JUNE 1

" Behold,He whom Thou lovest is sick. " John 11:3.

Lazarus is beloved and yet afflicted. Believers are not exempt from suffering.The sisters said, Behold ! Perhaps they were astonished that he did suffer, being so loved, or at the depth of his sufferings - he was clearly dying. This was a family who loved Christ but must also see one another suffering. Nor are those who love Christ exempt from chastisement ; it is a mark of Christ's love ( Heb.12:6). And no-one was ever useful who was not chastised. If David, Hezekiah and Job must suffer, who are we to be amazed if we are ill ? Throughout many centuries believers have been benefited by witnessing Lazarus' sufferings and Christ's response. The careless may also be awakened by witnessing the suffering of the godly [ and question the ' prosperity theology ' ].  ( C.H.Spurgeon ) The sisters sent and told Jesus. They, in sickness, had Someone to call upon, Someone more than a doctor, One who would heal forever. They did not understand the purpose of their brother's illness, but they sent a prayer, and waited. Later on they did understand, but not until Christ's time to give it.

JUNE 2

" Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. " John 11:5.

Christ loves His people as individuals, with all their manifold characters. a combination of the two sisters ' character would be ideal, to be hearing always and to be serving always ; body and soul in harmonious devotion. Faith and actions are to be combined, and not separated. Lazarus had great patience ; he did not complain that Christ did not come to heal his sufferings. On the contrary, he knew that if he died he would suffer no more, and would see more of Christ than he ever did. Christ acknowledged His people's variety. He sat at Martha's table, and He commended Mary's posture in His presence. Martha's lack of understanding He treated with gentle rebuke. Martha's activity was in danger of becoming worldliness, but Mary must also guard against monastic isolation and 'armchair theology ', and a faith without works. However, what is stressed is that what the world ( and often the church ) will praise and what Christ will praise are often different. ( A.J.Morris)

" Thou art gracious and all powerful, caring for each one of us as though each was the only one in Thy care. " ( Augustine)

JUNE 3

" He abode two days still in the same place. " John 11:6.

He did not come immediately when He heard the repost, He already knew about Lazarus. Doubtless they expected Him to start out when He heard from them. How we ourselves would hasten at such a summons, and the consciousness of being able to do something to help would quicken our steps. Yet Jesus, who had all power as well as love, tarried. How trying this delay was to the afflicted sisters, how heartbreaking when it was all over, and Lazarus was dead. But stranger still, Christ delayed because of love, not because He lacked love. Only faith could grasp this. Love delayed, in order to give eternal blessing and not just a temporary pleasure. Our present comfort is not His aim, but our eternal happiness and peace ; the permanent and not the momentary satisfaction. Christ is not a parent who gives the children everything they ask for, but everything that is best for them. He withholds a lesser mercy so that He may impart a greater. Instead of raising Lazarus from a sick bed, he raises him from the grave ! The lesson is to wait patiently for the Lord when we pray for something important ( Ps.40:1).  ( A. Roberts )

JUNE 4 

" He was sick." John 11:6.

The people of God must expect afflictions, but they are tempered with mercy( Ps.106: 43-46.) These are light because they are temporary ( 2.Corinth.4:17. Ps.30:5). They can be joyfully endured ( James 5:11), and conform us to Christ's experience on earth before conforming us to Himself in heaven (Rom.8:17). afflictions will manifest God's care and preservation ( Ps.119:71-77. Rev.3:19). Christ accompanies us through them and finally delivers us from all of them on earth. (Heb.2:18. 2 Tim.4:17.).  ( S.S.Times ) Afflictions are sent to the unbelieving for different reasons from these. They are given to show them the uncertainty of earthly prosperity and as a foretaste of what awaits them if they die without faith in Christ. It shows them, by comparison, what it is to suffer without Christ and to suffer with Him to support us. Sadly, when they see suffering in others, it may boost their feeling of self-righteousness ; as if they escaped suffering as a reward for being good. But the Gospel emphasizes that we are not saved by work, good or bad, but by the free gift of Christ. Faith in Christ will always make the difference in afflictions.

