Show Notes
In this Maundy Thursday meditation of our Lenten series, I AM: A Lenten Journey with Jesus, we slow down with Jesus’s words in John 18:1–8: “I AM He.” This moment takes place in the garden, just hours before the cross. The Passover meal has been shared. Jesus has washed His disciples’ feet. He has given them a new command—to love one another as He has loved them. After singing a hymn, they make their way to the Mount of Olives. And then the soldiers arrive. Torches. Lanterns. Weapons. John tells us that Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to Him, stepped forward and asked, “Who is it you want?” When they answered, “Jesus of Nazareth,” He replied, “I AM He.” At His words, they drew back and fell to the ground. This is not a frightened man being seized in the dark. This is Jesus, fully aware, fully surrendered, and fully in control. He does not hide. He does not run. He steps forward. In this guided Scripture meditation, you are invited to enter the garden through prayerful imagination. Through several slow readings of John 18:1–8, you will be guided to notice the scene, reflect on Jesus’s willing surrender, and rest in the truth that His sacrificial love was intentional. Maundy Thursday reminds us that love is not passive. It steps forward. It surrenders. It trusts the Father, even in the dark. As we prepare our hearts for Good Friday, we pause here—at the edge of the cross—remembering that Jesus went willingly. Download your FREE companion journal for I AM: A Lenten Journey with Jesus. This journal includes: • Each week’s Scripture passage • Reflection prompts from the meditations • Space to journal, pray, and notice what God is revealing Throughout Lent, a brief guided prayer will be released each Wednesday to help you pause midweek and prayerfully reset your focus on Jesus. Here are some additional helpful links: Download your FREE Lent Companion Journal Here I AM: A Lenten Journey with Jesus This journal includes: • Each week’s Scripture passage • Reflection prompts from the meditations • Space to journal, pray, and notice what God is revealing Here are some additional helpful links: Learn more about Jodie: http://www.jodieniznik.com Follow on Instagram: @jodieniznik Follow on Facebook: @JodieGNiznik Join the Monday email newsletter for new meditations, HERE Explore other faith-centered podcasts from LifeAudio: https://www.lifeaudio.com
Today’s Scripture John 18:1–8 (NIV) 1 When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden,and he and his disciples went into it. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. 4 Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” 5 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6 When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they said. 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.”
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More from So Much More: Scripture Meditation (Lectio Divina)
In this Scripture meditation on John 15:1–5 and 9–17, you’re invited to slow down and reflect on what it truly means to live a fruitful life. We often measure fruitfulness by productivity—what we accomplish, how much we produce, or how many people we reach. But in this passage, Jesus gently redefines fruitfulness. He invites us not to strive, but to abide. Not to measure, but to remain. Through the practice of Lectio Divina, this meditation creates space to listen for God’s voice and consider where He may be inviting you to let go, trust Him more deeply, and receive His definition of a fruitful life. This meditation is especially personal for me. As I’ve spent time with this passage, God has been reshaping my understanding of fruitfulness—leading me into a season of letting go and choosing to abide in Him above all else. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re doing enough… or if your life is truly bearing fruit… this meditation is an invitation to release those questions and return to the simple, steady call of Jesus: Remain in me. 🌿 In this guided Christian meditation, you’ll be invited to: • Reflect on how you define a “fruitful life” • Release pressure to measure your worth by productivity or outcomes • Listen for where God may be inviting you to trust Him in a new way • Rest in the truth that fruitfulness begins with abiding in Jesus Take a deep breath. Let go of striving. And allow Jesus to show you what a life rooted in His love looks like. This meditation is part of a small set of final episodes as I pause the podcast. I’m deeply grateful to have spent this time with you in God’s Word. 🌿 Helpful Links Discover Your Daily Bible Verse: Apple: https://linkly.link/2feXX Spotify: https://linkly.link/2feXv Free Scripture Meditation Journal: https://idyllic-fashion-59593.myflodesk.com/scripturemeditation • Website: http://www.jodieniznik.com/ • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jodieniznik/ • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JodieGNiznik • More from partner: https://www.lifeaudio.com • Free Bible study samples: https://www.jodieniznik.com/bible-studies
In this Scripture meditation on Psalm 37:1–7, you’re invited to slow down and reflect on what it means to trust God when life feels unfair. When others seem to prosper through wrongdoing… when injustice touches your life or the world around you… it’s easy to feel anxious, frustrated, or even envious. But Psalm 37 gently redirects our hearts—away from fretting and toward trust, surrender, and patient waiting on God. Using the practice of Lectio Divina, this meditation creates space to pause, listen, and rest in the truth that God sees, God knows, and God is at work—even when His timing feels slow. This passage has been deeply personal for me. In a season when life felt unjust, God repeatedly brought me back to these words—inviting me to trust Him, to rest in Him, and to wait for Him to move in His way and in His time. If you’re walking through something that feels unfair or unresolved, this meditation is an invitation to release what you’re carrying and place it back into God’s hands. 🌿 In this guided Christian meditation, you’ll be invited to: • Notice where you feel anxious, stirred up, or unsettled by injustice • Release comparison, frustration, or envy • Trust God with what feels unresolved or unfair • Rest in His goodness as you wait for Him to act Take a deep breath. Be still. And remember—God has not turned a blind eye. He sees you, He loves you, and He is moving on your behalf. 🌿 Helpful Links • Free Scripture Meditation Journal: https://idyllic-fashion-59593.myflodesk.com/scripturemeditation • Website: http://www.jodieniznik.com/ • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jodieniznik/ • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JodieGNiznik • More from partner: https://www.lifeaudio.com • Free Bible study samples: https://www.jodieniznik.com/bible-studies Meditation Passage: Psalm 37:1–7 (NIV) Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
