Yes, Jesus knew exactly what He was doing when he stayed two more days! How many times do we question that, though? A better question might be how many times A DAY do we question His presence of seeming lack there of?

• When the world is in utter chaos, He knows what He’s doing.
• When the nations rage, He knows what He’s doing.
• When the bad guys seem to get away with murder, He knows what He’s doing.
• When your world comes crashing down around you, He knows what He’s doing.

He’s never late on anything. And I know that runs contrary to our experience sometimes, but our past experience has taught us that, well, He knows what He’s doing.

Mary and Martha both had faith in Jesus that he would come heal their brother. They had no idea how that would actually turn out. In fact, as we shall see later, their idea of how He should heal was vastly different than His. They wanted the healing now, not after the fact. Lazarus would actually have to die before Jesus would raise him back to life. If they were to still believe in Him, it would certainly take a different measure of faith.

They were also relying on their friendship with Him to gain access Him because by now there were throngs around Jesus. It’s what any decent relative would do: use any available means to take care of your loved one.

In a slightly different way we need to come to Christ on behalf of our loved ones. They desperately need Him, but often don’t know it.

Choose one of your relatives today and pray to Jesus with that end in mind. Like Mary and Martha did, rely on your friendship with the Master to plead your case.

We see in other places throughout the Gospels that Jesus “retreated” some place. In this passage, He isn’t exactly “retreating”, per se, but going to a place He is wanted and teaching the people who want to learn. I suspect that battling against the Pharisees takes a lot of emotional energy out of you. And it’s always nice to be “among friends.”

We all know what it’s like to be among enemies and among friends. We know the pressure, frustration, and the anxiety we experience, especially when our enemies are nearby. Fortunately, though, we don’t have to “camp out” near our enemies in most cases. We can get away, regroup, and prepare ourselves to do bigger battles. You need that time to recharge. We all do. Some times that recharging is as simple as getting away from it all for even a few minutes during the day.

I know that there are some reading this where that concept is foreign to you because you get recharged by being around people, even your enemies! In any event you getting around “like-minded” people is important because whether we’re introverts, extroverts, or somewhere in between, we need to be among friends. Those friends may be thousands of miles away or right down the street. Reach out to those people today. Just because.

“We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”‘? If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside—what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp. John 10:31-39

The Jewish leaders had a nasty habit of picking up stones when they couldn’t win an argument. They didn’t look at it that way. They would say they were only trying to protect God against “a mere man.”

A mere man doesn’t heal a blind man.
A mere man doesn’t change water into wine.
A mere man doesn’t defend a prostitute caught in the act.
A mere man doesn’t claim to be God while he’s speaking to leaders who could put him to death on the spot.
A mere man doesn’t say he’s the only way to God.

We know that Jesus was not a mere man as the leaders claimed. We also know that those same leaders would never recognize Him as the Son of God. What else could he have done to prove himself to them?

What else can he possibly do to prove Himself to us?

Jesus reiterates His commitment to us, His sheep. Sheep are not known for being the smartest creatures on the planet. They just do what they’re told and follow the rest of the sheep. There’s are a lot of different avenues we could go within this metaphor but suffice to say: we have a great shepherd who cares for us. At the end of this particular passage, He had laid it all on the line, knowing full well what it would mean to the ears of the Jewish leaders: blasphemy.

To put it into perspective, think of the vilest, most hateful thing you could hear and it might compare with what it sounded like to the leaders. It’s not wonder they were upset when you look at it like that. Of course, a logical response would have been to test and verify his words, or even to believe some of the reports that were coming out about him. He had strong words for those who tried to snatch His sheep from His hands.

This morning, reread this passage and combine it with Psalm 23 for a comforting realization of the Savior and Protector we serve.

Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. John 10:22-25a

Jesus freely admits that He is the Messiah. He had committed an offense worthy of death, that is, if he was merely a man. Now it’s true that when He said “but you do not believe” that they didn’t believe. Why else would they be ready to stone Him a few moments later?

Some people you meet do not really want to know the truth. You’ll never hear them admit it but just by their actions, you can see it’s true. But our job is to tell them the truth, not to make them own up to the truth for only God can judge the hearts and ways of man.

As a college classmate said, “we’re fellow beggars showing others where to find bread.”

But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” John 10:19-21

Today we would say that Jesus generated a whole lot of buzz when he moved about.

Intentionally.

He knew the effects his words would have on people and how they would be divided.

He stirred the pot a bit and moved on.

Why? He did it for any number of reasons but one that comes to mind is that if they were still talking about Him after he walked away, they were also analyzing what he had said. What he said was more important than the controversy he caused.

