Gary Gleans

John 14:1-6 1  “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.  2  “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.  3  “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am,  there  you may be also.  4  “And you know the way where I am going.”  5  Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?”  6  Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. Jesus has given the disciples much information about which they should be very troubled.   He has told them that He is going to be leaving and that they can no longer follow Him to the place where He is going.   He has warned them that they will deny Him.   He has prepared them to go out into the world but told them that they will need a sword.   He has foretold His own death.   There is much tr

Luke 22:35-38 35  And He said to them, “When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?” They said, “ No,  nothing.”  36  And He said to them, “But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one.  37  “For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH TRANSGRESSORS’; for that which refers to Me has  its fulfillment.”  38  They said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.” The time for Christ to face the cross is drawing near.   This is not only the most challenging moment in His life; but it is also the moment of truth in the lives of His disciples.   Their lives will never be the same after the events that will soon unfold.   Jesus wants to make sure that they are ready to fact the new reality that will soon be theirs.   Change is always difficult for us to face, but it is a

Matthew 26:31-35 31  Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK SHALL BE SCATTERED.’  32  “But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”  33  But Peter said to Him, “ Even  though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away.”  34  Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this  very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”  35  Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” All the disciples said the same thing too. Mark 14:27-31 27  And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, because it is written, ‘I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP SHALL BE SCATTERED.’  28  “But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”  29  But Peter said to Him, “ Even  though all may fall away, yet I will not.”  30  And Jesus said to him, “T

John 13:31-35 31  Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him;  32  if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately.  33  “Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’  34  “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  35  “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” The Beatles wrote a song many years ago entitled: “All We Need Is Love.”   I am certain that they did not have this passage in mind when they wrote the lyrics to that song.   I am also certain that their statement is not theologically correct.   We certainly need more than love.   However, this passage demonstrates that love is pretty important.   Jesus has repeatedly told His

John 13:18-30 18  “I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but  it is  that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘HE WHO EATS MY BREAD HAS LIFTED UP HIS HEEL AGAINST ME.’  19  “From now on I am telling you before  it  comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am  He.   20  “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” 21  When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me.”  22  The disciples  began  looking at one another, at a loss  to know  of which one He was speaking.  23  There was reclining on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.  24  So Simon Peter gestured to him, and said to him, “Tell  us  who it is of whom He is speaking.”  25  He, leaning back thus on Jesus’ bosom, said to Him, “Lord, who is it?”  26  Jesus then answered, “That is the one for whom