Jesus prepares to leave, John 13-17

No one saw it coming. His disciples had not picked up on the hints. Jesus was preparing to go away. The cross was before him but no one but him anticipated it. If you keep your mind in the first century you would have never anticipated it either. What is Jesus supposed to say? what are the right words when you are preparing to leave quite unexpectedly?

Immediatley following the washing of the disciples feet, Jesus begins to explain his departure. He encourages the disciples to love each other, to know that he is going off to prepare a place for them and will return, and that he is going to send another Counselor in his absence. Yet, the disciples are numb. They cannot understand what this all means. Where could Jesus possibly be going where they could not follow?

Slip on the sandals of the disciples this week and wrestle with this question, "why did Jesus have to leave?". Read these 5 chapters in John over the course of the week and consider how you would've felt. It simply doesn't make sense that Jesus is going to leave. And it will soon take the disciples by surprise.

John 13, The Greatest Extent of His Love

The tides are about to change. Jesus' ministry is quickly building towards something very unprecedented. Join us this week as we journey into the life of Jesus as he prepares to give his life in a way that none of his disciples would have ever imagined.

the little boy who gave

The Greatest Commandment, Matthew 22:37-38

If you summed it all up, pressed it all down, simplified it at best, and put it into the tightest package possible....there are 2 Great things to get right...

Jesus Calms the Storm, Matthew 8:23

Do you have faith in the storms of your life?

Mathew 8:23-27 tells of the time when Jesus and His disciples were on a boat
in the middle of the Sea of Galilee and a huge storm erupts. The disciples
thought they were going to die so they woke up Jesus calmed the wind and
waves, but before he calmed the storm Jesus called out the disciples on
their little faith.

When storms erupt in your life do you run straight to Jesus? Or do you try
and fix/stop the storm by your own strength?

This story in Mathew shows us that when are life feels like its been rocked
by a storm that God will take care of everything if we lean on Him.

-joey

Eating With the Tax Collectors, Matthew 9:9-13

Would you dine with the dishonest?

Luke 10, The Good Samaritan

An expert in the law asks Jesus, "How do I inherit eternal life?" Jesus then responds by asking him how he would answer the question. He says, "Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself."

Jesus sees this as a great response....

But the man had something else he was itching to ask. "Who is really my neighbor?" he asks.

And so Jesus tells a story. (Read Lk 10:30-35)

One thing we have learned about Jesus is that he always gets to the heart of the matter. The man probably wasn't a fan of Jesus making a Samaritan the hero of a story. In fact, he couldn't even bring himself to say..the samaritan. he simply said, "the one who had mercy on him". You can feel the tension in his own heart. The one...that one man...is the one he hoped he didn't have to include as his neighbor.

The story of the Good Samaritan needs to be retitled. Because it's a story about loving people you hate. We don't have any Samaritans around us today. In fact, the title "Good Samaritan" is a very pleasant thought in our society today. if jesus were telling the story today i imagine he would replace the Samaritan with an illegal immigrant. or perhaps an Arab Muslim. or maybe your brother or your parents. maybe even a friend that has stabbed you in the back. Why would it be titled that way?

Because the point of the story is to point out the hatred in our own hearts. So retitle the story in your own mind.

The Good _______________