SHOWERS

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John 6:51-52 – "I am the living bread that came down from heaven.  If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.  And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh."  The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

All throughout this chapter, Jesus has been revealing himself to the Jews.

He is using a natural principle (eating bread to sustain physical life), to explain to them what is occurring in the spiritual realm (believing on him will produce and sustain spiritual life). 

But they don't seem to be grasping this concept.  Whose fault is that? 

Is it the fault of Christ?  Certainly not!  We can be sure that the words of Jesus were not null or void (Isaiah 55:11).  His words were anointed by Holy Spirit and empowered to bring about faith which results in eternal life to every person in the world (I John 2:2). 

Is it the fault of the religious leaders in the synagogue?  The answer would have to be 'partly'.  Since they were the religious leaders, the common people looked to them for spiritual guidance.  When they rejected the teachings of Jesus, their followers were much more likely to do the same.

Is it the fault of each individual?  Yes, absolutely!  Each one of the people present heard the words of Jesus.  Some of them had even experienced the multiplication of the loaves and fish.  Each one of them had the opportunity to choose eternal life or spiritual blindness. 

Sadly, most of this assembly opted for spiritual blindness.  As a result, they misinterpreted the words of Jesus. They completely missed the concept that the flesh of Jesus would be the ultimate fulfillment of the Passover lamb; his blood provided atonement for sin and resulted in eternal life.  Instead, they assume that if the flesh of Jesus is the bread of life, they must resort to cannibalism to enter into it!

The transition from speaking about 'bread' to 'flesh' seems to be an abrupt one to English speakers. However, according to scholars, it was not like that for the original group in the synagogue that day. The Hebrew word for 'bread' means 'flesh' in Syriac and Arabic.  The listeners would have understood the play on words.

If you are reading this blog, odds are that you have already accepted Christ as your savior; you already know him as the bread of life.  But there is another point to be made from these verses that we don't want to overlook.

Consider this:  Holy Spirit was present on that day, at that time, to quicken the hearts of the Jews to receive the gospel.  But when they didn't respond, they lost that particular opportunity. 

The same is true for us.  When we hear the words of God and our spirits are quickened to receive them, it is vital that we don't wait – we need grasp onto that word/promise immediately.  If we don't, we run the risk of missing out/losing what God wants to do in our lives (Matthew 4:18-22).  Jesus puts it this way:

Luke 8:5 -A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.

Luke 8:12 -Those by the wayside are they that hear; then comes the devil, and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

Notice that some of the seed the farmer scattered did penetrate the soil.  It sort of hung out there in the open field.  This made it an easy target for scavengers.  Spiritually speaking, when Holy Spirit quickens a word or a promise to us, we need to get that thing planted in our hearts immediately, or the enemy can steal it from us.  For example:

• If you are experiencing back pain while listening to a sermon, and someone gives a word that God is healing back pain, don't wait until later to claim that promise.  No matter where you happen to be at that exact moment, immediately exercise your faith and claim your healing, before Satan has a chance to steal that blessing and replace it with doubt (Matthew 2:12). 

• If you are in a service and Holy Spirit is moving, ask him for a spiritual gift right then.  Don't wait until you get home or until you think about it for a while; you have to flow with the move of God.

• If there is an area of your life (relationships, finances, etc) that is dead and you hear a word of God promising resurrection, don't wait!  Immediately act upon the word God is giving you, so God can restore life to that situation (Mark 5:39-42).

John 6:53 – 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 you."

Let's talk about life and blood for a moment.  There are numerous passages in the Old Testament that forbid the Israelites to eat the blood of animals.  There wasn't a single Israelite who did not know this.  Consequently, unless they were being obstinate, there was NO WAY they could interpret the words of Jesus literally.  They HAD to know he was speaking spiritually. 

Leviticus 17:10-11 -And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel… that eats any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul.

(See also Genesis 9:4, Deuteronomy 12:16, 23-24, Ezekiel 33:25, Acts 15:29, etc).  God is very clear about the reason for not eating blood: the life of the animal is in its blood.  God accepted the life (blood) of certain animals as atonement rather than requiring the life (blood) of the soul that actually sinned.  Again, this basic truth was known to every Israelite.  It was demonstrated over and over, each time they brought a sin offering to the temple, and especially each and every Passover.

It really didn't take a rocket scientist to understand that Jesus was speaking about himself as the fulfillment of the Passover sacrifice, the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world (John 1:29) by shedding his life (blood) in our place.

But as is true of many of the teachings of Jesus, they are plain to those who truly desire to understand and confusing or hidden to those who do not.

John 6:54-55 – "Whoever feeds on 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."

Jesus received a physical body upon his incarnation for the express purpose of giving that life to be crucified for us; his life in exchange for ours.  With his blood he purchased a buffet of privileges for us:

1. Pardon for sin. 
2. Acceptance with God. 
3. Adoption as a son/daughter. 
4. Access to the throne of grace. 
5. All the promises of the covenant. 
6. Eternal life.
7. Much, much more!

These benefits are way beyond anything we could ever deserve!  Most of us can hardly even comprehend all that God has made available to us.  How can we appropriate these benefits for ourselves?

First, we need a spiritual appetite.  We need to be hungry for the presence and power of God in our lives.  We can work up spiritual hunger by searching the scriptures, by worshiping and spending time in his presence.  Jesus has assured us that if we hunger and thirst for righteousness, we shall be filled (Matthew 5:6).

Second, we receive or claim the promises/benefits by faith in Christ.  In the natural realm, a hungry person can starve to death at a buffet, if he refuses to partake/ingest what is being offered to him.  In the same way, God has set a table before us which contains all of his goodness and grace, but it is of no use unless we receive it by faith.

Third, we must continually feed upon him.  We need (and desire) physical food multiple times a day in order to thrive.  In the same way, we need to regularly feed upon Christ and his benefits so that our spiritual man can grow, increase in strength, come to maturity and bear fruit.

John 6:56-57 – "Whoever feeds on 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 whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me."

Jesus has revealed to the Jews the divine order of life.  God is our living Father.  He has life in and of himself; he is the great I AM. 

Jesus Christ is also the great I AM, and has life in and of himself.  However, when he was incarnated on earth as our Mediator, he lived by the Father (John 5:26). 

In Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary, Mr. Henry describes it this way: "He [Father God] that sent him [Jesus], not only qualified him with that life which was necessary to so great an undertaking, but constituted in him the treasury of divine life to us; he breathed into the second Adam the breath of spiritual lives, as into the first Adam the breath of natural lives."

True believers receive this divine spiritual life by virtue of their union with Christ.  Therefore, the person who spiritually feeds on Jesus lives by the life he provides, just as Jesus lived by the life his Father provided. 

John 6:58-59 – "This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died.  Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever."Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

This is the conclusion to the deep, profound and wonderful sermon which Jesus gave at Capernaum. 

As you recall, it began with a crowd of people seeking Jesus for the physical loaves and fish he could provide for them.  Jesus chastised them for seeking nothing more than an easy meal; he instructed them to seek spiritual food through him, the bread of life.

They rejected this idea, claiming that the manna provided to Israel in the wilderness was superior to any 'bread' that Jesus could provide. 

But Jesus shows that he provides something far more excellent that physical food.  He is spiritual food; he intended to sacrifice himself (his blood) to atone for their sins and those who have faith in him will have eternal life. 

John 6:60 –When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?"

In this verse, the term 'disciple' is used in a wide sense to mean all people who more or less followed Jesus.  The group would have included true believers as well as many who did not believe but were curious.  It would also have included those members of the religious community who sought to work against him.  In short, it does not refer exclusively to the 12 apostles. 

The bottom line is that these people were happy to follow Christ, as long as they agreed with everything he said.  But when they heard this sermon, it became a stumbling block in their road of faith.  As a result, many of them made the decision to stop following Christ. 

They claimed that these truths were a 'hard' saying.  In this context, 'hard' could also be translated offensive or disagreeable.  To be clear, it was not hard/difficult to hear or understand; it was simply hard for them to accept.  The Jews were offended that this man placed himself above Moses, that he called himself the bread of heaven, and that he insisted they needed to be saved by his atonement.

John 6:61-62 – But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, "Do you take offense at this?  Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?"

Notice that John specifically says Jesus 'knew in himself' that there was grumbling among his followers.  This indicates that there was no external source for this information; he was able to discern this through divine omniscience. 

He then addresses the issue head-on, by confronting their attitude.  Did they find his teaching/doctrine regarding the bread of heaven offensive?  If so, they weren't going to like what would happen in the future!

If they were looking for proof that his words were true, they wouldn't have to wait very long.  Soon he would be crucified, spilling his blood as he promised.  Then he would be raised to life on the third day and eventually he would ascend back up into heaven where he came from – and there would be many witnesses to that fact.  Perhaps then this obstinate group would believe!

John 6:63 – "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all.  The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life."

Jesus testifies to this crowd that they have absolutely no reason to find his doctrine offensive.  The words/teachings he imparted to them were spiritual; they had the power to quicken and nourish their souls.  This would result in eternal life.

 By contrast, their doctrines and views were all earthly/fleshly, pertaining only to the support of the physical body.  Despite their great respect for the manna that came under the watch of Moses, it did not bring everlasting life to their ancestors; all of them died and were buried. Neither would it help them to satisfy their innermost wants and desires, even if it was still available. 

Therefore, these people should stop and reconsider their choices. 

John 6:64 – "But there are some of you who do not believe." (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.)

Again, John points out that Jesus was divine/omniscient because only God has knowledge of the secrets and motives found within the heart of every individual.  Only God can discern who believed in Jesus as Messiah, and who just followed him out of curiosity. 

Jesus reveals that many of his current followers would not profit by his teaching, because they failed to mix it with the faith/belief necessary to produce change in their inward man.

Hebrews 4:2 - For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

This brings up the topic of unbelief, which was the chief sin of the Jews.  Evidence of their gross unbelief is found all throughout scriptures (Deuteronomy 1:32, II Kings 17:13-16, Luke 24:25, Luke 22:67, John 3:12, etc).

In this situation, the crowd might have argued that they heard the words of Jesus, but were not spiritually quickened/made alive.  However, the fault was not with the words of God, but with their unbelief, which caused them to despise the words of life and prevented them from obtaining its benefits.

Is there unbelief lurking in our hearts and minds?  My guess is that we are a lot like the earthly father of the child in Mark chapter 9, who confessed to a mixture of belief and doubt.  This makes sense, since our faith is never perfect.  But there are steps we can take to limit/dispel unbelief and build up our faith.

• We can feed upon the word of God.  We already know from this passage in John that the words of God bring spiritual life to each individual.  When we feed on the word, it builds up our faith (Romans 10:17).  When faith is increased, unbelief is decreased.

• We can meditate on past battles in which faith gave us the victory.  Think back in your life, and find an instance when God healed you, or provided for you, or otherwise answered a prayer which seemed impossible.  As you remember and meditate on how God moved mightily on your behalf, your faith will increase (Joshua 4:4-8).  When faith is increased, unbelief is decreased.

• Listen to testimonies of others who have been delivered.  The scriptures tell us that God is impartial; what he has done for one of his children he will do for another (Acts 10:34, Romans 2:11).  When you hear a testimony of someone who has been healed of cancer, let that fact build up your own faith, then ask the Lord to heal you too!  When faith is increased, unbelief is decreased.

• Run to the Lord in prayer and ask for help, just like the man in Mark 9 did!  We can be sure that God will never turn aside anyone who calls out to him for deliverance.  He will help you get rid of that unbelief!   

John 6:65-66 – And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father."After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.

What does Jesus mean when he says no one can come to the Father except it has been granted or given to them by the Father? 

The words of Christ are not like ordinary words.  The scripture/gospel is inseparably intertwined or joined together with Holy Spirit.  It is the unseen power of the Spirit which imparts life into the words.  Thus, the gospel becomes both Spirit and life to those who will receive it (verse 63). 

God gives or grants people the opportunity to come to Christ when they hear the living gospel message.  God then allows each individual to make a choice to accept or reject Christ. 

This statement is consistent with other teachings of Jesus.  In the parable of the sower (Mark chapter 4), we are told that the farmer sowed the exact same seed at various locations in his field, with different results. 

In each case, the seed was viable – it was capable of sprouting and bringing forth a 100 fold crop.  It was the condition of the soil that determined the amount of harvest (the wayside, the stony ground, the soil choked with weeds or the good ground).

Spiritually speaking, the word of God is always 100% viable, because it is intertwined with life from Holy Spirit.  It is always capable of resulting in salvation in the life of every person who hears it.  When someone hears the word and does not come to Christ, it is not because God did not draw him.  It is because they control the conditions of their hearts, and they have chosen to harden their hearts, or to allow the cares of this world to choke out the word, or (like many of the disciples of Jesus in Capernaum), they have no spiritual roots so they fall away when persecution comes or when they find the doctrines of Christ offensive. 

John 6:67 – So Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you want to go away as well?"

Clearly, the apostles had been with Jesus long enough to be considered a separate group at this point; John refers to them as 'the twelve' without any further explanation. 

At the conclusion of this incredible sermon, many are choosing to reject the gospel.  Jesus uses this situation as a test for the twelve.  They have a choice, just like the crowd.  So Jesus calls them out.  Will they also choose to leave him?

It should be noted that Jesus knew what was in the hearts of the disciples, just as he knew what was in the hearts of the crowd.  When Jesus calls them out, he does it for their benefit (not to gain knowledge of their intentions).  When they openly avow to continue following Christ, it further strengthens their faith and commitment to him.  Thus, this 'trial' was beneficial to the twelve.

John 6:68 – Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life…"

As we frequently find in the gospels, Peter is the natural leader and spokesman of the twelve.  He characteristically makes a very fervent and ardent declaration to Jesus – leaving him is not an option; for there is no other place to go. 

In other words, the twelve (or the eleven) are firmly convinced that Jesus is the Messiah.  They know that the scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees and other religious leaders are corrupt and unable to lead the Jews into eternal life.  Even though the doctrines of Jesus are difficult to understand and sometimes shocking, they are the only means of salvation.    

John 6:69 – "… and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."

At this point, there was no possible way that Peter (or any of the twelve) understood the whole plan of salvation.  However, we find that they have put their faith in Christ and they have submitted themselves to him in all things.  For them, there is no turning back. 

The fear/respect of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Psalms 111:10); as they place their faith in Christ and adhere to his words they grow in both knowledge and understanding of spiritual things. 

The same is true for us.  There are principles/promises/doctrines in scripture that we may not fully understand, but as we commit ourselves to the Lord and his word, he will teach us by his Spirit (John 14:26).  Anyone who earnestly seeks knowledge from God will get an answer. 

John 6:70-71 –Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve?  And yet one of you is a devil."He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.

Jesus declares that one of the twelve is a devil, but at the time, he did not say which one.  Indeed, it does not appear that the disciples even suspected Judas of betrayal.  They continue to treat him as a brother and they continue to allow him to be the treasurer of the group.  When they are at the last supper and Jesus says someone is going to betray him, the eleven are looking around asking Jesus 'Is it I?'  This is further evidence that they did not know at this time that Judas was the betrayer.

This brings up a question that many of us have pondered from time to time:  Why did Jesus allow Judas into his inner circle? Why make him an apostle?

One reason is that Judas was actually and important witness for Christ.  He was with Jesus day in and day out for three years.  If Jesus had been anything different in private than he was in public (a hypocrite), Judas would have known it and reported it to the religious leaders, who would have paid good money for any reason to condemn Jesus.

Another reason is that the betrayal of Jesus was actually a fulfillment of prophesy. If Judas had not betrayed him, some prophesies would have remained unfulfilled.

It also shows that Jesus had true knowledge of the human heart; he could discern the character of Judas long before it was fully developed.   

Let me offer you some encouragement:

Like the father in Mark chapter 9, we too have a mixture of belief/faith and unbelief/doubt in our lives.  But there is hope for us – there are things we can do to increase faith and banish unbelief (see above). 

Let me encourage you with this thought:  Jesus says that even faith as small as a mustard seed can move a mountain (Matthew 17:20).  So don't be intimidated by the enemy.  Stand your ground in Christ!  Resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7).

Let me offer you some relief:

Jesus calls upon us to spread the good news of the gospel to a lost and dying world.  However, we need to keep in mind that only Holy Spirit can quicken that word in the heart of the hearer and bring them to salvation. 

For this reason, we should not be discouraged if everyone we speak to does not accept the message.  It is not our job to convict them of sin; it is simply our job to be sensitive to the leading of Holy Spirit, speaking as he directs us.  The outcome of that exchange is out of our control. 

Let me offer you some strength:

Some of the early followers of Jesus abandoned their faith because the doctrine of Christ was offensive to them.  It was not compatible with their own views, or the prevailing culture of that day. 

Even today, many of the doctrines of scripture are offensive to the people in our culture.  For this reason, you might be tempted to back down or compromise the doctrines of scripture.  But let me encourage you to stay strong in your beliefs!  Keep your light shining brightly for Christ.  Share the gospel at every opportunity.  Soon Jesus will return, the whole earth will see the truth, and you will be vindicated for your belief in Jesus!  

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John 11:34 – And he said, "Where have you laid him?"  They said to him, "Lord, come and see."

Our last post ended with Jesus deeply grieving as he looked upon the sorrow of his friends, Mary and Martha.  He was troubled by the havoc and destruction that sin was wreaking upon his creation – those he made in his own image, those into whom he breathed the breath of life and those whom he deeply loved.   

As he stood there grieving with the family, the other mourners gathered around.  There was probably quite a crowd. 

At that point Jesus asks the sisters to take him to the grave.  It is important to note that this was not really a request for information.  God often asks us questions when he already knows the answer: 

• When God asked Cain where his brother was, he already knew Abel was dead (Genesis 4:9-10). 

• When God asked Elijah why he was at Mount Horeb, he already knew Elijah was afraid of Jezebel (I Kings 19:13-14). 

• When Jesus asked Judas why he had come to the Garden of Gethsemane, he already knew it was to betray him (Matthew 26:46-48). 

In this case, Jesus already knew where the grave was located.  So what was the purpose of the question? 

• Going straight to the grave would have implied some kind of collusion between him and the family.  The unbelieving Jews would have accused Jesus of perpetrating a false miracle. 

• By asking to see the grave, Jesus diverts the grief of Mary and Martha while at the same time raising their expectations of a miracle. 

