Not What They Expected

August 21, 2020 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

⁴⁰When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” ⁴¹Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? ⁴²Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” ⁴³So there was a division among the people over him. ⁴⁴Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

⁴⁵The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” ⁴⁶The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” ⁴⁷The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? ⁴⁸Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? ⁴⁹But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” ⁵⁰Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, ⁵¹“Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” ⁵²They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.” – John 7:40-52 ESV

When Jesus spoke, people listened. That doesn’t mean they always understood or liked what He had to say. In fact, His messages often left His audiences intrigued and incensed at the same time. And when Jesus taught in the temple courtyard, on the last day of the Feast of Booths, He made His usual impact on those who had gathered to hear Him. He had chosen His words carefully, taking advantage of the circumstances surrounding the water rite that was practiced each morning of the festival.

For six days, the people had watched the daily processional as the priests brought a golden bowl filled with water from the Pool of Siloam up to the temple courtyard. Once there, they would pour out the water, along with another bowl filled with wine, on the brazen altar, as the people recited Isaiah 55:1 and Isaiah 12:3: “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters…With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”

But on the seventh day of the feast, or what John refers to as “the great day,” this ritual required the priests to circle the brazen altar seven times before they poured out the water and wine. This ceremony was known as the Hoshana Rabbah, the great “HOSHIANA” (which translated is “save now”).

So, on that final day, when Jesus stood in the temple courtyard and proclaimed, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart’” (John 7:37-38 NLT), His words did not go unnoticed. John records:

When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” – John 7:40-41 ESV

They didn’t know what to make of Jesus. His miracles and messages intrigued them, causing them to wonder if He might be someone special. Of course, their natural tendency was to equate Him with one of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah or “the prophet” promised by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15). They knew Jesus was special, but they weren’t exactly sure what to make of Him. So much of what He did and said seemed to contradict their preconceived ideas regarding the coming Messiah. He didn’t seem to fit the image of the one they were expecting. Jesus didn’t look like a conquering king or a powerful military figure who was going to lead the people of Israel in a victorious rebellion against the Roman. Some had a difficult time believing this itinerant Rabbi was actually their Messiah. After all, the prophets had made it clear that the Messiah would be a descendant of King David, even sharing his birthplace of Bethlehem. But, as far as they could tell, Jesus was from Galilee.

There was much about Jesus they didn’t know or understand. They were unaware of the details concerning His birth in Bethlehem. They knew nothing of His lineage as outlined in the other gospels, where He is listed as “the son of David” (Matthew 1:1; Luke 3:31). So, they ended up debating about who He was and what they were to do with Him.

…there was a division among the people over him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. – John 7:43-44 ESV

John continues to stress the divine nature of the timeline surrounding Jesus’ last days on earth. While John makes it clear that the circumstances surrounding Jesus are intensifying, he gives no indication that Jesus was worried or concerned. The religious leaders are growing increasingly more desperate to eliminate Jesus as a threat, but they are powerless to do anything. John even describes the frustration of the Sanhedrin when their guards return empty-handed, having failed to arrest Jesus as they had been ordered.

When the Temple guards returned without having arrested Jesus, the leading priests and Pharisees demanded, “Why didn’t you bring him in?” – John 7:45 NLT

And even the response of these men reveals the powerful impact Jesus had on all those who were exposed to His teaching.

“We have never heard anyone speak like this!” the guards responded. – John 7:46 NLT

They had been blown away by what they heard. But the religious leaders were appalled at their gullibility and failure to do their jobs. They ridicule these guards for being so easily deceived while bragging about their own refusal to be taken in by His lies. It was their superior knowledge of the law that kept them from falling prey to this blasphemous pretender. And they pronounce a curse on the people for their ignorance of and disregard for God’s law.

But it is at that point that John reintroduces Nicodemus. This Pharisee and member of the ruling council of Israel shows up a second time in John’s narrative. He first appeared in the middle of the night, seeking an impromptu and secret meeting with Jesus. His encounter with Jesus had left him confused and asking, “How can these things be?” (John 3:3:9 ESV). All Jesus’ talk about being born again and the Son of Man being lifted up had left Nicodemus perplexed. But it had given him plenty to think about. So, when his colleagues reacted so vehemently against Jesus, Nicodemus spoke up.

“Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?” – John 7:51 NLT

It seems clear that Nicodemus was more than curious about Jesus, and he couldn’t understand why his associates were so unwilling to give this man a proper hearing. What harm could it do to investigate Jesus’ claims more fully? But Nicodemus’ question was met with scorn and ridicule. His fellow members of the Sanhedrin, driven by blind hate for Jesus, turned their anger against him, demeaning him as no better than a lowly and ignorant Galilean.

“Are you from Galilee, too? Search the Scriptures and see for yourself—no prophet ever comes from Galilee!” – John 7:52 NLT

For all their supposed knowledge of the Scriptures, they were incredibly misinformed. Their pride in their ow Judean heritage and their hatred for Galileans blinded them to the truth of God’s Word. Both Jonah and Nahum had been prophets who hailed from Galilee. And now, they were faced with yet another messenger sent from God who was not what they were expecting. Jesus did not fit their preconceived notions regarding the Messiah, so they deemed Him a liar and a lunatic. They allowed their pride to get in the way. Their egos prevented them from recognizing the very one for whom they had been waiting. It was just as Jesus had said:

“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.” – John 5:39-40 ESV

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Spirit Who Gives Life

August 20, 2020 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

³⁷On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. ³⁸Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” ³⁹Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. – John 7:37-39 ESV

All of the events covered in chapter seven have occurred during the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem. Now, after having informed His audience about His coming departure, Jesus returns to the temple grounds in order to make a statement regarding the coming of the Holy Spirit. John describes this scene as taking place on the last day of the feast, “the great day.” According to Deuteronomy 16:13, the Feast of Booths lasted seven days. But the day following the feast, which always fell on the Sabbath, was to be a special day as well.

On the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the Lord. It is a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work.– Leviticus 23:36 ESV

It is impossible to know whether Jesus made His announcement about the coming Holy Spirit on the seventh or eighth day. By designating it as “the great day,” John could have been referencing the final day of the feast itself, the seventh day. Or he could have been referring to the eighth day, which was considered by most Jews to be just as much a part of the feast as the previous seven days. It was on that day, a Sabbath day, that a final holy convocation was held to celebrate God’s gracious provision for the needs of His chosen people during the 40 years they had spent in the wilderness.

During the 1st-Century AD, the Jews celebrated the Feast of Booths with a series of man-made rites or rituals that were not outlined in the Mosaic law. One of these was the daily water libation. The details surrounding this daily ritual are essential to understanding the nature of Jesus’ comments.

The third daily ceremony was the rite of the water libation. On the first morning of Sukkot a procession of priests went down to the pool of Siloam to bring up to the Temple a golden container of water sufficient to last throughout the seven days of the feast. The water was brought up with great ceremony. The shofar was blown and the pilgrims who had come to Jerusalem for the feast waved their lulavs as the priests carried the water around the altar. The great Hallel (Psalms 113-118) were recited. Then the priest on duty poured out the contents of two silver bowls: one held water and the other held wine. This was an act of prayer and an expression of dependence upon God to pour out his blessing of rain upon the earth.

