It is I; Don't be Afraid

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

IT IS I; DON’T BE AFRAID

John 6:14-21

14 After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. 16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. 19 When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified. 20 But he said to them, "It is I; don't be afraid."  21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

NIV

There are two truths we need to see in this portion of this gospel. One is how the people wanted to make Jesus king, which would mean a revolt against the current king. This is what is meant when it says by force. Here we are talking about thousands of people, the ones who had just been fed and heard his teaching. How easy it is to want to make something or someone an idol because of material things. We might even be able to see how we want to take material blessings by force, which is gain as much as we can by our own strength, by our power and might, force our way to the top. That does not appear to be based much on humility, but rather on pride. They wanted, it would be their doing, their effort, their revolt that would make him king. Then they would have everything, a king who would feed them, care for them, provide everything for them, and be able to heal them when they got sick. Life would be wonderful with Jesus as king. That is the life we have now because Jesus is the King of Kings, but he is not the King of kings by our force, but by his humility, humbling himself to the will of the Father. So we stand humbled before our King. The second truth has to do with this event on the Sea of Galilee. We have been on this sea and that day it was calm, but the day we stood in it along the shoreline the winds were blowing and the sea was rough. We can image how rough it could be when the winds come blowing off the mountainsides. The disciples were in a rather small boat, a fishing type boat, and it was being tossed about in the waves. They were not unaccustomed to these waters, Peter, James, and John being fisherman by trade, certainly have been in rough waters before. However, they had never seen a person waking on those waters and this put them into a terrifying state. This is something supernatural and fear of what they did not understand would have been reasonable. Here is where Jesus makes it all better. He speaks to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” Here is where Matthew includes the part about Peter getting out of the boat and walking for a moment before seeing what he is really doing and then Jesus lifts him up. John does not include that because it is not part of the point John is making about the divine nature of Jesus. However, we can see how this applies to our lives. Although we are not being tossed about on the Sea of Galilee, we do get tossed about by circumstances in our lives. Sometimes life can get a little rough, and maybe even stormy. There are times when everything seems to be blowing against us, no matter how hard we row, the wind and waves push us back and we make no headway at all. Sometimes life can even get scary, not knowing what is going to happen to us, what does the future hold for us. Then the health issue strikes and some of us are subject to various conditions which affect our quality of life. Old age alone bears down on us and we do not know what disease will come upon us. Life is simply uncertain at its best. Even being a believer, such as the disciples, does not make us immune from the storms of life. However, as the disciples were fearful when seeing someone walking toward them, we might be fearful of the unknown as well. But here is what we can take comfort in. Here is want gives us assurance all is going to be well. “It is I; don’t be afraid.” Jesus has come to save the day, to calm the storm, to take us immediately to the other side. It is not even a matter of us being calm and having to continue rowing. As soon as Jesus was in the boat then immediately they reached the other side. Jesus is the answer to all matters of life and he will bring us to the other side. Of course, this can apply to our death and resurrection, being carried to the other side, from earth to heaven. But it also applies to our daily life. Through those times of struggle, or temptation and times of stress or anxiety, when Jesus is there, he takes us immediately to the other side. We just need to hear, not with ears, but with our heart, our spirit, “It is I; don’t be afraid.”

Being Fed

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

BEING FED

John 6:1-13

6:1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Feast was near. 5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?"  6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!" 8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, 9 "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" 10 Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. 12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted."  13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

NIV

Here we were, at this place just a few days ago on our journey through the Holy Land, the Land God had promised to Abraham and his descendants. We stepped into this Sea of Galilee and we floated upon it in a boat, much as Jesus and his disciples had so many years ago. We envisioned just which hillside or mountainside Jesus would have gone up and where all those people would have sat down. Now, of course, the area is built up with modern structures, and agricultural pursuits, but the fact remains we were in this area where Jesus feeds the five thousand. To take a simple lunch of a boy and provide for that many people is something only God would do. Most of us believers are more than familiar with this miracle of the past, but what about this same concept for the present in our lives. Does Jesus multiple a simply boys lunch and feed thousands today? Maybe not in that exact method, but he can take our modest income and multiply it in ways to provide for our life and we could even have some leftovers. Sometimes we wonder if all the people, thousands of them were able to see what Jesus was doing with just a small amount of fish and loaves. We are told there were five thousand men but was that all was in the crowd, just men? Doubtful, but that is how things were in that time, just the men were counted, yet women would have also been in the crowd and if women they would have had their children with them. The crowd would have been more like seven or eight thousand or more. Jesus always provides in abundance as after all were feed as much as they could, there were leftovers. Do we look to Jesus for our provisions, or for our daily bread? We pray those words when we recite the Lord’s Prayer, but do we believe them? Sure it would seem we should not just sit on our backside and wait for daily bread to appear out of thin air, yet the Israelites did just that in the wilderness on their way from Egypt to the Promised Land and food did come to them out of thin air, each and every day. Sometime in our Post-modern culture, we might not see Jesus as much as work as he was in those days because we might look to our way of life as more dependent on our efforts and abilities then looking to Jesus. Could Jesus feed us in this same manner? Maybe, but what would that look like in our culture? We can testify of many times Jesus has provided for us beyond our own abilities, how he has multiplied our resources without any effort on our part. We only need to look for the hand of God working on our behalf. The crowd had to know Jesus had no way to carry that much food, and that he had down something miraculous. Maybe that is that the only reason they followed him because they saw how many sick people he had healed. It is ok, to follow Jesus because of his miracle in our life. Some people think we have to believe by faith, faith being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see, as the beginning of that great faith chapter eleven of Hebrews says.

Heb 11:1-2

11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

NIV

But we have seen, we have experienced the hand of God in our life, we have seen him provide in ways beyond our abilities or resources. We have experienced his divine healing, his leading and we have heard his voice, whether, with our ears or our heart matters not, his voice was clear and certain, and here we sit because of his provision, his direction and we live abundantly. Yes, we believe by faith, but we also have sat on the grass and been fed.

Praise Who

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

PRAISE WHO

John 5:41-47

41 "I do not accept praise from men, 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God? 45 "But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?" 

