Live to Love Scripture Encouragement

John 18:18 “Now the slaves and the officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself.”
Satan was after Peter. When you look at all of the gospel accounts of this time in the courtyard of the high priests, you discover that all of the denials of Peter occurred around the fire. It was cold and therefore a fire had been started in the courtyard. The slaves and the officers of the high priest, who were no doubt members of the arrest squad, with John and Peter, were warming themselves around the fire. The first to recognize him and question him was the slave-girl who was also the gate-keeper. Luke wrote, “a servant-girl, seeing him as he sat in the firelight and looking intently at him, said, ‘This man was with Him too.’” Although John’s version of her question differs, there’s no reason not to believe she said both. One a question and another a statement. At some point Peter was standing with them, but perhaps feeling the stares of some of the slaves, must have stepped back and sat down.
Yes the fire was a source of warmth for Peter and the rest, but one can’t help wondering if Peter didn’t feel an internal heat from the temptations and the spirit of the prowling lion from hell. His love was certainly being tested by fire. We can expect the same in our daily walk with Jesus. As we follow Him, there will be times when He puts people in our paths that know that we are Christians and consider us to be threats to their world. We need to be ready with a well thought-out answer when someone questions or mocks us for following Jesus. Perhaps if Peter had prepared himself for such questioning, he would not have denied Jesus. As we love with Jesus, not everyone will receive us with open arms. After you finish listening to this live to love encouragement, I hope you’ll take a few minutes and think about what you would say if someone today confronted you with a negative attitude toward your faith and lifestyle. What would you say to express the love of Jesus? What will you say when the heat is on?

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

Hebrews 2:14-15 “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”
These verses may be the best summary of Jesus’ life in the Scriptures. They cover His life from birth to death. They reveal why He came to earth which means we are given the meaning of Jesus’ birth. He was born to die. He could not come to earth as God and render Satan powerless by defeating death. He had to become one of us—share in flesh and blood—so that through His death He might make the devil, who had the power of death, powerless.
On this Christmas eve, I encourage us all to not forget the reason for the season. “There has been born for you a savior, who is Christ the Lord!” Christmas is more about the Savior than it is about a baby born in Bethlehem. Jesus came to free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. When someone is afraid of dying, they live in fear. Few things hinder the flow of love more than fear. In contrast, when we live to love with Jesus, there is no fear of death, because we know we have passed out of death into life. The apostle John wrote, “We know we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death” (1 Jo. 3:14). He also wrote in 4:18, “There is no fear in love; but perfect (completed) love casts out fear.”
The best way to celebrate Christmas is to pour out the love of Jesus on those He puts in your path. That’s why He was born. He was born to die to set us free to love with Him for the glory of God. Have a lovely Christmas!

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:17 “Then the slave-girl who kept the door said to Peter, ‘You are not also one of this man's disciples, are you?’ He said, ‘I am not.’”
We can connect a few dots at this point. John was known by Annas, and apparently the slave-girl, who was the gatekeeper, also knew John. She knew that John was a follower of Jesus, so when John spoke to her about Peter and she let him in, she naturally assumed Peter also was a follower of Jesus. So probably as Peter entered with John, she questioned him about his connection to Jesus. One has to wonder if Peter was caught off guard at the question, because all of a sudden, it was as if a darkness enveloped him—love and courage were devoured. The prowling lion had pounced on him. He answered, “I am not.”
Have you ever had such an experience? One moment you are passionate about Jesus, and then something disillusions you, surprises you, or doesn’t go like you thought it was supposed to go, and the next moment you fall to a strong temptation that you thought wasn’t possible. Have you ever been asked a question that you didn’t expect and responded with a lie in order to protect yourself? You find yourself in a daze, a sense of disappointment with yourself swells within. To my shame, I have been there. The tide of conviction and shame can almost take your breath away, and you can’t think clearly. I can imagine what happened with Peter. Afterwards, Peter could see clearly what he should have done. Resist the devil!
It appeared as if Peter wanted to be with Jesus, perhaps just like we want to live to love with Jesus. This story reminds us that we can be following Jesus with good intentions, and in a weak moment be overtaken by temptation. Have you experienced something recently that you didn’t expect? Something that disillusioned you? Someone who disappointed you? That’s the devil’s first growl when he’s on the prowl. He tries to get your eyes off of Jesus and onto yourself. If you know what I’m talking about and you are hearing the growl of the devil, resist him now. Surrender yourself to Jesus and abide in Him with tenacity. We were saved to love Jesus and love with Him come hell or high-water.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:15-16 “Simon Peter was following Jesus, and so was another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest, but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in.”
We have been invited by John into the relationship between Peter and Jesus. I’m impressed with the courage of both Peter and John, but especially Peter. He had been the one disciple to take up arms against all odds. He had severed an ear of a slave of the high priest, Caiaphas, and we see from this verse that instead of fleeing as the rest of the disciples, he followed Jesus. Although Annas was replaced as high priest by Caiaphas in 15 A.D., he still was referred to as the high priest. John lets us know that he was known by Annas and therefore was allowed into the courtyard with Jesus. Apparently, Peter however, wasn’t allowed into the courtyard until John spoke with the gatekeeper.
What is Peter thinking? I don’t know, but I am impressed with Peter’s courage at this point to follow Jesus into the lion’s den. Aren’t you? Giving it the best spin that I can, I think Peter is there because he loves his master. He had told Jesus he would not forsake Him, and if everyone else fled, he would not. He and John are like the president and vice-president of the disciples. They are the committed of the committed. They had been with Jesus in best of times. Why not stay with Him in the worst of times? In his mind, he was ready to die with Jesus.
We all know where this story goes, but at this point we can be encouraged by Peter’s and John’s love and courage. Perhaps they were thinking that Jesus would be given a fair trial and they would have an opportunity to testify on Jesus’ behalf. That makes me examine myself and ask if I am that ready, willing, loving, and courageous to testify on Jesus’ behalf today. Should the opportunity arise, will love for Jesus move me to live to love with Him by sharing about His love for me and for others? Let’s be ready today to follow Jesus anywhere, even into the lion’s den, to express His love and presence.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:12-14 “So the Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him, and led Him to Annas first; for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people.”
I hope you remember from yesterday’s encouragement that when Peter had cut off the slave’s ear, Jesus rebuked Peter. Matthew recorded the rebuke, “How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way” (26:54). Besides fulfilling the Scriptures from Is. 53 and many others, Jesus also was fulfilling what had been prophesied and would eventually become Scripture. As John wrote this account, he connected Jesus’ words to Peter about fulfilling Scripture to Caiaphas’ prophecy in chapter 11:49-52. “But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, ‘You know nothing at all, nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.’ Now he did not say this on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.”
What is our take away here? Jesus’ willing and intentional sacrifice was expedient not only to fulfill Scriptures, but to unite all believers into one body. As we read through John 18 and 19, let’s be sure to keep this in view. We are reading the story of redemption—divine love—planned and poured out from before the foundation of the earth. You and I, if we are children of God, have been loved from eternity. It was the Father’s will to gather us together into Jesus’ body to redeem and justify us according to His great love. For this reason, namely, that we are the beloved of God, do we celebrate the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We express our love for God by living to love with Jesus, who dwells within our hearts.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com