When Judas agreed to betray Jesus’ whereabouts to the chief priests and elders, he apparently didn’t anticipate that it would result in Jesus’ crucifixion. When he realized that he would be partly responsible for the death of a man he knew was innocent, he was filled with remorse. In a vain attempt to reverse what he’d done, Judas went back to the chief priests and elders with the money he’d received from them. He was planning to return it, perhaps hoping his act would spark some remorse in them so they might release Jesus. But Judas the betrayer soon realized that they had betrayed him. Although they previously treated him as an important partner, he had served their purpose, and they could now care less about him, his money or his guilty conscience. And they certainly didn’t want to hear anything that would tempt them to feel guilty for their part in Jesus’ death.

Realizing that he had been their pawn, Judas angrily threw the thirty pieces of silver onto the floor of the Temple. He knew he was guilty of a great sin, and to keep the money, profiting by his betrayal, would make his sin even greater. But getting rid of the money didn’t alleviate his guilt. Jesus was still going to die and Judas couldn’t reverse what he’d done. Utterly in despair, he committed suicide.

Why did Judas hang himself? He saw death as a solution to his problem. We don’t know, however, what problem Judas hoped to solve by killing himself. Did he think that death would end his guilt? Or did he think that by dying he could somehow atone for his sin? One thing we can be certain of is that Judas did not believe he could receive forgiveness from God for what he’d done, although the Bible leads us to believe that he could have. Had Judas believed that, he would have asked for and received it, and then acted like he was forgiven; thus he wouldn’t have killed himself.

Suicide is never a good solution to any problem. His taking his own life didn’t lessen Judas’ guilt. Nor did he atone for his sin by his act. What Judas needed was faith that Jesus was the Son of God. If he had possessed such faith, he would have never betrayed Jesus in the first place. Had he gained such a faith after betraying the Lord, he would have believed that Jesus could forgive him.

Judas went to hell when he died, not just because he betrayed Jesus, but for the same reason anyone else goes to hell: he was a sinner who didn’t believe in Jesus. Judas was set apart from everyone else in hell because he was guiltier than the average sinner, having lived with Jesus for three years and having seen His many miracles. His unbelief is almost unbelievable.

Matthew highlights the hypocrisy of the chief priests and elders who wouldn’t put the returned money in the Temple treasury because it was unlawful to accept donations earned by doing what they had just paid Judas to do! And after they’d condemned an innocent man, the very Son of God, they wanted to do the right thing before God with the returned betrayal money. So they purchased a field owned by a potter to be used as a place to bury people from other countries who died while in Jerusalem and naturally didn’t own a burial place of their own. In doing so, they helped prove to everyone since then that Jesus was the Messiah, unknowingly fulfilling one of Jeremiah’s prophecies that the thirty pieces of silver used to betray the Messiah would be used to purchase a potter’s field!

Q. Was Judas the only person responsible for Jesus’ death?

A. No, many others were responsible, including the chief priests and elders. The truth is, we’re all responsible for Jesus’ death, because Jesus died according to the preordained plan of God for our sins. If none of us had sinned, Jesus wouldn’t have needed to die. In that sense, we’re all like Judas. Thank God we’ve received the forgiveness offered to us.

Q. Is feeling sorry when you’ve done wrong the same as repenting?

A. No, a person can feel remorse without repenting. Repenting means at least attempting to change your actions from then on. Remorse is usually a temporary emotion. Many people feel sorry for what they’ve done only because they’ve been caught or suffered some consequence, and not because they know they’ve disobeyed God. Christians, on the other hand, feel remorse when they’ve done wrong because they know they’ve offended God and in many cases hurt another person. Their remorse leads them to repent.

Application: When people commit suicide, there is something wrong with their thinking. If they knew and believed the truth, they would solve their problems in a different way rather than by taking their own life. People think they are ending their problem by committing suicide, but, like Judas, they’re getting into a bigger problem from which they’ll never escape.

During Jesus’ time, Israel was under the domination of the Roman Empire, and although the Jews were permitted to conduct judicial proceedings and punish criminals, they were forbidden to punish anyone by death. Consequently, the chief priests and elders needed the agreement of Pilate, the Roman governor, if Jesus was to be executed as they hoped. So early in the morning, they brought Jesus to him.

