Author Archives: ilmaarts

JOHN 13 IDOL BEHIND BETRAYALS

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March 13

JOHN 13
21 After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. 23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side, 24 so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. 25 So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” 28 Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. 29 Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. 30 So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.
– John 13:21-30

JOHN 13 IDOL BEHIND BETRAYALS
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When you betray someone, your heart will feel guilt
No matter how you dismiss it, it will catch up on you
To betray someone is to go against your loving nature
You have begun to listen to the lies that are thrown at you
When you betray someone’s trust, you also hurt your own self
Repent and turn away from it or you’ll open doors to more lies.

“Mammon” is an Aramaic word that essentially means “riches” or “wealth”. In a religious context, it’s often personified as a money demon or false god, representing the worship of material possessions and the desire for gain. We witness here that it was the spirit of Mammon that led Judas to betray his Master Jesus. In John 12:5-6, we know that Judas was the treasurer and helped himself with the money and he was angry that Mary used expensive perfume to anoint Jesus’ feet. Judas betrayed Jesus over money. But if we look at the spiritual context of this betrayal, it was about idolatry of money. He gave up his service to the Lord and served his mammon god.

REFLECTION
• Share some insights on your experience of someone with the spirit of mammon.

JOHN 13 DO AS I HAVE DONE

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March 12

JOHN 13
12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. 18 I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ 19 I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
– John 13:12-20

JOHN 13 DO AS I HAVE DONE
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When Jesus bowed down to wash his disciples’ feet
He was expecting them to do the same with each other
In God’s kingdom, we are to humble ourselves and be a servant
There is no room for pride and entitlement in his kingdom.

When Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, he was showing them how different it is in God’s kingdom as compared to the world around them. He explained to them how a servant is never greater than his Master and a messenger than the one who sent him. He was giving them a picture of how the power-hungry world is very different from God’s kingdom. Humility is the key difference in these two warring kingdoms. In the world system, power is what runs it. In God’s system, love is the driving force that brings everything to Himself.
Competition is usually an offshoot of the corrupted world we live in. In God’s economy, there is no room for striving against who is better or best. He sees us all differently but we all have one common thing: we are made all in God’s image. Humility is the solution to combat this power-hungry world. Jesus sampled that humility when he became flesh.

REFLECTION
• Why do you think humility is a novelty in this world we live in?

JOHN 13 SERVICE IS THE GREATEST ACT OF LOVE

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March 11

JOHN 13
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
– John 13:1-11

JOHN 13 SERVICE IS THE GREATEST ACT OF LOVE
What is the significance of this washing of the feet of the disciples by Jesus? Can you imagine how the roads were during those times? They were not paved like how we have it today. It was dusty and probably some muddy areas where there were potholes. They were not wearing shoes but sandals, so their feet must be dirty. There is usually a waterpot by the door so people can clean their feet before they enter. When Jesus washed their feet, he was role modelling to his disciples that the greater of them would be the one who will serve the others.
According to Luke 22:24-27, after their last meal with the Lord, they were arguing which one of them was the greatest. The act of the washing of their feet was the greatest manifestation of his love for them. Humbly bowing down to their dirty feet to wash them would be looked down upon as a very degrading task to be done. The kingdom of God sees the greatest as the last and least. It was a lesson of humility and love. Are they able to follow that servant heart that Jesus had?

REFLECTION
• Why can’t one be a true follower of Jesus if they cannot be humble and serve?

JOHN 12 LIGHT COVERS DARKNESS

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March 10

JOHN 12
44 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”
– John 12:44-50

JOHN 12 LIGHT COVERS DARKNESS
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
Is your life full of pain, struggle, chaos and adversities?
You are not alone; someone is going through the same difficulties
Satan wants us to stay in the dark; he throws lies at us constantly
Believe in Jesus and His truth and these lies will be exposed instantly
You will no longer be tricked by subtle tactics for it will be in the light
Darkness will not overwhelm and overpower you because you believed.