NIV

Jesus continues his discourse aimed at the Jews, the Pharisees, teachers of the Law, perhaps members of the Sanhedrin. Certainly, in all their pomp and piety they give praise to each other. They praise each other for their positions, their holiness, they're abiding by the Law of Moses. They garb themselves in praise for their religious rites they observe. “Oh, look how holy we are!” Jesus says he does not accept praise from men. How can that be? We are supposed to praise the name of Jesus. Maybe this is not exactly what he is talking about, but rather he is specifically speaking about their form of praise for they do not have the love of God in their hearts, they simply have the love of self in their hearts. This idea about not accepting Jesus because he comes in the name of his Father’s name, but they will accept someone who comes in their own name resembles what still might happen today. We lift up men and women who have made a name for themselves. They have a multitude of books, videos, selling their brand. People flock to their seminars or buy all their material because they are famous, supposed great teachers of Christianity. But are they coming to us in the name of the Father, or in their own name? Do they accept the praise of their followers? Do we praise or lift them up as wonderful people, great spiritual giants? “Oh, you have to read his book” “You should see her video teaching on….” “She is great”. “He is just the best”. Can we see it, we are just like those Jesus was talking to unless we understand and give no praise to them at all. All our praise is for God, for the name of Jesus. Sure there are people who may have good things to say, and some are good teachers, but let us not lift them up, let us lift up the name of Jesus. Let us not quote them, but let us quote God. Their words do not contain life, the word of God contains life, it flows with life, eternal life. If we believe what men have to say, how can we believe what God has to say? They all have something different to say about what they think God says, so then who do we believe? Which one do we choose to believe and who do we choose to not believe? It is like the age-old discussion over believing either John Wesley or John Calvin. Why do we have to choose whom to believe, if we have the scriptures giving us real living water? What reason is the Spirit dwelling within us to reveal the truth, to witness to the truth of God, if all we have to do is agree with someone else’s idea of the truth? As it is we have already divided ourselves up into various camps, denominations who have already determined the truth for us. Just as those Jesus was talking too will be judged by the Law of Moses. We might be judged by the denominational bias we have established for ourselves. Yet the fact remains we all agree that Jesus is the Son of God, and he is the Savior of the world, well some believe he is the Savior of just the elected, see there we go agree, getting into camps we should not be. Let us believe in Jesus. Let us believe the Word of God. Let us allow the Spirit to reveal the truth to us. Always being in an attitude of praise to God. He is the one who saved us. He is the one who gives us life, life eternal. Forget about the praise for men, let us just praise the Lord.

Dwelling Within

It is good to be back from our trip to Israel, and I missed being able to sit and ponder on the word and post my thoughts. I just could not bring my laptop on the trip and working on the phone or Ipad just did not work for me. But here we are. 

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

DWELLING WITHIN

John 5:31-40

31 "If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid. 32 There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is valid. 33 "You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. 34 Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. 35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light. 36 "I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

NIV

What testimony is Jesus talking about here? He says his own testimony is not valid. How can that be, as he is God in the flesh? How can his testimony not hold any weight among the people? Of course, he is speaking to the Jews who were waiting for the Messiah and in the meantime living under the condemnation of the Law. He mentions John the Baptist as testifying to who he is, and that the people enjoyed John’s truth, his light, however, Jesus also says that it is not important what any man testifies about him. This should give us pause to reflect on our own testimony. Does it really matter what we say about ourselves? Does calling ourselves a Christian carry any weight with people? Even telling people that we are a born again, bible believing, Spirit-filled believer in Jesus Christ, does it really matter to them? Jesus says that he has a testimony weightier than that of John, which means the testimony John said about him. The Testimony Jesus has is doing the very work that the Father has given him to finish and which he is doing and that testifies that the Father has sent him. He also says because the testimony of men does not mean much, God the Father testifies about Jesus. Here is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. No matter what we say about ourselves, it does not carry much weight. It comes down to what does God say about us. In addition, it also means that our words are meaningless unless we are doing the work that God has given us to do and finish it. This brings us to consider what work the Father has sent us to do and finish. First, we have to ponder on the fact the “finish” for Jesus was his death on a cross, except his resurrection truly finished his work. Nevertheless what that should mean for us, is that we are never done with the work the Father has sent us to do and finish until we die and are resurrected. That is to say, we are never retired from the work he sent us to do. We cannot just sit back and take life easy, just showing up to church on Sunday. There is a work we must be about until we die. So what is this work we are to do? First, we must consider what God says about what it is.

John 6:30

29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." 

NIV

We will be getting to this soon enough, but we should just consider what it means to believe in Jesus. The Greek word translated believe means “to have faith in”. This also means to entrust our very life to him, to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, to place confidence in. Certainly, this applies to our faith for salvation and it has nothing to do with all the “good deeds” we do, for we know we are saved by faith and not by works lest we boast. However, is that the only work we are called to do? Jesus had to go to the cross, which was more than believing in the Father. We talk about our calling, what has God called us to do. What has he sent us here to do and finish? We each are a member of the Body of Christ and each of us has a function. When do we stop doing our function? When we die. Maybe we need to consider or ponder on that in some detail at some time, to make sure we are doing the part we have been called to. But there is more in what Jesus said that causes us to consider. He accused those Jews, the Pharisees and teachings of the Law, the members of the Sanhedrin that they spent an enormous time in the scriptures, that they diligently studied the scriptures. We have to consider that we can spend too much time looking into the scriptures trying intellectually to understand them, trying to find truth through our study. There is something far simpler, does God speak to us, do we hear his voice, and does his word dwell in us? This does not mean we should not study the scriptures, we surely should make every effort to look into them, but the point is not to learn them, but to have them living within us. It is not a mental issue, in the study, it is a heart issue. Then we have to consider what it looks like to have the word of God dwelling within.

