John 8:33-47 Believe in Jesus and Live!

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever.  So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.  I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.  I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.”They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus *said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham.  But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do.  You are doing the deeds of your father.” They said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God.”  Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me.  Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word.  You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.  But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me.  Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me?  He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”
A person cannot act or speak outside of their character.  In Jesus' pilgrimage on earth, He did not speak His own words,but those of His Father who sent Him.  But when He spoke God's words, it provoked the Jews to anger.  The rejection of the word of God is rejection of God.  They claimed not to be the children of God, but desccendents of Abraham.   Jesus, speaking over their heads said that even Abraham rejoyced to see Him (Abraham had died, but Jesus possesses eternal life) but the people protested declaring His age to him, 
but Jesus refers to Himself as the I Am which is the name for God.
Daily Prayer:  Lord Jesus, once again today's lesson reveals how blessed we are to hear Your words and believe You.  We believe You led a sin-free life and once crucified my angry men, You were raised from the dead declaring victory over death so that all who believe may have eternal life.

John 8: 21--33 You Will Know The Truth & It Will Set You Free

Then He said again to them, “I go away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come.”  So the Jews were saying, “Surely He will not kill Himself, will He, since He says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?”  And He was saying to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world.  Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”  So they were saying to Him, “Who are You?” Jesus said to them, “What have I been saying to you from the beginning?  I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world.”  They did not realize that He had been speaking to them about the Father.  So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.  And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” As He spoke these things, many came to believe in Him.So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;  and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”  They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”
Two central issues in today's text is that most Jews did not recognize that they were speaking with their Promised Messiah.  They claim to believe God, but the word of God spoken through the Son they cannot understand.  Second,  He tells them that He has come to deliver them from their sins and by trusting in Him
they can be spared dying in their sin.  But they are so self-righteous, they do not feel the guilt of their own sin.
It is like a fish in the water, they have grown so used to it they no longer feel wet.  Even those who come to believe in Jesus didn't understand what He meant by setting them free.  They claim to be free now, even though they were slaves in Egypt and presently under Roman occupation.  Again, they seem to be depending on their own selves, instead of the Son of God.
Daily Prayer:  Lord Jesus, the Bible says that unless man is drawn, he cannot believe.  In my own household and in the world, continue to draw those to you so that they can believe and be saved.  Finally let me be an instrument used by You to introduce people to Your gospel so that the Good News can be planted by me.  In Your holy name I pray Amen.

John 8: 12 - 20 To Know The Father, You Must Know The Son

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”  So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not true.”  Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone.  But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me.  Even in your law it has been written that the testimony of two men is true.  I am He who testifies about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.”  So they were saying to Him, “Where is Your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.”  These words He spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come.
The central difference in this conversation is that the Pharisees are trying to judge Jesus in the flesh, by their own experience, but apart from the Law of the Covenant.  As Jesus said, where ever two testify about something it is true and Jesus testifies about His identity and so does the Father.  Jesus has done nothing to disqualify Himself as the Promised Messiah and even when judged by Rome, Pontious Pilate said he found no guilt in Him. Yet the people's heart was hardened and they sought to do their part in prophecy and slay the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world.
Daily Prayer:  Lord Jesus, it is easier to understand in hindsight because You were indeed slain, but in a human and divine manner raised Yourself from the dead assuring victory over death and its consequence of sin to all those who received You for who You are which is the Son of Man and the Son of God.  In Your holy name I pray Amen.

John 8:1-11 The Adulterous Woman

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.  Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them.  The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court,  they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act.  Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground.  But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.  When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court.  Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?”  She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”]
The New Testament is filled with scenes with the religious leaders pitting themselves against the Son of God trying to condemn Him.  In today's instance the base their case on the Law of Moses as though it is somehow superior to  the Law of God.  They did not realize or accept that One who is greater than Moses is among them.  They knew he had tendencies toward mercy and grace so they felt that a woman caught in the very act of adultery would be a worthy test for such a man.  What could He say?  Instead of spending His words, He leans down to the dirt of the ground to write something.  He probably wrote about some condemning deed of His accusers. Suddenly the fight against Jesus was undesirable and all except Jesus and the accused left.  Jesus chose not to condemn her but told her to go and sin no more.
Daily Prayer:  Lord, among the siblings of men there is none who has not sin, no not one.  For this reason, let us spend our time building faith in you and not being found to be accusers.  Let us realize the depth of our own sin and the grace which has forgiven them.  In Your holy name I pray Amen.

