Words in Red

Words in Red | John 19

April 16, 2026 By Lara Howard

This week’s suggested reading: John 19

This week’s question(s) to ponder: If someone asked you to tell them why Jesus died on the cross, what would you say? Spend a few minutes talking through or writing out your response. It’s so wise to be ready to share the hope found in Jesus.

This chapter is tough for me to reduce to a few key points. I found myself sitting with the account of Jesus’ crucifixion, undone with the way God the Father wove his redemption story, from the beginning of creation, into the fabric of humanity, culminating in the bloody death and resurrection of his perfect Son. It’s truly beautiful and absolutely incredible. I pray that as you spend time in John 19, God would overwhelm you afresh with the great grace found in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Using God's law as a manipulative tool to support our human agenda will backfire.

In verse 7 we read, “The Jews answered him (Pilate), ‘We have a law, and according to that law he (Jesus) ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.'” (John 19:7)

Most likely, the Jews were referencing the law given in Leviticus 24:10-16 to justify their reasoning for murdering Jesus. But like we’ve noticed many times throughout John’s gospel, many if not most of the Jewish leaders described in the book of John often missed the ultimate point of God’s law. They often used God’s law to manipulatively support their earthly agendas. They often used God’s law as a measuring stick of external holiness, while forgetting that God looks at the heart. They often used God’s law as a means to judge and condemn others, while ignoring the hate and pride dwelling within themselves.

But if there’s one thing God’s law reveals, it’s that we can’t perfectly obey God’s law. God’s law reveals our need for his forgiveness and grace. Jesus emphasized this in his “Sermon on the Mount” when he equated anger to murder and lust to adultery. (see Matthew 5-7) God’s law is perfect. We are not. We cannot reach the holy God of the universe on our own merit or by following a bunch of external rules. It’s just not possible. God looks at the heart. And our hearts naturally rebel from our Creator. That’s why Jesus came. He came to die as payment for our sin so that we could have a relationship with our perfect Father.

The Jews in this text stood on God’s law as justification for hate and murder. They used God’s law as a manipulative tool to accomplish their personal agenda, rather than allowing God’s law to convict their own hearts of sin and righteousness. And that handling of the law of God will always backfire.

God values women.

In a world that has devalued women since the fall of mankind in Genesis 3, I think it’s important to note how much the God of the universe values women.

Interestingly, all four of the Gospels specifically mention the presence and prominence of women at the crucifixion (and resurrection) of Jesus.

John 19:25, “but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.”
Matthew 27:55-56, “There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.”
Mark 15:40-41, “40 There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.
Luke 23:48-49, “And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. 49 And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.”

Why do I even mention this? Because women have been (and will continue to be until Jesus comes again) a key target of the enemy’s hatred in this fallen world. In Genesis 3, we read that the curse upon Satan includes “enmity” between Satan and the woman, “I (God) will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring;” (Genesis 3:15a) Enmity. Hate. And that hatred has played out over the centuries through a plethora of ways including sex trafficking, objectification, pornography, abuse, oppression, and misogyny, just to name a few.

The enemy hates women.

But women are made in the image of God, just like men. Women are not second class. Women aren’t inferior to men. The creation of the woman was the final act of God’s creation. And mankind wasn’t even called “good” until woman was made together with the man. (See Genesis 1-2)

When Jesus came to earth, he came into a cultural context that devalued women as a result of the fall. Yet he welcomed women to himself. He radically crossed cultural lines. And we see that women experienced something new when they encountered Jesus. Women were welcomed to learn at his feet. They were encouraged to worship him. They were seen, approached, and defended by him. Many women followed him to his death. And it was a woman to whom he first showed himself upon his resurrection.

Women (then and now), abused and devalued by our fallen world, come to see our innate value when we get to know Jesus. Because the God of the universe greatly values his daughters.

Jesus' death removed the unsurpassable divide between God and man.