Having Done Good

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

HAVING DONE GOOD

John 5:28-30

28 "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out — those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

NIV

We have to be careful not to get into the trap of salvation by works by these words of Jesus. It might be easy to think that when he says that those who have done good will rise to live and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned, that we have to do good deeds in order to live. This is then a doctrine of salvation by works. Some would want to tie these words with the letter James wrote when he said that faith without works is dead. But that would be in error for we are saved by faith, not by works. It is true that once we are saved, we by the very nature of being a new person, born again, we would do good things for the kingdom of God. Because of our faith, we would be involved in doing good things. But that is a result, not the reason, of our faith. The doing good Jesus is speaking about is in the opposite of doing evil. The good live, the evil are condemned. What would cause a person to live? It would be doing the work of God, which Jesus says is to believe in the one who was sent, him. Having faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior is the good work. Accepting the fact that he is the sacrifice for our sin, that he took our place, he atoned for our sin, he is the Lamb of God who took away our sin, is the good which results in life. Refusing Jesus is the evil that results in condemnation. If we say we, as believers, never sin, which by its very definition is evil, then we are liars, which also is a sin. So then because we commit sin, evil, then we would be condemned if evil is just defined as sin. We do have to see this in the light of good and evil as the faithful and the rebellious or unfaithful, those who believe and those who refuse to believe. This is related to the sheep and goats which is explained for us in the gospel of Matthew. Sheep get to enter his rest, the goats are cast into the lake of fire. What works could we do other than believe in Jesus, which would qualify us to enter into his rest? It is true that it seems as what Jesus says in this account in Matthew that good works, the ones who feed him and gave him drink are getting to go in while those who did not are cast out. That does sound like a work based salvation. But again the works are what follow the faith, one would not do those works unless one believed. However, it is also true, the unbelievers do some great humanitarian deeds relieving the pains of others. So then would it not be a competitive situation, which we believers need to do more than the unbelievers do in order to qualify to be the sheep on the right. We can see how nonsensical that would be. It would have nothing to do with faith, doing the work of God. Just as Jesus says he does not seek to please himself but him who sent him, we too should seek to please God rather than ourselves. How do we please God? Can we please him by good works? If so, then it would become a matter of how many good works are enough to please him, and how good do the works have to be. The only way we can please God is to believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. That is the will of God as John will tell what Jesus said about the will of God a little later. Although, we should add that to this idea about the works. This is the having done good.

John 6:40

40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." 

NIV

Life or Death

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

LIFE OR DEATH

John 5:24-27

24 "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. 25 I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

NIV

More of the response of Jesus to the Jews who were persecuting him because of his healing the lame man on the Sabbath. It is interesting that Jesus has to tell them he is going to speak the truth to them as if he would lie. Well, maybe they would think he is lying to them, but no, he is going to tell them the truth. Perhaps the reason he makes the point he is going, to tell the truth, is that they seem to not know the truth or live by the truth. If a person hears what Jesus is saying and believes what he says and believes he has been sent from God will have eternal life and will not be condemned. This is an either/or situation, eternal life on one hand and condemnation on the other, which means to be condemned means no eternal life. This is where it gets a little sticky-wicky. What exactly does eternal life and condemned mean in the sense of being condemned is not to live forever? So then what does not living forever mean? It appears we have to go back to chapter three and the sixteenth verse when Jesus says whosoever believes in him will not perish,  but have everlasting life. Would then condemned mean to perish as a result of not have eternal life. Again we have to be careful not to appear to be an annihilationist, which many denominations frown upon. What we have to say is that condemned means to go to hell for eternity and experience everlasting punishment. However, Jesus says the one who believes in him crosses over from death to life. Because Jesus says a time is coming and now has come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live, he has to mean dead people walking. That is those who are alive in the physical are dead in their spirit and when they believe in Jesus or are born again, and their spirit is now alive in Christ. All mankind are dead men walking because being descendent of Adam and all contain this original sin, which is the cause of our being dead in our spirit. But then we also have our own personal sin that causes death, unless we confess, repent and receive forgiveness and life through Jesus. Life is in Christ, and outside of Christ, there is death. Again, an either/or situation. What is the difference between life and death? It sounds rather simple, but again we have to be careful not to oppose the standard view held by the church if we want to belong to it. Life means to be in the presence of Jesus forever, death means to be in eternal punishment. That sounds reasonable, sort of. At least death appears to mean eternal or everlasting burning in hell, well actually the lake of burning sulfur, as hell is thrown into it on the Last Day. Jesus wants all people to listen to his words and live. God the Father has given Jesus, the Son of God all authority in this matter. He has the authority to judge who gets to live and who gets death. He has that power to give eternal life, all we have to do is believe in him, believe he is the Son of God, that he is God who came down in the flesh and died, atoned for our sin, paid the price, took our place on that cross, took our sin upon himself, accepted the due punishment for it and experienced death. The good news is that he did not remain dead, but was raised from the dead, became alive and lives forever at the right hand of the Father. So then we too have been raised and will be raised from the dead. First, we have been raised from a dead man walking to an alive man, an eternal being, who will live forever. Second, at the conclusion of their physical life, our bodies will also be raised as Jesus’s was and we will ascend into heaven to be at the right hand of the Father, a place of honor. Whether this is at the time some called the rapture or whether it will be the time when we breathe of last, existing their body and entering the presence of the Lord, we will live forever and not be condemned. It is simply a matter of life or death.

What He Does

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

WHAT HE DOES

John 5:16-23

16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. 17 Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."  18 For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

19 Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.

