https://www.heartlight.org/wjd/luke/0323-wjd.html

Jesus withdrew to the mountains to be alone with God and pray as he faced this momentous decision. He didn’t choose twelve and then ask God to bless his choice. No, he spent the night in prayer before he chose the twelve. When faced with decisions, whether they appear important or not, we need to follow the example of our Lord!

https://redeeminggod.com/sermons/luke/luke_6_12-16/

In Luke 6, Jesus is face with this sort of decision. He has come to earth to show and teach people what God is like and have an everlasting relationship with God. He only has three years of ministry, and by Luke 6, almost half of that is gone. He knows and realizes that one of the things he must do is pass on the essential truths of why He came to a few people who then in turn pass it on to others after He is gone. For over a year, He has been gaining hundreds of followers, but He knows that most of them have not clue about who He really is, or why He truly came. So He must choose out a few to teach and train so that they might continue to minister to others when He goes back to heaven. The eternal weight of the world is on His shoulders, and He must choose a few good men to pass that heavy weight to their shoulders.

we see that Jesus prepares Himself as well as He can for this incredibly important decision. And the amazing thing about it, is that unlike us, He doesn’t get a good night of sleep. When we face a difficult decision, or a rough day ahead, we think the most important thing is to get a good night of sleep. Jesus, on the other hand, realizes that the most important thing for Him is to be in touch and communion with God. The most important thing for Jesus is to spend the night praying.

Jesus is not only praying for the choice he must make the next day, but also for the healing (Luke 6:17-19) and teaching (Luke 6:20-49) He would do. Jesus always makes prayer his number one priority, because without prayer, His ministry would have no power. Did Jesus think carefully about His choice? Certainly. Did he watch his disciples interact with one another and base his decision on that? Of course. But prayer and communication with God was the primary step in making such a decision. …..whenever we see Jesus facing a critical decision, or an important action, he spends extra time in prayer. Prayer becomes more important for Jesus than food or rest. Prayer was His spiritual lifeblood. It is His wide open secret to being connected with God.

https://gccwaverly.net/2011/04/04/sermon-ordinary-to-extraordinary-luke-612-16/

What is Luke getting at here?  The prayer of God is a deep communion that Christ has with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  So, it wasn’t that Jesus was up all night praying, but He was up all night is deep fellowship and communion with the Father, reviewing the disciples one by one.  The Trinity was deliberating.  This isn’t an indicator as some might think that Jesus was simply a man in need of God’s guidance, but for 33 years God the Son did take on man’s flesh and much of our weakness.  He was tired, and needed the Father’s aid.  He needed the Father’s guidance as He selected the twelve.

Jesus prayed after the significant achievements of His life

https://fullstrength.org/ten-reasons-we-should-practice-solitude/

If we are to live as true followers of Jesus, we will be intentional about the practice of solitude. Let’s look at 10 different times in Jesus’ life when he made solitude a priority:

1. To Prepare for Ministry
   In Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus fasts for 40 days in the wilderness in preparation for the inauguration of his ministry.We should seek solitude to intentionally prepare for future ministry.
2. To Grieve
   In Matthew 14:13, Jesus receives the bad news of John the Baptist’s execution and withdrew by himself to grieve.We should seek solitude to recover from inevitable losses and disappointment.
3. After Success
   In Matthew 14:23, Jesus went up on a mountainside by himself to pray—right after feeding the 5,000.We should seek solitude in order to recover from a great victory that leaves us feeling tired and depleted.
4. Hear From God
   In Matthew 17:1-9, Jesus seeks the silence of a lonely mountain and God speaks through the transfiguration.We should seek solitude in order to intentionally listen to God’s Spirit.
5. Before a Major Challenge
   In Matthew 26:36-40, Jesus wants to pray alone in the garden before he faces the cross.We should seek solitude so we can find our quiet center and pray as a looming challenge approaches.
6. To Gain Perspective
   In Mark 1:35, Jesus went off to a solitary place to pray following and during an intense season of ministry. He gains perspective as he talks with his Father and prepares for things to come.We should seek solitude to gain a clear perspective that leads to wise decisions.
7. As an Example
   In Mark 6:31, Jesus invites the disciples to come away to a quiet place and rest after an intense season of ministry. He’s teaching the disciples the importance of the practice of solitude.We should seek solitude as an example to others who live noisy lives.
8. For Renewal
   In Luke 5:16, we learn that Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray. He does this after draining seasons of life.We should seek solitude for rest, rejuvenation, and renewal.
9. For Wisdom
   In Luke 6:12, Jesus spends the entire night on the mountainside praying before he chooses his disciples.We should seek solitude to find wisdom in choosing who we will serve alongside.
10. To Find Direction
    In John 8:1, after the people debate whether Jesus is the Messiah and the Pharisees consider arresting him, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives while everyone else went home. In the midst of conflict, Jesus is seeking direction and clarity.We should seek solitude to find direction in the midst of internal and external conflict.

With so many instances when Jesus needed solitude, what makes us think we can just delete it from our lives?

Jesus prayed when life was unusually busy

https://www.gci.org/articles/a-lesson-about-priorities-mark-135-39/

Prayer is the kind of priority that lies at the root of all the others — at the root of life itself. It’s a lot like eating; if we rarely eat, our physical health will suffer. We’ll be weak and sick. It will affect our ability to carry on the activities of life. In a similar way, if we rarely pray, our spiritual life will lack vitality. We’ll approach the challenges and successes of life on our own, as though we’re not totally dependent on God even for life itself.

Prayer is the grease, we might say, that keeps the gears and wheels of life in good working order. Without prayer, we see ourselves as alone against the world, left to fend off the storms of life on our own wits and brawn. It is in the course of prayer that we learn to see the true state of things — that we are creatures within a creation, creatures dependent on our Maker and on all the other parts of the creation, and as such, never alone.

We make priorities out of things we care about. It isn’t that we don’t care about prayer, it’s just that it often seems like just one more chore on top of all the other chores, and since God doesn’t cry when he doesn’t get his dinner or send collection agents out to repossess the washing machine, we tend to put prayer farther down the priority list.

Spending this time with God is great therapy. Therapy is remedial treatment of a bodily disorder, whether physical, emotional or psychological. When we think of prayer as much needed therapy, rather than as “our Christian duty,” it puts prayer into a clearer perspective, I think. When we go through our daily, weekly, monthly routines without acknowledging God as the root and core of our lives (which he is), our attitudes, emotions, psyche, even our bodies, suffer the ill effects of trying to live as though we are self-existent — not dependent on God and his creation for our life and being.