In the bible, “light” is used as a metaphor for our Lord, God and the truth. According to some sources, it is used over 200 times in the bible both in the Old and New Testament books. John 8:12 tells us that Jesus claims that he is the light of the world and whoever follows him will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life. In John 1:5, he says that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness will not overcome it. In Psalm 119:105, the psalmist calls the word as a lamp to his feet and a light to his path. Genesis 1 gives us a picture of how the world was in darkness until God created light in verse 3. According to Barclay’s study notes, these words of Jesus were his last words in his public ministry. Hereafter he will teach his disciples and hereafter he will stand before Pilate, but these are the last words he will address to people at large. He is inviting all to partake of his greatest sacrifice on the cross so that they will all come to light and be saved.

REFLECTION
• Why do you think some people continually want to walk in the dark?

JOHN 12 BLIND EYES AND HARDENED HEARTS

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March 9

JOHN 12
When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. 37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” 39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.” 41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
– John 12:36-43

JOHN 12 BLIND EYES AND HARDENED HEARTS
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
What would it take for a proud man to believe the Christ?
Though the Lord’s work is visible, he still cannot see
Because his heart had been hardened, they cannot know
You cannot receive the Lord without him choosing you
A man will remain blind and unable to experience God’s glory
Because he prefers to please man rather than his Maker.

It is a sad fate to watch the Pharisees continue to influence the beliefs of those that were around them. They indoctrinated the people with their legalism, rules and rituals. Sometimes, we in our current society are not far from these people. Culture has ingrained so many lies and false systems that we cannot even brush it off from our minds and hearts. We become unable to receive the truth because it is so tainted with corruption and evil. People-pleasing becomes automatic. We fear confronting evil and wrongdoing because we may not fit in and be politically correct. We are not far from those people who believed the signs Jesus did that they witnessed. They believed yet were not free to express it because of their fear of losing something if they did. They were slaves of the dictates of the religious systems of the Pharisees.

REFLECTION
• Why do you think a man chooses to remain blind and hard hearted?

JOHN 12 WALK IN THE LIGHT

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March 8

JOHN 12
27 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. 34 So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”– John 12:27-36

JOHN 12 WALK IN THE LIGHT
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
Without light, we cannot do much but stumble in the dark
If you continually walk in darkness, you will eventually die
So, find the light source which only comes from the Lord
Believe in him alone and you will overcome this world.

In this account Jesus prophesied the kind of death he will go through in verse 32. He is clearly talking about his ultimate sacrifice on the cross which will lead to salvation of all mankind. But those who heard him didn’t understand what he was saying. Their idea of the Christ is that he will be eternal and not die. When they asked who this Son of Man he was talking about is. Jesus answered them with “The light is among you a little longer.”
This probably made them more confused. The issue here is that humans were thinking in earthly terms when Jesus was referring to the spiritual realm. These people didn’t have the bible as we do now, so at the time Jesus was uttering that statement, they couldn’t fathom it. Perhaps that is because the Spirit will only come when Jesus dies, then they will know what he was talking about. We now know that he is both life and light.

REFLECTION
• What are the benefits of walking in the light that Jesus exudes?

JOHN 12 LED TO THE TRUTH

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March 7

JOHN 12
20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. – John 12:20-26

JOHN 12 LED TO THE TRUTH
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When one is led to the truth, one goes against traditions
The lies begin to be exposed and bondages become visible
The truth sets one free and it leads one to the light
Darkness and evil are no longer powerful in one’s life
If you believe in God, you will be given eternity
But obedience and emulating Christ is essential.

In this account, we witness how the unbelieving Greeks were led to seek Jesus after hearing of his signs and power. When some of his disciples made known to Jesus of the Greek seekers, Jesus said “the hour has come.” What did he mean by this? His mission was to bring all people to glorify God and the seeking Gentiles (which includes Greeks) are probably one of the signs that his death is nearing. The coming of those who are outside the Jewish community indicates that his salvation of mankind is almost there.
In verse 24, he explains in metaphor how and why he needs to sacrifice his life. Jesus is comparing the act of a grain of wheat dying in the ground to produce new life to the concept of self-sacrifice and the idea that one must “die” to their own desires in order to complete his purpose of coming on earth.
Then Jesus added the requirements for following him, which involves sacrifice, obedience to his Father’s will and serving him by loving and serving one another.