Consider how his controversial words still cause people to talk about Him long after He’s left the Earth physically. Interesting side note is how often He’s misquoted or how often people attribute words He never said (“family that prays together stays together” and “God helps those who help themselves” are cliches and Jesus never said them). But even in those contexts, He and His Words are still being talked about.

What a Divine Plan!

When you go to sleep at night, what do you hear? Do you hear the sound of the Father saying, “well done, good and faithful servant”? or do you hear self-condemnation for not meeting your own expectations and not living up to what you know to be the best? You know, of course, that this kind of condemnation is not of God, and yet we engage in it regularly – or at least I do.

When we’re “in tune with” what God is telling us day by day, we hear His voice and know when falsehood and lies come our way. And believe me they come our way all the time. None of us are immune to this bombardment of lies we hear and the lies we tell ourselves.

The gentle voice of God is kind and compassionate, stern when needed but not obnoxious or overbearing. It is not condemning or condescending. It guides and doesn’t force or shove. The voice of God in our lives is liberating and freeing. It doesn’t enslave.

We have a choice each day, whether to follow the gentle caring voice of God or the condemning voice of the evil one. The great thing, though, is that when we hear the condemning voice, we can recognize it as such and rebuke it.

Today is a good day to pray for your “local” shepherd, your pastor. He faces challenges we don’t know about, and often alone. Certainly he has a team to help him with those decisions but he most certainly knows things about other people that would crush many of us if we knew. Pray that God would guide him every day as he goes about his business.

Pray for his wife as well.

Then drop them both a line letting them know you’ve been praying for them. They will greatly appreciate it.

Everyone longs for the “abundant life” but is often very elusive. This is so even among Believers. How do I know this? Witness the “toys” i.e., massive flat screen TVs, large houses on overextended credit, and the sense of lethargy in the Church.

The life Jesus gives is much more than the things and the stuff we come to know and enjoy. It’s more than the entertainment we treat ourselves to.

The abundant life Jesus is referring to is vibrant and alive, full of compassion and passionate about the things that mean something in this life: people. Jesus was all about taking care of people. If we only grasped a fraction of the meaning of that sentence, our lives would be changed forever.

Consider for a moment what the abundant life is and do what it takes to get it (or get it back if it’s missing).

Jesus is laying out words that are intended to be against the Pharisees but they are blind to it. They didn’t quite get it. You and I know very clearly that Jesus was speaking specifically about them but they didn’t get it. These leaders were well-educated and wise to the ways of the world, so to speak, but the Pharisees were so conceited they would have never thought that the words were about them.

Often times we too can be spiritually blind to what people say. Think of the times you’ve heard (or said) “now I get it” after reading a passage of Scripture dozens of times. The timing of it wasn’t quite right those first times, but God opened your eyes, so to speak. The words were always there; it just needed Holy Spirit illumination. Just like that same passage may not “pop out’ at others when you see it so clearly. It means the others are at a different time and place in their walk with Christ.

Today as you consider these words, pray that the Holy Spirit would open your eyes to see spiritual truths all around you.

Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”

Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains. John 9:39-41

The Pharisees did a great job of following up on Jesus wherever He went. They probably followed the blind man to see where he would go. Jesus seemed to be a problem for them. I won’t pretend to know what goes through the mind of a Jewish leader, but they certainly wanted to know his every action.

Now Jesus knows what is happening here. Yes, he’s asking if the man believes, but he also knows there are those who are listening in. His words were for them too.

We see the rulers as being “rotten to the core.” Yes, Jesus was great at exposing their hypocrisy, but he was also compassionate towards them.

In this entire passage with the blind men, he seems to be saying to the Pharisees: “You want to eavesdrop on our conversation, fine. But you will hear a message of great news. You won’t accept it but that’s your decision entirely.” Always engaging them. Always pleading with them about their ways and guilt.

We are not in the same league as Jesus but we do have influence over others, even those we disagree with. Our challenge, then, is to see the person behind the disagreement. Much easier said than done.

“Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”

Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”

Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. John 9:35-38

The key ingredients to a blessed and contented life, in my opinion, is shown in this simple example: belief and worship. I read this short passage and I see the word “peaceful” is written all over this man. The man is at peace despite being thrown out of the synagogue a little before that. He was talking to the Prince of Peace so why shouldn’t he be at peace? He would be blessed all the days of his life.

For years and years he would be able to say, “I don’t know how He did it but he did do it. He can change your life too, and not just if you’re sick or lame like I was.”

Are you at peace? Are you being nagged by worries or conflicts or sin? When you lay your head on the pillow at night, do you have a clear conscience? It’s easy for all of us to get sidetracked and lose focus, but it’s even easier to get back on track again: belief and worship.

