John 10:6-21 Access To God Is Given, Through Christ Alone

“Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.  All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.  I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.  He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.  He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep.  I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me,  even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.  I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.  For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again.  No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.” A division occurred again among the Jews because of these words.  Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?”  Others were saying, “These are not the sayings of one demon-possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?”

We all know that nobody will show the faithfulness to a business like its owner.  An owner cannot hire a slave to give the same care as an owner.  And this is what Jesus is declaring here.  Jesus was given a commission by His father.  First come to the lost sheep of Israel so that as my Son, You may be able to redeem them.  But not to them alone.  Go also to the gentiles, those who I declare are mine so that they man not perish, but have eternal life.  Once again the people are divided.  Since nobody has ever spoken like this, many canned him a devil.  But the more discerning understood the devil to evil, but this man brings sight to the blind and binds up the wounded.

Daily Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You are the Good Shepherd.  You come not for Yourself, but for me and others like me who believe in You.  And by believing in You, we will find everlasting life.  In Your holy name I pray Amen.

John 10:1-6 Believers Are Known By Jesus

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep.  To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.  A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.

Not all who say Lord, Lord, belong to Him.  In these verses, Jesus declares that only those who He shepherds belong to him and hear His voice and obey it.  He provides for His own and if someone tries to join in who is not apart of His flock, he is declared a robber and a thief.  Jesus has said elsewhere that it is not good to give the children's bread to the dogs, which is another way of saying that He provides for His own children and those who try to partake in His provisions without being one of His own is a robber and He has no place with Christ..

Daily Prayer:  Lord Jesus, those who belong to you do indeed recognize Your voice and belong to You.  Those who do not recognize You do recognize someone and that one is Satan, the Price of this world.  He tries to copy You but in the end, his followers will drink the drink of judgment.

Come Lord Jesus Amen.

John 9:35-41 Jesus Affirms His Deity

Jesus heard that they had put him out, and finding him, He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”  He answered, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”  Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you.” And he said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped Him.  And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.”  Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?”  Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.
The words of Jesus are hard to listen to here.  Men are born into the world and perish in their foolishness.
Jesus, manifesting God in the form of man presents Himself.  After Jesus' resurrection, His disciple Thomas said that unless I see, I will not believe.   Jesus appears to him and he replied, "My Lord and my God."  To this Jesus replied, "Blessed are you Thomas because you saw and believed.  But greater blessing to those who don't see, yet believe."  In today's text we witness lost Jews of the Pharisee sect who stand before Jesus and rather than receive His blessing, they receive His judgment because they saw, yet did not believe.
Daily Prayer:  Lord Jesus, sin and foolishness make a bitter drink.  Men and women are born to sin and lead a life of self-denial and self-importance.  Grant us this day wisdom to understand that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.  In Jesus name I pray Amen.

John 9:1-16 Healing the Man Born Blind

As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth.  And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.  While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes,  and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went away and washed, and came back seeing.  Therefore the neighbors, and those who previously saw him as a beggar, were saying, “Is not this the one who used to sit and beg?”  Others were saying, “This is he,” still others were saying, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the one.”  So they were saying to him, “How then were your eyes opened?”  He answered, “The man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash’; so I went away and washed, and I received sight.”  They said to him, “Where is He?” He said, “I do not know.”They brought to the Pharisees the man who was formerly blind.  Now it was a Sabbath on the day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.  Then the Pharisees also were asking him again how he received his sight. And he said to them, “He applied clay to my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”  Therefore some of the Pharisees were saying, “This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others were saying, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And there was a division among them.
It was by no accident that this man was made whole on the Sabbath Day, a holy day.  The division of the people continues as Jesus demonstrates that He is Lord over the Sabbath while the Jews were clinging to Mosaic Law.  Jesus is seeking those who know His voice and call Him Lord.  Those who belong to Him, He will by no way lose, but those who oppose Him, He never knew.
Daily Prayer:  Lord Jesus, the greatest gift You have given me is faith.  Faith does not call into question the ability and love of God.  Instead it clings to him and identifies with Him who can do all thinngs for those who love Him.  In Your Holy Name I pray Amen.

John 8:48-59 If The World Does Not Awaken, It Will Perish Eternally

The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?” Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.  But I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges.  Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death.”  The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste of death.’  Surely You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’;  and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep His word.  Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”  So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”  Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.
The importance of the eighth chapter of John is that Jesus continually declared who He is and identified Himself with God the Father.  Yet the Jews wanted no part of Jesus Christ, even dismissing His miracles and other signs. They declare their importance comes through Abraham who was only a man and the Law that was broken to the extent of their previous exile.  Now that the God comes to dwell among them, not only do they fail to recognize Him, but reject Him and ultimately kill Him.
Daily Prayer:  Lord Jesus, in this world there is death upon death.  Those who do not recognize You and honor You are dead already in the spirit.  If nothing else changes, in a short while they will die again and be separated from God forever.  Awaken this slumbering world to revival so that even in my day, we may celebrate You and the mission You accomplished.  In Your Holy Name I pray Amen.

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.