John 13:12-17
Find a place and time free of distractions for the next 7-10 minutes. Sit comfortably and breathe deeply for a few seconds before you begin. If you haven’t read the Introduction to John’s Gospel, read it here.
In our last meditation we saw Jesus, in all his power and authority, take on the role of a lowly servant to wash the dirty feet of his closest followers. Read John 13:12-17 with this in mind.
Jesus knows who he is. But it isn’t that he was born knowing – he laid aside his right to be God when he came to earth in the most vulnerable of ways (Philippians 2:7-9). But because Jesus never rebelled against God the Father, because he always depended on God to lead him and guide him, God revealed his true identity and continuously affirmed him. Jesus’ sense of self is unshakable.
Stop for a moment to think about your own sense of self. How are you depending on Jesus to reveal who you really are and who God meant you to be? Discuss your thoughts and feelings about this with Jesus.
Read John 13:12-17 again remembering that Jesus is God in the flesh.
The image of God is stamped into the soul of every human. We were created in God’s image, and even when the dirt of this rebellious world and the dirt of our own rebellion against God’s good and perfect ways distort our ability to see the thumbprint of God in us, it is still there.
Jesus is the only one who can uncover the image of God in us and show us who we were meant to be. As we follow him and become like him, he peels back the layers of dirt that keep us from being all we were created to be. Our part is to stay close to Jesus and imitate him until his ways become our ways.
How are you attempting to stay close to Jesus?
In the past few weeks, how have you purposefully tried to imitate Jesus in some way?
Get quiet in Jesus’ presence and allow him to help you reflect on this. Talk openly with him.
How do you sense that Jesus in inviting you to imitate him today?
How will you remember to be purposeful about that?
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The Everyday Jesus Follower’s Guide ebook can help you learn how to recognize God's voice, how to read and understand the Bible, how to develop deep spiritual friendships, and how to become the person you were meant to be. Use it alone, with a friend or in a small group.
