do we expect the next line to be? So he showed off his authority? He sat there and let everyone serve him? No!...

Who is Jesus? He is the LORD - Jehovah - the One Isaiah saw in Isaiah 6. When we hear about Jesus we are never unchanged - we are either drawn to him or we become harder. Isaiah warned what would happen if people hardened their hearts. That's why we need to not harden our hearts when we hear his voice. Let's not be so bothered about what other people think that it stops us following Jesus....

We would like to see Jesus! That should be our desire every time we open the Bible or sing in church or listen to a Bible message. Jesus is at the centre. May people see him in us. May we lift up his name - the name of the one who was willing to die for us. He brings us to know the Father - our loving heavenly Father!

Jesus rides in to Jerusalem at the time of the Passover. He is riding into die. The crowd celebrate this king, but have they really understood what kind of king he is? They sing from Psalm 118, but they don't get the fact that the Cornerstone is going to be rejected. That he is riding to the altar of sacrifice. How willing Jesus is to die for us. What love! Let's not doubt it. And let'...