• Jesus waited until all of the mourners had gathered around Mary and Martha before asking the question.  Thus, it was a natural thing for all of them to accompany Jesus to the grave.  This put all of them (including the influential Jews and unbelievers) in a position to be eye-witnesses to the miracle. 

John 11:35 – Jesus wept.

As we discussed at the beginning of our study, one of the main focuses of the gospel of John is the divinity of Jesus.  This is a point that he stresses over and over.  But at the same time, we know that Jesus was also human.  Before giving proof of his divinity, Jesus allowed himself to experience the intense grief and sorrow that all of us have known at one time or another.   

This is consistent with what the Old Testament prophets said of the Messiah – he would be a man of sorrows/grief:

Isaiah 53:3 - He [the Messiah] is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

His tears are also evidence of the compassion he had for a lost and dying world, enslaved in sin and subject to death.    

John 11:36 – So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"

The Jews took the tears of Jesus as evidence of his love for Lazarus.  They were right to do so; Jesus loved him very much.

But at the same time, Jesus demonstrated his love for us in a much more powerful way – he died for us.

John 15:13 - Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

We need never question the love of Christ for us.  God could simply have written us off like a bad debt, or completely destroyed us.  Instead, he left the splendor and glory of heaven, came down to earth, subjected himself to a mortal body, then laid down his life so we could be reconciled to God.  What more could he have done to demonstrate his love for us?

John 11:37 – But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?"

Others interpreted the tears of Jesus in a very different way. 

The death of Lazarus was obviously a source of sorrow to Jesus.  According to some of the Jews, if Jesus could have prevented Lazarus' death, he would have.  The fact that Jesus didn't prevent it, led them to incorrectly assume he couldn't.

This is similar to the assumption people made when Jesus hung on the cross:

Matthew 27:42 - He [Jesus] saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

People wrongly assumed that Jesus didn't willingly go to the cross.  They also mistakenly assumed he couldn't come down from the cross and save himself from physical death. 

They failed to consider that divine power is always directed by divine wisdom.  Furthermore, God's ways are not our ways.  We cannot make assumptions about the power and authority of God based on the things we see around us.  Christians may be persecuted or afflicted but that does not mean that God does not love us or that he does not have the power to deliver/rescue us.  It means that from God's perfect eternal perspective, these circumstances are beneficial for us.

These unbelievers thought Jesus had limited power, but he will soon prove them wrong.

John 11:38 – Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb.  It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.

Our translation says that as Jesus arrived at the tomb he was 'deeply moved'.  The King James Version says Jesus 'again groaned in himself'.  Why would Jesus be deeply moved/groaning again?

• The most obvious reason was that as they approached the actual grave, the mourning of Mary and Martha became even more intense and Jesus was touched by their grief.  

• He was also acutely aware of the misery mankind was experiencing under the bondage of sin and death.  

• Some think that Jesus was moved because he was going to call Lazarus away from the presence of God and back into this sinful, troublesome world.

• It is also possible that Jesus was grieved by the unbelief and hardness of heart exhibited by the Jews who were present (Matthew 23:37).  This must have been a source of sorrow to Jesus all throughout his ministry.  The Jews were God's chosen people.  They had the promises of the first covenant.  God longed to gather them to himself and bring them into the age of grace.  They only thing that prevented that from happening was their unbelief:

Luke 13:34 - O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which kills the prophets, and stones them that are sent unto you; how often would I have gathered your children together, as a hen does gather her brood under her wings, and you would not!

 Is there something that is keeping you in unbelief?  Just because something hasn't happened until now, doesn't mean that God won't or can't do it.  Someone may have told you that 'God doesn't do that today', but they are wrong.  Nothing is impossible with God. 

John 11:39 – Jesus said, "Take away the stone."  Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days."

Why does Martha raise this objection?  Does she do it out of respect for her brother?  Perhaps she doesn't want his decaying body to be a stench and a spectacle to her friends.  Is she trying to spare everyone the unpleasant experience of the smell of death?  Or do her words reflect the language of unbelief?

 Look at her answer again - her unbelief is easily evident in her statement.  We could paraphrase her words this way: 'Jesus, it is too late for you to intervene in his case.  His body is not just dead, it has begun to rot.  It is utterly impossible for something that dead to live again.'  In other words, she has given up this situation as hopeless. 

She wasn't the only one that thought this way.  The people at the gravesite were well aware that after four days in the heat anything that was dead was going be putrid and the smell of death/decay would be unmistakable.  And that was exactly the point. 

The noses of the witnesses were just as important as their eyes.  While no one physically went into the tomb to see the decaying body, they all knew Lazarus was dead because they could smell him.  You might be able to fake being dead, but you can't fake the smell of rotting flesh.   

John 11:40 – Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?"

When Jesus replied to Martha, he could just have easily said 'Did I not tell you that if you believe you would see the resurrection of your brother', or something similar to that.  But instead he replies in terms that apply to believers in every age.

Stop right now and consider a circumstance in your life that you want God to touch, but at the same time it seems hopeless to you.  I am confident that you have one, because we all do!  Now picture Jesus saying this same phrase to you: "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?"

I don't know about you, but when I think of Jesus saying those words directly to me, it really encourages my faith.  It makes me realize that God is acutely aware of my circumstance, that he has heard every prayer I have prayed, and that he has the situation well under control.  In fact, it even makes me a little embarrassed that I could have doubted his intervention in my situation! 

So let us remember that God is always working in our lives, even when we don't see it or when we don't understand his entire plan.  Our faith can rest on the certainty that God never fails; he always keeps his promises:

Jeremiah 1:12 - Then said the LORD unto me, You have well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it. 

It is also good to remind ourselves that God works in our lives in proportion to our faith:

Matthew 17:20 - And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, Remove from here to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

So let's grasp and hold onto the promises God has given us.  Let's speak them out loud and claim them for our own.

John 11:41 – So they took away the stone.  And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me."

Obviously, Martha was in charge of the funeral; the servants were not going to remove the stone without her permission.  So for a brief moment, everything came to a standstill while Martha made a decision.  Would she follow her instincts and prevent the grave from being opened?  Or would she change her mind and allow the stone to be removed? 

In order for God to proceed in her situation, Martha had to change her mind/thinking.  She had to let God do things at his time, in his way regardless of when and how she wanted the situation to unfold. 

In other words, she can't tell God what she wants, and then proceed to tell him how to do it.  While that makes perfect sense, we have all done that exact thing!  At one time or another, we have all told God specifically how we wanted him to answer our petitions. 

But if you look back, you might just discover that you are glad you didn't get what you asked for!  Because the truth is that God knows best.  The answer he gives you is far better for you than anything you could have imagined. 

So the stone is rolled away, and Jesus begins to pray.

When you pray, what posture do you normally take?  When I was growing up, we were always taught to close our eyes and bow our heads.  While there is nothing wrong with that, it isn't the only manner in which to pray. 

When Jesus lifts his eyes to heaven, he is using an outward sign to express what is going on in his heart.  Jesus looks towards heaven, fixing his attention on the Father - the source of all life and help.  By doing so, he overlooks the grave where Lazarus was lying.  In other words, he did not dwell upon the (seemingly) impossible situation before him; he focused his faith on the power of God.

Scripture tells us that Abraham did the same thing as he waited for the impossible to happen in his life (the birth of Isaac).  In fact, we are specifically told that Abraham refused to look at/consider the futility of his situation:

Romans 4:19 - And being not weak in faith, he [Abraham] considered not his own body as now dead, when he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:

Instead, he kept his attention and faith focused on the promise of God:

Romans 4:18, 21 – Who [Abraham] against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall your descendants be.  And being fully persuaded that, what he [God] had promised, he was able also to perform. 

When we find ourselves in circumstances that seem insurmountable, we should follow the example of Abraham and Jesus; we should focus on the power of God, not the limits of our situation!

We also find that Jesus had complete confidence in approaching the Father through prayer.  He had no doubts at all.  He was fully convinced that God was listening.

John 11:42 – "I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me."

We too can have the same confidence.  God neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalms 121:4); he hears prayer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  The writer of Hebrews instructs us to boldly enter the throne room of grace so that we can receive grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

Furthermore, the scriptures tell us that when we ask anything according to his will, God hears us:

1 John 5:14 - And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us:

God always hears when his children pray; he heard Jesus and he hears you too.  However, there is a very important detail we need to discuss.  We pray because we need God to intervene in our circumstances, but that was not the case for Jesus.  He didn't need to ask his Father to raise Lazarus from the dead because he possessed resurrection power within himself. 

Furthermore, the will of Jesus was always in perfect harmony with the will of his Father.  Therefore, God was always ready to grant any request that Jesus made.   And since Jesus knew his Father would always grant his requests, there was really no need for Jesus to even ask. 

That being the case, why did Jesus pray?

The prayer was for the benefit of the people present.  Remember, many of the religious leaders blasphemously claimed that Jesus worked miracles by the power of the devil.  In this instance, he purposely appeals to God through prayer to prove once again that he was commissioned and approved by God.    

John 11:43 – When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out."

Ancient magicians who worked wonders by the power of Satan did so by whispering, muttering or reciting incantations.  Jesus does the exact opposite of this.  He asserted his resurrection power in a clear, concise, loud voice.  He addresses Lazarus as one would address a friend that he wanted to wake from sleep.   

The power of raising the dead is the highest power we can imagine.  It entails having power and authority in the spiritual realm so that you can recall a departed soul.  Then that soul must be reunited to the body and life restored to it.  Anyone who can do that has to be omnipotent (unlimited in power and ability) and therefore divine. 

Jesus wielded this power through his spoken word; even death is subject to his commands.  Upon hearing the voice of the Son of God, the dead man was instantly turned from a putrefying pile of flesh into a living, breathing healthy human.

Here is the best part:  This is a striking illustration of the general resurrection which will take place at the end of this age.  At that time, all the dead will be raised by the voice/word of Jesus:

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 - For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Jesus has just demonstrated that he can and will bring about the resurrection of mankind by his own power and authority.  How important it is that each one of us prepare for the moment when we will hear the call of his voice!  

John 11:44 – The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

Lazarus came out of the grave in the same manner in which he was laid there – wrapped in a shroud, with his head in a separate cloth.  This gave the witnesses an opportunity to touch Lazarus as they removed his grave clothes.  They could verify that he was not a ghost.  It was really Lazarus in the flesh, restored to life.

So the witnesses have seen, smelled, heard and touched the miracle of resurrection.  What further proof could be given?

John 11:45 – Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him…

Many (not all) of the Jews that were present acknowledged the validity of this miracle.  As a result, they were willing to accept that Jesus was the Messiah.

Sadly, there were some who persisted in unbelief and continued to reject Jesus as Messiah.  We will look at these people and their actions in our next post.   

In the meantime, let's review a point we made early on in our study of John chapter 11.  Specifically, Jesus will allow us to suffer if that suffering results in our good or his glory.

Mary and Martha definitely suffered at the death of their brother.  We have evidence that, as a result of that suffering, they questioned God's love for them.  At the time, they did not understand the purpose of their suffering. 

But in time they came to see the unfolding of God's plan.  God restored Lazarus and used the suffering of this family to bring many Jews into the kingdom of heaven.  God also used it to give us a sure and certain example of his resurrection power; we can have faith that he will keep his word and resurrect all people at the end of this age. 

Let me offer you some encouragement:

Are you experiencing some suffering right now?  Are you unable to see the purpose behind it?  If so, take heart – you are in good company.  Each one of us has experienced these same feelings.

When you find yourself in that situation, here is an encouraging thought you can hold onto:  your suffering will not be in vain.  God used the suffering of Mary, Martha and Lazarus to bring many people into the kingdom of God.  You can rest assured that there is a purpose in your suffering as well, even though you don't see it right at this moment.

Let me offer you some relief:

In this post we saw that Jesus wept at the death of Lazarus.  His tears reflected the love he had for his friend.  We also noted that Jesus demonstrated his love for us in a much more powerful way – by dying for our sin.

Satan often tries to convince us that God does not love us when we mess up or sin.  But nothing could be further from the truth!  God's love for us is not dependent upon our performance.  He loves us because he is our Creator and we love his Son.  So if you sin, repent and move on – but don't EVER allow Satan to convince you that God does not love you!   

Let me offer you some strength:

Sometimes it seems like the pain, suffering and struggles of this life will never end.  But I assure you, they will!  In the meantime, remember that God has made you and I victorious over the world through the power of Jesus Christ.  Amen!

1 John 5:4 - For whoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.

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John 1:35-36 – The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!"

We now continue our study of chapter one, in which John the apostle is giving testimony about the divinity of Jesus. 

In our last post, John the apostle was relating an eyewitness account of the testimony of John the Baptist.  John the Baptist confirmed for the religious leaders (Pharisees sent from the Sanhedrin) that he himself was NOT the Messiah, nor a reincarnation of Elijah, nor another Prophet.   The Baptist described himself as simply a voice, crying out in the wilderness, paving the way for the Messiah.  

The Baptist also testified that when Holy Spirit landed upon Jesus in the form of a dove, it was a sign from God that he was the long awaited Messiah.  John the Baptist confirmed Jesus as the Messiah publicly a number of times. 

As we pick up in verse 35, we find that John the Baptist was standing with two of his followers.  We know that one of them was Andrew (verse 40), and as we mentioned in our introduction, it is quite likely that the second was John, who would later become the apostle John and the writer of this gospel.

As they are standing there, the Baptist watches Jesus walk by.  The Greek word for watch means 'to attentively behold, to earnestly fix your eyes upon'.  In other words, it was not just a passing glance.  John knew he was looking upon the Messiah, the Son of God and the deliverer/redeemer of mankind.  John then proceeded to do what he always did – point others away from himself and towards Jesus, the Lamb of God.

John 1:37 – The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

The words spoken by the Baptist were clearly blessed of God – there had been no miracle, no flash of lightening, no angles singing; just a few simple words that created a hunger/desire within these two men to understand Jesus and his message.  That inward desire manifested itself in their actions – they immediately left John and followed Jesus. 

John 1:38 – Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, "What are you seeking?"  And they said to him, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), where are you staying?"

Don't you just love the response of Jesus?  As soon as the two disciples began to pursue him, he turned to meet them.  He wasn't too busy.  He didn't have an assistant check their credentials or degree of religious training.  He didn't require an appointment.  He immediately responded to their heartfelt desire to know him!  

Rather than putting them on the spot, Jesus speaks first.  His question (What are you seeking?) could be paraphrased this way - "What is your petition or request?  What would you like to tell me?  What would you like to ask me?" 

In essence, Jesus was inviting these men to open up their minds and hearts.  He wanted to hear their thoughts and ideas regarding the Messiah.  He wanted to know how they interpreted current events.  He wanted to converse and fellowship with them.  He wanted to open the scriptures and reveal the truth about Messiah.

In their response, they address Jesus as 'Rabbi', which is a Jewish title of respect or honor given to teachers of the law.  Although they do not yet recognize Jesus as the fulfillment of that law, they are willing to believe the testimony of John the Baptist, who points them to Christ.  At that point, they can discover Jesus for themselves.  

Their response to Jesus (where are you staying) indicates that they were ready to spend some time getting to know Jesus and his ways.  They weren't in a big hurry to have an answer within a minute.  They were willing to open their minds and hearts and embark on a journey to find knowledge and truth.  

I believe Jesus is calling us to the same kind of relationship.  He has unknown depths of wisdom and knowledge.  He has answers to all of mankind's greatest questions.  And he turns to us and asks, 'What are you seeking?'  He is making us the offer of a lifetime - to embark on a close, intimate journey with him, as he reveals answers to the questions that are deep within our souls.  Does that sound like an exciting journey to you?  

John 1:39 – He said to them, "Come and you will see."  So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.

In the Jewish way of keeping time, the tenth hour refers to roughly 4 o'clock in the afternoon.  Since 6 pm was considered sunset, the disciples had a choice - either come back in the morning, or stay the night with Jesus. 

Before we go any further, let me ask you a question:  Have you ever put something off until tomorrow, only to find that tomorrow never comes?  Do you have a goal that you have always planned to accomplish, but you haven't done a thing about it in the last 10 years?  If so, chances are you will never do that thing!

In this situation we see that the disciples could have put off meeting with Christ until 'tomorrow', but they did not.  They probably had busy lives, just like we do.  But they put aside their work, hobbies, friends, etc in order to connect with Jesus.  They were truly searching for spiritual answers.   

What a wonderful lesson for us!  Much to our shame, we often find reasons to put off spending time with Christ.  We often look for a 'more convenient time' (Acts 24:25) to research or consider spiritual matters.  And sadly, every time we delay, we miss out on an opportunity to fellowship with the Father, Son and Spirit.  Furthermore, with the instability in our society today, we need to spend MORE time gaining wisdom from Jesus, not LESS!  

John 1:40-41 – One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.  He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means Christ). 

John now begins to tell us how the disciples were gradually brought to Christ.  Andrew is one of the first to follow Jesus, and as soon as he hears about the Messiah, he brings his brother Simon (Peter). 

This is a common occurrence.  Once a person finds Jesus, they are so thrilled, delighted and amazed with him, that they cannot help but share this good news with others.  And so it goes… one invites another, who invites still another and Jesus accepts all of them, giving them the power to become sons of God (John 1:12). 

When was the last time you shared the good news with someone else?

John 1:42 – He brought him to Jesus.  Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon the son of John.  You shall be called Cephas" (which means Peter).

When Andrew brings his brother to Jesus, Jesus immediately identifies him as Simon, son of John (your translation may say Jonah or Jonas).  Jesus also delivers a prophesy regarding Simon – his name would later be changed to Peter/Cephas. 

Let's discuss this name change a bit further.  It is not uncommon to re-name a person based on a past event.  For example, when the patriarch Jacob wrestled with God all night, he was renamed Israel which means 'he who prevails with God' (Genesis 32:26-28).  Keep in mind that it was the event itself that prompted the name change; the event occurred first, and the name was changed afterward.    But in this scenario, Jesus is actually foretelling the future.  He declares that at some future time, Simon's name will be changed to Peter. 

Currently, Simon is rash, headstrong, fearful and inconsistent.  But Jesus sees Simon not as he is right now, but how he will be.  Before the crucifixion Simon Peter denies Christ three times and flees from the scene of the cross out of fear.  He, along with the other disciples, hid in fear of the Romans (John 20:19).  But after the day of Pentecost when Holy Spirit filled Peter and the others, Peter transforms into the bold, consistent, fearless leader that Jesus knew he would become.

