Gracepoint Devotions

Submitted by Cynthia Peng, Gracepoint Berkeley

John 20:30-31

“To believe that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah) and the Son of God involves the total acceptance of the revelation of God that he offers, the acknowledgment of his divine authority, and the fulfillment of the commission he entrusted to his disciples. The total scope of this belief is illustrated in the narrative of this Gospel. Its result is eternal life, a new and enduring experience of God by the believer.”[1]

What was John’s purpose in writing the Gospel of John?

John’s purpose in writing the Gospel of John is clearly stated in today’s text, that we, those who come after him and read his gospel, may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing we may have life in his name.

Am I experiencing that life?

I am definitely experiencing this kind of life as I think about my own salvation and the death and hopelessness and shame that Jesus rescued me from, as I had a chance to reflect on this personally and as a church this whole week with the Passion Experience, watching the Passion of the Christ move, Good Friday service and yesterday’s Easter service.  Even though Christian life is not always easy, I look at the full life that I live and I can affirm again and again that really this is the best life out there.  It’s simply amazing as I think about where Jesus saved me from.  Not only that, I’m amazed to be part of this community where life is overflowing, where over the course of the past couple weeks we’ve been able to experience more than 60 salvation decisions corporately as a church.  It’s so true that as a church it’s like we’ve been standing on holy ground, hearing about person after person who crossed the line of faith this week, every person going from death to life, all centered on Jesus’ name and what Jesus did on the cross for us 2000 years ago.  If this isn’t “life in his name”, I don’t know what is!

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Submitted by Timothy Rhee, Gracepoint Minneapolis

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

Submitted by Steve Kim, Gracepoint Riverside

John 18-19

In Mark 14:30, Jesus says to Peter, “I tell you the truth, today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times. In response Peter emphatically insisted, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.”

It was just earlier that same evening that Peter so confidently said that he would never disown Jesus, even if he had to die with Jesus.  I think Peter was very sincere about the words he uttered so passionately, but he underestimated how much his courage and confidence was dependent on certain assumptions and expectations.  Peter never seriously considered that their band of brothers would ever scatter, and he certainly didn’t prepare for His Master, who walked on water, rebuked the storms, casted out demons and healed the sick, would ever be reduced to a helpless prisoner.

But as soon as his closest companions fled and he saw his hero and master so helplessly subdued and beaten, he shriveled up inside and became less assertive.  He tried to muster up all the courage he had left to follow Jesus into his trial before the High priest, but he could only manage to follow at a distance.

Once his identity as a follower of Christ became fuzzy due to his fears and desire to save himself, he finds himself seeking personal comfort by warming himself near the fire at a time when Jesus was being intensely persecuted.  And finally what Jesus predicted came true.  He ended up cowardly denying Jesus 3 times before the rooster crowed.  He couldn’t even muster up the courage to identify himself with Jesus before a servant girl.

As I reflect on Peter’s journey from that moment of great boast and self-confidence to denying Jesus 3 times, I see a window into my own heart.  I see how like Peter I too overestimate what I think I’m capable of.  I’d like to think I’m a sacrificial, loving person with a  generous heart, but I see that so much of my self-confidence comes from ‘favorable conditions’.  It’s not so hard to be godly and passionately devoted to God when things go well.  When there’s steady income, good health all around and a fruitful ministry, being zealous and radical for Jesus won’t seem so hard.  Even when there are times of intensity in doing God’s work like participating in mission trips, GLIVE, or starting a new church, I can be excited by the collective excitement and zeal of doing things together with others in the church.  And there’s also the reward of seeing the fruit of our labor as people come out to our events and develop spiritual hunger to seek God more.

But what will happen when 6 months of unemployment hit?  What will become of my zeal and passion when I experience setbacks in ministry?  What will happen to my enthusiasm and generous heart when my wife and kids are hit with prolonged illnesses?

