Words in Red

Words in Red | John 21

May 16, 2026 By Lara Howard

This week’s suggested reading: John 21

This week’s question(s) to ponder: Ask God to remind you of a time that a “no” prepared you for a miraculous “yes.” Praise him for that gift. Also, how has God gifted you to spread his love to others? What’s preventing you from walking in that calling today?

Sometimes a "no" is preparing us for a miraculous "yes."

The book of John closes with Jesus revealing himself to seven of his disciples by the Sea of Tiberias.

At the beginning of chapter 21, we read that Peter told some of the other disciples that he wanted to go fishing. They decided to go with him. But after fishing all night long, they had caught nothing. (See John 21:1-3)

As the sun was rising, Jesus stood on the shore and called out to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” Not knowing it was Jesus, they answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” They did and they caught so many fish they weren’t able to haul them in. (John 21:4-6)

Pause here. Because if I’m being totally honest with myself, I would have definitely battled internal irritation had I been up all night long fishing without a single fish to show. Then “some guy” at the break of light, standing on the shore, tells me to throw the net to the other side, as if I hadn’t tried that. I promise you, irritation would have tempted my soul. That’s a part of my flesh I really don’t like.

When things don’t go as we plan, it’s easy to get irritated. We as humans tend to think we have it all figured out. So when our agenda gets skewed, it’s natural to feel frustration. But what if, in those unexpected moments, we remember that God is still God. What if in those moments when life doesn’t go as planned, we remember the faithfulness, love, grace, and presence of our God. What if.

The text doesn’t give any indication that the men were irritated. All we read is that they complied with Jesus’ words. And the result was a net full of fish they couldn’t even haul in.

When God allows a “no” to our plans, we get a choice. We can wallow in the disappointment. Or we can steer our hearts back to places of faith. Sometimes the “no” may be to something less significant, like a night of fishing. And sometimes the “no” may be to to something deeply meaningful, like a healing in our body, or in the body of someone we love. But either way, we have a God who’s worthy of our trust, even when he allows a “no” to our plans.

One other sidenote about this scene. The text says that Jesus already had fish and bread cooking over a fire when the disciples came to shore. (See John 21:9) Jesus didn’t need the fish from their labor. He could make fish and bread appear out of nothing if he so desired. They needed the fish. Jesus blessed them with an abundance out of his grace and love, not out of some divine need he had. Likewise, Jesus doesn’t need things from us as if he’s lacking. By faith, we get to experience the blessing of him and his ways because of his great love and grace upon us. And then we get to bless others with the abundance of his grace, all while pointing back to him, the miracle-maker.

God's amazing grace is bigger than our egregious failures.

After the miraculous net of fish, the disciples realized it was Jesus on the shore. So Simon Peter, with all his fervor, threw himself into the sea to swim to meet him while the others sailed to shore in the boat. After they ate breakfast together, Jesus and Peter had an interesting, and powerful, interaction.

Remember, this appearance of Jesus is on the heels of Peter’s 3-fold denial of Jesus in John 18. If I were to guess, Peter carried with him a sting of regret for denying Jesus, even if he had already moved through a time of personal repentance. And Jesus entered into that tender regret with words of grace, calling Peter back to the place of ministering God’s love to others.

As I read this text, I remembered a time years ago when Jesus met me in my own regrets with his gracious call to get up out of a pit I dug for myself and keep moving forward. Without going into much detail, a series of personal events left me in a very vulnerable emotional state. And in that vulnerable state, I allowed myself to compromise. Yes, I wrestled with some choices I was making. I tried to defend them or excuse them because of what had been done to me. I tried to frame them just right to get approval from those closest to me. But Jesus, in his absolute mercy, both protected me from myself and confronted me with truth. When I finally “woke up” to the destructive path I was on, I crumbled in shame and regret.

For a period of time I thought I could never write again. I could never teach again. I could never stand in front of people and point to Jesus, when I knew how quickly I could ignore his voice. I measured my worthiness by my own actions. And God met me there.

Through prayer, through repentance, through words of encouragement from honest friends, through his Word, Jesus picked me back up. He reminded me of his great grace – a grace that’s wider and deeper than our biggest failures. He reminded me that the gift he placed in me to teach doesn’t come from me. It wasn’t earned. It was his. It flowed from his love and grace. It was an overflow of his Spirit in me. And it was time to stand back up and feed his sheep through this gift he placed in me.

We all have gifts that flow from his Spirit. If we’ve come by faith to him, he gifts each of us in unique and beautiful ways, equipping us to go and spread his love to others. Some of us are gifted to teach. Some are gifted with wisdom. Some are gifted with prophecy, healing, or knowledge. These gifts aren’t earned on good behavior. They’re from him. They’re an overflow of God’s Spirit working in and through us. And the crazy thing is, when we fail to walk in the gifts he gives, he graces us with the path back to him marked with repentance and humility.