Knowing that Pilate would not consider the crime of blasphemy to be worthy of death, they accused Jesus of opposing the payment of taxes to Caesar and claiming to be a king (see Luke 23:2). Such crimes were capital offences against the Roman government.

Pilate knew that it was out of envy that the chief priests wanted Jesus dead, because they were threatened by His growing popularity (see Mark 15:10). So he ordered Jesus to be brought to him inside his palace where he could privately question Him. Jesus made it clear to Pilate that He was indeed a king, but that His kingdom was not an earthly one. His kingdom was in heaven because it was only there that everyone gave Him allegiance. The reason He had left His heavenly kingdom was to bring truth to the world, but it was only those who loved the truth who recognized the truthfulness of His words.

Pilate realized that Jesus was not a dangerous threat to the stability of his kingdom, and to his credit, he did practically everything he could to spare Jesus’ life. First, he boldly announced to the chief priests and the crowd outside his palace that Jesus was not guilty of any punishable crime. They responded by telling him that Jesus had been stirring up crowds all over Judea, having already done the same in Galilee (see Luke 23:5). Seeing an opportunity to pass the decision of Jesus’ destiny to someone else, Pilate had Jesus sent to be examined by Herod, who happened to be visiting Jerusalem, because Jesus was under Herod’s Galilean jurisdiction. So Jesus was taken to Herod, and was again accused by the chief priests of crimes worthy of death.

According to Luke’s Gospel, Herod had wanted to see Jesus for a long time, hoping to see Him perform a miracle. But even though Herod questioned Him extensively, Jesus did not respond to any of his questions. After mocking Him, Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate dressed in a royal robe (see Luke 23:8-11).

Once again Pilate was faced with the crowd of Jewish leaders who were demanding Jesus’ death. Apparently there were other Jews at his doorstep who wanted him to release one prisoner, as was the custom every Passover. Seeing another opportunity to obtain Jesus’ release, Pilate offered them a choice: Did they want him to release a murderer named Barabbas or Jesus? Surely, given the choice, the crowd that now consisted of others besides the chief priests and elders would pick Jesus. But the chief priests and elders were able to persuade the crowd to request Barabbas’s release and cry out for Jesus to be crucified.

Pilate’s second attempt to release Jesus had failed, and pressure was mounting on both sides. Not only was the growing crowd becoming more boisterous, but also according to Matthew’s Gospel, Pilate’s wife sent him a message, saying, “Leave that innocent man alone, because I had a terrible nightmare about him last night” (Matthew 27:19).

Wanting even more to release Jesus but facing the pressure of a large crowd that included many Jewish leaders, Pilate offered a compromise: he would punish Jesus and then release Him. He ordered that Jesus be flogged with a lead-tipped whip, a brutal punishment that ripped a person’s back to shreds and often resulted in death. The soldiers who performed the flogging also mocked Jesus, placing a crown of thorns on His head and hitting Him. Before presenting Him to the crowd, Pilate again declared Jesus’ innocence, and then brought Him out, beaten and bloody, to be seen by all, hoping the sight of His suffering would compel them to have some compassion. But the crowd continued to call for His crucifixion.

In desperation, Pilate cried out, “You crucify him…I find him not guilty” (John 19:6). The Jewish leaders, realizing that Pilate would not be persuaded that Jesus was guilty of breaking Roman law, appealed by revealing their true charges against Him. Jesus had broken Jewish law by claiming to be God’s Son. Now Pilate knew more of the truth, and it frightened him. He took Jesus back inside his palace to further question Him, but Jesus did not answer.

It had been a long morning, and it was almost noon. Having exhausted his resources, Pilate finally caved in to the crowd. In one final, symbolic act, he washed his hands in front of them and declared, “I am innocent of the blood of this man. The responsibility is yours!” (Matthew 27:24). Then he turned Jesus over to his soldiers to be crucified.