So, how do you view yourself?  Your spouse?  Your children and/or grandchildren?  Do you only see their current failures and struggles, or do you envision them as Jesus does - successful, productive citizens and spiritual generals in the kingdom of heaven? 

Your words have tremendous power (Proverbs 18:21).  So be sure to speak words of success, love and encouragement over your family every day.  Tell them not to give up or be discouraged; remind them that eventually they will overcome their current obstacles and be victorious.  Want to sow seeds of greatness into their lives?  Use your words to paint them a picture of their future success!

John 1:43-44 – The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee.  He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me."  Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 

Jesus recognizes that it is his time to leave Judea where he has been baptized by John.  No doubt there were those who wanted him to remain close to John the Baptist, hoping to see more and greater confirmations that he was the Messiah.  There were also those who would have wanted him to travel straight to Jerusalem, so that he could assume the public role of Messiah that they envisioned for him. 

But Jesus has other plans.  He is busy doing his Father's will.  At this time, he is revealing himself as Messiah to those who will later become his apostles.  This is not the actual calling of these men to be apostles (you can read about that in Matthew 4:18).  It is simply the time in which they become fully convinced that Jesus is truly the divine Son of God and redeemer of mankind.

John 1:45 – Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

Phillip, fully convinced that Jesus is the Messiah, shares the good news with another friend of his – Nathanael (who is also called Bartholomew or son of Tholomew). 

What causes Philip and the others to be fully convinced that Jesus is the Messiah?  I think it is a combination of more than one thing.

To begin with, we know that Andrew and another disciple (most likely John) were originally followers of John the Baptist.  This tells us that they were spiritual seekers.  They were looking for truth and spiritual reform.  Religion was not just a thing relegated to some dusty corner of their lives; it was an integral part of who they were.  It affected their daily lives and the fortunes of their nation.    

Their search for truth led them to John the Baptist.  Because they followed John the Baptist, they witnessed John's confirmation of Jesus as the Messiah.  This led them to seek an audience with Jesus, which resulted in an invitation to spend the night with him.  And during the discussions of that night, it is probable that Jesus opened the Old Testament scriptures (the Law and the Prophets) to them, showing that he was the fulfillment of all that had been prophesied about the Messiah. 

Once Andrew and John were fully convinced, they told the good news to Peter, who told Philip, who then told Nathanael.

So let's ask ourselves this question:  Would any of this have happened to these men if they had not been actively seeking the truth?  Do you think they would have found the Messiah while sitting at home, complaining about the Romans and the taxes and the corrupt priesthood?  Do you think revelation knowledge of the Messiah would just have come to them as they read the evening news?   

What about us?  Are we actively seeking a fresh encounter with Holy Spirit in our own lives?  Do we spend time at the feet of Jesus, asking for wisdom to help us turn our nation around before it self-destructs, or are we just sitting around complaining about government mismanagement? Will we find the answers to our personal and national problems by listening to the news media?  

Matthew 7:7 – Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

My personal opinion is that we will never 'stumble' onto the answers we need for ourselves or for our nation.  It will take a definite effort on our part.  The good news is that Scripture supports the idea that God is found by those who actively seek him. 

Jeremiah 29:13 – You will seek me [God] and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.      

Let's face it – what we have done in the past is not working.  Let's turn to the source of all truth for the answers we so desperately need in our own lives and in our country!  

John 1:46 – Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip said to him, "Come and see."

Clearly, Nathanael had some preconceived ideas about Nazareth.

Generally speaking, Nazareth was not the most prized real estate in that region.  It was an obscure village of Galilee.  It was far away from Jerusalem, thinly populated, mountainous and wild.  It was surrounded by Gentile nations and the Jews considered it a wicked place.  To be identified as a Nazarene was an expression of contempt among the Jews.  All in all, they would be prone to immediately dismiss anything or anyone who came from Nazareth, including Jesus.

So we find that Nathanael could have rejected Christ based on his own preconceived ideas.  What preconceived ideas do you have about revival or Holy Spirit or the supernatural or angels or miracles?  Are these ideas preventing you from finding the truth? 

Nathanael took the time to 'come and see' before making a decision on the matter of the Messiah.  Can we do the same to spiritual things we don't fully understand?

John 1:47 – Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!"

Our translation says that Nathanael had no deceit in him.  Your translation may say "guile".  The root meaning is deceit, fraud or hypocrisy.  According to Jesus, Nathanael is exactly what he seems to be – a true Jew, who fears God and obeys his law. 

Jesus seems to be making a distinction here.  There were many Jews who boasted in their heritage.  Because they were physical descendants of Abraham, they considered themselves holy and accepted by God.  Yet, these same people were often hypocrites; far removed from the faith of their fathers.  Despite being children of Abraham, many of them would soon become bitter enemies of the cross.  

Thus, Jesus makes a distinction between those who profess to be Jews and those who are truly Jewish in their hearts.  The same distinction can be made of Christians.  There are those who claim to be Christians for one reason or another, but they are hypocrites who lack true faith, devotion and love.  On the other hand, there are also true Christians who have integrity of heart before God and man.  Let us always strive to be like Nathanael!

John 1:48 – Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?"  Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."

Having never met Jesus before, Nathanael naturally wonders how or where Jesus could have known about his character.   

The answer Jesus gives Nathanael blows his mind!  Jesus says he has 'seen' Nathanael under the fig tree.  In the original Greek, Jesus refers to it as "THE" fig tree, not simply "A" fig tree.  Thus, it was not just any old fig tree, but a very specific tree, which Nathanael knew well.    

Scholars speculate that the fig tree was the personal place of daily prayer and/or devotion of Nathanael.  It was the place he routinely went in order to commune with God.  We might refer to it as a personal prayer closet.  It was here that Nathanael released his thoughts, prayers, dreams, desires, motivations and secret feelings to God.

When Jesus declares he has 'seen' Nathanael there, he is clearly not referring to the act of physical sight (II Chronicles 16:9).  Jesus is saying that he had knowledge of all the prayers and communion that Nathanael shared with God.  In order for Jesus to know this, he had to be divine. 

John 1:49 – Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"

The words of Jesus quicken Nathanael's spirit.  He knows that Jesus has spoken the truth and that he actually is the Messiah, the Son of God.  And because of his understanding of the scriptures, Nathanael correctly proclaims him the King of Israel (According to scripture, if Jesus is the Messiah then he is also the King of Israel). 

While this is true, it also reflects the limitations of Nathanael's thinking.  Jesus came not only to be the savior and king of Israel, but of the entire world - Gentiles as well as Jews!

John 1:50-51 – Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?  You will see greater things than these."  And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

Nathanael had based his faith in the divinity of Jesus on one revelation – that Jesus knew what he had spoken to God in secret. 

But Jesus was going to furnish much, much more abundant proof than just that!  All of the apostles were soon going to witness vast numbers of miraculous events.  The blind would see, demons would be cast out, thousands would be fed, storms would be stilled, Jesus would be resurrected, and on and on and on.   

However, scholars are somewhat mystified by the exact words of Jesus here in the book of John. We can't point to any specific time when Nathanael saw a literal vision in which heaven was opened and angels were ministering to Jesus.  Of course, this does not mean that this event did not occur (John 20:30).  It also does not mean that this particular event has yet taken place.  Perhaps Jesus is referring to something that will happen during his second coming.

One thing we can be sure of is that Jesus still desires to reveal himself, his power and his glory to his present day followers.  If we want to know Jesus in this way, all we need to do is seek him!

Let me offer you some encouragement:

The scripture says that John the Baptist ministered in the spirit and power of Elijah; he pointed people to Christ.  No matter what our individual ministry may be, we too need to operate in that same spirit and power.

We don't need to put on strange clothes, eat unusual food and separate ourselves from the world in order to do so.  All we need to do is live in a state of thankfulness for all that Jesus has done for us.  When we do, we will find that our conversation and our actions will automatically reflect what Christ has done for us and this in turn will open doors of opportunity for us to share that good news with others.  

I encourage you to meditate on the goodness of God and watch doors open up for you to testify about Christ.  

Let me offer you some relief:

God is not finished with you yet!  In today's study we noted that Jesus knew Simon would one day become Peter; his character and spiritual man were going to grow and change.

Likewise, you are not going to be the same person next year that you are right now.  Neither are your spouse and/or your children.  So make sure you take the time to speak words of life, success and encouragement to everyone in your household, regardless of their current situation.  Recognize the potential in those around you, and sow seeds of greatness into your loved ones!    

Let me offer you some strength:

Today's lesson demonstrates a biblical principle:  Those who truly seek will find.  Picture yourself in Andrew's shoes as Jesus turns to him and asks, 'What do you seek'? 

What do you want from the Lord?  Health?  Answers to problems?  A spouse or a child?  A financial breakthrough?  A spiritual gift?  

I am NOT saying that God is going to answer every prayer you pray in the manner in which you want.  But I am saying that God will communicate with you; he will give you answers to your questions, even if the answer is 'no'.  So if you are seeking Him and his will in a situation, don't give up!  Strengthen your resolve.  Stay in communion with Jesus until he reveals the answer to you. You'll be glad you did!

 

 

 

 

   

   

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John 6:16-17 – When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum.  It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.

Immediately after the feeding of the five thousand, a serious problem occurred.  No sooner were the 12 baskets of scraps gathered up, when the people wanted to make Jesus a king.  That may not sound so bad, but remember, Herod had just put John the Baptist to death; any hint of insurrection would have produced a similar fate for Jesus.  It was not God's will for Jesus to be made king, but it wasn't his will for Jesus to be beheaded before the crucifixion either. 

This was a tense situation.  All of us are well aware that crowds can be uncontrollable and wild.  People can and will do things in/with a crowd which they would never do on an individual basis.  And once a crowd has decided upon a course of action, it is incredibly difficult to reason with them.  The apostle Paul tried to reason with crowds on several occasions, with mixed results (Acts 14:8-20, Acts 21:18-22:22).          

In this case, Jesus instructed the twelve to get into the boat and leave, while he dealt with the multitude.  Due to the intense situation, the disciples probably didn't want to leave Jesus alone; they must have waited for him as long as they could. 

But eventually it became dark and they started off.  The weather, we assume, was fine at that time.  (If a storm had been brewing, it would have provided the disciples with a good excuse to remain on the shore even longer.)

Our translation says they 'started across the sea' to Capernaum.  The King James 2000 Version and the American Standard Version say they 'went over the sea' towards Capernaum.  The NIV says they 'set off across the lake'.

The point is, that when we read the phrase 'across the sea', we assume that the disciples were trying to traverse the sea/lake from the western shore (which was where the miracle took place), to the eastern shore.  But this was not the case. 

The coastal cities of Capernaum, Bethsaida and Tiberius were all on the same side of the sea/lake – the western shore.  However, the terrain is very difficult in that area.  It would have been much faster and easier to sail from one city to the other, rather than trying to cover the distance on land.  This would explain why they sailed there instead of walking.  

John tells us that the disciples were headed for Capernaum.  Since he was on the boat, he would know.  However, he might be summarizing what actually happened. 

In the gospel of Mark, we find Jesus instructing the twelve to go to Bethsaida:

Mark 6:45 - And immediately he made his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.

Although the ultimate goal was to return to Capernaum, Jesus may have wanted them to take the boat to Bethsaida, where he would eventually catch up with them and they would all sail to Capernaum together (Mark 6:45).  

It is also possible that the disciples did indeed set out for Bethsaida, but due to the storm, they had no choice but to make for Capernaum.  In either case, what the disciples thought would be a routine trip was turning out to be something else entirely.      

Meanwhile, Jesus is dealing with the crowd.  After squelching their plans to make him king and sending them all home for the night, he quietly slipped away.  Going back up the mountain, he found a place of solitude and entered into a season of prayer with the Father (Matthew 14:23, Mark 6:46). 

Why would Jesus choose that particular time for extended prayer?  Could it be that the actions of the crowd represented a very real temptation for Jesus?  Here was a group of people who not only offered but almost forced human honor upon him. 

But Jesus did not give into the temptation of pride or vain glory.  He stuck to the plan God had outlined – he would indeed be glorified as King of Kings, after bearing the burden of sin and suffering death on the cross (I Timothy 6:14-16, Revelation 17:14).   

Scriptures show that Jesus had private devotions with his Father all throughout his earthly ministry.  Shutting himself away with God allowed him to resist pride and other temptations.  It kept him on his course.  That being the case, can we do any less?  If we do not spend time in communion and prayer with God, how can we overcome temptation?  How can we know and accomplish the will of God without being full of Holy Spirit (Zechariah 4:6)?       

John 6:18 – The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing.

Rowing a boat on this lake must have seemed like an easy task for these men, as several of them were former fishermen.  No doubt, they had been on this very body of water many times before.  But what they thought was a routine assignment quickly turned into something else entirely.

The disciples are able to row about 3-4 miles before a storm blows in.  It is dark/late at night, they are tired and now a storm threatens to engulf them. 

One of two things must be true:  Either the wind was so strong they couldn't get the boat to shore, or they purposely kept the boat well away from the shore, fearful that the boat would be destroyed on rocks.  Either way, they certainly seem to be in a state of fear and panic.     

Now, ask yourself this question:  Were the disciples in the middle of a storm during the dead of night because of their own decision/choice?  No!  They were crossing the lake as the result of a direct command of Jesus.  This means they were smack dab in the middle of God's will, yet they were in the midst of a storm. 

Let's look at this situation from a spiritual perspective.  Spiritually speaking, we use the word 'storm' as a euphemism for trials or tribulations.  This means you can be sailing along in life, doing the will of God as you were instructed, and you can run right into a trial!  In fact, it is almost a guarantee.     

Here's another question:  Could Jesus have kept them from being out on the lake during the storm?  Yes!  He certainly knew the storm was coming.  He could have told them to wait for him on shore, or he could have taken them with him to the place of prayer.  But instead, Jesus allows them to encounter this storm.  He allows their way to be dark, so they cannot clearly see the path forward.

Spiritually speaking, I bet that most of us consider trials/tests/tribulations as negative occurrences and we seek to avoid them at all costs.  But this is not the viewpoint of God.  Trials are one of the many methods he uses to help us grow and mature in our faith.

1 Peter 4:12-13 - Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to test you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:  But rejoice, since you are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy.  

As we saw in our last post, Jesus tested Philip by asking him how he was going to feed the multitude.  Holy Spirit will often allow us to encounter a storm/test/trial in order to reveal what is deep within our hearts (Deuteronomy 8:2).  If it is something that needs to be circumcised from our heart/life Holy Spirit is there to assist.

The storms/trials of life also help us to increase our faith.  Think of it this way: faith is a lot like a muscle – the more you use it, the bigger, stronger and more defined it becomes.  Since trials force you to use your faith, they build up your faith and your spiritual endurance.  They prepare you for new levels of ministry and responsibility in the kingdom of God.  They are actually good for you!

Here is something to consider:  Your trial will always result in a testimony.  If you pass through the storm with a steady confidence in God not only will your faith grow, but it will build up the faith of others.  It will forge a bond between you and others who experience a similar storm (I Thessalonians 3:2-4).

For example, if your doctor diagnosed you with cancer, that would be a storm of hurricane proportions!  But if there was someone else in your church that had already had cancer and passed through that trial, wouldn't their experience be a comfort to you?  Wouldn't you like that person to pray for you and encourage you?  Don't you feel you could bring your questions and concerns to them, since they had first-hand experience with cancer?  If you handle your trial correctly, it not only matures you, it will be a big help to your brothers and sisters in Christ.   

Of course, the converse is also true.  If you fail in your trial by whining, complaining and blaming God for your situation, that also creates a testimony – a negative one that glorifies Satan while discouraging the family of God. 

What kind of testimony will you have after your next storm?       

One final point:  If we are honest, most of us will admit that we have a tendency to hide our trials from others in the body of Christ.  We don't want other people to know that we have problems.  Perhaps we feel they will judge us or reject us.  Perhaps we don't want to seem weak or 'unspiritual'.  But as we noted, it is important that we share the trials we face, so we can bear one another's burdens and help each other in our walk of faith.  

John 6:19 – When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened.

Why would the disciples be afraid when they saw Jesus?  Don't you think they would have been relieved?  According to Matthew (14:26) and Mark (6:49), the reason they were afraid is they thought Jesus was a ghost!  They imagined a dark demonic spirit coming to get them!

In their defense, it was dark so Jesus probably looked like a black shape moving across the water.  The last thing they expected was that shape to be a person, so they assumed it was a demon spirit.  No doubt, we would have jumped to the same conclusion, because in our experience people just don't walk on water!

Spiritually speaking, we often imagine our trials to be much worse than what they really are.  Our initial fear and dread tend to make that mole hill appear as a mountain.  But remember, Jesus tells us that our faith can move that mountain and cast it into the sea (Mark 11:22-24).   If God has allowed that storm into our lives, we can be sure that his divine purpose is going to be accomplished in us; the storm will result in our good and his glory, even if we find it painful. 

As if the multiplication of the fish and loaves were not enough, the disciples get yet another astonishing glimpse of the divinity of Christ as he walks on the water – he is sovereign over nature.  Did you know that the scriptures speak about God walking on water?

Job 9:8 – Who [God] alone spreads out the heavens, and treads upon the waves of the sea.

If God alone can tread or walk upon the waves of the sea, and Jesus is doing that very thing, the only logical conclusion is that Jesus is God!

What is the spiritual significance of this?  When your storm or trial looks the bleakest, take your eyes off the waves and look for Jesus!  You will find him there, walking on the water with you, showing you that he is sovereign over your situation.  He never appears early or late; he reveals himself at the perfect time and he brings peace with him.

John 6:20 – But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."

The disciples thought they were in a place/situation where Jesus couldn't reach them – but they were wrong!  Jesus always, always comes to the comfort and aid of his people in every situation.   Here are just a few examples:

• When Paul and Silas were in jail, God manifested himself in their praise and worship (Acts 16).

• When John (the author of this gospel) was banished to the island of Patmos, God showed up and gave him the book we know as Revelation.

• When Gideon hid in a winepress to thresh out some wheat, God was there with plans of deliverance (Judges 6). 

