Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Forgiven and Loved

John 13:21-32 NIV

21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled 
in spirit and testified, "Very truly I tell you, 
one of you is going to betray me." 22 His 
disciples stared at one another, at a loss to 
know which of them he meant. 23 One of them, 
the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining 
next to him. 24 Simon Peter motioned to this 
disciple and said, "Ask him which one he 
means." 25 Leaning back against Jesus, he 
asked him, "Lord, who is it?" 26 Jesus answered, 
"It is the one to whom I will give this piece of 
bread when I have dipped it in the dish." Then,
dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, 
the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 As soon as Judas 
took the bread, Satan entered into him. So 
Jesus told him, "What you are about to do, do 
quickly." 28 But no one at the meal understood 
why Jesus said this to him. 29 Since Judas had 
charge of the money, some thought Jesus was
 telling him to buy what was needed for the 
festival, or to give something to the poor. 30 
As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went 
out. And it was night. 31 When he was gone, 
Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man is glorified 
and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is 
glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in 
himself, and will glorify him at once."

In John 14 Jesus is talking to his disciples about how He is going to prepare a room for them. Now, let's imagine, Jesus, a carpenter, building us a room. He has to bet he best carpenter ever of all time, right? Jesus went to prepare a room for all of us, not just the ones who believe, but even for those who don't. As humans we want what we have to be received. As logical beings, it follows that what we do has to have a functional outcome or purpose. Jesus is making a room for the unbeliever in your business communication class, the Muslim student in your computer science class, and the believer in your philosophy class. All of them.

Jesus knew that Judas would be betraying Him and he was scared. Fear has a way of disconnecting us from God. In every deceptive decision we make, though we may not name it, fear is to blame. But He knew His charge. Fear did not separate Him for saving us. Fear did not stop him from preparing a room for us. Jesus didn't let death stop Him. He leans towards Judas and says, "what you are about to do, do quickly." He knows that even through His fear, his task has to be completed. This is something that I am constantly learning. When He's praying at the Mount of Olives, he prays to the Father, "Not my will, but will be done." And that is my prayer every day, to face my fears and to turn my eyes upon the Father. Not my will, but Yours. Not my will, but Yours. Not my will, but Yours.

Below is a video of the wonderful Jimmy Needham. I pray that you listen to these words and project them onto yourself and others.


Kaitlin Kendel. Junior, Philosophy & Religion.

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