Words in Red

Words in Red | John 13

February 17, 2026 By Lara Howard

This week’s suggested reading: John 13

This week’s question(s) to ponder: Spend some time this week making a list of scriptures that define your identity in Christ. Then commit to meditating on those truths. Which characteristics of your identity in Christ do you want to focus upon in this season of your life?

Jesus knew first. Then he served.

John 13 opens with the scene described as “The Last Supper.” Other biblical authors detail their perspectives of this same dinner in Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-25, Luke 22:7-38, and 1 Corinthians 11:23-25. (I encourage you to take some time to read the different perspectives of this dinner.)

We learn some key things right away from this John text, “1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. ” (John 13:2-4, emphasis is mine.)

I wasn’t going to include this point in my commentary. But on my final read of the text before hitting publish on this post, this thought jumped out at me, “Jesus knew.” Jesus knew his hour had come to die. He knew that the enemy had already enticed Judas to betray him. And he knew where he had come from and where he was going. Then he served.

Knowing our identity in Christ is foundationally vital to serving others in this world. Yes, there’s an enemy of God. Yes, he prowls around seeking to devour. Yes, there are enemies of God inciting evil on this earth – terrible evil. But knowing who we are in Christ and the authority we have in him gives us the boldness and strength we need to serve others in this dark world.

Jesus knew. Then he served.

If we’ve put our faith in Christ, we have been forgiven of our sins. (All of them.) That means that shame has no home in us. If we’ve put our faith in Christ, we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit. That means we’re permanently marked as God’s child. If we’ve put our faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit of God is there to empower and guide us as we walk out our faith with authority on this planet. That means we don’t have to fear. And if we’ve put our faith in Christ, we are heading to our forever home with God. That means this world is not our ultimate home.

Finding our footing in our identity in Christ must be foundational to our walk of faith. Throughout Scripture we learn more and more of what it means to be a child of God. If you’re struggling with fear, worry, or anxiety (red flags we’re meditating on untruths), I encourage you to spend some time asking God to speak directly to that area of your life. Ask him to show you from his word how your identity as a follower of Christ can abolish the fear this world tries to feed you. Believe me, I wrestle with my own heart before the Lord on a regular basis when worry tries to set in. Remembering what’s true about our identity in Christ literally empowers us to serve those around us with joy and strength.

If you’ve never done my thought life challenge, this is a good exercise if you’ve been struggling with fear or worry. Click here and I’ll send it to you via email.

Jesus gave us the example of a servant-leader. Now, go do likewise.

The seating at this last supper, based upon cultural norms, had hierarchical symbolism. Jesus would have been sitting at the most important seat at this U-shaped table called a triclinium. (You can do a quick Google search if you’re interested in learning more about a triclinium.)

It was also customary to provide water for guests to wash their feet before eating. Remember, they wore sandals and walked nearly everywhere. Feet were filthy. (Think “7-11 feet” if you’re from my era.) Typically the lowest servant in the home would take on this menial, and dirty, job of washing the feet of guests.

But Jesus flipped things completely upside down.

Jesus, the honored guest at the most honorable seat, took off his outer garment, put on a towel, knelt down, and washed the filth off of his disciples’ feet. He took on the role of the lowest servant. He bent low, humbled himself, and served in love.

Then he says to them, “14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

Blessed are we if we do them.

Blessed are we if we do them.

Blessed. That word in the Greek means “supremely blest, fortunate, happy.” (see Strong’s Concordance, G3107). It seems counterintuitive, but Jesus gave us the example to follow. And he says we experience blessing when we humble ourselves, bow low, and serve those around us…especially when we are in a leadership position.

A godly leader humbles him or herself and serves those around him or her in love. A godly leader doesn’t demand fanfare and praise. A godly leader doesn’t flaunt its power or step on others to get there. Those are all marks of a very insecure, self-aggrandizing leader.

Willing, humble, loving servitude marks a godly leader following in the footsteps of Jesus.

As we’re given positions of honor or influence in this world, the temptation to want the praise of man will knock on our heart’s door. It will. The temptation to see ourselves as “better” than others will come knocking. It will. But Jesus gave a clear example. To lead in a way that reflects him means bending low and serving others in love, especially those that it might be tempting to label as “lesser than.”

Father, forgive us.

Love marks a follower of Jesus.

Love. Humble love. Selfless love. Sacrificial love. Love is the mark of a follower of Jesus. “34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

As we’re walking out our faith on this earth, we need a discerning spirit. Not everyone who says they follow Jesus actually follow Jesus. <– Read that again. And we are instructed to evaluate others, not as a means of judgment but as a means of caution.