Such times of discouragement and trials have hit me in the past, and I know my response to such times was far from a saintly, Christ-like response.  I’ve complained, fell into self-pity and wanted to just seek out fleshly comforts like Peter warming himself around a fire.  Those were times when my sense of identity as a follower of Christ became fuzzy and dull as I became so self-focused and deflated by the challenges and trials that were before me.

So should I wish such times would never come, because the real me…the best of me comes out in more favorable circumstances? NO, because the real me…the truth about who I really am get exposed the most during those “garden of gethsemane” moments in my life when I’m stripped of all the external  conditions that prop up my frail ego and pride.  It’s when I am faced with the truth about myself that I’m given the opportunity to look upon the face of Christ as did Peter when he denied Jesus 3 times.  I can then see His face and recognize that I’ve been loved unconditionally all along.  It’s only then can I experience His grace being greater than all my sins.

I pray that I would never think of myself more highly than I ought, but rather with sober judgment.  I pray that God will keep me as low as my ‘character’, so  that I may always say, “I am what I am by the grace of God!”

Submitted by Wilson Fong, Gracepoint Berkeley

John 19:17, 28
What does Jesus’ statement “I am thirsty” show about what he endured on the cross?
Jesus was thirsty because his body was suffering from significant fluid loss – given the scourging inflicted upon him (John 19:1) and the strenuous trek from Pilate’s palace to Golgotha, “carrying his own cross” (John 19:17).  His statement, “I am thirsty,” shows that there, nailed to a cross and fighting for his last few breaths, Jesus experienced the full extent of human weakness and embraced the fullness of human suffering.  The Son of God, the Ancient of Days, the One who holds eternity in his hands and through whom creation came to be, became nothing, reduced to a dying man with dry lips and parched throat, desperately longing for a drink.  On the cross, Jesus emptied himself of everything – his power, his glory, his life – in order to become sin for us, so that we would become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

John 19:25-27
What picture of Christian relationships and family ties are depicted through what Jesus tells Mary and John about their relationship?
Jesus instituted a picture of Christian relationships that is fuller, richer and broader than traditional family ties.  In Matthew 12:50, Jesus taught, “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”  The word “whoever” is very broad and very inclusive, referring to all those who follow Christ and do the will of God.  At the foot of the cross, Jesus entrusted his own mother into the care of John, his beloved disciple – not to be simply a caregiver, but to be her own son as she would be his own mother.  In doing so, Jesus elevated the definition of family beyond the customary view of family as nuclear family and blood relatives exclusively.  This act became the precedent for the early church members to call each other “brother” and “sister.”  Because of the common Fatherhood of God, there is the brotherhood and sisterhood of all believers.

To what extent have I experienced the church in this manner?
I have experienced the church as the family of Christ just recently, as I had been distancing myself from a brother and sister because of a wrong I had committed.  I felt terrible, but I was too proud to apologize.  I know that if such a thing happened in my own family, there would be an all-out cold war, where peace comes in the form of relational distance.  However, the couple would not allow a wedge to form in our relationship and actually called me over to their place to talk and share how they were feeling, giving me a chance to confess and apologize.  I still felt terrible, but so relieved that I could tell them how sorry I was and that I could hear how they had forgiven me.  Even though I have been at our church for over twelve years now, this incident showed me how much I took these relationships for granted, and I was challenged and rebuked by how much my brother and sister in Christ valued our relationship to confront me.

John 19:28-30
“The use of the perfect tense in ‘It is finished’ (tetelestai) signifies full completion of Jesus’ work and the establishment of a basis for faith. Nothing further needed to be done. Jesus’ act was voluntary and confident, for he had discharged perfectly the Father’s purpose and was leaving the scene of his human struggle. […] Jesus retained consciousness and command of himself till the very end.”[1]
Reflect on Jesus’ final words, “It is finished.” What implication do these words have on my life, and my struggle against sin?
“It is finished.”  Mission accomplished.  Jesus came into our world with a job to do, with a task to fulfill, with a specific purpose – to “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).  “It is finished” is a bold proclamation, ringing of triumphant finality.  On the cross, Jesus did what he came to do: taking our sins upon himself, dying the death we deserve, and paying the debt we owe to God with his precious blood.  In Jesus’ day, the word tetelestai was also written on business documents and receipts to indicate that a certain bill was paid in full.