JUNE 5

" Are there not twelve hours in the day ? " John 11:9.

God has marked out beforehand the length of our lives here. This was true also of the life of Christ ; He was in daylight until the twelfth hour. He, and we, cannot die until the time comes. The day shall run its course, and we are called to have confidence in God ; the day will have its twelve hours. Each life is complete, there is no premature death. The shortest life has had its twelve hours. Christ's life on earth was a short one, and how large a part of it was spent in preparation, of 30 years. No time is wasted when given to preparation. Nor does a man's work depend upon its longevity. Use your time well, longer or shorter ; the hours shall be completed in twelve. There is a unity in life, each hour connects with the next ; although we do well to live them one by one, as we do not know which hour is the last one. God sees the whole day as one, the whole life as one. The epitaph He writes upon the life is either, ' He lived and died by faith,' or ' He did not live by faith, and therefore could not die in it.' Each life is complete, and the character is single. ( D.J.Vaughan )

JUNE 6

" Our friend Lazarus sleepeth," John 11:11.

Christ says, our friend. He places Himself side by side with His people. This is the highest friendship of all. For the friends of Christ, the nature of death has been changed. It is no longer the entrance to an eternal prison, but an opening into heaven. The soul of Lazarus, like Paul, was given a foretaste of heaven. Our own daily sleep is a kind of practice for our last night on earth. The hope of the resurrection is bound up with our sleep at death. The bodies go to the Cemetery, the ' place of sleeping ' ( the Greek word). However, the soul is always awake while the body sleeps. It is the body which shall be awakened at the universal Resurrection. ( John 5:28,29). ( A.G.Brown ) When F.R. Havergal knew she was dying, she said, " Today ? Splendid to be so near the gates of heaven. Now for rest. She tried to sing, but only managed to say the first word, " He..." - and then all was still. She finished the sentence in heaven.

JUNE 7

" Lazarus is dead, and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there."  John 11:14,15.

This is mysterious ; Lazarus dead and Christ glad. Sufferings are sometimes for the good of others. This trial of faith for the disciples at Bethany would strengthen the faith of Christ's disciples. Faith untried may still be true but remains little faith. Faith never prospers so much as when all things are against it. Tried faith brings experience, and experience makes religion more real. You never know your weakness or God's strength until you have been in the deep waters ( Ps. 107:23,24). How often hopelessness has given way to deliverance. Trial refines and removes the many impediments to faith. Carnal security is the worst foe to confidence in God. Lazarus had supported them but Lazarus was gone now ; we are in danger of making idols of our mercies. Trial drives faith to God, and away from the world's wells ; its water shall always turn bitter in the end. At the death of Lazarus Divine love and power would be seen, as at every saint's death ( Ps.116:15), whether we see it or not with our eyes, as these disciples would do soon. ( C.H. Spurgeon)

JUNE 8

" Lord, if Thou had been here, my brother would not have died. " John 11:21.

Her faith was struggling because she did not know all the facts, all that Christ had in mind. Her language was not quite reproach or complaint ; did she know that no-one had died in Christ's presence ? She knew that Christ would have healed Lazarus had He been present at Bethany ; but is His physical presence always necessary ? The faith of the Centurion said to the Lord, ' Just say the word, ' when his servant lay dying miles away. Was there some superstition in thinking that Christ's physical presence was necessary, as a human physician's is, to operate on a patient ? But her faith had hope, as it always does, that " even now " ( vs.22) He would act for Lazarus, His friend. She knew that nothing would be too great for Christ to conquer, including death. What mattered was not Christ's presence at Bethany but with the soul ( and body ) of Lazarus. This is what matters with us also, ' Christ in you, the hope of glory.' ( Coloss.1: 27).  ( T. Whitelaw)

JUNE 9

" Thy brother shall rise again. "  John 11:23.

