Aug 3rd

John 17     Jeremiah 30-31     Acts 21     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

I was particularly struck by the words of Jesus in John 17:14-17 as He prays for His disciples. In verse 14 (and again in verse 16) He likens His disciples to Himself saying that they are not of the world any more than He is of the world. They are sanctified (verse 17) – i.e. set apart as holy. Given that we too are disciples of Jesus then we share with Him this same un-worldliness. And yet it is clear from verse 15 (“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one”) and verse 18 (“As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world”) that our place (for now, at least) is in the world - even if we are not of it. Verse 18 in particular suggests that our purpose as unworldly people in a worldly world is the same as that of Jesus. Like Jesus our place is with those who are of this world – who need to know about Him and His love and His amazing grace. This is quite a responsibility – but it is a great comfort to know that we have Jesus Himself praying for us.

 (member of the congregation)

Aug 2nd

John 16     Jeremiah 29     Acts 20     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

I love the story of Eutychus told in Acts 20:7-12. Picture the scene: an upper room full of people; the breaking of bread and Paul speaking late into the night. It must have been pretty warm and stuffy, with the press of people and the heat of the many lamps. Eutychus seeks relief from the oppressive conditions by perching on the window sill. But by now midnight has passed and Paul, who is keen to make the most of his last few hours at Troas, keeps on talking – on and on and on. What happens next looks like something out of Buster Keaton or Tom and Jerry:  Eutychus dozes off and falls out of the window, hitting the ground three stories below with a sickening thud. In a silent movie or in a cartoon Eutychus would have immediately leapt to his feet, but this was real life and the unfortunate man was lying dead in the street. We are not told what Paul was saying at that particular moment, but surely much of his talk would have referred to the death and resurrection of Jesus and of the gift of eternal life. What better visual aid could Paul have than a real-life resurrection slap-bang in the middle of his sermon? We read in verse 11 that after raising Eutychus from the dead Paul carried on talking until daylight – no doubt to an especially rapt and receptive audience (and one doubly inspired to stay awake). When we share our faith we have the power of the Holy Spirit and we have Jesus as example and saviour. However we should not forget that we also have God Himself influencing the situation – sometimes overtly (as in this case) and sometimes more subtly - perhaps in ways we will never know.

  

(member of the congregation)

Aug 1st

John 15     Jeremiah 28     Acts 19     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

In Monday’s reading (John 13:34) we saw Jesus giving His new command: “… love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another”.  Here, in today’s reading (John 15:13), Jesus reiterates the message: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you”. This repetition was surely no accident – we are to be left in no doubt of the importance – and the imperative – of this new commandment. And in the very next verse He continues with words that are both an illustration of the depth of the sort of love He is talking about and at the same time a poignant prophesy of the coming crucifixion: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”. Two things strike me about this verse. First, when Jesus talks about laying down one’s life I don’t think He is only talking about a sacrifice in the instant of death, but also of a continual unconditional selfless love in the way a whole life is lived. Second, Jesus is saying that it is for His friends that He will lay down His life. The idea that Jesus – the personification of the Creator of the universe – is a friend to each one of us is both humbling and comforting.

(member of the congregation)

July 31st

John 14     Jeremiah 27     Acts 18     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

In John 14:6 we have one of the seven “I Am” statements made by Jesus; in this case a triple I am: “I am the way and the truth and the life”.

I find this a powerful distillation of what Jesus is all about.

First He is the way: He shows us the path to follow. The path may be hard but we can take comfort that it is the same path that Jesus the man also trod. At the same time, though His sacrifice on the cross, Jesus actually is the path.

Second He is the truth: the authentic personification of God. He shows us what God is like because He really is God. The cosmic implications of this are mind-blowing, but on a day-to-day level it also means that Jesus provides a practical example of how we should behave if we are to become more God-like. The “What would Jesus do?” question leaves no wriggling room!

