The Lord was gracious to us last night at IGNITE, stirring our hunger through a period of time of feeling nothing, but pressing in and through anyway, and towards the end, some amazing revelation came out. Sometimes waiting for the fruit to pop out of the vine is too much for us, but when it appears, it is sweet to the taste and transforms us, renewing our strength in Him.

One thing that really struck me was found in the "Lord’s Supper" passage in 1 Corinthians 11 that most every pastor reads before the church celebrates the ordinance together. Amazing how the Lord often likes to take some of the most familiar passages, and in His presence illuminate them (often more than brand new passages) with the light of His face.

The Scripture says "On the night he was betrayed Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it and said, "Take, eat. This is my body, broken for you - do this in remembrance of Me." I won’t speak for you, but if I’m about to be betrayed unto death, and deserted by all of those around my table in that hour - even denied by one (perhaps more) of them, probably the last thing I would do is give thanks and then break bread with them. Unbelievable! He’s not running for his life, but unto His life in the Father.

"On the night he was betrayed." It was the most crucial hour of testing, not only for him to try and "save his life", but to not be angry and bitter in the least towards these men who had been with him for years and yet were just about to walk away from him. Not a hint of bitterness in Jesus. Not a hint of anger or even rebuke. In fact, He goes into this long 4 chapter speech (John 14-17) about how much He and the Father loves them, will not leave them alone, and will give them all that they need to endure. They have just about no clue what is about to happen (though he repeatedly told them) but over and over He tells them not to lose heart, to have peace and joy, and to abide in His love.

He doesn’t withdraw in the face of the storms, he lays into them with His Word. He doesn’t shrink from the difficulty ahead, but plunges through it with the all-conquering love of His Father. This and this alone allowed Jesus to be able to lift that glass of wine "on the night He was betrayed" and say "This is the new covenant in my blood - given for you." He was so completely and utterly secure in the Father’s love - that though he may have been tempted to think He was abandoned, even when His closest earthly friends did, He was not shaken. He was "rooted and grounded in love", utterly founded on the rock of the God who is love. The winds and the waves crashed against Him, and He did not bend or break.

May this mind which is in Christ Jesus, be ours in Him. This love of the Father, given us as He gave Jesus, be in us. Only that will sustain us in the great and terrible days that are coming.