S – This mystery is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³ To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband. 

Ephesians 5:32–33 CSB

O – Paul sums up the relationship of the church is parallel to a husband and wife.  Jesus is the husband and loves his church.  The bride should respect her husband which means the church should respect, submit and respect God.

A – It may sound basic and an equation in the relationship between God and man.  This does not negate the other aspects of relationship we have with God – love, faith, trust, intimacy and communication. It does give a great foundation – do you respect God enough to obey, trust, and do what he says no matter the experience or circumstances?

R – Heavenly Father, you are the Great I Am.  We honor  and respect you.  We revere who you are and choose to put our faith and trust in you.  Help us to obey and follow your Word with a loving heart.

S – I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, ¹⁷ and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, ¹⁹ and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 

Ephesians  3:16–19 CSB

O – Commentary:

 Old Testament accounts associated the Spirit especially with prophetic endowment but also with purity, strength and prowess or ability to fulfill whatever God calls one to do; the Old Testament sometimes also presents internalizing the Bible as a way to overcome sin (e.g., Ps 119:11). Israelite piety also recognized God as the source of strength…

3:18–19. Many take “breadth and length and height and depth” to describe how all creation is filled with God’s glory or as a description of the immeasurable vastness of his love. 

 Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, Second Edition (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2014), 548.

A – If we truly could comprehend the totality and size of God’s love for us, there would be nothing but worship and surrender towards him.  It is a massive love that has relationship with us intimately, empowers us to fulfill his plans and purposes and sacrificed Jesus so we could have the relationship.

R – Heavenly Father, we worship and surrender to you alone.  Thank you for a love for us that we cannot even grasp its size or application.  Give us hearts to reciprocate back to you the love you demonstrate for us.  

S – When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then bowing his head, he gave up his spirit.

John 19:30 CSB

O – Commentary:

The sixth word or saying that Jesus spoke from the cross was the single Greek word tetelestai which means It is finished. Papyri receipts for taxes have been recovered with the word tetelestai written across them, meaning “paid in full.” This word on Jesus’ lips was significant. When He said, “It is finished” (not “I am finished”), He meant His redemptive work was completed. He had been made sin for people (2 Cor. 5:21) and had suffered the penalty of God’s justice which sin deserved. Even in the moment of His death, Jesus remained the One who gave up His life (cf. John 10:11, 14, 17–18). He bowed His head (giving His seventh saying, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit” [Luke 23:46]) and then dismissed His spirit. This differs from the normal process in death by crucifixion in which the life-spirit would ebb away and then the head would slump forward.

 Edwin A. Blum, “John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 340.

A – “Paid in full.”  Whatever you think would keep you from God, Jesus paid the price so you could come to him.  What a humbling and exciting principle.  God knows our mess and still wants relationship with us.  There are no exceptions to that would exclude us from his love.

R – Heavenly Father, you are our Savior.  Thank you for the sacrifice of Jesus and the shedding of his blood so we could have a relationship with you.  Empower us to walk in relationship in a way that brings honor and glory to your name.

S – You are a king then?” Pilate asked. 

“You say that I’m a king,” Jesus replied. “I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 

³⁸ “What is truth?” said Pilate

John 18:37–38 CSB

O – Commentary:

Since Jesus spoke of a kingdom, Pilate seized on the word “king.” You are a king, then? Jesus answered that question in the affirmative, and then clarified that His kingdom is not like Rome’s. It is a kingdom of truth which overshadows all kingdoms. He said, Everyone on the side of truth listens to Me. Jesus in a few words asserted His divine origin (I was born … I came into the world) and ministry (to testify to the truth). Later He became Pilate’s judge

“John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures

A – Jesus is king of kings.  There is none higher than him.  Pilate saw that as a threat to his ruling and to Caesar’s in Rome.  We are challenged by that because we want to “rule” our own lives and be king/queen over our own kingdom – ourselves.  In pointing us to the truth, Jesus shows us that God is the ruler of all things and we should surrender our lives to him.

