Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.

Scripture, God’s Word, the Bible, it is living and active. You have probably heard that statement before. There is power in showing up consistently to read the Word of God. Keep it up! Keep showing up. Sometimes, our tendency is to breeze through passages or stories that we have read often or to haphazardly look at a passage that we think we are familiar with. Then, there is the other side of the pendulum. There are passages that seem difficult, names and places that are long and intimidating, so we don’t really fully show up to read those passages either. Uh oh. So If I am causally reading the familiar passages to check the box and quickly dismissing the challenging passages, when am I really showing up to scripture with the intent to be transformed?

I am guilty of this. And God used today’s reading, John 18, to remind me that His Word is living and active, and to approach it with reverence, awe, and a heart ready to be transformed. You see, the study of scripture is for transformation, not information. 

There is a lot that is happening in John 18.

• Jesus is betrayed and arrested.
• Peter denies knowing Jesus.
• Jesus stands trial before Pilate.
• Pilate hands Jesus over to be crucified.

But we are going to hang out in the first 11 verses. Let’s start in v.3 - 7.

“So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns, and weapons. Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, 'Who is it you want?' 'Jesus of Nazareth', they replied. 'I am He,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said 'I am He,' they drew back and fell to the ground. Again he asked them, 'Who is it that you want?'”

Here is what stood out to me that has had me reading those verses over and over again. The POWER of Jesus. The Bible tells us that Judas was guiding a “detachment of soldiers” (10-40 soldiers) with torches, lanterns, weapons, and bad intentions. Tough guys right? What does Jesus do? He goes to them; He doesn’t “shrink back” (Hebrews 10:38-39). He knows they are looking for Him, and He goes to them and asks them who they are looking for. When they reply that they are looking for Him, Jesus hits them with 3 words, “I am He.”

“When Jesus said, 'I am he,' they drew back and fell to the ground.” v.6.

POWER. Jesus is POWER.

“Again, he asked them, “Who is it that you want?” v7.

They are so shaken, that Jesus reminds them why they are there by asking them again who they are looking for. In my mind, I think in this moment, Jesus kind of shakes His head and smirks, embarrassed a little bit for these poor souls that have no idea what they are doing. 

A friend of mine once told me that we laugh and cry at the truth. I guess that is why I found myself chuckling as I realized that even while Jesus was being arrested, He was still in control!

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

• Pray this before diving into God’s Word every day: “God, what are you trying to show me? Open my mind and heart to your truth. Amen."
• Have you seen evidence of the Word being alive and active in your life? How has that power made you feel about God and what he does for you?

Family Devo: John 18

By: Amanda Carpenter

I love Easter and spring! It’s an amazing time to celebrate what Jesus did for us. The Easter story is not all unicorns and rainbows, though, is it? The beginning of the story can be heartbreaking and very difficult to read. In John 18, Jesus’ disciple, Judas, led the soldiers to Jesus so they could arrest Him. Jesus, without fear and with boldness, asks the soldiers who they want. When the soldiers say they are looking for Jesus, Jesus simply says, “I am He.” Wow! Jesus knew what the soldiers were going to do to Him, but He didn’t hide or fight. Even the soldiers were shocked and “fell to the ground.” Jesus knew He was going to die on the cross. But why? Why did Jesus so willingly give Himself to the soldiers? Because He LOVES YOU! He knew that if He gave Himself up, He would pay for your sins and my sins, and we could spend forever with Him in Heaven. Jesus decided it was worth ALL the pain and the death on the cross so you would not be separated from Him.

I so badly want you to understand the depth of love that Jesus has for you. The Bible says, “Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).

• What does Jesus’ love mean to you? Take a moment to think about how much He loves you.
• When He came, Jesus showed us how to love others the way He loves us. Show someone how much Jesus loves them by doing something kind for someone.
• Prayer: Lord, we are so thankful for what You did on the cross for us. Help us to truly understand how much You love us. Help us to share that love with others this week. Amen.