Let me first of all share the Text for our Bible Study. It occurred to me that someone may be reading here who does not have immediate access to your New Testament …
John 13:31-38 …
31 Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. 34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. 36 Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards. 37 Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake. 38 Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.
Someone said this, describing us Christians in 2022 … “WE LIVE BETWEEN JESUS’ RESURRECTION AND HIS RETURN!”
Isaiah 52:13-15 gives us a synopsis of the Cross as Jesus’ Glory! (Not as a defeat!) Read it with me: “Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: so shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.” (Remember, Jesus is the Fulfillment of Isaiah’s four great “Servant of the Lord” Passages.)
John, who relates Jesus’ amazing words about “love” in our crucial Paragraph, also enjoys talking about “love” in his little Epistles, especially in 1st John. One sample: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1st John 2:15
Now here’s a graphic Old Testament Picture of God the Father “bruising” (Isaiah 53:5) His only begotten Son on the Cross. This happened at Calvary … “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.” (Zechariah 13:7, King James Version. Here the “Lord of Hosts” is God the Father. And the “Shepherd” is Jesus, Whom God calls “My Fellow” in this Verse. The “sheep” are His disciples, Mark 14:50.)
Wow!
Our current Text leads me to say … “Love is the Badge of Christian Discipleship!”
If you have not done so yet, I invite you to watch the whole class now …
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
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