No matter where you find yourself today – fully walking in the gifts he’s given or buried under the weight of regret – it’s vital to remember: it’s all about Jesus. If we’re walking boldly in our gifts, we keep on, while remembering that it’s only by his grace and not by our works. We don’t earn the calling he gives. We’re called to humbly walk it out. And if on the other hand we’ve stopped walking in the gifts he’s given, due to regret or shame or distraction or a plethora of other reasons, today’s a new day full of new mercies. It’s time to take his hand, get back up, and “feed his sheep.”

We have a God whose grace is greater than even our most egregious failures. Thank you, Lord.

Our unfolding story will be different from our neighbor's. We must stop comparing.

Speaking of gifts and callings, the chapter ends with Peter asking Jesus about John’s future and calling. Jesus replied with, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”

We as humans continually and constantly compare ourselves to others. It happens in literally every arena of life. From looks to finances to occupations to popularity to parenting to church ministry, we scan the landscape around us searching for validation in literally every single arena of life. Why? Because our fragile egos too quickly equate success by how we compare to others, rather than simply following Jesus.

Your story will be different from mine. My story will be different from yours. Our gifts are different. Our journeys are different. Our families are different. Our areas of influence are different. And that’s a beautiful thing!

God didn’t create a bunch of robots, all looking the same and acting the same and doing the same things. He created a beautiful tapestry of humans with different skin colors, different cultures, different experiences, different paths, and different gifts. And as this book of John closes, Jesus tells us to keep our eyes on him. Keep following him. Stop looking at the person beside us. Stop comparing our journey to our neighbor’s. Instead, he says, “Follow me.”

As we walk with him through our individual journeys, there will continue to be trouble in this world. Until Jesus comes again, Satan is the prince of this earth. And Satan is a liar, a hater, and a destroyer. But Jesus wins. He already won. He already overcame the final enemy, death. And now he tarries in grace, so more can hear of his love and forgiveness.

As he tarries his return, we as his followers have time to use our individual gifts to spread his love on the earth. Yes, trouble will come. Trials will come. But we don’t have to be afraid. By grace through faith, Jesus saves us. God’s Spirit indwells us. The Father forgives us. Keep on, friend. Eyes on Jesus. Feet in step with his. Until he comes again.

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 20

April 26, 2026 By Lara Howard

This week’s suggested reading: John 20

This week’s question(s) to ponder: Think of something in your life that causes you fear, anxiety, or worry. Now, imagine Jesus whispering your name while you’re in the midst of that fear or worry… “[insert your name].” What do you think would he tell you regarding that fear? What does he want you to remember/believe about him that will specifically impact how you view that situation? When thinking through your answers to those questions, make sure your answers align with the truths found in Scripture.

We’ve reached the point in John’s gospel when he recounts the resurrection. All of Jesus’ ministry foretold of this moment. The final enemy, death, could not defeat Jesus. After 3 days, he rose from the grave. Weeping turned to joy. Despair turned to hope. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is alive, just like he promised!

But that’s not all. There’s more good news…

Jesus knows you by name.

We read that Mary Magdalene was the first to interact with our risen Lord. But it wasn’t until he said her name that she recognized him.

10 Then the disciples went back to their homes. 11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).

John 20:10-16

A question that naturally arises from this text is, why didn’t Mary recognize Jesus before he said her name? The answer? No one knows for sure. It could have been that Jesus’ resurrected body looked slightly different, to the point that she didn’t immediately recognize him. It could have been that at this early morning hour the darkness came with limited visibility. It could have been that her grief and mourning drove her expectations of finding his dead body rather than a risen Lord. No one knows for sure.

But what is plain and clear from the text – as soon as Jesus called her by name, “Mary,” she recognized him. He knew her by name. He called her by name. In her moment of greatest grief, he spoke to her. And that moment reminds me of something deeply profound to the human experience: Humans have an innate desire to be intimately known and unconditionally loved. The problem is, we constantly pursue the fulfillment of that desire from other humans. Constantly. We continually seek out praise and approval from our fellow man thinking it will scratch the itch of that innate desire. And when we get it, our soul rests for a fleeting moment.

Our boss praises us in front of our work team.
Our coach gives us MVP status after a big game.
Our social media post, that we put way too much time and energy into, goes viral.
Our school, company, town, state, country elects us into a leadership position.
Our church chooses us to publicly teach, pray, or sing on stage.

For just a few minutes, we believe that someone sees us, values us, knows us and loves us. But human praise won’t last because all humans are broken and needy, just like us. Humans move on to the next thing before we’ve had enough time to finish our celebratory glass of champagne from the previous moment of approval. It isn’t until we come into relationship with our Maker, that we experience the peace and joy that comes from being fully known and fully loved.

Only God knows us perfectly and intimately. Only he knows how many hairs are on our head, and their natural color. (Can I get an amen?) Only he knows every single pain we’ve experienced in this broken world and every tear we’ve cried in the dark of night. Only he knows how to mend those wounded places. Only he knows our deepest fears – the ones we’ve never voiced to another. Only he knows the secrets we try to keep hidden. Only he truly knows us, inside and out. (See Psalm 139)

And in his complete and total knowing of us, he still loves us more than we can even comprehend. He still sees the beauty in us, even when the world may reject us. He still wants good for us, even after we’ve failed. His love is so great that he sent his perfect Son into this broken world to die a brutal death to pay for my sins and yours. He did that because he knew we couldn’t reach him on our own – our sin had separated us from him. And all we have to do to begin our relationship with him is believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We have an innate desire to be intimately known and unconditionally loved. But that desire only finds its ultimate fulfillment in our Maker. The one who knows us by name.