He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”

Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”

The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out. John 9:26-34

This former blind man is starting to have “all the right enemies.” They tossed Jesus out; they tossed him out. They hurled insults at Jesus; they hurled insults at him.

It’s obvious that these leaders had no compassion for this man. For many years he was blind; he was blind from birth. They could have at least welcomed him into the Family of Sight! Instead, they insulted him and had no rebuttal for his words.

It’s a pretty good bet that he was feeling rejected at this point. We see later that Jesus found him and encouraged him. But still he was publicly humiliated by the Jewish leaders. It had to sting, even if he was in the right.

You and I could be faced with similar scenarios in the near future. As Darkness increases so will the persecution of Christians worldwide. Stand firm, brothers and sisters for your “redemption is nigh.”

Know that the perfect Son of God was also rejected and abused by the leaders of his day. We his followers should expect no less.

But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.

Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”

The man replied, “He is a prophet.”

They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”

“We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”

He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” John 9:16-25

Simple faith rules again.

He was questioned. His parents were questioned and cowered in fear of the Jewish leaders. They passed the burden of proof back to their son.

He responded with simple, child-like faith. No pretending. No cowering. He had no idea how it happened or if it could ever happen again. His reality was real indeed. It does not get realer than that.

What happened to our child-like faith? Where did we go wrong? Why did we begin to cower in the face of questions and negative comments?

I don’t know the answers but they could reveal quite a bit about us if we were to uncover them.

Here’s another example of simple Christian testimony. “Christ did this and now I am whole.” I am certain that at this point the man was trying to sort it all out himself, but his testimony is simple but powerful.

So, how’s your testimony today? Not the testimony of when you were a new creature in Christ but today, this week. What specific thing can you point to this week that you can give glory to God about?

The thing about this man was that he didn’t have to evaluate and analyze what happened when asked. It just happened. He himself didn’t have a lot of details about it but now he can see. That was the important point the leaders and the people missed. His eyesight was restored.

Testimonies do not get simpler than that.

If you’re read this phrase once you’ve read it a thousand times: “now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath.” I shake my head and smile every time at this because you just know that Jesus did this on purpose or why else would the Gospel writer mention it? I’m speculating that one of the many reasons he did it was to get them thinking about their belief systems, namely what you could and should do on the Sabbath.

They never saw it that way, though. They would say that they were trying to defend the honor and dignity of God, but here was the Son of God in their midst healing and they missed the point entirely.

Lord, help us to see you in our midst even when it doesn’t look like we think you should be. Teach us to recognize substance over style when it comes to spiritual things.

He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

“Where is this man?” they asked him.

“I don’t know,” he said. John 9:10-12

Have you ever been caught in the middle of a situation you don’t want to be in. We all have.

The man born blind was in such a position. He was the recipient of a miracle. He doesn’t have a clue why or why it was done or who actually did it. He tells the people what he knows.

Now the people obviously didn’t trust him or they would never have taken him to see the Pharisees. The Jewish Leaders, as Jesus pointed out frequently, placed burdens on the backs of their followers. We don’t know why the people took him to see the Pharisees. Perhaps it was required of them by some obscure rule or man-made law. Would they question him and accuse him of wrongdoing even though he was the one healed? As a matter of fact they did.

So, given a choice between running after the Man Who Brought Life or running to fetch the burden-giving Pharisees, they chose the burdens.

Life really hasn’t changed in all these years, have they? Many willfully choose darkness over light, burdens over liberty, sin over righteousness.

Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

But he himself insisted, “I am the man.” John 9:8-9

When people witness the results of a miracle, they don’t believe their eyes. Most of us wouldn’t. . . at first. But upon further examination, we would certainly know that something dramatic has happened to this man, something that couldn’t be explained away easily.

But for the former blind man, everything is new. He’s seeing faces he’s never seen before, as well as sights and colors he’s never seen. The people aren’t asking him what it’s like to see again (or for the first times). They’re asking him how it was done.

Of course they’re missing the point.

Unfortunately we’re just as guilty. For instance, do we stand and cheer loudly when someone gets baptized (evidence of a changed life is no small miracle) or look at our watches to see how much time it will take to baptize another four people?

When was the last time you watched the sun set or rise fully? Think about the absolute freshness and newness of such a setting. Our reaction to it could be that it’s blinding us as we drive and thus delaying traffic because everyone’s blinded.

Step back and observe miracles when they exist. And they exist more than we think they do.

Long ago I was told while playing table tennis that if I get the ball over the net, that’s more than 80% the challenges of the game. The other person must then make the mistakes. Instead I put curves, spins, and fancy moves so that the ball ended up hitting net more often than not. The basics of table tennis is getting the ball over the net.

