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John 12 – Extravagant love & deep surrender

Dec30

Good day everyone, and welcome back to our journey through the book of John! 😊 Today we’re diving into chapter 12, and my prayer is that as we reflect together, God’s Word will bring encouragement, guidance, and fresh revelation for our daily walk.

Chapter 12 opens with a beautiful scene in Bethany. Jesus is visiting the home of Lazarus, the same Lazarus whom He raised from the dead in chapter 11. This moment is filled with gratitude, love, and worship. Each person in the household expresses honour and love to Jesus in a different way, and the details are so intentional and profound.

‘A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. ‘ (John 12:2-3 NLT)

Martha is serving, as she often does. This is her love language, serving Jesus with her hands and her energy. Lazarus is reclining at the table with Jesus, a living testimony of resurrection power and a reminder to everyone present of the miracle-working God standing in their midst. And Mary pours out a jar of expensive perfume, anointing Jesus’ feet and wiping them with her hair. Her act was intimate, costly, and deeply worshipful.

I love that Scripture highlights the differences between the three of them, each expressing love to Jesus uniquely, yet sincerely. It reminds me that we all have different ways of showing devotion to God. Worship is not a competition. The true measure is the sincerity of our hearts.

But not everyone celebrated Mary’s extravagant worship. Judas—who would later betray Jesus—criticized her, claiming the perfume should have been sold and given to the poor. Of course, he wasn’t truly concerned for the poor; Scripture tells us he was stealing from the money bag. His heart couldn’t comprehend such love.

From this I learned something important: not everyone will understand your devotion to God. Some will criticize. Some will judge. Some will question your sacrifice or the way you honour God. But don’t let that stop you. Jesus sees your heart, He values your worship, and He will defend you just as He defended Mary.

Jesus replied,
“Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” (John 12:7–8 NLT)

As the story unfolds, many people flocked to see Jesus and Lazarus, the living evidence of His power. This made the religious leaders furious. Their jealousy and hatred had blinded them so deeply that they even plotted to kill Lazarus. Imagine plotting murder because people were turning to God! It shows how easily a heart consumed by envy and pride can drift from truth.

Later in the chapter, Jesus enters Jerusalem riding on a donkey, fulfilling prophecy. The crowds shouted “Hosanna!” yet verse 16 tells us that the disciples didn’t fully understand these events until after Jesus was glorified. This stood out to me—the Holy Spirit is the One who helps us understand God’s work, even when it doesn’t make sense in the moment. What seems confusing today may make complete sense later when the Holy Spirit brings clarity.

Later in the chapter, Jesus makes some profound and challenging statement in verse 25 & 26:

“Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.”
“Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me… and the Father will honor anyone who serves me.” (John 12:25–26 NLT)

These words are challenging and liberating at the same time. Jesus isn’t telling us to hate ourselves or live recklessly. He’s teaching us that following Him requires dying to our own agenda and laying aside self-centred desires. To follow Jesus is to surrender control—to choose His way over ours. It’s a daily invitation to trust Him completely.

The Life Application Study Bible puts it beautifully:
“We must be so committed to living for Jesus that we “care nothing” for our lives by comparison. This does not mean that we long to die or that we are careless or destructive with the lives God has given us, but rather that we are willing to die if doing so will glorify Christ. We must disown the tyrannical rule of our own self-centeredness. By laying aside our striving for advantage, security, and pleasure, we can serve God lovingly and freely. Releasing control of our lives and transferring control to Jesus brings eternal life and genuine joy”.

Verse 26 continues by reminding us that to serve Jesus means to stay close to Him, imitate Him, and follow Him wholeheartedly. And then comes the promise: the Father will honor those who serve Him. What a beautiful assurance! God Himself honours and favours those who choose to follow Christ fully.

Toward the end of the chapter, Jesus reminds us once again that He is the Light of the world. Light exposes, reveals, clarifies, and guides. When we walk in the light, when we follow Jesus we cannot be overtaken by darkness.