This shows that earthly relationships continue after death. Lazarus would still be her brother and she would still be his sister, although presently separated by death, as many of us are today. More importantly, death does not change our loving relationship to Christ, if we die in that relationship. There are ties of flesh and blood and there is a union of the Spirit. The siblings of believers do not sorrow as others sorrow, who have no hope ( 1 Thess.4:13) ; their sorrow has a hope in it. We believe in the final universal Resurrection principally because Christ says so, besides the historical evidence of witnesses to His own resurrection.. As the seed is transformed into the plant, as the natural body is transfigured into the spiritual body - so will the earthly relationship be glorified into its heavenly counterpart.  ( D.J.Vaughan )

JUNE 10

" He that believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live". John 11:25.

This is a great comfort, to Martha and to many bereaved persons. No doubt Martha missed lazarus' presence, but would it not be cruel to wish him back, to remove him from heaven ? I had rather that Christ should keep the keys of death to Himself. Christ's dead are alive with Him ; their souls are not in the grave but with Him. He shall come again for the body. There is a difference between the death of the godly and the ungodly ; a summons to the Father's palace for the former, a penal infliction to the latter. Christ is the life of His people. We are dead by nature but contact with Christ, regeneration, makes us alive in Him. He is not only the regeneration to begin with but the life to go on with. Anything beyond the circle of Christ is death. Faith is the only channel by which we can draw from Jesus our life ; He that believes in Me. But faith is nothing apart from that on which it relies. Faith comes empty handed to Christ, but does not leave empty handed. ( C.H.Spurgeon) 

JUNE 11

" The Master has come, and calls for thee." John 11:28.

Christ is called the Master ; this is a title of authority, of omnipotence - He commands and it is done. It implies also that we are His pupils, learning prayerfully at Jesus' feet, as Mary did. There is no Teacher like Him. The promise to His disciples that that God Himself shall teach them ( John 6:45). Like Mary and Martha, our own instruction regarding faith and patience towards Christ, is still continuing. The Master comes to us in life and at our death ; there is then a call Home, " Come up hither." The call, as always, comes with Words, His Words. It is a personal, gracious call, and always important. When Christ calls sinners, He always gathers them to Himself. This is where they are seen in this world and the next, with Himself. There are those who know His name, that He is a Master - but where is His honour, His worship, His respect ( Malachi 1:6,10,13).Church attendance shows how much or how little people think of Him !For the bereaved he is but a call away, He is present at their prayer. Martha and Mary were comforted, in a way they were not expecting. When He comes at such a time to His own, not a time of our fixing, He will leave a blessing behind ; the strength to keep us going on, until He comes Face to face.

JUNE 12 

" Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." John 11:32.

" If " - a small word, but with great consequences. It is too easy for thoughts to come into the imagination in a time of crisis, rather than accept the reality and act from there. There is a faint hint of disappointment in Mary's words. Her best response was where she was before and where she is now - at His feet ; praying, waiting, expecting. We have to hold onto the facts, that He knows our need and He never delays ; all is done at the right time. Doubts arise when we expect things to be done at our time, especially that Christ should intervene eg. against death immediately upon our reporting it to Him. We must also accept that He had his reasons for the ' delay ' they saw in His actions ; and He is not obliged to tell us them. His ' delays ' try our faith and patience, and we have not made any perfect response yet to our trials. Nevertheless, it is an experience ( with rebuke ? ) to be stored up for when the next trial comes.

JUNE 13

" Jesus wept. " John 11:35.

This was a cause worthy of tears, the tears of Christ's human nature. He saw sin-spoiled humanity and wept over what death had done to Lazarus. The people saw this as an evidence of how much He loved him ( vs.36). Paul followed his Master when he wrote, " Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with them that weep." Christ in heaven weeps no more, He suffers no more, but He remembers what it was to suffer. He had known bereavement in Nazareth when His ' stepfather ' Joseph had died. He saw also the effect of bereavement on others, His mother and others in His earthly family. Over the last few days the sisters had sat at a table with an empty chair in the room. Little did they know that the situation would soon be reversed. " Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." It may not be until the morning of the resurrection, such is our life here. However, it is clear that in heaven there are no more tears, they are all wiped away by Christ Himself. ( Rev.21:4)

JUNE 14 

" Behold how He loved him." John 11:36.