There is no place you can go where God cannot reach you:

Psalm 139:8-10 - If I ascend up into heaven, you are there: if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there.   If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall your hand lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.

Are you in the midst of a storm or trial right now?  You are not alone.  Jesus is right there with you, saying, "It is I; do not be afraid."

John 6:21 – Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

At this point in time, the apostle Matthew informs us that Peter requested to leave the boat and join Jesus in walking on the water.  Afterwards, as Peter and Jesus get into the boat, the wind ceased (Matthew 14:26-32).

Boy, are the disciples glad to see Jesus!  They joyfully welcomed him into the boat.  They know that when he comes into the midst of their boat/situation, everything will turn out right.  Just being in his presence brings peace and courage to their hearts. 

Isaiah 43:2 - When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you: when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned; neither shall the flame scorch you.

John also tells us that once Jesus was in the boat, it immediately was at land. 

Question:  Does this indicate another miracle? Why or why not?

Not surprisingly, scholars disagree.  Those who feel it was another miracle, simply take John's words at face value – after Jesus entered the boat, the wind died and the boat was miraculously transported to the dock at Capernaum.  It is certainly within the power of God to do such a thing.

But others disagree.  They note that God does not perform miracles in cases where man is capable of getting the job done.  For example, in Luke 22 we find that the time of Passover is at hand.  Jesus could have supernaturally had a meal prepared for that celebration; it was certainly within his power to do so.  But he doesn't.  Instead, he instructs Peter and John to go and prepare the Passover (Luke 22:8), because it was well within their power to do so.  No miracle was needed.   

Now let's examine the present case.  The word "immediately' is better translated as 'straight away' or without further delay.  Whereas the boat was previously being tossed around during the storm and not making any progress towards the shore, it was now back under the control of the disciples.  The storm passed, the wind died down, and they piloted the boat to shore as they normally would on any other occasion.  No miracle was needed.

Regardless of which scholars you think are correct, we can all agree that difficulty and danger were transformed to peace and safety when Jesus was received into the situation. 

When you enter into a storm/trial (hint: if you're not in one now, one is undoubtedly on the horizon), bring Jesus into your situation by praying, confessing your faith, using your spiritual authority, and/or speaking the promises of God.  If a miracle is needed, Jesus will provide one!  

John 6:22-23 – On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone.  Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.  

John now describes what occurred on the 'other side of the sea' or the location where the miracle of the loaves and fish took place.

The crowd that wanted to make Jesus king was aware that there had only been one boat on the shore when they spent the day with Jesus.  After dinner, as Jesus was sending his disciples over the sea to Bethsaida and/or Capernaum, they decided that Jesus was the Messiah and they attempted to make him king. 

However, Jesus refused this honor.  He sent the crowd home and retired higher up on the mountain to spend time in prayer.  This much we know to be fact.

Now for some conjecture.  What was the crowd thinking? 

Here is one explanation:  If Jesus sent his disciples away to another location in the only boat available, it must mean that he didn't really want to leave them.  It must mean that he DOES want to be crowned king, but he is just being modest.  So the crowd resolves to return the next day, find Jesus, and once again attempt to make him king.  But when the next day dawns, he is nowhere to be found. 

Here is another explanation:  The crowd, being fully aware that Jesus is the Messiah, wants more interaction with him.  They want to see more miracles and get more free meals (kind of like dinner and a movie).  Since the only boat left the shore last night, Jesus must still be present on their side of the sea, so they go to find him.  But he is nowhere to be found.

Regardless of what the crowd was thinking, one thing is certain – Jesus has left the area; he is no longer at the location of the miracle.  The crowd is sure that Jesus is in the process of returning to Capernaum, probably on foot.     

John 6:24-25 – So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.  When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?"

In the meantime, boats from Tiberius showed up at the place of the miracle.  These boats carried both goods and passengers, so the people bought tickets and sailed to Capernaum, looking for Jesus.

According to their calculations, they would be at Capernaum long before Jesus, since he must be walking and they took the boat.  But when they arrived, there he was!  They were so surprised they begin to question when and how he arrived.     

John 6:26 – Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves."

Jesus does not bother to answer their question.  Instead, he gets right to the heart of the matter – literally.  What is in the hearts of the multitude who came to Capernaum seeking Jesus?

Jesus reveals they are not seeking him because of the miracles, but because of the food.  But John has already stated that these people were excited about the miracles they saw; they were prompted to believe in Jesus as the Messiah because of them.  So what did Jesus mean?

The purpose of the miracles was to confirm the gospel message.  They were a sign from God that Jesus was the Messiah.  If these people would have truly embraced Jesus and his message, they would have repented.  They would have submitted themselves to his teaching.  They would have looked for entrance to the kingdom of heaven not only for themselves, but for others.  Their main focus would have been their spiritual lives.

But instead, we find their interest in miracles is superficial; they are only interested in the miracles as a confirmation that Jesus can give them a happy and comfortable existence in this life.  This is why they wanted to make him king.  In their hearts, they view Jesus as a genie who is there to grant their wishes and make their lives easy.  They have no interest in being made over into the image of Christ, spreading the gospel or sharing in his suffering.   

John 6:27 – "Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.  For on him God the Father has set his seal."

Obviously, Jesus is NOT telling us to quit our jobs and stop working.  We need to purchase groceries and other necessities of life.  Remember, God himself sanctioned labor when he made Adam and Eve the caretakers of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15).

Again, just to clarify, there is nothing wrong with working for food, education, etc.  In fact, we are instructed to do so (II Thessalonians 3:10-12).  However, all of these things are temporary.  They only last for the duration of our life before vanishing without a trace.  Even if you live to the ripe old age of 120, that is a very short amount of time compared to eternity!

In this verse, Jesus is saying that all the concerns of this life (food, clothing, shelter, education, entertainment, money, etc) should be secondary to the spiritual concerns of our soul.   

So the wise person also works for that which results in eternal life.  And make no mistake, once we have received the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, the true Christian life IS work.  We must deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow Jesus.      

What does Jesus mean when he says God the Father has set his seal on Jesus? 

According to Webster's dictionary, a seal is an engraved or inscribed stamp, used for making an impression in wax (or another soft substance) which is attached to a document and assures authentication.   So the seal confirms, ratifies or authenticates something.  It assures you that something is true.

For example, back in the day official letters, laws or legal documents were sealed with a king's signet ring.  If a document had such a seal, you could be sure that whatever was on the document was authentic; it was approved by the king and it had his authority behind it.  

So in this case, Jesus is telling the Jews that his purpose or mission (to reveal the gospel, to be the bread of life; to provide eternal life for mankind) has been sealed/sanctioned/commissioned by God the Father.  His authority is behind it.  No one but Jesus could be prophet, priest and king to the lost and dying race of humans.  No one but Jesus has ever had the ability to give eternal life and forgiveness of sin.  No one but Jesus could reveal the Father and his divine will to mankind.

John 6:28-29 – Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?"  Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe him whom he has sent."

The multitude seems to understand that Jesus has exhorted them to aim or focus on something more than the comforts of this present earthly life. 

But at this point, we find a mistake in their understanding.  The Jews had long been strict observers of the ceremonial law.  They rested upon that law of works for their salvation.  So when they ask about doing the 'works of God', they are looking for more physical rites or ceremonies to perform.

But man can never be justified by works.  We are justified by faith:

Galatians 2:16 - Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.  

Believing in Jesus as the Messiah and placing our faith in him is the 'work' that is most pleasing to God.  It is also the foundation of all other Christian works. 

For example, we don't go to heaven because we feed the poor.  We feed the poor because we have faith in Jesus and follow his commands.  Our entrance to heaven comes through Jesus; heavenly riches come from doing good works.

Let me offer you some encouragement:

Jesus shut himself away with God for times of personal prayer.  In that time, he found the strength and courage to align himself with the will of the Father.  He received wisdom and understanding from Holy Spirit on how to accomplish his earthly mission. 

So again we ask this question:  How can we do anything less?  Are you trying to minister in your own power, with your own wisdom?  How is that going for you? 

I encourage you to stop and assess your ministry right now.  If you are not 100% sure that you are being led by the Spirit of God, spend some time in personal prayer until you are sure you are on the right path.    

Let me offer you some relief:

Anytime we encounter a storm or trial in life, it results in a testimony – either negative or positive.  None of us are perfect; we may have embraced and published a negative testimony at some point. 

If that is the case, ask Jesus to forgive you (even if this is something that occurred long ago).  Go before his throne and renounce those negative words; ask Jesus to remove the curse of those words from your life.  Then move on in faith and do better the next time!  

Let me offer you some strength:

It is important that we understand the role of good works in the life of a Christian.  Our motivation is always to do the will of God, which often entails showing His love to those around us through good works. 

But sometimes we can get weary, especially when it seems like the needs are so vast we can't meet them all.  In those times, just give that burden to the Lord and let him bear it. 

Psalms 18:32 – it is God that girds me with strength, and makes my way perfect.

 

 

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John 6:1 – After this, Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.

John is about to narrate the event which we commonly call 'The feeding of the five thousand'.  This is one of the few instances where John records the same miracle as the other gospel writers. 

When we read all four accounts, we notice that different writers provide different details.  This is a very common occurrence among people in all circumstances. 

For instance, if we have four people at a football game, each one will remember different details about the winning touchdown, because they each notice different things.  When discussing the game, they may also share different details based on the point they are trying to convey.  For example, one might want to focus on the weakness in the defensive line, while another might want to focus on the abilities of the quarterback.  So the details they give will vary; yet they are talking about the same game and the same touchdown. 

So it is with the narrative of feeding of the five thousand.  The narrative is also recorded in Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:30-44 and Luke 9:10-17.  Although we are focusing on John's account, we will add details and insights from the other gospel writers as well.

John begins by simply informing us that Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, while Matthew, Mark and Luke tell us why he left – because his cousin John the Baptist had just been beheaded by  Herod.  As a result, an environment of persecution had sprung up.  Because it was not yet time for Jesus to die at the hands of Rome, he left the area before a serious confrontation could occur. 

All four gospel writers had specific reasons for recording this miracle.  John uses it as an introduction for the sermon/teaching which was shortly to follow, which centered on Jesus as the bread of life. 

In the miracle of the feeding of the 5K, Jesus provides an unlimited supply of natural bread/food which sustains natural life for all who partake of it.  This mirrors what is happening in the spiritual realm: Jesus himself is the bread of spiritual life; he will sustain the spiritual life of all those who partake of him/his sacrifice.

As we will shortly see, this was a very controversial and misunderstood teaching at the time.  But for now, let's examine the miracle that occurred in the natural realm.   

John tells us that the Sea of Galilee was also called the Sea of Tiberius. Herod the Tetrarch had built a city on the eastern shore of the sea/lake, naming it for the Roman emperor Tiberius.  The name 'Sea of Tiberius' was in common use by the Gentiles/Greeks of the day, while the Jews still referred to it as the Sea of Galilee.  

John 6:2 – And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.

Scripture tells us that there was a large crowd of people following Jesus.  Where do you suppose this crowd came from?  What caused it?

• As we mentioned, the other gospel writers tell us that John the Baptist had just been martyred.  At that point, it would be natural for any disciples or followers of John to switch their allegiance to Jesus (Mark 6:14-29).

• Secondly, the other gospel writers also tell us that the 12 disciples had just returned from their preaching ministry in the towns and villages of Galilee.  There were probably large numbers of people who wanted to hear more from Jesus himself (Mark 6:7-13).

• Third, it was the time of Passover.  Therefore, there were thousands of Jews flocking to Jerusalem and the surrounding areas for the feast.  The teaching and ministry of Jesus was probably a common topic of conversation.  No doubt, many of these visitors would take advantage of the opportunity to hear him.   

Scripture further tells us that this great crowed followed Jesus.  In other words, they didn't just come out to hear him one time; they were literally following him around because the miracles convinced them that Jesus was a new prophet sent to them by God. 

Let's take a closer look at the spiritual guidance being given to the Jews from the religious leaders of that day. 

Spiritually speaking the Scribes and Pharisees were supposed to be the shepherds of Israel.  They were to feed the people with the word of God, protect them from the dangers/pitfalls of idolatry, and lead them by example.  Unfortunately, they were unfit spiritual shepherds.  They were haughty and full of pride.  They despised the common people, and often laid tremendous burdens upon them, which no one could keep (Matthew 23:1-7)!    

So, it was not surprising that the multitudes were hungry to hear what Jesus had to say and they were willing to inconvenience themselves in order to hear it.

In fact, their actions demonstrate definite spiritual hunger.  Think about it:  In their zeal to hear of the kingdom of heaven and be healed, men and women took their children and walked away from the ease and comfort of their homes to travel to a remote deserted area.

Others who had traveled many, many miles to come to Jerusalem left that city and traveled even further for a chance to hear Jesus, who taught with authority, not as the Pharisees, Sadducees or Scribes.  They were willing to sacrifice time, comfort and money to have their spiritual hunger satisfied.

What about us?  How hungry are we for spiritual teaching or a touch from God?  What would you be willing to walk away from to get it?  Entertainment, sports, work, social media? 

James 4:8 – Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

The scripture says that if we draw near to God, he will draw near to us.  If we lack wisdom in some area, he will impart it to us (James 1:5).  When we spend time in his presence, we are always spiritually refreshed.  So what are you waiting for?  Travel to your prayer closet to meet him!  He is waiting there to satisfy your spiritual hunger!

 John 6:3-4 – Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples.  Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.

Jesus and the disciples had gone to a mountainous desert place in order to be alone (Mark 6:32, Matthew 14:30).  They were probably seeking a time not only of rest, but meditation and prayer because of the upcoming Passover. 

But Jesus was always about his Father's business.  So when the Father sent the multitudes to him in that place, he willingly switched gears and began to minister to them. 

As it turns out, the mountainside was a perfect place to minister to large crowds.  Jesus and his disciples went to an elevated position on the mountainside and sat down.  This position made a kind of natural pulpit; being on a higher level would allow him to be seen and heard by the entire multitude.  This was a much better venue than any open market in the city. 

Of course, we can't help but notice that 'desert places' are void of many of the distractions of daily life.  The people who met Jesus on the mountain left behind their hobbies, their friends, the cares of daily life and the news of the day.  With nothing there to divert their attention, they were able to concentrate on the teaching and miracles of Jesus.    

While we can't simply walk away from the responsibilities of our lives, we too need to find time to temporarily step away from the things that hinder/divert us from focusing on our relationship with God.  What specific changes could you make in order to spend time listening to God's voice?

I'd like to present another point for our consideration… Jesus surrounded himself with his disciples; the crowds knew who was closely associated with Christ.  During the chaotic times following the resurrection, the Jews knew who had the true gospel message.

Have you established a close companionship with Christ that is readily apparent to the world?  When people are looking for hope in a chaotic world, are you a light they can see and approach for answers?  The apostle Peter tells us to be ready with an answer for anyone who approaches us about our relationship with Christ:

1 Peter 3:15 - But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Are you prepared to lead someone to Christ today?  

John further recalls that these events took place at the time of Passover.  This not only gives us the approximate time of year (early spring), but it helps us interpret the miracle itself and the teaching which followed (Jesus is the bread of life, the Passover sacrifice).  

Jesus proceeded to spend the entire day teaching and healing.  Picture the scene with me:  10 am comes and goes, but no one notices.  In fact, more people probably showed up.  Before anyone realized it noon had come and gone. Still, Jesus continues to teach and heal.  One o'clock rolls around, but the ministry never stops.  The people just can't bear to leave.   

By evening time, everyone is famished.  Matthew tells us that the disciples as a group approached Jesus and asked him to dismiss the people.  They were probably as hungry as the crowd!

Matthew 14:15 - And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now late; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves food.  

In our day, we wouldn't be so concerned, would we?  We could order a pizza or get Door Dash to deliver something to the mountainside if there wasn't a food truck around!  But back in that day, the lack of food was a real problem - and the disciples don't want the burden of it.  They want Jesus to place the problem on each individual/family.

But Jesus has no intention of doing that.  He has been teaching the common people all day long, now it is time to teach his own disciples and bring them to a new level spiritual understanding and faith.

John 6:5-6 – Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?"  He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.

So in response to the food/provision issue raised by the disciples, Jesus turns to Philip for an answer.  That seems kind of odd, because we know that Jesus already knew what he was going to do about this situation.  Since that was the case, why ask any of the disciples?  Why ask Philip particularly?

Quite frankly, this was a test to reveal what was deep inside the heart of Philip. 

He, more so than the others, had a reason to have compassion on the crowed.  Philip was from the nearby town of Bethsaida.  Being a local boy, he probably knew many of the people in the crowd.  He certainly knew the area and was aware that feeding them was a logistical and financial impossibility. 

But at the same time, Philip had been with Jesus from the very beginning of his public ministry.  He had seen many notable miracles, particularly the first one, where Jesus turned the water into wine, fully meeting the need in that situation. 

Philip has seen the miracles and heard the teaching, but has that had an effect upon his spirit?  What is lurking deep down in his heart?  Is it faith or unbelief?  

Before we look at the answer to that question, let's make one point clear.  Jesus already knows what is in the heart of Philip.  This means that the revelation of the condition of his heart is not for the benefit of Jesus.  It is for the benefit of Philip himself.

Holy Spirit often does the same thing for us.  He will allow us to experience a challenge in life to reveal to us what is deep within our hearts.  For example, you may have some unforgiveness deep within your heart, that you either are not aware of, or that you have pushed down and ignored.  The Lord may allow a situation/trial into your life that reveals your hidden unforgiveness to you.  He does this so that you can work with Holy Spirit to remove that evil thing from your life.

While we may be tested for a number of reasons, one possibility during every trial is that Holy Spirit is trying to reveal to you something about yourself.  Although the knowledge may be painful at first, Holy Spirit wants to work with you to bring healing to that area of your life.  So take that into consideration when the next trial comes along.   

John 6:7 – Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little."

Unfortunately, Philip's heart is not overflowing with faith at the moment!  He has completely missed the lesson of the water into wine – that Jesus is divine; he is sovereign over nature and he can meet any need no matter how impossible it is for us. 

Instead, he thinks in the natural realm.  He wonders how he is going to buy food for thousands of people with what amounts to around $250-300, which is probably all the money the company had. 

The good news is that Jesus isn't done with Philip (or the other disciples) yet.  Jesus is about to transform Philip's concept of his divine power, as well as prepare him for the spiritual concept of Jesus as the bread of life.