John 8: 1-11

John 7:37-53 Division of People over Jesus

Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.Some of the people therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, “This certainly is the Prophet.”  Others were saying, “This is the Christ.” Still others were saying, “Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He?  Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” So a division occurred in the crowd because of Him.  Some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him.The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, “Why did you not bring Him?” The officers answered, “Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks.”  The Pharisees then answered them, “You have not also been led astray, have you?  No one of the rulers or Pharisees has believed in Him, has he?  But this crowd which does not know the Law is accursed.” Nicodemus (he who came to Him before, being one of them) *said to them,  “Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?”  They answered him, “You are not also from Galilee, are you? Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee.”  [Everyone went to his home.
It seems truth brings a divided mind.  Although Jesus is fully human, He speaks with the authority of God. This heighten the hopes of the people but brought chilling fear to their leaders.  While the people said the Promised One has come who is the seed of David and born in Bethlehem just as the prophets said.  But the leaders replied, "What Savior has ever come from Galilee?"  Yet certain leaders did believe and spoke out.
Jesus proves who He is by being the True Passover Lamb who goes to the Cross to redeem me from my sins.
Daily Prayer:  Lord Jesus, it is true that You forgave me my sins because I have faith in You.  Place this faith in  others also, so that they can report the Good News of the Gospel and its saving power.  Amen.

John 7:30-36 You Will Seek Me, But Will Not Find Me

So they were seeking to seize Him; and no man laid his hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.  But many of the crowd believed in Him; and they were saying, “When the Christ comes, He will not perform more signs than those which this man has, will He?”The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about Him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to seize Him.  Therefore Jesus said, “For a little while longer I am with you, then I go to Him who sent Me. You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come.”  The Jews then said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find Him? He is not intending to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks, is He? What is this statement that He said, ‘You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come’?”
Isn't that they way life is.  God comes to dwell among us and instead of treasuring every moment, we contend with Him until He leaves to a place we cannot go.  Jesus was referring to His return to the Father, and the people were assuming that He was going to live among the Greeks.  Even the common folk were reasoning that the promised Messiah would not perform any more sights and wonders that Jesus of Nazareth.  They were His witnesses, they reasoned it to be true, but did not believe.  Now the Son of God prepares for His departure.
Daily Prayer: Most Holy Savior, every time I sin I am not acknowledging you are the Promised One.  My sin has heavy consequences, the calcification of the Son of God on a mount they call Galgatha.   Forgive me my sins and bring me to that place that I cannot come to without You.  In Your holy name I pray Amen.

John 7:10-29 Jesus Did Not Come To Glorify Himself, But To Glorify The One Who Sent Him

But when His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went up, not publicly, but as if, in secret. So the Jews were seeking Him at the feast and were saying, “Where is He?”  There was much grumbling among the crowds concerning Him; some were saying, “He is a good man”; others were saying, “No, on the contrary, He leads the people astray.” Yet no one was speaking openly of Him for fear of the Jews. But when it was now the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and began to teach. The Jews then were astonished, saying, “How has this man become learned, having never been educated?”  So Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself. He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him “Did not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you carries out the Law? Why do you seek to kill Me?” The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who seeks to kill You?”  Jesus answered them, “I did one deed, and you all marvel. For this reason Moses has given you circumcision (not because it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and on the Sabbath you circumcise a man.  If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the Law of Moses will not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made an entire man well on the Sabbath?  Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”  So some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, “Is this not the man whom they are seeking to kill?  Look, He is speaking publicly, and they are sayings“Is this not the man whom they are seeking to kill? Look, He is speaking publicly, and they are saying nothing to Him. The rulers do not really know that this is the Christ, do they?  However, we know where this man is from; but whenever the Christ may come, no one knows where He is from.”  Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying, “You both know Me and know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.  I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent Me.”o
Those men whom were sent by God to be His spokesman such as the prophets and Jesus Christ Himself were constantly rejected by the Jews and the world.  The prophets were put to death for speaking God's righteousness and the people of this day recognized the foul play of their  forefathers with the prophets.  The fathers were sent into exile and in this story have returned again but they repeat the sin of their fathers by plotting to put Jesus who is greater than a prophet to death because He speaks the words of God.  The best they can say is "How does He speak about what He hasn't learned?"  Jesus draws a great parallel by asking wasn't Moses a spokesperson for God and you disobeyed him.  Now One who is Greater than Moses  has appeared and You plot to kill Him, labeling Him a demon instead of the Savior of the World who He truly is.
Daily Prayer:  Lord Jesus, just as the people rejected You, so also those whom You have chosen will likewise suffer rejection.  But we fear not because You have overcome the world and our true home is to be where you are.  In Your holy name I pray Amen.
 of the people of Jerusalem 