‘Jesus replied, “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.” After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them. ‘ (John 12:35-36 NLT)

His invitation is simple but life-changing: Walk in the light. Trust in the Light. Become children of the Light.

Have you made the commitment to follow Him today? His arms are open. His light is shining. His call remains the same: Follow Me. And the promise still stands—the Father will honor you.

Today is a great day to say, “Lord, I choose You. I follow You. I lay down my way for Yours.”

Thank you so much for joining me in our study of John 12. I’d love to hear from you—what stood out to you the most in this chapter? Share your reflections in the comments so we can continue growing together in faith.

John 11 – The Resurrection and The Life

Dec23

Good day everyone, and welcome back to our journey through the book of John! 😊 Today we’re diving into chapter 11, and my prayer is that as we reflect together, God’s Word will bring encouragement, guidance, and fresh revelation for our daily walk.

John 11 opens with a desperate situation: Lazarus, a close friend of Jesus, had become severely ill. Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus because they knew He had the power to heal and deliver. They believed that if Jesus came quickly, their brother would not die. But what Jesus did next is what truly caught my attention.

“But when Jesus heard about it he said, ‘Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.’ So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days.” (John 11:4–6 NLT)

When Jesus heard the news, He immediately declared the purpose of the situation, this sickness would not end in death but would reveal God’s glory. This is the second time we see Jesus say something like this. The first was in John 9, when He said the man’s blindness existed so that the works of God could be displayed in him. Once again, Jesus shows us that our trials, challenges, and painful moments can become platforms for God’s power and glory to be revealed.

But what really stands out is verses 5–6. Even though Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, He stayed where He was for two more days. At first glance, it makes no sense. If He truly loved them, why delay? Why wait? Why not rush to their aid? As our Gen Z folks would say — make it make sense! But after reflecting, I realized something important: Sometimes God does not show up when we want Him to because the timing isn’t right. What feels like delay to us is divine timing to Him. So, can we still trust in His goodness and love for us even when he doesn’t show up according to our own timing? Remember, He is never late, because He operates outside of time itself.

“A single day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a single day.” (2 Peter 3:8 TPT)

To Mary and Martha, Jesus was very late. Lazarus had already died and been buried for four days by the time Jesus arrived. But to Jesus, it was the perfect moment for them to experience Him not only as healer… but as the Resurrection and the Life.

Maybe you can relate. Maybe you’ve prayed, believed, and done everything you know to do — yet it feels like Jesus hasn’t shown up. It feels like the situation has already “died.” But I want to encourage you today: Jesus is still the Resurrection and the Life. His timing is always perfect. He will step in, and when He does, everything changes.

James 1:2–4 reminds us that trials produce maturity in us:

‘Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. ‘ (James 1:2-4 NLT)

And 1 Corinthians 10:13 reassures us that God will never allow us to face more than we can bear, and He always provides a way through.

‘We all experience times of testing, which is normal for every human being. But God will be faithful to you. He will screen and filter the severity, nature, and timing of every test or trial you face so that you can bear it. And each test is an opportunity to trust him more, for along with every trial God has provided for you a way of escape that will bring you out of it victoriously. ‘ (1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT)

Mary and Martha eventually saw the glory of God. Jesus stood before Lazarus’s tomb and called him back to life — four days after he had died. A situation that looked completely hopeless became a testimony of God’s power.

So let me ask you:
What situation in your life seems “dead”?
What have you given up on because you think Jesus didn’t show up on time?

Take it back to Him today. Invite the Resurrection and the Life into it. He asked Mary and Martha, “Do you believe?” and when they said yes, they saw their brother rise again. The same Jesus who raised Lazarus is still working today. Don’t give up — believe, trust, and wait for Him. He is always on time. Never late.

I pray that God will give us the grace to trust Him deeply, to remain confident in His love even during difficult moments, and to hold on to the truth that Jesus ,the Resurrection and the Life, is still in the business of raising what seems dead.

Thank you so much for joining me in our study of John 11. I’d love to hear from you — what stood out to you most in this chapter? Share your thoughts in the comments so we can continue growing together in faith.