“Thank You, Lord”—Truly the words seem so small
The disciple John was with Jesus during the time prior to Jesus’ crucifixion. John was also present with Jesus, following Jesus’ command to walk in ministry with Him. It was John who shared the Passover meal with Jesus and the other disciples on the night before Jesus’ crucifixion. John was there when Jesus was arrested in the garden, and John was close by when Jesus was tortured, crucified, and buried in the tomb. Before Jesus died upon the cross, it was the disciple John who stood there at the foot of the cross with Mary, Jesus’ mother, and the other women. It was John who was given this detail by Jesus Himself:
“So when Jesus saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!”
(John 19: 26-27 NASB)
[meaning John would now care for Mary as her son]
“Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own household.”
[meaning that John cared for Mary, the mother of Jesus, from that day forward].
When Jesus arose from the dead three days later, when the women came to report that TRUTH, John ran faster than Peter to the tomb, “and he stooped to look in, and saw the linen wrappings lying there; however he did not go in [inside the empty tomb]” (John 20: 5 NASB). A few minutes later, after Peter ran inside, seeing all the evidence of the empty tomb, “So [it was John] the other disciple who had first come to the tomb also entered then, and he saw and believed” (John 20: 8 NASB).
Why would it be so important to see the empty tomb, to see the evidence, to see what John recorded within the Scriptures?
The disciple John provides us—
- An eye-witness account of what it was like to walk daily with Jesus.
- An opportunity to read the words Jesus spoke as He walked upon the earth.
- An assurance that even when we might encounter personal doubts about our salvation found through Jesus, we can return to God’s Word, read & believe—the TRUTH of GOD!
Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, the beloved disciple John shares all these details recorded in the Bible so we can Know that we Know that we Know—we are a child of God—if we have believed & asked Jesus Christ into our heart.
- Let us spend time on this Holy Thursday thanking God for His Salvation.
- Let us reflect on this fourth day of Holy Week thanking God for the Salvation He brings to humanity through His Son Jesus.
“Thank You”—Truly the words seem so small.
In reading John’s first letter, while reflecting how Jesus overcame the world, we see these words (penned by the disciple John Before & After the resurrection of JESUS):
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves the child born of Him.”
(1 John 5: 1-13 NASB)
[Thank You God for allowing the disciple John to echo the words of Jesus our Savior:
“so that everyone who believes will have eternal life in Him.” (John 3: 15 NASB)]
“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and follow His commandments.
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.
For whoever has been born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith.
Who is the one who overcomes the world, but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
For there are three that testify;
the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.
If we receive the testimony of people, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son.
The one who believes in the Son of God
[who believes in Jesus]
has the testimony in himself;
the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son.
And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
The one who has the Son has the life;
the one who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God,
[The beloved disciple John has written to believers—people like you & people like me—who believe in the resurrection of Jesus from the grave.]
so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
- “Thank You Jesus for dying upon the cross—for us”
- “Thank You Jesus for providing us the only way to come to know God.”
- “Thank You Jesus for staying buried within the tomb to prove the skeptics wrong.”
- “Thank You Jesus for resurrecting from the grave three days after Your crucifixion and death upon the cross of Calvary.”
- “Thank You”—Truly the words seem so small, yet we find we can utter these precious two words as we share with others the TRUTH about our Savior Jesus.
So, in reflecting on this Holy Thursday, we see how many actions Jesus did Before & After His Resurrection from the dead.
Let us see &
Let us believe.
Jesus died & resurrected from the grave—overcoming death—for us!
Jesus died & arose three days later—so we could come to know God through His Salvation!
Jesus Did!
The evidence found—proves JESUS IS TRULY THE ONLY TRUTH!
Re-read the disciple John’s account, today as we walk toward Resurrection Sunday.
Thank You, Jesus, for doing so much for each one of us!
The melody “Good Lord” by David Leonard voices through song our “Thank You, Lord.”
Listen today on this day as we walk toward Easter morning.
Listen and Praise God.
“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God,
(1 John 5: 13 NASB)
[believers: people like you & me—who believe in the resurrection of Jesus from the grave]
so that you may know that you have eternal life.”