John 6:8-9 – One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?"

The next few verses mirror what is recorded in the other gospels.  The loaves were made of barley.  Barley was about 1/3 the cost of wheat, so most poor people regularly ate it.  Fish was also a common food for everyone in the region. 

Here is a question we considered as we studied this narrative back in the book of Matthew:  Jesus could have miraculously turned the stones into bread to feed these people, but he didn't.  Why not?

Turning stones into bread is not an example that you and I can follow.  So instead, Jesus shows us how we should handle such situations.  When God calls us to a task that is too great for us, we should begin by rounding up what we have, and giving or dedicating it to him.  This principle applies to our time, our skills/talents, our resources and even our relationships. 

When we give our all to Christ, there is room for him to come in and accomplish what we cannot do.       

John 6:10-11 – Jesus said, "Have the people sit down."  Now there was much grass in the place.  So the men sat down, about five thousand in number.  Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated.  So also the fish, as much as they wanted.  

The next step is to stay close to God, listen to his voice (not the voices of those around you!) and follow his directions no matter how strange they may seem.  That is how you exercise your faith. 

John says that Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down.  Mark and Luke are a bit more specific.  They reveal that the disciples were to have the people sit in groups: 

Luke 9:14 – and he [Jesus] said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each."

Once organized this way, it would be very easy to calculate the approximate number of people at a glance.  Just between you and me, I'm not sure that increased the faith of the disciples!  Can you picture that exact moment?  Prior to this, you knew there was a large crowd.  Now you not only know exactly how large that crowd is, you realize exactly how inadequate your supplies are, because you still only have 5 loaves and two fish!  It must have taken a lot of faith to have the people sit down to a meal you had no hope of providing!   

When everyone was seated, Jesus said a prayer of thanksgiving for the food.  This was a typical practice for the Jews. 

In Jewish households, the father would say a prayer of thanksgiving acknowledging God as the source/provider of all their food.  Some of these prayers have been preserved for us in Jewish writings.  For example:

"May God, the ever blessed One, bless what He has given us."  Or, "Blessed be thou, O Lord our God, the King of the world, who has produced this food and this drink, from the earth and the vine." 

Of course, this practice has been continued in most Christian households today.

Matthew tells us that Jesus looked up to heaven as he prayed (Matthew 14:19).  However, that is not the only way to pray.  A person may pray with eyes open or shut, standing/sitting/kneeling, while speaking loudly or even whispering.  Your method of prayer may be different from others, but that does not mean that you are not heard by God.  Pray in whatever manner seems natural to you.  Remember, pray is a conversation between you and God.  Just be yourself!

Soon, Jesus would give the loaves and fish to his disciples and tell them to distribute them to the crowd.  The disciples were following the directions of Jesus by faith.  We must do the same.

John 6:12-13 – And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, "Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost."  So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.

As we mentioned in one of our earlier posts, when Jesus performs a miracle, he often gives a follow up command.  For instance, the paralytic who was healed at the pool of Bethesda was told to take up his mat and walk.  In so doing, many more people were made aware of the miracle than just those at the pool.

In this case, the follow up action is to take up the fragments, which verified that more was taken up in the form of leftovers than was originally served as the meal! 

The fragments were gathered into baskets by the disciples.  We are not told the size of the baskets, but it is surmised that they were containers often used by Jews who were traveling.  They carried their own food to make sure that they not only had provisions, but that those provisions met their clean/kosher standards.

This display of the power of Jesus made one thing abundantly clear - God is never out of resources. His supplies never run low.  There is no lack in the kingdom of our Lord.  Anything that the church of Jesus Christ needs in order to carry out the gospel mission will be provided, even when it requires a miracle. 

Do you believe that?  If so, don't let a lack of resources stop you from a ministry.  If God has called you, he will provide what you need, when you need it.  Nothing is impossible with God!

John 6:14-15 – When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, "This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!"  Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

After this miracle, the crowd was convinced that Jesus was the Messiah.  Once they realized this fact, they immediately planned to make him king, against his own will.  This shows that they misunderstood how that office was going to manifest itself during their era of time. 

Jesus repeatedly told the Jews that his kingdom was not of the temporal/natural world, but within the hearts of people; it was an unseen kingdom.  He repeatedly stated that his goal was to do the will of his Father, not glorify himself.  Ultimately, his plan was to lay down his life that we could be freed from the slavery of sin. 

But the Jews weren't listening.  They continued to entertain their own long held opinions of what the Messiah would do when he appeared.  They expected him to raise an army and throw off the Roman yoke.  They expected him to be crowned king as soon as he appeared.  They expected him to usher in a new political and economic 'golden age' for Israel. 

And nothing was going to stop them – until Jesus slipped away from them, and retreated to a place in the mountain by himself. 

Let me offer you some encouragement:

In this post, we looked at the apostle Philip.  He had seen the miracles of Jesus and heard his preaching, but it had not yet reached a point where it affected his spirit and produced faith. 

Sometimes that is true of us too.  We hear sermon after sermon telling us that God can do the impossible, but we still focus on the natural realm, seeing only the immense difficulties that surround us in this world.

I encourage you to spend some time this week looking at those same problems (both national and personal), under the light of the promises of God.  Do this until you feel faith rising up within your spirit.  Then, go out and do what Holy Spirit prompts you to do!

 Let me offer you some relief:

God is sovereign over all things – nothing is impossible with God!

Let me offer you some strength:

Jesus and the disciples had gone to the mountainside for a little rest and meditation.  The last thing they wanted was a visit from thousands of needy people.  Yet, that was exactly what God brought them!

But along with the people came the strength needed to have compassion and minister to both their spiritual and temporal needs. 

How will you and I react when God sends the spiritually and physically needy to us?  If we are obedient to his will, he will also provide us the strength and resources to do what he is asking us to do.

 

 

     

 

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John 5:35 – "He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light."

Jesus has revealed to the Jewish leaders that he is the Messiah or the Son of Man.  

As we pointed out before, Jewish Law required two witnesses in order to accept something as truth.  God the Father was the second witness who confirmed that Jesus was the Son:  

• He confirmed it with an audible voice at the baptism of Jesus. 
• He confirmed it by working miracles through Jesus. 
• He confirmed it through the Holy Scriptures which had been given hundreds of years before (this is a topic Jesus is about to discuss). 

Although it is hard to fathom, the religious leaders rejected these proofs. 

But Jesus does not give up on them.  Because he wants them to find salvation, he redirects them to the witness of John the Baptist.  Obviously, no human testimony could be as trustworthy as Father God, but as we saw in our last lesson, John was still a reliable witness.  If the Pharisees and Sadducees will impartially consider John's testimony, it will lead them to confirm Jesus as the Christ, which in turn will lead them to salvation.  In the first chapter of this gospel, John describes Jesus as the true light that comes into the world (John 1:1-9).  Jesus even refers to himself as the light of the world (John 8:12, John 9:5). 

When Jesus is referred to as the light, it is the same Greek word commonly applied to the sun, which is the only source of light for our world.  Without that light, everything in the natural realm would be dead.  This is a fitting metaphor because Jesus is the only source of light in the spiritual realm.  Without him, we would all be spiritually dead.   

John the Baptist, however, is a lesser form of light – he is described by Jesus as a lamp.  Although much, much dimmer than the sun, lamps provide light which help people see the way.  Back in the days of Christ, it was common practice to refer to teachers as lamps or 'lamps of the law' because their wisdom and knowledge illuminated the way to God.

In his role as a spiritual lamp to Israel, John was burning and shining.  In other words, he was not dim or shadowy.  He never altered the truth to keep people from being offended.  He was a good teacher; his doctrines were clear, distinct and consistent. 

Jesus declares that for a short time the leaders of Israel willingly/voluntarily went to hear the preaching of John in the wilderness (Matthew 3:7) and they 'rejoiced' in his doctrine.  In other words, they acknowledged and accepted John as a prophet.  They were full of joy and delight that John had been appointed to introduce the Messiah. 

But all that changed when the leaders found out that John's testimony identified Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah. 

Because that testimony did not line up with their own opinions, their attitude toward John grew cold and hostile; they began to actively oppose him and his message.  

John 5:36 – "But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John.  For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me."

Every Jew correctly believed that only God could perform miracles.  Because Jesus could perform miracles in his own power, this was proof that he was in unity with Father God and that he himself was divine.    

This is in contrast to the miracles later performed by the apostles, which were NOT done in their own power, but by the power of Jesus:

Acts 3:12, 16 - And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, You men of Israel, why marvel you at this? Or why look you so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? …through faith in his [Jesus] name … this man strong, whom you see and know: yea, the faith which is by him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.  

The religious leaders had just discovered the healing of the paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda.  Had they been honest and impartial, they would have admitted that nothing less than the unlimited power and love of God could have instantly healed that man.  What was impossible with man, Jesus was able to instantly do with only his spoken word.  This miracle (and others like it) provided irrefutable proof that Jesus is the Messiah, sent from God the Father. 

And if Jesus is the Messiah, then his teaching and doctrine must be correct.  In cases where the doctrine of Jesus was different from the traditions of the elders, the traditions must be rejected.  In cases where the doctrine of Jesus was different from the Pharisee's interpretation of the law, their interpretations of the law must be rejected. 

Jesus came to fulfill or complete the law and usher in the gospel age.  In order to receive salvation, the Jews had to embrace the gospel message.  Jesus was giving them every proof imaginable in order to open their eyes to this spiritual truth.

It should also be noted that the working of miracles was not the only work which Father God had assigned to the Son; Jesus is doing the 'works' [pleural] the Father assigned to him.  It was also his work to fulfill the law, publish the gospel, show us the Father and eventually lay down his life for us.  By doing the collective works of the Father, Jesus proves he is the Messiah.   

John 5:37-38 – "And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me.  His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent."

Jesus has revealed himself to the Jews as the Messiah, the Son of Man.  In so doing, he has claimed divinity, making himself equal with God.  Although Jesus has provided clear evidence of his claims, they have rejected the confirming testimony offered on his behalf. 

The Jews have now placed themselves in very desperate situation – they have deceived themselves into believing they are the people of God, but they have rejected the Messiah God sent to save them.    

But Jesus loves them so much, he won't give up on them.  He now reaches out to them through a severe chastisement of their unbelief and self imposed spiritual blindness.  He plainly tells them that they are rejecting the testimony of the very God they claim as their Father!   

When Jesus says that the Father 'has himself borne witness about me', our minds naturally tend to the recent events of that day – particularly the baptism of Jesus.  While that is a true witness, Jesus is talking about something else here.  He is stressing to the Jews that the revelation of God about his identity actually extends over the whole duration of all previous revelation.

As we mentioned before, the revelation of the Messiah began in the Garden of Eden:

Genesis 3:15 - And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.

Every single revelation of the Messiah between this promise in Genesis and the words spoken at the baptism of Jesus by John (Matthew 3:17) pointed to/testified about the Messiah and what he would be like.  Anyone who was earnestly looking for the truth would have recognized Jesus, just like the disciples did.   

The Jewish religious leaders, however, were refusing to 'hear' God.

In this situation, the word 'hear' is not used in the basic sense of auditory function as in God speaking to them with his voice (although that did happen to those who were at the baptism). 

Jesus uses the concept of hearing (his voice you have not heard) as he frequently does during his earthly ministry – to reflect spiritual understanding, acceptance and obedience to the commands of God (Matthew 11:15, Mark 4:9, etc).   

Likewise, the concept of not 'seeing' God (his form you have never seen), refers to the refusal of the Jews to understand, accept and obey the commands of God which were clearly manifested to them.   

Sadly, the Jews had a long history of refusing to see or hear God. 

Ezekiel 12:2 - Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.  

By refusing to hear or see the truth revealed in the Law and the Prophets, they have cut themselves off from God and their only means of salvation/everlasting life.

John 5:39-40 – "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life."

The word translated 'search' means to seek diligently or anxiously.  It is typically applied to miners, who search for precious metals.  They search anxiously and intensely because they understand the value of the metal they search for. 

In the same way, the Jews had indeed searched the Law and the Prophets, or what we know as the Old Testament.  They were anxiously and intensely looking for the way to eternal life; they wanted to be reconciled to God. 

So far, so good… the Jews were looking in the right place for the truth.  All throughout the scriptures God left a testimony/witness to the Messiah he was going to send.  The scriptures predict his coming, the manner of his life and death, that he will be a future king and many other things (Isaiah 53, Daniel 9:26-27, 1 Peter 1:10-11, Luke 24:27, etc). 

And all of these scriptures lead to one inescapable conclusion - Jesus is the Messiah!      

So, those who are diligently searching for the Messiah will find evidence or confirmation of him in the scriptures.  The Messiah will in turn lead them into eternal life through the gospel.  Thus, the scriptures certainly do contain eternal life, by pointing the way to Jesus.  

But those who choose not to hear or see will miss the witness of God.  They, like the Jewish leaders, will reject the gospel of Jesus, which effectively cuts them off from the ONLY source of eternal life.

This is a point that we never want to lose sight of – Jesus is the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through him.  Only He can save us (John 14:6, Acts 4:10-12).

The world is confused on this point.  They want to promote coexistence or the idea that all religions lead to God by different paths.  Like the Jews of that day, they are looking for any other way to be reconciled to God EXCEPT through Christ.  But until they reach out to him, they will never find eternal life. 

John 5:41 – "I do not receive glory from people."

The Jewish leaders themselves were very desirous to have the glory of the common people.  Many of the things they did such as public prayers, giving of alms, having long fringes on their garments, sitting at the places of honor at feasts, etc, were all designed to earn them the glory of men. 

So naturally, when Jesus says he is the only way to the Father, these wicked men will surmise that Jesus is just like them – he is out to gain glory for himself from the common people.  But as we know, nothing could be further from the truth.

Jesus never sought worldly pomp and glory for himself.  He charged those he cured not to make him known and withdrew from those who wanted to make him king.  He was always humble and meek; he received far more dishonor/disgrace than honor/glory during his incarnation.    

 John 5:42 – "But I know that you do not have the love of God within you."

The Jews professed to have a sincere love for God and thought they proved it by their zeal for the law, the temple and the Sabbath. 

But Jesus charges them with being void of love for God.  And they prove his point when they reject him as Messiah.  If they had a true love for God, they would love his Son and do everything in their power to obey him because love and obedience go hand-in-hand:

John 14:21 - He that has my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves me: and he that loves me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.   

Furthermore, Jesus knows they do not have the love of God because he can search their hearts (Revelation 2:23, Jeremiah 17:10, Psalms 44:21).   The common people thought the Pharisees and Sadducees were very devout men, but Jesus can see straight through all the pretences, facades and disguises that masked the evil within their hearts.    

John 5:43 – "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."

False Christs come in their own name, for their own honor and they engage in war against earthly enemies.  But the true Messiah came to bring honor and glory to his Father and to wage war against sin.   

This is yet another proof that the Jews do not love God.  They were willing to embrace and follow after any and every false prophet who fit their opinion of who the Messiah should be – an earthly King and warrior who would free them from Rome and/or grant them secular riches and honor.  But they rejected the true Messiah who faithfully discharges the duties given to him by God the Father. 

  John 5:44 – "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?"

The religious leaders had one major obstacle to receiving Jesus as the Messiah and finding salvation.  The obstacle was a toxic combination of pride, vanity and ambition.  They thrived on the praise of men; all of their hopes and dreams were rooted in the honors of this life. 

If Jesus had presented himself to them with earthly glory and splendor such as wealth, political influence, a good family heritage, military prowess, etc, the religious leaders would have welcomed him with open arms.  In that scenario, they would have received honor for being a part of his ministry. 

But Jesus came 'lowly, riding on a donkey' (Zechariah 9:9).  He was humble and of a lowly rank in the world.  He was only interested in pleasing his Father; he had no ambition or desire for his own glory.  Anyone who chose to follow him had to adopt the same standards.

Consequently, in order for the religious leaders to acknowledge Jesus as the Christ, they must forfeit the praises of the multitude.  They must renounce their own ambitions for Israel to defeat Rome.  They must swallow their own pride and admit that some of their teachings were wrong; they would need to fully accept the teaching of Jesus. They would need to 'take up their cross' and follow Christ in seeking honor from God alone and not man.

Until this toxic obstacle is removed, they cannot and will not believe in Jesus because a proud/ambitious heart will never bow to the humble terms of the gospel message. 

The good news is that the obstacle is present because of man's will, not his ability.  In other words, worldly pride remains as long as men cling to it.  But everyone has the ability or option to let pride go and submit themselves to the gospel and thus inherit eternal life. 

Even though many religious leaders of that day continued to hold onto their pride, there were also those who renounced it and found salvation through Christ.  They made the decision to seek glory from God, not men.  This is the only kind of honor and glory that lasts forever.

John 5:45 – "Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father.  There is one who accuses you:  Moses, on whom you have set your hope."

Jesus is the savior and judge of the world, not its accuser.  Nevertheless, the unbelieving Jews will be accused before God – by Moses.  This is ironic because the Jews actually preferred and trusted in Moses over Jesus:

John 9:28-29 - Then they reviled him, and said, You are his [Jesus] disciple; but we are Moses' disciples.  We know that God spoke unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from where he is.

On what grounds can Moses accuse the unbelieving Jews? 

The law, which all Jews held as sacred, was given to the Jews through Moses (John 1:17) and by it they believed they would find salvation.  Had they truly 'heard' and obeyed it (and the other writings of Moses), they would have discovered that the whole of the ceremonial law pointed to Jesus as the Messiah – he is the fulfillment of the law and the cornerstone of the gospel.

While the Jews cling to Moses as their spiritual leader, they refuse to 'hear' what he reveals about Jesus as Messiah; they are choosing to be spiritually blind.  The decision to intentionally disregard the testimony/witness/word of Moses is the basis on which Moses can accuse them before God.

John 5:46-47 – "For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.  But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?"

The writings of Moses pointed to Jesus as the salvation of the world in a multitude of symbols and figures.  These are found all through the Old Testament in the history of the patriarchs, the ceremonial law and the sacrificial system. 

These writings were shadowy representations of the birth, life, sufferings, death and resurrection of Jesus, Savior and Redeemer of the world.  Besides all this, the Jews also received numerous other prophetic words relating to the Messiah.