Christ's love was demonstrated by the sacrifice He made, Himself. " Though He was rich, He became poor for us." Only a person who had seen heaven could have understood the extent of this sacrifice. Self-love makes us unwilling to suffer. We also know little of what He suffered under ' the curse of the Law,' but we know that He did suffer, mentally and physically, all that was necessary for our salvation. Again, we only have a limited understanding of ' all that was necessary.' It was not possible to avoid the cup, and He consented to die in the most painful manner. His love was not to be measured by the tears He shed, but by the blood He shed. His love overcame the provocation of the ungrateful, who saw no beauty in Him that they should desire Him ( Is.53 ), until the Spirit opened their eyes. Is the love of Christ so immeasurably great ? Then surely we ought to return it with a love which bears some proportion to His. ( E. Payson )

JUNE 15

" Lazarus, Come forth. " John 11:28.

Matthew Henry comments that if He had not said ' Lazarus ', the whole graveyard would have come forth ! Christ's word always has an effective effect on those to whom it is sent, it always accomplishes its purpose ( Is.55:11). It only takes a word from Him to create, re-create new, or to resurrect the dead ; we see this in John 5:24-29. This power demonstrates that He is the Son of God ; by His own power He Himself came back from the dead ( Rom.1:4). The resurrection of others and Himself vindicated His claims to be God against the sceptics. They say, ' Prove it happened,' but they themselves cannot prove it didn't ! This raising of Lazarus also proved the separate existence of the soul from the body, and also was a proof that they would be reunited ; as in the case of Lazarus, Jairus's daughter, the widow of Nain's son etc. There will be, for God's people, the same loving call, authoritative summons, efficacious word. But the final resurrection shall also present contrasts between this King's subjects and those who are not His. ( T.Whitelaw )

JUNE 16

" If thou would believe, thou would see the glory of God. " John 11:40.

Sinners always want to see in order to believe. Christ iverts the order. Martha is called upon to give an example of the contrary process, of believing in order to see.We see here the honour given to faith, because it honours Christ's credibility. Unbelief hinders our seeing His glory. Only faith sees behind the miracle, to see the glory of the Author. It hinders us from enjoying the glory even after we have seen it in some measure, as Martha did. Christ's words give her a gentle rebuke, and a sense of shame over her previous unbelief ( which so often appears in crises ). We are to trust Him in all our sorrows as well as our joys, and then we will see the glory of God in both. ( H.Bonar ) It is Christ's purpose that we shall see it, no longer hindered by unbelief ( John 17:24).

JUNE 17

" It is expedient for us that one man die for the people. " John 11:50.

This prophecy ( unconsciously given by Caiahphas, vs.51 ) shows the two aspects of Christ's death. From one view it is an unlawful execution for political ends, on the other view from heaven Christ's death was necessary so that His people should not perish, whether elect Jews or Gentiles ( Acts 2:23). They crucified Him but it was also a voluntary death ; this fact did not diminish their responsibility. The thing which Caiaphas was trying to prevent, the destruction of the Jewish nation, was brought about by the deed he constrained. The Jewish nation was broken in pieces, as Jerusalem was, by a ruthless Roman army in 70 AD. Nevertheless, God's people were spiritually delivered by Christ's death ; they shall never perish 

( John 3:16). The scattered children of God were to be united around the cross. The only bond that unites men is their common relation to Christ ; not the bonds of blood, nation, or race. Christ's death brings sinners into the family of God. ( A Maclaren )

JUNE 18

"Then said Jesus, Let her alone. " John 12:7.