To hand over our concerns to God, whether for ourselves or for others, reminds us that our lives and future are in God’s hands. Even our past, with all its baggage of sin, selfishness and ignorance, is in God’s redemptive hands. The act of acknowledging God as the loving, wise and powerful Being that he is is remedial treatment for fear, worry and frustration. 

The point is, see prayer as a priority that will make all your other priorities more manageable and less stressful. Let your prayer time be a time to relax, to let God’s love bathe and salve your frayed nerves, your taut emotions, your exhausted and frightened heart. Let prayer time be your time to rest in God, to let him renew your strength, brighten your hope, sharpen your faith.

Jesus prayed when He was overwhelmed with need

https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-daily-prayer/a-prayer-for-the-overwhelmed-your-daily-prayer-march-27-2017.html

When I run to God’s Word, even just one verse, I find that God is my “refuge and strength, an ever-present help in of trouble” (Psalm 46:1, NIV). When I run to Him, I find that my refuge isn’t an escape from my stress. God is my refuge. I’m reminded once again that my strength doesn’t come from me and my stamina or drive. My strength comes from the Lord.

He is the rock that is higher than I am. When I run to His Word, I discover that His law is “my delight” and it protects me and keeps me from totally freaking out or giving up or falling apart. (Psalm 119:92) He really is the Rock that is stronger and higher than anything you and I face.

And, when you find yourself sheltered in the truth of His Word and in the sanctuary of His presence, all the stress that overwhelmed you and felt bigger than you suddenly shrinks down to the pebble size it really is!

God’s Word gives you the perspective you need. God’s presence gives you the peace you need, so run away sister … run to the Rock who’s waiting to shelter and settle you.

Chapter 16 Questions

1. Pg 120: Bill Thrasher discusses Jesus going off to pray before He chose the Twelve. Share a time when you went to prayer before a big decision. Or have you had the experience of deciding THEN going to God to have Him bless your decision.
2. Pg 121: Discuss Thrasher’s statement , “after success is when it is easiest to be the most prayer less“. Agree/ disagree, why or why not !
3. Pg 121: Thrasher’s statement pertaining to Jesus’ time to pray alone , “the result was that He went from victory to victory as the Father prepared Him for the next miracle and ministry”. Does this encourage you to increase your prayer time after experiencing answered prayer/ success ?
4. Read Matt 14:23: How do you practice solitude with the Father ?
5. Pg 123:  Discuss Thrasher ‘s conclusion – ”I came to this conclusion you do not spend time with God, You invest it. Time alone with Him can be one of the greatest time savers of your life“
6. Pg 123: Discuss Thrasher’s conviction when you are busy – ”The conviction I came to was that God would never give me so much to do that I could not accomplish it after having time with Him.”
7. Pg 122-123: What three things that you can experience/ gain when you have your time alone with the Lord
8. Pg 125:  “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. … Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest“. Share a time when God has “awoken “ you through a sense of need.

https://pastorrick.com/set-these-four-goals-to-grow-more-like-jesus/

We were created to become like Jesus Christ, so let’s use him as a model for growth. The Bible tells us that Jesus grew in four ways: “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52 NIV).

If you want to be like Jesus, then you have to grow intellectually, physically, relationally, and spiritually. As you read through these points, be thinking of one goal you can set for yourself in each of these four areas.

The Bible says in 2 Peter 3:18, “Grow in spiritual strength and become better acquainted with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (TLB). I’ve found in my life that the smallest goal I set in this area reaps the most incredible benefits. As you think through this one, ask, “What can I do that will make the biggest difference?” Even a small thing can make a huge difference. Or what have you been putting off when it comes to spiritual growth? Do that one first when it comes to this goal.

https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holy-spirit/how-are-believers-empowered-by-the-holy-spirit.html

God is a giving God. Because of that, he pulls from the unsearchable, limitless resources of his glory to give us strength or power in our inner being through the Holy Spirit.

First, notice that the location where God works is in our “inner being” or our souls. God is not concerned about our physique or attractiveness. As he told the prophet, Samuel, “the LORD sees not as man sees… the LORD looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). Our identity is on the inside. That is why God focuses on our souls, and that is where he brings change and strengthens us.

Secondly, notice that God strengthens our souls with the Holy Spirit. Who is the Holy Spirit? We could spend so much time here but let me give a few basics.

The Holy Spirit:

• is God, the third part of the Trinity; is a person (not an “it” or a “thing”)
• is often misunderstood and even forgotten; lives within believers as the personal presence and power of God
• is our soul’s “pneuma” (Greek for “force”); our “fresh air;” the “wind in our sails”
• raised Jesus from the dead; gifts us to serve each other and reach others with the gospel
• convicts us of sin in our lives; confirms God’s Word as truth when we read it; is our best friend, comforter, uplifter, and helper 

Thirdly, notice how Paul is explaining that instead of the Holy Spirit making the Christian life better, he makes the Christian life possible. Without the Spirit, we cannot even come close to living the life that God has called us to.

That is what Paul wrote at the beginning of verse 17 that the Holy Spirit strengthens our inner beings: “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…” (Ephesians 3:17).

Lastly, notice that God’s goal for the Holy Spirit in our lives is not just maintenance, but abundance. Paul wrote in verse 19: “[so] that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19).

To be filled with the fullness of God is about allowing God to settle in, make himself at home, fully influence, overwhelm, and govern our lives. It is what is meant Paul meant in Romans 10:9 by confession Jesus as “Lord” of our lives.

https://rgcfairfax.org/3-ways-the-holy-spirit-helps-us-keep-gods-commands/

1. The Spirit strengthens, encourages, and helps the believer. Jesus introduces the Spirit here using the Greek word paracletos. This is a difficult word to translate into English. Literally, it means “one who is called alongside.” In the ancient world, a paraclete would have come to someone’s help in the way a defense attorney advocated for a defendant. Yet the word isn’t limited to court. The idea extends to someone who gives aid or who strengthens and encourages.
2. The Spirit stays with the believer forever. When Jesus introduces the Spirit as “another Helper, to be with you forever” (John 14:15), he’s speaking to disciples who are confused and anxious about his departure. What are they going to do without him? Can you imagine having Jesus as a friend and teacher and leader, and then having him disappear forever? Yet Jesus promises that the Spirit will be to them what he has been to them, and the Spirit will never leave.
3. The Spirit keeps pointing us to Jesus. The Spirit is not only another Helper, like Jesus, he’s also a witness who keeps pointing us to Jesus. “He will bear witness about me,” Jesus promises in John 15:26. He will remind us of how Christ has removed our guilt so we have access to God’s throne of grace. He will remind us of all that the Bible teaches us. He will stir our hearts to love Christ and desire to honor him. He will help us keep our eyes fixed on Christ so we can run our race well, fight the good fight, and finish the race with faith.