R- Heavenly Father, you are the King of kings.  We surrender to you today all that we are.  As we seek truth in you, help us to grow in our wisdom, knowledge and understanding.  This will translate into a deeper and stronger relationship with you.

S – This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent—Jesus Christ.

John 17:3 CSB

O – Commentary:

Eternal life, as defined here by Jesus, involves the experience of knowing the only true God through His Son (cf. Matt. 11:27). It is a personal relationship of intimacy which is continuous and dynamic. The word know (ginōskōsin) here in the present tense, is often used in the Septuagint and sometimes in the Greek New Testament to describe the intimacy of a sexual relationship (e.g., Gen 4:1, “lay”; Matt. 1:25, “had … union”). Thus a person who knows God has an intimate personal relationship with Him. And that relationship is eternal, not temporal. Eternal life is not simply endless existence. Everyone will exist somewhere forever (cf. Matt. 25:46), but the question is, In what condition or in what relationship will they spend eternity?

“John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures

A – Jesus shares part of the mystery of eternity.  Those who know God will have an intimate relationship Him.  We get to see a glimpse of that on earth as we accept Christ and walk with the Holy Spirit each day.  The Bible says in I Corinthians “For now we know in part…”  When we are in heaven with Christ, we will know in full.  

R – Heavenly Father, you are the One, true God. We invite the Holy Spirit to walk with us today so we can know you more and grow our relationship with you.  Give us the courage to grow our faith and trust in you.  

S – When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. ¹⁴

John 16:13–14 CSB

O – Commentary:

But … the Spirit of Truth (cf. 15:26) would come after Jesus’ death to lead the apostles into the truth about Jesus and His work.

The Spirit, Jesus said, would not teach the disciples on His own (i.e., on His own initiative) but would teach only what He hears from the Father. This points up the interdependence of the Persons in the Trinity. The Father would tell the Spirit what to teach the apostles about the Son.

Also the Spirit would teach what is yet to come. This statement helps one understand the promise, He will guide you into all truth (lit., “all the truth”). This was a promise to the apostles that their partial understanding of the person and work of Jesus as the Messiah would be completed as the Spirit would give them insight into the meanings of the soon-to-come Cross and the Resurrection as well as truths about Jesus’ return (cf. 1 Cor. 2:10). The New Testament books are the fulfillment of this teaching ministry of the Spirit.

  “John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures

A – The interdependence of the Holy Spirit on the Father to tell him what to say is similar to Jesus. It is fascinating to see how the trinity interacts.  We can ask for the Holy Spirit to reveal more of God’s heart and character as we build our relationship with Him.

R – Heavenly Father, we worship and surrender to you.  We want to know you more.  Please allow us to see more of your heart and character through your Holy Spirit.  Give us the ability know and grow closer to you in relatioonship.

S – This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. ¹³ No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master^, is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father

John 15:12–15 CSB

O – Commentary:

This is my commandment: Love each other: See 13:34. • Jesus demonstrated his love by sacrificing his life at the cross.

15:14–16 Both Abraham and Moses were called friends of God (Exod 33:11; 2 Chr 20:7; Isa 41:8; Jas 2:23). This is the highest relationship possible between God and a person. Jesus chooses his friends (15:16), who demonstrate their friendship by obeying him.

15:15 The disciples of a rabbi were considered his servants or slaves. Jesus elevated his followers to a higher relationship as his friends

 New Living Translation Study Bible 

A – In our relationship with Christ, we are elevated to “friends” of God.  The fact that God sees us as someone to have a relationship with is astounding.  We are not just followers – He has a plan, a purpose and he shares that with us.  He demonstrated how deeply he desires relationship with us when Jesus died on the cross.

R – Heavenly Father, you are the Lord of all.  Thank you for loving us enough to call us friends.  We love you too.  We accept that Christ is the son of God and obey your Word.