Jesus commended Mary's act. She thought of His death with love and showed her appreciation. Judas's criticism showed his this-worldliness, but it infected the minds of the other disciples who also began to criticize her. How quickly unspiritual thinking spreads ! Christ was thinking of His work, His death, His future, as was Mary, but they were not. " The poor you have always with you, " said Jesus, but He himself was more important. Mary said nothing but acted faithfully. There are many disciples, then as now, who talk much and do nothing ; they also criticize those who do labour. The Lord said, " She has done a good work." Good works are defined by Christ, not by the world or even by the church. Mary had the guidance and the motive to do a good work ; it was approved by Christ and was done in love to Him. It was not done for merit or for self-attention. It was not Mary who drew attention to herself ; she said nothing. We see also that Christ will not leave His people undefended when they are unjustly criticized. We have an advocate with the Father, and in the end it is God's verdict alone that matters.

JUNE 19

" They took branches of palm trees...and cried Hosanna. " John 12: 13.

They welcomed the King into Jerusalem. They wanted a political king, and thought Jesus would be that descendant of mighty David. There was great enthusiasm, but alas it died at the cross. There was emotion, and how quickly emotion sweeps through a crowd, but no faith to submit to God's kind of King. How changeable human nature is ! Jesus was fulfilling Old Testament prophecy ( Zech.9:9 ) in this entrance to Jerusalem. They should have discerned that He was not entering as a military conqueror ; His reign was spiritual, His kingdom was ' not of this world ' in its origin or design. His enemies ( vs.19 ) could do nothing at present, but soon the crowd would swing back to their plan to ' crucify Him.' The phrase here, ' the world has gone after Him ' proves that the ' world ' does not mean every individual who was ever born ( as the Arminian heresy teaches).

JUNE 20

" Sir, we would see Jesus. " John 12:21.

These Greeks were the Gentiles, drawn to seek Jesus. This was not a natural but a spiritual longing, something the spirit put inside them. They needed Jesus for worshipping God acceptably ( vs.20). This gift of the Spirit creates a lifelong desire for Jesus in the soul. They were restless until they rested in Him ( Augustine). They had a sense of need, an aching void in the soul, which only Christ could fill. This moved them to inquire of Philip ( a Greek name ), who clearly told them where to find Jesus ; but they must find Him for themselves, they could not rest upon a second hand knowledge of Jesus. This faith in Christ would show them the glory of God behind the cross ( vs.24) ; how Christ must suffer to save souls and the love which moved Him to do it. Mercy and justice would meet at the cross. This life by His death would express itself in devotion, and satisfaction with Christ ( vs.25) ; they need seek no more, look no further. They had come and found rest for their souls. ( C.S.Robinson )

JUNE 21

" The hour is come, that the Son of Man should be glorified." John 12:23.

He is the Son of Man, God and Man in one Person forever. He says, 'of man ' ; this shows that His work is not confined to one nation, but is for one race, the human race. He speaks of His glory as approaching, as He moved towards the cross. He uses the metaphor of the buried corn to describe His death and its effects ; soon the husk would burst into life, life which comes to sinners. The effect of spiritual life is to give everything up to God ( vs.25). The man who lives for himself does not live. Just as Christ sacrificed Himself to give life, so the believer must sacrifice himself to live life ( Rom.12:1,2). ( Spurgeon )Faith sees that the suffering of Christ on the cross was glorious. He fulfilled the Law for others, He triumphed over the devil and all other enemies, He honoured His father's commission. He saw ' of the travail of His soul, and was satisfied.' There was no frustration, no disappointment. His death accomplished all that it was intended to do, He did all that was necessary to save His people from their sins 

( Matt.1:21), and He saved all of them. The lamb has all the glory.

JUNE 22

" Except a grain of wheat...die, it abides alone ; but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit."   John 12:24.

The death of Christ confers the largest blessing. By His death Christ fills heaven with praise, the church with blessings and the world with followers. A grain of corn multiplies by yielding other grains like itself. If barley is sown, barley comes up ; if wheat, wheat ; if Christ, Christians. A grain is capable of yielding a large crop, in every generation, in every season and despite difficulties in the environment. Everything that enlivens us and conforms us to Him derives its efficacy to His death. This comes to us by the convincing and empowering work of the Holy Spirit.

