KEY VERSES:
16:22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
18:38-39
REFLECTIONS:
Whenever you read the account of Christ getting ready to go to the Cross it seems impossible to pull out key verses or simply share a short reflection. I am sure you will visualize this all taking place as I have in these past days -- how the Son of God submitted His life to death for our sake. He states in these chapters that He was before the world, did nothing to corrupt the world, but would become the payment for the WHOLE.
He begins in chapter 16 to prepare His disciples for what was about to take place so that they would take comfort in His Resurrection. In 16:22, Christ gives the disciples a realistic perspective for them to understand what they would face in the near future. Sorrow would be a part of this world and Christ wanted them to know that they would suffer. Nevertheless, He also wanted them to understand that there would be a day when all suffering would end. Then in 16:33, Christ reiterates that we can have peace through our tribulation here because He has already overcome the world for us. Now in the next chapter Christ gives us a powerful tool as Christians in order to stand in this world. No, it is not a physical weapon or a bodyguard; but instead it is unity. In 17:11 Christ prays to the Father that He would keep the disciples as one, even as the Father and the Son are one. Christ knew that man would need one another in order make it in this world. That is why we see in the New Testament God's instruction to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. (Hebrews 10:25) This COMMAND was not to build big crowds so that there would be tremendous church growth; no, in fact it was for the growth of the individual: YOU and me. God knew that if we were going to succeed in the Christian life we would need other believers to help. We were not created to be alone and neither were we saved to be alone.
Now we transition into a chapter that records the worst trial in the history of man. Every time I read this I always think to myself, what a scam this was. How did something like this happen in a modern court system such as Rome had? They bring Christ before judge Pilate, state their case with no evidence, admit that their own Jewish system would not allow them to kill Christ, and still ask for the worst death penalty ever known to mankind. Surely Pilate will dismiss this and see that there is no reason to kill this Jesus Christ individual that he has heard about. There is no cause, so the obvious conclusion is Pilate found no fault in this man. (18:38-39) However, he still puts Christ on the same level as a thief and gives the Jews their choice that He should be found guilty. As we will see in the next chapters, they then take the innocent and hand down the harshest punishment imaginable.
APPLICATION:
Let's be encouraged that Christ gave us eternal life through His son. He then knew that we would go through trials for making Him our Savior for a short time. We also can rest on Him during those trials and be encouraged by other Christians. There have been times during these last eight years at Valley Baptist that I have felt very alone. However, when I decided to share what I was going through with a brother in Christ, I found that it was lighter to carry the load with someone else. This is why Christ asked the Father to keep us one when He would depart. He wanted us to have each other to work together for the cause of Christ. As we read together in these passages, let's not lose the opportunity to grow together as well. Be sure to talk to one another about the passages and what God is doing in your life.
Thank you for being a part of the 40 Day Challenge. I hope this has helped in your walk.
In Christ, Aaron Clark
SAVED: October 1986
FAVORITE BOOK IN BIBLE: Proverbs
FAVORITE BIBLE CHARACTER: Peter
FAMILY: wife Julie Clark
HOBBIES: Carpentry, Riding Snowmobiles, Guns, Being with the People of VBC!
AREA OF MINISTRY AT CHURCH: Music Leader; Youth Leader; Greeter Team Leader; Mission Committee Member; Food Tasting Team Leader