Pastor’s Bible Reading Schedule: Ezekiel 22-23; John 13
Devotional Thought:
In John 13, Jesus shows us an example of what a servant looks like. It was time for Jesus to “depart out of this world unto the Father.” (vs. 1) The tenderness and compassion of Jesus is pictured in the last part of the verse, “…having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end.” The marks of a true servant are clearly described in this passage. (1) Jesus had a cooperative spirit. (vs. 3) He came to do the will of His Father exactly the way the Father had planned it and commanded it. There was not an independent spirit or a personal agenda, but rather Jesus demonstrated a cooperative spirit with the will of His Father. A servant has no will of his own, but rather he exists to do the will of his master. Jesus demonstrated such a spirit for us to follow. (2) Jesus had a contrite spirit. (vs. 5) Jesus demonstrated a humble spirit as He met the needs of His disciples. He had no expectation of them, but rather He worked to meet the needs that they had. (3) Jesus had a compassionate spirit. (vs. 12, 15) Jesus clearly loved His disciples and continued to love them until the end. He did not consider it a chore to serve them; neither did He consider it a burden or inconvenience. Jesus was setting an example for them to follow, as they would learn to show love one for another. Lastly, Jesus had a contented spirit. (vs. 16-17) Jesus washed the feet of friends who would deny Him, betray Him, and doubt Him. However, He was content to do the will of His Father, and the actions, reactions, and decisions of others were not an issue. What an example for each of us as we learn to be conformed to the image of Christ.
Personal Requests:
• Lord, please help me to be a true servant. I desire to serve you with my whole heart as I learn to serve those around me.
• Lord, please help me to truly love the people around me and to serve them as Jesus gave example.
• Lord, thank you for your love you show to me every day. Thank you for the example, challenging me to love those who make poor decisions and to serve them. Help me to serve all people and not just those who make it easy.