Jesus warns us in Matthew 17:15-23, “15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 17:15-23)

I’ve noticed in our culture that some people will blindly follow leaders simply because they say the word “Jesus.” But Jesus is very, very clear that we are to “watch out.” We’re instructed to observe the fruit in people’s lives before we give ourselves over to supporting or following certain leaders. There is great wisdom in evaluating someone’s life and choices – the fruit of their beliefs – before trusting their leadership.

Humble, sacrificial love marks a follower of Jesus. It’s that simple.

Zeal doesn't equate to faithfulness.

I love Peter. I get Peter. I tend to be a bit on the passionate side. (Ask my family.) At first, Peter didn’t want Jesus to wash his feet because he honored Jesus so highly. But when Jesus explained that Peter wouldn’t have anything to do with him if he didn’t wash his feet, Peter enthusiastically wanted Jesus to wash his whole body. Zeal.

Then when Jesus said that he would be going away, “36 Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, where are you going?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.’ 37 Peter said to him, ‘Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’ 38 Jesus answered, ‘Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.'” (John 13:36-28)

Peter, zealous as all get out, exclaimed, “I will lay down my life for you, Jesus.” But Jesus knew that before Peter would actually be willing to lay his life down for Jesus, he would first deny knowing Jesus three times. A painful humbling.

Peter does remain a faithful follower of Jesus. But zeal for Jesus wasn’t the indicator of his faithfulness. It was a humble breaking of his pride that flung him into a life of sacrificial love for God and neighbor.

It’s a reminder to us to look at more than zeal when evaluating our own walk with the Lord. It’s a reminder to us to look at more than zeal when evaluating others who say they follow Jesus. Zeal is good. Passion is good. But zeal won’t be enough to keep us when the enemy attacks. Humble, selfless, sacrificial love for God and neighbor has to be at the root of our walk of faith. Zeal will follow.

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 12

February 11, 2026 By Lara Howard

This week’s suggested reading: John 12

This week’s question to ponder: How has the love of man’s approval tripped you up in the past? How do you practically guard against it?

Jesus fulfilled prophecy. And he will again.

Prophecy is a funny thing. When we try to interpret it into the future, we often get the details wrong. Yet, hindsight is 20/20.

The Jews of the time had their mind set on one specific interpretation of Scripture. They thought their Messiah would come in might as an earthly King. They didn’t understand that their Messiah would come as a humble baby, born as a refugee in a foreign land, sent to Earth with the purpose of dying for the sins of man. It didn’t fit their interpretation of prophetic texts. And in turn, many of them didn’t believe. Yet, most sources say that Jesus actually fulfilled over 300 prophecies from the Old Testament. (I won’t list them all here, but I encourage you to look into that if you’re curious.)

Here’s the warning to us. The story isn’t over. It’s still unfolding. And Jesus will come again, just like he promised. But we have to be careful not to put God in our small box of human understanding. When reading prophecies about what’s to come, it’s vitally important that we hold those interpretations loosely – staying in close communion with God while asking for his wisdom – lest we be like the Jews of old who anticipated one very specific thing, only to end up crucifying their true King.

Love for man's praise kills our walk with Jesus.

We read, “42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.” (John 12:42-43. Emphasis is mine.)

Y’all, the temptation to love the praise of man constantly plagues the human heart, including mine. It is so very tempting to strive after man’s approval. We as humans loooooooove to be seen by other humans as smart, successful, wise, beautiful, and altogether amazing. In contrast, being rejected by other humans can deeply pain our human ego.

But Jesus gives us a very clear picture of what it looks like to seek solely after the glory that comes from God, not from man. Jesus didn’t bend to man’s timeline. He didn’t anxiously defend himself when he was misrepresented. He didn’t compromise his purpose and calling in efforts to get more people to like him. He walked in step with the Father, even to the point of death on a cross.

If we strive after the fleeting glory and praise that comes from man, our walk of faith will be compromised. Our ears will be dulled to the voice of God. And our heart will grow cold to His leading.

Check out these other passages that warn of seeking the praise of man:

Galatians 1:10 “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
John 5:44 “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” (Click here to read my commentary on John 5)
1 Thessalonians 2:4 “but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.”
Acts 5:27-32, “27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, ‘We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.’ 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.'”

As a follower of Jesus, we should expect that as we speak boldly for Christ, disapproval from others (even from those in high positions) may come our way. Remember, we’re following Jesus – the one crucified by the ones he came to save. But the approval of man is not our aim. As a follower of Christ, may we set our desires on the glory that comes from God alone, even if it means rejection from others while we’re bravely being salt and light and love in this dark world. Lord, help us.

Believe in Jesus while there's still time.

I’m going to let Jesus’ own words speak to this serious, urgent plea.

“44 And Jesus cried out and said, ‘Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.'” (John 12:44-50. Emphasis is mine.)

Like I said in my commentary on John 1, Jesus wasn’t just any human. He came to Earth as the God-man to be the sacrifice for our sins. We’re already condemned apart from him. He didn’t come to judge. He came to be our rescuer. He came to provide humans a way out of the judgment to come. So while there’s still time, while you and I have breath, believe in Jesus. There is life and light in him.

