SOAP 08/17/2016; John 19:10-11

Today's reading: Jeremiah 23, 24, 25; John 19

S) "¹⁰ So Pilate *said to Him, 'You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?' ¹¹ Jesus answered, 'You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given to you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.'"

John 19:10-11 (NASB)

O) By his own admission, Pilate had the authority to release Jesus. Regardless of what the mob outside was crying, he held the authority. The thing about authority is, that person bears responsibility for their actions done with that authority. Jesus confirms the culpability of Pilate, when he said the "one who delivered" (referring to Judas, or else possibly Caiaphas) had the greater sin. That is to say, Pilate would indeed be guilty of a sin in his refusal to release Jesus, even if it was a lesser sin by comparison. Now, about the authority given to Pilate, it is a little unclear exactly who Jesus means had given that to Pilate. On the one hand, God is certainly above, and He sets rulers over people (see Romans 13:1). On the other hand Pilate was a kind of regent of Caesar, given political authority of the area by a higher ruler, with others above him in a heirarchy. In either case, I think Jesus was humbling Pilate, asserting that he wasn't as able as he maybe thought himself to be.

A) While I'm surely never going to have a hand such a dramatic display of authority or power, the temptation to think I am more able than I truly am, creeps up more often than I like. Specific to authority, I must remember that I am not sovereign in any arena. In my family, my authority is given, really, solely by God's ordination of family. I am the head of my wife, and I have authority over my children. That authority is not mine to wield however it pleases me. I am still an agent of Jesus Christ, who is my head, to lead, serve, protect, teach, and love my family. My authority is not something that allows me to make choices on my whim, but it puts me at crossroads to take responsibility in leading them, and to some degree as testing me. In virtually any other area where I may have authority, it would first of all still be from God, but also with other people involved. In those instances, my authority is very much like over my family, in that it's still not about me or my achieving. Authority at work, or in ministry, or any other way, is still going to be about glorifying Jesus Christ as my Lord. I've often said about work, that I want to make my boss look good. That has never been more true, than it is about my Authority, Jesus Christ. I want to exercise any authority I have, to make my Superior, my Savior, look good.

P) Father, You are mighty and wise. You alone are truly sovereign, God. Whatever authority I am ever given, let me fill that role with proper respect to the responsibility I bear. Above all else, let me be focused on my responsibility to glorify my Lord, Jesus Christ. Let Your will be done in me, and through me. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 08/16/2016; John 18:36-38

Today's reading: 2 Kings 24; Jeremiah 22; Psalm 112; John 18

S) "³⁶ Jesus answered, 'My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.' ³⁷ Therefore Pilate said to Him, 'So You are a king?' Jesus answered, 'You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.' ³⁸ Pilate *said to Him, 'What is truth?'
And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and *said to them, 'I find no guilt in Him.'"

John 18:36-38 (NASB)

O) Pilate had asked Jesus if He was king of the Jews, and Jesus asked if this was something Pilate wondered himself, or if he was asking on behalf of someone else (vv.33-34). After this, the response Pilate gave (v.35), almost gives the impression that he is already trying to keep himself out of this conflict. We know that his wife actually warned him not to get involved (see Matthew 27:19), and at the end of his involvement, Pilate tried to claim no fault of his own (see Matthew 27:24). However, Pilate certainly had the authority to release Jesus (see John 19:10), and yet his fear of men overwhelmed his better judgment. What really compels me about this particular section of verses, though, is the veiled confession of Pilate, when he voiced his, seemingly, rhetorical question, "What is truth?" This is a confession, at its core, that Pilate is struggling to understand life at its most basic level. When confronted with an absolute claim about truth, he is utterly lost. This is a deeply tragic glimpse into a man, whose confusion about truth has become all too familiar to my culture, today. And ultimately, Pilate was experiencing exactly what Jesus warned, that if we do not build upon the solid foundation, then when the storms of life come, our house will wash away.