John 7:1-9 Jesus Teaches at the Feast

After these things Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him. Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near. Therefore His brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see Your works which You are doing. For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” For not even His brothers were believing in Him.  So Jesus said to them, “My time is not yet here, but your time is always opportune.  The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil.  Go up to the feast yourselves; I do not go up to this feast because My time has not yet fully come.”  Having said these things to them, He stayed in Galilee.
In the gospels, the life of Jesus is told beginning with his time and works in Galilee with is the northern part of Israel.  As time moves on, there comes a pivotal part in the life of Jesus where He faces His face like flint for Jerusalem.  But in today's passages, we learn that Jesus avoided Jerusalem earlier on,  because His brethren longed to slay Him.  The text tells us that even His own brothers did not believe at this time.  This is why Jesus told us on the Sermon on the Mount that our battles will be those from our own household:  Father against son; mother against daughter; mother in law against her daughter in law and so forth.  And Jesus judged the world as evil which is the reason for His coming.  If left to itself, it would face the Old Covenant declaration for sin which is death.  But through Jesus Christ, the Anointed One of God, through the life of Jesus you can be saved and forgiven and be reconciled again with God.  But if you do not receive the Son of God, He promises a second and everlasting death.
Daily Prayer:  Lord Jesus, we live in the time of grace whereby enough has been said and written for us to know you are the True Son of God.  Grant us wisdom to cling to You and Your forgiving power so that we are not separated from You, but instead live in the House of God forever.  In Jesus name I pray Amen. 

John 6:66-71 One Of You Whom I Chose Is A Devil

As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?”  Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.  We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”  Jesus answered them, “Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?”  Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him.
I have argued over the years that general revelation alone cannot save a person.  This is  to day that God's creation of the heavens and the earth, the plants, animals, and the seasons we are all a witness to.  Is there anybody among mankind that can do such a thing?  King David and Paul both wrote that if you cannot see God in His work you are without excuse.  Yet about 2/3 of the world don't know God, but live in His world.
Even Moses and Paul needed special revelation in order to have faith and believe.  Moses saw a burning bush with fire that could not be quenched.  Paul met the resurrected Jesus Christ while traveling to Damascus.  So even Moses and Paul who are pillars in the Christian faith did not believe at first.  In today's story, after Jesus described Himself as the True Body and the True Blood which if taken gives eternal life.  People then feared him and ran away.  So Jesus says to His disciples, "Do you want to leave also?"  Peter says to Jesus, "Where can we go, You have the words of eternal life."  This is special revelation from God to Peter, because a natural man could not have understood this.  But Jesus acknowledges Peter, but adds "One whom I have chosen is a devil."
Daily Prayer:  Lord Jesus, it may be easier to believe in my day than in that day.  Today we know and have account of Your life, death, and resurrection.  This is the grounds for our hope in You.  It is true many still do not come to you, but the Day is coming where every knee will bow to You as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  May God come and draw those who remain without life. In Your holy name I pray Amen.

John 6:60-65 Belief Comes From The Drawing of the Father

Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?”  But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble? What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him.  And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.”
I'm sure there are times that you have said to yourself that this is too hard!  How do you think Jesus felt that when He knew that were those among Him that did not believe, despite His many signs and wonders?  You see, Jesus knows what is in a man, but rather than allow that to discourage Him, instead it strengthens Him to offer Himself up for the salvation of many. If you do believe, give thanks daily to God for being given the light to open up an otherwise dead life.  
Daily Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You are the light of the world and yet the darkness does not comprehend you.  To those who have been drawn by the Father believe and try daily to bring life to others who may not understand without a witness.  In Your holy name I pray Amen.

John 6:52-59 There is Life in the Blood

Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.  He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.  For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.  He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.  As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me.  This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.”  These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

It is important to remember who is doing the talking in these verses.  The words are being spoken by Jesus Christ the Son of God.  Even so, after this many found that they could not follow Him because of these hard teachings.  But the basis on our sacrament of communion is based on this.  Through Jesus’ redemptive body, our sins are forgiven and we become coheirs with him in God’s Kingdom.  If we believe in Jesus and place our hope in Him, by Him we will benefit for his substitution of his blood for hours for the forgiveness of sin.  If we reject Him and what He has done, we will die a second and everlasting death separated from Him forever, but the choice belongs to each of us.

Daily Prayer:  Lord without faith we cannot please You.  Reach out to all those under the sound of my voice so that they receive faith sufficient to believe and by You are saved from eternal separation and darkness.  In Your holy name I pray Amen.

