Live to Love Scripture Encouragement

John 19:32-34 “So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.” Jesus was dead. What more could they do to Him to increase the pain or hasten His death? The others weren't dead yet, so the soldiers' job was unfinished. The jab of the spear was to confirm that Jesus was dead. It wasn't to kill. God may do something similar with those who are His. We died when Jesus died. Death, sin, and fear of death were defeated. We died to self so we might live to God. God will send people to make sure we are dead. If we are not dead to ourselves, then expect them to “break our legs.” Our legs are the things on which we trust rather than trusting in Jesus' death and resurrection. If we have died to ourselves, we should also expect God to send people to pierce us. Don't blame them. They are God's agents confirming that we indeed died when Jesus died. When love flows out of our hearts, it proves that we are dead to this world and satisfied in Him alone. Loving with Jesus isn't possible as long as we are hanging on to this life. We must give up our spirits to God and trust Him to give us life. Then love will come out. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 19:31 “Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.” Did those Jews have no shame? They had no problem with unjustly trying and condemning Jesus, but wanted to be sure they observed the law in Deut. 21:23 not to leave a dead body unburied. They swallowed the proverbial camel and strained the gnat! Had it not been a “high day” Sabbath, both the first day of Passover and the normal Sabbath, they would have had no problem leaving His body on the cross to putrify and be eaten by the buzzards, as the Romans usually did. Let's pause, think about this hypocrisy, and examine ourselves before we are incensed at their lack of shame and hateful cruelty. At the heart of the matter was a lack of fear of God and a desire for approval from men. Jesus had said of them, “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God” (John 5:44)? Have we ever thoughtlessly spoken ill of someone with whom we disagreed so that their reputation might be destroyed and our reputation enhanced in the eyes of our followers or friends? I'm ashamed to say that I have been guilty of the same hypocrisy. Today, let me encourage us to purify our souls from the shameful desire for glory from men, so we can sincerely and fervently love others God puts in our paths today, for His glory. If we don't, we allow the same shameful, hypocritical attitude in our souls that would murder a man and then seek to gain more followers on social media for doing so. The reason it is important to live to love with Jesus is that such a purpose in life will protect us from doing what the Jews did. We live to love with Jesus because we seek glory from the one and only God. That's why Jesus loved us—to glorify the Father and to be glorified by the Father. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com 0 Comments

John 19:30 “Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!' And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” After fulfilling the last Scripture He knew to fulfill, Jesus had one last thing to do. Breathe His last breath knowing He would not be able to exhale. He suffocated and gave up His spirit to His Father—yet He did not die—His spirit did not die. In a moment, He was with His Father. The work was done. He could sit down on His Father's throne and take an eternal Sabbath rest. It was the Passover rest. The lamb had been sacrificed. The blood shed. The blood sprinkled on the altar, the mercy seat, the Priest (the Son), and the worshippers. It was time to celebrate and enjoy the salvation of God. Can you imagine the immediate relief of leaving His body and this world of pain, misery, and suffering? Please take a moment and do so. Your time is coming! You and I will come to that moment when we too can say, “It is finished.” Our journey in this world is over. We will breathe our last breath, leave our bodies sleeping here on earth, and immediately experience the same relief Jesus did and and enter into the presence of our God and Father, Jesus Christ. What a glorious day that will be! We will be raised up and united with Him by the power of the Holy Spirit. We will experience the reality of what we now know positionally. We are one with Jesus just as Jesus is one with the Father. To God be the glory. That hope is what births faith and love, for Paul wrote to the Colossians, Col. 1:3-6 “We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth.” We believe and love because of the hope of the gospel. We know we will breathe our last breath on earth and in the next moment breathe in our first breath of eternal life in heaven which will never end. Have you heard this gospel in your heart? Is it bearing the fruit of faith and love in your heart? Are faith and love increasing as you walk in the grace of God in truth? We live to love with Jesus because of the hope of the gospel. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 19:28-29 “After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, ‘I am thirsty.' A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth.” Again John shows us that Jesus is the Messiah, the One sent by God to be the savior of the world. This Scripture was fulfilled. John brings to our remembrance Ps. 69:21. ‘They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.” He wants there to be no doubt about who was on that cross and what it means to us. Jesus left nothing undone. Drinking the sour wine was one of the last things to be accomplished now before returning to His Father. He did this to fulfill Scripture. That means He did it because He loves you! You needed to see this testimony of God's faithfulness. He couldn't leave it out or undone. God decided it was important for you to know Jesus did all things His Father willed so you could believe and be saved. Your salvation is perfect. It's complete. It is grounded upon the eternal Word of God. Jesus, thank You for accomplishing all of the Father's will and for fulfilling the Scripture because you love us. We believe because it is the Father's will, and we love because You have loved us. Glorify Your name in us today as we accomplish our Father's will and fulfill the Scriptures, “By this, all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 19:26-27 “When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!' Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!' From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.” Before going to His Father, Jesus had one last responsibility as Mary's oldest son. He knew He was leaving within minutes, but His mother was to remain a while longer on the earth. She needed to be cared for. At that moment, apparently none of His siblings were believers, so He wanted Mary to know she would be cared for. He gave her into the hands of His beloved disciple, John, who took her into his care from that hour. I have not often considered that John even had a household to take her into. Perhaps he was married like Peter was. Perhaps he had children. We know John's brother, James, was a believer also. Other than that, we don't have much info about John's household. But this we know. Jesus recognized the family of faith is more important than flesh and blood family. When we come to Jesus, we come to a new family of faith. We gain new fathers and mothers, new brothers and sisters, with Jesus as the head of the family. To receive and love them is to receive and love Him. As believers we are all in God's household. We are disciples whom Jesus loves. Just as Jesus loved John and gave him someone to love, so He loves us, and gives us others to love. May we take up the responsibility as quickly and willingly as John did. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 19:25b “But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.” It's hard to imagine how difficult it must have been for these women to watch Jesus suffer so. We also cannot know what Jesus felt knowing they were there, but knowing God is love gives us insight. We know He wasn't self-conscious. He was perfectly love-conscious. He knew what they were watching was to result in their salvation, their ultimate union with Him, and change everything in their lives. He was almost finished fulfilling His Father's will. Within moments, He would be with His Father rejoicing in His love and glory. I hope you'll join me in pausing to put yourself at the foot of Jesus' cross and receive His love. The women didn't know at that time the significance of what they were watching, but they do now! And so do we! While we were still sinners, Christ died for us, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God. There, He presents us spotless, blameless, and covered in His righteousness. Can we see His love and joy? Have you entered into it by loving like He loved? By that I mean, have you willingly, intentionally, and lovingly laid down your life so another might stand before you spotless, blameless, and covered in Jesus' righteousness? Have you loved others with Jesus' love? Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 19:23-25a “Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. So they said to one another, ‘Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be'; this was to fulfill the Scripture: ‘They divided My outer garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.'” Therefore the soldiers did these things. As I read these two verses, I can't help but wonder what it would have been like for the soldier who walked away with Jesus' tunic to put on the cloak of a man he had mocked, whipped, shamed, stripped, and crucified? But I miss the point. The point of John was that he wanted us to know Jesus is the Messiah, the savior of the world. He is the One of whom the prophets spoke. This Jesus came to serve us by giving us His coat or tunic of righteousness. It was seamless and in one piece. There were no tears, no breaks, no flaws. It was perfect. What an amazing metaphor. We have no righteousness. We are dressed in filthy rags. But Jesus, the Righteous One, laid down His life, and clothed us in His righteousness. Our living to love with Him is a testimony of His righteousness, we are showing off the coat, the tunic, that God has chosen to give us. It is God who decides the tossing of the lot. He has chosen that we receive it, and we should wear it in humility and gratitude today and everyday. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 19:19-22 “Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was written, ‘JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.' Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin and in Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, ‘Do not write, “The King of the Jews”; but that He said, “I am King of the Jews.”' Pilate answered, ‘What I have written I have written.'” What was the purpose of the inscription that Pilate put on the cross? It was to show the world what happens to people who commit crimes against the Roman state. The crimes of the criminals certainly were also posted. In Pilate's mind, he was ridding the world of competition to Caesar, Herod, himself and Rome. Jesus said He was the, not just a king of the Jews. As far as Rome was concerned, Jesus was who He said He was, and therefore He was crucified. But the Jews were ticked off with that statement because it was placarded as the truth. They viewed Jesus as an impostor, a deluded crazy man, and an embarrassment to them. Let us be in awe at this great truth proclaimed by both Pilate and John. What occurred that day on Golgotha, was the revelation of a new kind of King—a king who conquered the enemies of His people by dying for them. Where as kings of the earth rule by totalitarianism and brute force, this King, died to set His people free. He did not lose His kingdom that day, He established it by His love. And so we learn from this that to live with Him, we die. To reign with Him, we serve, and the unbelieving world will never understand until He returns with us in glory. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 19:18 “There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between.” Listen to the prophecy fulfilled in John's explanation of the crucifixion. There are none of the gory details, just a few important things to know about Jesus's death so His readers might believe that Jesus is the Messiah of whom the prophet Isaiah wrote in 53:10-12 “But the Lord (that's God, the Father) was pleased to crush Him (that's Jesus the Son), putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.” This is John's point in testifying that Jesus was crucified with two other men, two other transgressors. We learn from Luke's account that they were criminals. From an earthly perspective, Jesus' death looked like the deserved death of the other men who had broken Roman laws. But it was not as it appeared. Love is willing to be misunderstood, suffer unjustly, and be shamed, despised, and rejected among men in order to please the Father. It seems that followers of Jesus have more reasons today to expect the same treatment. Do not be shocked when true Christians are considered criminals by the world and by religious people. Let's notice Isaiah's comment, “because He poured out Himself to death.” Let us live to love with Jesus with the understanding that our Father is not only pleased when we pour ourselves out in death to self in order to love with Jesus, but that we will be rewarded with Him as well. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 19:17 “They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha.” Let's consider God's word in Is. 66:1. “Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool.” In Nov of 1997 I remember looking up at what was thought to be Golgotha. The hillside seemed to have the image of a face of a skull. I could imagine three crosses with men hanging on them. In light of Isaiah's revelation, I can imagine the Father in heaven on His throne looking down at His feet where Jesus, the Lamb of atonement, is being sacrificed so God can passover our sins. He sees the blood of His Son flowing down the cross and covering all who are bowed at His footstool. Their sins vanish. The curse lifted. The veil between heaven and earth opens above them, and the love of God, like a tsunami, cascades from the throne over His Son and inundates the beloved. It carries them into the world, filled with His love. Were you there? Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 19:17a “They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross.” The Roman soldiers took Jesus out of the Praetorium. Who came up with the idea that Jesus should bear His own cross? God did. That's what love did. Since God loves us, it was His will that Jesus carry our crosses as one unit. Our cross became His cross. We should die for our sins and every weight we carry in this life, we deserve more. We are the sinner in God's view. Yet our cross was put upon Him before He was put upon our cross. He bore our cross with its shame so that we might live. If we follow Jesus, we may expect God to continue revealing His love to and through us by putting what someone else deserves upon us and then crucifying our selves upon it. We must follow in His steps to know Him and to live to love with Him. Jesus told His followers of this life recorded in Luke 9:23. “And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.'” Jesus took up His cross once and for all to put sin to death. We are to take up our crosses daily to put self to death. It is a testimony that we died to this world when Jesus died and that we have been raised to live to love with Him. Will you carry your cross today or will you refuse to? What did love do for you? Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 19:16 “So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified.” Have you ever realized that loving someone was going to cost you more than you previously thought, and you considered it a privilege to give it? Have you ever wanted to stop the pain, avoid the inconvenience, or run for comfort but you didn't? What about the time your soul screamed for overcoming grace to not quit, to suffer in silence, to bear the weight and consequences of someone's sins so they could stand before you forgiven, accepted, and know the power of the love of God? If you have had these experiences then you know Jesus personally. You know what it was like for Jesus in the moment God gave Him over to the will of the Jews—to be crucified. Why did God allow someone's sins to fall upon you? That you might know Jesus! That you might know and be satisfied with His love. That you might enter into the glory of God revealed in and through Jesus. How did Jesus love like this? The suffering and shame were as nothing compared to the joy set before Him (Heb. 12:2). So today and everyday when you find yourself given over to those who wish you ill, remember Hebrews 12:3 “For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” That's living to love with Jesus. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 19:15 “So they cried out, ‘Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!' Pilate said to them, ‘Shall I crucify your King?' The chief priests answered, ‘We have no king but Caesar.'" With the preparation of the Lamb completed and with those words of condemnation, the Passover sacrifice was sentenced to death. Jesus was silent like Isaiah prophecied in 53:7. “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth.” What can we learn about love from His silence? There are times when we know it is God's will that we bear the weight of another's sin or ignorance. For their highest good it is best to remain silent. Such was the case here. Any words of defense or excuse would reveal a resistance to God's will. True love loves God's will and His being our Passover lamb was God's will. Also to speak could easily communicate thoughts of injustice or complaint. But Jesus was suffering to satisfy divine justice once for all. What a good work! May God give us discernment to know when it is God's will to reveal His love through us as we trust that Jesus' death satisfied God's justice for that sin, and we can suffer and forgive without a word. So how can we know when it is God's will for us to suffer and remain silent? I think Jesus gave us insight when He spoke to His Father, “Forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” When someone doesn't know what their doing, and you know they wouldn't understand, then it is best to remain silent before them and pray for God to forgive them. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 19:13-14 “Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, ‘Behold, your King!'" The Pavement was a judgment seat outside the Praetorium, and there Pilate presented Jesus once again to the Jewish officials. He still had nothing by which to condemn Jesus. The Jew's accusation that He was an imposter portraying himself to be their king didn't seem to be worthy of the death penalty. Nevertheless, Pilate made one last fruitless appeal. Behold your king. There Jesus stood robbed in purple, crowned with thorns, blood steaming down His face and torso. The blood of the eternal covenant between the Father and the Son had begun to be spilled. Every drop that hit The Pavement declared the love of God for His people—an everlasting love, sustained by the will of God through the incomprehensibly brutal beating. The will of God the Father authorized it, and the will of God, the Son, received and endured it. In this the definition of the love of God is revealed: the sustained direction of the will, toward the highest good of another, no matter what the cost. This kind of love flows out of the lives of those in whom Jesus lives. And in a way, very different from what Pilate meant that morning, we say to the world, “Behold my King!” Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 19:13-14 “Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, ‘Behold, your King!'" There isn't time to go through all the various explanations of the “sixth hour” mentioned by John in this verse. After reading many of them, I think this one seems most plausible, reconcilable to all accounts, and meaningful. Jesus was the sacrificial Passover lamb. The Greek word pascha, here translated Passover, is also used elsewhere to refer to the Passover meal or the lamb of sacrifice. Before the lamb was offered it had to be examined by the high priest and prepared. The only timeline that makes sense is this. Jesus was arrested around 2 a.m., taken to Annas' and the Caiaphas' houses for examination. Then He was taken to Pilate around 6 in the morning, then to Herod for further questioning and execution. When Pilate proclaimed to the Jews, “Behold your king” at around 8 a.m., 6 hours of examination and preparation had transpired—from 2-8. This explanation brings this account into the timelines of the other gospel accounts, but it also explodes with meaning. John revealed that God prepared His Passover Lamb according to the Law to fulfill all righteousness. The Lamb of God was prepared on the preparation day of Passover, and the Lamb was ready for sacrifice. He was presented one last time to the high priests and Jewish officials. Behold the love of God! His blood on your life means His death angel will passover your life and not destroy you. Look now at Jesus in the moment recorded here in John 19:14 and recognize and receive God's gracious and merciful provision so He could passover your sins. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 19:12 “As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, "If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar." James, Jesus' brother, wrote, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4). Pilate was faced with a decision we all face. Will I be a friend of Jesus or a friend of the world? We can't be friends of both. We should not be surprised when the world threatens to cancel us if we are friends of Jesus and proclaim that He is God. He is the only way to be saved from the wrath to come. But if we love them, we must testify to Jesus, the Life. When the angel of the Lord released the apostles from jail he told them, "Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life” (Acts 5:20). May we be faithful friends of Jesus when the pressure is on. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 19:10-11 “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? Jesus answered, ‘You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.'” Let's unpack this verse carefully because it could be confusing. Jesus recognized that God gave Pilate authority to crucify and therefore he, Pilate, has a responsibility to God. The fact that God had given Pilate authority to execute the death penalty was the reason the High Priest and the Jewish officials gave Jesus over to him. They didn't have that authority. For that reason the High Priest and Jewish officials committed a greater sin than Pilate in the death of Jesus. This truth didn't let Pilate off the hook so to speak, but it reveals that this execution took place under God's jurisdiction. God established government as a “minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil” (Rom. 13:4). So Pilate was sinning against God to punish Jesus, who he knew was innocent. But the High Priest has the responsibility to offer the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the people, and he was the one who delivered Jesus to Pilate proclaiming Him to be blemished and guilty. He knowingly offered to God what was in his mind a unacceptable offering. He is guilty of the greater sin. The reason we live to love with Jesus is the reality that everything we do is an offering of worship to God because we are priests serving in God's temple. Have we been guilty of great sin by offering to God actions and words that we know are unacceptable for His consumption? When we love, we know we offer that which is a fragrant aroma of Jesus. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 19:9 “And he entered into the Praetorium again and said to Jesus, ‘Where are You from?' But Jesus gave him no answer.” So it helps to see what's happening. It appears that Jesus was brought out of the Praetorium and presented to the Jews. Then upon hearing that He might be the Son of God, Pilate took Him back into the Praetorium to question Jesus along that line. He asks Jesus a great question, “Where are you from?” That is the right question when considering the claims of Christ. If He's from Nazareth, then no biggie. But maybe Pilate remembered that Jesus said His kingdom was not of this world and he thought he should double check. Fear of offending God should cause us to double check ourselves. In this verse we see that Jesus didn't immediately answer Pilate's inquiry, so we will wait for the rest of the story. But for now let us ask ourselves this same great question. If Jesus is from God, shouldn't it change everything in our lives? If Pilate could have this moment back to do over, I think we would see him fall on his face before Jesus and say, “Have mercy on me, the greatest sinner, dear Son of God. I'm so sorry for what I have done. Forgive me!” What about us? We have this moment. We are seeing that God is love, and that love is the sustained direction of the will toward our highest good no matter what the cost. Have we fallen prostrate before Him and confessed our sorrow for what we have done to Him? If not, do we really know where He is from? And if we do know that He is from God in heaven, shouldn't we trust Him who has sent and sacrificed His Son for us? Shouldn't we surrender all to Him who surrendered all for us? And shouldn't we understand that we are not of this world, but are sons and daughters of God, sent into this world by God to live to love with Jesus as He lived to love with His Father? Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 19:7-8 “The Jews answered him, ‘We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.' Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid;” Have you ever had an “oops” moment? That's a time when you got new information that you wish you had heard before you did something you wish you hadn't done? Pilate didn't have a problem executing a man pretending to be a king, but it certainly must have caused him to rethink what he had done if indeed this man was the, not a, but THE son of God. That would be a big oops. I've felt that way about my sin against Jesus, have you? King David confessed to God, “Against You, and against You only, have I sinned.” Oops! I need to rethink who I've sinned against like Pilate did that day. You notice John said Pilate was “even more afraid.” That means he was already afraid. Thinking about what he had done to Jesus in light of this knowledge increased his fear. It should have the same affect upon us if we stop and think about our sin and see it rightly. Holy Spirit, fill us with a fear of sinning against You, our Father, and His beloved Son. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 19:6 “So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, ‘Crucify, crucify!' Pilate said to them, ‘Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him.'" Again we see Pilate trying to wiggle out of the guilt of executing an innocent man. It wasn't that he had any mercy, empathy, or sympathy for Jesus. “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him,” he said. He didn't want to be responsible for His death. How about us? According to Isaiah, we are responsible. It was our sins that fell upon Him. Isaiah 53:5-6 “But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.” Behold the man. To live to love with Jesus means we will have to die daily. May God give us grace to bear the weight and consequences of other's iniquities, sins, and hostilities. When we must be crushed for another's wellbeing may His comfort and peace reign as it did in Jesus when Pilate presented Him to the Jews. Jesus, manifest Your glory through our lives today. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 19:5 “Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, ‘Behold, the Man!'" Yes, let's behold the God-man, Jesus. Perhaps Pilate thought that once they saw how much Jesus had suffered their thirst for His blood would be satiated. But as we will read tomorrow, they were not. What did they see as they beheld the man? Isaiah, the prophet, told us. Isaiah 53:4 …Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. Isaiah 53:8 …And as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? No, as they beheld the man, beaten beyond recognition and dressed in mocked kingly attire, they did not know they were looking at the holy lamb of God. But we do. As we behold the man, we see the love of God in flesh appearing. We see our death to sin and this world initiated, we see our glorious savior bearing our sins. Behold the love of God, and may we walk in humility as He did and love others with an “all out love.” Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 19:4 ”Pilate came out again and said to them, ‘Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him.'” Had Pilate found Jesus guilty of anything worthy of death, he would not have brought Him out to the Jews. He would have had Him crucified without any hesitation. As it was, after trying Him by scourging, Jesus was spotless. It's important for us to recognize, Jesus suffered not because He did something wrong, but because we have done many things wrong. He was the spotless lamb of God, led to the slaughter, where He willingly shed His blood so we might know God's love and salvation. I remember watching the movie, The Passion. During the scene when Jesus was scourged, I couldn't take it. I wanted to shout out, “Enough! I can't take any more!” What struck me was that there probably was no one in the Praetorium crying out those words. It was God who finally said, “That's enough.” Only then did the soldiers wash off their deadly instruments and hang them up to dry. But God wasn't finished. His love was deeper and greater. His commitment to glorify His Son to the uttermost required more. This speaks to my heart when I consider to what extent will I love someone. I'm not talking about those around me that are easy to love. I have my enemies in mind. Jesus didn't suffer for righteous people. While we were still His enemies, Christ died for us. That love revealed in the scourging, mocking, and shaming lets me know that there should never be a time when I say, “That person is too difficult to love. They require too much sacrifice from me. They are too toxic. Too hurtful. Too demanding.” No, as I consider the first phase of His suffering, I realize living to love with Jesus will cost me my life. It is a privilege to love whoever He puts in my path for His glory just as Jesus loved those soldiers that day. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 19:2-3 “And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him and they began to come up to Him and say, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!' and to give Him slaps in the face.” From this verse we see the disposition of the Roman soldiers who carried out the crucifixion. They obviously had no respect for Jesus. They knew the charge. King of the Jews. It was written on the sign to be affixed to the cross. As we read about Jesus' suffering, we are to learn from His example for in 1 Peter 2:21 -23 we read, “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously.” Undoubtedly, we will not suffer like Jesus suffered nor to the degree that He suffered, but it's amazing to realize the love of God for us revealed as Jesus kept entrusting Himself to His Father. If we live to love with Jesus, we have this attitude in us. We know, like Jesus did, that all things come from His Father, who loves Him. We also, like Jesus, find our satisfaction in life in the love of our Father. We also know, like Jesus, that every trial we face has the purpose of revealing the life and love of God in that situation for the glory of God. We can entrust ourselves to our Father and to our Lord Jesus Christ regardless of what anyone else says about us or does to us. We know God judges righteously and in the end will glorify Himself through us in our suffering. Today, you may suffer an injustice or perhaps you'll be slandered or abused. May the Holy Spirit give you the same love and grace that was given to Jesus so you may know how to respond for the glory of God. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 19:1 “Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him.” As we begin chapter 19 let's remember what's happened previously. Jesus gave Himself up to the Jews and Romans. He endured an unlawful arrest and trials by Annas, Caiaphas and the Jewish council, Pilate and Herod. After efforts to wiggle himself out of dealing with Jesus, Pilate succumbed to the pressure of the Jews to crucify Jesus. They were compelled by hate and jealous self-ambition to destroy Jesus and His movement. Pilate caved to the pressure and handed Jesus over to his soldiers to carry out the most excruciating execution imaginable. We read here that Pilate did the deed, but we know he never laid a hand on Jesus. He was guilty of authorizing the scourging and execution in the name of Rome. As we read about the crucifixion of Jesus, let's remember He is allowing everything that happened to Him. At any given moment in the chain of events that led to His death, He could have stopped it all with a word if the Father had so willed it. Pilate had Jesus scourged. The Jews by law could not give more than 40 lashes, but there was no limit to a Roman scourging. In an article On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ, in JAMA, March 21, 1986—Vol. 255, No. 11, a Roman scourging was described. “The severity of the scourging depended on the disposition of the soldiers and was intended to weaken the victim to a state just short of collapse or death. As the Roman soldiers repeatedly struck the victim's back with full force, the iron balls would cause deep contusions, and the leather thongs and sheep bones would cut into the skin and subcutaneous tissues. Then, as the flogging continued, the lacerations would tear into the underlying skeletal muscles and produce quivering ribbons of bleeding flesh. Pain and blood loss generally set the stage for circulatory shock. The extent of blood loss may well have determined how long the victim would survive on the cross. After the scourging, the soldiers often taunted their victim.” We know from Scripture that the goal was bring the Jesus to the edge of death through loss of blood and pain so that they could be finished before observing the Passover celebration. We also know from Scripture that this was God's doing because the Son's innocent blood had to be spilt in payment for our sins. This is love, that He, who knew no sin, laid down His life for us, who are hostile in mind and engaged in evil deeds (Col. 1:21). Through our oneness with Jesus, we are saved from our sins. He conquered our enemies and reigned as our King of love as He suffered. What Pilate and the Romans meant for evil, God meant it for good. Let's give thanks to our God. “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we praise You and thank You for enduring the pain and bloodshed that we might be justified, forgiven, and have fellowship with You. It is our privilege to live to love with You today.” Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:38-40 “And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, ‘I find no guilt in Him. But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?' So they cried out again, saying, ‘Not this Man, but Barabbas.' Now Barabbas was a robber.” John left out some significant events at this point. He didn't event mention Herod. Luke recorded this in Luke 23:4-7. “Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, ‘I find no guilt in this man.' But they kept on insisting, saying, ‘He stirs up the people, teaching all over Judea, starting from Galilee even as far as this place.' When Pilate heard it, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that He belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who himself also was in Jerusalem at that time.” I hope you'll go to Luke 22 and read the rest of the story because there's quite an exchange between Pilate and the Jews after they and Jesus returned from Herod's interrogation. Jesus didn't answer any of Herod's questions, yet Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate saying he could find nothing worthy of death. We don't see in John's account how much Pilate had reversed course and tried to do everything he could to release Jesus. He even suggested that he would punish Him before releasing Him. But it came to Pilate's mind that he customarily released someone from prison as an act of goodwill toward the Jews. So he made one last appeal. “Don't you want me to release your king to you—Jesus, the king of the Jews?” Do you find this as unbelievable as I do? Blinded by hatred, the Jewish officials bid Pilate to kill Jesus and release Barabbas, a known thief. Luke wrote that Pilate “wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again.” It's a this point that the Jews chanted out, “Crucify, crucify Him!” Pilate made a third appeal which was drowned out by the crowd's insistence that Jesus be killed. Jesus, in the Sermon on the mount, said that if someone is angry with his brother, he is guilty of murder before the court (5:22). We can certainly see that truth evidenced in the Jews. They hated Jesus and are so blinded by it, that they can't see what they are doing. Rejecting their king for a thief. When we think of love's antithesis, we usually think of hatred. May God free us from even the smallest vestige of hate in our hearts. The way to get free from hatred is to live to love with Jesus. If your goal is to love others in the power of the Holy Spirit, there is no room for hatred. Holy Spirit, please purify our hearts for a sincere love of the brethren so we can love them fervently from the heart as Peter admonishes us in 1 Peter 1:22. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:38 “Pilate said to Him, ‘What is truth?'” What is truth? Jesus told Pilate that He came to testify to the truth, namely, that He is a king of a kingdom that is not of this world. It's a kingdom that Pilate couldn't see, but it exists nevertheless. We popular progressive view of truth today is that it is something inside of a person. It's how they feel or think about themselves and the world around them. It's not fact related nor does it have to be proven. There's a truth for you and a truth for me. Your truth, my truth, anyone's truth. However, for centuries, truth was something outside of our individual selves. It was something to be discovered so we could align ourselves with it. In light of the Scriptures and the revelation of Christ, I would propose that Truth, with a capital T is whatever God sees, says, and does from and in eternity. If He sees it, then it is the truth. If He says it, it is the truth. If He does it or establishes it, it is the truth. If He didn't see it, say it, or do it, then it is a lie. With that in mind, consider this. God is love. Therefore, love is the truth. Everything God sees, says, and does is motivated by His love. The apostle John echoed this reality when he wrote in 3 John 3-4 “For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.” If we are of the truth, then we will live to love with Jesus. As we do so, we are testifying to the world that Jesus is our king and we are of His kingdom. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:37 “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.'” I'm trying to imagine the impact Jesus had on Pilate. I'm sure he had never spoken with anyone who said the things Jesus said about Himself. Pilate had no reference point for Jesus. For that matter, how does anyone who is of this world and thinks life consists only of what we can see, touch, and hear in this world understand the eternal things of God? They can't. So perhaps we can sympathize with Pilate a little as we read their exchange. Think about it. Have you ever heard anyone talk about the reason they came into this world? I doubt it. Jesus told him that He came to testify to the truth and everyone who is of the truth hears His voice. We'll talk tomorrow about what truth Jesus was speaking of. But for now, let's focus on the amazing statement that those who hear His voice are “of” the truth. This isn't the first time Jesus had said this. John recorded Jesus saying these things in John 10:16 and 27. “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.” and vs. 27, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” Obviously Pilate was not “hearing His voice.” Have you? If so, you are of the truth and of His kingdom. He is your king, and He knows you. He was born to testify to this great truth: namely, that God has an eternal kingdom and Jesus knew the servants of His kingdom before the world was. The Father gave them to Him. He was born and lived in this earthly domain, to testify to that great truth. The evidence of that truth is that His servants hear His voice, “If you believe in God, believe also in Me. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 13:34 and 14:1) and they follow Him. If you've heard His voice, live to love with Jesus today. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:35-36 “Pilate answered, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?' 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.'" Basically, Pilate seems frustrated with Jesus—and the Jews. Remember, he doesn't want to have anything to do with him. If we could look into his heart, we might find him looking for a reason not to condemn Jesus. Pilate's remarks essentially confirm this. He was saying, “I'm not a Jew, so this has nothing to do with me. I didn't start this.” His question, “What have you done? What have you done to threaten your people and their leaders that makes you a threat to Rome?” Jesus' answer removes the false claim that Jesus was killed because He spoke truth to power. Jesus' answer should have brought a sigh of relief to Pilate. Jesus is a king, but not a king of the earthly realm. Certainly this was as puzzling to Pilate as Jesus' words were to Nicodemus when He told him about being born again. It is clear from the text that Pilate is still in the kingdom of darkness. Perhaps this gives us a small insight into Peter's attack on Malchus. At that point in time, Peter did think Jesus' kingdom was of this world. Perhaps he fought so Jesus wouldn't be handed over to the Jews. But this verse makes it clear that we who follow Jesus have been transferred out of the kingdom of this world into another kingdom, the kingdom of God. The apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians that God “rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13-14). In Him, our beloved king, we have eternal life. Love is the manifested evidence that we are in Jesus' kingdom. In a sense, love is our kingdom ID. John wrote in his first epistle in 3:14 that those who love have passed from death to life. May we display everyday that we are not of this worldly kingdom, but servants of Christ our king. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:34 “Jesus answered, ‘Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?'" First, notice how love pushes for the highest good. The highest good in this instance for Pilate was to ask himself, “Is it possible that this man really is the a king? And if he is, what kingdom is he the king of?” Jesus answered Pilate's question with a question that revealed Pilate's heart and motives. Second, notice also that Jesus isn't telling Pilate something he's not ready to hear. Third, notice also that Jesus was reminding him, kindly, that the law requires witnesses. “Did others tell you about Me?" We can learn from this exchange how to answer an opponent or antagonist. It is better to answer questions of accusation with a question that helps them sort out why they are doing what they are doing. Jesus was keeping the burden of proof on Pilate and the Jews. When we know we are of the truth, the burden of proof rests on the accuser. Like Jesus, we should rest peacefully in the truth. If we live to love with Jesus we will always be walking and standing in the truth, for Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. For more encouragement to live to love with Jesus I invite you to visit www.livetolovewithjesus.com. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:33 “Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, ‘Are You the King of the Jews?'" Pilate talked with the Jewish leaders and mob outside the Praetorium because the Jews would be defiled if they went inside. But Jesus was inside the Praetorium before the judgment seat of Pilate. While outside talking with the Jews we learn from Luke 23:2 what the council had agreed would compel Pilate to crucify Jesus. “And they began to accuse Him, saying, ‘We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.'" Do you see how Satan led them to twist the words of Jesus and falsely accuse Him? They found Pilate's weak spot (self-ambition and self-preservation) and played him. They knew this information would lead to Jesus' execution. So upon hearing this false accusation, Pilate returns to investigate along this line. “Are you the king of the Jews?” As we live with Jesus, we should expect Satan, who hates Jesus in us, to attack Him in the same way. He will twist our confidence in Christ and lead those who are threatened by it to think it is pride (calls Himself a king—thinks He is an authority). We will take careful notice the next few days at how Jesus loved in the face of such demonic opposition. Today, let's not let those who misjudge us throw us off our purpose to love with Jesus. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

1 John 1:5-7  This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. Truth has been the focus of my blogs this year. I have been so encouraged this year as I meditate on truth, and I hope you've been blessed by walking with me on the journey of practicing the truth by walking in love with Jesus. This month, let's draw insight from the passage above in 1 John 1:5-7. God is Light 1 John 1:5-7 highlight the relationship between truth and love. God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. Amazing! The life of God dwells in all of those born of God—the life of light. John wrote in his gospel, “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men” (John 1:4). God is Love God also is love. 1 John 4:7-8. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” When God is present, a light shines in the hearts of those who are His. They have hearts to express the indwelling life of Christ through love. Therefore, He is their light, and His light is the light of the world. When His light shines in and through them, they live to love with Jesus, and practice the truth.  Read more at livetolovewithjesus.com/blog

John 18:32 “To fulfill the word of Jesus which He spoke, signifying by what kind of death He was about to die.” Matthew recorded Jesus' prophecy regarding His death. Matthew 20:18-19. "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up." Jesus also prophesied our death. Matthew 16:24-25. “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.'” Have you not heard? We were born again to die just like Jesus was born to die? We know the kind of death we are going to die—death to our own individualism, death to self—so that the life and love of Jesus may be resurrected in us. If we think we can live today to express our true authentic selves, we are deluded and deceived. There was no way out for Jesus that morning. His death had been prophesied by God and this had to be fulfilled. So it is with us. As we live to love with Jesus, we may expect to die daily so Jesus' love may be revealed. We can testify with the apostle Paul, 1 Corinthians 15:31 “I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.” In Jesus' death, we die. In His life, we live—to love with Him. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:31 So Pilate said to them, "Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law." The Jews said to him, "We are not permitted to put anyone to death," Pilate's statement here represents a change in what was arranged the night before between Caiaphas and Pilate. On Thursday night Pilate was all in with the plan to execute Jesus under Roman law. Then he got his wife's, Claudia's, message about her dream, warning him to have nothing to do with this righteous man. You can see that's exactly what Pilate was trying to do. He was trying to put it back on them. "Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law." They probably had the same conversation the night before. The Romans were needed in order to get rid of Jesus once and for all. Jewish law did not permit them to execute Jesus for anything He had done. Sometimes we know something doesn't feel right. There's a nagging pang deep within telling us, “Don't do it.” “Don't say it.” Deep down we know we should put on the brakes and turn around. Go another way. But we don't. That's where Pilate was that Good Friday morning. I hope we can pause today and remind ourselves to seek the Lord's mercy and forgiveness for times we ignored His gracious warnings and purpose going forward that we will stop and turn away from temptation. It's loving Jesus with our whole hearts. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:30 “They answered and said to him, "If this Man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you." If you remember, as Pilate began his investigation into Jesus' case, he asked, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?" This question was not unexpected by Caiaphas and crowd. An agreement had already been arranged between Pilate and Caiaphas to execute Jesus as quickly as possible. So someone gave what they thought would be a sufficient, bottom-line answer. In short, “This man deserves to die or we wouldn't be here.” Before we pass judgement on these guys, it might be helpful and wise for us to ask ourselves. “Have we ever judged someone without hearing the evidence or hearing their view of things?” It's impossible to love with Jesus when we are sitting in the judgment seat. These people falsely accused Jesus of being an evil-doer merely because He didn't affirm them and tow the party line. Have we ever done that to someone? My live to love encouragement today is to repent of such pride and judgment and purpose not to condemn others, but instead love them. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:29 “Therefore Pilate went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?" Pilate was a blood-thirsty tyrant. Josephus, a Jewish/Roman historian, recorded a time when Pilate ordered his army to attack unarmed demonstrators, killing and wounding many. He didn't hesitate to use force to quell an uprising. As Pilate was meeting with Caiaphas and crew at the Praetorium, reviewing the case against Jesus, God set up a test for him which became a surprising turn of events. God gave his wife, Claudia a dream. Matthew records what happened. Matthew 27:19 ‘While he (that's Pilate) was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, ‘Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.'” Pilate began the farce by asking what the accusation was against Jesus. That would have been a typical line of investigation. However, it is probable that the message from Claudia came at this point, because the rest of the exchange between Pilate and the Jewish rulers didn't go as planned. As we will see, Pilate began to look for a way out, but ultimately he caved to the pressure of Caiaphas and the crowd. However, consider the love of God for Pilate that He would give him a warning and an opportunity to do good. We will see in the coming days that it was an opportunity missed by Pilate. Speaking of opportunities missed and a test of character. Perhaps it is good to ask ourselves if we have missed opportunities to love and do good. I know I have. I regret those times when God tested my character and I failed the test due to fear of man or self-protection. How about you? Now that I have a greater understanding of my purpose in life—namely to love and bring glory to God by living to love with Jesus, I don't want to miss any opportunity to love and do good—even to my enemies. As we come to the end of 2022, let's take this opportunity to thank God for His steadfast love and forgiveness for all of the opportunities to love with Him that we missed. If any specifics come to mind, I encourage you to confess them, roll them over to Christ, and worship Him. As we look into 2023, will you join me purposing anew to live to love with Jesus? I invite you to visit www.livetolovewithjesus.com and write down the “Live to Love Prayer”. If you want to grow in loving God and loving others, I hope you'll make that prayer, or one you write from your own heart, a prayer to launch every day of 2023. If you haven't taken advantage of the free resources on the website, I also invite you to get Live to Love: Experience Freedom and Joy in Relationships in either print, ebook, or audiobook formats. You'll get the most out of it if you read it with the study guide and with friends so you can experience Jesus' love and discipleship. If you are committed to live to love with Jesus, I'm sure you will have a happy new year. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:28 “Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover.” John left out the mock trial at Caiaphas' house where the Sanhedrin, the High Priest, Scribes, and Pharisees could not even find two witnesses who could agree to their trumped up charges against Jesus. John was primarily concerned with a Gentile audience, so he wanted to highlight the role of the Romans in Jesus' death. The Praetorium was the Antonia Fortress built by Herod, the Great in 35 B.C. and named after his friend Marc Antony. It was home to the cohort of soldiers that were present at Jesus' arrest. John was showing that this conspiracy against Jesus was both Jewish and Roman. The Jewish officials could not enter the Praetorium and follow the laws of cleanliness to observe the Passover. Did you notice that it was early? Claudia, Pilate's wife had a dream about Jesus the night before the trial. That's Thursday night. This means that Caiaphas, the only Jewish official who had access to Pilate, had privately met with Pilate after meeting with Judas, to get Pilate's cooperation in condemning Jesus in a mock trial early the next morning. So the Jews had to apprehend Jesus on Thursday night, try Him and find Him guilty of the death penalty (with Roman cooperation and contrary to Jewish law). Then the prearranged plan was to bring Him to Pilate. There they would stage another mock trial and get Him condemned, sentenced, and killed as quickly as possible on Friday before Passover. For Claudia to have the dream, she had to know of the scheme against Jesus on Thursday night, which is why she warned Pilate to have nothing to do with this innocent man. Pilate's agreement to meet them in the Praetorium was a very unusual, out-of-character concession. Typically, a preliminary investigation would take place in his palace, and then the case would be passed on to an appointed judex or judge to formally hear and prosecute the case. Pilate agreed to forego the law and due process in order to accommodate the Jew's need for urgency. Furthermore, there was no way the Jews would have known Pilate would hear their case at 6:00 in the morning if it had not already been arranged. On Thursday night, Pilate was a willing accomplice to the plot. This was no trial. Pilate was the hit man selected by Caiaphas. From the time of Jesus' arrest, He knew what was going to happen. He knew He would not get a fair trial. He knew Caiaphas and the Romans had conspired against Him. He knew He was going to be turned over to the Romans and become our redeemer and savior. As we read about the trial, sentencing, and execution of Jesus, let us remember, we are witnessing the supreme expression of divine love revealed in the history of mankind. This was necessary so we might be forgiven of all of our sins. And having experienced total forgiveness, we might love much. Our living to love with Jesus, for the glory of God, is what is in God's view as the Father allows Satan to have his way with every participant in the story—from Judas to Peter, Annas, Caiaphas, the Sanhedrin, Pilate, Herod, and the Roman soldiers—and you and me. Behold how God has loved us! Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:24-27. “So Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, ‘You are not also one of His disciples, are you?' He denied it, and said, ‘I am not.' One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off, said, ‘Did I not see you in the garden with Him?' Peter then denied it again, and immediately a rooster crowed. The last two of the three denials occurred while Annas was questioning Jesus. Apparently the initial inquiry by Annas took place in his courtyard in close proximity to each other. For Luke recorded that when Peter denied Him the third time and they both heard the rooster crow, Jesus turned and looked at Peter and remember the word of the Lord, how He had told him that he would deny Him 3 times before a rooster crowed today. (Luke 22:61). At that moment Luke said that Peter went out of the courtyard and wept bitterly. It's difficult to imagine how ashamed Peter must have felt. In an honor/shame culture such as they lived in, the weight of guilt must have been unbearable. Have you ever been there? Have you felt like you have committed an evil deed that completely disqualifies you from ever being loved or used by God? We know the end of Peter's story, but he didn't at that point. We know that Peter was forgiven, transformed, and empowered by the love of Christ. I think that was where John was going with Peter's story. He knew that in a matter of minutes his readers would be reading of Jesus' encounter with Peter on the beach of the Sea of Galilee. We will get to those verses in 2023. For now, we can know that God has allowed our own failures to occur for our highest good. He knows what He is going to do with us, and He know His love will bring redemption, restoration, and transformation in our lives. So let us be sober-minded and on the alert for the prowling lion. Let us continue living to love with Jesus without fear. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:22-23 “When He had said this, one of the officers standing nearby struck Jesus, saying, ‘Is that the way You answer the high priest?' Jesus answered him, ‘If I have spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?'” Under the greatest pressure one can imagine, Jesus remains righteous. He could not speak wrongly. In fact, Jesus had spoken rightly. In line with the Jewish Mishnah, He asked Annas, “Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them; they know what I said.” That was exactly how a just trial was to proceed. The council brings in at least two witnesses who agree to the material events or actions of the accused. They are not to question the accused, but simply be an unbiased judiciary listening to the testimonies of those who were there. Again, notice, how Jesus loved the officer. He led him to examine his conscience in light of the law, which Jesus knew that the officer understood. The officer had no answer to Jesus' question because he knew Jesus had spoken rightly. This is helpful for us when we are in difficult relationships. It is humble and loving to ask, “Where have I spoken or acted wrongly? Please show me. And if you cannot testify to the wrong, why are you treating me this way?” Because God is love, we can rightly assume that all of Jesus' remarks are motivated in love. Doesn't this amaze you? It does me. Jesus didn't say what He said because He thought it would actually “work” with the officer. That wasn't His goal. He is a God of justice and truth. It isn't love to allow someone to abuse and use you without caring for the truth and for the offender. I want to learn from Jesus how to love like He did. May God give us His wisdom in difficult situations and relationships. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:19-21 “The high priest then questioned Jesus about His disciples, and about His teaching. Jesus answered him, ‘I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and I spoke nothing in secret. Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them; they know what I said.'” I had a friend in South Africa, the late Judge Neels Claassen, who wrote a book entitled, “The Last Passover of Jesus on Earth: A judicial perspective of His trials, crucifixion, and resurrection.” He outlined the Jewish requirements for a fair trial from the Jewish Mishnah, the oldest authoritative codification of Jewish laws compiled over a period of two centuries. “This jurisdiction was vested in the Jewish Council or Sanhedrin comprising the High Priest, elders, and scribes, a total of 71. There were exceptionally strict regulations for trials. 1. The complainants had to apprehend the accused during daylight hours and then bring the prisoner to court. 2. A capital crime had to be heard during daylight hours. 3. The bench was not allowed to interrogate the accused. 4. Judgment had to be reserved until the next day, and in the event of conviction, the sentence had to also be delayed until the following day. 5. A conviction could only be imposed based on the evidence of at least two reliable and independent witnesses. The first two regulations were ignored as they arrested Jesus during darkness and they were intent on a capital crime. The third regulation was mocked as the high priest questioned Jesus. Even though Annas was not the acting High Priest, Jesus answered Annas according to the law. Basically, He reminded Annas of what was required by law. Jesus had spoken openly and thus there were plenty of opportunities for witnesses to be summoned and to testify. So Jesus asked, “Why do you question Me?” This is an amazing act of love in the midst of confrontation. He was actually speaking for Annas' highest good, even though He knew it would cost Him. He knew His fate was already determined. Even yet, without making any accusations against him, he lovingly reminded Annas and the rest of the court of what was right. Sometimes that is the only way to love in a situation when someone is out to get you and hates you. You can simply state the truth without accusing them. It was Peter who described Jesus' attitude and actions before this council. May we love like this. 1 Peter 2:21-23. “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously.” Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:18 “Now the slaves and the officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself.” Satan was after Peter. When you look at all of the gospel accounts of this time in the courtyard of the high priests, you discover that all of the denials of Peter occurred around the fire. It was cold and therefore a fire had been started in the courtyard. The slaves and the officers of the high priest, who were no doubt members of the arrest squad, with John and Peter, were warming themselves around the fire. The first to recognize him and question him was the slave-girl who was also the gate-keeper. Luke wrote, “a servant-girl, seeing him as he sat in the firelight and looking intently at him, said, ‘This man was with Him too.'” Although John's version of her question differs, there's no reason not to believe she said both. One a question and another a statement. At some point Peter was standing with them, but perhaps feeling the stares of some of the slaves, must have stepped back and sat down. Yes the fire was a source of warmth for Peter and the rest, but one can't help wondering if Peter didn't feel an internal heat from the temptations and the spirit of the prowling lion from hell. His love was certainly being tested by fire. We can expect the same in our daily walk with Jesus. As we follow Him, there will be times when He puts people in our paths that know that we are Christians and consider us to be threats to their world. We need to be ready with a well thought-out answer when someone questions or mocks us for following Jesus. Perhaps if Peter had prepared himself for such questioning, he would not have denied Jesus. As we love with Jesus, not everyone will receive us with open arms. After you finish listening to this live to love encouragement, I hope you'll take a few minutes and think about what you would say if someone today confronted you with a negative attitude toward your faith and lifestyle. What would you say to express the love of Jesus? What will you say when the heat is on? Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