Our sin separates us from the holy God of the universe. He’s perfect; we’re not. Yet out of God’s great love for his creation, he sent his Son to die for our sin which separated us from him. That’s radical. And it’s by faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that we’re then welcomed into the family of God as his sons and daughters, forgiven and set free from our sin. That’s the good news of Jesus Christ, a.k.a. the gospel.

What’s absolutely amazing to me, beyond the great grace of God towards us, is how beautifully God has woven this redemption story throughout history. Seeing how he unfolded the story of Jesus, for thousands and thousands of years, over generation after generation, culminating in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ astounds me. Let me give you two specific examples of how God purposefully ties his redemption story into the details of history.

Jesus is the final Passover lamb.

We learn in John 19 that Jesus died on the Day of Preparation. (John 19:31) The Day of Preparation is the day before the Passover feast begins where each family “prepares” for the Passover meal. In Exodus 12, we learn that the Passover was to begin with each family sacrificing an unblemished lamb, including no broken bones. God’s people were then instructed to put some of the blood of the lamb on the doorposts of their home as a sign. God then spared those with the blood on their doorposts from the judgment he brought upon Egypt.

Fast forward to Jesus. Jesus was literally sacrificed on the Day of Preparation, at the exact time that Jewish families were sacrificing their unblemished lambs for the Passover feast. Jesus was the final unblemished lamb, with no broken bones, sacrificed for God’s people, at the exact moment lambs were being sacrificed in the temple. Mind-blowing. And when we come under the blood of Jesus – by faith acknowledging that he died in our place and then rose from the dead – we’re then spared from the judgment to come.

See 1 Corinthians 5:7, John 1:19, and 1 Peter 1:18-19 for other texts that describe Jesus as our final Passover Lamb.

The Temple curtain was torn in two when Jesus died.

John doesn’t tell us this detail in his gospel account of Jesus. But Matthew, Mark, and Luke all mention this amazing detail as they recount the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 27:51-54 says, just as Jesus died, “51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, ‘Truly this was the Son of God!'”
Mark 15:37-39 says, “37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God!'”
Luke 23:44-47 says, “44 It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!’ And having said this he breathed his last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, ‘Certainly this man was innocent!'”

I bring this up because of what the curtain represented. We first read about this curtain in Exodus 26:31-33, “31 ‘And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it. 32 And you shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, with hooks of gold, on four bases of silver. 33 And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy.'”

The “Most Holy” place, also called the Holy of Holies, represented God’s presence. Only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies once a year, on the Day of Atonement, when he would bring blood from the sacrifice and sprinkle it on the Mercy Seat for the sins of God’s people. The curtain represented the separation, caused by sin, between God and his people.

When Jesus Christ died on the cross, this curtain – 60 feet high, 30 feet wide, and 4 inches thick according to Jewish tradition – tore in two. Jesus’ sacrificial death for our sin literally removed the divide between God and man, spiritually and physically.

God’s redemption story isn’t a fairytale. God’s redemption story is his perfect, unfolding, complete plan to bring mankind back into a beautiful relationship with him. Jesus was and is and will always be the way to our Father.

Disclaimer: Words in Red is a devotional blog series created for personal reflection and spiritual encouragement. All writing is original and created solely by the author, Lara Howard—AI was not used in the development of this content. All content in this series is copyrighted and may not be reproduced, distributed, or used without written permission. © Think True Things

Words in Red | John 18

April 4, 2026 By Lara Howard

This week’s suggested reading: John 18

This week’s question(s) to ponder: Prayerfully ask God to reveal to you ways in which you align yourself with earthly kingdoms vs. God’s kingdom. What did he show you? How would you describe your heart for “the least of these”?

God's kingdom stands in stark contrast to earthly kingdoms.

In John 18, we see Judas, Jesus’ betrayer, gather a band of soldiers from the religious elite to go arrest Jesus in force. (John 18:2-11) Luke’s account of the arrest gives us even more detail of what happens when the soldiers approach Jesus.

