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Multimedia Lent Devotional – Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent

April 10, 2025

2025:

Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent:

  • Scripture (Paul Sculley) – John 10:31-42
  • Reflection (Karen Sculley)
  • Prayer (Gene Tiller)
  • Videos: John 10:31-42
  • Music: “Wonderful” (Eric Gilmour) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udsZ5kFUwPY

John 10:31-42 – The Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?” The Jews answered, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human being, are making yourself God.” Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? If those to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’—and the scripture cannot be annulled—can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” Then they tried to arrest him again, but he escaped from their hands. He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier, and he remained there. Many came to him, and they were saying, “John performed no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” And many believed in him there.

I am struck by Jesus’ very clear words in response to accusations and threats to his life coming from the Jewish religious leaders. Picture the scene – they had already picked up stones with which to murder this Rabbi who claimed to be one with God. Jesus stands his ground, looks them in the eye, and challenges them to explain their intended actions. Jesus directs them to consider his works, the good things he had been doing. He had earlier directed others to consider these good things: “the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.” These words would have sounded very familiar to the religious leaders, who spent most of their time studying the scriptures that we now call the Old Testament. When Jesus reminded them of the good works he had done, the prophetic words of Isaiah would have rung in their ears because Jesus’ good works sounded exactly like God’s good works described in Isaiah 35: “Here is your God … He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.”

If Jesus was doing the works of God, then that meant that Jesus’ other words also had to be true, that God and Jesus were somehow in one another. That meant that Jesus was not just a human being like the rest of us. Jesus is also Messiah, Savior, Lord, and … God! And that changes everything! If we want to know who Jesus is, we need to look at what Jesus did. Believe Jesus! Because of what Jesus has done in his life, ministry, death, and resurrection, all of the promises in Isaiah 35 are guaranteed for all who believe Jesus: we shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God; waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; it shall be for God’s people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray; everlasting joy shall be upon our heads; we shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Jesus, we believe! Please help our unbelief!

2024:

Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent:

2023:

Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent:

  • Scripture (Robby Martin) – Psalm 18:1-6
  • Reflection (Tamera Neal)
  • Prayer (Dawn Roberson)
  • Videos: John
  • Music: “The Lord Is My Rock” (John Kano)

Each short Multimedia Lent Devotional is an invitation to set aside time each day during the season preceding Easter. Lent is a solemn 40-day period we observe as we seek to draw near to God prior to the great celebration of Easter. During Lent,

  • we intentionally practice sober reflection, serious repentance, and sincere restitution, in which we more fully recognize our brokenness as humans, looking always to Jesus Christ as our Savior and sanctifier;
  • we seek to live lives marked by simplicity, self-denial, and surrender, in imitation of Christ Jesus, who fasted for 40 days in the wilderness before He began His public ministry;
  • we look for ways in which we express love for neighbors and nations in need in practical ways through generously giving of our time, talents, and treasures.

This collaboration is brought to you by Liberty Vineyard Church

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