- If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. John 13:17 – There’s value in knowing God’s Word and there’s blessing if you do it. Here Jesus is speaking into His disciple’s life by first setting an amazing example of humility and love for them, then telling them to follow His example. To live humble and live loving the people around them. Jesus was sharing some amazing words to them and they were taking them in. What we see from our verse though reminds us that just taking in the words isn’t enough. There must be action that follows the taking in. We can know the Word inside and out yet if that knowledge isn’t being transformed into action then it’s power is greatly stifled. Show it, express it, and live the Word out in your story. That’s when we begin stepping into our blessing and are able to invite others into their own. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1405
- Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times. John 13:37-38 – Imagine the scene, Jesus is sitting with His disciples having supper with them. He’s just washed their feet and dismissed Judas to do his evil work. He’s just announced to the group that one of them will betray him, and Peter boldly says he’d never do such a thing and he would follow Jesus even till death. We then get our familiar passage above about Peter’s three denials of Christ. Jesus asked Peter a heavy question, will you lay down your life for me? Likely, like Peter, our response would be a quick yes to Jesus if asked this question. Yet, like Peter, would we fully understand all that it meant to full lay down our life for Jesus? This may look like choosing Him over our life being spared if that sort of situation arose, but how about today? Will you lay down your life of sin? Will you lay down your life of pursuing your own goals and desires? Will you lay down your life that puts you at the center? To follow Christ means our old life of self and sin is put to death and laid in the grave. Our life is no longer ours but given fully over to Jesus for His purposes alone. Will you lay down your life for Jesus? When put in this context, it’s a little more all-consuming than maybe our first understanding of what the passage is saying. Know though that Jesus is worth dying for…and worth living for. He is worth giving up this world for. Let the Savior that gave up all for you have all of you. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2763
Daily DEVO 