“49 And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, ‘Lord, shall we strike with the sword?’ 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51 But Jesus said, ‘No more of this!’ And he touched his ear and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, ‘Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? 53 When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.'” (Luke 22:49-53)

God’s kingdom stands in stark contrast to earthly kingdoms.

Earthly kingdoms make war when threatened. Jesus makes peace. Earthly kingdoms destroy others to save itself. Jesus gave himself to save the world. Earthly kingdoms respond with hate and violence when opposed. Jesus responds with love. Earthly kingdoms display power with weapons of steel. Jesus displays power with his word. (18:6) Earthly kingdoms clamor for control. Jesus humbly bends to the Father’s will.

God’s kingdom stands in stark contrast to earthly kingdoms.

God’s kingdom stood in contrast to earthly kingdoms when Jesus walked on this planet. And it stands in stark contrast today. The question then becomes, with whose kingdom am I aligning myself? In the day-to-day lives we lead, we get constant choice – align our hearts with the eternal kingdom of God or align our hearts with the passing kingdoms of this world. And we will know which one we’re aligning ourselves by the love we have for one another.

Fear of man can cause us to deny Christ.

In John 13, Jesus told Peter that he would deny him 3 times before the rooster crowed. In John 18, we see that fulfilled. Peter, the one who said he would lay his life down for Jesus, denied even knowing him before the sun rose.

Why did Peter deny knowing Jesus? Fear of man.

Fear of man can make us do things or say things we promised we would never do or say. I talked about this in my commentary on John 9. Maybe we fear rejection. Maybe we fear harm. But regardless, when we allow the fear of man to reside in us, we position ourselves to compromise our faith.

Throughout Scripture, God reminds us not to fear man for one primary reason: the God of the universe is for us and with us! “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Psalm 118:6) Literally, what can man do to us?

Reject us? Probably, but we’re accepted by the holy God of the universe in Christ. “13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:13)

Kill us? Maybe, but in Christ, we will be with God at the moment of earthly death. “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8)

Fear is going to come. We’re human. We can’t see past this moment. And in this world, there will be trouble. There will be pain, disease, and brokenness. But fear isn’t our inheritance in Christ. Jesus died and rose to give us more than a life marked by fear.

Yes, fearful thoughts will enter our minds. I have them daily. Believe me. But if we’re in Christ, we don’t have to entertain the fearful thoughts. We don’t have to feed the fearful presumptions with more fearful predictions. In Christ, we have the Spirit of God dwelling inside of us. So we have the power to take our thoughts captive to truth.

Fear is like a red flag waving, warning us that something is trying to steal our peace and rest in the faithfulness of God. When fear comes, that’s an invitation to spend some time with our Father. It’s an invitation to remember, through prayer and worship, who it is that still sits on the throne. It’s an invitation to remember the great love, constant faithfulness, and exceeding power of our good God.

Fear of man can cause us to deny Christ. But fear of God alone can cause us to walk boldly by faith, one step at a time, even when we don’t know what’s up ahead. Because we know the One who will be with us, pouring out his love and grace, every step of the way.

It's not the external that defiles us. It's the internal.

The hypocrisy we see in John 18 amazes (and sobers) me. We read, “28 Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate went outside to them and said, ‘What accusation do you bring against this man?’ 30 They answered him, ‘If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.’ 31 Pilate said to them, ‘Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.’ The Jews said to him, ‘It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.’ 32 This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die.”

So, get this. The religious leaders are actively trying to have the Roman government kill Jesus. They are literally wanting him murdered. They passionately hate him and the threat he brings to their religiosity. Yet they do not want to enter into a physical space because according to their law that will defile them to the point they cannot partake of the Passover. Internally they hate Jesus to the point of murder. Externally they want to stay “pure” by not entering the governor’s headquarters.

Jesus had a term for this: whitewashed tombs.

In Matthew 23 Jesus says, “27 ‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.'”

Jesus didn’t mince words. He clearly called out the hypocrisy he saw in the religious elite. Over and over they pointed to their external obedience to God’s law as evidence of their internal righteousness. Yet Jesus boldly confronted the fallacy of that mindset because God doesn’t look merely at the external. God looks at the heart.