A) Jesus is the Rock, the foundation that was laid, and Jesus is the Truth. If I am not built on Him, if I do not know Him, if I do not hear His voice, if I am not of His truth, then I will crumble in the face the storms of life, and I certainly will not be able to resist the crowds yelling at me to have their way with the things, for which, I am myself responsible. God has given me a sphere of responsibility, talents, authority. He expects me to do His will with those things, within that sphere. Contrastly, the world wants their way with my responsibilities. If I am not able to recognize the absolute truth, as God describes it, then I will be hopeless in my desire to fulfill God's purposes in my life. Without purpose, life loses meaning. Without meaning, life loses value. Without value, life loses life. It must begin somewhere, and in order to make sense of anything,  it must start with truth itself. I must acknowledge that truth, by definition, can never be relative or subjective. More than anything else, the deepest, most dependable, solid, and unchanging truth, is found in the holy Bible. What He had done, what He has said, and who He is. Starting with that, and using Jesus as my foundation for what is true, unalterable, and firm, only then will I be able to move outward to view the rest of the world with a frame of reference that keeps making sense, because I hold certain truths to be absolute.

P) Father, I know that my understanding, my ability to reason, my eyes being opened to the truth, this is only because of Your grace. Thank You, Lord God, for the dependable, unchanging, and absolute truth of who You are, and for revealing Yourself to creation. Help me, God, to better understand truth. Give me wisdom, to answer the question I hear unspoken in the words of people around me, when they are pleading to know, "What is truth?" Let me be compassionate and loving, and bold and firm, to explain that Jesus Christ is Truth. In Him alone, will they find the way and light, and the truth they so desperately seek. To You be all glory and praise and power, forever. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 08/15/2016; John 17:22-23

Today's reading: Jeremiah 18, 19, 20; Psalm 93; John 17

S) "²² The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; ²³ I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me."

John 17:22-23 (NASB)

O) Jesus was praying a finally blessing for His disciples, and not only the eleven that were with Him, but those who would later believe (v.20). A huge point of emphasis is made about unity. This shouldn't really be a surprise, as unity between believers is brought up throughout the New Testament. But, in this particular passage, Jesus compares that unity with the same unity He shares with the Father. This is no light comparison. And, to almost further His point, He actually gives us at least one reason this is so important. Just as His unity with the Father was central to the gospel message, Jesus says this unity between believers is so that the world will know that Jesus was sent by the Father.

A) This passage, like John 13:35, is another illustration of two important things I must keep in mind. First, is that evangelism is less often about a convincing speech or canvassing a neighborhood. More often than not, being an effective witness for Christ is about relationship. As a person gets to know me, that person will see me loving others as Christ loved them. Likewise, as a person gets to know me, that person will see my unity with my brothers and sisters in Christ, and that will show them the truth that the Father sent Jesus, and the Father loves His children, even as He loved Christ. Second, this passage reminds me (again, just as John 13:35 and others), that my love, my unity, my life, it's all about the glory of God. Furthermore, that is not an abstract concept, but a practical and purposeful plan. Effectively glorifying God means more people will recognize Him, and more people will come to know Him. Living my life to the glory of God means that I am actively promoting His will, which is that none should perish, but all would come to repentance.

P) Father, to You be all glory, God. You are worthy of devotion, worship, and servitude. Let me be more conscious, more deliberate with my life, that I would be intent on glorifying You with my actions, with my words, with my lifestyle. Forgive me, because far too often I am living my life without acknowledging Your glory. I confess that too often, I am doing what pleases me, without giving consideration to whether or not my choice is glorifying You. Help me to be more aware, and quite frankly, to be more bold in order that You would receive more glory. Help me effectively lead my wife, and lead my kids, to keep our family culture about Your glory. You are the best thing that ever happened to me, God. I am fully convinced that there is nothing better than to be in a growing relationship with You. To that end, I want my life to reflect Your glory, that more people would come to know You as I do, or else to know You even better. Let that be my happy goal. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 08/14/2016; John 16:22

Today's reading: Jeremiah 16, 17, Psalm 96; John 16

S) "²² Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you."

John 16:22 (NASB)

O) Jesus had, apparently, confused His disciples by telling them that in a little while they'd no longer see Him, and also in a little while they'd see Him again (vv.16-19). He was speaking, as we now know, of His burial and resurrection. As He warned them, the world was going to celebrate, while they grieved. But, like a woman who has given birth, their grief would turn to joy (v.21). Then, the glorious promise, that our joy cannot be taken from us.