The basics of the Christian life is obedience.

The blind man washed in the pool of Siloam and could see. If he would have gone to another body of water, or even cursed Jesus for putting spit-filled dirt on his eyes, the outcome might have been very different.

Obedience to the Word of God is like that game of table tennis. Obedience is continuing to get the ball over the net even though it’s “boring” (especially when the “other side” is putting fancy spins and curves and slamming the ball with all they have). But it’s the continued obedience that separates us from the pack, so to speak.

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. John 9:1-3

Many of the situations in life we ask a similar question, “why?”

• Why did this happen to an innocent child?
• Why did this happen to such a good person?
• Why am I going through such pain right now?
• Why? Why? Why?

They are endless but certainly not meaningless.

We tend to think that one day we’ll know all the reasons for our pain and turmoil. Perhaps. But maybe not. The only thing we know is that we really don’t know why bad things happen to good people and there’s no guarantee we’ll ever find out.

As I’ve stated before, the questions are just as important as the answers we receive. The constant “gripping the hem of his garment” to inquire about injustices and wrongs is a great thing. How can I say that? If you didn’t do that but instead became bitter, what good is that? But because we are able to express real heart-wrenching emotion, we are talking with the One who knows us better than we do. Do you think that matters at all? Of course it does. He will use those circumstances (and those that require you to plead with Him) for His glory.

At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”

Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”

“You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”

“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds. John 8:49-59

We close out this chapter with the Jewish leaders having all they could take and wanting to stone Jesus. He had equated himself with God, which was something worthy of death if it weren’t true. You and I both know it was true and He tried to explain that to them but they didn’t want anything to do with Him. He left quickly before the stones started coming His way, but not withou first making an indelible mark on the minds of those who heard him.

Obviously Jesus Christ the Son of God has had a lasting effect on millions of people throughout the years. What he did in front of those rulers was only a small portion of what he would do in the next three years of his life.

We each have influence over people. Some reading this influence hundreds of people, others just one or two. Still, though, we all have influence.

What are you doing with that influence? How are you using it? I’m not at all suggesting we manipulate the people that we influence but that we stand back for a moment and take stock in what we do and say, and boldly shred away things and ideas that don’t glorify God in those relationships.

The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?” John 8:42-48

This is perhaps his harshest words to the Jewish Leaders thus far. He’s clearly stating the case of “this is who I am” and “this is who you are.” So, how do they react?

They certainly don’t address Jesus’ accusations but instead insult him. Why? Because they couldn’t answer Him without serious inner reflexion of what He had just accused them of.

Truth is a powerful weapon when you are able to harness it for good. And some things are worth fighting for.

“Abraham is our father,” they answered.

“If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did. As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the works of your own father.”

“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.” John 8:37-41

It’s interesting to see Jesus pushing back against his detractors. He’s putting them on the defensive, something they were probably not accustomed to because they were frequently intimidating others. Look no further than the beginning of this chapter as an example. He was trying to intimidate Jesus and the woman caught in adultery.

They were probably shocked by Jesus’ aggressive language, but for once they were the ones lashing back. Jesus didn’t talk this way often but when He did, it was with the leaders. Even as he began his ministry he is trying to look out for the people, whom he said were constantly being harassed.

Would you take the time to pray for your pastor today, the shepherd designated by God to provide spiritual leadership in your life. His burdens are often heavier than we’ll know. Then drop him a line (email, text, handwritten letter, etc. etc.) letting him know you’re praying for him.

And don’t forget an encouraging note to his wife too.

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:33-36

Throughout the Book of John we get these mini-salvation sermons. This is one such message. There’s quite a bit of doctrine and truth within these verses. The apostle Paul wrote many chapters of the Book of Romans dealing precisely with these verses. Freedom and slavery and sin and sonship.

The leaders are still not quite grasping what he’s saying. If they did, they would have surely threatened to kill him again, something Jesus mentions in the next verse. We have the context of the entire New Testament to assist us.

But the truth of verse 36 resonates with each of us because we know what it means in our relationship to the Son and the Father. We know what this freedom is and we know who has set us free.

In the fullest sense of Dr. Martin Luther King’s words: Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty I’m free at last.

Verse 32 contains one of the most misquoted verses in the New Testament. The misquote comes when people and institutions neglect to include verse 31, which provides short but ample context. In the misquoted version, knowledge is key. In the full context, holding to the teachings of Jesus – as disciples – will set you free. In a few chapters later, Jesus expounded upon that by saying He was the way, the truth, and the life (John 10).

The key takeaway to this passage is the subject of the history books: Jesus himself. Being a disciple of Jesus enables us to know the truth. And that truth, yes, will set us free.