In 1 Samuel, the Lord sent Samuel to anoint the new king over Israel. When Samuel saw Eliab, one of Jesse’s sons, he thought for sure that he was their future ruler. Eliab’s physical stature fit all of the stereotypes of a king. “7 But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.'” (1 Samuel 16:7) Samuel will go on to anoint David as king, the smallest and least of the sons of Jesse.

Bottom line, the external doesn’t defile us before our holy God. It’s the internal state of the heart that defiles us. And we desperately need to be on guard because we too are prone to hypocrisy.

As I look at the landscape of the American Christian church in 2026, I wonder what Jesus would say to us. Would he say, “woe to you, preachers and deacons, volunteers and church-goers, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful (with your big, fancy buildings and smoke-filled stages, perfectly curated church programs and interactive websites), but within are full of hypocrisy.” Is that what he would say? Because all of those external things mean absolutely nothing if our hearts harbor pride, elitism, and hatred. And if we’re really curious if hypocrisy marks us, Jesus gave us a litmus test for our faith in Matthew 25.

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Matthew 25:31-46

This is a serious question, one that could possibly expose our eternity: Do we care for the least of these? Do we have compassion for the stranger and the poor? Do we love those who cannot love us in return? Do we give when others can’t possibly repay? Or would Jesus look at us and say, “Hypocrite! You are whitewashed tombs – externally righteous with your church going and Bible verse memes, yet internally loveless and lawless.”

Father, forgive us, convict us, and help us to love others like you’ve loved us. We were poor and needy, and you came to our rescue.

Words in Red | John 17

March 27, 2026 By Lara Howard

This week’s suggested reading: John 17

This week’s question(s) to ponder: What are some “good works” God is calling you to do in this season of your life? Think of a relationship that (currently or previously) has been marked with division. What can you do to pursue unity in that relationship?

We glorify God by completing the good works he gave us to do.

In John 17:4, Jesus prays, “I glorified you (the Father) on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.” Jesus glorified – magnified, honored – the Father partly by completing the work he gave Jesus to do. And likewise, we do the same.

Paul says something similar in his letter to the Ephesians. After detailing the absolute grace of God to us in the work and gift of Jesus Christ, he says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

God has good works for his children to walk in. He has things for us to individually do while we’re here on this earth. He has people for us to specifically love and situations for us to specifically impact. Your list of good works is going to be different from mine. Your calling will be different than mine. And that’s a beautiful thing to celebrate! God isn’t a cookie-cutter God. He accounts for our individual, unique design in the things he has for us to do. But we have to be careful not to get it twisted.

We don’t do the good works in order to earn salvation from the Father. We’re set free from the condemnation of a holy God fully and completely by faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It’s faith in Christ’s work on the cross – where he died a brutal death for the sins of man, then defeated death 3 days later by rising from the grave – that we find our full forgiveness from the Father. That’s the grace gift.

But after we come to him by faith, he makes his home in us. God’s Spirit comes to dwell inside of us. And he then leads us to the “good works” he has for us to do while we’re still here on this planet. While we still have breath, we have good works to walk in.

The next question that naturally follows asks, “Well, what specific good works does God have for me to do?” The answer to that question takes much more space than what we have here. But to put it simply, knowing the specific good works God has for us to do on this earth flows out of a deepening relationship with him.

As we spend time with God – praying, reading his Word, confessing our sins, worshipping him, obeying what he says – we start to hear his voice more clearly. We start to know when the Spirit of God is prompting us to act. We may be inspired to do something, create something, give something, speak up about something – the list is endless. But the truth remains…

If we have breath in us, our Father still has good works for his children to do – things he has set apart specifically for our life, our relationships, our influence, and our situation.

Escaping the world isn't the answer.

In John 17:14-15 Jesus prays, “14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.” Jesus didn’t ask the Father to take his followers out of the world, even in the face of hate or persecution. He asked the Father to “keep them from the evil one.”