The Spirit is the key to Jesus’ disciples – both the ones he spoke to face-to-face and those today – being able to keep Jesus’ commandments. We can’t do it without him! He strengthens us, is always with us, and helps us keep our eyes on Christ. Honoring and remembering and depending upon the Holy Spirit is a crucial part of discipleship. One way I’ve found helpful to stir up faith for the Spirit’s ministry is to pray for it

Increase in Wisdom  pg 98   ( Thrasher ) ” Seeing life from God’s point of view….the ability to select the best goals for one’s life and the best means to achieve them…….the skill of living life before God .”

https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/explore-the-bible/5-practical-steps-to-increase-in-godly-wisdom.html

When we look to our Savior’s example of how we should love, we see that “Jesus increased in wisdom” (Luke 2:52). A proverb that is a constant challenge to me reflects the importance of such growth stating, “The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness” (Proverbs 15:14). Put another way, an intelligent person purposefully seeks knowledge, but fools nibble randomly, vacantly chewing on words and ideas that have no value, no flavor, and no nutrition.

What are you and I feeding our minds? Are we heeding this biblical warning about the danger of “garbage in, garbage out?” May we purposefully seek knowledge and guard against spending precious time on things that have no value. I know that I have wished and prayer for God’s knowledge and change in an area of my life only to realize two or three years have passed without my actively taking His advice and seeking it.

https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/get-wisdom

Now finally I want to mention five biblical instructions for how to get this wisdom. First, desire wisdom with all your might. Proverbs 4:8 says, “Prize her highly and she will exalt you; she will honor you for your embrace.” These are not cheap words. To prize something and to embrace someone are signs of intense desire and love. Wisdom must be valuable for us. We must be willing to sell all in order to buy it: “Seek it like silver, and search for it as for hidden treasure” (Proverbs 2:4). Blessed is the graduate who walks through the commencement line more hungry for wisdom than when he entered school, for he shall be satisfied.

Second, since wisdom is found in the Word of God, we must apply ourselves in study and meditation to know the Word and do it. “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” (Psalm 19:7). Therefore, we must devote ourselves to know and understand the testimonies of the Lord. And here I commend not only faithful Bible study, but also regular reading of great books on theology and biblical interpretation, books that distill the wisdom of the greatest students of the word over the past 1900 years.

The third thing we should do to get wisdom is pray. Solomon was not born a wise man. He prayed for wisdom and God said, “Because you have asked this and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold now I do according to your word” (1 Kings 3:11). And Daniel admitted that in himself he had no wisdom (Daniel 2:30), but he said, “To thee, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for thou hast given me wisdom and strength, and hast made known to me what we asked of thee” (Daniel 2:23). And we have seen how Paul prayed that the churches might be given “spiritual wisdom” (Col 1:9) and that they might have “a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of God” (Ephesians 1:17). And finally, James puts it as clearly as we could wish: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God” (James 1:5). The wisdom that leads to true and lasting happiness is not natural or inborn. It is supernatural. It is a gift of God. Therefore, if we would “get wisdom,” we must pray.

The fourth biblical instruction for how to get wisdom is to think frequently of your death. Or to put it another way, think of the shortness of this life and the infinite length of the next. Psalm 90:12 says, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” 

Finally, there is one last, absolutely essential thing to do if you would “get wisdom”: you must come to Jesus. Jesus is the wisdom of God (1 Cor 1:24, 1 Cor 1:30). Others had spoken truth; he is the truth. Others had pointed the way to life; he is the way and the life (John 14:6). Others had given promises, but “all the promises of God find their yes in him” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Others had offered God’s forgiveness; Jesus bought it by his death. Therefore, in him are “hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:3).

God’s Grace   pg 99 ( Thrasher ) “ Paul said that grace was the secret to His labor. It refers to the gracious work of the Spirit who provides the motivation and enablement we need to do God’s will“

https://www.christianity.com/wiki/god/what-is-gods-grace.html

Gracious, the Hebrew word channun, in its verb form, means to be considerate, to show favor. That God is gracious would mean that he is favorably inclined toward us. That he wants to show favor to us. To do what is best for us.

God is gracious. Graciousness is not something that he puts on and takes off depending on the situation. He is always gracious. He does not decide to show us grace. Rather it is just who he is. Because he is gracious he demonstrates grace in everything he does.

Because of his love, God, who is rich in mercy, saved us by his grace. Where does love end and mercy start? Or mercy end and grace begin? I don’t believe you can really draw a line between them. They are not really three different attributes. All three are simply different ways that we as humans see God.

While God’s grace is about much more than our salvation, it is perhaps the most visible manifestation of his grace. As Paul says in Eph 2:5 and Eph 2:8, it is by grace that we are saved.

Our salvation is not because of anything we have done, or are even capable of doing. It is solely a matter of God’s grace. He offered his salvation to us simply as an act of his grace.

Salvation is by grace. But God’s grace does not end there. Believers are impacted by God’s grace in these three ways.

Justified to Stand in Grace. In Romans 5:1-2 Paul tells us that we are justified through faith. And by that same faith, we have gained access into the “grace in which we now stand.” Our position before God is a matter of his grace. 

Equipped with Spiritual Giftedness. In 1 Peter 4:10,  we find Peter telling his readers to be faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms, using our gifts to serve one another. God’s grace is reflected in our lives through his equipping of believers to serve within the body of Christ; our spiritual gifts.

Growing Strong in the Grace of God. In 2 Timothy 2:1, Paul instructs Timothy to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” This reminds me somewhat of Star Wars where some are “strong in the force.” But grace is really unlike the force of Star Wars, which is a pervading universal power. In contrast, grace, for the believer, is in Christ. 

Grace does not come just to a lucky few. But is available to all who are in Christ. When I am in Christ, God’s grace surrounds me. But just because it surrounds me does not mean that I either experience or enjoy it as much as I should. 

There is no aspect of God’s dealing with his creation that does not involve his grace. A gracious God cannot fail to demonstrate grace in all he does. 

That I exist is through his grace. That the sun shines and the rain falls is due to his grace.  My salvation, my standing with God, and my eternal future with him. It is all because of His grace. 