…if we will let it.

We don’t see it in the West so much but in the East, in South America, and in many countries in Africa, verse thirty is a reality. People are flocking to Jesus in droves. There are many reasons for this.

Persecution is perhaps the largest reason. When governments and militia groups want to stomp out Christianity, they do so temporarily but in doing so create a fertile place for Christians to grow and thrive. The adage “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church” is very real in many countries.

Another big reason related to persecution is that when you are stripped of everything you have and own, you cling to something. You are desperate seeking answers and solutions. Often this is a result of persecution, but you find yourself seeking to fill that void.

We in the West fill that void with stuff, money, fame, and being entertained. All our waking moments are entertainment events of some sort. But at the end of the day, when people are lying in bed thinking about life, all the stuff and entertainment is just like eating cotton candy – tasty for a second but totally unfulfilling.

Then there’s an entire other category of people, people who are Believers but who are dissatisfied and unfulfilled. In fact, we wholeheartedly agree with verse 30 but we’re empty. We go through the motions of Christianity and play the church game but we too lie awake in bed mouthing the words of the U2 song “and I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.”

Well, at any part of our journey we can turn back to the Savior for complete satisfaction. We don’t need to go a step further in the wrong direction. It’s not too late; in fact, it’s never too late.

The Savior waits.

This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?”

But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”

“Who are you?” they asked.

“Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. “I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.” John 8:21-26

I think the people at this point are perplexed yet still interested. Some were beginning to understand but most were trying to figure it out. This is often how it works with spiritual truths.

Have you ever noticed how you can read the same passage a dozen times over the years but one day a light clicks on about one of the verses. That’s when the Holy Spirit illuminates that verse for you. Others can read that same passage after you point it out to them but they are not moved at all.

The key, then, is to ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate both Scripture and situations so that you are open to opportunities to minister to others. We are here not just to be blessed, but to bless others.

Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”  

Then they asked him, “Where is your father?”

“You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.  John 8:13-20

Jesus is starting to make the case for the Son of God and the Father – two thirds of the Trinity, but the Pharisees still think he’s talking about an earthly father.

When they asked “where is your father?” they are clearly referencing Joseph because some of them would have known who he was.

They were still convinced that He could not be the coming Messiah. Their conception of a Messiah was someone who just appeared on the scene, and he would be without a previous history. That they would have an opportunity to speak with the Messiah was fantastical and quite unbelievable. So, rather than trying to understand and believe him, they challenged him at every turn.

In life you and I will be challenged by people, relationships, work, and family. Some will test you more than others, and on occasion some intentionally. Our goal, then, isn’t to win every challenge we face, but to overcome them. We need to be bigger than the challenges we face. What I mean by that is that if we have been renewed by the Spirit of God each day, our thoughts and reactions should be differnet than if we weren’t renewed. Sounds obvious, doesn’t it? But it’s very difficult to live out, especially as the challenges mount.

Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to renew your mind every day, and ask to be refreshed.

This is the gospel in a nutshell and an incredibly bold statement. To those who’ve been reading this devotional blog for some time, I like “hypotheticals”. Today’s verse is no different.

If you spent twenty minutes memorizng this verse and seriously internalized it, how could it change your life? I cannot think of an area of your life that could not benefit from the power and hope that these words bring. God can and will use this verse in our lives if we let him.

“No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” John 8:9-11

One of the interesting aspects to this entire episode is that Jesus never condemned the woman. He didn’t deny at all that she was a sinner but instead had compassion on her. Compassion in the midst of people pressuring Him to do otherwise was quite remarkable.

Let’s face it, the woman’s accusers had no compassion on her and had already cast judgement. They might have been more believable if they had also brought the man she was caught with, but it really wasn’t about the woman or prostitution or sin. It was about Jesus and what He would do in that circumstance.

They brought her to trap him. Instead, they were the ones trapped, trapped by their own lack of compassion and self-righteous attitude. We would say they were being “clever by half,” meaning they thought they were wise but He showed them how utterly foolish they were.

We can certainly take a lesson from Jesus on this. We should err on the side of compassion when possible.

“No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” John 8:9-11

John makes a note that the older Pharisees were the first to walk away, in defeat. They knew when to thrown in the towel, so to speak. Certainly there would be other battles, but on this one front, they had lost. There’s a good deal of wisdom even in the Pharisee’s retreating actions.

It’s a bit like chess. After someone has examined the board and called “checkmate” there’s really nothing left for you to do except to admit defeat. Tomorrow you can play another game, but today you’ve been defeated. In fact, if you spend more than a few minutes looking for ways to get out of the “mate” you’ll only look foolish.

