Previous Service
Welcome
“The Lord is our strength and comfort. When He is in control of our lives we are blessed and blossom. Let us give glory to His mighty name, the name that is above all other names, and let us trust and obey Him and blessings will follow.”
Stella
Worship
Word
One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to Him.
John 13:23 NIV
One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side.
John 13:23 ESV
And it happened that one of them who Jesus loved, was sitting very close to Him.
John 13:3 J.B. Phillips
Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.
John 13:3 NKJV
The various translations above give varying degrees of closeness of the disciple whom Jesus loved to Jesus:
- The NIV has him reclining next to Jesus
- The ESV: “at Jesus’ side”
- J.B. Phillips: “sitting very close to Him”
- The NKJV: “leaning on Jesus’ bosom”
This is the nearest to the original version, the Greek has it “in the bosom of Jesus.” It speaks of a closeness, a pure closeness and depicts the spiritual closeness that John had with Jesus as judged by his writings in his Gospel. More than this though it is a depiction of the closeness of Jesus to His Father in heaven for we read here:
No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
John 1:18 NKJV
Other translations bring out this close intimacy the Son had with the Father, throughout eternity by translating in the bosom of the Father:
- ESV: “ … who is at the Father’s side …”
- J.B. Phillips: “… closest intimacy …”
This is the type of relationship, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit long to have with each one of us. This means we have to draw near to Him, even to lay in His bosom. We read of some of the godly saints of old spending hours in the close, intimate, Presence of God and sometimes being so overwhelmed by it that they had to ask the Lord to stop such was the intensity of His wondrous Presence. The Lord longs for each one of us to be so much closer to Him. It won’t happen over night but as we keep that discipline of meeting with Him, spending time in His Word, and in Worship, Praise, Thanksgiving, and Prayer, we will be wondrously surprised, Amen.
Quotes of the week
“Let it be your business to keep your mind in the presence of the Lord.”
Brother Lawrence
“… constantly practice this habit of inwardly gazing upon God.”
A.W. Tozer
Verse of the week
Delight yourself in the Lord …
Psalm 37:4
Let’s Pray
Father, draw me closer, draw me closer, dear Lord; so that I might touch You, Lord I want to touch You. Touch my eyes Lord, so that I might see You, Lord I want to see You, Your glory and Your love and Your majesty, in Your Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.
Based on words of song: “Draw me closer, Lord”, by Devane and Gore, Mercy/Vineyard Music