Hebrews 2:14-15 “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.” These verses may be the best summary of Jesus' life in the Scriptures. They cover His life from birth to death. They reveal why He came to earth which means we are given the meaning of Jesus' birth. He was born to die. He could not come to earth as God and render Satan powerless by defeating death. He had to become one of us—share in flesh and blood—so that through His death He might make the devil, who had the power of death, powerless. On this Christmas eve, I encourage us all to not forget the reason for the season. “There has been born for you a savior, who is Christ the Lord!” Christmas is more about the Savior than it is about a baby born in Bethlehem. Jesus came to free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. When someone is afraid of dying, they live in fear. Few things hinder the flow of love more than fear. In contrast, when we live to love with Jesus, there is no fear of death, because we know we have passed out of death into life. The apostle John wrote, “We know we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death” (1 Jo. 3:14). He also wrote in 4:18, “There is no fear in love; but perfect (completed) love casts out fear.” The best way to celebrate Christmas is to pour out the love of Jesus on those He puts in your path. That's why He was born. He was born to die to set us free to love with Him for the glory of God. Have a lovely Christmas! Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:17 “Then the slave-girl who kept the door said to Peter, ‘You are not also one of this man's disciples, are you?' He said, ‘I am not.'” We can connect a few dots at this point. John was known by Annas, and apparently the slave-girl, who was the gatekeeper, also knew John. She knew that John was a follower of Jesus, so when John spoke to her about Peter and she let him in, she naturally assumed Peter also was a follower of Jesus. So probably as Peter entered with John, she questioned him about his connection to Jesus. One has to wonder if Peter was caught off guard at the question, because all of a sudden, it was as if a darkness enveloped him—love and courage were devoured. The prowling lion had pounced on him. He answered, “I am not.” Have you ever had such an experience? One moment you are passionate about Jesus, and then something disillusions you, surprises you, or doesn't go like you thought it was supposed to go, and the next moment you fall to a strong temptation that you thought wasn't possible. Have you ever been asked a question that you didn't expect and responded with a lie in order to protect yourself? You find yourself in a daze, a sense of disappointment with yourself swells within. To my shame, I have been there. The tide of conviction and shame can almost take your breath away, and you can't think clearly. I can imagine what happened with Peter. Afterwards, Peter could see clearly what he should have done. Resist the devil! It appeared as if Peter wanted to be with Jesus, perhaps just like we want to live to love with Jesus. This story reminds us that we can be following Jesus with good intentions, and in a weak moment be overtaken by temptation. Have you experienced something recently that you didn't expect? Something that disillusioned you? Someone who disappointed you? That's the devil's first growl when he's on the prowl. He tries to get your eyes off of Jesus and onto yourself. If you know what I'm talking about and you are hearing the growl of the devil, resist him now. Surrender yourself to Jesus and abide in Him with tenacity. We were saved to love Jesus and love with Him come hell or high-water. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:15-16 “Simon Peter was following Jesus, and so was another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest, but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in.” We have been invited by John into the relationship between Peter and Jesus. I'm impressed with the courage of both Peter and John, but especially Peter. He had been the one disciple to take up arms against all odds. He had severed an ear of a slave of the high priest, Caiaphas, and we see from this verse that instead of fleeing as the rest of the disciples, he followed Jesus. Although Annas was replaced as high priest by Caiaphas in 15 A.D., he still was referred to as the high priest. John lets us know that he was known by Annas and therefore was allowed into the courtyard with Jesus. Apparently, Peter however, wasn't allowed into the courtyard until John spoke with the gatekeeper. What is Peter thinking? I don't know, but I am impressed with Peter's courage at this point to follow Jesus into the lion's den. Aren't you? Giving it the best spin that I can, I think Peter is there because he loves his master. He had told Jesus he would not forsake Him, and if everyone else fled, he would not. He and John are like the president and vice-president of the disciples. They are the committed of the committed. They had been with Jesus in best of times. Why not stay with Him in the worst of times? In his mind, he was ready to die with Jesus. We all know where this story goes, but at this point we can be encouraged by Peter's and John's love and courage. Perhaps they were thinking that Jesus would be given a fair trial and they would have an opportunity to testify on Jesus' behalf. That makes me examine myself and ask if I am that ready, willing, loving, and courageous to testify on Jesus' behalf today. Should the opportunity arise, will love for Jesus move me to live to love with Him by sharing about His love for me and for others? Let's be ready today to follow Jesus anywhere, even into the lion's den, to express His love and presence. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:12-14 “So the Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him, and led Him to Annas first; for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people.” I hope you remember from yesterday's encouragement that when Peter had cut off the slave's ear, Jesus rebuked Peter. Matthew recorded the rebuke, “How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way” (26:54). Besides fulfilling the Scriptures from Is. 53 and many others, Jesus also was fulfilling what had been prophesied and would eventually become Scripture. As John wrote this account, he connected Jesus' words to Peter about fulfilling Scripture to Caiaphas' prophecy in chapter 11:49-52. “But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, ‘You know nothing at all, nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.' Now he did not say this on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.” What is our take away here? Jesus' willing and intentional sacrifice was expedient not only to fulfill Scriptures, but to unite all believers into one body. As we read through John 18 and 19, let's be sure to keep this in view. We are reading the story of redemption—divine love—planned and poured out from before the foundation of the earth. You and I, if we are children of God, have been loved from eternity. It was the Father's will to gather us together into Jesus' body to redeem and justify us according to His great love. For this reason, namely, that we are the beloved of God, do we celebrate the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We express our love for God by living to love with Jesus, who dwells within our hearts. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:12-13 “So the Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him, and led Him to Annas first; for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.” “So…” makes it clear that what follows the “so” is dependent on what preceded it. Jesus' willingness to drink the cup the Father gave Him is what permitted the Roman cohort, and the commander and officers of the Jews to arrest and bind Jesus. He could have spoken the word and again, all would have fallen to the ground and been incapacitated. Could He not have called out to the “myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands” of angels surrounding heaven's throne to come and deliver Him? Matthew's version of this event included this statement to Peter. Matthew 26:52-53 “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (that's 7200 angels!). Jesus' appeal had already been made. Twice already He had prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; not as I will, but as You will.” He had no more appeals. He put His hands into the hands of His enemies to fulfill the Scriptures, for Matthew records, “How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way” (26:54). May we be as committed, determined, and passionate for the fulfillment of the Scriptures as we live to love with Jesus today. The Scriptures say that everyone who knows God loves his brother (1 John 4:8), and that all men will know that we are Jesus' disciples, if we have love for one another (John 13:35). How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled if we don't live to love with Jesus? Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:11 “So Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?'” John didn't record the healing of Malchus' ear. Luke revealed that detail in his gospel. For John's purposes, Jesus' words to Peter were more important. John wanted his readers to know that Jesus' death was intentional and sacrificial. Jesus willingly gave up His life for our highest good—the salvation of our souls. Furthermore He wanted it to be crystal clear: Jesus' death was the Father's will for the salvation of sinners. John recorded a part of Jesus' prayer time that Matthew didn't record, and vice versa. In Jesus' prayer, John focused Jesus' desire to do the Father's will, love those given to Him, and the glory of God shared with them, revealing the divinity of Christ. Matthew told about Jesus' grief and internal struggle, revealing the humanity of Christ. John hadn't mentioned the cup that Jesus mentioned in this moment after healing Malchus' ear, but Matthew did. Matthew 26:39 “And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.'” This verse shows us clearly that Jesus had gotten up from that prayer time determined that it was the Father's will for Him to drink the cup of suffering and wrath, performed by Satan's hands, to satisfy justice on behalf of all whom the Father gave Him. And this is how we know what God's love is. It is the sustained direction of the will toward the highest good of another, no matter what the cost. From the “Amen” of Jesus' prayer until the “It is finished,” Jesus never wavered. He would, He did, drink the cup which the Father gave Him to reveal the love of God to save sinners. It is for this reason that I say that our purpose in life is to live to love with Jesus—to lay down our lives for the highest good of others no matter what the cost. It is the cup the Father has given us to drink. Shall we not drink it? Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:10 “Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave's name was Malchus.” This verse begins a parenthesis, so to speak, in this narrative. It's a parenthesis focused on Peter's relationship with Jesus. It begins with Peter's initial reaction to Jesus' arrest and continues to his denials before the rooster crowed. Apparently John wanted to draw his readers into Peter's failures in order to highlight the love, mercy, and grace revealed in Jesus toward Peter later in the gospel. So let's attempt to enter into what's happening between Peter and Jesus. Have you ever wondered what Simon was thinking when he attempted to remove Malchus' head while facing a host of armed soldiers? By the mercy of God, Malchus ducked and only lost his ear. Regardless of Peter's intent, it seems to be a rash and uncalculated act considering the odds. However, if we pause, put ourselves in Peters' sandals and mind, a couple of very diverse possibilities come to mind. 1. Peter was filled with faith. He thought that Jesus was launching of the Messianic kingdom. Hadn't Jesus told him to take up a sword and that one was enough? Just moments before he heard Jesus say, “I am,” and he saw the entire Roman cohort along with the temple guards fall flat on the ground. It's similar to Peter's jumping out of the boat onto the Sea of Galilee once he saw Jesus walking on the water. Peter was all in with Jesus. If this was going on in Peter's mind, then it was an expression of radical faith. In stark contrast is another explanation. 2. Peter, Jesus #1 disciple, was used by Satan in an attempt to discourage Jesus and take out His disciples at the same time. Do you remember this interaction between Jesus and Peter? Matthew 16:21-23 “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.' But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's.'” This hour was Satan's hour to throw everything he had at Jesus, and it makes sense that once again he would go after the hearts of Jesus' followers, especially Peter. I'm inclined toward the second alternative explanation because the disciples fled and Peter continued under Satan's spell as he denied Jesus 3 times. I don't guess we will know the answer to this on this side of heaven, but it should cause us to humble ourselves and be on the alert. Satan is prowling around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (Peter's caution by the way, 1 Pet. 5:8). Let's abide in Christ. Be on our guard. Resist the devil, and live to love with Jesus. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:7-9 “Therefore He again asked them, ‘Whom do you seek?' And they said, ‘Jesus the Nazarene.' Jesus answered, ‘I told you that I am He; so if you seek Me, let these go their way,' to fulfill the word which He spoke, ‘Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.'” In verses 7-8, it seems as if the entire crowd, after having fallen to the ground were like patients waking from an anesthetic sleep, grasping to reorient themselves to the real world. Once Jesus saw that they were recovered, He restated the original question. Do you wonder with me if all of them were afraid of another retreat and fall? If in their minds they were saying, “Oh no, here we go again.” But this question had a different purpose than the first one. Rather than setting the stage for a stunning revelation of who He is, it was asked for the purpose of clarifying that they were not after His disciples. John inserts the comment that Jesus was aware of what He had said to His Father only minutes before. It's recorded in John 17:12, “While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.” John summarized Jesus' prayer. “Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.” It's amazing to think that in the enormity and stress of this moment, Jesus remembered what He had prayed. We can be eternally grateful for Jesus' intercession and care for us. He made sure that His disciples were not to be swept up with Him. The suffering which He was to endure was to be His alone. May this serve as a reminder to us to keep our purpose to live to love with Jesus in the forefront of our minds so that we can think of others when we are in trying circumstances. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:5-6 “They answered Him, ‘Jesus the Nazarene.' He said to them, ‘I am He.' And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them. So when He said to them, ‘I am He,' they drew back and fell to the ground.” Jesus had just asked the soldiers and officers, “Whom do you seek?” Apparently He wasn't addressing Judas, for he would know whom they were seeking as he was leading them to Jesus, but the Holy Spirit through John wants us all to understand the stunning and authoritative statement Jesus made to them. “I Am.” was His response. Contrast the difference between whom they think they are seeking and who He really is. “Jesus the Nazarene” may be considered a name of embarrassment or shame. It was apparently well known that nothing good could come from Nazareth for Nathanael remarked to Philip, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). Jesus' reply was shocking. His reply was literally the name of God, “I am.” Upon hearing Jesus say, “I am,” the entire entourage drew back and fell to the ground. Let's try to imagine this. Besides Judas, there were the officials from the chief priests and pharisees (we don't know the number, but these were “police” officers of the temple). A Roman cohort could be anywhere from 480-600 men according to my research. So imagine the 500-600 men in battle gear on the hillside of Gethsemane marching in military order up the hill with Judas and the temple guard at the head. Coming down the hill are Jesus with His disciples trailing Him. They meet, and these words are exchanged, “Whom do you seek?” asks Jesus? Some of the crowd answer, “Jesus the Nazarene.” Then Jesus replies, “I Am.” Now watch this! 500-600 armed soldiers draw back—step back?, take many steps back? Then fall to the ground. This is not like Moses falling on the ground of His own will to worship God. Their falling on the ground isn't a collective bowing down to offer honor to a king—at least not intentionally. They fell to the ground in response to a statement of divine authority. Jesus' words were accompanied with power and glory. It's something like what Paul declared will happen at some point with all humanity when he wrote to the Philippians. Phil. 2:8-11. He wrote of Jesus, “Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” In the garden, this was, in a sense, a premonition of the glory of Christ to come. We aren't told that the disciples fell to the ground. Isn't that interesting. It seems it was only His enemies that were struck by the authority of God's declaration, “I Am.” That great day is coming again soon, when Jesus will appear, will go forth as He did that evening, and upon His approach, all will fall down, awe-struck with the glory and authority of the Son of God. May we live to love today aware that we love in the authority of the great I Am. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:4 “So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, "Whom do you seek?" Did you notice the words “went forth” in this verse? Jesus didn't walk into the garden and then become passive, waiting to be taken into custody. He went on the offensive. When He saw Judas and the crowd with torches and weapons, instead of running, hiding, and protecting Himself, He went forth. What gave Him such confidence when He knew it was the hour of darkness and that they would take Him into custody, strip Him, abuse Him, whip Him, shame Him publicly, and crucify Him naked on the side of a busy thoroughfare? This is not left for us to guess at the answer for Heb. 12:2 informs us where His heart was focused. We read that Jesus, “for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame.” What joy was set before Him? I think it was the joy and pleasure of His Father as He obeyed and glorified Him by laying down His life for those the Father gave to Him. He had just expressed this joy in the prayer in John 17. What a stunning greeting Jesus gave this crowd. “Whom do you seek?” He was setting them up for an even more stunning display of who He is, which we will consider tomorrow. But today, these words inform us that these men really didn't know who they were seeking. I mean they didn't know who He really was. That is also true today. Many people think Jesus is like a common man. They think He is like they are. And furthermore, when they seek Him, they aren't seeking Him to become a follower, they are seeking Him to find something wrong with Him. Looking for a reason not to believe in Him. People with that attitude rarely respond to the love of God revealed in Christ. These will view true followers of Christ as threats to their earthly kingdom and desires. May God give us discernment today as we live to love with Jesus. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:3 “Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons.” This verse describes some of the events referred to in Acts 4:27. From a God-centered, faith-informed perspective, God was gathering this crowd against His Son. Judas, the Romans soldiers, and Jewish officials were needed for the love of God to be displayed in its glory. We should understand that God put them in Jesus' path so He could express the love of the Father to this world. We may have this same confidence. God is still expressing His love in this world through His Son in us. He puts people in our paths, some friendly and some antagonists. Knowing that the only reason they are in our lives is for God to love them through us, keeps us from stumbling and being discouraged. Jesus' perspective of this event will sound radical to the natural mind, because it is! He received them as from His Father so He could do the will of His Father for His glory. He knew these things were to occur so God's love could be defined, experienced, and expressed, not only in and through Him, but in and through everyone of His disciples throughout the remaining history of mankind. So it is with us today. God is gathering people all over the world to put them in the path of the Son of His love who lives in millions of His own throughout the world. With this understanding, I invite you to pray what I call a Live to Love prayer with me now. “Father in heaven, thank You for another day of life to live to know and love you and live to love with Jesus. Anoint and fill me with the Holy Spirit, the presence and power of Christ, so that I can love and trust You and love everyone You put in my path today, for Your glory.” I hope you'll make this prayer a part of your daily devotions with the Lord. If you do, you'll have the same attitude that was in Christ Jesus as He walked into the garden of Gethsemane: humble, trusting, expectant, fearless, purposeful, and loving. That light shines like the sun in the darkness. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com