Q. Although Pilate declared his own innocence before the crowd, was he completely innocent before God?

A. No, because he could have stood his ground against the crowd, regardless of what it cost him. Jesus told him that he was guilty of sin (see John 19:11). People often claim their innocence by putting the blame on others. For example, people who write and produce sinful TV programs and movies often justify what they do by saying that they are only giving people what they want. But that is not an acceptable excuse before God. Some people justify their lying by saying that their boss requires it. But they could quit their job. The most important question we could ask is, “What does God think about what I’m doing?” He is the one to whom we must ultimately answer to.

Q. When Pilate said to Jesus, “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or to crucify you?” Jesus responded, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above” (John 19:10-11). What did Jesus mean?

A. He meant that Pilate would not have any authority to decide Jesus’ fate unless God had allowed him to have such authority. God is the source of all authority, and no one possesses any authority without His permission. Pilate could not have been a Roman governor unless God had allowed it.

Application: We’re all like Barabbas in today’s reading. We deserved to die, but Jesus took our place. I wonder what Barabbas was thinking when he was saved from his fate and released, and then watching Jesus, an innocent man, being led away to be crucified?

It was probably very early in the morning and certainly still dark when Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane. This was the plan of the Jewish leaders so that most of the people wouldn’t know about what was happening to Jesus. From Gethsemane, He was taken to the home of the high priest, where the Jewish council gathered for His trial. The plan of the majority was to find Him guilty of blasphemy and have Him executed, but according to the Law of Moses, they needed the consistent testimony of at least two people. Those witnesses who agreed to lie about Jesus were found inconsistent, making their testimony invalid. This shows us that there must have been some sense of true justice among at least a few members of the council who were holding the rest accountable.

Those who were dead set against Christ were unable to find anyone who would say he’d heard Jesus directly claim to be the Messiah and Son of God. So they gathered witnesses who heard Jesus say things that could be considered claims that implied those things. Finally they found two witnesses who said they’d heard Jesus claim that He could rebuild the Temple in three days if it were destroyed. That was the best evidence they could come up with to find Him guilty of the charge of blasphemy. Was this claim not a claim of deity?

We know, of course, that it was indeed a claim of deity, and also a prediction of Jesus’ death and resurrection! The Jewish council was about to help fulfill that very claim!

Jesus kept quiet during His trial, a silent testimony of the absurdity of what was happening. Finally, in desperate frustration, the high priest directly questioned Jesus in a customary manner by which Jesus was obligated to respond. Was He the Messiah and Son of God?

Jesus replied that He was, and even quoted an Old Testament messianic prophecy as being a reference to Himself. Finally they had what they wanted. He was indeed guilty of claiming to be divine, and they found Him guilty of blasphemy, just as the majority had hoped. They hated Him passionately. As if in celebration of their victory, they began mocking, hitting, slapping, and spitting on Him. They had found God guilty of claiming to be Himself!

Peter, who had followed at a distance behind the mob who arrested Jesus, then gained entrance into the courtyard of the high priest’s house. He was questioned three times by bystanders about his association with Jesus. Each time Peter denied knowing Him. Close to daybreak, he denied Jesus the third time, just as a rooster crowed. Although he had declared a few hours before that he was ready to die for Jesus, his words proved to be only boasts, just as Jesus had predicted. When Peter realized what he’d done, denying his Lord, he went away, crying bitter tears. Jesus knew Peter better than he knew himself.

Q. Why didn’t the Jewish council, upon reaching their verdict of blasphemy, immediately execute Jesus by stoning Him, as Jewish law required?

A. The Jews were under the authority of the occupying Roman government. Although they were permitted by the Roman government to put their own people on trial and punish them, they were not permitted to execute anyone without Roman permission (see John 18:29-31). Had this not been the case, they would have stoned Jesus immediately. We know, however, that the Old Testament predicted that the Messiah would die by crucifixion rather than stoning.

Q. What was it that made some of the bystanders suspicious that Peter was one of Jesus’ disciples?

A. His accent revealed that he was from Galilee, the region where Jesus lived most of His life. Jesus, too, probably spoke with a Galilean accent.

Application: Jesus obviously believed that He was the Messiah and Son of God, because He was willing to die for His belief. Had He denied it at His trial, He probably would have escaped crucifixion. This destroys the foolish theory that Jesus was only playing a game, pretending to be someone He knew He wasn’t. Had that been the case, Jesus would have declared an end to the game at His trial before it cost Him His life.