That word “keep” means “to guard from injury or loss, by keeping an eye upon.” (Strong’s, G5083) Jesus asks the Father to keep an eye on his followers in order to guard from loss or injury. And by Jesus asking the Father to keep us, we can trust that he will!

This reminds me of the time when Jesus taught his disciples how to pray in Matthew 6. “Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.'” (Matthew 6:10-13)

Jesus didn’t ask the Father to remove his people from the earth. He actually asked the opposite. He taught us to ask for God’s kingdom and will to come down to earth as it is in heaven. He taught us to ask the Father to deliver us from evil while we’re walking about on this planet.

I often hear people say things like, “I can’t wait for God to take us out of this evil world!” And though I totally understand the sentiment, that’s the opposite of what Christ taught us. We’re empowered in Jesus to be light on this dark planet. We’re called to show love to a world desperate for hope. We’re commissioned to share the forgiveness found in Jesus Christ. We have a Father who keeps an eye on his children, even in a place where evil exists. And we’re taught to pray for God’s kingdom to come to earth.

Escape – though that sounds lovely given the state of the world – actually isn’t the solution to the suffering found here. The answer to the pain of this world is the love of God displayed in the finished work of Christ, lived out through the lives of his people.

Unity reflects God.

In John 17:20-23 we see the theme of “oneness” emphasized. “20 I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”

A few things to note. First, though Jesus is praying for his disciples, we learn that he’s also praying for you and me. (v. 20) That means that the things he prays in this high priestly prayer (as it’s referred to), apply to us as well as to his first century disciples!

Second, we see that unity with other believers reflects the oneness of the Father and the Son. In contrast, discord, division, and strife between believers does not reflect God. We see this concept of oneness and unity taught all throughout Scripture. But Paul warns us clearly in his letter to the church at Corinth, “10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Corinthians 1:10-13)

In a world that’s extremely divided, sadly we also see so much division even among Jesus followers. Yes, we as Christ followers need to humbly and boldly address false teaching when we hear it. (Galatians 1:6-9) Yes, we’re told to test the spirits (1 John 4:1-4). Yes, we’re warned to beware of false prophets. (Matthew 7:15-20) Those are all true things. But often it’s not the major theological issues that divide us; it’s the preferences and fleshly desires that strip away our oneness. And that’s not ok.

Disunity isn’t ok for one main reason: it doesn’t reflect God. And the ultimate reason we want to reflect God rightly on this earth is so that the world may believe in Jesus! (See John 17:21, 23)

If we find ourselves in a situation with another believer marked by discord and division, then I pray we see it as an invitation from God to pursue unity. Pursuing unity begins by getting alone with God, asking for wisdom in the divisive situation. If we’re willing to hear, he will show us our own role in the conflict – convicting us of our own sin – and lead us to forgive the other person for the role they’ve played in the conflict. After gaining clarity through prayer, he may lead us to communicate directly with the other person in humility and love in efforts to restore unity. (See Matthew 18:15-17)

Healing a divisive situation takes time and wisdom as relationships can be really messy. But we cannot deny, unity with others reflects the Father. “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” (Romans 12:18)

Words in Red | John 16

March 19, 2026 By Lara Howard

This week’s suggested reading: John 16

This week’s question(s) to ponder: What is causing you fear or anxiety these days? What are some truths that Jesus taught that you could meditate upon to help combat the fear and anxiety that tempts you?

We have choice as to what we think about.

Jesus says in John 16:1-4, “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.”

I see two pretty big implications from Jesus’ words, spoken to his disciples, that apply to us today: (1) Jesus followers will be persecuted on this Earth, and (2) we desperately need to remember Jesus’ teachings, especially in the face of trial.

To expound a bit, first, we as Jesus followers literally follow a suffering Savior. We follow the one who lived a perfect life, yet was brutally killed by those who rejected him. We follow one who radically loved the outcast, the rejected, the least, and was crucified on a cross for seeming blasphemy. If the world responded to Jesus with violent rejection, why would we ever think we should receive anything different as we too radically love a hurting world?