In addition, Moses gave them rules to use in distinguishing a true prophet from a false one (Deuteronomy 13:1-3, Deuteronomy 18:15-22, etc).  If they would have applied these rules to Jesus, they would have proved him to be a true prophet of God.

Now, if the Jews will not believe the writings of Moses, whom they held in the highest honor, why would they believe the words of Jesus, whom they despised? 

Let me offer you some encouragement:

The Jews of that day are not the only group of people to disregard the law of God (the Bible), when it disagrees with their own views and desires.

There is a little bit of this tendency in all of us.  For instance, when God says to honor your parents, that doesn't apply if you have bad parents, right?  Or when God says to love your neighbor, that doesn't apply if your neighbor is an idiot, right? 

You get the idea!  I encourage all of us to examine our own lives.  We should ask Holy Spirit to reveal areas in our life in which we have disregarded the commands of God because it doesn't line up with our own views and opinions.

Let me offer you some relief and strength:

Jesus referred to John the Baptist as a lamp.  But a lamp back in that day was very different than what we have now.  Their version of a lamp was like a bowl of oil with a wick.  In order for the lamp to keep burning, you had to routinely replenish the oil.

In the scriptures, oil is often used to symbolically represent the person and work of Holy Spirit. 

So how brightly is your spiritual lamp burning?  Are you spiritually 'running on empty' and maybe trying to accomplish spiritual things in your own strength?  If so, you need to get refilled by Holy Spirit!    

I recommend turning off your phone, your music, your computer and your TV.  Spend some quiet time with Holy Spirit and the word of God.  Soon, your spiritual strength will be renewed!

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John 12:27 – "Now is my soul troubled.  And what shall I say?  'Father, save me from this hour'?  But for this purpose I have come to this hour."

In our last post, Jesus assured his followers that his kingdom was about to be established.  However, it would not occur with the power and splendor they were expecting.  Rather, it would come about through his suffering and death.

Jesus used the analogy of a seed to help them understand his point.  A seed cannot grow into a plant and produce a harvest unless it first dies.  This is a reflection of what will occur in the spiritual realm.  Through the death/resurrection of Jesus, the souls of both Jews and Gentiles will be harvested for the kingdom of heaven.    

Jesus encourages his followers to be strong in their faith, because they too may be called upon to suffer or even die for the kingdom of heaven (John 15:20).  Here is a comforting thought: Jesus does not call upon us to do something that he himself would not do!

'Now is my soul troubled' - This teaching leads Jesus to the reality of his own upcoming suffering and death.  The thought of these imminent events filled him with dread and troubles his heart/soul.  Contrary to what we may think, it was not the excruciating physical pain that distressed Jesus the most.   

In order to make atonement for our sin and appease the wrath of God, he had to take upon himself all of the sin/guilt of the entire human race.  Think about that – the wrath of God that resulted from the sin of billions and billions and billions of people was laid upon Jesus.  By taking our sin upon himself, Jesus experienced the dreadful judgment of God; he was completely separated from his Father.  The torment he endured in this respect was much more severe than any physical pain he experienced.

'And what shall I say? Father save me from this hour?' – It is perfectly natural for a human to cry out 'Father save me' when he experiences horror/fear due to a sudden or violent calamity.  For instance, if you were in a car going 75 mph and you saw that a collision with another vehicle was going to happen, it would be natural for you to cry out 'Father save me' because you would want God to spare you from pain and death.  

But 'Father save me' would not be a proper request if it came from Jesus.  The whole purpose of his life on earth was to bear the wrath of God for the sin of mankind by dying on the cross.

Romans 5:8-9 - But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.   Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Therefore, to ask the Father to spare/release him from his appointment with death and torment would have been against the will of the Father; and Jesus never did anything that was contrary to his Father's desires.  This is confirmed in the prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane:

Matthew 26:39 - And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as you will.

What a powerful example!  Our weak human nature will automatically shrink/draw back at the possibility of suffering, but Jesus tells us not to yield to the flesh.  In fact, he leads us by example, fully accepting the suffering that the cross held for him.  We too should submit ourselves to the will of God, knowing that if we suffer it will not be in vain.  God will do a mighty work through our suffering.

John 12:28 – "Father, glorify your name."  Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again."

In this passage, Jesus is teaching us the lesson of humble, willing submission to God's divine will.

Let me ask you this:  Is it possible to unwillingly and/or haughtily submit to authority?  If so, how might that present itself?  Consider this example:

Suppose you were employed in a business that didn't work holidays.  But all of a sudden, without any notice, your boss scheduled you to work on Thanksgiving and the Friday afterward.  The last thing you wanted to do was work those two days, but since you didn't really have a choice, you did it. 

What would your attitude be on that day?  If it were me, I would start the day angry.  I would be complaining on my way there.  I might snap at the customers, or answer the phone rudely.  I would definitely do the least amount of work possible.  And I would grumble about the boss and the unfairness of the situation for weeks to come. 

In this scenario, it's true that I submitted to the authority of the boss, however, you might say I was unwillingly obedient.  I also disrespected the boss and bad-mouthed the company.  Obviously, it is possible to stubbornly or unwillingly submit to authority.  We've probably all done it at one time or another.

But this was not the case with Christ.  In fact, his statement (Father, glorify your name) expresses the opposite of an angry, unwilling, stubborn surrender to the will of God.  Instead, he fully and completely consecrated his suffering to the glory of God; he was willing to endure any trial and submit to all suffering so that the name of his Father could be honored above all else.        

In response, God declares two things to be true:  He had glorified his name, and he would glorify it again.  What did he mean by that?

In a broad sense, these words are without limit; they refer to the entire past and the whole future of God's revelation of himself to mankind.  But more specifically, God has been glorified in the life of Christ, through his doctrine and his miracles.  His earthly life exemplified God's wisdom, power, truth, holiness and goodness.    

And that's not all… God will finish what he started.  He will again glorify his name in the future through the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ.  These actions glorify both the justice and mercy of God.  They fulfill the demands of the broken law and they satisfy the insult and offense of sin to God's government while purchasing forgiveness for mankind.  

Hallelujah!  We could sing of the glory of God and the work of Jesus for all of eternity!

John 12:29 – The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered.  Others said, "An angel has spoken to him."

When Jesus said, 'Father, glorify your name' it was a cry or a petition to his Father.  We should not be surprised at all when the Father answers his beloved Son; God always answers prayer (Psalms 65:2, Proverbs 15:29). 

But notice that those who heard it heard different things.

There were surely some among the multitude that were spiritually awake and able to receive this divine revelation of God.  They heard what God said.  It strengthened their faith.  They were able to testify/witness to it later on, after Jesus rose from the grave.  

Others chose to ignore the message of God and focus on the sound of the thunder.  Thunder and even lightning are frequently associated with the voice of God (Exodus 19:16-19, Revelation 4:5, Revelation 8:5, etc).  However, the way the message is delivered is secondary to the message itself.  Those who focused on the thunder were deaf to the message it delivered.   

Still others found the voice articulate, even though they did not understand what was said.  These people attributed the voice to an angel; it was the general opinion of the Jews that when God spoke directly to his people he always used an angel to deliver the message. 

Despite their differences, they all agreed on one thing – the sound was real, and it came from heaven.  And whether they wanted to admit it or not, the answer was a confirmation of the work, ministry and office of Jesus.  There was simply no basis for the Jews to continue to deny that Jesus was the Messiah.

Here is an interesting fact: Scholars have noted that a voice from heaven testified/confirmed/endorsed Jesus on three separate occasions:

• When he began his public ministry as the high priest of the new covenant – Matthew 3:17

• When a command was given for his disciples to listen to him as the great Prophet of the church – Matthew 17:5

• When he enters Jerusalem and is identified as our King – John 12:28-29

Thus, God (with his own voice) confirmed Jesus as Prophet, Priest and King. 

Let me ask you this:  If God spoke to unbelievers/scoffers in an audible voice today, would the results be any different?  Personally, I don't think so.  In my opinion, there would still be some people who received his word, some who would hear yet ignore it, and some who would miss the point completely.  What do you think?

Fortunately for us, God is still speaking to his children, using dreams, visions, inner confirmations, his written word and other ways as well (John 10:16,27).  How does he communicate with you? 

John 12:30 – Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not mine."

If Father God wanted to give an encouraging word directly to his Son, he could have done it privately.  He could have come to him in a vision or a dream.  He could even have whispered something directly in Jesus' ear.  But he didn't – because God was speaking to the Jews and Greeks, not to his Son.   

As Jesus explains, the only reason for the audible voice of God was as a witness/testimony to the people who were present in the temple that day.

The audible voice of God confirmed the office and ministry of Jesus.  Regardless of what the religious leaders claimed, there could be no doubt that God had sent Jesus into the world as the long awaited Messiah.  Therefore, the Jews and Greeks should accept Jesus, submit to his teachings and then rest in the assurance that he was their Redeemer and Savior.

This word from Father God was also intended to strengthen and confirm the faith of the people.  The crucifixion was going to occur in a matter of days; the faith of the people would be tested and shaken.  So God graciously sent them his word as an assurance that Jesus was the true Messiah – no matter how it looked at that moment. 

John 12:31 – "Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out."

Jesus now goes on to expound on the manner in which his death will glorify God. It is the will of God for everyone to be a part of his eternal kingdom; he does not want anyone to be lost.

2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

But in order for people to come into his kingdom, the price of sin must be paid and the power of Satan must be broken.

The phrase 'ruler of this world' (your translation may say 'prince of this world') was the normal Rabbinic title for Satan.

Satan gained dominion/authority over mankind by the fall of Adam (Romans 5:12).  Ever since, he has kept all men under the slavery and tyranny of sin.   He is a usurper who acts like a prince, operating in a kingdom of darkness and evil.  He opposes the kingdom of heaven at all times, blinding the eyes of mankind to the truth of the gospel (II Corinthians 4:4) and tempting them to do evil.  He spreads lies and wickedness through his servants, the children of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2).  He has a firm grip on this world, seeking to destroy or devour any righteous person (I Peter 5:8). 

And as we know, mankind had no hope of ever escaping from the shackles of sin.

But the time had come for scripture to be fulfilled; the judgment decreed for Satan was about to be carried out. 

Genesis 3:15 - And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.     

When Jesus died and rose again, the power and authority of Satan was destroyed.  Mankind could be free from the burden of sin through the blood of Christ; he could now choose to be part of the kingdom of light (Colossians 1:13-14).   He could be reinstated into fellowship with the Creator.

Because the actions of Jesus made this possible, his death and subsequent resurrection glorify Father God.

Although the power of Satan was broken by Jesus 2000 years ago, his reign over mankind did not instantly cease (obviously).  But know this - Satan was vanquished at that time and his kingdom has been in decline ever since.  Eventually, when the appointed time comes, Jesus will return to earth and put a final end to his kingdom forever.  

Habakkuk 2:3 - For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not delay.

If Jesus glorified God by doing his will, we can glorify God in the same way.  What is God's will for your life?  Are you willing to pursue that course even if suffering is involved? 

John 12:32-33 – "And I, when I am lifted up, from the earth, will draw all people to myself."  He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

The Jews understood the phrase 'lifted up from the earth' to mean death (specifically, to die or be put to death).  John plainly tells us that this was the correct interpretation of the phrase.

The Jews (and Satan) believed that crucifying Jesus would not only shut him up, it would result in everlasting shame and contempt of his name and life (Deuteronomy 21:23). 

Little did they know that Christ crucified is the 'hope of glory' for the world (Colossians 1:27).  Hanging Jesus on a cross between heaven and earth only further promoted the glory of the Father.  Through the cross, the preaching of the gospel and the power of Holy Spirit, Jesus has drawn innumerable multitudes of men and women to himself.  Jesus used the shame of the cross to bring eternal life/salvation to all who put their faith in him.    

What did Jesus mean when he said he would draw 'all people' to himself?

In order to fully understand the meaning, we must remember the context of the statement.  Jesus is in the temple, teaching.  He can see the stone wall of separation between the Jews and the Greeks/Gentiles and he knows the Gentiles greatly desire to meet him.  He is very aware of his upcoming sacrifice on Passover; his time of suffering was drawing near.  But he was also acutely aware that his suffering would not be in vain.  Through it, 'all people' – Jews and Greeks/Gentiles – could be free from the curse of the law. 

Galatians 3:13 - Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangs on a tree:

Freedom from the curse of the law was not limited to the Jewish people; God had something much, much greater in mind.  The door of salvation was blown wide open by the sacrifice of Christ and Gentiles were also admitted to the kingdom of heaven.

As we previously mentioned, God will certainly be glorified by the sacrifice of Christ.  At the same time, he will glorify his Son, giving him a name above all others:  

Philippians 2:9-11 - Therefore God also has highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

God will also glorify Jesus by making him the head of all things, including the church (Ephesians 1:15-23).   

John 12:34 – So the crowd answered him, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever.  How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up?  Who is this Son of Man?"

The Jews in the temple that day were contrary and hostile.  Despite having heard the audible voice of God, they immediately looked for ways to dismiss Jesus as the Messiah.  Their excuse for rejecting him was based on teaching by the religious leaders. 

Specifically, the religious leaders taught them to believe that the Messiah (the Christ) would not die; he would reign forever. These teachings were based on many Old Testament passages including Psalms 110:4, Micah 4:7, Isaiah 9:7, Daniel 2:44 and others.  This teaching wasn't wrong (Jesus will reign forever), but it was definitely an incomplete picture of what was prophesied about the Messiah.   

It seems that the teachers of the law had overlooked other important Old Testament texts that spoke of the suffering and death of the Messiah, like Isaiah 53.

The argument of the Jews went something like this:  If Jesus was the Messiah, and the Messiah would rule forever/never die, then how could Jesus be 'lifted up'?  In other words, they did not believe that the death of Jesus could be reconciled with the idea of his eternal reign.

The problem is that they did not understand (or they refused to understand) the true nature of the Messiah and his kingdom.  Jesus was both divine and human.  Though his human body died, his Spirit/divine nature did not.  After his suffering and death, his spirit and body were once again united during his resurrection and from that point onward he would rule/reign forever.  In short, death of the body does not mean death of the spirit.

The same thing is essentially true for us.  One day, our body will die.  But physical death does not kill our spirit, it merely frees it from our sinful flesh.  At some point, God will give each of us a new body fit for eternity in his kingdom.  Our spirit and new body will be united and endure forever.   

John 12:35 – So Jesus said to them, "The light is among you for a little while longer.  Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you.  The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going."

Jesus reproves the unbelieving crowd for their frivolous reasoning.  In truth, they already knew the answers to the questions they asked.  They were well aware that man dies yet his immortal soul continues to live on.  So Jesus warns them not to shut their eyes against the spiritual/gospel light he is bringing them (John 9:5). 

At that very moment, the Jews were definitely walking in the light.  They had Christ's bodily presence, they heard his preaching, they saw his miracles and they heard his Father speak.  If there was ever a time for them to commit to the gospel in faith, it was right then!

As Jesus warned, that light would soon seem to vanish away.  Jesus was going to be crucified.  Spiritual blindness and hardness of heart would fall upon the Jews (Romans 11); the kingdom of God would be given to the Gentiles/Greeks.  In a few short years the temple would be destroyed and the Jewish nation dissolved.  For the people present in the temple that day, time was short and it was imperative that they walk in the light/truth of the message of grace.

If they don't walk in the light, the only other choice is to walk in spiritual darkness.  Those who do have no idea where they are going, or what they are doing.  They no longer recognize the difference between good and evil.  They endlessly wander the paths of life living in sin and error.  They are on the way to destruction and hell without even realizing it.

John 12:36 – "While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light."  When Jesus had said these things, he departed and him himself from them.

After this conversation, Jesus withdrew outside of Jerusalem.  He most likely went to the Mount of Olives or the gardens at its base where he spent the night on many occasions. 

It was his custom to spend the night there, and return to Jerusalem in the mornings to teach and preach.

Let me offer you some encouragement, relief and strength:

Jesus tells us that his life can be compared to a seed.  A seed must be buried and die before it can bring life to the plant and produce a harvest.  In the same way, Jesus must die and be buried so that he can bring the church to life and bring an abundance of believers into the kingdom of heaven.

Death is a requirement of every Christian as well.  We must die to sin and to our own selfish nature, taking up the cross of Christ and following wherever he may lead.   

Mark 8:34 - And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Just like Jesus, we have the assurance that any suffering we endure will not be in vain.  God will reward it when he reconciles all things at the end of this age.  So let me end by speaking a word of blessing over your life – the same one given by the author of Hebrews:

Hebrews 13:20-21 - Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory forever and ever.  Amen.

      

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John 9:13 – They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind.

Our last post ended in verse 12, where many of the Jews were asking the formerly blind beggar to tell them the whereabouts of Jesus. 

Evidently, some of them brought the beggar to see a group of Pharisees who were part of the Sanhedrin, the ruling religious council of the Jews.  They also happened to be the sworn enemies of Christ.  

Why would the Jews do this, since they knew this group of Pharisees was committed to opposing Christ?

• It is possible that they were inclined to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, so they brought this beggar to the unbelieving Pharisees as 'proof' that Jesus was divine or at the very least, a prophet sent from God.

• It is also possible that these Jews were just as opposed to Jesus as the Pharisees.  Perhaps they were rewarded in some way for providing the Pharisees with a reason to further persecute Christ.

• Then again, they could have been motivated by fear.  The Pharisees had already determined to excommunicate anyone who confessed Jesus as the Messiah so perhaps they brought him to the Pharisees to ensure their place in the Jewish community. 

Regardless of their motivation, they clearly put more fuel on the fire of hate, anger and opposition of the religious leaders.  This is part of an overall pattern that is evident all throughout time – we often see violence where the truth of the gospel comes head to head with evil.

I believe that some of the violence we see in our nation (and world) today has this same basis.  As Christians stand up for what is true, it angers Satan.  He does not want to give up any part of his kingdom, so he reacts violently.  Apparently, he still mistakenly thinks this will stop the gospel.  No one wants or seeks to be involved in this kind of confrontation, but as Christians, we MUST stand firm against darkness and advance the kingdom of heaven.  

John 9:14 – Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes.

On the Sabbath people paused from their normal activities to honor God and rest/restore their minds and bodies.  This day of rest was good for people spiritually, mentally and physically.  God felt that this day of rest was so important, he made it part of the law; anyone who violated this command was to be put to death (Exodus 31:15).   