Mary Magdalene thought all hope was lost when she couldn’t find Jesus’ body in the tomb. But as soon as he said her name, “Mary,” joy erupted. Hope returned. The One who knows her intimately and loves her unconditionally had risen, just like he promised.

Fear causes us to hide.

Throughout this series, we’ve read many passages that detail the effects of fear. Chapter twenty gives us another example of what fear can do: fear can make us hide.

“19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.'” (John 20:19)

The disciples were afraid of the Jews, so they locked the doors and hid. Why? On the surface, they hid because they didn’t want to be harmed. They feared what the Jews would do to them – probably physically and socially – so they locked themselves away. But if we dig a little deeper, we can see that at its root, fear is a liar. Because ultimately, fear says, “This thing is too big for God to handle.” And when we listen to the taunting of fear, we hide.

But we have a God who can walk through the doors we’ve hidden ourselves behind. We have a God who can speak peace into the most chaotic of souls. Nothing is too great for him. No one and no thing is more powerful than him. Yes, fear will come. We’re human. We can’t see past this very second of this very day. And yes, trials will come as long as we’re on this planet. But fear isn’t our inheritance in Christ. Fear only gets to take the ground we give it. In Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit within us, we can reject fear even when the unexpected and unwanted happens.

We can say to our own soul when the fearful thoughts come, “Nothing is too big for my God to handle. Lord God, I don’t know what you will do in this situation that is tempting me to fear, but I trust you. I believe in you. I know you love me and have good for me, and good for those I love. So I reject fear in the name of Jesus and I step into faith that you will carry me through. Help me. Sustain me. Grace me with your peace that passes human understanding. Amen.”

When fear comes knocking, we do not have to take it by the hand and follow where it leads. We are daughters and sons of the Most High God. Nothing is too big that he can’t handle it. Nothing.

Believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, that you may have life in his name.

John writes, “30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:30-31)

John clearly tells us why he wrote this gospel. He wrote what he wrote – he testified – so that we would believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing we would have life in his name.

So what is life in Jesus? It’s being made spiritually alive so that we can experience his presence both now in our present-day lives and forever in the life to come. Let’s break that down.

First, the Bible teaches that we’re spiritually dead in our sin, but God makes us alive through Jesus.

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:1-7)

We are spiritually dead in our sin. That’s the human predicament. We don’t need cleaning up. We need breath. We need to be made alive. Believing in the person and work of Jesus gives us life. We’re brought to life in and through him. And once we’re made spiritually alive by faith in Jesus, we’re now in his family, forever sealed by God. We will now be with him forever because our sins have been paid for by the blood of Jesus.

And though being with God forever is an absolutely incredible gift of grace, life in Jesus Christ is meant to affect us while we’re still on this planet as well. In John 10, Jesus says, “10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) Life abundant.

The word in the Greek translated “abundantly” means “superabundant (in quantity) or superior (in quality); by implication, excessive; exceeding abundantly above, more abundantly, advantage, exceedingly, very highly, beyond measure.” (Strong’s, G4053) Jesus tells us that he came to give us a life that far exceeds the human experience apart from him. And in him, we’re supposed to experience “kingdom living” while we’re still on this earth.

So what does the abundant life look like practically, in the day to day? Is it money and prosperity and every earthly good thing? Not necessarily. The abundant life in Jesus looks like peace when the world is writhing in fear. It looks like hope when the world shouts despair. It looks like joy even in unwanted circumstances. It looks like quiet of soul even when we don’t know what’s around the next corner. It looks like forgiving our enemy even when they don’t deserve it. It looks like standing with the weak and needy even when we have a seat at the emperor’s table. It looks like love even when hate seems justified. The abundant life carries the peace of God from one room to the next, confident in the faithfulness of a really good God.

If we read that and think, that sounds really nice but I’m not experiencing that in my real life, then I believe that’s a red flag of warning that we desperately need to take our thoughts captive to truth. The enemy is a liar. Fear is a liar. And if we aren’t meditating on what’s true, we will not experience all Jesus died to give us.

Jesus died to give us more than death insurance. He died and rose so that we could experience his kingdom starting now in our everyday lives on this planet. And as we experience the abundant life he gives, his love and life will overflow through us onto the people he places beside us that they too may hear and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and have life in his name. We thank you, Father. Amen.

P.S. The whole point of this website, “Think True Things,” rests in the truth that we’ve been commissioned and empowered by God to take our thoughts captive to what’s true. And when we do, we will experience the life Jesus died to give us. If you’d like some guidance on taking your thoughts captive to truth, click here to download my free “thought life challenge.”

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.

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.