On the last or “great” day of the feast, the water libation rite reached its climax. The priests circled the altar seven times and then poured out the water with great pomp and ceremony. This was Hoshana Rabbah, the great “HOSHIANA,” (which translated is “save now”). – © Jews for Jesus USA. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

The water from the Pool of Siloam was poured out along with the daily drink offering of wine. The pouring out of the water was intended to represent God’s gracious provision of life-sustaining water for His people during their days in the wilderness. The water was representative of His saving grace, as described in the book of Isaiah.

“Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the Lord God is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation.”

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.– Isaiah 12:2-3 ESV

The pouring out of the wine was meant to represent God’s promise to pour out His Spirit upon His people.

“For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.” – Isaiah 44:3 ESV

It is believed that as the water and wine were poured out, the people would chant Isaiah 12:3 as well as Isaiah 55:1: “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters;
and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”

With all this as background, the words of Jesus take on a whole new significance. And whether He spoke those words on the seventh or eighth day becomes immaterial. The point is that Jesus used the context of the daily pouring out of the water and the wine to offer His promise of the coming Spirit of God. John describes Jesus as standing up and crying out. There is an intensity to the scene. Jesus is shouting at the top of His lungs, passionately inviting the people to receive what God is about to offer.

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” – John 7:37 ESV

With that statement, Jesus made Himself the focal point of the entire festival. He purposely took the Isaiah 55:1 passage and made it about Himself. None of this would have escaped His Jewish audience. And the religious leaders would have been appalled at His audacity and apparent blasphemy. But Jesus was far from done. He quickly added:

“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” – John 7:38 ESV

This statement presents a problem. There is no Old Testament passage that seems to correspond with Jesus’ words. So, it would seem that Jesus was summarizing and interpreting a variety of Old Testament passages that were intended to point toward the future advent of the Holy Spirit. These would have included the following:

“And I will not hide my face anymore from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord God.” – Ezekiel 39:29 ESV

“For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants.” – Isaiah 44:3 ESV

Jesus was linking these promises to Himself. The pouring out of the Spirit of God was tied directly to belief in Him as the Son of God. In a sense, Jesus was making belief in Him a mandatory condition for experiencing the outpouring of the Spirit. And this bold claim would have been highly offensive to His audience, especially to the Jewish religious leaders.

But everything Jesus said mirrored the words He had spoken to the Samaritan woman He had encountered at Jacob’s well. He had told her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water” (John 4:10 ESV). And then He had added, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13-14 ESV).

He had offered this woman a source of living water that would result in eternal life. But He was the key to receiving this incredible resource. It would be through faith in Jesus that the promise of the outpouring of God’s Spirit would come.

When Jesus had described Himself as the bread that came down from heaven, He had disclosed that “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53 ESV). In doing so, He had presented Himself as the sole source of eternal life. Through belief in Him as the Son of God, sin-stained men and women could find cleansing and complete purification. They would be able to enter into God’s presence unashamed and fully accepted as righteous in His eyes. But Jesus had added an important factor that would make this promise possible.

“Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 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.” – John 6:62-63 ESV

Jesus had been revealing all along that He was going to have to die so that eternal life could be made available. He would have to offer His life as a ransom for sinful mankind. And His death would be followed by His resurrection and ascension. But when He had ascended, the Holy Spirit would come, providing all those who placed their faith in Him with abundant life now and eternal life to come.

And John provides an important point of clarification when he adds: “Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:39 ESV).

John includes this point of explanation for the benefit of his readers. He realized that they would have found the words of Jesus just as difficult to understand as the Jews who heard them on “the great day” of the feast. As John will make clear, Jesus’ invitation was met with mixed reviews. They didn’t know what to make of His words. They were perplexed by His offer of rivers of living water. And it was because they had no idea that Jesus was about to lay down His life for their sins. He was going to offer Himself as a substitute, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). The Bread of Life would be broken. His blood would be poured out. His life would be given as an atonement for the sins of men. And His death, resurrection, and ascension would make possible the pouring out of “the Spirit who gives life” (John 6:63 ESV).

Return to Sender

August 19, 2020 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

³²The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. ³³Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. ³⁴You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.” ³⁵The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? ³⁶What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?” – John 7:32-36 ESV

The Pharisees were among the growing number who found Jesus’ claims to be preposterous and potentially dangerous. As members of the religious leadership of Israel, they had convinced themselves that Jesus posed a serious threat to the nation. His words and actions were stirring up the people and giving them the hope that their Messiah had finally come. The Pharisees saw this as a problem because the people expected the Messiah to be a military leader who would free them from Roman oppression and reestablish Israel’s prominence as a nation. If enough people were swayed into believing that Jesus was the Messiah, His followers could insight a rebellion against the Roman authorities and bring down the wrath of Caesar.

Their fear was well-founded. Even John alluded to the fact that there was a movement among some of Jesus’ followers to make Him their king. Immediately after His miraculous feeding of the 5,000, the awe-struck crowd came up with a way to use His supernatural powers to even greater advantage.

When the people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!” When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself. – John 6:14-15 NLT

So, it’s easy to see why the Pharisees were anxious about Jesus’ growing fame. And whenever they heard the people says things like, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?” (John 7:31 ESV), their fears increased exponentially. Any reference to Jesus as the Christ or Messiah was considered to be a red flag to these men that signaled danger ahead. That’s why they immediately responded by sending officers to arrest Jesus. They wanted Him off the streets and under lock and key. In their less-than-humble opinion, Jesus was a menace to society, not the long-awaited Messiah of Israel.

The entire scene described in chapter seven takes place on the temple grounds. This was the home turf of the Pharisees and the other members of the Sanhedrin and they viewed Jesus as a dangerous interloper who was trying to incite rebellion among the people. They had already tried to get their hands on Him, but John indicates that their efforts had been unsuccessful “because his hour had not yet come” (John 7:30 ESV).

There was a divine timeline associated with Jesus’ earthly ministry. No one was going to crown Him king prematurely or have Him arrested ahead of schedule. God had ordained a specific sequence for the events that were to mark the last days of Jesus’ life. They could not be rushed, prevented, or altered in any way. And Jesus continued to speak with a complete sense of calm, informing His audience of what was about to happen.

“I will be with you only a little longer. Then I will return to the one who sent me. You will search for me but not find me. And you cannot go where I am going.” – John 7:33-34 NLT

As usual, Jesus spoke in rather cryptic terms that left His listeners more confused than comforted. In a sense, Jesus was simply articulating that His hour had not yet come. He would be leaving them, but now was not the time. The religious leaders would eventually get their hands on Him, but it would be according to God’s timing, not their own. And Jesus informs His audience that His next destination would not be a throne or a jail cell. He would be returning to His Father’s side in heaven.

Jesus was fully aware that death awaited Him. His whole purpose in coming to earth had been to die on behalf of sinful mankind. He had come to offer His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). But His death would not signal the end of His ministry. It would be just the beginning. The Pharisees and their peers believed that if they could put Jesus to death they would eliminate His influence over the people. But they were wrong. And the people believed that if they could force Jesus to be their king, they could eliminate the oppressive rule of the Romans. But they too were wrong.