A) This verse is really displaying a key difference between what we should call joy, as Christians, as opposed to happiness. Really, this has everything to do with foundation. Lots of things make me happy, but they are all temporal, circumstantial things. There's nothing wrong with that, at all. Likewise, many things can make me sad, but again they are finite happenings. However, my joy is to be built on something much bigger than life circumstances or daily events. My joy is dependent on nothing further than the resurrection of Christ Jesus, my Lord. Certainly, there are complex implications to that, all of which shine on a different facet of the same glory. For example, the righteousness of Jesus is cause for great joy, because that made His sacrifice acceptable (), and His righteousness was proven in the resurrection. Likewise, His blood shed for me is cause for great joy, but that blood being shed was only worthy because of His righteousness, which was again proven in His resurrection. So, His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension is, altogether, cause for great joy in my life. Those facts will never change, because He is eternally resurrected, eternally victorious, eternally alive. So, my joy can never be taken, because Jesus lives! That means it is possible for me to be sad about one thing, and at that same time, be joyful about my Savior. I can be happy about one thing, and joyful altogether separately.

P) Father, thank You for my joy. Thank You for the grace at work in the cross, and all it means. Let me dwell on this great grace more often, that I may also dwell on the reason for my joy. Even in the face of great sadness, help me to display my joy in Your grace, that it would be a testimony to Your glory, about the salvation given through Jesus Christ. Thank You for this joy, which cannot be diminished or stolen. Thank You for this joy, that is secured in the unchanging work of Jesus Christ. To You be all glory and praise. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 08/13/2016; John 15:20

Today's reading: Jeremiah 13, 14, 15; John 15

S) "²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also."

John 15:20 (NASB)

O) Jesus was in the middle of a warning, that was also an encouragement. He was reminding the disciples that, if they are truly His and therefore like Him, the world will hate them, too. This in itself is a warning that continuing in His name would bring persecution. However, in this same passage He again promises the Holy Spirit to them, but also just in the verse above, He is assuring the apostles that their persecution for His sake is a sign that they are His, that they are unified with Him. If they are really His followers, the world will treat them like they treated Jesus.

A) To be clear, this warning still applies to millions of Christians very directly, whose faith in Jesus Christ puts them in harm's way. That's not the case in my country (and I thank God for that), although the culture has certainly turned from where it was, even just when I was a kid 25 years ago. I'll take some comfort in knowing that doing the right thing isn't going to be popular with the world, but if it's what Jesus would do, then it's popular with Him and I am in the same company as the apostles of Jesus. Remembering this warning is good, however, there is one more applicable part to this verse. The last line of the verse is still primarily about the world that hates Jesus, but it has a sort of inverted instruction in it. That is to say, Jesus is saying that if I want to keep His words (obey, respect, and honor His words), then I must also keep the words of His apostles. This is further evidence that the writings of the New Testament, beyond just the gospels, is authoritative.

P) Father, holy and great is Your name. You are my Protector, my Healer, my Provider, and my God. I want to worship, honor, and praise You better, God. I want to glorify You with my whole being, more consistently. I confess that I am still prone to distraction and self-worship. Help me do a better job keeping all of Your word, Lord. Help me keep the words of the Bible in mind, the instructions, the warnings, the displays of who You are. Let me focus myself more on You, even while I am doing other things. Help me to be mindful of You. Please forgive me for my sins, and let my repentance glorify Your mercy and grace. Let Your will be done. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 08/12/2016; John 14:15

Today's reading: Jeremiah 10, 11, 12; John 14

S) "¹⁵ If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."

John 14:15 (NASB)

O) After further asserting His unity with the Father, Jesus transitions into an encouraging explanation of the coming Holy Spirit. Intertwined in these two topics, He also reminds them to remain faithful and obedient to His teaching. This is blended with these topics because His authority is in His oneness with the Father, and because the Holy Spirit will lead them and remind them of all Jesus said. The most clear statement He makes, which isn't even compromised if taken out of context, is the verse above. We must remember, in reading this verse, that love is not simply an emotional response, or a feeling (although that can propel us to love), it is a decision to act, to do, to be. Love looks like a lot of different things, depending on the person we are trying to love. In the case of Christ, He has no needs for us to meet, He has no deficiency for us to fill. So going beyond adoration or affinity, our love for Christ means we should be obedient to Him, and keep His commandments (v.21) and word (v.23).

