Tag Archives: John

John 15:5

I am absolutely hopeless with plants. Every time I think it would be nice to have a pot plant in my house, I inevitably kill it off. Recently, I thought it was different. On a recent trip to Kew Gardens, I developed a childlike fascination with the carnivorous plants, particularly the classic Venus Fly Trap. When we reached the shop at the end of my visit, I decided that I would buy one. This plant, I decided, would be different. I would look after it, and it would live for longer than a couple of weeks. Well, it did, but after the third week it died. I guess I’m just not cut out for looking after plants!

In today’s verse, Jesus compares himself to a vine. Vines are vast plants that shoot off hundreds of branches from the one central stem. My uncle, Rod, has one in his conservatory, and if he didn’t look after it, it would rapidly grow so that no one could sit in the sun. We, Jesus says, are like those branches. We need to stay connected to Jesus, the central stem of the vine, if we are to bear fruit. A branch that is no longer connected to the vine cannot grow any fruit, and will eventually die off. Those that are connected to the vine, however, will continue to bear fruit, year after year. If we bear spiritual fruit, then we demonstrate that we are still “in” Christ, and therefore can be assured of our salvation. If, however, we separate ourselves from Jesus, we can do nothing – we will be unable to produce any spiritual fruit at all. If that is the case, then like the branch that becomes detached from the vine, we will wither and die.

Are you rooted in Christ? Are you connected to the vine? Do you bear spiritual fruit that demonstrates that you are a follower of Christ?

John 10:11-12

When I taught at a school in the middle of the City of London, we used to have regular bomb drills, in the same way that most schools and businesses have fire drills.  One day, we had a drill and the whole school had to evacuate the building and muster at a point on the embankment.  The day was particularly memorable, since that very afternoon, we had a real bomb alert.  It was thought that someone had placed a bomb at the side of the school, and we were all urged to evacuate as quickly as possible, and not to stop to collect anything.  It was pretty terrifying.  As a teacher, without thinking, my priority was to get the pupils safely out of the school.  I therefore found myself patrolling the corridor next to where the bomb was supposed to be, hurrying the children up.  There was no attempt at heroism on my part, it was just what any teacher would do in that position.  Luckily, it was a false alarm, there was no bomb, and everyone was safe.

In today’s verse, Jesus describes himself as the “good shepherd.”  He says that a good shepherd thinks first of his sheep, before any danger that he might confront.  His number one priority is his sheep, and if necessary, he would lay down his life to ensure that his flock was safe and secure.  He compares the shepherd to the mere hired hand; the hired hand would think first of all of himself, and his own safety and welfare.  If he and the flock were threatened, his instinct would be to flee.  Without the shepherd, the sheep are doomed, and find themselves susceptible to attack.

Jesus, of course, did lay down his life for his “flock” – those who believe and trust in him.  He went to the cross and died in agony, taking on the sins of his “flock.”  By doing so, and defeating death by rising again three days later, Jesus ensured that we, as his followers, are safe from attack.  He will watch over us as a shepherd looks over his sheep.  As a result of his actions, we can be secure in the knowledge that we are saved from sin and the devil, and that, when the time comes, we can be reunited with God the Father in heaven.

Praise Jesus today for his willingness to be our good shepherd!

John 10:9

I have this bizarre fear of it raining over night. Not because I am afraid of rain, or the night, or the dark, but because I am concerned about what the dampness in the air might do to my bedroom door. For some reason, when it rains, the door expands to the point that it is very hard to open or close it without it jamming. My fear, then, is that one night it will rain heavily, my door will expand, and I’ll end up stuck in my bedroom until my housemate comes home, and I can ask her to kick the door down. Doors always seem to cause me problems. I’ve lost track of the number of watches I’ve scratched from walking into door frames.