In a sense, everyone was seeking Jesus. The crowds were seeking to make Him their king. The Pharisees were seeking to make Him a martyr. But God had other plans for Jesus. The Father was preparing to offer His Son as Lamb who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). And once Jesus accomplished that objective, He would be restored to His Father’s side. And no matter how hard the crowds or the Pharisees searched for Him, their efforts would prove fruitless.

And as expected, the words Jesus spoke made no sense to those who heard them. They wracked their brains trying to figure out where Jesus intended to go so that they could not find Him. Was He thinking of leaving Judea permanently? Did He have plans to go beyond the borders of Palestine and join other Jews who had been dispersed among the Gentile nations? In their minds, none of this made any sense. Why would the Messiah of Israel leave the borders of Israel? Why would He go where they could not find Him?

Even the Pharisees in the crowd must have been stunned by Jesus’ announcement. Was He really leaving? Was their problem about to go away for good? Was their worst nightmare about to turn into a dream come true?

Everyone was left asking the same question: “What does he mean when he says, ‘You will search for me but not find me,’ and ‘You cannot go where I am going’?” (John 7:36 NLT). With this final question, John drives home the point that the Jews had no clue as to Jesus’ true identity. They had no idea where He had come from and they had no idea where He was going because they had no clue that He was the Son of God. Over and over again, Jesus had explained that He had been sent by God. Now, He was declaring that the plan was for Him to return to His Father’s side.

When Jesus stated, “I will return to the one who sent me,” He was declaring once again His divinity. He was not really from Nazareth in Galilee. And while He had been born in Bethlehem in Judea, He was actually the Son of God sent from heaven. He was the true light that had come into the world (John 1:9). He was the true bread from heaven (John 6:32). He was the living bread that had come down from heaven (John 6:51). He had been sent by God and He would one day return to His rightful place at His Father’s side. The deity of Jesus is central to John’s gospel. He was the Son of God who had been sent by His Heavenly Father with a task to perform that no mere man could accomplish. If Jesus was just a man, His death would have proved Him to be nothing more than a martyr but not the Messiah. If Jesus was just a man, crowing Him king would have made Him a sovereign, but not a Savior. Jesus had come to offer His sinless life as a ransom for many. And the apostle Paul reminds us of the staggering significance of what Jesus accomplished by taking on human flesh and dying on behalf of sinful men and women.

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. – Romans 5:6-8 NLT

You Have No Idea!

August 18, 2020August 18, 2020 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

²⁵Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? ²⁶And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? ²⁷But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” ²⁸So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. ²⁹I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.” ³⁰So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. ³¹Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”– John 7:25-31 ESV

The confusion and consternation over Jesus continues. This itinerant Rabbi from Galilee was walking enigma. Because of His reputation for performing miraculous signs and wonders, He attracted large crowds wherever He went. But no one was quite sure who He was or what to make of Him. There had been ongoing debates regarding His identity, with some speculating that He was the prophet Moses had spoken about. Others questioned whether He might be the Messiah. And while many considered Him to be a good man, there were others who had concluded that He was a deceiver who was not to be trusted. And then there were the religious leaders who viewed Him as a deadly threat to the social fabric of the nation and so, they had implemented plans to have Him put to death.

The high priest and the other members of the Sanhedrin had intended for their plot against Jesus to remain a secret, but the news of their clandestine plan had leaked out. Yet, not everyone was aware of the growing conspiracy against Jesus. In fact, when He had announced that there was a plot to murder Him, the crowd had rejected His accusation, writing off His paranoia to demon possession.

The crowd replied, “You’re demon possessed! Who’s trying to kill you?”– John 7:20 NLT

Yet, for those who were aware of the Sanhedrin’s sinister plan to have Jesus killed, they couldn’t understand why these powerful men had taken no action. It was not as if they lacked the opportunity. Jesus had spent the day teaching in the temple courtyard and the Jewish religious leaders had done nothing to silence Him. He had even reiterated His blasphemous claim of having been been sent by God.

“My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me. Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own.” – John 7:16-17 NLT

Confused by the inaction of the religious leaders, some in the crowd began to speculate whether they had changed their minds.

“Could our leaders possibly believe that he is the Messiah?” – John 7:26 NLT

But they quickly discounted this idea because, in their minds, Jesus did not fit the criteria for being the Messiah. According to their understanding, the Messiah would simply show up on the scene, unannounced and with no indication as to His point of origin.

“When the Messiah comes, he will simply appear; no one will know where he comes from.” – John 7:27 NLT

This belief was common among the Jews but was ill-founded and in contradiction to the Scriptures. The prophet, Micah, had clearly indicated that the Messiah would hail from Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). In fact, just a few verses later, John records a debate that took place among the people concerning the birthplace of the Messiah. Some were arguing that Jesus could not be the Messiah because He was from the city of Nazareth in Galilee. Yet, the Scriptures had indicated that the Messiah would hail from Bethlehem, the birthplace of King David.

“For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.” – John 7:42 NLT

They were unaware of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem and simply assumed that He had been born in the same place where He had been raised: Nazareth in Galilee. As a result, they ruled out the possibility that He might be the Messiah.

But while the people were busy debating the birthplace of the Messiah, Jesus took the opportunity to reveal that they had a much greater problem. He accused them of not knowing God.

“Yes, you know me, and you know where I come from. But I’m not here on my own. The one who sent me is true, and you don’t know him. But I know him because I come from him, and he sent me to you.” – John 7:28-29 NLT

This bold statement by Jesus was meant to have an impact. He was standing in the temple courtyard, surrounded by faithful Jews, and accusing them of lacking knowledge of Yahweh, their God. They thought they knew who Jesus was and where He came from, but they were sorely mistaken. And it was all because they had a less-than-vibrant relationship with their Heavenly Father. Because they were ignorant of God, they were unable to recognize the Son of God.

Jesus knew that the people were the byproduct of their religious leaders. These men had failed to instill in the people a love for God and His Word. As a result, the common Jew suffered from a lack of biblical knowledge that made intimacy with God virtually impossible. That is why Jesus had been so harsh in His assessment of the Pharisees and teachers of religious law.

“You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’” – Matthew 15:7-9 NLT

This had been a long-standing problem among the people of God, as is evidenced by Jesus quoting the words of His own Father, recorded by the prophet Isaiah hundreds of years earlier. Over the centuries, the people of Israel had made a habit of going through the motions when it came to their relationship with Yahweh. They put a lot of effort into keeping His laws but their hearts weren’t in it. Their obedience was motivated by fear rather than love.

And in time, they failed to recognize that the Scriptures, the sacrificial system, and the Mosaic law had all been meant to develop their knowledge of and love for God. But Jesus revealed that they had missed the point altogether and, as a result, had missed out on knowing Him.

“…the Father who sent Me has Himself testified about Me. You have never heard His voice nor seen His form, nor does His word abide in you, because you do not believe the One He sent.

You pore over the Scriptures because you presume that by them you possess eternal life. These are the very words that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life.” – John 5:37-40 BSB

The failure of the people to recognize Jesus as their Messiah was due to their lack of a vibrant relationship with God. They revered His written Word. They placed a high priority on trying to keep His commandments. They viewed the temple as a sign of God’s abiding presence but lived as if God was nowhere to be found. So, when the Messiah showed up, they had a difficult time seeing the resemblance between the Father and the Son.