Accepting defeat and knowing when to do so is very significant in life. Many of us, however, don’t like to lose (who does?). We’d rather stare for hours at that chess board, which is our pride shining through. But the older we get, the earlier we can accept defeat because we know our limitations.

At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. John 8:1-6

This is a very familiar passage for most. We have the added benefit of knowing the full story, not just as it unfolds.

Of course the leaders tried to trap Him. I think it was their hobby, and they tried that for three years without once trapping him. They were arrogant enough to think they could trap the Son of God, especially after the first dozen times. They don’t realize it at this point but they were about to be set up. He would expose them for their hypocrisy.

Throughout Jesus’ ministry, we see a common thread: he has compassion on the masses, but exposes the hypocritical leaders. Those in power too often abuse it for their own personal gains. The lady caught in adultery is one example of that hypocrisy.

Pray for the leaders in your neighborhood. Graft, bribery, and corruption (different versions of power) are all too irresistible, especially when you don’t get caught the first time. Local leaders make weighty decisions that affect each of us a lot more closely than State or Federal leaders

It takes a lot of courage to go against the grain of what others are thinking, even if the truth is on your side. Some people “love the fight.” Others avoid it if at all possible. Most of us fit in the middle somewhere making sure we choose our battles wisely. It’s certainly a passive approach and the issue must really be important for it to surface and for you to get into the fight.

Nicodemus, who John describes as one “of their own number”, knew this was a battle worth fighting for. He could have sat idly by while they besmirched his name in private. Look at how he approached it, with a simple non-confrontative question. If you recall, Nicodemus asked Jesus very pertinent questions: “How can someone be born when they are old?” and “How can this be?” when told about being born of the Spirit. So now that Nicodemus “get it,” he is able to ask thought-provoking questions of his fellow Pharisees.

It’s worth repeating, you don’t need to “win” the entire argument to be effective. Asking the right questions will go a long way in getting people to think.

With Pharisees like this, it’s no wonder Jesus was opposed to them and their ways. They were always trying to distance themselves from the “commoner.” They distanced themselves all right, but certainly not in the way they thought. With their condescension and arrogance they descended lower in status than the commoner. The two groups probably did not have a lot in common so they avoided each other and for different reasons.

A lot of Jesus’ teaching condemned the leaders and built up the masses. He knew they were constantly being harassed by the leaders so he took great care for the sheep under his care. And yet there were people like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea who were the good guys in the bunch.

We certainly experience similar kinds of people who are so far out of our reach that we just write them off (the hip-hop, punk, and goth crowd all come to mind). Ignoring them would be a mistake.

Engaging them and discovering who they are and what their passions are would be a great first step in reaching out to them.

The only explanation for the temple guards not hauling Jesus in was because he was a captivating speaker. Of course, He’s the Son of God and his words are powerful on their own merit, but for these guards, he got them thinking. What they were thinking? We have no idea.

Bringing it home, we have opportunities every day to get people thinking. The New Testament refers to it as “planting seeds.” Unfortunately our pride often prevents us from just planting the seeds and walking away. We want to “win” the argument or discussion. Often it’s just enough to throw the words out there and let them think.

Never underestimate what the Spirit of God can do in the hearts and minds of men, women, and children.

Others said, “He is the Messiah.”

Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?” Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him. John 7:40-44

Throughout Jesus’ ministry, He warned his disciples that there would be division because of Him. People would be strongly for or strongly against Him and what He was doing. He was absolutely right.

Little has changed in that regard. People are still very for or very strongly opposed to him. It was intentional. While he would like it that everyone would be for Him, he realizes that many would be violently opposed to him and the message He brings.

Likewise, if we’re doing our jobs as Believers, many will be opposed to what we do and who we are. Many will be opposed to our moral stances. Many will be opposed to us supporting overseas ministries. Many will be opposed to us living out our faith.

Don’t be surprised that this is the case. Instead, marvel that our names are written in the Lamb’s book of Life.

The timing for Jesus pronouncement was perfect. Everyone was out for the festival because it was the best day to be there. He spoke loudly but I am certain “word of mouth” took it a lot further. “Rivers of living water” was a new and revolutionary concept. Again, they’re just trying to get a feel for who he was and why he was telling them this, especially now at the festival.

But aside from all that is the living water.

Freely given.

Freely flowing.

Available to each of us if we desire it.

The question, then, is simple, if we don’t desire it, why not?

Throughout His ministry on Earth, Jesus compelled the people to think: to think about their motives, their actions, their traditions, and their words. He had much more compassion on the masses than the Jewish leaders.

Even sending guards to arrest Jesus was a result of the leaders thinking about what would happen if they let Him continue.