John 6:41-51 Lord Where Else Can We Go, You Have the Words of Eternal Life

Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, “I am the bread that came down out of heaven.” They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, ‘I have come down out of heaven’?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Do not grumble among yourselves.  No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.  It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught of God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.  Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father.  Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.  I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.  This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.  I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”

Faith is an untouchable reality.  He who says in his mind “Let me reason through this,” is not a man of faith.  Faith like Abraham is God’s desire.  Abraham believed God and his belief was accounted to him as righteousness.  Jesus has said about children, those who have the faith of a child will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but for the brood of vipers, those who try human reasoning instead of faith, they will by no means see God’s Kingdom.  Call on the name of the Lord and you will be saved.

Daily Prayer:  Lord, all that You have done is enough.  You went to the Cross to suffer the crucifixion for me to pardon me of  my sins.  Lord, where else can I go, You have the words of eternal life.  Amen. 

John 6: 30-40 The Promise: Life Everlasting and Resurrection on the Last Day

So they said to Him, “What then do You do for a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform?  Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’”  Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven.  For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.”  Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.  But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe.  All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.  For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.  This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.  For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

Jesus is declaring important things to the people, but the people have dull ears.  They are remembering the bread called manna that God gave to sustain their forefathers.  Now they are asking a sign from Jesus when He has continually been giving them signs.  Jesus goes on to say I am the life that was sent from God from the heavens.  It is I that have come to give you life, but not all who are under his voice will receive life, only those whom God has designated.  And to those, Jesus will lose none.  It is in His life and in Himself that people can be forgiven their sins and have reconciliation with God, but instead of welcoming Him they ask for physical bread, but nothing to feed the soul.

Daily Prayer:  Lord Jesus, I thank you for leaving heaven to join humankind for the sake of forgiving me my sins and giving me eternal life and promising my resurrection.  Only someone who has God in Him could do such a thing.  Now that you saved me, walk with me so that I may learn from You and be useful to You and Your work.  In Your holy name I pray Amen.

New Covenant Christian Church: John 6:22-29 Jesus is the Bread of Life

New Covenant Christian Church: John 6:22-29 Jesus is the Bread of Life: The next day the crowd that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there, except one, and that Jesus ha...

John 6:22-29 Jesus is the Bread of Life

The next day the crowd that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there, except one, and that Jesus had not entered with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples had gone away alone.  There came other small boats from Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks.  So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats, and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus.  When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?” Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.  Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.”  Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

It has been said that the Israelite s were less interested in the King of Kings than in Burger King.  In the beginning of the gospels Jesus declared to Satan that man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the Father.  When Jesus visited the woman at the well, Jesus offered her “living water” the kind of water that once drank, the person does not become thirsty again.  But time after time, mankind shows a propensity to choose the temporary over permanent and the fake over the real.  But Solomon said it well when he declared that man’s purpose is the fear of God which is the beginning of wisdom.

Daily Prayer:  Lord Jesus, let us not fear those things that can hurt our body and not our soul.  Instead let us protect the soul because this is what belongs to You and will abide forever.  In Your holy name I pray Amen.

John 6: 15-21 Jesus Walks on the Water

So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.  Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.  Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened.  But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”¹ So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

The people wanted to make Jesus their King, because they perceived that He could deliver them from Roman rule.  Jesus knew His kingdom is not of this world, so He withdrew from the crowd.  Then the disciples stared off without Jesus.  Then trouble came to them because they journeyed off without their Protector.  When the trouble climaxes, Jesus is found walking on the water toward the disciples on the boat.  He tells them not to be afraid, because He is with them.

John 6:1-14 Five Thousand Fed

After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias). A large crowd followed Him, because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick.  Then Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat down with His disciples.  Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near.  Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?” This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do.  Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little.”  One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him,  “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?”  Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted. When they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.”  So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.  Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

Daily Prayer:  Jesus, this lesson is again a sign of Your faithfulness.  Let us come to You daily for our bread, including all our needs so that we do not perish, but trust in You.  Amen.

John 5:33-47 Witnesses for Jesus

Witness of John

You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth.  But the testimony which I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved.  He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.

Witness of Works

 But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works that I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me.

Witness of the Father

And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form.  You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent.

Witness of the Scripture

You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;  and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.  I do not receive glory from men;  but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves.  I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him.  How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?  Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope.  For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me.  But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?
Jesus has just finished presenting Himself as the Son of God.  He can make that claim because He has four witnesses.  First John the Baptist preceded Him to make way a straight path for the Lord.  John did not build himself up but declared that One who is greater than He is coming.  Second, Jesus had the witness of his works.  When He performed miracles, the recipients of his works declared He could not have accomplished this unless God was in Him.  Third, He has the witness of Father God who spoke from heaven saying “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.  Finally, He had the witness of the Scriptures who prophesied His coming from Bethlehem.  Jesus did not usurp God, He just spoke frankly who He is.
Daily Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You have come into the world to do the one thing nobody else can do and that is to forgive the sins of all who come to you.  For this we honor you and glorify your name Amen.