NIV

Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath and he, being God, can do whatever he wants to do, whenever he wants to do it. We know this, but the Jews, who have to be the Pharisees or teachers of the law cannot wrap their minds around the truth for they are so steeped in their own form of religion. They have taken the commands of God and twisted them to fit into their idea of being religious. What did they do on the Sabbath? Did they go to synagogue? Did they eat at all? Did they dress? They did their form of work, and the poor priests had to work conducting the service in the synagogue, but they form of work was acceptable, but healing a man and having him take his mat and walk away from a place filled with other lame and blind people was unacceptable. So Jesus tells them God is always at work and so is he, which in short, he is saying he is God. They just could not get it. Sometimes it seems there are Christians who have tried to make it very difficult for themselves to simply just get it. The scholar-theologians have overthought everything about Jesus. As an example, they have come up with five different working theories of his work of atonement, much like the Jews overthinking the commands of God. Here we are seeing the truth about Jesus will always heal. That is the work of God he is talking about in this situation. That is the nature of God, and it is the nature of the Son, Jesus, to heal any day of the week, even on the Sabbath. It is just like our nature is to sin and we sin every day of the week, even on Sunday. To say we do not sin only serves to prove we are a liar and that we call God a liar which both are a sin. Jesus goes on to explain to them the relationship between him and the Father. This is what our relationship is supposed to be like with God as well.  Because we have been given the right to be called children of God, we are now, in fact, his son or daughter. We are his children and as such, just like Jesus, we are to do the same as our Father. The Father loves us and he will show us everything he does. Although we are not in the giving life business as the Father and the Son are, in some sense we are purveyors of life. When we witness or testify bringing the truth of the gospel to light in someone’s life, we are bringing them life, or at least giving them the opportunity to be exposed to the light, to the Son, in order they may have life. This might be a little off the point Jesus was making to the Jews, as he was telling them he is the Son of God, he is the Messiah they have been waiting for. He did not say it as plain as that, but how could they not understand that truth? Again they were blinded by their own brand of religion because it gave them authority over others. That is why they felt they had the right to question this former lame man regarding the work of carrying his mat on the Sabbath. These are random thoughts stemming from this response of Jesus. We should stay focused on that idea of Jesus always doing what God the Father does and because we are in Christ, we should be doing the same thing. So we could start with something simple. God loves.

It was Jesus

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

IT WAS JESUS

John 5:8-15

8 Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk."  9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10 and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat." 11 But he replied, "The man who made me well said to me, 'Pick up your mat and walk.'" 12 So they asked him, "Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?" 13 The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there. 14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you."  15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

NIV

We go back a verse to include the moment Jesus told the man to get up and pick up and mat and walk so that we get the context of what happened next. It is interesting the Jesus did not ask the man if he believed in him, if he was born again, or which denomination he belongs to and if he believed in the gifts of the Spirit, such as healing. It is interesting that Jesus simply healed him by telling him to get up. There was no fancy rite, or long prayer, or even the laying on of hands, or anointing him with oil. True this is Jesus, the divine Son of God, who is God himself in the flesh. But there is it, just healed because Jesus did it. He does not change, he still is able to heal just with a word. However, there is another thing going on here as well since Jesus healed this man on the Sabbath. Jesus was fully aware it was the Sabbath and that the law forbids the man to carry his mat on the Sabbath and yet Jesus told him to just that. He is making the point, without saying it yet, that he is the Lord of the Sabbath. The Jews mentioned here are most likely either the Pharisees or the teachers of the law, or members of the Sanhedrin. They were questioning the man about breaking the law by carrying his mat on the Sabbath. Although they knew he was made whole, that he was healed of his thirty-eight-year infirmity, they were only concerned about him carrying his mat on the Sabbath. Who cares about his walking now, having been healed? It is the rules, the law that is more important. Let’s not break protocol, after all, rules and rules, and we have to abide by the rules. So they questioned him why was he carrying his mat. The man tells him that it isn’t his fault for breaking the command, it is the fault of the guy who healed men, he told me to pick up my mat and walk. What a guy, he could not just tell them, look I am walking, I been healed, who cares about this darn mat, or whatever, I am healed, yippee, and get on with walking. But no, he blames the guy, for he did not know it was Jesus, who told him to get up and take his mat with him. However, Jesus did catch up with him a little later and it is interesting Jesus told him to stop sinning. What kind of sin does a lamb man commit? What kind of sin does a man who cannot even get to the water before someone else, for thirty-eight years of trying? Maybe he was bitter, or jealous, or envious of others. Maybe he was full of anger, being hateful toward others. We just do not know exactly, but Jesus told him to be careful and do not continue in this path of sin he was in, or that sin would cause something worse than being physically lamb. We know it would cause death, a spiritual death which is far worse than physical death. So what does this man who Jesus healed do, he goes and tells on him. He heads off to those Pharisees or teachers of the law and tells them it was Jesus. This could have been a great testimony, he could have given a great witness, saying something like, “Praise God, he used this man Jesus to heal me”. “What a wonderful gift I have been given by God”. Maybe he did, but all we are told he now knows the name of the man he was blamed for him walking with his mat on the Sabbath and he was telling the Jews. We need to make sure we give God, give Jesus all the credit for our healing, our salvation, our walking and leaping and praising God. We should not blame Jesus for any trouble that comes our way, as it may well be our own fault. Let us live praising Jesus for all his has done for us, in us and through us. We should always be saying, it was Jesus.

Do You Want to Get Well?

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

DO YOU WANT TO GET WELL?

John 5:1-9

5:1 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie — the blind, the lame, the paralyzed.   5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?" 

7 "Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me." 8 Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk."  9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

NIV

We should note there is another version of this narrative about this pool of Bethesda which some manuscripts. which are considered by some as less important. include other details. Yet several other versions of the scriptures such as the KJV, NKJV, NASU all have this verse 4.

3b— and they waited for the moving of the waters. [4] From time to time an angel of the Lord would come down and stir up the waters. The first one into the pool after each such disturbance would be cured of whatever disease he had.

NIV

It is not that important to the narrative or the truth of the situation in which Jesus takes the initiative in the healing of this lamb man. We are told Jesus learned of how long this man had been in this condition and he went to him and asked if he wanted to get well. It is interesting the man does not answer Jesus’s question directly but instead gives him a reason why he is not well and still in this condition. The result is the same, but we would have thought the man would have simply said, “Yes”. Nevertheless, we are seeing the compassion of Jesus being demonstrated. Jesus could have just walked through this crowd filled with the blind, the lame and the paralyzed and waited for someone to cry out, “Help me Jesus” or something to that effect. But Jesus went to this man and extended himself to him. “Do you want to get well?” is the question of the ages. Who would not want to get well? Who would want to stay in their infirmity? Because it appeared from the man’s answer, although not directly, Jesus understood his predicament and told him to get up. This is a man who had someone carry him to this spot every day for thirty-eight years and go back and pick him up and carry him home each night. This is a man who relied on his friends or family to provide food, clothing, and shelter for him for all those years, even to the point of helping him go to the bathroom if they had those rooms, and now Jesus tells him to get up. This is going the change his whole life as he has known for the past thirty-eight years. “Do I want to get well?” “Do I want to live my life free of all this reliance on others?” Or something like that could have been flooding through his mind. But he must have come to the conclusion, he wanted to change his life, so he got up. This brings us to the question of why are we still living with our infirmities? Do we want to get well?