Although Jesus knew that He would die an excruciatingly painful death in just a few hours, His mind was not on Himself. Rather, He was primarily thinking about those who did and would believe in Him. Jesus’ great love and concern for them is made obvious in the prayer we just read.

As Jesus stated in His prayer, He told His disciples everything the Father had told Him to tell them. As a result, they had come to believe in Him, and Jesus considered them to be gifts from His Father. Unlike the majority of people, those eleven men believed that Jesus was sent from God, and Jesus was so proud of them, he called them His “glory” (John 17:10).

Now, as Jesus returned to His Father in heaven, they would remain in a world that hated them, a world ruled by a spiritual leader who would love to destroy them and their work. While in their presence, Jesus had provided for their spiritual protection, so that none of them, except Judas, was led astray. Now He prayed that the Father would keep them safe in His absence, so that none of them would be divided or led astray by Satan or false doctrine. Jesus prayed that they would be unified and would be pure and holy. He prayed that they would reach out to the world in a convincing way.

Did you notice that Jesus also prayed these same things for you? Jesus said, “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me because of their testimony” (John 17:20). All of us who believe in Jesus have done so as a result of the passed-down testimony of the original eleven disciples.

It seems that more than anything else, Jesus desired and prayed for our oneness, indicating that our unity is a major key in convincing the world that God sent Jesus. When the world looks at the church and sees us disagreeing, fighting and dividing, it certainly doesn’t help convince them that God sent His Son. Our unity should be based on our common belief in Jesus and our common goal of making disciples of all nations. Anything else that we disagree about is not important enough to divide us. But, by and large, the church has been divided over hundreds of issues that fall into this secondary category, even giving themselves identifying titles that advertise their separation from other Christians. All who believe in Christ should share one title: Christian. Anything beyond that demonstrates disunity.

Q. What do you think would happen if all the churches in the world that truly believe in Jesus would remove their present titles and unite with the rest of the body of Christ under the one name of Christian for the common cause of spreading the gospel to the whole world?

A. It would make a lot of people angry because they are more loyal to their brand of Christianity than to Christ, but it would also result in the world hearing the gospel.

Application: Today, as Jesus did, pray for the unity of those who believe in Jesus so that the world will believe in Him.

It was the night before His crucifixion. Having counseled, comforted and prayed for His disciples, there was nothing left for Jesus to do but wait for His arrest, trial and execution. Jesus decided to wait in a grove of olive trees called Gethsemane, just outside of Jerusalem, a place where He and His disciples had often met. Judas would know right where to find Him.

Anticipating what He was about to endure, Jesus was “filled with anguish and deep distress” (Matthew 26:37). He told His disciples that His soul was “crushed with grief to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38), and even prayed that, if possible, the cup of suffering might be taken away from Him. It was not, however, just the thought of being beaten, whipped and crucified that disturbed Jesus so much. He was about to bear the sins of the world as He hung on the cross. He knew He would suffer God’s holy wrath, as had no other human being. Jesus would become the guiltiest person who ever lived, having no guilt of His own, but taking the guilt for our sins. The anguish Jesus would experience would be the combined anguish of every sinner at the moment of His condemnation, and the “cup” that Jesus requested be taken away if possible was the cup of God’s wrath spoken of in other places in the Bible (see Isaiah 51:17; Jeremiah 25:15; Revelation 14:10; 16:19). By the time He was led away from Gethsemane by the soldiers, Jesus had fully resolved to take what was due us. He responded to Peter’s defending Him from arrest by saying, “Shall I not drink from the cup the Father has given me?” (John 18:11).

John recorded in his Gospel that when Judas arrived with soldiers and Temple guards in Gethsemane, Jesus stepped forward to meet them and asked, “Whom are you looking for?” (John 18:4). They replied, “Jesus of Nazareth.” When Jesus said, “I am he,” they all fell backward to the ground! They got a small taste of God’s power when God speaks! John also revealed that it was Peter who cut off the ear of the high priest’s slave, and Luke revealed in his Gospel that Jesus immediately healed the man! That was the second miracle in Gethsemane witnessed by the mob who came to arrest Jesus. Still they arrested Him.