P.S. Let's talk about hair.

I went on a long journey with God about hair in my time of studying John 12. Why? Well, because of how John 12 begins. “Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” (John 12:3, emphasis is mine.)

I’ve read this text a hundred times before. I’ve always known that it says that Mary wiped his feet with her hair. I’ve known of the text in Luke that shows another woman wiping Jesus’ feet with her hair.

“36 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.” (Luke 7:36-38, Emphasis is mine.)

But why hair? I mean, what woman would naturally use her hair to wipe up anything? It’s definitely not practical. But it’s done twice by women in the New Testament in their interactions with Jesus.

This question sent me into an extensive time of study and prayer. And what I believe it revealed overwhelmed me. Truly. I plan to study and write further on this topic in the coming days or months, Lord willing. However, for our purposes of John 12, I believe the symbolism of Mary using her hair to wipe Jesus’ feet has deep, deep implications upon the created design and calling of woman. Mary anointed our Savior who would die a brutal death to pay for the sins of mankind. And she wiped his feet with her hair. More to come…

Words in Red | John 11

February 2, 2026 By Lara Howard

This week’s suggested reading: John 11

This week’s question(s) to ponder: How does fear of man show up in your life? How does the fear of death affect you?

When emotions rise, purposefully pause.

I’ve always thought that John 11:6 was kinda funny. Not in a comedic way. But it’s so opposite of what I would expect to read in the second half of the verse. The verse begins with, “So, when he (Jesus) heard that Lazarus was ill…” (John 11:6a)

What would you expect to read after that first part of the sentence, especially since we just read that Jesus loved and had a personal friendship with Lazarus? Personally, I would think the next part would read something like, “he went with haste to heal him.” Or something along those lines. But instead the text reads, “he (Jesus) stayed two days longer in the place where he was.” What the what?

In my commentary on John 7, I noted, “God’s timing is not our timing. But he’s always on time.” And that remains true in John 11 (and everywhere else always). We see that Jesus doesn’t bow to the worldly pressures of time. He doesn’t react in fear or haste. Instead, he moved on the Father’s timetable.

Obviously we’re not Jesus. But he has empowered us, by his Spirit, to learn to walk more in step with the Father’s timing. And one key way I’ve learned to do that (far from perfectly), is by inserting a purposeful pause in my life, especially when my emotions may be shouting at me.

When our emotions run high, it’s easy to make quick, and sometimes foolish, decisions. That’s why a purposeful pause can help us gain God’s perspective. What is a purposeful pause? Great question. A purposeful pause is choosing not to react out of extreme emotion, instead we pause to first take that emotion to God. We spend time talking to him. We spend time reading his Word. We spend time meditating on his character and his promises. Then we ask for wisdom to know how to react in our situation.

Sometimes he may lead us to boldly speak. And sometimes he may lead us to shut our pretty little mouth. But either way, a purposeful pause can give him space to speak and us ears to hear.

Jesus did not fear man.

Jesus did not fear man. Jesus does not fear man. Jesus will never fear man. Jesus is the Son of God. He is King. And he came to earth, out of love, to rescue mankind from our own demise. He doesn’t fear man.

John 11:7-8 says, “Then after this he said to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judea again.’ 8 The disciples said to him, ‘Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?'”

The disciples feared man. They feared the Jews who were seeking to stone Jesus. They even thought they would die with him if they went to Judea. (see John 11:16) But Jesus did not fear man because there was nothing that man could take from him…not even his life.

Which leads me to my next point…

An earthly death cannot separate us from Christ.

We as Jesus followers desperately need to get to the place where we deeply believe this truth. I’m preaching to myself, too. We can get so comfortable here on planet Earth with our retirement plans and constant stream of activities that we forget the eternal. On the other hand, like my daddy used to say, “Some people can get so heavenly focused, they’re of no earthly good.” Some can get so focused on a future heaven, they forget that God’s kingdom has implications now.

I believe Jesus wants to stretch his followers to the place where we don’t live in fear of earthly death, in order that we’d be free to live boldly for him on this planet even if it costs us our physical lives.

This world is not our ultimate home. It’s just not. But it is the backdrop for God’s unfolding story. You and I are living in a brief moment in time on God’s eternal timeline. And he chose you and me to be on this planet right now. It’s in this world, in our brief moments here, where we’re called to spread the good news of Jesus Christ, even if that may mean the ultimate sacrifice. Lord, help us.

The stronghold of our final enemy angered Jesus.

It’s become a bit of a joke. Someone asks, “What’s your favorite Bible verse?” And the smarty pants teenager who can’t remember many verses shouts out, “Jesus wept.” I get it. It’s short and easy to remember. But I’ll be honest. Until I started writing this series, I never really sat down to truly understand this short but powerful verse. Let’s look at it in context. (I’m bolding the text I want to emphasize.)