John 5:25-32 Everlasting Life Contrasted With Everlasting Contempt

Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.  For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself;  and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.  Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice,  and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.  “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.  “If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true.  There is another who testifies of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true.

The biggest problem to the human race is our belief that once we die, we are dead.  This is the kind of reasoning employed in Connecticut recently when a man slaughtered 26 people and then killed himself.  It was his conviction that if he killed his physical self that he could avoid judgment for his deeds.  But understand this, all humans were created not with finite life, but infinite life.  Our physical being is only a temporary part of our everlasting life.  The soul of a person cannot be put to death, either for better or for worse.  The soul continues its existence until it rejoins its physical body once again and is resurrected.  The grounds of the Christian doctrine is that Jesus, although He was crucified and put to death in the flesh, arose again and was witnessed my many before His ascension.  And He teaches us that whatever He does, so we will do.  We also, at the appointed time will raise from the dead.  Those who believed in Jesus Christ will arise to everlasting life and union with God with determined reward, but those who rejected the Son, also rejected God who sent Him.  To those, they will raise again, but to everlasting contempt and regret and will not be forgiven in their life to come.  So we now have a choice.  We can choose life through Jesus and union with God or a life of profound regret.

Daily Prayer:  Lord, there is a song that is titled “Open the eyes of my heart.”  In that song, it is a plea for You to intervene in the life of the dull in spirit to become aware of their destiny.  Once saved, we will always be saved, but one rejected, they remain rejected.  For this reason, enlighten all of us to be aware of the choices presented to us and their everlasting nature.  In Your holy name I pray 

John 5:17-24 Jesus’ Equality with God

For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.  Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.  For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel.  For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.  For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son,  so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.  “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

The subject of the Triune God is difficult to grasp.  In these verses, Jesus is declared the Son of God and equal to His Father.  All that makes God our God is found in the Son.  But the Son honors His Father and came to do His work. It can be said that Father-God is the fountainhead of the godhead for which Jesus is a member.  The Bible declares that competition with God was not something to be grasped, but instead He submitted His will to the Father and the Father’s will was that the Son be the judge of every man.

Daily Prayer:  Lord Jesus, just as You surrendered Your will to the Father’s, let us do likewise.  You came to earth, yes to save, but also to be our example for godly living.  Therefore let us not think any more of ourselves than we ought, but instead let us identify with You as our all in all.  In Your holy name I pray Amen.

John 5:1-14 Walking in wisdom, not in law.

After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes.  In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [waiting for the moving of the waters;  for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.]  A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.  When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, “Do you wish to get well?”  The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”  Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.”  Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk. Now it was the Sabbath on that day.  So the Jews were saying to the man who was cured, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.”  But he answered them, “He who made me well was the one who said to me, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk.’”  They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk’?”  But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.”

In a world without sin, there would be no sickness and no death.  When death entered into the world, the illnesses leading to death followed.  Jesus was know to heal people on the Sabbath as He is Lord over the Sabbath and He came to do his Father’s work.  But when people saw the work of God they blamed Him for breaching the Law of Moses.  What Jesus desired is obedience to God coming from the heart instead of laws written on tablets.  Jesus declared it is not a sin to do good on the Sabbath.

Daily Prayer:  Lord, You obviously understand.  You don’t confuse laws written to guide us into holiness with holiness itself.  As for me, teach me to be holy as You are holy and the wisdom to know the difference.  In Your righteous name I pray Amen.

John 4:47-53 Great Faith Results in Belief

When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and was imploring Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death.  So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.” The royal official said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”  Jesus said to him, “Go; your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started off.  As he was now going down, his slaves met him, saying that his son was living.  So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. Then they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives”; and he himself believed and his whole household.

The mission of Jesus is that He was sent first the Israel and then to the gentiles.  But the most significant stories of faith come from the gentiles.  In today’s event, a gentile father seeks out Jesus at a distance from where he lives.  He implores Jesus to heal his son, because he knew he was able.  Jesus tested his faith by healing him with his word and  not going to see the boy.  The text says that he believed.  Following this, on his journey back home he learns his son was made well at the very hour of his interaction with Jesus. Then the whole household believed.  This even is a forerunner to Jesus ultimate healing where eternal life is given to those who believe and call on His name.

Daily Prayer:  Lord Jesus, give me this spirit of belief not only for eternal life but for all of what you say and do.  In Your holy name I pray Amen.