One of the most significant statements we read today was what Jesus said about His being able to call for thousands of angels to protect Him from arrest. This makes it ever so clear that Jesus didn’t have to die. His death was not an accident or twist of fate. It was God’s plan. And the only possible reason such a thing could be God’s plan was because Jesus’ death would accomplish something good. We know, of course, that Jesus’ death is what satisfied the requirements of God’s justice on our behalf. If Jesus hadn’t died, we would have to spend eternity in hell, enduring the punishment we deserve for our sins.

Praise God for Jesus! Praise God that we’ve had the privilege of knowing about what we’ve read today!

Q. Jesus prayed essentially the same prayer three times in Gethsemane. Does this teach us that we should follow His example, repeatedly making the same requests?

A. No, because Jesus was not praying a prayer of faith, that is, a prayer based on one of God’s promises. In fact, He knew what He requested was not God’s will. His was actually a prayer of consecration, submitting to God’s will. To ask continually for what God has promised us is to doubt Him.

Q. When Peter cut off the ear of the high priest’s slave with his sword, do you suppose he was aiming for the man’s ear?

A. More likely, Peter was aiming for the man’s neck, and the man ducked in the nick of time. I almost wish the man hadn’t ducked so that Jesus, rather than healing a severed ear, could have healed a severed head! That would have been considered one of His greatest miracles!

Application: When Jesus was arrested, the mob apparently tried to arrest Jesus’ disciples as well (see Mark 14:51-52; John 18:8). Yet they all escaped, deserting Jesus, fearing for their own lives. Jesus had predicted this, and the Old Testament had foretold it as well (see Matthew 26:31). But when He was resurrected, Jesus received and restored deserters and then used them to build His church. This shows us how merciful Jesus is. In the world, deserters are rarely given a second chance. In God’s kingdom, there is abundant grace available.

As we read today, we realize what an advantage we have over Jesus’ disciples, because we understand what they didn’t. Unlike them, we know exactly what Jesus meant when He said, “In just a little while I will be gone, and you won’t see me anymore. Then, just a little while after that, you will see me again” (John 16:16). Because we do understand that Jesus was speaking of His death and resurrection, let us not overlook the amazing fact that Jesus foretold what was about to take place. How did He know? Only God could know or reveal such knowledge.

Even though Jesus was going away, He would not be leaving His disciples alone. He would send them the Holy Spirit, and amazingly, that would actually be better for them than if He remained. Jesus was limited to being in one place at a time, but the Holy Spirit could indwell every one of His followers, and He would help them. One of the ways the Holy Spirit will help us is in spreading the gospel and leading people to Jesus. He is the One who convicts people of their sin of not believing in Jesus, and of God’s righteousness and the future judgment. When we talk about those things with unbelievers, we can be certain that the Holy Spirit is helping us and convicting those with whom we speak.

Another way the Holy Spirit would help Jesus’ disciples would be by teaching them. Jesus said that He had many other things He wanted to tell them, but they weren’t ready to receive it yet. However, the Holy Spirit would pick up where Jesus left off. That is why, in the New Testament, we have the many letters written to the churches. They contain truths, given by the Holy Spirit to the apostles, which build on Jesus’ teaching.

To further comfort His disciples about His leaving them, Jesus emphasized that they had a special relationship with the Father who loved them dearly. They could go directly to Him in prayer using Jesus’ name, so Jesus’ departure wouldn’t mean the end of their communication with God. Jesus assured them that His Father wanted to answer their prayers so that their joy would be made full. The Father feels the same way about all His children, not just Jesus’ original eleven disciples. He loves us dearly!

Q. Some Christians refer to the Holy Spirit using the word “it,” speaking as if the Holy Spirit is a term for God’s power. Is this correct?

A. No, the Holy Spirit is not just a power and shouldn’t be referred to as “it.” Jesus always spoke of the Holy Spirit as a person, using the personal pronoun “He.” The Holy Spirit can be referred to as God, just as much as Jesus and the Father. To have Him live in us is to have God live in us!

