“But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe.” – John 19:34-35

Here, John wants us all to know one thing for certain…Jesus was absolutely, completely dead on that cross. John saw it with his own eyes and there was no mistaking it. The Romans made sure Jesus was truly dead and He was. Stabbed in the side with a spear, there was no moaning or groaning. Just the pouring out of blood and fluid. This is important to know and believe – Jesus truly died on that cross.

His death matters because of what happened just a few days later. Jesus came back to life. Jesus rose from the dead, physically alive, eating and fellowshiping with His followers. Many hundreds of witnesses would be able to verify this fact personally for decades afterward. However, the power of those appearances lies in the assurance that Jesus had been truly dead.

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the most important event in all of human history! It’s the proof that His sacrifice on our behalf was sufficient and accepted by God. Our sins have been paid for. We just need to believe in Jesus as Lord to be saved. We can rationally and confidently believe – because He is the One Who died and rose from death.

We can believe in life after death for ourselves because Jesus led the way. We can believe in everything Jesus ever said and did, because He rose from the dead. We can believe Jesus is truly the Son of God because He rose from the dead. There is no greater truth or better good news and it all begins with the confidence that Jesus really did die for you on that cross!

“He shall judge between many peoples,
and shall decide disputes for strong nations far away;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore;”
– Micah 4:3

In a world full of war, be encouraged that God’s ultimate plan is for perfect peace. Though we currently live in a violent, dark, hate-filled, war-plagued world, when Christ returns, perfect shalom peace will reign over the world. Yes, there will be a final battle, but Micah 4 reminds us of God’s ultimate plan for perfect peace. God will draw to Himself followers from every nation, tribe, and tongue. He is creating a new family based not on national or ethnic identity but on faith in Jesus Christ.

Citizens of every earthly kingdom and people will one day seek God through Christ, submit to His authority, and worship Him. The bitter divisions between peoples that have characterized our world for so long will be erased. What unites us in Christ will be infinitely greater than what divides us and we will all know and live in light of that. We will truly be one in Christ Jesus!

In that renewed world of peace, our cultural distinctions won’t be lost but our divisions, hatred, and strife will be no more. War will simply be a distant memory and we’ll spend eternity in fruitful labor for God rather than attacking or defending against others made in His image. War is truly terrible, but ultimately, it’s temporary. On that great day, after Christ’s return and the final war has been waged, all that will remain will be perfect peace in Christ. What a day that will be! Until that great day, walk in the peace of Christ’s Spirit no matter what conflict you may experience on earth.

“I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” – John 17:23

Christians today seldom give unity with other Christians much thought. To the extent we ever think about unity, we mostly think about how to get others to agree with us. We prioritize being right, value getting others to yield, and often delight in “going it alone”. We consider unity a “nice to have” at best. In this, we’re very far from Christ’s will for His followers!

Jesus prayed for and prioritized genuine unity between believers. It’s more important to Jesus that we be unified as the church than that we agree on carpet color, music styles, or meeting times. It’s more important to Jesus that we be unified than that we be proven right on minor matters of preference, tradition, or power. If unity matters so much to Jesus, it needs to matter tremendously to every follower of Jesus!

Scripture teaches us to strive for unity. To work hard for unity. To prioritize unity. To sacrifice for unity. This makes sense given that Jesus died to make unity between fallen creatures of dust possible. More is at stake in our unity within the church than we generally imagine. Jesus is very clear that our unity as brothers and sisters in Christ is proof to the unbelieving world that God sent Jesus and that God loves us. Imagine that!

Your willingness to pursue unity with even those Christians you don’t particularly like proves the message of the Gospel! Our greatest isn’t our bumper stickers, our eloquent preaching, sophisticated teaching, bestselling books, or social media empire. The greatest testimony of Jesus we can offer to unbelievers is our ability as followers of Christ to live and love each other as one, unified body.

Are you pursuing unity with every other believer? Are you walking in unity with a local church? Are you willing to let go of things which are important to you but aren’t required by the Bible to promote greater unity and love in the church? That’s what Jesus prayed for you!

“I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.” – John 17:15

When the troubles of the world become overwhelming, it’s helpful to remember what Jesus prayed for you. Jesus didn’t pray for any of His followers to be immune from the difficulties of life in a fallen world. He didn’t pray for you to be blissfully ignorant of the evil and sin running rampant in the world. He didn’t pray for you to live in safe and comfortable isolation away from the pain and suffering that marks life on earth. He didn’t pray for you to lock yourself away in a tower, fortress, or church to avoid interacting with the evil or foolish philosophies and fads of the world.

No, Jesus prayed for your spiritual protection as you navigate a world of challenges, setbacks, temptations, trials, and darkness. Jesus never prayed for His people to separate themselves from this world. To the contrary, He commanded us to go out and be salt and light, giving flavor, preservation, renewal, and the knowledge of the truth to a darkened, decaying world opposed to those values. Jesus commanded us to be witnesses to a hostile, watching world through our words, actions, and love. He commanded us to make disciples.

Obeying the commands of Jesus requires us to live in the world. We must experience the challenges of life that He Himself willingly stepped into. We must mix, mingle, and love those far from God. Long-term withdrawal from the world isn’t an option for Christ-followers, we must be out and about in the world. However, we do so confident that Jesus prayed for our spiritual protection.

As followers of Christ, we must never blindly go along with the sins of the world. We must never participate in the ungodly behaviors, attitudes, philosophies, and fads that may prevail. We must devote our lives to growing in holiness and growing closer and closer to Jesus even as we walk out in the world introducing people to Him.

What did Jesus pray for you? The protection of your soul from Satan’s influence. That’s far more important than the protection of your body from harm or your sensibilities from the evils present in the world. Go! Make disciples, while guarding your spirit in Christ as you do!

“But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

– Amos 5:24

Whether Old Testament or New, God’s desire for His people is consistent. He’s far more concerned with our hearts, minds, and attitudes than our visible patterns of religious behavior. Worship certainly matters, but appearing to worship while having a heart far from God’s is unacceptable and even offensive to Him. Giving, praying, teaching, and gathering with other believers are vitally important, but of little value if your mind isn’t trying to align to God’s and His values haven’t become your values.

God cares deeply about justice because He’s fundamentally just. He expects His children to act with justice and be concerned whenever they see others treated unjustly. If Jesus is your Lord, then as a citizen of God’s Kingdom you need to concern yourself with the work of the Kingdom here on earth. That work includes more than just sharing Christ so people enter the Kingdom. We’re called to concern ourselves with the things Jesus made clear distinguish God’s Kingdom here on earth from Satan’s domain of darkness. Practical concern for the sick, the poor, and the powerless. Acting with justice and acting for justice is a major part of making God’s Kingdom visible and attractive to a fallen world.

Likewise, God cares deeply that His people are righteous because He is perfect, sinless, holy, and righteous. He expects and empowers His followers to concern themselves with their own righteousness. Followers of Jesus must be pursuing holiness in every aspect our lives, both public and private, in the power of God’s Spirit. Righteousness can’t be something we put on for Sunday morning but leave behind us when we enter our workplace, the marketplace, or the community. Regardless of the cost, we must be acting with righteousness (not self-righteousness!) at all times, like an ever-flowing stream.

If you’ve embraced Jesus as your Savior, are you making Him visible through your concern for justice and daily practice of righteousness?