A Word About Faith

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

A WORD ABOUT FAITH

John 4:43-54

43 After the two days he left for Galilee. 44(Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) 45 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, for they also had been there. 46 Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. 48 "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe."  49 The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies." 50 Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live." The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour." 53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he and all his household believed. 54 This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed, having come from Judea to Galilee.

NIV

It is noteworthy to consider all three of the other gospels record the event in which Jesus made the statement about having no honor in his own country. It does not appear he was speaking of Galilee in general but specifically of Nazareth, his hometown where he grew up. Each one of the accounts includes the townspeople making comments about Jesus being the son of the carpenter, just a lad who grew up in town, nobody special. However, Jesus headed over to Cana and this is where he encountered the royal official. Jesus’s response to this urgent begging of the nobleman was not pointed directly at just the nobleman, for Jesus used a plural, “You people”. If we see what is going on here, the royal official came some way to seek out Jesus because of his sick and dying son. This is not a man of no faith, this is a man who believed Jesus could do something about his son’s condition. However, it would appear the Galileans, in general, were lacking as much faith as this royal official. Is our faith based on miracles or simply because we believe?  Why do we believe? Why do some seem to believe more than others? Do some lack faith unless they see something supernatural? Is it just an intellectual faith that some have? We read the scriptures and some people believe and some do not. It is true that without the Spirit ,belief is impossible. But some of us have seen and have experienced the hand of God in miraculous ways. Was that because we lacked enough faith? Some of us needed that kind of sign from God to prove he is real and does listen to our requests, which resulted in our faith in him. Some of us have simply grown up in a home that always believed, but never actually saw the hand at God at work in a miraculous way. Do we all have different degrees of faith? Does it matter, as long as we all have faith? The scripture says that we cannot even have faith unless God gives it to us.

Rom 12:3

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

NIV

Is the measure equal, or does God give one measure to one and another measure to another? We know God does not show favoritism, so we would have to believe he treats all of us exactly the same, given each of us the same measure of faith. So then how can some lack enough faith? Or as Jesus puts us, being men of little faith. Could that mean although God gives us this measure of faith that if we do not exercise it, or use it, it becomes weak, or little? The royal official simply took Jesus at his word. Was it because of him taking Jesus at his word, that his son lived, or would his son lived just because Jesus said so, whether the man believed or not? The narrative does not tell which was the cause, Jesus said his son would live, or because the man believed. Either way, faith is essential in seeing God work in our lives. Let us be people of God given faith. Let us believe with all our being. No doubts, not a single shred of disbelief. Just faith.

He really is

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

HE REALLY IS

John 4:39-42

39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers. 42 They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."

NIV

It is a good thing to testify about the work of Christ in our lives, however, it is a far better testimony for someone to experience the work of Christ in their lives. We see that many of the townspeople believed that Jesus was the Messiah because of what the woman told them about Jesus and her encounter with him. That is the key to being a witness. We cannot argue the validity of the scriptures with someone, trying to convince them the bible is true and Jesus is real and they need to believe to be saved. What we can tell them is want Jesus did in our lives. We can tell them of the miracles he has done for us. We can tell them of his guidance, his provision, his healing power and how he has made our life so much better then what it was before we believed. This is what the woman did, she told them that Jesus had told her everything she ever did. He revealed himself to her. But when they asked Jesus to stay awhile and he talked directly to the town’s people for two days and they personally experienced him, they believed not just because of the woman’s testimony, but because of their own personal testimony of what Jesus did in their lives. This is the key to a successful transformed life. Sure we can tell what Jesus did in our life, but it is far better for Jesus to do something in their life. We can tell them Jesus will do something in their life, all they have to do is ask him to stay with them for a few days. Just give him a couple of days and you will experience his work, his transforming work in your life. He will heal you, he will do something in your life so that you cannot deny Jesus is alive and well, sitting at the right hand of God and the Father will give you anything you ask in the name of Jesus. Sure, we could explain a lot of doctrines and about asking in the will of God and all that stuff. Yet it is unlikely Jesus told the Samaritan town’s people all the doctrinal stuff. Most likely he just did stuff for them. Just as he did for me when I knew nothing about doctrine and simply asked if he were God then prove it to me, and he did. Sure someone told me about Romans road, but it was not real until God did something personal for me. This is the story we need to tell, the story of what Jesus did in our life. Then we can invite them to see what Jesus will do in their lives. Then when they experience Jesus first hand they will know he really is the Savior of the world.

Seeing

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

SEEING

John 4:27-38

27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?" 28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him. 31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something." 32 But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."  33 Then his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him food?" 34 "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor." 

NIV

Again, we see how unbiased the Lord is compared to us mortal men. His disciples were taken back because they found Jesus talking to a woman of all people. What respectable male Jew would carry on a conversation with a woman? Women were so beneath their status as men, and then to make matters worse she was a Samaritan and these are the disciples of Jesus. They already know he is someone sent from God. We cannot be certain they are fully aware that he is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God who came to redeem all of mankind. Their vision might still be a little short-sighted at this point, having not experienced a total revelation yet. However, they brought the food they had gone into town to buy and expected Jesus to be hungry and want to dig in, so to speak. But instead as they urged him to eat something, he responded that he had food they knew nothing about. Again, we can see the human sight with which his disciples were seeing. It is always difficult to see with spiritual eyes rather than to simply believe what can be seen physically. That is what their response was motivated by, their physical eyes, seeing only the physical world. But Jesus explained to them, took them into his confidence and revealed the truth to them. What nourishes the soul, the true food of life is doing the will of God, finishing the work he has prepared in advance for us to do. Jesus does speak to them in the form of an allegory using farming to explain evangelism, but more importantly to look past the physical and open their spiritual eyes and see the need before them. To look past their human bias, seeing a Samaritan woman, and see a soul in need of a Savior. In addition to understanding we all have a given task, some of us are called to share the gospel, either verbally or by our life, our deeds, sowing the seed as it were, while others might be the ones called to harvest that seed, to actually pray with them and see them accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. So let us look, not with our eyes, but our heart, so we can see past any bias we might have developed with our eyes. Let us see how Jesus sees.