By His death we are delivered from all our spiritual enemies ; we are justified and also thereby the process of holiness is begun in us. By His death we are given a living hope, by which we draw near to God, with acceptance and welcome. ( W.Jay)

JUNE 23

" If any man serve Me, let him follow Me." John 12:26.

It is essential to the character of a follower of Christ that he follows his Master. If they do not follow Him ie. His teaching, then they are not His servants ; they are serving someone else. The servant loves this Master, and the Master has not left His servants in ignorance about how to serve Him. He gives them not just gifts but grace, and also opportunities of usefulness. Like David, they serve their generation according to the Will of God ( Acts 13:36 ) and then follow their Master into heaven. Like all good servants they wait upon, and wait for, their Master to return. He said, " Where I am, there shall My servant be also. They consider it an honour to serve such a mighty and loving Master, and are not ashamed of what He has said or done. Indeed, they seek to follow His example, to f' ollow in His footsteps.' He has promised, ' Them that honour Me I will honour.' Unlike others, He will keep His word to us.  ( J.A.James )

JUNE 24 

" Father, glorify Thy name." John 12 :28.

This is the glory of God in Christ crucified. Here shine spotless justice, incomprehensible wisdom and infinite love, all at once. Each perfection of God gives a lustre to the others ; they mingle their beams and shine with united, eternal splendour. The just Judge, the merciful Father,the wise Governor ; no other object gives such a display of all these perfections. The glories that are found separately in all the other works of God are found united here. Hell displays the glory of His justice, heaven displays His mercy ; both these perfections are displayed at the cross also. The justice of God is more awefully displayed in the sufferings of Christ than in the torment of devils, and His mercy is far more brightly manifested in these sufferings than in the joys of angels. Human glory comes to nothing, but His continues for ever, and ever incomparable. ( J McLaurin)

JUNE 25

" Then there came a Voice from heaven...The people said that it thundered. " John 12:28,29.

The whole multitude heard a sound, but the meaning of the Voice was only perceived by each in proportion to his spiritual discernment, as in Acts 9:7. The Voice was misunderstood by the bystanders as if it was a natural sound, thunder. They detected nothing supernatural in the sound of the words, as many still do today with the words of God written ( 1 Corinth.2:14). Jesus recognised the familiar Voice of His Father. This was the third time He had spoken to the Son publicly. It needs a child's heart to recognise a father's voice. The Voice was rightly interpreted by Jesus, and also by John, and perhaps by the other disciples at that time also. But Scripture confirms it for later hearers. The Father speaks not only to commend and encourage the Son, but to assure them that He was the Father's Son, the heaven-sent Messiah. Faith opens the ears to what God says, whereas unbelief prefers other voices. ( T.Whitelaw )

JUNE 26

" And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to me." John 12:32.

This does not exclude women, nor does it have a universal meaning, as it is clear that not all men are drawn to Christ ; it means all kinds of men. But it is promised by Him that all who are drawn shall come to Him ( John 6:37, 44). This powerfully drawing by His Spirit means that they are freed from their bondage to the devil, who was typified by Pharaoh in the Exodus deliverance. This drawing to eternal security is connected to His being ' lifted up ' ( vs.33) on the cross. This is the ground of their salvation, that Christ died in the place of sinners ( 1 Corinth.15:3,4 ), and the effectiveness of His work on the cross is attested by His resurrection ( Rom.4:25).The power of governing the world, by Providence, is committed to the Redeemer for the ingathering and completion of the church. The Holy Spirit draws hearts to the Saviour. He is Christ's Witness and Glorifier. For this purpose He abides with the church forever. The cross manifests Christ's glorious love. Christ draws, like a trumpet gathering men to look and hear, like a net to gather them out of sins, like the hands of love to gather them to Himself ( Hosea 2:14). There is power in Christ's death. ( C.H.Spurgeon )

JUNE 27

" Yet they believed not on Him...that the saying of Isaiah might be fulfilled ( Is.53:1)

  ...Therefore they could not believe because Isaiah said again ( Is.6:9). John 12:37,38,39).