REFLECTION
• How were you led to the truth? Share if it was a long or short process?

JOHN 12 HAIL KING JESUS!

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March 6

JOHN 12
9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!” 16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”– John 12:9-19

JOHN 12 HAIL KING JESUS!
In this account, we see how much following Jesus had after he raised Lazarus from the dead. As a result of such a crowd who wanted to see Jesus at Bethany, the Jewish leaders also plotted to kill Lazarus. What irony it is that they call themselves religious leaders when they act like criminals! Every time there is a threat to their reputation, they would stop it.
The crowds were unstoppable to hail someone like Jesus who had the power to bring back to life the dead. They used palm branches to hail Jesus as king. These people were hungry to be released from the Roman Empire’s enslavement. They thought that Jesus could be their king to save them from the political tyranny that the Romans had on them. It looks like they have no idea what kind of kingdom Jesus represented. They wanted a political leader but that is hardly what Jesus came to save them from.
Ironically, Jesus came sitting on a humble donkey as he entered Jerusalem which was a fulfillment Zechariah 9:9. He didn’t look like any worldly king on earth.

REFLECTION
• Why do you think the crowd hailed Jesus as king?

JOHN 12 THE ANOINTING OF JESUS’ FEET

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March 5

JOHN 12
Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.” – John 12:1-8

JOHN 12 THE ANOINTING OF JESUS’ FEET
What was the significance of Mary’s anointing of Jesus’ feet in this account? In biblical times, anointing oil was an ancient practice. James 5:14-15 says “14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” We see how it is used in this verse to heal the sick not only physically but also spiritually, as it forgives the sins of the sick as well. According to some source online, historically, anointing with oil has been used for consecrating priests, healing the sick and setting apart individuals for God’s purposes just like how King David was anointed by Samuel in
1 Samuel 16:13. Literally, anointing involves applying of oil to represent the divine empowerment, consecration and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit on the person to set apart that person to be able to fulfill the task given to him with God’s blessings.
Another common use of anointing oils would be to honor someone as an act of hospitality which was what Mary was probably doing. But I think it was more than just an act of hospitality. It was a special gift she gave to the Lord to signify her devotion to him. She used to sit at Jesus’ feet as she listened to his teachings in Luke 10:39. It symbolizes that she humbly serves the Lord and she was a follower of Jesus. She was also at the foot of the cross when he died. The anointing was a foreshadowing of Jesus’ coming death.

REFLECTION
• Do you think Mary’s anointing act of Jesus’ feet was Spirit led? Why or why not?

JOHN 11 WHEN WE WORK IN GOD’S TIMING

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March 4

JOHN 11
54 Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples.55 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. 56 They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” 57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him. – John 11:54-57

JOHN 11 WHEN WE WORK IN GOD’S TIMING
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When we are called by God for a calling
We need to work in God’s proper timing
He knows what is best because he sees all things
While our mind is limited, it may miss out on something.

What do we make of this account? Was Jesus hiding for fear of his life? Of course not. He was retreating to the wilderness in order not to stir the crowd and pre-empt his death and resurrection in their timing. He was obedient to God’s timeline. He will never go against God’s plan. Jesus was resting in the quiet of the wilderness so that he can be still and quiet in his Father’s presence. He needed to prepare for the coming days when his sacrifice on the cross was coming up.
The great Charles Spurgeon comments on these verses “We do not find that he wrought miracles there or preached, but in a holy and devout retirement, it may be, he prepared his mind for the last great week — the week of his passion and his death. It is generally best for us to imitate him in this; and when we have some great work to do — something that will need all the grace that we can get, it is well to make a retreat —get into retirement, and school the heart, and seek to drink in fresh strength that we may be prepared for that which lies before us.”

REFLECTION
• Share a time when you went against God’s timing and its consequence to you.