Even God’s justice and the eternal punishment of unbelievers reflect his grace. God gives every opportunity for repentance. But, in his grace, he does not force himself on anyone.

https://www.gotquestions.org/grace-of-God.html

God shows both mercy and grace, but they are not the same. Mercy withholds a punishment we deserve; grace gives a blessing we don’t deserve. In mercy, God chose to cancel our sin debt by sacrificing His perfect Son in our place (Titus 3:5; 2 Corinthians 5:21). But He goes even further than mercy and extends grace to His enemies (Romans 5:10). He offers us forgiveness (Hebrews 8:12; Ephesians 1:7), reconciliation (Colossians 1:19-20), abundant life (John 10:10), eternal treasure (Luke 12:33), His Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13), and a place in heaven with Him some day (John 3:16-18) when we accept His offer and place our faith in His sacrifice.

https://christiantoday.com/article/3-attitudes-that-will-hinder-your-growth-in-god/99525.htm

God is totally committed to our growth and molding into Christ-likeness, but we have to remember that we have a part to play, and thus must be careful to avoid certain attitudes that will hinder or impede our growth in Christ.

Arrogance/Pride   Pride or arrogance is a growth-killer. It stifles the growth of any Christian, period. The Bible expressly declares that God is against the proud, and that pride will always result to a problem in the Christian’s life.

Unforgiveness   Being unforgiving and bitter also causes one’s growth to be hindered big-time. I cannot emphasize this enough: God requires that we be forgiving, or else He won’t forgive us ourselves. If we are not forgiven of our sins, then how can we be cleansed and sanctified?

Stubbornness   Another attitude that’s sure to stifle the growth of any Christian is being stubborn. Being stubborn causes one to be unteachable, hard/impossible to correct/mold, and thus unprofitable in their faith.  Consider the Israelites who died in the wilderness despite being led out of Egypt by Moses. Their stubborn minds refused to obey God. In their rebelliousness continually did what was displeasing to Him. In the end, they were refused entry to the Promised Land.

Chapter 13 Questions

1. Pg 100: “Let your inadequacy draw you to God in prayer, and believe Him for these three prayer requests for your life and for the lives of those you love “. As Christians , what hinders us from having Christ like growth ? We all have areas that we struggle with. Share as able.
2. Read and discuss verses on wisdom:
   • James 3:17 Prov 19:8
   • Prov. 2:6 Ephesians 5:15-16
   • Prov. 11:2 Col. 4:5-6
   • Prov. 3:7 Prov. 4:6-7
3. Spiritual strength comes from the Holy Spirit.  Share a time when you needed help and the Holy Spirit “  came alongside  “.
4. Pg 99:  Share a time  ( other than your salvation) that you looked to God for His grace…..”His provision for motivation and enablement to do what he called you to do “. Every believer is in need of the grace of God for daily living so we should all be able to share !!
5. Share thoughts / insights from the book or notes.

He has Life in His Essence

John says, “In Him was life” (John 1:4). The life John has in view mainly is new life, spiritual life, saving life, the gift of eternal life, the opposite of spiritual death now and final condemnation later. That’s mainly what John means. Mainly he has in view the life that we do not have even though we are physically alive.

Listen to Jesus as He says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24). In other words, apart from believing in Jesus, we are all dead. In order to live forever and not “come into judgment,” we need the gift of life. That life is in Jesus.

His Life is a Shining Light

John adds: “and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). He says it because we don’t really know what spiritual death and life are, until we relate them to light and darkness and blindness.

Most of the people we meet every day look alive. If you tell them they are dead, they will think you are crazy. Yet, in a spiritual sense, every human being can be considered blind or dead. Later John talks about how the people in the world did not even recognize their creator when He lived in their midst. This is because they were blind. In one passage, the pharisees said, “Oh no, we are not blind” (John 9:40), and Jesus responded: “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains” (John 9:41). The point is, people think they can see and understand things clearly, yet spiritually speaking when Jesus lived on earth, very few people could see His glory. Of course some did. John said “We have seen His glory” (John 1:14), but very few did, while Jesus was on earth.

He Has Victory Over Darkness

John introduces the plot into His story immediately. As we have just seen, this Word came into our world that was immersed in darkness. There was a kind of conflict, where the darkness tried to overcome this light. But darkness was unable to overcome the light, and the light had victory over the darkness! We see this in the story of the Gospel, showing Jesus’ rejection and ultimate crucifixion, but having complete victory in His resurrection.

His Glory was Veiled

He Became Flesh (John 1:14)

In his gospel, John points out that Jesus was weary (John 4:6) and thirsty (John 4:7). He groaned within (John 11:33) and openly wept (John 11:35). On the cross He thirsted (John 19:28), bled (John 19:34) and died (John 19:30). After His resurrection He proved to Thomas that He still had a body (John 24:24-29), albeit a glorified one!

But it is important to understand that Jesus became man without ceasing to be God. The diving Word, the divine Son of God became a human without ceasing to be God. Remember Mathew 1:23: “they shall call His name Emmanuel, which means God with us”. John goes on to say “we have seen His glory” (John 1:14). No qualifications. Whose glory? The glory of the eternal Word, the Son.

There are deep theological mysteries here. Want a mind-bender? How is it even possible for the infinite and immutable God (He never changes. He is the eternal “I AM”, John 8:58 and “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever”, Heb 13:8) add a human nature to His divine one? It is hard to wrap our finite human minds around this mystery. It is one of those cases where we need to accept the limitations of our understanding and accept this revelation by faith. But in becoming flesh, He made God knowable in a way that had never been done before. That is why He is the eternal “Word” of God!

He Dwelt Among Us (John 1:14)

Jesus lived on earth, in ordinary dwellings. He invited two disciples who were curious about Him from John’s testimony to “come and see” (John 1:39) where He lived. He had a band of 12 disciples who he lived and travelled with during His entire public ministry.

The words literally mean “He pitched His tent among us”, reminding us of the tabernacle. This is one of the reasons why we know that Jesus did not cease to be God when He came to earth. 

These words are also shocking us because Solomon had declared “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you” (1 Kings 8:27)?

He was Unrecognized (John 1:10)

John says, “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him” (John 1:10). To most people, He was just an ordinary man. Maybe a wise teacher, but just a man. This is why Pilate said to Him “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you” (John 19:10). To Pilate, Jesus was just a man. Yes, Pilate could see that he was innocent and did not deserve to die based on the charges against Him. But Pilate could not see that He was in fact God in the flesh.

Isaiah says: “He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him” (Isa 53:2). Nothing special to look at!