Jesus purchased my pardon and cleared my debt, so now I stand forgiven and free before God.  Because of Christ’s completed work on the cross, I can “approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).  The implication for my life is that I do not have to drum up spiritual merit of my own to earn my place before God.  Instead, simply acknowledging my utter poverty and simply claiming Jesus’ accomplishment on the cross, I can humbly come before God and relate with him.  In my struggle against my sins, it means I can freely confess them, knowing that Jesus has secured victory over every one of them.  The power of my sins to drag me down and keep me low comes from the thinking that I need to beat them and overcome them in order to be presentable before God, but the cross of Jesus and the declaration “It is finished” remind me that it was because of my sins that Jesus came and died, and that it was because of his death that all my sins in the past, the present and the future are forgiven forever.

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Submitted by Ray Choi, Gracepoint Berkeley

John 19:16-42
Reflection questions
John 19:17, 28
What does Jesus’ statement “I am thirsty” show about what he endured on the cross?
It shows his human frailty and weakness.  It shows that when he was flogged, spat upon, beaten, pressed down with a crown of thorns, pierced and raised up on the cross, it hurt as much as it would hurt any human being.  Jesus was not immune to the pain because he was God.  He suffered and endured the full pain and agony of the infliction he went through.  It’s a small but powerful reminder that God made himself vulnerable to suffer, that his suffering on the cross for my sins is not just a nice cliché or theological proposition, but a historical reality.  Jesus suffered to the full the punishment for my sin, indeed he died the death I was supposed to die, so that I would not be eternally cut off from God. Continue reading April 22, 2011 Devotion Sharing →

Submitted by Ahmi Kim, Gracepoint Berkeley

John 18:33-19:1

What can I learn about Jesus’ heart through his interaction with Pilate? I can learn about how much Jesus seemed to have wanted Pilate to focus on the truth of who He was, rather than what others said. Jesus could have ignored Pilate altogether, but, in His time of suffering, He still engaged with Pilate, to help him to come to terms with what he himself really thought of Jesus. It was obvious that Pilate was not used to considering the truth, and Jesus clearly wanted him to consider it and address it.  In the midst of unfathomable suffering, Jesus took time to engage the very man who was going to sentence Him to death, not in an attempt to free Himself but for Pilate to know the truth and be freed. It was ironic for a person who was governing and judging to be so unconcerned about truth.

What can I learn from this? That truth must be confronted. We can push it off for a while and we can even get pretty good at it, learning to dance around it, ignore it, and live with the immediate reality of what will happen to me to drive me to the next point. However, sooner or later, we need to confront Jesus, and the truth of who He is, because our outcome depends on whether we accept Him or deny Him.

We just finished GLive, and as we were all helping out in one form or another to make it happen for the college students, I marveled again, (in addition to how GLive comes together as amazing as that may be) at how God’s story keeps getting passed through college students on campuses. I know that I certainly could not care less about the truth when I was in college. I just wanted to relax and be happy, and determined to not be affected by anything that would disturb my well being. My truth was that parents did not stay together, that stepparents were harsh and discriminatory toward their stepchildren, that I was not free to contact my father or his family, that our lives were bent around how to pacify my stepfather. Then, Jesus confronted me with His truth claims through His church, which I had to eventually live out – to live for Christ, to submit to Him and no longer live to protect myself. So, it is a wonder to me how it came to be that I can be here today, concerned wholeheartedly about whether the truth is proclaimed or not, about how we can help one another live it out.