Q. When the Holy Spirit wants to tell us what He has heard from Jesus or the Father, how does He communicate with us?

A. According to the record of what happened in the early church, the Holy Spirit can communicate with us in a number of ways. He can speak to us in dreams, visions, through the gift of prophecy or by using an audible voice. He can also speak to us by impressions within our spirits where He lives, and this seems to be the most common way He communicates with us. It may not be as spectacular as a vision or an audible voice, but it is just as supernatural. Our job is to learn to listen and remain sensitive to His leadings.

Application: Why not make a decision to try to be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit who indwells you for a specified period of time, perhaps for a few hours or a day, and see what happens? Do you think you’ll act more or less like Jesus?

Using the analogy of a vine, Jesus explained what a true Christian is: he is a person who, as a result of being joined to Jesus, produces fruit. Fruit, of course, represents the good things that we do. It includes our actions, attitudes, words and answers to our prayers. We can only produce that fruit if we are connected with Jesus.

Notice how Jesus emphasized fruitfulness, stressing its great importance. Whether a person produces fruit is what determines his eternal destination. Those who don’t produce fruit are like worthless branches on the grapevine—and they are destined to be burnt by fire, spending eternity in hell. God prunes those who do produce fruit so they may become more fruitful.

If you’ve believed in Jesus, then you are already producing some fruit. But God will not be satisfied until you are just like Jesus. So, like a gardener who prunes his grapevine so it might produce more fruit, God will work with us, cutting off what is displeasing to Him. He is dedicated to our spiritual growth.

Our job, according to Christ’s command, is to remain in Him (see John 15:4). To “remain in Jesus” means to continue to believe that He is the Son of God and thus continue to follow and obey Him. If we will remain in Him, He’ll remain in us and we’ll produce much fruit.

Jesus also instructed His followers to remain in His love (see John 15:9). That’s the same thing as remaining in Him, because the proof of a person’s remaining in Jesus’ love is the same proof as that of a person’s remaining in Jesus: his obedience. In today’s reading, Jesus stressed the importance of our obeying His commandment to love one another. He expects us to love one another just as He loves us. He literally laid down His life for us, and wants us to give sacrificially of ourselves to one another. John wrote, “Let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions” (1 John 3:18). Have you demonstrated your love for a fellow Christian recently?

Q. Jesus talked about the branch that was cut off from the vine because it wasn’t bearing fruit. Does this prove that a person can be joined to Christ but produce no fruit?

A. As with every parable and comparison, we must be careful about searching for significance in every detail, because at some point, the similarities in the comparison end. We shouldn’t necessarily conclude, just because the fruitless branch was connected to the vine, that it’s possible for a person who doesn’t produce fruit to be connected to Christ. That might be reading more into His analogy than Jesus intended. The way a person becomes connected to Jesus is by faith, and the Bible tells us that “faith without works is dead” (see James 2:26, NASB). For that reason, it seems unlikely that Jesus was trying to teach that a person can be joined to Him yet remain fruitless. In fact, Jesus said that fruitlessness is what results in being cut off from the vine.

Q. For those who do remain in Him, Jesus has given tremendous promises regarding their prayers. He said, “But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted!” (John 15:7). Does that mean we could ask for all our enemies to be killed in car crashes on the same day?

A. People who remain in Jesus and who allow Jesus’ words to remain in them would never make such a prayer request, because Jesus said in another place that we should bless our enemies and pray for them, not against them! We can pray with assurance for anything that God has promised us in His word, and we should only want to pray for what is His will.

Application: Jesus is our Lord and Master, but He’s not a distant master who only cares about our obedience and doesn’t care about us. He’s our Friend. But don’t forget that He’s only our Friend if He’s first our Master and Lord. Jesus plainly said that those who obey Him are His Friends (see John 15:14). Too many people want Jesus as their friend but not their Lord. But Jesus does not offer such a relationship to anyone.

Keep in mind that Jesus would be gone in less than twenty-four hours. This was the final opportunity He would have to speak with His disciples before His crucifixion.