In Spirit and in Truth

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH

John 4:15-26

15 The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water." 16 He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back."  17 "I have no husband," she replied. Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true."  19 "Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem." 21 Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."  25 The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." 26 Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he." 

NIV

We are continuing in this conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob. It is interesting after Jesus just told her that the water he gives is living water that springs up to eternal life and she asks for this water, that he does not simply provide it, but requires her to do something, to bring her husband. From the narrative, we do get the idea she is still thinking about physical water which makes it possible not to have to come to the well each day to draw water. She doesn’t really understand this is not what Jesus is talking about. This certainly gives us the idea Jesus is omniscient because he is asking for something she does not have and wants to see her response. When she responses correctly he reveals more of his omniscience to her by telling her she had five husbands and the man she is currently living with is not her husband, which means she is living in sin. Here we see Jesus talking with a despised and sinful Samaritan woman and he is revealing himself to her. By his knowledge of her life she understands or believes he is a prophet, a spoke person for God. Although they are Samaritans, they still worshipped God, they are still part Jewish, just not pure Jewish, because of the intermingling with people of other lands. Yet they worshipped God on this high place, this mountain. It was customary to set up high places to worship gods, including God for many who could not go to Jerusalem. She is under the impression the Jews only considered Jerusalem the only place Jews could worship God. Sometimes it appears some believers may think the church is the only place to worship God. Maybe it is some way we think the church is that high place. But Jesus makes it clear the place is not the important issue. Jesus explains to her that a time is coming and it did, so we are in this time right now, that we worship God in spirit and in truth. What does worshipping God in spirit and truth look like? The Greek words for spirit and truth give us some insight. The Greek word pneuma means spirit or breathe, but is used for the vital principle which gives animation to the body. This is our rational soul, our thinking, our mind, who we are within our being. Although an animal is animated in the sense of having breathe, i.e. pneuma, breathe, it cannot worship, it has no rational soul. However, as part of God’s creation all animals witness to the power of God. But just as trees and rocks cannot praise him, we are the only ones, created in his image who are to worship him with our rational soul, it is our reasonable act of worship, as Paul writes in the letter to the Romans. The Greek word aleetheis simply means true, but objectively it carries the meaning of what is true in any matter under consideration, as opposed to fiction. So then when we consider God, we consider him to not be fictional, but to actually be God, real in every sense. It would be nonsense to worship a fictional character or god, yet it seems so many people have been deceived into living in that manner. But we know God is real and we worship who we know with every fiber of our being. This is not a once a week occurrence, but a constant act or action of our will. All that we do is in worship to God or should be. There are times it seems our body overrides our spirit, and the flesh fails to perfectly obey. But that does not mean we have forfeited our belief that God is real and we are to worship him in spirit and truth. Jesus revealed himself fully to this woman. After his discourse about spirit and truth, she recognized he was talking about a time when the Messiah would come. He allowed her to know he was the Messiah, he was the Christ. We will see her response to that revelation next, but for now, we know in our rational being, our thinking, our reasoning, that God is real and we worship him completely in spirit and truth.

Living Water

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

LIVING WATER

John 4:4-15

4 Now he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?"  8(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."  11 "Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?" 13 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." 

15 The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."

NIV

We begin with just a portion of the exchange between Jesus and the woman at the well. There is enough here to garner truth for our life. There is one truth about Jesus even being at this well, in Samaria. Most Jews would not even travel through this area, much less have anything to do at all with a Samaritan. They would have taken a more circuitous route avoiding Samaria, but it is the most direct route from Judea to Galilee. We wonder what his disciples through about it as he instructed them to but food in a Samaritan city. We can see Jesus had a plan, but the idea here is also demonstrating to us there is no difference in the sight of God regarding his creation. Jesus was there being the truth of God to a Samaritan woman, despised by others, but loved by God. Should we not see others in the same way God sees them? This would apply to race, gender, creed, as well as any social economic or education, as well as physical appearance or abilities, or even they mannerisms or the way they talk, or if they have nice or not so nice clothes, or are clean or dirty. God sees their hearts. The word speaks about this issue in 1 Samuel 16, telling us that we, for the most part, look at the outward appearance, but God sees the heart. Can we set aside all these outward appearances and see people as Jesus does, in need of the living water he has to offer. We have drunk from his well, and have this living water flowing through us. The question is what are the thirsts Jesus is referring to when he tells her that if we drink from the living water, we will never thirst again? Certainly, he is not referring any thirst for liquid. It is a thirsting within the soul that Jesus is talking about. There are two points we can see here. One is the idea that once we have drunk from the living water Jesus provides, we do not have to drink it again. In other words, once we sought after Jesus and found him, there is no need to seek after him again, as he is within us, the Spirit dwells within, so he is here. It would be like when we seek to find a place, or destination, once we found it, got there, we do not need to seek it anymore, we are there, we have experienced that place. Jesus is within, so we are here. Yes, we pray to the Father in the name of Jesus for needs, for direction, for provision, for healing, or whatever, but we need no longer seek Jesus. The second thought is about this thirsting and for what we thirst. If we have the living water, then would it make sense we would no longer thirst after the things of the world? The meaning of the Greek word translated thirst can mean thirsty for liquid, but the same word is used by Jesus when he taught, what we call the beatitudes,

Matt 5:6

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

NIV

Thirsting for something, as in either righteousness of unrighteousness. What in this world would be considered righteous? Position, power, success, money, fame, praise from men, material things, just to name a few. Anything this world has to offer which is only a temporal thing is not worthy of our thirst. We need to thirst for the things of God, for righteousness, goodness, gentleness, humility, kindness, patience, love, joy, peace, the fruit the Spirit brings to bear in our life. This is the water that becomes a spring of water welling up within us to eternal life. We are supposed to be a spring of living water, overflowing.