“33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’ 37 But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?’38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.” (John 11:33-38)

On first read, one might assume that Jesus was deeply moved and wept because maybe he had compassion on those mourning, or maybe he was sad that Lazarus had died. In fact, that’s what the onlooking Jews thought. (see John 11:36) But how often in the book of John have the onlooking Jews rightly understood Jesus’ intention? (I’ll answer that: rarely, if ever.)

What’s really interesting is that the Greek word translated “deeply moved” actually means “to snort with anger; to have indignation; to sigh with chagrin.” (see Strong’s Concordance, G1690) And the Greek word translated “greatly troubled” actually means “to stir or agitate.” (see Strong’s Concordance, G5015)

Based on the original text and the whole of this chapter, I believe anger fueled Jesus’ tears. Yes, he loved Lazarus. Yes, he had compassion on the mourners. But I believe the final enemy of mankind, a.k.a. death, angered him in that moment. And he then gave us a glimpse of his ability (and plan) to conquer it once and for all.

John 11:43-44 says, “When he (Jesus) had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’ 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.'”

Listen, death is extremely painful. I’ve walked through the death of my dad. I’ve walked through the death of a dear friend. And it deeply deeply hurts. It takes our breath away. It feels like time should stop, like everyone should pause to feel the weight of our world’s loss. And I know from Scripture, and from experience, that God tenderly, compassionately meets us in times of grief to minister comfort to us in ways that only he can.

But death is not the winner. Death does not have the final say. Jesus is greater than death. He defeated death. And one day, when he returns, the sting of death will be no more.

Words in Red | John 10

January 26, 2026 By Lara Howard

This week’s suggested reading: John 10

This week’s question to ponder: A few times in John 10, Jesus references the “voice” that his sheep listen to, namely his. So it caused me to pause and really ask myself, which “voices” am I listening to? Every “voice” comes with bias. Every “voice” flows from a place of belief. So now I pose the question to you, which “voices” are you listening to most? Do those voices reflect the heart of the Father? (If not, it may be time for some new voices.)

Jesus healed the blind man in John 9. Then he continued his conversation with the Pharisees in John 10. Here are my two big takeaways.

Jesus' words divide.

Once again we see Jesus’ words and actions cause great division among the people, specifically among the religious elite. They all heard the same words. They all saw the same miracles. They all witnessed the same displays of God’s love and power. Yet we see the crowd come to very different conclusions as to who Jesus was and why he came to Earth. The religious elite – those who claimed to know God best and most – called Jesus a liar and a hypocrite. Others called him “Lord.”

So why the division?

How could so many people hear and see the same things, yet come to such drastically different conclusions about the character of Jesus? Well, setting aside the sovereignty of God and the election of man (which can be deep, dark rabbit holes too big for our purposes today), the simplest explanation is the hurdle of “underlying personal bias.”

Humans hear and perceive information through the lens of underlying personal bias. It’s just how it is. It’s why even today as I type this post, those who say they follow Jesus are coming to drastically different opinions on the political and social issues of our day. Why? Well, partly because we all come to the table with underlying personal bias that can sway our perception of reality.

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day thought they had everything neatly defined. They had their laws neatly defined. They had the consequences to disobedience neatly defined. They had God neatly defined, or so they thought. But like I said in my commentary on John 9, God inevitably busts out of any box we try to place him in.

So what can we learn so that we don’t make similar grave mistakes like the religious elite in Jesus’ day? When I drill it down to the very bottom, one of the biggest things I think we need to learn from the rejection of Jesus by the religious elite: humility.

To follow Jesus means being willing to say, “I don’t know.” “I made a mistake.” “I thought I understood, but I don’t think I do.” “I was wrong.” It means being willing to say, “Lord, grace me with your vision in this situation. Reveal to me the hurdle of my personal bias. Show me if I’m following a voice that conflicts with yours.”

Otherwise, pride will lead to our downfall.

Jesus gives. Evil takes.

In John 10:10-11 we read Jesus’ words, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

Steal. Kill. Destroy. That’s the work of evil. Evil cares not for the soul of man. Evil tries to take what isn’t its to take. Evil tries to kill what threatens its sense of power. Evil tries to destroy any reflection of God. Evil takes.

But Jesus gives. He gives life to the dead. He gives hope to the desperate. He gives healing to the sick. He gives forgiveness to the broken. He gives peace in the chaos. He gave himself on a cross as a sacrifice for you and for me. Jesus gives.

As we look on the landscape of today, evil still steals, kills, and destroys. And Jesus still sacrificially gives, powerfully leads, and radically loves. But do you know how Jesus does that today in this very broken world? Through the hands and feet of those who follow him. May it be so.

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