The problem is that over the years the Pharisees had used their authority to set up a hierarchy of traditions that far exceeded the law and purpose of God.  The Sabbath had become a legalistic quagmire of rules and regulations.  Instead of being a source of comfort and healing and a day where people recognized the love of God, the Sabbath had become another heavy burden for the common man to bear.

Mark 7:9,13 - And he said unto them, Full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition.  Making the word of God of no effect through your tradition…

The truth is that the law did NOT forbid ALL work done on the Sabbath, just that which was servile or unnecessary (Jesus proved this in John chapter 7 with the example of circumcision).

On the other hand, works of necessity and mercy were NEVER forbidden on the Sabbath.  Indeed, how could it be wrong to do good on the day that was set aside to honor the God of infinite mercy and love?

During his time on earth, Jesus constantly went head-to-head with the Jewish rulers over this issue.  He 'took back' or restored the Sabbath back to its original intent.    

Luke 6:9 - Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the Sabbath days to do good, or to do evil?  To save life, or to destroy it?

One reason Jesus often healed on the Sabbath was because this was the normal day for preaching the word, and Jesus confirmed his teaching with miracles.  Hence, miracles were bound to occur on the Sabbath.  But there was more to it than just that.

By healing on the Sabbath, Jesus discredits the extraneous traditions of the elders of Israel.  He also proves that he is Lord of the Sabbath, and therefore divine. 

Furthermore, by stirring up these controversies with the Pharisees, Jesus attempts to once again draw the Jews into a quest for the truth.  Over and over again he tries to motivate them into impartially examining the evidence.  Over and over he tries to get them to objectively examine Old Testament prophesy and find/discover him there!

Actually, this is not the first time God has used this technique.  He has a history of stirring people up with something that attracts their attention or piques their curiosity.  Then, as they investigate further, he reveals himself or he imparts truth to them.  For example:    

How did God get Moses' attention?  That's right – through a bush that was burning, but never consumed (Exodus 3:2).  Moses found the Lord when he attempted to understand the burning bush, and God assigned him to lead Israel out of bondage.   

How did God get the attention of Balaam?  That's right – by allowing his donkey to talk (Numbers 22:22-35).   Once the Lord had Balaam's full attention, he gave him strict instructions not to curse the Israelites.

Proverbs 25:2 - It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out a matter.

 God still works this way today.  For instance, he may give you a dream or vision which you don't fully understand.  You might witness a move of Holy Spirit or receive a word of prophesy that you don't understand. 

Whatever the event is, it should cause you to seek the Lord for an answer.  In your seeking, God will reveal new aspects of himself to you and/or reveal his truth to you.  So if you find yourself in this situation, don't ignore the invitation!  Make time to meet with God.  It will definitely be worth it!   

John 9:15 – So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight.  And he said to them, "He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see."

Here we find the Pharisees asking the wrong question.  The correct question was not how the beggar was healed; it was who healed him. 

At this point in the narrative we begin to see that the Pharisees are caught in a downward spiral of unbelief:

• It began with a dogmatic and unyielding belief that Jesus was not the Messiah.  No amount of evidence was sufficient to convince them that Jesus was the Son of God (and there was A LOT of evidence).   

• Their next step was to try and weaken or destroy the credibility of the witness.  Perhaps this man was NOT the beggar who was outside the temple gates day after day, or perhaps the beggar and Jesus were involved in an elaborate scam to make appear that a miracle had taken place. 

• When the witness couldn't be shaken, the Pharisees were forced to admit the fact that a true miracle had occurred, but they immediately attempt to charge Jesus with a crime because of the manner in which he did it. 

This is why they asked the beggar how he was healed – they wanted to condemn Jesus for making mud on the Sabbath! 

Truly, their spiritual blindness and unbelief was of their own choosing; had they turned to Jesus, he would have healed their spiritual blindness as surely as he physically healed the blind beggar. 

John 9:16 – Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath."  But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?"  And there was a division among them.

Not all of the religious leaders are against Jesus.  Some of them (including Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea and possibly Gamaliel) acknowledged the miracles of Jesus as the hand of God.  Therefore, Jesus cannot be the sinner some of the Pharisees accuse him of being.

Thus, God made a division in the Jewish ruling body so that they could not put Jesus to death until his work was finished and his time had come.

John 9:17 – So they said again to the blind man, "What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?"  He said, "He is a prophet."

The rulers were divided as to the true nature and mission of Jesus.  Those who were against him were still determined to disprove this miracle. 

In an effort to intimidate the beggar, they ask for his opinion.  But the beggar will not be bullied.  He gives a sound answer:  Jesus is obviously a prophet or representative of God.  Otherwise, he would be unable to do such a miracle, especially on the Sabbath.   

In the presence of this undeniable logic, you would think the Pharisees would just keep quiet, but they don't.  They keep on talking, desperately trying to discredit this man's witness.  But the more they argue against it, the more the truth of God becomes apparent. 

Since the beggar refuses to agree with them, they now turn to his parents.    

John 9:18-20 – The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind?  How then does he now see?"  His parents answered, "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind."

The Pharisees turn to the parents because they are hoping for some kind of admission that their son was not totally blind, or that the beggar was not really their son.  They are searching for anything they can use to cast doubt upon the miracle and label Jesus as a fraud.

But God is not going to allow that to happen.  In fact, his hand is clearly evident in this narrative.  The goal of the unbelieving Jews is to prove that the beggar and Jesus had colluded together to fool people into believing a miracle had taken place.  Their motive was malice and their intent was destruction, but (glory to God!) the end result was confirmation of the truth! 

The final outcome of their biased investigation is a vindication of Jesus and his doctrine!  

John 9:21 – "But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes.  Ask him; he is of age.  He will speak for himself."

The parents answer the questions of the Pharisees very carefully.  They affirm that the beggar is their son and that he was born blind.  However, it appears they were not present when the healing took place.  Therefore, they will not speculate about how that happened, or who did it. 

Instead, they refer the Pharisees back to their son for an answer.  The minimum age required to legally give evidence was 13, and he was well past that age.    

John 9:22-23 – (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.)  Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."

What do you think about the response of the beggar's parents? 

Clearly, they are referring the religious leaders back to their son to avoid the responsibility of expressing an opinion themselves.  They knew full well that Jesus had healed their son, but they didn't want to admit/confess it.

What does it mean to confess Christ?

Confess means to acknowledge or to declare a person or thing to be what it really is.  So to confess Christ is to acknowledge Him for what he truly is:  the Son of God, God in the flesh and the Savior of the world. 

How do we confess him?

In general, confessions should be publicly made.  Part of our public confession involves our actions/conduct - we should be baptized in water and we should partake of communion on a regular basis.  Our daily lifestyle should also be a confession of our faith in Christ. 

But we should also confess him with our mouths:

Romans 10:9-10 - That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.  For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Confessing Jesus as Lord honors him, strengthens our own faith and serves as a witness to the lost. 

Sometimes there is a price to be paid in this life for making your confession for Christ. 

• The price may be relatively small.  This was the case with the parents of the beggar; their confession would only have resulted in an excommunication from the synagogue.  But sadly, they felt the price was too high.     

• On the other hand, the price may seem to be quite steep.  There have been (and will be) many, many people who died for their confession of faith in Christ (Revelation 6:9-11).

Luke 12:8-9 - Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:  But he that denies me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

Let us remind ourselves that no price is really too high to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah.  If we confess him, he will also acknowledge us – for eternity.   

John 9:24 – So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, "Give glory to God.  We know that this man is a sinner."

 Why would the leaders tell this man to 'give glory to God'? 

This expression seems to be a form of administering an oath in the presence of God, indicating that you have at last confessed the truth.  The same expression was used back in Joshua 7:19 when Joshua was obtaining a confession of guilt from Achan. 

Essentially, they want the beggar to admit that he and Jesus conspired together to fool people into believing his healing was a miracle.  They want him to admit it was all a sham or a trick. By 'coming clean' and revealing the deception, he would be giving glory to God, who condemns all forms of lying. 

As a inducement for him to confession, they declare that they know it wasn't really his fault… Jesus was clearly a vile sinner/imposter and a liar.  They are willing to blame Jesus and let this man walk away, if he will only side with them.    

John 9:25 – He answered, "Whether he is a sinner I do not know.  One thing I do know, that though I was blind now I see."

The beggar is not as easily intimidated as his parents were.  He reminds the religious leaders that the point of their inquiry was not to examine the character of Jesus, but to determine if he had performed a healing or not. 

And in that regard, the beggar once again firmly sticks to his story – there was no fraud being perpetrated.  Jesus had healed him.

John 9:26-27 – They said to him, "What did he do to you?  How did he open your eyes?"  He answered them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen.  Why do you want to hear it again?  Do you also want to become his disciples?"

We can't help but notice the boldness and irony with which the beggar answers them.  The Pharisees are obviously wicked and hostile towards Christ.  They have already decided what to believe; they are merely searching for something (anything) to substantiate their point of view, regardless of the facts.

So the religious leaders, who consider themselves to be far above their common fellow man, are put in their place by the lowest member of their society – a (formerly) blind beggar! 

The words of the apostle Paul are so appropriate in this place:

1 Corinthians 1:27 - But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;   

You and I may not be mighty or wise in the eyes of the world, but that should not intimidate us.  We have Jesus Christ, the hope of glory, living within our hearts.  Knowledge of him far exceeds anything this world has to offer!

Let me offer you some encouragement:

God still speaks to his people today, just as he has done all throughout history.  Sometimes he speaks in dreams or in visions or through his word.  Sometimes he speaks to us in our spirits.  Sometimes he gets our attention with a word, a concept or something unusual. 

Whenever and however God speaks to you, consider it an invitation to meet with him and get to know him better.  He is anxious to reveal himself to you, to fellowship with you and to impart valuable truth to you as well.    

Let me offer you some relief:

There are many people who are wise by the standards of this world, but in the kingdom of heaven, they know less than a little child!  Don't be intimidated by their superior ways, their education, their wealth or their position in society.  And don't be afraid to confess Jesus before them.  God has promised that when that time comes, Holy Spirit will give you the words to share with them (Luke 12:11-12).

Let me offer you some strength:

There are many ways to confess Christ.  One of the most important is to live a holy life that glorifies God.  That is not always an easy thing; although we are Christians we can still fall under the spell of temptation! But remember, Jesus has promised that if we look to him, he will always provide a way of escape for us, so that we can resist temptation and continue to be a shining light for the truth (I Corinthians 10:13).  As we shine for him, he will open up doors of opportunity for us to share his gospel message.

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John 6:30 –So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you?  What work do you perform?"

The crowd who ate the loaves and fish followed Jesus across the sea/lake to Capernaum.  They caught up with him at the temple, where he was teaching. 

At that time, Jesus told them to seek food that endures to eternal life.  This spiritual food was available from the Son of Man, who has been 'sealed' or commissioned by Father God to be the bread of life and provide eternal life to all who believe in him. 

The people respond by asking for a sign or miracle which proves Jesus is the Messiah and that has been ordained by Father God.

How do we explain this strange request in light of the recent miracle of the loaves and fish? 

The answer lies in the fact that this new request is being made in the temple setting.  The crowd no longer consists of just those from across the sea who at the loaves and fish.   It also includes other Jews from Capernaum as well as the temple rulers.

As for the crowed that ate the loaves/fish and acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, they were thinking of Jesus in terms of our present physical life.  They expected the Messiah to be a leader who would overthrow Rome, restore Israel and provide them with a happy and comfortable existence here on earth.  This was the Messiah they were willing to accept and support.

But Jesus rebuffs their attempt to make him an earthly Messiah and subsequently informs them that his kingdom is not physical, it is spiritual.    

Just as earthly life depends upon earthly food, spiritual life depends on spiritual food.  The Messiah has come to provide spiritual food by fulfilling/completing the ceremonial law and replacing it with the gospel.  Through the plan set forth in the gospel message, the Messiah will become the spiritual bread which sustains eternal life.

This plan was a serious issue for the religious leaders of the day.  So the request for a sign most likely came from the rulers of the temple.  Despite the miracle of the loaves/fish (which they were no doubt aware of), they were demanding further proof/confirmation that Jesus was the true Messiah, because only Messiah had the authority to set aside the law and establish new religious doctrine. 

The conversation that takes place in the next few verses may well have occurred between Jesus and the religious leaders, with the crowd watching.

John 6:31 – "Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"

Not only do they ask for a sign of confirmation, they disparage the miracle of the loaves and fish by comparing it to the manna given to their forefathers.  Their basis is found in the book of Psalms:

Psalm 105:40 - The people asked, and he brought quail, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.    

In essence this is what they are saying:  The law came through Moses, and his message was confirmed by God who gave manna or 'bread from heaven' to millions of Jews, every day, throughout their wilderness journey of 40 years. 

This is a greater miracle than Jesus feeding a single meal to a crowd of five thousand men plus women and children.  If Jesus is the Messiah, and he wants us to believe his message, it must be confirmed with a greater sign than the miracle of the loaves and fish.

John 6:32-33 –Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

Again, the Jews are focused on the physical bread of this life (manna) and again Jesus patiently redirects their focus to the spiritual realm.

The true 'bread from heaven' is not manna.  Manna is simply another form of physical food which God provided for Israel to sustain their physical lives as they wandered in the wilderness.  It had no spiritual power; it could never preserve the soul from death.

Furthermore, manna did not come from 'heaven' as in the third heaven and throne room of God (II Corinthians 12:2-4).  Manna came from 'heaven' as in the first heaven, meaning the air and clouds of Earth's atmosphere.

The true 'bread from heaven' is spiritual food which results in eternal life; it saves the soul from eternal death.  God provided this true bread through his Son Jesus, who came down to earth from the third heaven.  God gives the bread of heaven to the entire world – not only Jews, but Gentiles as well.

The phrase 'bread of heaven' is full of deep meaning: 

• Since Jesus is the 'bread from heaven', the Jews can be assured that he is divine, because heaven is the dwelling place of God. 

• Since Jesus is the 'bread from heaven' the Jews can be assured that Jesus has been with God from the beginning (John 1:1) and that he was present and assisted in the creation of the world (John 1:3). 

• Since Jesus is the 'bread from heaven', the Jews can be assured that he possess all power, because heaven is the seat of all power and authority.

• Since Jesus is the 'bread from heaven' the Jews can be assured that Jesus has a divine commission from the Father to bring them the gospel message.  

These Jews are either ignorant or stubborn when they esteem Moses greater than Jesus.  Moses was simply a servant of God, while Christ is the Son (Hebrews 3:5-6).

John 6:34-35 – They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always."  Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst."

Does this request seem at all familiar to you?  The phrase 'give us this bread' is very similar to the words of the woman at the well, who said, 'give me this water' (John 4:15).  This indicates that, like the woman at the well, these Jews are beginning to receive spiritual understanding. 

They are starting to realize that manna was not the true bread of heaven as they previously believed.  They begin to consider the possibility that God has sent them a better kind of bread. 

In the remainder of this exchange Jesus proceeds to reveal himself to the crowd and show that the blessings they hoped to receive were contained within himself and therefore they could only be obtained by belief in him.  

In fact, the person who receives Christ and believes in him as the atoning sacrifice for sin will be perfectly satisfied spiritually.  He will be free from the misery, guilt and burden of sin.  His soul will be purified and reunited with God.  He will enter into true rest and joy with God.  He also finds solace, strength and victory in this life.

Sadly, this is where the similarities between this crowd and the woman at the well end.  While the woman believed in Jesus and was satisfied, this crowd rejected Christ and went away spiritually unsatisfied/dead.

John 6:36 – "But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe."

Jesus now goes on to chastise these Jews.  He notes that they have 'seen me'.  Of course, Jesus is not talking about physically seeing him in the flesh, he is speaking in spiritual terms.  He is saying that the crowd saw or perceived that he was the Messiah.  They were witness to his power.  They saw that Father God had confirmed his ministry with miracles.

It is not a lack of evidence that causes them to reject Christ and his gospel.  They have chosen to be spiritually blind.  But despite their rejection, the work of Jesus will not be in vain.

John 6:37 – "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out."  

Although some people will reject him, Jesus has been guaranteed by the Father that his labor will not be in vain.

Isaiah 53:11 - He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

Jesus promises that all who come to him will be accepted and cleansed by him.  Notice how boundless and wonderful the mercy of God is – NOTHING you have done is so bad that it cannot be forgiven! 

To 'come to him' simply means to believe on him.  To believe implies that we recognize our need/sin, we have confidence Jesus can help us and we are ready to trust and submit to him. 

But just as in the case of this crowd, Jesus never forces anyone to accept him.  The Spirit of God touches us offering to do a work of faith and repentance in our lives, but it is still our choice.  All who accept are saved.  Those who prefer the path leading to death are free to travel that road, although God will constantly reach out to save them.   

The phrase 'cast out' literally means 'thrust out of doors'.  The reference is of a person in deep poverty and distress who, in desperation, knocks on the door of a nobleman's house in order to get relief.  Rather than being cast out, he is welcomed into the house.

In the same way, Jesus assures us that when we knock on his door seeking relief, he will not shut the door in our face; he will kindly and lovingly welcome us into his kingdom no matter how sinful and vile we may be.  In fact, he not only forgives our sin, he welcomes us as brothers and sisters and makes us children of his Father.  

John 6:38 – "For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me."

This is a confirmation of the preceding statement, that we do not seek Christ in vain.

Jesus assures us that he came to earth to do his Father's business.  He came as an agent of God or what we might call an ambassador.  He came from the kingdom of heaven to settle the affairs between the great Creator and all of creation.  The scope and purpose of his whole earthly life was to glorify God and to do good to men.

Therefore he never considered his own ease, safety or comfort.  When the time came for him to lay down his life, he did so willingly.

John 10:17-18 - Therefore does my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.  No man takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Of course, we know that the Godhead is in perfect unity at all times.  The will of Jesus was identical to that of the Father; he too desired for men to be redeemed. 

John 6:39 – "And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day."

In other words, Jesus is not there to just introduce us to salvation, he is with us every minute of every day until we finish our earthly course.  He guards our salvation until the final day – the Day of Judgment.

This is the will/desire/intention of God and as such, we can be sure that it will be done because Jesus is faithful and he has been given all power in heaven and on earth to accomplish his Father's will.