In the GLive Senior Skit, one of the main characters was based on Pilate and how truth was a dispensable element that cost him integrity, friends and faith. In this world of many truth claims, I was struck again of how important it is to cling onto the truth Himself, Jesus Christ, who ultimately remains when all others die. It was this truth that changed my life, and has turned me around to this path, of no longer trying to preserve my well being in loneliness. I saw myself in the final character in the Junior Skit, who finally realized that he was empty and alone, and what he needed was what he had rejected – the church. And, just as the final scene showed, I was welcomed back with open arms, waiting and praying friends. Such a church cannot stand united unless each member agrees upon who Jesus is and lives it out. This is why I do what I do today – to become such a church for others like me.

In addition to GLive, I had the privilege of helping out the last phase of the passion experience project at North Loop on Sunday. As I’ve been reading through the Passion Week Reader, and meditating on the cross of Jesus, I am so overwhelmed that He would have such a heart for each of us, to steer me out of my self-centered view again and again, to recognize, know, and live out the truth that Jesus Christ is the Lord.

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Submitted by Jon Chou, Gracepoint Berkeley

John 18:33-19:1

Contrast Jesus’ view of truth and Pilate’s view of truth as revealed by his action (19:1). Jesus welcomed the truth, and even in this case, where the truth was going to lead him to his death on the cross. Pilate’s view of truth was that it was secondary in his life. What was primary was surviving, pleasing the crowds, maintaining his position, juggling the outside demands on his life, maintaining the status quo, continuing to move up in the Roman world. For Pilate, if that meant having an innocent man, Jesus, who claimed to possess the truth,  beaten and flogged, and ultimately crucified, then so be it. The truth was that he has the Son of God before him, inviting him to hear the truth about knowing God, but Pilate had no room for the truth in his life because there were too many other priorities.

Continue reading April 20, 2011 Devotion Sharing →

Submitted by Nancy Cheung, Gracepoint Berkeley

John 18:15-18, 25-27
Reflect on the picture of Peter warming himself by a fire while Jesus was being interrogated and beaten inside.  What does this reveal about human nature, and how does this apply to me? This reveals that human nature is fleshly, living for comfort over what one knows to be true, what one knows he ought to do. Peter’s beloved Master was being interrogated and beaten inside, yet he warmed himself by the fire, trying to be comfortable, rather than anguishing about what was happening to Jesus. Desire for comfort overrides higher things, even loyalty to one’s friend.

My desire for comfort determines a lot of the way I live and what I choose to do. There are always issues I need to think about, sins I need to confront and confess, but I avoid thinking about it because I don’t want to experience emotional discomfort and pain. Last week, I had opportunities to read and reflect, but I put it off, thinking I’ll just start when Passion Week starts. I didn’t want to think about the pain of the cross, what I had done to necessitate such agony on Jesus’ part. It shouldn’t be limited to just Passion Week, but every week, always, I should think about what Jesus went through for me, and be quick to confess and repent. I shouldn’t have such a big boot-up time to reflect and anguish and repent over my sins. Seeing this picture of human nature, I see that my tendencies are natural, but all the more I need to fight it, because it’s not right. It is a picture of me snoozing and making myself comfortable while my Master undergoes his suffering. It is a betrayal of the One who loves me and died for me.

John 18:19-24
What can I learn from what Jesus says in v. 23 about how to respond to words spoken to me? Jesus addresses objective truth and fact. He could have responded with indignation and righteous anger toward the official, but brings the focus of the discussion to truth. Of course he, the Son of God, is right, yet he even says, if I said something wrong, testify as to what is wrong. I shouldn’t respond with offense to how I’m treated, but respond with truth and with interest in getting to the truth. I am quick to take offense, to feel wronged by someone’s tone or the accusatory nature of their words, but rather than defending myself or pointing out the other person’s unreasonableness, I should respond with directing the conversation to what is the truth of the matter. I should focus my own thoughts onto what is the issue, instead of immediately thinking the other is wrong and I’m right. I should be open and interested in hearing that I’m wrong if I am wrong. When I get in conflict with others, this is often the case. I focus on their tone rather than acknowledging the content of what they said and discussing it so as to get to the truth. I’m not interested in the truth, in finding out what they’re saying exactly, but just assuming that they’re being unreasonable and getting worked up about that. With my husband, I focus on how I think he mistreated me with his tone or words or attitude, rather than being content when we’ve talked things through and come to a conclusion. I have this need to show him that he was unreasonable and mean. But Jesus shows me that my focus and interest ought to be, not on my dignity and whether it was trampled on, but what is the truth.