He was Rejected (John 1:11)

John says it is not just that He was not known or recognized, but that He was also rejected, and worse, by His own people. “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” (John 1:11).There is a beautiful song, which talks about how Jesus allowed Himself to be crucified in a tree that He Himself had created. This is the paradox of the Creator coming and living in our midst and not being known.

We see that although He was rejected by His own people, there were some outsiders who did not reject Him. Think of the Samaritan woman in John 4, and He was sought by Greek gentiles (John 12:20). Yet He was spurned by the official representatives of HIs own people.

His Glory Shone in Him (John 1:14)

“We have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). So when Jesus cloaked Himself with humanity, His glory was veiled. It was hidden under His human body. It was so hidden, that He was unrecognized by the world. Isaiah says this about Him: As we have seen, Isaiah pointed out that there was nothing particularly attractive about the human body that Jesus took on, and when He was on the cross, it was actually repulsive to look at Him. Isaiah said: “as one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isa 53:2-3).

Yet, for those who had the eyes to see (and everyone is by default spiritually blind), He shone with glory. Do you remember that when the tabernacle and the temple were dedicated, the whole place was filled with the glory of God? It was so awesome that the people were afraid to look at it. We also see this when Isaiah had his commission. He had a vision of God exalted in glory, and the whole temple was filled with His glory. This God has now become man. He still has all of his glory, but it is hidden in His humanity. 

And His closest disciples, and a handful of others who He revealed Himself to, they saw in Him the radiant glory of God. Decades later when John thinks about those remarkable three years, he is still filled with amazement, and trips over His words as he contemplates the wonder: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life — the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us — that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you” (1 John 1:1-3).

He Gave Grace upon Grace out of His Fullness (John 1:16)

“For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (John 1:16). This is fantastic news. God could have chosen to become flesh as judge and executioner. All of us would have been found guilty before Him and be sentenced to everlasting punishment. But He did not come in flesh in that way. He came to reveal a divine glory that is “full of grace and truth”. This will be a righteous, God-exalting, costly grace. It will lead straight to Jesus’ death on the cross. In fact, this is why He became flesh. He had to have flesh in order to die in our place (Heb 2:14-15). The Word became flesh so that the death of Jesus would be possible. The cross is where the fullness of His grace shines the most brightly. It is not a wishy-washy, sentimental grace.

Jesus is filled to the brim with all of the goodness and holiness of God. The abundant grace that poured out of Jesus, is in a sense, an overflow of His fullness. This grace is His over-abundant perfection brimming over and spilling to those He came in contact with on earth.

He Spoke Truth Sprinkled in Grace (John 1:14, John 1:17)

“We have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Although Jesus came overflowing with grace, He also spoke truth – truth that was not comfortable to hear. It was the truth about our sinful condition. He once said “The world … hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil” (John 7:7). It is not pleasant if someone comes to us and says that everything we do is evil. But Jesus did that. The world hated Him for it, but it was the truth. Grace cannot shine as brightly, without the backdrop of the truth about our real condition. So the truth Jesus spoke was very hard. Most people could not receive it. Yet, the truth that Jesus spoke could have the effect of people receiving Jesus, and being saved from all the consequences of their condition. Grace without truth is too soft. Truth without grace is too hard. Grace and truth together is just right. Jesus had both of these in perfect balance.

John repeats this thought. “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). John is talking about the mountain peaks of God’s revelation. Until now the Jews looked back to the time God gave His law through Moses. John is saying that there is a new peak of revelation – indeed a much higher one – the peak of the Word who became flesh, and who gave grace while speaking truth.

The Gospel of John was written by John, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus while He was on earth.

An Eyewitness

He was an eyewitness of Jesus, who witnessed the events recorded here, first hand. How do we know this?

Five times in this Gospel we find one of Jesus’ disciples referenced as: “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23, John 19:26, John 20:2, John 20:7, John 21:20). For example, we see him leaning on Jesus’ shoulder during the last supper (John 13:23). Then, at the very end it says, “Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them” (John 21:20). And finally the author identifies himself! Four verses later he says, “This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things and who has written these things” (John 21:24).

There are other interesting curiosities. This Gospel never mentions the disciple John anywhere. This would not make sense, unless John himself was the author! Also, he refers to John the Baptist as just John. The other Gospel writers distinguish him to avoid confusion.

Inspired By God to Write

One of the reasons that I say it is divinely inspired is that this is what Jesus promised to do. He said: “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26) And He also said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak” (John 16:13).

In other words, Jesus chose his apostles as his representatives, saved them, taught them, sent them, and then gave them, through the Holy Spirit, divine guidance in the writing of Scripture for the foundation of the church (Ephesians 2:20). We believe that John’s Gospel is therefore, the inspired word of God.

When was The Gospel of John Written?

There is nothing in the gospel itself that helps us see when it was written. For this we need to look at external evidence.

A papyrus fragment was found in Egypt in the early 2nd century, which gives us an upper bound to the date of John, given that it also needs to have been copied and to have been available in Egypt. The advanced theology in John makes it likely that it was written later. Many place it in the last decade of the 1st century, when John was an old man. However, other scholars think it had to be before AD 70 for two reasons. First, the destruction of Jerusalem is not mentioned here, and second, John does not use any of the material of the other three gospels. Regardless of when it was written, John had ample time to digest the significance of all that he had been an eye-witness of (and let us not forget, Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would aid him in that), and that is clear from his choice of material.

Purpose – That We May Believe

The Gospel of John is a portrait of Jesus Christ and his saving work. It focuses on the last three years of Jesus’s life and especially on his death and resurrection. It’s purpose is clear near the end of the book: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31).

Since John wants us to believe in Jesus, we find another theme running through the book. He peppers it with incidents of people who believe. Some have false belief, and some have true belief that saves. By providing us multiple examples, John is explaining what it means to truly believe in Jesus. We will point this out as we go through the gospel.

The book is written to help people believe in Jesus and have eternal life. Reading this gospel, we are confronted with a magnificent portrait of Jesus, and are also confronted with whether we choose to believe that He is who He said He is, or if He was an imposter or blasphemer. In order to do this, John records selected incidents and discourses from the life of Jesus, along with different people’s reactions to Him. All the while, John is inviting us the readers  to make our own decision about Jesus. His hope is that we will conclude that Jesus was really who He said He was, “the Christ the Son of God, and by believing we will have life in His Name”.

Intended Readers – Non-Christians and Christians

John carefully selects a few miracles of Jesus that he calls “signs”. They were intended to not just be miraculous acts, but things that Jesus did that acts as signposts to who He was.