In this final meditation of our Lenten series, I AM: A Lenten Journey with Jesus, we turn to a question Jesus asks His disciples in Matthew 16:13–17: “Who do you say that I am?” Throughout this series, we have listened to Jesus declare who He is. He is the Bread of Life. He is the Light of the World. He is the Gate. He is the Good Shepherd. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is the True Vine. He is the Resurrection and the Life. And before Abraham was, He declares, “I AM.” But in this passage, Jesus turns the question toward His disciples—and toward us. “Who do you say that I am?” People around Jesus had many answers. Some believed He was a prophet. Others thought He was Elijah or John the Baptist. But Peter answers with clarity: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” In this guided Scripture meditation, you are invited to reflect on this same question in your own life. Through several slow readings of Matthew 16:13–17, you will have space to consider who others say Jesus is—and who you believe Him to be. As we conclude this Lenten journey, we are reminded that knowing who Jesus truly is changes everything. He is the Messiah, the Son of the living God, the One who reveals the Father and invites us into life with Him. Here are some additional helpful links: Download your FREE Lent Companion Journal Here I AM: A Lenten Journey with Jesus This journal includes: • Each week’s Scripture passage • Reflection prompts from the meditations • Space to journal, pray, and notice what God is revealing Here are some additional helpful links: Learn more about Jodie: http://www.jodieniznik.com Follow on Instagram: @jodieniznik Follow on Facebook: @JodieGNiznik Join the Monday email newsletter for new meditations, HERE Explore other faith-centered podcasts from LifeAudio: https://www.lifeaudio.com
In this meditation of our Lenten series, I AM: A Lenten Journey with Jesus, we reflect on one of Jesus’s most powerful declarations in John 11:21–27: “I am the resurrection and the life.” Jesus speaks these words to Martha in the middle of grief. Her brother Lazarus has died. The loss is real. The disappointment is honest. She tells Jesus what many of us have felt: “Lord, if only you had been here…” Into that place of sorrow and confusion, Jesus does not offer an explanation. He offers Himself. He does not merely promise resurrection someday. He declares that He is resurrection. He is life. This is the heart of the gospel. Death does not have the final word. Sin does not have the final word. Despair does not have the final word. In this guided Scripture meditation, you are invited to identify where you need Jesus to be resurrection and life in your own story. Through slow readings of John 11:21–27, you’ll be guided to reflect, respond honestly, and renew your hope in His promise. The story of Lazarus ultimately ends with life walking out of the tomb. But even before the miracle, Jesus gives Martha something just as powerful: a question. “Do you believe this?” Resurrection hope begins with trust. Download your FREE companion journal for I AM: A Lenten Journey with Jesus. This journal includes: • Each week’s Scripture passage • Reflection prompts from the meditations • Space to journal, pray, and notice what God is revealing Throughout Lent, a brief guided prayer will be released each Wednesday to help you pause midweek and prayerfully reset your focus on Jesus. Here are some additional helpful links: Download your FREE Lent Companion Journal Here I AM: A Lenten Journey with Jesus This journal includes: • Each week’s Scripture passage • Reflection prompts from the meditations • Space to journal, pray, and notice what God is revealing Here are some additional helpful links: Learn more about Jodie: http://www.jodieniznik.com Follow on Instagram: @jodieniznik Follow on Facebook: @JodieGNiznik Join the Monday email newsletter for new meditations, HERE Explore other faith-centered podcasts from LifeAudio: https://www.lifeaudio.com
In this Easter Sunday meditation of our Lenten series, I AM: A Lenten Journey with Jesus, we slow down with John 20:11–18 and the first resurrection encounter: “I have seen the Lord.” Today we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ—the day death was defeated and hope was restored. John’s Gospel brings us into a tender and personal moment. Mary Magdalene stands outside the empty tomb weeping. The stone has been rolled away. The body is gone. The disciples have already left, confused and uncertain. Mary stays. She sees angels. She sees Jesus. But at first, she does not recognize Him. Then He speaks her name: “Mary.” And everything changes. In that single word, grief turns to recognition. Despair gives way to joy. The impossible becomes reality. In this guided Scripture meditation, you are invited to step into the garden with Mary. Through slow readings of John 20:11–18, you will be guided to reflect on the meaning of the resurrection, celebrate the hope we have in Christ, and consider how this life-changing truth invites you to move forward. The resurrection is not only an event to remember. It is a reality to live in. Because Jesus is risen: We are restored. We are made new. We are invited into abundant life. He is risen—and that changes everything. Download your FREE companion journal for I AM: A Lenten Journey with Jesus. This journal includes: • Each week’s Scripture passage • Reflection prompts from the meditations • Space to journal, pray, and notice what God is revealing Here are some additional helpful links: Download your FREE Lent Companion Journal Here I AM: A Lenten Journey with Jesus This journal includes: • Each week’s Scripture passage • Reflection prompts from the meditations • Space to journal, pray, and notice what God is revealing Here are some additional helpful links: Learn more about Jodie: http://www.jodieniznik.com Follow on Instagram: @jodieniznik Follow on Facebook: @JodieGNiznik Join the Monday email newsletter for new meditations, HERE Explore other faith-centered podcasts from LifeAudio: https://www.lifeaudio.com