Jesus was willing to be betrayed for us. When he said "here am I send me" he did do knowing the cost. What love he has for us! How certain we can be that we will finish his work in us. And what a Good Shepherd - he wants to be know surprises. He lovingly prepares us for all that lies ahead. Jesus was willing to enter right into the darkest place to bring us into his kingdom of light. Hallelujah! What a Saviour!

This is a 'wow' event! John will not let us get away from the Passover. Jesus is the One Moses wrote about and the life of the Old Testament church was to be centred around. And now we get to Jesus being aware of his greatness - he is above every authority and he knows it. So what do we expect the next line to be? So he showed off his authority? He sat there and let everyone serve him? No! He dressed as a servant and washed his disciples' feet. The Bible turns our society's view of greatness on its head. Greatness is using your power and authority to serve others. Jesus took the lowest place on the cross to wash us clean and he says to us, use your gifts, power, authority to be a foot washer for my kingdom!

Who is Jesus? He is the LORD - Jehovah - the One Isaiah saw in Isaiah 6. When we hear about Jesus we are never unchanged - we are either drawn to him or we become harder. Isaiah warned what would happen if people hardened their hearts. That's why we need to not harden our hearts when we hear his voice. Let's not be so bothered about what other people think that it stops us following Jesus. To follow Jesus is to know God as our Father.

We would like to see Jesus! That should be our desire every time we open the Bible or sing in church or listen to a Bible message. Jesus is at the centre. May people see him in us. May we lift up his name - the name of the one who was willing to die for us. He brings us to know the Father - our loving heavenly Father!

Jesus rides in to Jerusalem at the time of the Passover. He is riding into die. The crowd celebrate this king, but have they really understood what kind of king he is? They sing from Psalm 118, but they don't get the fact that the Cornerstone is going to be rejected. That he is riding to the altar of sacrifice. How willing Jesus is to die for us. What love! Let's not doubt it. And let's be part of bringing the whole world to 'go after him'!

Mary does a beautiful things. Costly, lavish, love filled worship of Jesus because she grasps who he is and what he has come to do. Jesus is going to die as the Passover Lamb. He speaks up for his people. Judas however is very angry. He hates what Mary has done. No one suspects Judas - he's still in charge of the money. May we guard our hearts and spot the warning signs of keeping up appearances and a critical spirit. May we delight in what Jesus delights in.

Unbelief is so ugly. The people didn't deny Lazarus had been raised. They only cared about their own interests. Beware of being so self-focused that you do anything to protect your own reputation. We need to walk with integrity. Jesus raised Lazarus with a loud voice. One day he will return and raise all the dead with a loud voice. Jesus didn't need his grave clothes because he was raised to die no more. As Jesus says, things will not end in death. Do you believe this?

"If you had been here..." the grieving sisters both say to Jesus. He can handle our grief and whatever we pour out on him from our hearts. Jesus patiently and kindly meets with Martha. He shows just how compassionate our God is. He is moved by the effects of sin and how it brings grief and hopelessness. Jesus wants us to see that the resurrection is linked with him. He is the resurrection and the life. In him we will not die. Yes, we will pass through death, but never be dead. And he is going to back up what he says in the next section!

Jesus had friends - he needed them because he recognised that we were made to live in community. He chose not to be there when Lazarus will ill - it might seem strange - but he did it for a reason. So that he would be glorified and the disciples would grow in faith. Death is temporary to Jesus. He delivers his people from it. He gets us and sympathises with us in all our weakness.

Unbelief in Jesus is so ugly. In contrast, Jesus is so beautiful. He tries to appeal to these people who should know better and are so unkind to him. May we be like Jesus in patience and kindness. And what life he gives us - total security in the double-lock grip of Jesus and the Father!