 |
 |
Devotions Archive
Archive:
1999
|
2000
|
2001
|
2002
|
2003
|
2004
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
2015
|
2016
|
2017
|
2018
|
2019
|
2020
|
2021
|
2022
|
2023
|
2024
TeamworkFriday, January 4, 2008
John 1:35-36
The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
Jesus grieved the loss of his cousin. When Jesus heard about John's death (Matthew 14), he withdrew "by boat privately to a solitary place." But the crowds followed him, and when he landed they were there to greet him. He healed them and then fed them, thousands, on just a few loaves and fish. But John was not brought back from the dead like Lazarus. Jesus continued his teaching and healing, often disappointed by the self-centered and short-sighted responses of the people, but always "having compassion" on the multitudes. This compassion, completed by his words from the cross ("Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing") seemed to grow stronger as Jesus continued down the path of descent. Like John he could have been a man of the desert, but always the people found him. And always Jesus loved them. Like every Jew, John knew the "lamb of God" was killed and sacrificed for the sins of the people. Priests took the lamb and slaughtered it. Did his disciples know they were following Jesus down into the maw of death, that this was God's intention all along? The excitement of watching their leader defeat demons and heal diseases, debate victoriously with hypocritical Pharisees and others, energized their joyful camaraderie with Jesus. They saw death pushed back in Lazarus' tomb and surely must have hoped they too would never die. But like John, Jesus was suddenly arrested and soon crucified. The cruel surprise shocked them all. First John ... now Jesus. Nothing left to live for or care about. Nothing to die for. End of the line. But not the end of the story. Stay tuned for Lent and Easter. Watch what God does next. Behold the Lamb of God. And follow him. Whenever anyone or anything competes for my attention, Lord, I want to follow you. |
John lobbed the ball to Jesus for a slam dunk. God planned this play and it was executed to perfection. But then John himself was executed, and that didn't feel like part of the plan at all. Jesus continued his three-year ministry without his most important supporter. John's disciples, including Andrew who also brought his brother Simon Peter, became Jesus' disciples. But John himself lost his head. Dead.