A) Yesterday, I talked about how I want to love my wife like Jesus loves her, not just like I love myself. Today, it's almost an inverse concept. I want to love Jesus, not as I love my wife, or as I love myself, or even as Jesus loves me. I want to love Him the way He wants me to love Him. In both cases, it's really a matter of submitting to the definition of love according to Christ, and with respect to the person I am loving. There will certainly be times I fail to love Christ, according to His definition. This is the same as me sometimes failing to love my wife according to His definition. However, just like a bad day doesn't mean I don't love my wife, a bad day doesn't mean I don't love Christ. The question is my over all concern, the posture of my heart, the lifestyle I keep in general. On any given day, I strive to love my wife as Jesus loves the church, and I strive to love Him by keeping His commands.

P) Father, thank You for the gospel. Thank You for Your sovereignty and grace, Your plan for redemption. Thank You for opening my eyes and ears. I want to love more accurately, Lord. I want to love Jesus like He wants me to... and my wife like He does. Let me be more dedicated to this today, than I was yesterday, and more tomorrow than I am today. Let Your will be done in me, that I might give You the love You desire, the love You deserve, and the love You define. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 08/11/2016; John 13:34-35

Today's reading: Jeremiah 7, 8, 9; John 13

S) "³⁴ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ³⁵ By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

John 13:34-35 (NASB)

O) When Jesus was asked which commandment was the greatest of the Law, He replied that it was to love the LORD with all that we are. Then He said the second was like it, to love our neighbor as ourselves. As famous as it is that Jesus said this (even the world will quote the second part as the "Golden Rule," Those were not at all new commandments (although Jesus clarified the broader definition of neighbor). However, here in the upper room, during the Passover before His crucifixion, He does give a new commandment. It's new, primarily, because the world had never seen an example of love like that which Jesus had for His disciples. Put simply, Jesus is better at loving us, than we are at loving ourselves. This is how the world will know that we are His disciples, if we love each other, not just as we love us, but as Jesus loves us.

A) The real focus here, is for me to be like Jesus. The first place my mind went with this verse, in applying it to my life, was the passage in Ephesians, where husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loves the church. I don't want to just love Kristin as I love myself, I want to love Kristin as Jesus loves Kristin. The same is true for my children. The same is true for my extended family, or my friends, or brothers and sisters in the body of Christ, or even strangers and enemies. The focus here, is to strive to see others the way Jesus sees them. That's what it means to be a disciple, anyway. I want to emulate the manners, discipline, behaviors, habits, practices, and lifestyle of my Master. In order to do that, I must study the way He loves, the way He walked and talked. I must know His heart for people. In order to do that, I must be attentive when I read my Bible. It's not enough to just read it by routine. I must approach it with intent. A perfect example is in this same chapter. Jesus spoke these words just after He had washed the feet of His disciples. And, it's notable that there is no mention He avoided the feet of Judas Iscariot. I must love, even those who betray me, like Jesus did (understanding that there are still boundaries and issues of trust). That's certainly not always easy, but if I am already submitting myself as is disciple, then it's not up to me anymore.

P) Father, Your love for me is really beyond my comprehension. However, there is a great deal about it that I can still apprehend from Scripture, and some I can even comprehend from my love for my children. But, I want to know it more because I want to be a better disciple of Jesus. You are holy, and so I want to make myself holy, devoted and separated for Your purposes and not my own. Open my eyes and ears, that I may better follow the guiding of the Holy Spirit. Help me to be sensitive to His lead, and also give me the strength and will to heed those convictions, and not just recognize them. Let Your will be done, not mine, as I try to focus more and more on loving others as Jesus loves them, and not simply as I love myself. Thank You, Lord, that Jesus is better at loving me than I am at loving myself. That has never been so clear, as it is shown in the truth and reality of the cross. Let me be vocal about my need for the gospel, and plainly tell people that Jesus is better at loving them, than they are at loving themselves. Let me teach that to my kids, and encourage my wife with it. I pray that when others hear me call myself a Christian, that it resonates within them, because they see the love of Jesus through me. All this to Your glory alone. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.