Jesus knew that unsaved people would hate His disciples just like they had hated Him, and He wanted to prepare them for what lay ahead. The hatred they would experience would tempt them to fall away from their faith in Him. They would wonder, as all persecuted Christians are tempted to wonder, why God would allow them to suffer at the hands of evil people. But because Jesus has forewarned all of us, we shouldn’t doubt God when we’re persecuted. He told us it was coming. Jesus even told us that some of us would be killed for our faith in Him, but that doesn’t change His love for us.

The apostle Paul wrote, “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). Rather than be concerned when we do suffer persecution, we should be concerned if we aren’t suffering some persecution. Although we aren’t persecuted nearly as much in our country as Christians are in other places in the world, anyone who takes a stand for Christ anywhere will be talked about and hated by others. We should expect that. Jesus said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you” (Luke 6:26, NASB).

Pre-teens and teenagers, perhaps even more so than older adults, want to be accepted by others. But if you are going to be a true follower of Christ, you’ll have to be willing to face some rejection. The place to receive love and acceptance is from your family and other fellow believers in Christ. Their love for you should more than counterbalance the hatred of the world.

Jesus also explained the reason the world hates us. It is because they hate Him and His Father whom we serve and represent. We are not the main target of the world’s hatred. It is actually God Himself. We are just being caught in the crossfire.

The amazing thing is that it is often people who claim to be Christians who persecute those who are born again. Jesus said, “The time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing God a service” (John 16:2). These kinds of “Christians,” however, aren’t really saved, as proven by their hatred for true believers. John wrote, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates another Christian, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we have not seen?” (1 John 4:20).

Q. When non-Christians express their hatred for us, what should be our response?

A. We should show them love in return. Jesus said, “Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Pray for the happiness of those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you” (Luke 6:27-28). The love we show our persecutors can have a profound influence upon them, softening their hearts toward Jesus.

Q. Can you think of a reason why God rarely seems to stop persecution against His own people?

A. One reason is because He’s so merciful to His enemies. He is acting toward them the same way He expects us to act, loving them in spite of their hatred. He’s hoping that during the time He’s showing them mercy, they’ll come to their senses and repent. He knows that if they die without repenting, they’ll suffer eternally. That is only one reason, among others, that God allows persecution against His people.

Application: Do you know of anyone who doesn’t like you, or who has said something derogatory about you because you are a follower of Christ? If so, what has been your response?

As Jesus’ disciples listened to Jesus talk after their Passover meal, their hearts became troubled. He had told them that He would be leaving them very soon, and that they would not be able to go where He was going (see John 13:33). Keep in mind that they had been with Him for over three years, so the thought of being separated from Him was traumatic. Jesus told them not to be troubled, and gave them at least five good reasons why they shouldn’t be.

First, He said He was going to prepare a place for them in His Father’s house, a house in which there were many rooms.

Second, He promised that He would ultimately come back for them to take them with Him to His Father’s house. Then they would never be separated from Him again.

Third, during the time they were apart, He would send them another Helper, the Holy Spirit, who would never leave them. The Holy Spirit would lead them into truth, teaching them and reminding them of what Jesus had said.

Fourth, soon after His departure, they would see Him again for a time after His resurrection and be assured that He was alive forevermore. Once they saw Him raised from the dead, they wouldn’t entertain the idea that He was dead and gone.

And fifth, He would give them peace in their hearts, His own peace, as a gift. They only needed to tap into it. What more could they ask?

In today’s reading, Jesus made several claims, most of which only God could rightfully make. He claimed to be the way, the truth and the life (see John 14:6). That is, He is the only way to heaven, the only One who knew and revealed spiritual truth, and the only One who could give eternal life. He claimed to be one with the Father, to the extent that anyone who saw or knew Him could say they’d seen and known the Father.

He claimed that His words were His Father’s, and His ability to do miracles came from the Father. As I’ve written before, Jesus didn’t leave us the option to think of Him as just a good man or a prophet. His claims were too outrageous. If He wasn’t God, He was the biggest liar who has ever lived.

Finally, Jesus made it very clear who His people are. They are those who love Him and who prove their love by their obedience to Him. And those are the people whom God indwells by His Holy Spirit. Isn’t it great to be one of them?

Q. Near the end of today’s reading, Jesus said, “I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the prince of this world approaches. He has no power over me, but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father” (John 14:30-31). Who is the “prince of this world”?