The last day is also known as the Day of Judgment.  On this day, all of the dead will be raised.  Their bodies will be changed and reunited with their spirits.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 - Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

This is the comfort and hope of every Christian – someday Jesus will defeat the final enemy - Death (I Corinthians 15:54).  Our sinful flesh will be transformed and we will live with the Lord forever!

John 6:40 – "For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."

Salvation consists of two parts.  There is the gift of God, which was Jesus the Son, our redeemer.  This is a free gift which God offers to every single person, because it is his will that none perish, but all come to a saving knowledge of the Lord.  However, he will not force his will on us.

This brings us to the second part of salvation, acceptance of this free gift by each individual.  In order to accept salvation, we must recognize our sin, and place our faith in his atoning work.  This assures us of eternal life.  At that point, Holy Spirit will come to dwell in our hearts and begin the life long process of sanctification.    

Let me offer you some encouragement, relief and strength:

We see over and over again in the New Testament that the Jewish leaders chose spiritual blindness.  They were unable to accept the fact that God was doing something new in their midst.  As a result, they missed out on the amazing things God wanted to do in them, through them and for them.

I don't know about you, but I don't want to miss out on any of the blessings of God. 

So I encourage you today to look at your own life, or 'wine skin' (Mark 2:22, Luke 5:37-38).  God has promised an epic, world-wide, end time harvest of souls.  But we can be sure it won't occur as it has in the past, because God never repeats himself.  He is always doing something new.

Isaiah 43:18-19 - Remember not the former things, neither consider the things of old.  Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.  

Let's be honest - the lost of this generation are different from generations past.  Basic beliefs in Christian values no longer exist.  If we want the fires of revival to ignite and burn, we must be willing to follow where Holy Spirit leads us, how he leads us and when he leads us. 

The good news is that if we are willing (if we do NOT choose spiritual blindness), Holy Spirit will lead us into victories that we can't even conceive of right now.  As long as we follow his leading, we don't need to worry about failing because he will make sure we are victorious.  We don't need to worry about having enough strength/endurance for the task, because he will be our strength.  With him, we cannot fail.

Here are some things to consider this week: Are you ready and willing to accept a new and different move of God in your life and ministry?  Are you ready to leave your current spiritual comfort zone?  Are you in a position to hear Holy Spirit speaking to you and to act on his instructions?  Are you willing to seek Holy Spirit involvement/gifts in your life?

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John 5:17 – But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working until now and I am working."

As you may recall from our introduction to the gospel of John, we noted that many of the truths presented in this book can be easily understood/grasped by new believers.  But at the same time, these concepts also have very deep, far reaching implications ready to be discovered by mature believers. 

The remainder of John chapter five contains these types of truths.  I hope that you will carefully read and make time to meditate on the concepts revealed in today's post.  If you are willing to do so, I believe you will become better acquainted with Jesus.  Let's begin.

Our prior post examined the work of Jesus as he healed the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda.  We saw that this was an illustration of mankind being infected with the deadly disease of sin.  We had no cure for this disease; no way to free ourselves from spiritual death.  But, hallelujah, Jesus does!  Through his shed blood and great mercy, he has provided spiritual life for each individual who wants to be healed from sin.

We also learned that Jesus performed this miracle on the Sabbath.  This fact caused a lot of consternation among the Jewish leaders, because they considered this healing to be a violation of the Sabbath law.

No doubt the religious leaders were wondering exactly who or what Jesus was.  Was he a trouble maker, a heretic or a false Messiah?  Was he a peculiar new prophet?  Was God really speaking through him?  Should he be embraced or confronted?  Supported or opposed?

On one hand, the religious leaders cannot deny that he has performed multiple miracles, which can only be done by God.  They cannot deny that he teaches with authority and great crowds are embracing his doctrine. 

But on the other hand, he refuses to be bound by their religious traditions or their interpretation of the law.  He challenges their authority and their doctrine.  He does not fit their pattern of what the Messiah should be.   

In the midst of their confusion, one point remains crystal clear.  The Pharisees and Sadducees had to make a decision about Jesus.  They could no longer ignore him, his actions or his teaching because he was turning the religious world upside down!  They must decide to be for Jesus or against him.

In the remainder of John chapter five, Jesus gives the Pharisees and Sadducees a clear picture of exactly who he is.  He unveils the will and character of Father God to them.  He offers them insight into some deep spiritual truths. 

He gives them a number of proofs which prove that he is the Son of God/part of the Godhead or Trinity; he is divine.  Jesus also gives them several proofs that as God, he is Lord of the Sabbath. 

As the spiritual leaders of the nation, this was information the Pharisees and Sadducees should have been ready to receive, examine and evaluate.  It was their duty to impartially consider the facts before them, comparing it to the truth that had already been revealed.  Had they done so, they would have concluded that Jesus was indeed the Son of God, the promised Messiah.

But of course, we know they did not.  They chose to remain spiritually blind.  But thankfully, we don't have to make the same choice.  The truths presented to the Jewish leaders have been recorded by John.  It is now our privilege to examine them, and make our own decision regarding Jesus!

The first revelation that Jesus gives them is this: 'My Father is working until now, and I am working'.

In other words, God ceased creating on the seventh day but he never stopped working - even on the Sabbath:   

• God still makes the sun rise and set (Genesis 8:22). 
• He still brings out the constellations at night (Job 9:7-10). 
• He still and causes growth in the grass, trees, crops etc (Deuteronomy 11:14, Jeremiah 5:4). 
• God is still bringing babies into the world and calling believers home to heaven, seven days a week (Psalms 137:16).  

In short, He continuously governs and actively sustains creation 24/7.  This includes moving forward with his eternal plans and purposes, like sending his Son into the world to redeem it.  

Are you comforted by the fact that God is sustaining the world?  That should give you peace in the midst of the storms of life.  For even more comforting facts, read Psalms 139.

How does this fit in with the Sabbath?  While the law required creation to rest on the Sabbath, God is not bound by the law or by the tradition of man or by time itself – he is eternally free to act at any point.  He can and does work outside of our concept of time. 

Now that we have a better understanding of what Jesus meant when he said 'the Father is working until now and I am working', let's discuss the reaction of the religious leaders to this truth. 

By calling God his Father, Jesus claims unity and equality with God.  Thus, Jesus reveals that He is not just an ordinary prophet or a teacher - he is much, much more!  He is the Messiah, the Deliverer, the Lion of Judah, the Redeemer that had been promised since the fall of man (Genesis 3:15).      

Furthermore, because Jesus is unified with God/part of the Trinity, He was also present with God during the creative process (John 1:1-3).  In fact, nothing that was created was made without him.  This reveals/proves that Jesus is equal in nature and power with the Father.  Just as God the Father continues to sustain and uphold all life on earth, so too does Jesus:

Hebrews 1:3 – He [Jesus] is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power…   

Secondly, since Jesus is one with God (John 10:30), Jesus claims the same exemption from the law which God had.  In other words, the Sabbath law which did not bind God did not bind him either (Luke 6:5).  

This meant that Jesus had the right to do as he wished on the Sabbath; He could impose or repeal laws in the same manner as God the Father.  He had the divine right and authority to tell the healed paralytic to carry his mat on the Sabbath.  He has in NO WAY violated the law, because he is divine and he is doing divine work at the behest of the Father; he is constantly working to save the lost and further the kingdom of heaven (Mark 2:28).

[As a side note, there was also the issue of the Jews twisting the observance of the Sabbath.  While they condemned Jesus for healing on the Sabbath (they considered it work), they were all in favor of work that would benefit them, such as rescuing one of their animals on the Sabbath.] 

The Jews simply refused to even consider the truth of this statement.  In their eyes, the statement of Jesus was utter blasphemy which was punishable by death (Leviticus 24:16).     

John 5:18 – This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

So the Jewish leaders chose to reject the truth that Jesus presented to them.  In fact, his revelation enraged them even more. 

What about us?  What are some principles we can find in this passage?  What can we find to meditate on this week that will bring us reassurance and strengthen our faith?

For starters, we need to stand up for the truth of the gospel knowing that evil men and women will lash out against us and probably accuse us unjustly.  That is what happened to Jesus and we can expect some of the same treatment (John 15:20).  This exact thing is happening more and more in our current cultural and political environment.  We can find examples of it nearly every day.  But we don't need to fear or be ashamed of the gospel.  As we stand in faith, God will be glorified and he will draw sinners to himself.

It also reminds us that many people rejected the truth which Jesus presented to them.  We can expect nothing different; not everyone will embrace the gospel message we share with them.  Nevertheless, we must continue to sow and water the seeds of the gospel and rely on Holy Spirit to bring forth the fruit.  Don't give up if you don't win someone to Christ every time!

The world around us seems very chaotic right now and it is no secret that our nation is divided.  But even in the midst of that, we can have peace knowing that God is working.  Nothing is happening that he is not acutely aware of; let's continue to put our trust in him.

Isaiah 43:2 - When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you: when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned; neither shall the flame scorch you.

Now is the time for us to increase our faith in him.  Now is the time to declare that his will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Now is the time to pray, like never before.  Now is the time to stand firm and let our light shine before the world.    

John 5:19 – So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing.  For whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise."

Having stated the extent of his authority, Jesus now proceeds to reveal its source and nature. 

Jesus begins with a statement of the role/position of the Son.  The Son, who Jesus has just confirmed to be equal to the Father, does nothing independently or in a state of rivalry with the Father.  Because of the union between the Father and the Son, the Son only does that which is commanded by the Father; everything the Son does is in accordance with the nature and will of God.  The Father and Son (and Spirit) are in a state of complete unity, alike in existence and action.  

Accordingly, the Son only does what he sees the Father doing.  This extends to all actions of God including the works of creation and providence, in making laws, and in governing the universe. 

Furthermore, since the Son is doing whatever (or all) the Father is doing, then he too must be almighty, omniscient, omnipotent and infinitely perfect.  In short, he MUST be God.   

What did this mean to the Jewish leaders back in the day of Christ?

Simply put, Jesus is demonstrating the relationship between God the Father and the Son (himself).  They are unified in all respects.  So if the Jews continue to deny, condemn or object to the miracles of Jesus, they would actually be fighting against God himself.   They cannot claim to honor God while despising Jesus.  Yet, this is exactly what the Jewish leaders determined to do – the continued to claim God as their Father, while rejecting the ministry of Jesus.

This is the same kind of heresy that is often found in false religions.  They claim to be following God, but they assign Jesus to the role of a mere prophet or messenger.  They put him on the same level as many of their own earthly prophets, denying his divinity.    

Of course we recognize God as the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  The works of the Trinity are never divided; they are always in perfect unison.  Yet, at the same time, they are also distinct.  For this reason, we often ascribe some of the workings of God to the Father (such as creation and providence), some to the Son (such as redemption) and some to Holy Spirit (such as sanctification).  The Trinity is a mystery we could meditate on for a lifetime!   

John 5:20 – "For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing.  And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel."

The Father loves the Son – The world in general and many of the Jews specifically hated Christ.  We saw the beginning of this hatred right here in the gospel of John, when Jesus left Judea for Galilee (John 4:1-3).  This rejection and hatred was prophesied long ago in the book of Isaiah:

Isaiah 49:7 - Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despises, to him whom the nation abhors, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD who is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he has chosen you.

Though Jesus was hated by mankind, his Father loved him.  God loves Jesus because of their eternal relationship and also as the Messiah sent by him into the world to finish the work that was assigned to him.   

Shows him all that he himself is doing – Father God does not conceal anything from his Son Jesus.  The Father shows/reveals all of his plans in making and ruling the world so that Jesus the Son can take appropriate actions in forming and creating the church. 

Likewise, Holy Spirit will take appropriate actions to see that the will of God is accomplished on earth.  This is another example of distinction in the Godhead/Trinity, as well as unity of action between them which result from a unity of their natures, wills and love.

This shows a significant difference between Jesus and human prophets.  The prophets only ever knew the tiniest fraction of the workings/plans/purposes of God.  The vast majority of what God was doing was hidden from their understanding.  But it was never hidden from Jesus, because he is the Son.

Here is something to meditate on – the bible speaks of the church ruling and reigning with Christ.  In order to do that, we too would need to know his plans and purposes.  What is God speaking to you in this age?

And what about eternity?  What do you suppose God has planned for his bride (the church) in the ages to come?  What plans do you think he has for you personally?

Greater works than these/that you may marvel – The miracle referred to here was the healing of the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda (and proof of authority over the Law).  As we have discussed, this was a profound miracle done by the hand of God; no mortal man could have helped the paralytic.  But this was only the smallest sample of what God has in store for mankind.

Jesus will demonstrate works of greater power than the curing of the paralytic. For instance, he will raise people from the dead, both physically and spiritually.

John 5:21 – "For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will."

Anybody can kill someone; no special power is required to do so.  People have been killing each other since Cain and Abel.  But bringing people back to life is another story entirely!  That is a power attributable only to God. 

In the Old Testament, two instances are recorded in which a prophet of God brings someone back to life.  The first was when God used Elijah to raise the son of the widow of Zarephath (I Kings 17:8-24).  The second was when God used Elisha to raise the son of the Shunamite woman (II Kings 4:32-3).

The Jews never doubted that God alone had the power to raise people from the dead.

Jesus demonstrates that power when he too raises people from the dead.  But he will not do so as a mere instrument of God's will and power as Elijah and Elisha did.  Jesus raises people to life in the same way God does – by wielding the same authority and power according to his own will.  Again, the logical conclusion is that he must be divine; he is equal with God.

But that's not all!  Jesus will do a work far, far, far greater work than just restoring physical life to Lazarus and others.  He will 'give life' or quicken infinite numbers of people (including you and me) from spiritual death, demonstrating once again that he is God.  He is the Messiah.  He literally couldn't be anyone else!  (How could the Pharisees be so blind to the truth?) 

John 5:22-23 – "The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father.  Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him."

Jesus says that the Father has given him sole authority to exercise judgment in regards to mankind.  This is an office reserved exclusively for the Son; Neither the Father nor Holy Spirit pronounces judgment. 

The power of judging the world implies the ability to search/know the heart of man, as well as omniscience to understand the motives of the heart.  This is work that only a divine being can accomplish.  Once again, the Jews are left to draw the only possible conclusion – Jesus is divine. As the Son, he is equal to the Father.

And once again they are warned that rejection of Jesus is also a rejection of God the Father.

John 5:23 – …that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father.  Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him."

What does it mean to honor someone?  To honor someone is to hold them in high estimation, to respect, praise and venerate them; to obey them.  Honor can be paid in words, actions and the attitude within our hearts.

We honor Jesus when we ascribe to him the same level of honor, power and authority that we give to God the Father.     

The converse is also true – the person who does not honor Jesus in the same manner as Father God does not truly believe on him, regardless of what he or she may say.  Such a person is in operating in disobedience to God. 

Now, if the Son is to be honored just as the Father is, then the Son should be worshiped and praised.  But to worship any creature or any thing other than God is idolatry.  So if Jesus receives praise and worship from us, then once again, he MUST be God.  Otherwise, he would be a false god, just like Baal.

It is astonishing that the Jewish leaders could continue to hate and reject Jesus after so many convincing proofs that he was the Son of God and the Messiah of the world.

Yet, perhaps we should not be too surprised because many people in our own generation reject him also.  

John 5:24 – "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.  He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life."

The repeated use of 'truly' alerts the reader that a deeper spiritual truth is about to be revealed.  This truth refers back to the phrase 'the Son gives life to whom he will', in verse 21.  When reading that phrase, one might be tempted to conclude that Jesus picks and chooses who he will give eternal life to.  But here Jesus explains that is not the case!

Jesus offers salvation to all men; indeed it is the will of God that none should perish but that ALL people should be saved (I Timothy 3:2-5).  The gift of eternal life is not limited by God; it is limited by human receptivity.  All who both believe and hear will receive eternal life.  Those who do not believe and chose not to hear will die in sin, even though Jesus freely offers them forgiveness.  God allows each one of us to choose either life or death.

'Hear' is one of the key words in this verse.  It does not refer to the physical act of listening to words.  It refers to receiving a concept or principle (the gospel) in a proper manner, to let it make an impression on the mind, to let it affect or change the heart.  The word 'hear' is often used this way in the scriptures (Matthew 11:15, John 8:47, Acts 3:23, etc).  The gospel will be preached in all the world, but not every person will 'hear' or receive it.

Hearing is linked to believing.  One must believe that Father God sent his Son Jesus to redeem us from sin:

John 3:17 - For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.  

Again, we see the unity of the Father and Son (and Spirit).  The Son's word is the revelation of the Father.  He that hears this word believes not on Jesus only, but on the Father who sent him. 

At the same time, faith in God is only possible through forgiveness of sin by the blood of Jesus; faith in the blood of Jesus is only possible by the conviction of Holy Spirit.  Therefore, eternal life is only possible by the unified working of the entire Trinity or Godhead.

Furthermore, Jesus makes it very clear in this verse that those who believe on him have eternal life.  This promise is in the present tense – you have that eternal life right now.  It is not something that you will be given in the future; you received it as soon as you were brought into relationship/communion with God, the source of all life. 

The one who posses eternal life does not come into judgment because there can be no condemnation for him.  He cannot be separated from God.  He has already passed from a state of death in sin to a state of life in Christ.  All that remains is for that life to develop in eternity.    

 Let me offer you some encouragement:

As we mentioned in this post, God is not bound by law or tradition or by time.  Yet he does bind himself to something – his word!  (Meditate on that!)  God tells us through the prophet Jeremiah that he always watches over his word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12). 

If you are not in the habit of 'praying the word' or claiming the promises of the bible for yourself and your family, I strongly encourage you to start doing so!   

Let me offer you some relief:

Some of the concepts we studied in this post are, well, hard to comprehend.  But that's okay.  All Christians are at different levels of maturity and understanding.  Holy Spirit works with each one of us on an individual basis to take us into deeper levels of understanding.  So don't feel inadequate if you didn't understand it all.  Just hang in there and keep studying with Holy Spirit!

Let me offer you some strength:

God is working – right now – in your life!  Sometimes we get caught up in our problems and trials and we don't think they will ever end.  But if we examine our past, we find that is not true! 

Review your own personal history right now.  I bet you will see that God has been working in your life all along, even when you didn't see it.  He certainly uses different situations in life to mature you spiritually or draw you closer to him, but in the end he always brings you through!  Let his presence strengthen you right now, in the midst of your situation.