One of the things that John has stressed throughout his gospel is the role Jesus played in manifesting or revealing His Heavenly Father. John the Baptist had testified, “No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us” (John 1:18 NLT).

Later on in his gospel, John records the words that Jesus spoke the crowds who followed Him:

“…when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me.” – John 12:45 NLT

And Jesus would announce to Phillip, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!” (John 14:9 NLT). The apostle Paul explained how this could be true when he wrote, “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15 NLT). Jesus came to make God known and knowable. That is why He later declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” (John 14:6-7 NLT).

The people were in a bind. They didn’t know God, so they lacked an understanding of the written word of God. And because they failed to comprehend God’s word, they were unable to recognize the Living Word when He showed up. It was their inability to recognize Jesus as the Messiah that prevented them from seeing the Father in all His glory. That is prompted Jesus to declare, “Since you don’t know who I am, you don’t know who my Father is. If you knew me, you would also know my Father” (John 8:19 NLT).

The results of this conversation were somewhat predictable. The religious leaders were incensed and increased their efforts to kill Jesus. And the people continued to debate the identity of Jesus, with some reaching the conclusion that He must be the Messiah because of the miracles He performed.

Many among the crowds at the Temple believed in him. “After all,” they said, “would you expect the Messiah to do more miraculous signs than this man has done?” – John 7:31 NLT

It wasn’t the testimony of God as revealed in the Scriptures that convinced them. It was the supernatural nature of Jesus’ miracles that led them to believe. But this would prove to be an inadequate basis for believing faith. In time, the miracles would stop. The outward signs of power that so appealed to them would be replaced by an outward display of weakness, as Jesus hung on the cross as a common criminal. His crucifixion would be the deal-breaker for his former followers. They never expected their Messiah to die. So, with His death, Jesus had proven His claims to be nothing but a lie. Or so they thought.

Misplaced Judgment

August 17, 2020 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹¹The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?” ¹²And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, he is leading the people astray.” ¹³Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.

¹⁴About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. ¹⁵The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?” ¹⁶So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. ¹⁷If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. ¹⁸The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. ¹⁹Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?” ²⁰The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?” ²¹Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it. ²²Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. ²³If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man’s whole body well? ²⁴Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” – John 7:11-24 ESV

Jesus had delayed His journey to Jerusalem, refusing to travel alongside His half-brothers because they were only interested in seeing Him make a grand entrance into the city. They had tried to goad Him into putting on a display of His miracle-working power in Jerusalem and so that He might garner an even greater following.

“You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!” – John 7:4 NLT

But Jesus was only interested in being faithful, not famous. He was committed to doing the will of His Father and all that He said and did was in keeping with that will. Jesus was not out to make a name for Himself. Rather than seeking glory for Himself, He sought to bring glory to His Heavenly Father by doing His will.

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

And Jesus knew that His Father’s will included not only His incarnation but His crucifixion. He had taken on human flesh so that He might give His life as a ransom for humanity. His miracles were not intended to make Him famous but to prove His identity as the Son of God. That is why He had no interest in the applause and accolades of men.

“I do not accept glory from men.” – John 5:41 BSB

He wasn’t out to build His own reputation or bolster His image among the people. Jesus knew that obedience to His Father’s will would bring Him far greater glory than this world had to offer.

“And though I have no wish to glorify myself, God is going to glorify me. He is the true judge.” – John 8:50 NLT

“If I want glory for myself, it doesn’t count. But it is my Father who will glorify me.” – John 8:54 NLT

But Jesus knew that His glorification would not happen until He had faithfully completed His God-ordained assignment. He was well aware that His days were numbered and that the growing animosity of the religious leaders would ultimately result in His death. That is why He said, “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28 NLT).

None of this was known to the Jewish religious leaders. They had no idea who Jesus was and so they were completely oblivious to the redemptive nature of His ministry. Yet, they had been waiting and watching for His arrival. Why? So they could put Him to death.

…the Jewish leaders tried all the harder to find a way to kill him. For he not only broke the Sabbath, he called God his Father, thereby making himself equal with God. – John 5:18 NLT

John reveals that the rumors concerning Jesus were all over the map. Some were willing to admit that He was a “good man,” while others labeled Him as “a fraud who deceives the people” (John 7:12 NLT). And anyone who might have held a high opinion of Jesus knew it was best to keep it to themselves or they could face the wrath of the Sanhedrin.

You would think that Jesus would have kept a low profile, remaining hidden from view and avoiding any unnecessary notoriety. But John states that Jesus made His way to the temple where He began to teach. Jesus was not fearful or timid. He didn’t let the hatred of the Jewish religious leaders prevent Him from speaking on behalf of His Heavenly Father. And as these men listened to Jesus speak, they were surprised and shocked by the depth of His understanding.

“How does he know so much when he hasn’t been trained?” – John 7:15 NLT

They perceived Jesus to be an uneducated rural Rabbi from Galilee. He had not trained with the prominent and well-respected teachers of the law such as Gamaliel. And yet, here He was speaking with a degree of wisdom and insight that was difficult to comprehend. What these men failed to understand was that Jesus was the Son of God and, as a result, all He said came directly from the lips of God Himself. Jesus would later state: “I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it” (John 12:49 NLT).

And Jesus, knowing that the religious leaders were puzzled by His eloquence and depth of understanding, told them, “My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me” (John 7:16 NLT). This statement would have added fuel to the fire, further inciting the Sanhedrin’s hatred for Him. Every time He claimed to have been sent by God, their desire to see Him eliminated increased exponentially.

But Jesus was far from done. Turning His attention to these prideful, arrogant men, Jesus boldly proclaimed, “Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own” (John 7:17 NLT). These men prided themselves in doing God’s will. They considered themselves to be the consummate keepers of God’s law and therefore, icons of righteousness. But Jesus knew their hearts. He was fully aware that these men were glory-seeking self-promoters whose only interest was their own reputations.

Jesus was making a not-so-subtle comparison between Himself and these men when He stated, “Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies” (John 7:18 NLT). In the very next chapter, John records Jesus’ stinging indictment against these men, where He declares them to be the children of Satan.

“For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” – John 8:44 NLT

Their desire for self-glorification was evidence of their relationship with Satan. From the very beginning, Satan’s plan has been to entice humanity to worship themselves rather than submit themselves to the worship of God. All the way back in the garden, He had convinced Eve to disobey God and eat of the fruit of the forbidden tree, telling her, “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil” (Genesis 3:5 NLT). Her desire to be like God led her to glorify herself rather than God. And the rest, as they say, is history.

And Jesus reveals that these men were following in the footsteps of Eve, choosing to glorify themselves rather than God. Jesus would later expose these well-respected leaders for their hypocrisy and deception.

“Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels. And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’” – Matthew 23:5-7 NLT

And Jesus would admit that they while they were “the official interpreters of the law of Moses,” they were lousy at living up to its standards. This is why He warned the people, “So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example” (Matthew 23:2-3 NLT).

