Photo Art of Jesus. Taken from the 3D image from the Shroud.
John 15
“I am the true vine,
and my Father is the vinedresser.
2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.
11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.
15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin,but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also.
24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.
27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.
11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.
15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin,but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also.
24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.
27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
Jacob Blessing His Sons
Jacob knew who he was. He knew God had given him God's Richest Blessings. Jacob fully understood
the Blessing of Abraham. Jacob had gone to great lengths to have this Blessing. He had been paid for his actions by Laban. To be tricked in a life bending path, in his children and the understanding of fair behavior.
As Jacob died, he knew exactly who his sons were. He knew of their secrets. Nothing was hidden when Jacob knew he was dying, and drew up his feet to sleep with his fathers. Ephesians 3. Family lives together on earth and in Heaven.
A parent, fundamentally uninterested in parenting, will leave a grown child dying to have a better circumstance. Being in my 50s, I know friends who have experienced their parents simply walking away, even as they died. Several. I have seen parents mostly, all of them, comfort their children and want their last moments on earth to be of comfort. And those who never loved, to make hardship and give terrible advice as they passed. And those who tried and didn't understand, to try to give help horribly and not understand. But tried.
Jacob takes his season of dying, not to scold. Nor to whitewash. Forgiveness and blessing based upon real life.
Jesus does not take Maundy Thursday, The New Covenant, to talk about how Peter didn't get things right and, NOW, Peter needed to find depths and grow up. Jesus does not go there. The Christ of God does not go Cotton Mather and explain we are spiders of sin, God does not crush. Jesus does not say to John, the Beloved Disciple, and James - your mother. Jesus doesn't talk about the disappointment in 72 Disciples who didn't see Jesus as God.
The Son of God, Jesus, takes time to let His Beloved know how close they are. Jesus refers, probably, to the Garden of Eden and speaks of seasons to look forward to. Jesus understand the Garden changes over the years and seasons. Difficulties. Jesus is Promising He is going to help.
I remember when Time Magazine was pleased and excited about the Young Pope John Paul II. Pappa. Time explained John Paul loved a certain part of his garden set aside for the Pope only. And being alone, John Paul, would appear in his white vestments just to have time in the garden to reflect and pray. The gardeners were told to move out of the Holy Father's way. Unseen. Move quickly. The problem this day, for the gardener, he had been digging up a dead tree and was partially stuck in a hole. The gardener was having a hard time getting out of the hole. In analogy, we know the gardener had dug the hole himself, but he was also pursuing His Father's work. John Paul did not notice the gardener at first, and then, the brand-new Pope, saw how frantic the older gardener was to do his best. And just as the gardener freed himself from the hole, he was almost free to flee across the garden and leave the walled enclosure. John Paul II called the older man back, who was covered from head to foot in his garden, the gardener was dirty. The man cried out, "Holy Father, do not touch me, I am covered in dirt." John Paul said, simply, "Do not be afraid." And the man tried to hide his hands behind his back. The Holy Father took the Gardener's hands and wiped them clean on John Paul II's completely white, head to foot, vestments. And said, "Do not be afraid, my Father is Your Father."
And this is The New Covenant.
Pappa!
This is one of the most clear Chapter's of
John's Witness and Gospel.
For very good reason. Jesus wants these, His final messages to His Chosen, Beloved <to be crystal clear and point to His most important points.
Reading this Chapter, as believers, we really should not be unclear on any of what the Savior of the World has to say.
Matthew 11:29
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Jesus repeated what God said to Moses:
Matthew 22:31-32
And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God:
32 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not God of the dead, but of the living."
Matthew 28:22b
Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
John 5:17
But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working until now, and
I am working."
John 6:35
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
John 6:51
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh."
John 8:12
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
John 8:18
I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.
John 10:9
I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
John 10:11
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
John 10:14
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me.
John 10:38
but if I do them [works], even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.
John 11:25
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live."
John 12:32
And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 15:1
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser."
John 17:9
I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.
John 10:30
The Father and I are one.
John 4:26
Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he [Messiah, he who is called Christ].”
Mark 14:62
And Jesus said, "I am [the Christ, the Son of the Most Blessed] , and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."
Abba, Father God,
Your Son Jesus is God. Because of Your Word, we are clean.
Jesus is the Son of God, Your Word made manifest.
We want to abide in Jesus and be fruitful - Loving You with all our heart, soul and mind. Loving one another as witnesses of Your Love for us.
We ask, like Elisha, for more of Your Spirit to have more of Your Glory
and encourage mankind about Your Love.
Help us to do Your commandments and be filled with Your Joy.
The people who love You and rejoice in being Your Beloved, thank You for choosing us.
We thank You daily for Your Helper. And seek Your blessings and to please You.
We ask for those we Love and the people You have given us.
Amen in Jesus!
Romans 15:4
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide, we might have hope.
2 Corinthians 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort
Titus 1:9
He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught,
so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine
and refute those who oppose it.
Philippians 2:1
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion
2 John 1:10
If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, obey the commandments, Jesus born in the flesh, do not take them into your house or welcome them.
2 Corinthians 1:5
For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ,
so also our comfort abounds through Christ.
Romans 15:5
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had
Hebrews 6:18
God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie,
we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.
Acts 4:36
Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas
(which means "son of encouragement")
2 Corinthians 1:7
And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings,
so also you share in our comfort.
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