The people really wanted the Messiah to come but were unprepared for when he actually showed up. They had preconceived notions of what he would be and how he would act. And yet, I don’t think they really knew.

We too have ideas about a lot of things we know little about. For instance, we have our ideas about heaven both from Scripture and through traditions (harps, someone standing at that Pearly Gates, etc). We have ideas about what Jesus looks like based solely on artists’ renderings. We even make comments when someone famous died that God needed this person to entertain Him, and many actually believe that.

But those are all false. Yes, it does cause us to think about what we believe about these things. But in the end, only right thinking about these things causes us to come to right conclusions.

So, what does the Bible actually say about heaven, Jesus, and God needing people to keep Him company? Do you know?

Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.”

At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. John 7:25-30

The Jewish leaders could have seized Jesus and hauled Him off to prison or worse, but they didn’t. His hour had not come.

Throughout the course of history, rulers, leaders, kingdoms, and dynasties have fallen and others have risen to take their place. At the right time, at the appointed time. Their “hour” had come.

The West we live in could have crumbled long ago because of its decadence, pride, brazen sin, and lawlessness, but it hasn’t. Its hour has not yet come. It may fall; it may not fall, only time will tell. The hour has not yet come.

The thing in your life you’ve been praying for and agonizing over for years has not yet come. The pain and misery seem to linger. The hour has not yet come. The final chapter has not been written.

Just as Jesus was spared an early death or jail time at the beginning of his ministry, stay tuned. The final chapter has not been written in your life.

Jesus was referring back to an incident in which he had healed a boy and he wasn’t even there to do it (John 4:43-54). He knew exactly what they were upset about (healing on the Sabbath) and called them out on it. We can all relate to the last statement: Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.

We can relate because unfortunately we judge all the time. We judge people and motives quite regularly. While Jesus warned us here and in the Beatitudes about judging others. He didn’t say we shouldn’t judge but that we should judge correctly and be ready to be judged in the same manner we judge others. They are hard words to live by, and yet they are fair.

We can come up with all sorts of cliches and words to help stop us from judging but the bottom line is to see people for who they are and not who we think they are. Impossible 24/7? Probably, but it’s certainly a great target to aim for.

A person must certainly be confident in his beliefs to make statements like this. He’s accusing them of attempted murder, and telling them he was sent from God in one clear statement.

And their response? “Who? Us? Really?” Notice they didn’t address his statements regarding his deity.

When truth is on your side you can be bold, and these statements were bold, make no mistake about it.

I’m wondering how often we falter when we have truth on our side. Are we not confident that we could answer questions posed to us if were questioned about our statements? Are we afraid of what others think?

What is our hesitation if the truth is on our side?

Uninvited, Jesus went to the temple to teach. It’s interesting that the Jewish leaders don’t follow the initial line of questioning further. After Jesus tells them where he was taught, naturally they tried to defend themselves when Jesus accused them of trying to kill him, which was a clear violation of the law he also accused them of breaking.

But you have to think that some of them questioned those statements internally when they were lying in bed thinking through the day. After all, the thinking goes, he was a good teacher and we knew where and how he grew up, so how did he get the teaching?

We don’t know that, of course, but we can imagine what it was like.

There are people that we are in contact with every day that respond to our statements about Christianity. We tend to “write them off” because we see no immediate change. As I’ve stated elsewhere in this space, they go home and think through the day. The Holy Spirit can obviously use situations, even the ones that are not overtly preachy. Continue to pray that you and I will be great witnesses in this dark world.

Jesus actually did end up at the festival; but he didn’t have his entourage of disciples near by. So, why did He go then? It’s hard to say.

Perhaps he really liked to see people enjoying themselves, and He knew that if he had gone with the Disciples He would be the main attraction. He was there watching, observing, studying. Yes, he knew everything and especially the hearts of men but I suspect he liked to “people watch.” After all, they were His creation, and perhaps He was marveling at their folly and their ways.

Bottom line is we really don’t know why He went to the festival after telling His disciples that He wasn’t going. However, it is fun to just speculate because we are then able to explore possibilities we haven’t thought of before.

Don’t be afraid of doing that with Scripture. In your mind, wear their shoes for a while. Just don’t be adamant about your speculations or assertions.

Jesus give a brief introduction into the persecution that he – and later the people he’s talking to – will be facing in the near future. The Disciples at this point are not aware of what lies ahead for them. They couldn’t possibly know what was ahead.

One day they would all understand his teaching about how the world would hate them. They would be the brunt of intense persecution.

The text was written more than two millenia ago and the words couldn’t be truer today. Persecution directed towards Christians is fiercer than it ever was. We don’t hear about it much in the main media but it exists. Churches throughout the world this Easter were burned and Christians were killed. No, we don’t hear about it but we should. We’re fairly sheltered in the West but that could change.