John also lists a few statements called “I am” statements. This harks back to God speaking to Moses through the burning bush and revealing Himself as the “I am”. Jesus naturally takes up this title, and thus claims to be God. He even once said “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). We will be keeping our eyes out for these as well.

However, we should not assume that the book is meant just for unbelievers. Believers in Jesus must go on believing in Jesus in order to be saved in the end. Jesus said in John 15:6, “If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.” And in John 8:31, he said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples”.

In addition to awakening faith in people who have not put their faith in Jesus, it also sustains and strengthens the faith of those who do. And there may be no better book in the Bible to help us keep on trusting Jesus. Even as I study this book to teach it, my own faith is getting strengthened, as I pray will happen to each of you over the next few months.

In The Beginning Was The Word (John 1:1-3)

In this study, we will focus on the first three verses of John 1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:1-3).

Jesus is “The Word”

The first statement is. “In the beginning was the Word.” What or who is this “Word”? The answer is made clear in verse 14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14) The Word refers to Jesus Christ.

In this book, John is going to tell us the story of what Jesus Christ did and what he taught. This is a book about the life and work of the man Jesus Christ — the man that John knew and saw and heard and touched with his hands (1 John 1:1). He was a human being, and not a ghost or an apparition. He ate and drank and got tired. John knew this man intimately by having lived with him for three years. In addition, Jesus’s mother lived with John in the last part of her life (John 19:26).

John wants to tell us who Jesus is before we start reading about Him. For John it took over three years to really understand who Jesus was. He does not want his readers to play this guessing game. He tells us right up front. He wants us to have in our minds, fixed and clear, from the very beginning of his Gospel, about the eternal majesty and deity of Jesus Christ, and that He is the Creator of the universe.

Jesus in His Infinite Majesty

John wants us to read the gospel worship-fully, humbly submissively and full of awe at the man at the wedding, at the well, the one who could control the seas, heal a paralytic and make a man born blind to see – that He is the Creator of the universe. This is what John wants us to see and to feel as we read this. He wants us to think about the stupendous fact that this man was God. This is why John starts the book this way – the way God meant for him to put it together. You or I may have written this story along with a detailed commentary on the meanings of various events. John does none of that. He just lays it up front as to who Jesus is, and then invites us to see for ourselves. This is what Jesus told the first two disciples who approached Him: “Come and see” (John 1:39). This is what we are invited to do as well. To come, to see and to believe!

John says, “In the very first words out of the end of my pen, I will stun you and blow you away with the identity of this man who became flesh and dwelt among us.” John means for us to read every word of this Gospel with the clear, solid, amazed knowledge that Jesus Christ was with God and was God and that the one who laid down his life for us (John 15:13) created the universe. John wants us to know and believe in a magnificent Savior. Whatever else you may enjoy about Jesus, John wants you to know and see Jesus in his infinite majesty. This is why he says speaking of himself and the other disciples “We have seen His glory” (John 1:14). He wants us to see His glory too!

Why ‘Word’?

But still, we may wonder: why did he choose to call Jesus “the Word?” “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1). For one thing, John has both Jewish and Gentile readers. He has his Gentile readers in mind, because he often explains Jewish customs in his narrative. Greek philosophy elevated reason to the highest place as the cause of the universe (the Greek word is Logos). Jewish readers thought about the creation of the world as described in Genesis and arising from God’s Word (“and God said … “). So by using this term, He was using a term that would be understood by all his readers. But John makes this “Word” personal. John had come to see the words of Jesus and the Person of Jesus as the embodiment of the truth of God in such a unified way that Jesus himself — in his coming, and working, and teaching, and dying and rising — was the final and decisive message of God. Or to put it more simply: what God had to say to us was not only or mainly what Jesus said, but who Jesus was and what he did. His words clarified himself and his work. But He Himself and his work were the main truth God was revealing. Jesus said, “I am the truth,” (John 14:6).

Jesus came to witness the truth (John 18:37) and he was the truth (John 14:6). His witness and his Person were the Word of truth. He said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples” (John 8:31), and he said, “Abide in me” (John 15:7). When we abide in him we are abiding in the word. He said that his works were a “witness” about him (John 5:36; 10:25). In other words, even in everything He did, He was the Word.

Jesus: God’s Decisive, Final Message

In Revelation 19:13 (by the same author as the Gospel), he describes Jesus’s glorious return: “He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is the Word of God.” Jesus is called The Word of God, as he returns to earth. Two verses later John says, “From his mouth comes a sharp sword” (Revelation 19:15). In other words, Jesus strikes the nations in the power of the word of God that he speaks — the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). But the power of this word is so united with Jesus himself that John says that he doesn’t just have a sword of God’s word coming out of his mouth, but he is the Word of God.

So as John begins his Gospel, he has in view all the revelation, all the truth, all the witness, all the glory, all the light, all the words that come out of Jesus in his living and teaching and dying and rising, and he sums up all that revelation of God with the name: he is “the Word” — the first, final, ultimate, decisive, absolutely true and reliable Word. The meaning is the same as Hebrews 1:1–2: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (Heb 1:1-2). The Son of God incarnate is God’s climactic and decisive Word to the world.

What does John Say About Jesus?

What does John want to tell us first about this man Jesus Christ whose deeds and words fill the pages of this Gospel? He wants to tell us four things about Jesus Christ: (1) the time of his existence, (2) the essence of his identity, (3) his relationship to God, and (4) his relationship to the world.

The Time of His Existence

John begins with: “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1). This is similar to how the Bible begins in Genesis: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1). That is not an accident, because the first thing John is going to tell us about what Jesus did is that he created the universe. That’s what he says in verse 3. So the words “in the beginning” mean: before there was any created matter, before time existed there was the Word, the Son of God.

Remember: “These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:31). John begins his Gospel by locating Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, even before time. Jude exults in this truth with his great doxology: “To the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen” (Jude 1:25). Paul says in 2 Timothy 1:9 that God gave us grace in Christ Jesus “before the times of the ages.” So before there was any time or any matter, there was the Word, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. That is who we will meet in this Gospel.

The Essence of His Identity

Verse 1 ends: “The Word was God” (Gen 1:1). One of the marks of this Gospel is that the weightiest doctrines are often delivered in the simplest words. Someone has said that it is good for a child to wade and an elephant to swim! This could not get simpler — and it could not get deeper. The Word, who became flesh and dwelt among us, Jesus Christ, was and is God.

Every Christian worships Jesus Christ as God. We fall down with Thomas before Jesus in John 20:28 and confess with joy and wonder, “My Lord and my God!”