John even records Jesus blasting these men for their refusal to obey the very law they prided themselves in keeping.

“Moses gave you the law, but none of you obeys it! In fact, you are trying to kill me.” – John 7:19 NLT

The crowds were confused by Jesus’ words because they had no idea that the Sanhedrin was planning His death. So, they simply thought Jesus had lost His mind or was possessed of a demon. But ignoring their comments, Jesus went to the heart of the matter: His supposed violation of the law. His healing of the paralyzed man had taken place on the Sabbath and had led the religious leaders to label Him as a law-breaker. But Jesus turns the tables on them, revealing the well-known fact that the Jews always circumcised male infants on the eighth day, even if that day fell on the Sabbath. So, if they were free to “break” one of God’s laws in order to keep another, why were they upset with Jesus?

He logically concludes, “For if the correct time for circumcising your son falls on the Sabbath, you go ahead and do it so as not to break the law of Moses. So why should you be angry with me for healing a man on the Sabbath?” (John 7:23 NLT).

They didn’t understand what Jesus was doing because they didn’t understand who Jesus was. Their perception was clouded by ignorance and jealousy. Because they refused to accept Jesus as the Son of God, they could not understand that He was doing the will of God, which gave Him the authority to supersede the law of God. But their judgment of Jesus was misplaced because their understanding of Jesus was mistaken.

The Disbelief of Family and Foes

August 16, 2020 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. ²Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. ³So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. ⁴For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” ⁵For not even his brothers believed in him. ⁶Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. ⁷The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. ⁸You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” ⁹After saying this, he remained in Galilee.

¹⁰But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. – John 7:1-10 ESV

In John’s gospel, Jerusalem appears to be ground-zero. While he dedicates a good portion of his narrative to events that took place outside of Judea, he repeatedly refocuses the reader’s attention back to the capital city. Jerusalem was the home of God’s house, the temple that had been reconstructed by Herod. It was where the annual feasts and festivals, prescribed by God to Moses, were celebrated. This celebrated city, while just a shadow of its former glory under the reigns of David and his son, Solomon, was still the epicenter of the Hebrew nation. It was home to the revered and feared Jewish religious council, the Sanhedrin. And it had become the focal point of the conflict between these well-established religious leaders and Jesus, whom they viewed as nothing more than a charlatan and a troublesome threat to their power and authority.

With the opening of chapter seven, John establishes the inherent danger the city of Jerusalem posed for Jesus. This was the very place where, in the early days of His ministry, Jesus had caused an uproar in the temple courtyard.

In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. – John 2:14-15 ESV

This emotional display had won Jesus no friends among the religious elite of Israel. They questioned His authority to do what He had done, and they began to view Him as nothing more than a showboating, attention-grabbing troublemaker from Galilee. This unknown Rabbi from Galilee had been drawing larger and larger crowds with His so-called miracles and ridiculous claims to be the Son of God. To the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus was a lunatic and possibly even demon-possessed. And He had clearly committed the sin of blasphemy by claiming equality with God.

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. – John 5:18 ESV

As John continues to chronicle the life and ministry of Jesus, he purposely builds the sense of tension between the Messiah of Israel and those who had set themselves up as the religious gatekeepers of the nation. And Jerusalem becomes center-stage for what will be the ultimate showdown between Jesus and these men. But as will be revealed, this conflict will prove to be a spiritual battle between Almighty God and Satan, the prince of this world.

As chapter seven opens, John reveals just how dangerous things had become for Jesus. Due to the growing animosity of the Sanhedrin, Jesus had determined to spend most of His time in Galilee, rather than in Judea because He knew they were out to kill Him. Jesus did not fear death, but He was simply sticking to the divine timeline given to Him by His Heavenly Father. It was just as He had told His mother at the wedding in Cana, “My hour has not yet come” (John 2:4 ESV).

John reveals that the “Feast of Booths was at hand” (John 7:2 ESV). This was one of three annual feasts that required the mandatory attendance of all Jewish males.

“Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths. They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed.” – Deuteronomy 16:16 ESV

But these festivals became annual pilgrimages for the Jews, drawing large crowds to Jerusalem. The Feast of Booths was to be a commemoration of God’s deliverance of the people of Israel from their captivity in Egypt and a joyous celebration of His provision and protection of them during their 40 years in the wilderness. And when they gathered in Jerusalem, they were not to come “empty-handed,” but they were to bring tithes and offerings to present to God.

The key theme of these opening verses is that of disbelief. It seems quite clear that the Jewish religious leaders did not believe in Jesus. They had even discounted His miracles by describing them as the work of Satan, not God (Matthew 12:24). But John adds another interesting group to the list of the unbelieving: The half-brothers of Jesus. These were men who had grown up in the same household with Jesus. They were intimately familiar with Him. And yet, they were not quite convinced that Jesus was who He claimed to be. In fact, at one point, they described His actions as those of a madman (Mark 3:21). Yet, in this case, they seem to be goading Jesus to use the Feast of Tabernacles as the opportunity to make a name for Himself.

“Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles! You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!” – John 7:3-4 ESV

It’s impossible to know the motivation behind their words. Were they sincere or merely being sarcastic? John doesn’t tell us. But he does make it clear that “not even his brothers believed in him” (John 7:5 ESV). It would appear that they were prompting Jesus to use the Feast of Booths as a platform for displaying His miraculous powers. He was wasting His time doing miracles in Galilee. If He wanted to be famous, He was going to have to go prime-time, and what better venue than Jerusalem during one of the most popular feasts of the year?

But Jesus responded to their goading by saying, “My time has not yet come…” (John 7:6 ESV). There is probably a double-meaning to His response. First of all, it was not yet time for Jesus to be “glorified.” They were wanting Him to put on a display of His glory by performing miracles in Jerusalem. But that time had not yet come. Jesus was on God’s schedule, not man’s. Their counsel was eerily similar to that of Satan when he had tempted Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-10) He had attempted to get Jesus to display His glory ahead of schedule and out of keeping with God’s will.

But the second meaning behind His response was that it was not yet time for Him to attend the feast. Jesus told His brothers, “your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. You go up to the feast…” (John 7:6-8 ESV). They had nothing to fear. Because they did not believe Jesus to be the Messiah, they were not at risk. They could walk into Jerusalem unafraid and unmolested. But Jesus knew that He would receive a dramatically different welcome. So, He delayed His entry into Jerusalem. John makes that point clear in verse 10.

But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. – John 7:10 ESV

Jesus would be obedient and obey the law requiring all Jewish males to attend the feast. But He would not do so in a way that might jeopardize His mission. His half-brothers were wanting Jesus to make a “triumphal entry” into Jerusalem, to show up in a blaze of attention-getting miracles. But it was not yet time. Everything Jesus did was in keeping with His Father’s will and in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. And it all had to be done according to plan.

