Here are some of my random thoughts from John 17-19. :]
John 17
I love how Jesus prays for himself, the disciples, and all believers. I find it interesting that He prays for Himself first... you would think He would pray for others first... always putting others before Himself, but I guess not in that case. Any thoughts on that? I love how He prays for protection over His disciples. My favorite verse from this section is, "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it." This is so simple, but I love it because our mission is to share Christ with people in this world. If Jesus were to pray for us to be taken from the world, we wouldn't be able to fulfill our mission, and His mission for us. But instead He simply prays for protection from the evil one. I love that. I also love verse 18: "As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world." We are following after Christ in every aspect - God sent Christ into the world, and now Christ is sending us into the world to continue His work. So cool.
I also love how Jesus prays for unity. Over and over you see, "I pray that they will be one as we are one." He wants us to be so unified together in Christ as Christ was united with His Father. I want that tight intimacy with Christ and the other believers! May we join forces and build up His army!
John 18
It's so cool how Jesus knows what Scriptures need to be fulfilled. John 18:9 says "This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled..." and back in verse 4 it says, "Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, 'Who is it that you want?'" He was so obedient to His Father - He knew what had to happen and He submitted to that. I pray that I am the same way with the Lord's will in my life. May I follow through obediently!
Something cool:
We talked about this in church once. John 18:37 says: Jesus answered, "...in fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth..." and then Pilate asks in v. 39, "What is truth?" Jesus doesn't respond. Interesting. So, what is truth? Jesus came to testify to the truth. The truth is the Gospel! It's that Jesus Christ is the Messiah - the one who came to this earth for no purpose other than to die for humanity, taking on the sins of the world. He came to conquer death so that we can spend eternity with our God. What are y'alls thoughts on this part? Why do you think Jesus doesn't respond to Pilate's question?
John 19
In Luke, Simon from Cyrene carries Jesus's cross, and in John's account, Jesus carries his own cross. Thoughts?
When the chief priests say to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews," Pilate answers, "What I have written, I have written." Thoughts on this? Was this Pilate's way of saying he believes that Christ is who He says He is? Was Pilate a believer?
Also, in Luke's account that we studied with Quest's Bible study, Jesus doesn't want to receive the wine vinegar drink because it was used to slightly dull the pain. (Isn't that what the note at the bottom of our Bible study packet said for that passage?) To my interpretation, Jesus didn't want anything numbing His pain during the crucifixion - He still had to minister to the other criminal while He was on the cross. He didn't want anything preventing His ministry. To my interpretation, Jesus wanted to feel all of the pain - He didn't want anything to even slightly numb it. In John's account, Jesus says, "I am thirsty" and drinks the wine vinegar, then says, "It is finished" and breathes His last. Also, the conversation between Jesus and the two criminals crucified with Him is not recorded in John's account.
Let me know what y'alls thoughts are. I don't have my study Bible with me while I've been reading these passages, so let me know if you have commentary that would be helpful! :]
Also - if you are reading this and have not yet posted on the blog, you need to become an author!! E-mail Cameron or I - cameron_cook@tamu.edu or keri.halvorson@tcu.edu . We created this blog for y'all to use!! :]
Hey Ker, well about the whole Jesus praying for himself first thing, I have an opinion if you'd like to hear it. Its kind of like how when you are pouring into others you have to be poured into first, or how on airplanes you're supposed to put on your oxygen mask first then help the small child or elderly person arround you. I guess they say that because if you're not elderly, a child, or disabled then you must be able. Jesus is perfect and able but depends on his closeness to his father which he has because he is perfect and sinless. What good would Jesus be to pray for others if he didn't have that relationship with God? How could you possibly help someone else if you can't breathe yourself? Everything Jesus does is an example for us.
ReplyDeleteJust my thoughts