In today’s verse, Jesus talks about entering heaven through a door. I for one hope that that particular door won’t jam with me on the outside! Jesus explains to those listening that he is himself the door to heaven. Anyone hoping to enter heaven has to enter through him. He is quite clear that he is not “a” door – one of many different entrances to heaven – but “the” door – the only one through which we can gain access to God’s eternal kingdom. If we accept that Jesus is the only entry point to heaven, and attempt to live our lives in a way that honours and glorifies him, Jesus says that we WILL be saved. What’s more, the description of heaven as a pasture sounds like somewhere I would like to be – a place where we have all that we need, where we can be sure of God’s provision, and can rest peacefully.

The question today, then, is whether you accept Jesus as the only entry point to heaven. Once you have done that, then you have much to be thankful for; you can be sure of God’s salvation, and of his boundless provision for you.

John 8:12

I’m currently reading a book by Charlie Connelly called “Attention to Shipping.” It’s billed as “a journey round the shipping forecast,” and in it, Charlie visits places in each of the areas of the shipping forecast. If you’re a fan of this bizarre Radio 4 institution, like me, it’s a great read. I’ve just read the section on Cromarty, in which the author learns all about Bell Rock Lighthouse. This amazing building was constructed by Robert Stevenson (the grandfather of writer Robert Louis Stevenson) to stand atop the Bell Rock, one of the most notorious rocks off the Scottish coast. The lighthouse was built because many boats had grounded on the rock, and many sailors had been killed. The Bell Rock Lighthouse celebrates it’s 200th birthday this year, and throughout that time, it has guided ships through the darkness, preventing them from being dashed on the rocks.

In today’s verse, Jesus describes himself as the “light of the world, “ and says that those who follow him will never walk in darkness, but have the light of life. Just as the Bell Rock lighthouse directs ships away from the rocks that would wreck them, so too Jesus illluminates the darkness of the world around us, and helps to draw us closer to God. The darkness of the world – namely the sin that exists all around us – has the potential to destroy our lives. If we chose to ignore the light of Christ, and to live in the darkness, we are doomed to an eternity of separation from God. If, instead, we follow Jesus, he will illuminate a clear way for us so that when the time comes we can be reunited with God in his new creation. When we follow Christ, we too have that light, and shine as beacons to those around us. Christ will shine through us, and bring those who we encounter to God. It is doubly important, then, that we choose to follow the light of Christ!

Do you chose to follow Jesus, the light of the world, or do you prefer to wallow in the darkness? Does the light of Christ shine through you, so that people might know Christ because of your example?

John 6:35

This weekend I visited Debenhams with Claire, my fiancee, to start getting some ideas for our wedding list. One of the things we thought it might be quite nice to ask for was a bread machine. Debenhams had some pretty impressive examples! One had a special tray which you could put seeds of dried fruit into. At a given time during the bread making cycle, it would add the seeds or fruit into the bread. The one that impressed me the most, though, could make lots of different things including doughnuts and – get this – jam! I wondered if it could make bread and jam simultaneously, then slice the bread, and then make a jam sandwich. How brilliant would it be to tip a whole load of ingredients into the machine, and then end up with a round of freshly made jam sandwiches! I’d never go hungry again!

In today’s verse, Jesus declares himself to be the bread of life. Whoever goes to him, he says, will never be hungry or thirsty. Jesus is not some special bread maker, though, who provides bread on demand to his followers. The bread that Jesus refers to is “the bread of life,” the stuff that sustains life itself. It is said that all humans have a “god-shaped hole” in their souls, and that we can never find true peace until we fill that hole with the only thing that will fit it – namely God. Similarly, we can only fill the longing of our souls if we turn to Christ, because he is the only thing that will sustain us in this way. The only source of true spiritual nourishment is Christ. People may look to other religions or new age beliefs. They may try to find true nourishment through money or power, sex or drugs, potions or spells, but there is only one source of true spiritual nourishment. That is Jesus Christ. He knows what it is our souls cry out for, and he can provide it to us. He knows that it is the knowledge of God that we all seek, whether knowingly or not, and he is the only one who can lead us to him. Because of his death on the cross, we can once again approach God in the knowledge that our sin has been paid for.

Do you know Jesus? Do you listen to his words through reading scripture? Do you ask him to support and sustain you? Do you believe in him?