Continue to pray for the Persecuted Church throughout the world. http://www.persecution.com would be a great place to start to learn more about what is happening “over there.”

This is rich: the Son of God being lectured to by His disciples. I suspect that their motives were selfish, wanting to be able to bask in Jesus’ glory as an authoritative figure. They are starting to like the limelight and the attention Jesus brought with him.

Jesus obviously knew the how the Jewish leaders thought. Everything was meticulously planned by Jesus. Was there a Master Plan of every single day set up by the Trinity before Jesus came to Earth? I doubt it but there didn’t need to be. Jesus knew everything, and especially the motives and hearts of men.

I would say at this part of Jesus’ ministry that the Disciples’ faith is “evolving.” They are learning, seeking, studying, questioning the Master. They’re getting close to the Truth but they’re not quite there yet.

We will meet people whose faith is “evolving” too. They’re not quite there; their light bulb hasn’t gone off in their head. As we will see shortly, Jesus was patient with his Disciples. We should be just as patient with those learning and inquiring about the Christian faith. Most of the time, though, we have no idea of knowing how much they have already sought. Instead of writing them off, we need to engage the Lord of Heaven to draw them unto Himself.

This is an important verse in the New Testament because it subtly reveals a somewhat different character vantage point than we’ve seen before. I’ve considered this verse for a long time (years) and I’m still amazed by it. Here is the all knowing Son of God knowingly choosing Judas Iscariot to be one of the twelve disciples. Jesus knew the outcome but He chose Him anyway.Some would even say that it was a character flaw of Jesus. Well, being the perfect Son of God there was no flaw in Him, so it must have been something else.

We can speculate about this all we want but the bottom line is, one of Jesus’ closest disciples was not a good man. He hid it well among the others, and even fooled them into thinking he cared about the poor and disadvantaged.

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected,
“Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” John 12:4-5

There will be people among you that “play a good game” but you don’t know them really. I’ve said it numerous times in this space, but people are not always what they seem. That can be a positive and a negative because some are better than they seem and some are worse. It seems like I’m saying that we shouldn’t trust people, but I’m not. It’s just that we should not be surprised when we see others do things that are out of the ordinary.

Likewise, we are not always what we seem and what we portray to the world.

It should and does bring us to our knees because God knows every little thing about us, just as Jesus knew about Judas’ moral character flaws.

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:67-69

In a moment of clarity, Simon Peter gets it and realizes the truth. Throughout the Gospels, and especially as we approach the crucifixion, we’ll see Peter waver in that belief. I think he was trying to wrap his mind around what was going on around him, trying to capture the incredibleness of Jesus in the midst of the confusing voices of his Jewish leaders.

We too have moments of clarity which we like to refer to as “AHA moments.” Those are the times when the light bulb in side our heads click on because we can decipher a little bit of what we’re being presented with. Like Peter, we also have those moments of doubt, when the chaos around us seems to be winning, and we just can’t find God in the midst.

Fortunately we’re in the same boat together, as it were, because we all have those doubts. All of us.

But it’s these moments of doubt that draw us closer to God because then we can study and learn even a little bit more of God’s ways. We will not ever fully comprehend God or His ways but anything that draws us closer to Him is a good thing.

Clarity does this; believe it or not, doubt does too.

Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. John 6:60-66

This goes against the subtle teaching in the church that if you commit your life to Christ all will go well in your life. It was certainly strong and a hard teaching then and not much has changed. People fell away because they thought it would be easy; they thought it would not require work and determination.

Throughout the Gospels is another thread of truth: count the cost of following Jesus. Granted, we really don’t know what that means when we “sign up” for the Christian life. But when times are exceedingly tough, we should not be surprised either.

We have also seen time and again that when persecution comes to a nation, the church gets stronger. It’s clearly during this time that the “rubber meets the road.” When Believers must sneak around in secret to hold meetings, the less committed will cease; and the very committed will risk their lives to help others.

You don’t need to be a prophet or a “doom and gloom” person to see that the West is on a serious decline economically, morally, and spiritually. We tend to look at the economics because they are so obvious, but the terrible economic policies of nations are merely a reflection of the moral and spiritual slide they’ve taken.

Wherever you are, pray for the country you are in. Pray that the light of Christ will continue to illuminate the hearts and minds of leaders and the decisions they make.

Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. John 6:48-59

Admittedly, this is a difficult passage. However, we do see the “pattern” again emerge of Jesus using the physical to explain the spiritual. It is obviously strong for good reason; he wanted people to be absolutely committed to Him. There can be no stronger language to indicate that. It was all or nothing for them.

And so it is for us.