S – “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful

 John 14:27 CSB

O – Commentary:

In New Testament times the normal way to say good-bye was Peace (šālôm in Heb.). In His death Jesus provided a legacy for His disciples: My peace I give you. They would have “peace with God” (Rom. 5:1) because their sins were forgiven and the “peace of God” (Phil. 4:7) would guard their lives. The world is unable to give this kind of peace. Fear of death (Heb. 2:14–15) and fear of the future are removed as Jesus’ followers trust in Him. Thus they need not be troubled (cf. John 11:33; 13:21; 14:1).

“John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures

A – When we have a relationship with God, fear takes on new meaning.  Without God, fear has unlimited possibilities for fulfillment.  When we have a relationship with God, faith, trust and hope has unlimited possibilities that defeat the fear.  God wins!  

R – Heavenly Father, you are Holy and the One, true God.  Thank you for meeting us in our fear with your hope and unlimited ability to accomplish what you desire in us.  Help us to step toward you in courage and not towards fear.  We trust you today.

S – Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into his hands, that he had come from God, and that he was going back to God. ⁴ So he got up from supper, laid aside his outer clothing, took a towel, and tied it around himself

John 13:3–4 CSB

O – Commentrary:

Jesus’ removing his outer garments to serve them would also appear as a sign of great humility before them.

By so serving, Jesus prefigures his death as the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 on behalf of the many. Jesus’ milieu celebrated honor and feared shame. Unlike most elite men in Greco-Roman society, Judaism valued humility; but like other societies, it also upheld societal roles. Jesus overturns even positions of social status. Rabbi Judah ha-Nasi (about a.d. 220) was said to be so humble that he would do anything for others—except relinquish his superior position; seating according to rank was crucial. Jesus goes beyond even this…Jesus’ act violates cultural status boundaries so thoroughly (see comment on 13:3–5) that Peter finds it unthinkable.

The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament

A – One of my favorite moment in the Bible – Jesus knows God gives him all authority over everything and the first thing he does is serve.  What a great reminder for us that all of us are called to serve.  As you progress through the crucifixion story, understand that Jesus has all authority.  He never called down angels or spiritual forces to stop the physical attack on his body.  His actions that started in serving ended in total sacrifice of his entire life.  What a picture for us.

A – Heavenly Father, you the sacrifice that takes away the sin of the world.  Thank you for your love for us so great that you would serve and sacrifice for us.  We do not deserve it.  We love you.

S – Now my soul is troubled. What should I say—Father, save me from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify your name.”^, 

Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again

John 12:27–28 CSB

O – Commentary:

my soul is deeply troubled: John used the same term (Greek tarassō) to describe Jesus’ strong emotion of agony before Lazarus’ tomb (11:33; also 13:21). When Jesus stood before death, he could not be impassive. Jesus experienced genuine anguish, yet he remained strong in obedience to the Father’s will (5:19–23; 6:37; 8:29, 38; 14:31).

12:28 a voice spoke from heaven: Cp. Matt 3:17; 17:5; Mark 1:11; 9:7; Luke 3:22; 9:35. • God had already brought glory to himself when Christ entered the world (1:14) and through Jesus’ work, which showed God’s power to the world. • I will do so again: The final display of glory would come at the cross (see 12:23; 17:1). In John, the cross is an event of glory as Christ was “lifted up” (12:32) and glorified there. Jesus was prepared for crucifixion like a king coming to his coronation; the cross was like a throne (see 19:19–22), and he was buried like royalty. Jesus’ time of glorification included the entire sequence from arrest through resurrection.

 New Living Translation Study Bible 

A – When we are going through hard times, do we recognize that our obedience to God’s will glorifies Him?  It is truly a struggle.  Jesus stepped toward the “pain box.”  We must be willing to do that as well if our obedience will bring glory to God.

R – Heavenly Father, you will, ways and thoughts are higher than ours.  None of us enjoy moving in or towards pain.  We put our faith and trust in you that you will be glorified when it seems the toughest.