But central to these opening verses is the theme of disbelief. The Jewish leadership refused to believe in Jesus. But so did His own family members. And jealousy and pride were probably determining factors for both groups. The Pharisees and Sadducees were envious of Jesus’ popularity. They felt threatened by His growing fame and frustrated by their inability to discredit His claims. But there was likely a bit of jealousy and pride motivating Jesus’ own family members. Here was their older brother becoming a celebrity and they were left in the background, wondering just how famous their sibling would become and whether they would benefit from His meteoric rise to fame and fortune. But they did not believe in Him. They refused to accept Him as the Son of God and the Messiah of Israel. To both groups, Jesus was just a man. To the religious leaders, He was a man who posed a threat to their power and authority. To His half-brothers, Jesus was a man who offered them an opportunity to enjoy fame and possible fortune. But both groups failed to recognize who He was and what He had come to do.

The Holy One of God

August 15, 2020August 16, 2020 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

⁶⁷So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” ⁶⁸Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, ⁶⁹and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” ⁷⁰Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” ⁷¹He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him. – John 6:60-66 ESV

Jesus’ discourse in the synagogue at Capernaum had left His listeners confused, disturbed, and even angry. And John indicates that when Jesus had finished “many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him” (John 6:59 ESV). This comment by John regarding Jesus’ disciples is not a reference to the 12 men Jesus had chosen to follow Him. This was how John differentiated between the people who followed Jesus because of His miracles and “the Jews” who refused to believe that Jesus was anyone special.

The first group believed Jesus had supernatural powers, just as the Old Testament prophets had. Which is why some thought he might be a prophet sent from God. Others strongly considered the possibility that He might be the long-awaited Messiah. But none of them would have believed that He was God in human flesh. Yet, throughout His brief, but impactful, speech in the synagogue, Jesus had repeatedly claimed to have been sent to earth by God, His Father.

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

While Jesus’ invitation to eat His flesh and drink His blood had left the people scratching their heads in confusion, it was His claim to have God as His Father that turned many of them from followers into scoffers.

“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.” – John 6:57 ESV

He was boldly claiming to be divine, having been sent by God, and in possession of the key to eternal life. This was too much for some of His followers to handle. So, they walked away. But none of this surprised Him. Before they made their decision to leave, Jesus informed them that He already knew their state of unbelief.

“But there are some of you who do not believe.” – John 6:64 ESV

And John adds the note: “For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him” (John 6:64 ESV). Jesus knew who His true disciples were. And as John indicates, Jesus even knew that there was one among the 12 disciples who would prove to be a betrayer and not a believer.

Anyone could follow Jesus, but only those who were called by God and empowered by the Spirit of God would see Jesus for who He truly was. That is why Jesus had said, “The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63 ESV). Without the regenerating work of the Spirit, no one could understand and accept the words coming from the lips of Jesus.

Jesus had come to offer Himself as the bread of life, destined to provide spiritual nourishment to those with a hunger for righteousness. He came to pour out His blood so that those who thirsted for righteousness might be satisfied. Many in the crowd that day had come to see a miracle. They had hoped Jesus would provide them with another free meal. Their minds were stuck on material things. Their hopes were focused on worldly matters. If they believed Jesus to be the Messiah, it was only because they were longing that He might set them free from Roman oppression. They were looking for a human savior who would provide them with temporal relief from their physical suffering, whether that meant subjugation to Rome, hunger, disease, illness, or poverty.

But Jesus had come to offer them eternal life. He had made that point perfectly clear.

“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.” – John 6:27 ESV

“For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” – John 6:33 ESV

“For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life…” – John 6:40 ESV

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.” – John 6:47 ESV

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.” – John 6:51 ESV

But the crowds could not understand what Jesus was saying. His offer of eternal life made no sense to them because they refused to believe that He was the Son of God. It was His divinity that made His offer of eternity possible. It was because He was the Son of God that He could make the offer of eternal life because He was the author of life.

He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. – John 1:2-4 ESV

John began his gospel with the presentation of Jesus as the Son of God and the co-creator of the world. As part of the Godhead, Jesus had played an integral role in the creation of all life on earth. So now, Jesus was claiming to be God and in full possession of the divine power to not only bestow temporal life but eternal life on all those whom God gives Him. In the preceding chapter, Jesus made the bold claim:

“For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.” – John 6:21 ESV

The Jews believed that God had the power to raise the dead. But only God possessed that kind of supernatural power. And yet, here was Jesus claiming to have the very same capacity to bestow life, not just on the physically dead, but on the spiritually dead. And this claim was more than some of His followers could handle, so they walked away.

But as the crowds dispersed, Jesus turned to His 12 disciples and asked them a probing question: “Do you want to go away as well?” (John 6:67 ESV). The structure of the sentence in the Greek reveals that Jesus was not in doubt about their commitment, but that He was seeking their confirmation of that commitment. He wanted to hear from their own lips what He knew to be true in their hearts. And Peter spoke for the group when he said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69 ESV).

With these words, Peter was acknowledging that he and his fellow disciples believed all that Jesus had said concerning Himself. They had heard what He had said concerning eternal life and believed His words to be true. He was the Holy One of God, having been sent from heaven with the words of eternal life. But there was still much that Peter and his companions did not understand concerning Jesus. In fact, it would be some time before Peter made a second confession regarding Jesus. On that occasion, Jesus asked His disciples who the people considered Him to be, and they had responded, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets” (Matthew 16:14 ESV). But when Jesus had asked them “But who do you say that I am?”, Peter had spoken up and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16 ESV).

At that moment, Peter had expressed his belief that Jesus was the Messiah and, not only that, the Son of God. And Jesus revealed that this epiphany on Peter’s part had been made possible by God.

“For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 16:17 ESV

The truth is, the disciples were on a journey of discovery. Their understanding of who Jesus was would continue to expand with each passing day. But they would tend to view Jesus through their own particular lens of understanding. They couldn’t help but bring their own personal perspectives and longings to bear. While they recognized and believed that Jesus had “words of eternal life,” they were still longing for Him to set up His kingdom in this life. They were hanging their hopes on Him being the Messiah and that He would one day reveal Himself to the world and restore Israel to its former glory. That is what would later prompt James and John to approach Jesus and ask Him to do them a favor.

“When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.” – Mark 10:37 NLT

They were looking for places of honor in what they believed would be His earthly kingdom. But Jesus warned them that He would have to drink the “bitter cup of suffering” before His kingdom could be established. He would have to die before He could reign. He would need to suffer before He could be glorified. And Jesus foreshadowed their own suffering, which would take place after His ascension and they began their ministry on His behalf.

“You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptized with my baptism of suffering” – Mark 10:39 NLT

There was much that would have to happen before the Kingdom would come in all its glory. And Jesus warned that even among the 12, there was one who did not share Peter’s belief that He was the Holy One of God.

“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. – John 6:70-71 ESV

Little did Peter know that Jesus would have to be betrayed. The Holy One of God would have to be brutally crucified. In order for the Son of God to be the Savior of the world, He would have to allow His body to be broken and His blood to be spilled, so that some may have eternal life.

Fairweather Followers

August 14, 2020 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

⁶⁰When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” ⁶¹But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? ⁶²Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? ⁶³It 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. ⁶⁴But 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.) ⁶⁵And 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. – John 6:60-66 ESV

The message Jesus delivered in the synagogue regarding “the bread that came down from heaven” (John 6:57 ESV) had made an impression on His audience. His bizarre comments about eating His flesh and drinking His blood had not gone unnoticed. His offer of eternal life definitely piqued their interest. But there appears to be no one who heard Jesus speak who grasped the meaning behind all that He said.