A. Satan.

Q. What did Jesus mean when He said that the prince of this world was approaching?

A. He was referring to how Satan was orchestrating His imminent betrayal, arrest, and crucifixion. Jesus implied that Satan was only doing what God was permitting him to do, and, unknowingly, was playing right into God’s hands. By motivating men to kill Jesus, Satan was setting the stage for Jesus to fulfill God’s preordained plan for His Son to be sacrificed for the sins of the world!

Application: Jesus said, “For I will live again, and you will, too” (John 14:19). For Christians, death is not something to be feared. It’s the beginning of a new life. We have that promise from someone we can trust, someone who knows what He’s talking about, and someone who’s crossed over the line of death and come back to life!

One of the many laws that the Israelites were required to obey was to observe the yearly Passover festival in Jerusalem. It was a time to remember when God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt over a thousand years before Jesus was born. God’s destroying angel had killed all the firstborn Egyptians, but he didn’t harm the firstborn Israelites because they had obeyed God’s instructions to kill a lamb and mark their doors with its blood. When the destroying angel came to a house that was marked with the blood, he “passed over” it. The Egyptians were so afraid of the Israelites’ God that they released them from slavery, and all the people of Israel left Egypt to journey to a new land God would give them.God had said that from then on, the Israelites should kill a lamb every year on that same day to remind them of what He had done for them in Egypt. He also wanted them to understand that their sins could be forgiven only through a sacrifice that served as a substitute. Of course, an animal can’t really serve as a substitute for a human being, so we know that the animal sacrifices only served to reveal what Jesus would do for us when He died as our substitute on the cross. That is why Jesus is referred to as “the Lamb of God” in the Bible. Jesus died on the cross during a Passover festival.

When Jesus was young, He journeyed every year to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover with Mary, Joseph and many other people who lived in Nazareth. The festival lasted for one week, and then everyone returned to their home towns. Mary and Joseph, probably knowing that Jesus was responsible enough to take care of Himself, didn’t worry that He wasn’t with them when they departed from Jerusalem. They assumed He was with their friends and relatives traveling back to Nazareth with them. Once they discovered He was missing, however, they went back to Jerusalem and frantically searched for Him, finally finding Him three days later talking to the religious leaders in the Temple. Mary and Joseph were probably very angry with Jesus at first, but they could hardly remain angry since He was amazing everyone in the Temple with His deep understanding of spiritual matters. (If you were missing for three days, your parents would be very angry with you, but if they found you at school teaching your teachers and the principal, they would probably cool down quickly!)

Jesus was surprised that Mary and Joseph had searched for a whole day in Jerusalem before they found Him. He thought they should have known right where He’d be, in His “Father’s house,” the Temple. But Mary and Joseph didn’t understand what He meant, which is often the case with parents and their children!

Q. At twelve years of age, Jesus was most interested in spiritual matters. Does that mean He was a nerd?

A. No, it means that He was a very wise boy with whom God was pleased. Kids are often very interested in sports, hobbies and other fun activities, and there is nothing wrong with those interests. However, wise young people are most interested in learning more about their relationship with God. Knowing and obeying God should be the most important thing in everyone’s life, young and old.

Q. Because Jesus remained in Jerusalem when His parents left for Nazareth, does that mean He was disobedient to His parents?

A. Although it may seem that way, it couldn’t be that way because disobedience to parents is a sin, and Jesus never sinned. Mary and Joseph apparently departed from Jerusalem without being certain Jesus was with them, assuming that He was with others who were also departing. It could be considered a case of negligence on their part. Perhaps when Jesus discovered that His parents had departed without Him, He assumed they would soon return upon discovery of His absence. And the best place to wait for them was at the Temple, as that would surely be the first place they would look for Him, knowing who He was. One other possibility is that Jesus’ heavenly Father had instructed Him to remain at the Temple. If that was the case, Jesus had to obey regardless of how Mary and Joseph reacted. The only time it is acceptable to disobey parents is when obeying them would mean disobeying God.

Application: Since we are followers of Jesus, we should obey our parents just as Jesus obeyed Mary and Joseph.