Third He is the life. Not a narrow biological life, but something far more significant. This is real Life - a Life with, for and in God. This verse has made me realise that the defining quality of ‘eternal life’ is not how long it lasts (even if it is eternal), but the sort of life it actually is. If I want to understand what that Life is then I should study Jesus. If I want to live closer to that Life I should emulate Jesus. But ultimately, if I am to have or be that Life, if I am to “come to the Father”, then I must put my trust in Jesus Himself because, in a way that I confess I do not yet fully understand, He is that Life.

(member of the congregation)

July 30th

John 13     Jeremiah 26     Acts 17     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

Verse 34 (John 13 v34) is stunning. “A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another”. Wow! If Jesus had just left us with the first “love one another” bit then we might feel we could get away with a worldly response: generally trying to be a good person, a standing order to some worthy cause, supporting our friends, loving our family and so on. But then He delivers the knock-out qualifying clause: “As I have loved you” – and suddenly the shocking scope of His challenge is brought home. The enormity of Jesus’ love for us is beyond words – He loved and loved and loved and loved – unconditionally, unreservedly and unashamedly. He loved the unlovable, the unpopular and the ungrateful. And ultimately He sacrificed everything in the supreme act of love to each one of us on the cross.  So “Love one another as I have loved you” is the tallest of all orders. The good news is that we have a lot in common with Jesus. First Jesus was God made man – during his time on earth he was human – just like us, subject to the same limitations and temptations as ourselves – and yet look at how He loved! Second, Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit – a power available to us as well. Let us ask for the Holy Spirit to help us live like He lived.

(member of the congregation)

July 29th

John 12     Jeremiah 25     Acts 16     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

I sometimes imagine that I am a guest on a biblical version of Desert Island Discs in which I am asked to choose my favourite books of the Bible. This would take quite a while as I have the gift of indecisiveness. However, when asked “if you could only take just one book of the Bible to the desert island, which would it be?” then I would have no hesitation in choosing John’s gospel. John may be recounting a narrative, but at the same time he is sending a message. Every detail seems to be included not only because it took place but because it has something to teach us.

Take, for example, the intriguing incident with the Greeks in verses 20-22. What is it all about? Why is John bothering us with what seems a superfluous detail slipped into the torrent of history hurtling towards the climax of the crucifixion? I once attended a Bible study that suggested an answer. At this point in the gospel, Jesus’ ministry had been restricted in two ways: people-wise to the Jews and place-wise to a small corner of the Roman Empire. But that’s all about to change – and paradoxically it will be His death on the cross (and the subsequent events of Pentecost) that will make it possible. At this pivotal moment a bunch of Greeks turn up, keen to see Jesus. This is recorded by John not merely because it happened, but also because it signals that the rest of the world (whether defined by geography or religious background) is ready to hear the gospel. And who will tell them? They may want to see Jesus but the Greeks go first to Philip – and it will be Philip and Andrew who will show them the way. So here is a second signal: not only is the world ready to learn about Jesus, but it will be ‘ordinary’ disciples – people like you and I – who the people of the world will turn to when they want to know more.

  

(member of the congregation)

July 28th

John 11     Jeremiah 24     Acts 15     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

In Jeremiah 24 the Lord shows to Jeremiah that it is His will to restore the good but destroy the bad with the analogy of two baskets of figs. God wants to take his people on an adventure, but he will always take us on a journey to build us into a closer relationship with him. Are we ready for this journey? He is showing his people that he wants their heart and that they will only return to their land when they have God in their heart. Good figs will be protected by their owner.

In Acts we’ve got to the stage now where the apostles and elders meet to sort out some issues that have developed, sort out the good from the bad teaching. Peter is bold and stands up for the Gospel, followed by the other apostles and backed up by some Old Testament scripture from Amos 9:11-12, which also helps to understand that God will restore the good in Jeremiah 24.

Jesus wants all to come to him with open arms. There are no hoops to jump through before we can be saved, such as the circumcision customs, which are not relevant in helping to build up faith on their own. In Acts 15:20 the four stipulations that are laid down are only to help the Gentiles turn fully to God and place their trust in him.

(member of student team)