When we hear the Jewish leaders say in John 10:33, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God” we are invited to think, “No, this is not blasphemy. This is who our Savior really is! Our Lord, our God.”

Think about this for a moment. This means that as we study this Gospel, we are getting to know God, because getting to know Jesus is getting to know God. Do you see what this means for our series on the Gospel of John? It means that we are going to spend week after week getting to know God, as we get to know Jesus. Do you want to know God? Then “Come and see”!

His Relationship to God

The middle of verse 1 says: “The Word was with God” (John 1:1). This is the heart of the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. Jesus was with God. He was different to God, yet He was also “God”.

Let this statement sink in your minds. The Word, Jesus Christ was with God, and he was God. He is God, and he has a relationship with God. He is God, and he is the image of God, perfectly reflecting all that God is and standing forth from all eternity as the fullness of deity in a distinct Person. There is one divine essence and three persons. Two of them are mentioned here. The Father and the Son. We learn those names later on in the book. The Holy Spirit will be introduced later.

This may be hard to understand, but God has given us this truth for a reason. Let us not discard it because we do not understand it. If Jesus Christ is not God, he could not have saved us. But because He is God, He will be able to satisfy the deepest longings and aspirations of our souls for all eternity. This is why He describes Himself as Living Water, so that if we drink of Him we will never thirst again. As Piper says: “If you throw away the deity of Jesus Christ, you throw away your soul and with it all your joy in the age to come”.

His Relationship to the World

John continues: “He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:2-3). The Word who became flesh and dwelt among us, taught us, healed us, rebuked us, protected us, loved us, and died for us, created the universe. Remember to retain the mystery of the Trinity from verse 1. Don’t leave it as soon as you get to verse 3. “All things were made through him.” Yes, another was acting through the Word. God was. But the Word is God. Therefore, don’t let yourself diminish the majesty of the work of Christ as Creator. He was the Father’s agent, or Word, in the creation of all things. But in doing it, he was God. God, the Word, created the world. Your Savior, your Lord, your Friend — Jesus is your Maker.

John makes one more statement here, that affirms that Jesus is God Himself. Muslims and Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that Jesus was not God, but was the highest created Being. John 3 sets that to rest once and for all. He did not just say, “All things were made through him.” You might think that is enough to settle it. Jesus is not a creature he created creatures. But someone could conceivably argue, “Yes, but ‘all things’ does not include himself.” It includes everything but himself. So he was created by the Father, but then with the Father created all other things.

But John did not leave it at that. He said, in addition “and without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3). What do these final words “that was made” add to the meaning of “without him was not anything made”? They add this: they make explicit and emphatic and crystal clear that anything in the category of made, Christ made it. Therefore, Jesus was not “made”. He always was! He is the eternal “I am”.

May God enable us to see His glory!

Janagaṇamana-adhināẏaka jaẏa hē
Bhāratabhāgyabidhātā!
Pañjāba Sindhu Gujarāta Marāṭhā
Drābiṛa Utkala Baṅga
Bindhya Himācala Yamunā Gaṅgā
Ucchalajaladhitaraṅga
Taba śubha nāmē jāgē,
Taba śubha āśiṣa māgē,
Gāhē taba jaẏagāthā.
Janagaṇamaṅgaladāẏaka jaẏa hē
Bhāratabhāgyabidhātā!
Jaẏa hē, jaẏa hē, jaẏa hē,
jaẏa jaẏa jaẏa jaẏa hē.

The following link is a very powerful rendition, sung by many famous Indian singers.

The Indian National Anthem is actually a prayer, which can be translated in this way:

You are the ruler of the minds of all people,
Dispenser of India’s destiny.
Your name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat and Maratha,
Of the Dravida, Utkala and Bengal;
It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas,
mingles in the music of Yamuna and Ganga and is
chanted by the waves of the Indian Ocean.
They pray for Your blessings and sing Your praise.
The saving of all people waits in Your hand,
You dispenser of India’s destiny.
Victory, victory, victory to You.

Jesus is the God who is described in this prayer, although the poet Nobel prize winner Rabindranath Tagore did not realize it. Below, I have broken down this translation along with corresponding verses in the Bible ascribing these attributes to Jesus.

The National Anthem reminds me of a passage in Acts 17:23. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. There is an urgency, because the Bible says:The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a Man [Jesus] whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead (Acts 17:30). May God reveal Himself in truth and glory to all the people of this great nation.

Who is the Author of James?

The half-brother of Jesus, likely from Mary and Joseph after the birth of Jesus.

• We know that the author is not James the apostle because he died a martyr’s death in AD 44
  (Acts 12:2)
• James the brother of Jesus died in AD 62 (Josephus and Eusebius).

The early church attests the author as being James the brother of Jesus.

What do we know about James?

• He is spoken as among the sisters and brothers of Christ (e.g., Mark 6:3)
• He was not a believer during Jesus’ life (Mark 3:33-35, John 7:5)
• He experienced special grace when Jesus revealed Himself to James after His resurrection (1
  Cor 15:7). This is comforting to us, that Jesus did not “write James off” but pursued him. Similarly He
  continues to pursue us.
• Became a pillar of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 12:17 – Note that Acts 12:2 talks about James
  the apostle being killed)
• Became called “James the Just”. Tradition says he was a Nazarite throughout his life (see Acts
  21:17-26).
• He believed in the power of prayer. He is called “The man with the camel’s knees”, because his
  knees became calloused by the time he spent on them
• He was cruelly martyred by the Scribes and Pharisees. This is what the church historian
  Eusebius writes about his death (referencing Hegesippus)
  • They asked him to convince the Jews that they had gone astray in their understanding of
    Jesus. by telling them loudly from the top of the temple
  • James instead said, “Jesus is seated at the right hand of God, and will come in the clouds of
    heaven”.
  • In frustration they rushed to the top of the temple and pushed him off so that the listeners
    would be filled with fear
  • James did not die so he was stoned. He knelt and prayed “I beseech you, Lord God our
    Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”.
  • A priest tried to stop them (“Stop, stop, he is praying for us”), but another one hurled his
    staff at James’ head and killed him.

When was James written?

Likely AD 45-46:

• It was likely before the Jerusalem Council (AD 48-49), because the letter has no reference to
  Jew-Gentile controversy, and is addressed to Jews.
• Likely people had misunderstood Paul’s slogan “justification by faith alone”. We know that
  there was a delegation from Jerusalem to see God’s work through Paul in Antioch (Galatians
  2:11-14). They may have misunderstood what Paul was teaching, and passed that on to James.
  So this could explain why James clarifies the role that faith and works play in our salvation.