Jesus tells those who are interrogating him that he spoke “openly to the world,” and that he “spoke the truth.”  Reflect on the fact that the authorities eventually end up resorting to brute power to suppress Jesus, rather than “testify[ing] as to what is wrong.”  What lessons can I learn from this about the truth, the place of truth in our society, and the function of power to suppress the truth to which Jesus came to testify? The authorities had their own agenda. Their power, influence over the people, religious status were threatened by Jesus, so they arrested him unjustly, beat him every time he said something they didn’t like, and finally killed him to get rid of the threat he presented.

What I learn from this is that the truth is not evident to those who don’t want to hear it. Although Jesus spoke the truth openly, the religious authorities just didn’t get it. They were so intent on holding onto their position of power and status that they just could not hear the truth message. Truth is not welcomed in our society; it doesn’t hold a valuable place. It has a backseat to what I feel is right, what is best for me. Because truth threatens our sense of well-being, our feeling that all is OK, we are naturally compelled to do whatever we can to suppress it. And so, power is used in this way –to silence the unpleasant voices of truth and to enforce status and respect from others that we don’t deserve. Seeing the marginal place that truth holds in our society, and the worldly use of power to suppress truth rather than to do what is right, I need to be vigilant about keeping truth as the foundation of my life. In order to keep being able to even hear the truth, I need to make sure to not compromise in the little ways of trying to preserve my pride at the cost of truth. Continue reading April 19, 2011 Devotion Sharing →

Submitted by Joyce Lee, Gracepoint Austin

John 16:5-7

The disciples were “filled with grief” because Jesus was going away, but Jesus tells them that the coming of the Counselor (i.e. the Holy Spirit) would be better.  Why does Jesus say this? Jesus says this because since He is with them physically, He is only able to be at one place at once.  He is physically limited in terms of people that He can minister to.  But when the Holy Spirit comes, He is able to be at all times and in all places.  It says in the commentary that the Holy Spirit would “equip them for a wider and more potent ministry.”

What are some things I need to let go of even while grieving its loss because I need to move onto the greater good that God intends? One thing that I need to let go of is my immature way of view of myself. The way that I view myself as not being able to offer or contribute much, not having necessary talents or skills, which really sabotages me from experiencing the greater good of being able to be a source of blessing for others.   It’s an attitude that I need to keep laying down before God, as I’ve been seeing more and more that it hinders me from growing as a spiritual mother for the people under me, and also from taking more ownership over our church.  In light of reading book regarding the reality of spiritual warfare, I recognize that I really need to fully play my part and role that God has given me in this battle to build up the church, to battle spiritual battle for myself, and for others.  And that means I need to let go of my notion that I can’t contribute much, and not allow that to be a convenient excuse for not taking more ownership over the ministry and our church.  This is not even something that I would grieve its loss about because I know that it’s something that I should and want to let go from my life.  I see how God really desires to shape and mature me into a person who can be a spiritual mother for others, and a person who can be a strength and encouragement, and so I want to commit to just have an attitude of willingness to take on whatever I need to, to just be faithful with what God asks of me, and experience God’s work in and through my life.