When Jesus had attempted to tell Nicodemus about the need for a new birth “from above” in order to enter the kingdom of heaven, the well-educated Pharisee had responded, “How can these things be?” (John 3:9 ESV). And Jesus answered with a question of His own: “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” (John 3:12 ESV).

Nicodemus had been unable to grasp the spiritual nature of Jesus’ words. His mind was stuck on an earthly plane, limiting his ability to hear the wonderful news that Jesus was conveying in His message. And he had walked away confused, but not converted.

The same was true for those who heard Jesus speak in the synagogue in Capernaum. John has made it clear that a good portion of the audience “grumbled about him, because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven’” (John 6:41 ESV). They saw Jesus as a man from Nazareth, not some divine being who had descended from the sky. And when they heard Jesus claim that eating His flesh would result in eternal life, they had “disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’” (John 6:52 ESV).

If one were to judge the effectiveness of Jesus’ communication skills based on the peoples’ response, the conclusion would have to be that He failed miserably. His sermon appears to have produced no converts. No one asked to receive the bread that He offered. No one came forward eager to drink His blood. Instead, they disputed, grumbled, and struggled to understand what Jesus was talking about. John even indicates that even those who considered themselves followers of Jesus were having a difficult time taking in all that He had said.

These “disciples” as John describes them were made up of those who had traveled all the way from Bethsaida, eager to see Jesus perform another miracle. They had eaten the bread and fish He had multiplied and had shown up in Capernaum hoping to receive more of the same. Others had heard the rumors about His miracles and were anxious to see Him perform a sign with their own eyes. In the gospels, the term “disciple” is used to refer to all those who followed Jesus. It does not necessarily mean that these people were believers. In fact, John will make it clear that many of these disciples or followers of Jesus ended up abandoning Him as a result of His message in the synagogue.

“…many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.” – John 6:66 ESV

They had been attracted by His miraculous works but repulsed by His words. They proved to be fairweather followers who chose to walk away from Jesus when they didn’t get what they wanted from Him.

When Jesus overheard the grumbling among His followers, He responded, “Does this offend you? Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again?” (John 6:61-62 NLT). Here Jesus reveals the true nature of their contention. It was not so much that He had offered His body and blood as food, but that He had claimed to be the Son of God sent from heaven.

“This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” – John 6:29 ESV

“the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven…” –John 6:33 ESV

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

“I am the bread that came down from heaven.” – John 6:41 ESV

“This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven.” – John 6:50-51 ESV

Jesus reveals that this was the crux of the matter. They just couldn’t bring themselves to believe that He was divine. They could possibly accept the fact that He was a prophet sent from God or even the Messiah. But in either case, He would have been a mere man, and not God in human flesh.

But as difficult as it was to accept that Jesus had come down from heaven, He prophetically reveals that the day will come when He returns. Once again, Jesus was speaking rather cryptically, using language that left His audience scratching their heads in confusion. But there was a small contingent within the crowd who would one day understand the full import of His words. The men who would later become His apostles and the emissaries of His message would be eyewitnesses to His future ascension.

So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs. – Mark 16:19-20 ESV

But Jesus’ mention of His ascension most likely included a veiled reference to His crucifixion. He had told Nicodemus, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15 ESV). John also records Jesus restating this claim and adds an important note of clarification.

“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. – John 12:32-33 ESV

Jesus’ return to heaven would be preceded by His sacrificial death. He had come to die so that others might live. His death had been the sole purpose behind His coming. He had been sent from heaven to offer His life as a ransom for many so that they might be restored to a right relationship with God. His body would be broken and His blood would be poured out for the sins of many. And one day, His true followers would fully comprehend the meaning of His words. Luke records that when His disciples saw Him ascend into heaven, “they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God” (Luke 24:52-53 ESV).

But that day in the synagogue in Capernaum, there was no one who comprehended the meaning behind Jesus’ words. And there were none who rejoiced at what they heard. And Jesus revealed that their inability to understand His words was because they lacked insight from the Spirit of God.

“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.” – John 6:63 ESV

Not only were they unable to comprehend His words, but they were also incapable of achieving eternal life. Without the Spirit’s help, they would remain blind to the reality of what Jesus was saying. It was just as Jesus had told Nicodemus:

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” – John 3:6 ESV

There were some in Jesus’ audience who would eventually end up understanding the words of Jesus and believing His claim to be the Son of God. But as Jesus revealed, there were others who would not and could not believe. And John adds further proof of Jesus’ deity by stating that He “knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him” (John 6:64 ESV).

The crowd that followed Jesus was about to grow smaller. And Jesus revealed that following after Him was not the same as coming to Him. Anyone could join the crowds that lined up to see Him work miracles. But only those called by God and empowered by the Spirit of God could become true disciples of the Son of God. And Jesus reiterated His earlier claim.

“no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” – John 6:65 ESV

Many would follow, but not all would believe. Miracles may attract a crowd, but they don’t transform a sinner into a saint. Only the Spirit of God can do that. he opens the eyes of those blinded by sin so they can see the truth of Gospel:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16 ESV

He Will Live Because of Me

August 13, 2020 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

⁵²The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” ⁵³So 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. ⁵⁴Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. ⁵⁵For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. ⁵⁶Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. ⁵⁷As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. ⁵⁸This 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.” ⁵⁹Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum. – John 6:52-59 ESV

As strange as this whole conversation has been, what makes it even more bizarre is the realization that it all took place in the local synagogue in Capernaum. For some unexplained reason, John chose to withhold this bit of information until now. That Jesus made this important announcement about the bread of life in the synagogue is significant because it was the place where the Jews gathered to listen to God’s Word. As the Son of God and the living Word of God, He was expounding on the written Word of God, conveying new truth regarding His Father’s plan of redemption for mankind.

Yet His choice of location for revealing this information did not make the news any easier to understand or accept. The Jews in His audience were confused and, most likely, a little turned off by the thought of what He was saying. And they made their distaste and disbelief known.

“How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” – John 6:52 ESV

What Jesus was saying was implausible and totally unappealing. Everything about His claim sounded ridiculous and unacceptable to His audience. Notice their emphasis on Jesus’ humanity. They refer to Him as “this man.” They were still wrestling with the fact that Jesus was “the son of Joseph” (John 6:42 ESV). They knew who His parents were and so His claim to have “come down from heaven” made no sense to them. He was nothing more than a man. Even those who had been part of Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000 and had expressed awe at what they had witnessed, had wondered aloud whether Jesus was “the Prophet we have been expecting” (John 6:14 NLT). To them, Jesus was just a man and nothing more. And because He was a mere man, they could not fathom what Jesus meant by eating His flesh.

But rather than providing much-needed clarification, Jesus simply expands on His thoughts and adds to their confusion.

“I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.” – John 6:53-56 NLT

It is easy to imagine the looks of consternation on the faces of His audience as Jesus paints this rather unpleasant visual image. What they heard Jesus describing was cannibalism, plain and simple, and the fact that Jesus had added the aspect of drinking His blood made it all the more repulsive. In His law, God had strictly forbidden the consumption of blood.

