While Jesus was progressing toward the cross to pay the debt of sin of sinners, Simon Peter kept driving himself deeper and deeper into the debt of sin. The contrast between Simon the sinner and Jesus the Savior is as stark as it can be. John intertwines the two stories of Jesus’ trial and Peter’s denial to showcase the golden thread of Jesus’ righteous character against the contrast of Simon Peter’s dark black thread of sin and unfaithfulness. John writes this story for our sake that we would deal with our sins honestly before the Lord and recognize the Lord Jesus alone as our Savior who can cleanse us and restore us from all our sin and condemnation.
Philippians 2:5-11 - Acquire the Attitude of Christ
John 18:1-11 - He Gave Himself Up for Us
Jesus selflessly gave Himself up for us, a profound truth vividly displayed in the scene of His arrest. In these eleven verses, John reveals how Jesus truly surrendered Himself for our salvation. His rejection of personal gain, self-preservation, and self-centeredness exposes our own selfishness, highlighting our need for the Savior and repentance. May the Holy Spirit guide us to behold Jesus’ glory in His self-sacrifice, repent of our sinfulness, and grow in grace.
Psalm 145 - Reverberation of Extolment
Worship is the insignia of salvation. We who wish for all our children to be saved must pass down to them an enthusiastic worship of the LORD. This is the pattern revealed in Psalm 145. Extolment of our God passes from personal to generational to universal, and the character of that worship is seen as reverberative, personal, constant, wonderful (full of wonder), and faith-ful (full of faith). May the extolment of our great God be the legacy we leave behind.
Revelation 22:6-21, The Last Words of Our Lord
The visions of the end times events are now complete. As the book of Revelation draws to a close, John conveys to us the last words of our Lord and underscores three themes of revelation, overcoming, and imminence. They teach us that we are to trust, know, preserve, and heed His revelation to us. His core message in this book can be captured in the one word “overcome.” The true overcomer in the book of Revelation is the Lord Himself. This reveals the nature of our overcoming efforts. We overcome in Christ. it is only as we abide in Christ and He abides in us that we overcome. He has conquered and He enables us to do the same in this sin infested and corrupt world. He guides us in the pathway to heaven which is the pathway of sanctification. The urgency of this matter is seen in the resounding reminder that the coming of the Lord for rapture is imminent. May the Holy Spirit give all of us the wisdom to walk closely with the Lord and be ready for Him whenever that day comes.
Philippians 1:27 - 2:4, Qualities for Church Unity
Revelation 21:1-22:5, Our Eternal Home
The last section of Revelation is regarding New Jerusalem, the believers’ eternal home. John sees the vision of that remarkable place marked by its newness, the glory of God, its magnificent and beautiful appearance, its sustenance for its inhabitants, and its fruitful activities. The celestial city comes down from heaven like a bride adorned for her husband into the new creation, the new heaven and the new earth where all things have been made anew. How glorious will be our eternal home! Scripture brims over with the pictures of that wondrous city. May the Lord teach us to fill our hopes and our dreams with the anticipation of this glorious future and see our fleeting life on earth as training grounds for heaven’s worship and service.
Revelation 20:7-15, The Kingdom of Christ Part 2
The Lord’s kingdom will conclude with one final rebellion instigated by the Devil. This reveals the marvelous nature of saving faith which has been gifted to God’s elect. Regeneration and genuine faith is the stupendous present from heaven. Moreover, the gift of salvation means all our sinful deeds are marked as “paid in full” by the Lamb who was slain for His people. The millennial kingdom of our Lord means change in the present life, it will stamp out one final insurrection, and usher His people into the eternal kingdom of God because all their sins are counted as paid by the blood of the Lamb.