Speak up or Withdraw

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

SPEAK UP OR WITHDRAW

John 4:1-3

4:1 The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, 2 although in fact, it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3 When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.

NIV

Before we get into the narrative about Jesus and the Samaritan women at the well, it might serve us to reflect on what is going on at this time described briefly here for us. We should remember the Pharisees had sent people to ask John the Baptist by what authority he was baptizing. Why was he introducing this religious rite into the Jewish people, was at the core of their question? He was taking people away from their control. These Pharisees were most likely members of the ruling class, the Sanhedrin. John was upsetting their authority.  So now here comes Jesus and his disciples. His disciples were now baptizing even more people than John. The Pharisees heard about this and surely were already thinking about how they could rid themselves of this Jesus, who, again was performing a religious rite without their permission. The gospel writer makes sure we know that Jesus was not actually doing the baptizing, but his disciples. What we could glean from that is perhaps he did not want some people to think more highly of themselves because they had been baptized by Jesus, while others only by his disciples. That is a supposition, but we believe it makes sense. Now the idea about Jesus knowing of the Pharisees hearing about his disciples baptizing could be of two sources. First, it could have been someone who came to warn Jesus that the Pharisees were so upset with him, they were starting to talk about killing him. Second, the reason Jesus knew about them is that he is omniscient, knowing all things. So Jesus withdrew to the region of Galilee. We know Jesus was not afraid of them, but that is just was not his time yet, and he had work to do before he would allow them to kill him. So what do we learn from this? Can we learn anything we should apply to our lives? Maybe one of the truths is that we should not be so rigid in following the law we establish for ourselves. That is our rules and regulations, even our denominational rigidity, like the Pharisees, had become. Another truth we might learn is from Jesus. There is a time to pick a fight and there is a time to withdraw. Besides, there is a plan and we need to stick to the plan. Jesus had a plan, he came for this reason, and he was going to accomplish the plan of God, no matter what, but he needed to stay with the plan. People needed to be taught the truth, he needed to forewarn them of the plan of God. The people needed to hear of this new covenant. Is that not our mission as well, to tell people of the covenant of God? However, because of some extreme opposition at times, it might be best to withdraw. Although it is true some believers are killed because of their faith, but a dead man never speaks again. There might be some believers who think losing their job or being persecuted because they are always preaching to people about Jesus is a good thing. But then they have lost the opportunity to share the message, perhaps in a different way. Sometimes we might have to withdraw temporarily until the right time is at hand. Jesus knows the best time, so as we listen to the Spirit, we too will know when to speak, and when to withdraw.  

From Above

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

FROM ABOVE

John 3:31-36

31 "The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."  

NIV

This is the rest of John the Baptists reply to the argument between his disciple and a certain Jew about ceremonial washing and as a result, they told John about how many more people were going to Jesus instead of John to be baptized. We just explored the first part of his response which includes the famous verse sixteen and that John said he must become lesser while Jesus becomes greater. Now he continues to speak as if he had been given all the truth about the whole message of the gospel. Certainly he has been given a revelation by the Spirit, in fact, we actually believe he is speaking in the Spirit, or from the Spirit. He knows that Jesus is divine, he comes from above. John knows Jesus is of heavenly origin, he is not simply a man, like John. John and as far as that goes all men, which includes us, can only speak as one from the earth. But Jesus, the words Jesus spoke are from heaven, from above. His words are the words of God, he is the Word. This is so important. We know all scripture is God-breathed and as such is important for us to pay attention to, however, the words of Jesus are actually the spoken word of God. What Jesus says, he says as one who is divine, who is one of the three persons of God. Jesus speaks from what he has seen, knows, and is, God. Yet there were people then and now who do not accept his words, his testimony about what he has seen and heard. When we accept his words, accept him as being God, the Son of God, the Lamb of God, the Savior of the world, we testify that God is truthful. The reason we can know God is true is because of the Spirit who God gives unlimited. This means God does not put any limits on himself, the Spirit. Sometimes the way it sounds is that God gives something else, the Spirit, but the Spirit is God and God is the Spirit, of course, the Spirit is not the Father or the Son, but is God. Nevertheless, we can have the unlimited power of the Spirit in our lives. All we have to do is accept, just like we accept Jesus. Because we accept Jesus whom the Father has placed everything in his hands, which means Jesus is Lord, we have eternal life. Those who reject him will not see life, but instead the wrath of God. The question which seems to spring from that idea is what does accept and reject mean. It would seem in simple terms, if we acknowledge that Jesus is God, and accept what he did in the cross for the forgiveness of our sin, then we are saved and have eternal life. One would have to completely reject all of the scripture seeing Jesus as just a man, maybe a prophet, but just a man. That is rejecting the whole idea that Jesus is divine and was crucified for our sin, was buried and was resurrected and ascended back into heaven. Because we accept all that on faith, because we have not seen it, but have the testimony of the word, we have eternal life. Although we still fail, still sin, it does not mean by failing, by committing a sin, that we reject Jesus. It simply means we are but mere men, people, imperfect, weak and need a Savior. The difference between us and them is that when we sin, we feel remorse and the need to repent and seek forgiveness from God. They, rejecting Jesus, do no feeling remorse nor seek the forgiveness of God. Why someone would not want life and accept death is beyond our understanding. Nevertheless, we rejoice in our life, our life eternal, because we believe in the one from above.

More and Less

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

MORE AND LESS

John 3:22-30

22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized. 24(This was before John was put in prison.) 25 An argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26 They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan — the one you testified about — well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him." 27 To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must become greater; I must become less.