This makes the epistle of James one of the earliest New Testament epistles.

This is significant because it gives us a historical context, as we will see when we study the book.

Where was James when he wrote this Letter?

Most likely, Jerusalem.

To Whom is this Letter Addressed?

• General letter to all Jews including those scattered (see Acts 11:19)
• This, along with some references in the letter, give us an idea of the circumstances they were
  experiencing at that time.

James 1:1 – “James a bond-servant of the Lord Jesus Christ”

• James does not identify himself as Jesus’ brother (see Mk 3:33-35)
  • There was no family ministry. James preferred his spiritual rather than his physical
    relationship with Jesus
  • Jesus has taught that family ties should not compare to our love and allegiance to God.
• James does not identify himself as an apostle (although Paul does in Gal 1:19). He calls himself
  a slave of Jesus. These were not “credentials”, in the sense someone is called a “servant of the
  Lord” today, but a statement of complete allegiance to Jesus.
  • What motives do we have when we choose to brag about our qualifications or other things that will elevate us before others?
• James calls Jesus Lord and Christ (Messiah). This is significant because as someone who had lived with Jesus for 30+ years, it is a telling statement to call Him “Lord”.
  • This is very compelling evidence for us, 2000 years later, that Jesus is really God and that Jesus really rose from the dead. Which brother would call his sibling “Lord”, and say he is his slave? It strengthens our faith!

Here is a beautiful song which describes our walk with our Lord so well:

O what a wonderful, wonderful day, day I will never forget;
After I’d wandered in darkness away, Jesus, my Savior, I met;
O what a tender, compassionate Friend, He met the need of my heart;
Shadows dispelling, with joy I am telling, He made all the darkness depart.

Heaven came down and glory filled my soul!
When at the cross my Savior made me whole;
My sins were washed away, And my night was turned to day!
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul!

I trust that it is your song also, my dear friend. I am praying for you. May your love for our Lord and your faith in him grow stronger day by day. May you daily become more and more like the gentle, tender, loving Savior in every way! Here is what the Bible says about our wonderful Lord:

“Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is  above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven  and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is  Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11

May Lord Jesus bless you and keep you close to Him always.
May you discover all the treasures He has for you as you read his words in the Bible!
Goodbye, my dear friend, God be with you till we meet again!

As I look back on our lessons, I am amazed at the life God gives us when we surrender our lives to the Lord Jesus and choose to follow Him:

• Without the Lord Jesus, I am a lost sinner.  With him, I am found, I am saved and secure!
• Without the Lord Jesus, my heart is stained and dark with sin.  With him, my heart is pure and clean and He lives in it.
• Without the Lord Jesus, I am stumbling in the dark.  With him, I am walking in the Light!
• Without the Lord Jesus, I do not know my way.  With him, I have a Guide who knows my Way!
• Without the Lord Jesus, I am dead in my sins.  With him, I am alive and have eternal life!
• Without the Lord Jesus, God is my stern Judge.  With him, God is my Heavenly Father!
• Without the Lord Jesus, I have passing friends.  With him, I have a constant Companion!
• Without the Lord Jesus, I am terrified in a storm.  With him, I have a safe Refuge!
• Without the Lord Jesus, I have no peace.  With him, I have peace in all circumstances!
• Without the Lord Jesus, I have momentary pleasures.  With him, I have joy everlasting.
• Without the Lord Jesus, I am in Satan’s hold.  With him, I am free from Satan’s bondage!

With Lord Jesus, I have a loving God, his priceless love, and all his blessings. And I am on my way to heaven!

Then God has given me a purpose for my life.  He says, “Go tell everyone what I have done for you.  I want them to know my tender love for them also and experience all these blessings.”  Obeying Him, I have sent all these wonderful Bible lessons to you, my friend. God’s amazing love is for everyone! Let us tell them “Come, Come to the Lord Jesus! God will give you a blessed life you never imagined possible!”

Prayer: “Dear Lord Jesus, please help me to tell everyone about the good news of Your Gospel and the precious gift of Salvation You give us freely.”

Ravi: I was a young man with a good job. But I was restless. Something was missing in my life. I started having a deep desire for God. I believed there is a God, a higher power in control of our universe. But I didn’t know how to find Him or reach Him. I began seeking God in the religion of my family. I performed all the rituals at home and in the temple, I gave alms to the poor, I fasted and prayed. But I just could not get close to God. I felt that there was a deep, wide gulf separating me from God. I looked around at other religions. The pathway to God in every religion came to a stop at the gulf! “How do I cross this big gulf and reach God?” I thought in despair.

One day I heard a message that the gulf between me and God are my SINS! God is holy and pure. I’m full of sin. My sins are keeping me from reaching God! “God, what do I do?” I cried in despair. “There is hope for you,” the message said. “Lord Jesus, God’s Son, has bridged the gulf between you and God when He died on the cross for your sins.”I ran to Jesus and knelt at His feet. “Lord, I’m so sorry for all my sins. Please forgive me and accept me,” I cried. The Lord Jesus gladly forgave my sins because He has paid my punishment on the cross. And He washed me clean of all the dark stains of sin. Jesus now took my hand and together we turned towards the gulf. To my amazement, I saw a bridge across the gulf! It was in the shape of a cross. I followed my Lord over the bridge and reached God the Father, who was waiting for me on the other side! My joy knew no bounds! I fell at God’s feet and worshiped Him. I looked back across the gulf of sins. There were many people along many pathways desperately trying to reach God. But they all came to a stop at the gulf! There was no way for them to cross the gulf. They could not cross the big gulf of their sins by their own efforts. They were crying out to God, but could not reach Him, just like me before I came to the Lord Jesus. But I saw that many people, who came to Jesus and had their sins forgiven, we’re all crossing the big gulf joyfully with him and were reaching God and were rejoicing!

Now I understood the truth of what Lord Jesus says in the Bible: “I am the WAY and the TRUTH and the LIFE. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

This is Ravi’s spiritual journey. He has now left his old life of sin and lives a pure new life for his Savior, the Lord Jesus. And he wants to tell everyone where they can find the way to God!

How about you, my friend? Have you come to the Lord Jesus and obtained forgiveness for your sins and joyfully found the way to God?

Prayer: “Lord Jesus, I believe with all my heart You are the only Way to Holy God.Thank You for forgiving my sins and taking me to God by your sacrifice on the cross for me. Amen.”