The Lord Jesus here, as elsewhere ( Matt.13:14 ) teaches the doctrine of Reprobation. The unbelief of the crowds was predicted long ago. This however did not diminish their responsibility for their own unbelief. This was how they were born, and this was their continual practice throughout life ( John 5:40 ). Such unbelief will be our guilty death in sin unless God intervenes to change our minds and hearts. It is clear from this passage that God will not always intervene to change the course of a person's life ; he leaves many to suffer the consequences of their wrong choice regarding Christ. Who has believed our report ?, says Isaiah - Only those to whom the arm ( power ) of the Lord goes forth, to rescue them from their unbelief. Nevertheless, despite this outcome, the Gospel is still to be preached. It is good in itself, and suffers no change by the world's rejection. The preaching of the Gospel continues as the means to gather God's chosen people to Himself. ' They could not believe ', says Scripture. To change this, to deny this truth of Scripture, is to contradict the Lord. This also is a dangerous choice, as we are not aware of anyone going to heaven by contradicting ' the Author and Finisher of our faith.' The word of God is given to be believed, not contradicted.

JUNE 28

" Many believed on Him...but did not confess Him." John 12:42.

These men, we read , had two reasons for not confessing Christ publicly ; fear and loss of social standing in the synagogue.The Lord said several times that not to confess Him was the equivalent of denying Him. Also, He said that if a man did not confess Him on earth, then He would not confess him in heaven ; which means that the non-confessor would not reach heaven. Is Christ so unworthy of being confessed, is He not credible in His claims and promises ? Is there no gratitude for salvation ? This implies that despite their confession, it was not a true confession of faith. It was similar to other instances in the early church ( John 2: 23-25. Acts 8:13,21). We live also in a day when men will not uphold the truth which Christ taught because they are afraid of being ostracized by the church. But if the church is opposed to the teaching of Christ, is it really the church ? Many are gambling that what Christ said about confessing Him is not true, and also that it doesn't matter what you believe, as long as you are part of ' the church.' He spells out the consequences of not believing Him in verse 48 ; the Word which they put away from themselves, and try to live without it, will come back to face them on the Day of Judgement.

JUNE 29

" For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." John 12:43.

Rather than be approved by God, they preferred to remain popular with men. They were not prepared to give up their social standing for the sake of publicly confessing Christ and His truths. Praise is a powerful influence on human life ; people will do much in order to earn praise, they live on it. We see it in politics, in social endeavours, in daring feats, and even in the church there can be competition ( and the jealousy which usually accompanies it ). But it is foolish to overvalue the opinions of men. To do well for yourself in this world is no guarantee you will be well in the next. This seeking to please men is condemned in this word from God ; it ought to be a warning and correction to us, to ' cease from man' ( Isaiah 2:22). To seek a reputation here often means to sacrifice it in heaven ( Heb.12;10), to put men before God. No man ought to ' live to himself ' but to God. Pilate made a fatal mistake by following public opinion when it came to making a judgement about Christ. It is clear from the verses following ( vs.44 - 50 ), that Jesus took no pleasure in these people. Divine opinion is the standard of excellence ; let us anticipate the decisions of the great Day. ( T.H.Day )

JUNE 30

" The word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. "  John 4:48.



It is words like these that people are averse to reading ; they are averse to judgement, but it is part of life, of Reality. Jesus and His Word are the ultimate standard for judgement. There is a last day, when there shall be no more ' tomorrows.' The existing order shall be wound up, with a reckoning. It shall be a day of judgement, when all the long unsettled cases on earth shall be settled finally. Time's riddles shall be solved and wrongs righted.The judgement shall be just, establishing the good and putting the evil to shame. Christ's word shall judge us, it shall be the ground of His decisions ( and therefore it ought to be ours also ). Was this word listened to or was too much time spent in listening to other voices ? Many profess to receive it as true, yet they treat it as untrue. If it is treated as Divine, there will be reverence and submission. Have we found it suitable to meet our case ? By this word, then, let us judge ourselves now, so that we may not be condemned by it at the great Day.  ( H.Bonar )