NIV

The scene is set, John was still baptizing people, but Jesus, after spending some time, which we are not told how long that time was, began baptizing people. There must have been a lot of people who wanted to be baptized and if it was in preparation of the coming Messiah, as John was being that voice in the wilderness, calling make straight the way for the Lord, then did those Jesus baptize still think the Messiah was still not here yet? Not sure why Jesus baptized people at all, as it does not tell us. However, the point of this narrative does not appear to be about the issue of both John and Jesus baptizing people, other than a lot more people were going to Jesus then John. This brought about the discussion about this ceremonial washing, or baptizing and their telling John how many more people were going to Jesus. The lesson for us is in the response of John. When he said that a man can receive only what is given to him from heaven carries a significate meaning. The Greek word translated receive is an alternative verb the one which means to seize. This word means to take, to get hold of, not in the violent sense of seize, but in a more passive sense. So receive is a good word as to put our hand out and receive something given to us. For John it meant his whole life, his ministry, his calling, what he was given to do from God. This was also applied to the life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. All that Jesus did was given to him from heaven. This should then also apply to our lives. We should not try to seize the moment, so to speak, to violently take hold of a ministry or calling, or service to the Lord. We should not push forward to that which we desire to do, even in the name of the Lord. No, we merely should be doing that which we have received from heaven. We need to hear that calling to service, as John did, and we should see the attitude of John as a key as to how we should think toward what we have received from heaven. John freely admitted he was not the Christ, but rather the one who attends to the bridegroom and waits to listen for his voice and rejoices when he hears the voice of the bridegroom, who is Jesus, of course. So we rejoice when we hear the voice of Jesus telling us what he has for us to receive. But what we do as we receive, what our ministry, our calling, our service should be about is becoming less as we allow Jesus to become more. In other words, everything we do that we receive from heaven is or should be for the glory of God. If we receive any praise from men, we should immediately direct or reflect their praise toward heaven. We always have to remember he is more and we are less.

3:16

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

GOD SO LOVED

John 3:16-21

16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.   19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."   

NIV

Well, here we are at the most famous verse in all the bible.  It is seen on a poster at just about every sporting event at some time or another. Of course just the chapter and verse are display, John 3:16. It must mean everyone knows it. Nevertheless, it is one of the most meaningful things Jesus says which changes everything for anyone who believes. This can be whoever, or as some translations say whosoever. Although there is discussion about other verses which speak of the elect, this verse indicates that the elect are whosoever believes in Jesus will not perish but have ever lasting life. It is a choice which ever person must make, to believe or not believe. It would seem it is not very smart to be among those who do not believe. At the risk of being an annihilationist that word perish has a horrible meaning. To perish according to the Greek word means to be fully destroyed. Whatever that means, we do not want to find out. We are counted among those who believe and thus we are among those who have eternal life. We will live forever in the presence of our Lord. It amazes us to see people who actually have decided to live in the darkness. Are their deeds that evil they cannot see ever being forgiving, or is it just they do not want to give up their dark deeds. We used to live in that city of darkness and sin. But the Light of Jesus penetrated our darkness, and we saw his Light. We were in deep despair because, although we did not want anything to do with God, we knew somehow deep within us, that to perish, to die forever was a scary thing. So when the beam of Light was shown into that dark city we lived in, we stepped out and crossed over into the city of Light and life. Our deeds were exposed and we repented and accepted the provision of God for our salvation.  He reconciled us to himself. He satisfied his need for justice, he fulfilled the law so we could have life, not death. Now we live in his Light and he shines his Light into our life, and we live at peace with God. We are his family, his children, his sons and daughters, his people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. Praise God, we no longer have to be concerned about perishing, but we have eternal life because of Jesus. What is so amazing is that God loved us while we were still living in the darkness, in our sin, as a sinner, hating the light. He loved us so much he sent his Son to die the horrible death we condemned ourselves to, living in that darkness. He did that for us, and we are so grateful he got through our exterior shell and reached into our heart and opened it to his love. Thank you Jesus for all you have done for us. Thank you for loving us.

Believe

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

BELIEVE

John 3:9-15

9 "How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.

10 "You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? 11 I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven — the Son of Man.   14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.  

NIV

We just went through the previous statement of Jesus about having to be born again in order to see the kingdom of God, and this is a rebirth of the spirit rather so than of the flesh. Nicodemus still does not get it, so Jesus continues to reveal truth to him, but first Jesus sort of slams him. How can someone who is supposed to be a teacher of the law not understand the truth? Now it gets personal. Having conversations with a certain pastor we know, we have been told there are pastors in the ministry, who really do not have the truth or understand the truth. That seems odd, but then we have to also know that we are all ministers, we are all a royal priesthood, a holy nation, who have the responsibility to be witnesses, to testify of the truth, of what we have seen. Now, it is truth that Jesus is fully and maybe the only true witness of the truth, as he is the truth, the way and the light. He tells that to Nicodemus in different words, but it is saying he is the one who came from and is going back into heaven. He has seen everything. What this all comes down to, as Jesus explains to Nicodemus, is in order to gain eternal life we have to believe in Jesus. The question is, what does it mean to believe in Jesus? There seems to be many letters written by the Apostles explaining what life is about for those who believe in Jesus. We have the instructions we need to live the life of faith required for eternal life. It boils down to this one word, believe. Sometimes we think we need more, we need our rules for life, our regulations to live by, our lists of the do’s and the don’ts in order we can check off all that we are doing right and what we are not doing wrong. We might have turned this word, believe, into more that Jesus intended it to be. We may well have created a form of the law for ourselves instead of simply believing in Jesus. How much more can we attain beyond eternal life? Once our spirit has been born again, are we going to trap it inside this flesh? Just exactly what does it mean to be a believer? Are there degrees of believing? Are their different levels of belief? It seems it comes down to either we believe or we don’t. It is black and white. There is no grey area, no middle ground, and no fence riding. But have we added to this simple word, believe? The dictionary defines this word as to accept (something) as true; feel sure of the truth of. This is how the Greek word which is translated believe means.  To think to be true; to be persuaded of; to credit, place confidence in. We cannot put any confidence in anything we do, other than having been born again, thus believing in Jesus. We are persuaded we are saved by the grace of God and of nothing else. But then what is life for us like? What then do we do? Must be work out our salvation with fear and trembling? Certainly we cannot attain perfection in order to get saved, or after we have been saved. Is there more reward for us because of all our works or good deeds? What did Jesus say? He said that he must be lifted up, that is hung on the cross, die for our sin, be the sacrifice once and for all for all our sin, past, present and future, so that if we believe in him, put our confidence in him, we will have eternal life. Believe.