Second, trials and pressures will come upon us – they will – but in those seasons, the truths and promises that Jesus taught us are meant to impact us. The truths and promises of Jesus transcend earthly trials and conflict. Nothing can negate Jesus’ promises. Nothing can override his plans and teachings. He is our secure foundation, no matter what this world throws at us. Yet often we live so distracted with things of this world, we forget to meditate on the things our Lord said.

There are a million distractions around us…many coming from the device in the palm of our hand much of the day. I’m preaching to myself. Yet throughout Scripture, God tells us to remember his teachings and remember his promises hundreds of times.

Remember what I said. Remember what I did. Remember what I’ve promised. Remember.

The calling to remember points to the premise of this website: Think True Things. God made our brain to be so amazing. We as his creation have the ability to steer our thoughts. We get choice as to what we think about. Yet so often we/I meditate on things that aren’t helpful, holy, or healing. And thoughts not rooted in the truth of God can slip in so quietly, through the pains we’ve experienced, the media we consume, and the disappointments that plague us. (Just to name a few.)

But Jesus reminds us: he spoke truths to us to keep us from falling away in the face of trouble, trials, and persecution. And if anything seems most pressing right now as I type this post, it’s the dire need for his followers to meditate on the truths that Jesus taught and displayed, every minute of the day.

People hate and murder because they do not know God the Father or Jesus His Son.

We read in verse 3 that people hate and kill Jesus followers because they do not know the one true God. Hate doesn’t come from our God. The God of the Bible is a God of love – the God of love. It was out of his great love for his creation that he sent his Son to save the world, beginning with the Jews and then spreading to the Gentiles. He loves with an everlasting love. Those who murder and hate followers of Jesus do so because they do not know God the Father or Jesus his Son.

Taken a step further, we as Jesus followers must guard our own hearts from hate. As the saying goes, “hurt people hurt people.” We live in a world of hurting people. And humans react out of their hurt. People will do things that bring us pain – sometimes intentionally, sometimes unknowingly. But people will hurt us. In those moments, it’s vital to our own peace that we live in a state of forgiveness. Yes, there’s a place for loving confrontation and firm boundaries. But harboring hate will only end up harming our own souls. And an act of loving forgiveness can actually soften and help heal a hurting world.

Hurt people hurt people. But healed people help heal people.

We follow the God of love. May we be quick to release hate when it knocks on our heart’s door.

We have a Helper!

We’ve talked a few times in this series about the Holy Spirit, referred to as the Helper and the Spirit of truth in this section of John. Jesus himself says, “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” (16:7)

When we look at the whole counsel of the Bible, we know that the Spirit of God comes to make his home inside of believers. After we put our faith in Jesus, we become a temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor. 6:19) We learn in Scripture that he seals us; and that’s a permanent mark. (Eph. 1:13-14) He leads us into truth. He convicts us and guides us. As we walk with him and learn to submit to him, he grows his fruit in us – the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. (Gal. 5:22-23) We have a helper!

This world is dark. There is so much evil here. But we haven’t been left as an orphan on this planet. When we put our faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit of God comes to live within us, helping and strengthening us every step of the way. And that’s really great news.

There is trouble in the world. Even so, there is peace in Jesus.

As I write today, our country is in the midst of a terrible war. There’s so much trouble on this planet. There’s so much hate, greed, lust, and division. But even so, there’s still peace in Jesus.

When Jesus walked on this planet, even knowing he would be brutally murdered and separated from the Father, he didn’t live in fear. He didn’t live anxiously. He knew the joy set before him was greater than the trouble to be experienced on this planet. And in Christ, we can find rest for our soul in that same peace.

The challenge to myself, and one I’ll pass along to you, is seek him, day in and day out. Remember him when life takes a turn into chaotic waters. Remember his promises when fear comes knocking. Meditate on the peace that comes from our Savior – a peace we now have with the Father through faith in Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection.

Yes, there is trouble here. But there is peace to be experienced, even on this broken Earth, in Jesus.