Often times when we encounter the story of Judas, we feel a sense of satisfaction over his demise. We see him as having gotten what he deserved. Yet, when we examine Jesus’ reaction to his betrayal, we see a much different reaction. As Pastor Ray explains in today’s message, Jesus held a much different perspective of Judas than we tend to hold. He was saddened by the role that Judas chose to play. Despite his betrayal, Jesus loved him just as much as He loved the other disciples.

Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking that God couldn’t possibly care about the petty issues we face in our everyday lives. It’s hard to understand why the God of the universe would busy Himself with us at all, let alone with our seemingly minor trials and tribulations. As Pastor Ray continues to lead us through the first chapter of John, we are reminded that God does care. He cares deeply about the affairs of our heart, and He longs for us to seek His comfort and aid in every matter.

If you spend any time in a sandy environment, you quickly find out that sand has a way of getting into everything. This was just a part of everyday life for the disciples. Their feet would have been filthy, walking around in sandals in that environment all the time. But Jesus doesn’t shy away from our stink. In the same way He boldly took the place of a servant and cleansed their dirty feet, He wants to come in and cleanse our souls of the dirt of this world that finds its way in as we make this journey.

In His final hours leading up to His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus chose to demonstrate His love through service to His disciples. If they had understood what was coming, they might have attempted to wait hand and foot on Him and do whatever they could to reduce His anxiety. But as Pastor Ray emphasizes in today’s message, Jesus makes a profound statement through His actions. He expresses His deep love for His disciples and lowers Himself to the position of a servant to demonstrate it.

If you’ve ever played or watched a team sport, you know that when a player is preoccupied with their teammates performance, their own performance is bound to suffer. As Pastor Ray illustrates in today’s message, this analogy can be directly applied to our lives as believers. We should help our brothers and sisters in their spiritual battles, but we need to make sure we aren’t wasting our time on destructive criticism, judgement or pointless arguments.

As we make our own exodus out of a life of oppression under sin, we must do so with urgency. The Jews didn’t have time to wait for bread to rise. Their Egyptian oppressors had loosened their grip and it was time to run. As Pastor Ray illustrates in today’s message, we can’t afford to let sin rot in our lives. We have been set free from that sin, and we need to flee from even the smallest hint of it. Even the tiniest compromise will hold us back from experiencing the full freedom Christ has given us.

No one aspires to mediocrity. We may not desire fame, great riches, or power, but we don’t want to be remembered as just an average person. John the Baptist definitely wasn’t average. He never wrote a book of the Bible. He didn’t lead thousands of Israelites out of oppression. His life may not stand out when placed next to some other figures in Scripture. But, as Pastor Ray points out in today’s message, he got to say the words that every prophet before him wished they could utter: “Behold the Lamb of God.”

All believers have a moment of repentance. A moment where the direction of our lives turned towards Christ. It was the beginning of a long journey, full of hills and valleys, but that moment represents the heart change that happened and changed our eternal course. As Pastor Ray reminds us in today’s message, those moments are worth honoring. Just as the Jews celebrate the Feast of Passover, memorializing their escape from oppression and death in Egypt, we celebrate our freedom from sin.

Our God will not be silenced. Satan has long waged a campaign of deception against Him. Culture as a whole has grown to think we don’t need God. We have science, medicine, vast infrastructure… there’s no reason for God to exist. But God is there whether we believe in Him or not. As Pastor Ray points out in today’s message, there is a long history of experiences that testify to His work in the hearts of man. The world will try to write it off, but deep down, we can all sense that He is there.

Jesus Christ is real. If we have accepted His gift of salvation, we have experienced His presence and work in our lives. Many in this world doubt His existence and go to their death without ever encountering Him. As Pastor Ray challenges us in today’s message, that is where we come in. We are to be ambassadors for Christ to the lost world around us. We may be their only chance of encountering Christ and coming to a saving knowledge of His love and grace.