John 16:8-15

What will the work of the Holy Spirit be, and how have I experienced these things? The work of the Holy Spirit will be to convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.  He also will guide people into all truth.  He will tell what is yet to come, and make known what Jesus knew.  I have been experiencing this work of the Holy Spirit working powerfully in our midst our here in Austin, as in this past week, we had 10 people make salvation/lordship decisions!  I know that it has been the work of the Holy Spirit because with each person, there was so much struggle.  I saw how some of them were just filled with fear regarding “giving up” their lives for Christ.  Others of them had doubts and questions regarding whether they can fully trust Jesus.  Another student had doubts regarding Jesus’ identity. In addition, there were students that just didn’t seem very interested last semester, but somehow through taking Course 101, they were so convicted by each of the sessions, and experienced being convicted by their own sinfulness, and need for God.   I realize that no matter how much I try to get someone to understand their sins, their need for God, I really am powerless to actually change their hearts.  It is only the work of the Holy Spirit, convicting them, guiding people into truth.

This teaches me to never underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit, and what He can do in a person’s heart and life.  That means that I need to not approach people cynically, having my own judgments regarding them, their spiritual interest, hunger, or even just trying with my own strength and wisdom to reason with them, but really do the work of praying for them.  In light of the spiritual battle, I see that this isn’t something that I can battle on my own, running around, and trying to talk and meet up with students by my own strength, but I need to engage in prayer for others – praying that the Holy Spirit would work in their hearts, that He would convict them of their sins, convict them regarding areas in their lives they need to bring before God, that the Holy Spirit would guide them into truth so that they are not living in delusion regarding themselves.

Submitted by Susanna Lee, Gracepoint Davis

John 14:1-3
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

How does this passage answer, for believers, the problem of pain and troubles? This passage answers for believers the problem of pain and troubles because these difficulties we experience in this world are only momentary in comparison to eternal joy that we will be experiencing in heaven where there will be no more pain and every tear will be wiped away by our Heavenly Father as this is promised in Revelation 7:17   17 “For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.“   We as believers are sojourners, passing through this earthly  temporal life, as we prepare our lives for eternal dwelling in heaven.  Thus pain and troubles that we face on this earth can be seen through proper perspective which will keep us from allowing our hearts to be troubled.  In this broken, sin-ravaged world, we will experience heartaches and hardships.  However, by trusting in God’s promises of eternal life with Him, we can persevere with faith and confidence in God.

To what extent do I experience these promises impacting how I live, process pain or respond to setbacks? I experience these promises impacting my life  to the extent on how I CHOOSE to process pains or respond to specific setbacks.  I daily face the CHOICE of responding in faith or not by claiming God’s promises to be mine or not.  The natural default of my heart is to give in to my feelings or the situation.  But the times when I fought against this by proclaiming God’s Word to myself, I have experienced peace in my heart and God’s strength to persevere.  One of my favorite heaven songs that help me through pain and setbacks is a song titled “Praise God on High.”  The lyrics give me hope and faith in God’s promises as I it protects me from succumbing to my feelings of despair regarding my own sins, sins of others, or a fearful situation that is beyond my control.  The words to this song, as it is grounded on God’s promises, especially ministered to me when I was in a lot of emotional pain due to a relational loss that hurt me deeply for a long time.  This gave me proper perspective on how to process my deep pain as I received God’s comfort and peace to my broken heart:

Someday our pain will be no more
Someday our tears will fade away
Someday we’ll see our Lord and Savior face to face
Someday we’ll rest from all our burdens
Someday we’ll see His smile
Someday He’ll look us in the eyes
And say welcome home My child

Chorus:
Praise God on high
All that’s wrong will be made right
How we long for the day
Every wounded soul will be made whole
So let’s worship Him with a mighty voice
Like we’re already with Him in Paradise
Praise God on high
Praise God

Someday we’ll walk beside the Father
Someday we’ll rest at His feet
Someday our trials will all be over
We’ll be completely free

Praise God on high
Praise God Continue reading April 8, 2011 Devotion Sharing →