March 25, 2026

🌿 Living Water Vineyard Devotion

Wednesday — 11 Days Until Resurrection Sunday

“The Photo You Can’t Edit”

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📖 John 15:22–25 (NLT)

“They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin…”

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🔹 Opening

Before we had filters…

we had film.

You took a picture…

waited days to get it developed…

and then hoped it turned out okay.

I still remember the first picture Tamar and I ever took together.

It was high school homecoming.

I had my very first suit—

tan jacket, white short-sleeve shirt, snap-on tie.

I thought I looked sharp.

And Tamar…

she looked absolutely beautiful.

Big 80s hair—

you know, the kind that just kept going.

A bright blue hoop dress,

puffy sleeves,

cinched at the waist,

flowing out.

She looked stunning.

I remember thinking,

“This is it. This is the picture.”

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And then three weeks later…

we got the photo back.

She looked amazing.

And I looked like Lurch from the Addams Family.

Tall, awkward, stiff…

like I didn’t know what to do with my arms.

And the worst part?

There was nothing I could do about it.

No editing.

No fixing it.

That was the picture.

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Today?

That would never happen.

Because now…

👉 we edit everything.

Most people adjust their photos before sharing them.

Because we all want control over how we’re seen.

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🔹 An Analogy That Stuck With Me

One of the books I’ve read on how Christians are called to live differently—counter to the culture—is a book by David Platt called Counter Culture.

He shares this idea:

You take a group photo…

and the first thing you do is zoom in on yourself.

“Do I look okay?”

“Can I fix this?”

And if you don’t like what you see…

👉 you edit it.

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But what if…

👉 there was a picture you couldn’t edit?

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That’s what Jesus does.

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🔹 The Photo We Want to Hide

I remember getting that picture back from school…

and thinking:

“I hate this picture.”

My hair…

my facial expression…

the whole thing.

I looked awkward, off, uncomfortable.

Just… not good.

If I could’ve edited it—I would have.

If I could’ve hidden it—I would have.

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And honestly…

when I think about snapshots of my life…

and I compare them to the perfection of Jesus…

I feel that same thing.

Shame.

Guilt.

Regret.

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Because next to Him…

👉 I see all the blemishes.

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And I think that’s exactly why people hated Him.

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🔹 Why They Hated Jesus

It wasn’t just what He said.

It was what He revealed.

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When Jesus showed up…

He didn’t just teach truth.

👉 He exposed reality.

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And when people stood next to Him…

they saw clearly what they didn’t want to see.

Their pride.

Their sin.

Their need.

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Just like I looked at that picture and thought,

“I don’t like what I see.”

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People looked at Jesus…

and instead of letting Him change them…

👉 they rejected Him.

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Not because there was something wrong with Him…

👉 but because of what He revealed in them.

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🔹 But Here’s What Changed Everything

I never displayed that picture.

But Tamar took it…

and put it in her room.

Right next to her bed.

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Why?

Because she saw something different.

She saw something of value.

Something she loved.

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🔹 What Jesus Does

That’s what Jesus does.

Yes—He brings things into the light.

Yes—He shows us what’s real.

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But He doesn’t stop there.

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Even though we see the flaws…

👉 He sees the value.

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The picture with:

• the pimples

• the bad hair

• the awkward expression

• everything we wish we could fix

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He doesn’t hide it.

He redeems it.

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🔹 How Christ Sees You

I hope you hear this…

👉 That’s how Christ looks at you.

Ephesians 1 says:

👉 You are His inheritance.

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And Ephesians 5 says:

👉 The bride is without blemish.

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How?

Because Jesus doesn’t just reveal the truth…

👉 He removes the blemish.

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🔹 The Gospel

He doesn’t ignore sin.

He pays for it.

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At the cross…

He takes everything we want to hide…

and gives us everything we don’t deserve.

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🔹 Final Picture

So go back to that photo.

The one you can’t edit.

The one that shows everything clearly.

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Now imagine this:

Instead of rejecting you…

Jesus steps into the picture with you.

And says:

👉 “I’ll take what you deserve… so you can have what I’ve earned.”

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That’s the gospel.

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🔹 Closing

So here we are.

Eleven days from the cross.

And the question isn’t:

👉 “Do I like Jesus?”

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The question is:

👉 “Will I trust Him… when I see what He reveals?”

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🔹 Reflection Questions

1. Where in my life am I tempted to hide or “edit the picture” instead of letting Jesus bring truth into the light?

2. When Jesus reveals something in me, do I resist it—or do I trust Him with it?

3. Do I believe that Jesus sees value in me even in the areas I feel shame?

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🔹 Prayer

Jesus,

You see everything clearly—and still You love us.

Thank You for not turning away from us,

but stepping in to redeem what we could never fix.

Help us to stop hiding…

and start trusting You.

Give us courage to walk in the light,

and faith to believe how You truly see us.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.