Read John 14:1-6.

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again,
and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (v. 3).

The disciples of Jesus were having a bad day! Jesus was still with them; they could see and touch him. He had just washed their feet. But all that good news had been negated by the bad news of 13:32: Jesus was soon going to leave them. And worse yet, Jesus had predicted that one of them would betray Him. It all made no sense to their worldview, and their confidence about the future disappeared like the morning dew. Like the psalmist in our verse yesterday, their spirits were “cast down within them.”
Jesus immediately begins the process of building their confidence on a firmer foundation. It is as though Jesus is saying in these opening verses of John 14, “Can you only trust me when you can see me?” It is a question he is asking to each of us!
Jesus wanted His disciples, including us, to understand that His Word should be a greater source of confidence than His presence. For Jesus, absence does not make the heart to wander. He is working just as much for us in His absence as in His presence! It is far better to be present with Him “there” than for Him to be present with us here. It was not until after Pentecost that the disciples were able to grasp what Jesus was saying. May the Holy Spirit also help us place more confidence in His Word than in His presence. (Gordon Snider)
“Time is filled with swift transition.
Naught of earth unmoved can stand.
Build your hopes on things eternal.
Hold to God’s unchanging hand.”
--- Jennie Wilson

Read John 20:19-23.

“Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you” (v. 19).

“Look, see who’s coming!” You and I know people whose entrance into a room changes the atmosphere. Some bring negativity with them – they look like they are about to fire the first shot into an otherwise tranquil crowd. Others bring in optimism – their first words upon entering bring hope. We hope that through the power of the resurrected Lord, we will be ambassadors of peace.
Exhausted by the emotions associated with Christ’s death and the haunting question, “What now?” the disciples huddled together in fear and uncertainty. Into that setting came the One who was the focus of their emotions. The transformative entrance of Christ can hardly be imagined.
Several things of significance happened in that room. They received proof of who Jesus was – He showed them His hands and side, v. 20. They received His purpose for them – “So send I you,” v. 21. They received power – “He breathed on them,” v. 22. They received principles for preaching reconciliation (Only God can forgive sins.), v.23. They received what was likely their greatest and immediate need – peace, vs. 19 and 21. Without peace, the things mentioned above are devalued. We must have His peace. The peace of Christ is the foundation upon which we can fabricate Christian character and ministry. (Lonnie Witt)
What a treasure I have In this wonderful peace,
Buried deep in the heart of my soul,
so secure that no power Can mine it away,
While the years of eternity roll!
--- Warren Cornell

Don’t huddle privately. Proclaim publically!

Read John 1:43-51.

“Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel” (v. 49).

What is your highest priority – the thing that matters most to you? While worship is a little challenging to define, One might say who or what you worship answers that question.
My paternal grandparents were poor people. My last memory of them was visiting them in a tiny house in Portland, Oregon. A house sided with tar paper and very sparsely furnished. What stands out even more is that, at the death of my grandmother, her five daughters-in-law created great tension over who received the remaining items. There were only a few cooking utensils, like an electric skillet, coffee pot, dishes, and cooking pots. The controversy became so heated that some of the women didn’t speak to each other for an extended time.
These women’s homes were much better than my grandmother’s and were evidently better off than my grandparents. What generated the heat and conflict? It seems their hearts were set on the material world rather than the eternal.
What you will create conflict over is a testimony of what or whom you worship. (GCS)
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
--- Helen Howarth Lemmel

Is the Lord Jesus the God reigning in your life,
or does this world control you?

Read Mark 14:53-65.
“For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together” (v.56).

“It is a little three-cornered thing inside of me,” explained the Native American. “When I do wrong, it turns round and hurts me very much. But if I keep doing wrong, it will turn so much that the corners become worn off, and it does not hurt me anymore.” This description of a conscience might be amusing, but it is significant and precise. These false witnesses must have been driven by bribes or promised prestige. Every man has his price. You don’t have to buy an honest person: he costs you nothing!
The Gospels record that Jesus was examined in four trials before He was finally put to death. First before Annas, a former high priest, then this trial before high priests and religious leaders; next, He stood before Pilate (twice), and finally before Herod Antipas. Jesus had to endure a long night of false accusations and torture under brutal religious and political figures.
Overriding their conscience and listening to the noisy crowd, these evil leaders refused to recall the miracle accounts of the lame made to walk, the dumb given speech, and the dead risen again. Jesus went about doing good! If you went about doing good, that would be a convincing and gracious testimony of God’s grace. As clearly is shown in this account, even innocent Jesus was misunderstood and falsely accused of a crime to fit in with man’s plan for His death. We can fully trust and lean upon our Savior, who willingly stood trial for our sins! (Beverly Tatam)
There are days so dark that I seek in vain
For the face of my Friend divine;
But though darkness hide, He is there to guide
By the touch of His hand on mine.
--- Jessie Pounds

“Relying on God has to start all over every day
as if nothing has yet been done.” (C. S. Lewis)