“And if any native Israelite or foreigner living among you eats or drinks blood in any form, I will turn against that person and cut him off from the community of your people, for the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the Lord. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible. That is why I have said to the people of Israel, ‘You must never eat or drink blood—neither you nor the foreigners living among you.’” – Leviticus 17:10-12 NLT

Yet, here was Jesus making the audacious claim that eating His flesh and drinking His blood was the key to eternal life. God had warned that the drinking of blood would bring permanent banishment from community, but Jesus was claiming that drinking His blood would result in permanent communion with God. For the Jews in the synagogue that day, it was all contradictory and confusing.

What they failed to understand was that Jesus was speaking about belief. He had told them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life” (John 6:47 ESV). They believed Jesus could do miracles. Some believed He might be the prophet Moses had spoken about. Others were beginning to believe that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah. But none were accepting the fact that He was the Son of God who had come down from heaven. When they looked at Jesus, they saw a man. And the idea that He could also be a co-equal with God was unfathomable and unacceptable.

Yet, Jesus was informing them that it was His deity and humanity that would make salvation possible. He was the bread of life that had come down from heaven. He was God incarnate – God in human flesh. And all the imagery concerning His flesh and blood had to do with His coming death. He was going to lay down His life as payment for the sins of mankind. He would allow His body to be broken and His blood to be shed so that sinful men and women might have receive permanent cleansing and release from their condemnation of death.

Luke provides a description of the night on which Jesus shared a final Passover meal with His disciples. At one point, He repurposed the unleavened bread and the wine served with the meal in order to make a point about His death, which was just hours away.

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” – Luke 22:19-20 ESV

Jesus was letting His disciples know that it was His body that was going to be sacrificed on their behalf. As the Son of God, He had taken on human flesh so that He might become the acceptable sacrifice for the sins of mankind. The author of the book of Hebrews provides further insight into this substitutionary aspect of Jesus’ death.

For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God,

“You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings.
    But you have given me a body to offer.
You were not pleased with burnt offerings
    or other offerings for sin.
Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God—
    as is written about me in the Scriptures.’”

First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses). Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. – Hebrews 10:4-10 ESV

What Jesus was trying to convey to His audience in the synagogue was the necessity of His deity and humanity. He had to be divine so that He could live in perfect obedience to the will of God. He had to be human so that He could serve as an acceptable sacrifice for the sins of humanity. Animal sacrifices were not enough. The blood of bulls and goats could not offer permanent cleansing from sin. Only Jesus, the God-man, could be an acceptable sacrifice, fully satisfying the just and holy judgment of God against the sinfulness of humanity.

The author of Hebrews adds: “But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand” (Hebrews 10:12 NLT). Jesus eventually accomplished His mission. He fulfilled the will of His Father and offered Himself up as the unblemished Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). He gave His life so that sin-enslaved humanity might be restored to a right relationship with God.

The crowds had come looking for another free meal that might satiate their physical appetites for another day. But Jesus was offering so much more. He was letting them know that He came to offer a permanent solution to their very real problem of sin and death. They all stood before Him condemned and worthy of death. They were guilty of rebellion against a holy God. But Jesus, the Son of God, had come to earth to serve as the sole solution to their pressing sin problem.

But they were going to have to believe in Him. They would have to accept His claim to be the Son of God and the Savior of the world. It was just as Jesus had told Nicodemus.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” – John 3:16-18 ESV

Whoever Believes

August 12, 2020 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

⁴¹So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” ⁴²They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” ⁴³Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. ⁴⁴No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. ⁴⁵It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— ⁴⁶not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. ⁴⁷Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. ⁴⁸I am the bread of life. ⁴⁹Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. ⁵⁰This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. ⁵¹I 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.” – John 6:41-51 ESV

Many of the things Jesus did left His audiences amazed and in awe. They were legitimately dumbfounded by His miracles, whether it was making a paralyzed man walk or restoring to health a young girl who had been near death. They had been blown away by His miracle of the loaves and fishes and had sought Him out in the hopes that He might use His supernatural powers to feed them again. But when Jesus spoke, His words tended to have a dramatically different effect. Luke records that when Jesus spoke “the people were amazed at his teaching, for he spoke with authority” (Luke 4:32 NLT). In the very next chapter, John recounts the occasion when the Jewish religious leaders sent guards to arrest Jesus, only to have them return empty-handed and reporting, “No one ever spoke like this man!” (John 7:46 ESV).

Jesus had a way with words, but not everyone understood what He had to say. And nowhere is that point illustrated more clearly than in His discourse concerning the “bread of life” recorded in John 6.

The people found Jesus’ miracles difficult to dispute because they could witness them with their own eyes. The evidence was right in front of them. The formerly blind could see. Those who had been lame could walk. The sick had been made whole. The demon-possessed had been set free and restored to their right minds. But Jesus’ words weren’t always so clear and easy to understand. He seemed to talk in riddles and make claims that were difficult to substantiate. And nothing seemed to confused His fellow Jews more than His claim to be the Son of God. John records that Jesus’ claim to be “the bread that came down from heaven” (John 6:41 ESV) caused them to “murmur in disagreement” (John 6:41 NLT).

This rather obtuse statement by Jesus left them arguing among themselves, debating the absurdity of His claim. How could He have come down from heaven if He had been born to human parents? After all, they reasoned, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph? We know his father and mother. How can he say, ‘I came down from heaven’?” (John 6:42 NLT).

Their confusion is reminiscent of Nicodemus’ response to Jesus’ statement, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3 ESV). This learned Pharisee had quizically responded, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” (John 3:4 ESV). The words of Jesus made no sense to Nicodemus. And when Jesus claimed to have come down from heaven, the Jews who heard Him were just as perplexed. It made no sense to them. It contradicted human reason and failed to support their preconceived perceptions about life.

The people had shown up hoping to see Jesus perform another miracle or sign, and they had even used Moses providing manna to the Israelites as an example of what they were expecting. But they failed to recall that even that heaven-sent bread had left the Israelites dissatisfied and disgruntled.

Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt. And the people of Israel also began to complain. “Oh, for some meat!” they exclaimed. “We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted. But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!” – Numbers 11:4-6 NLT

Even the manna sent from heaven had failed to satisfy the people of God. So, why would the Jews of Jesus’ day be satisfied with “the bread of God…that gives life to the world” (John 6:33 ESV)?

But Jesus interrupted their debate by declaring, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44 ESV). As will be made clear, this was not exactly a point of clarification. In fact, it only muddied the waters and left the disbelieving Jews even more confused. But while they were busy arguing over Jesus’ place of origin, He was revealing the way men can be assured of their eternal destination. They could argue and debate the merits of Jesus’ claim to be divine. They could wrestle with the pros and cons of it all and come to their own conclusions, but all their efforts would be in vain. Unless God drew them, they would never receive Jesus as who He was. The Greek word helkō literally means “to drag” or to “to draw by inward power.”

There is a sense in which God must facilitate man’s acceptance of Jesus because, left to his own devices, man would reject Him. King David stressed that sad reality in his psalm.

God looks down from heaven
    on the entire human race;
he looks to see if anyone is truly wise,
    if anyone seeks God.
But no, all have turned away;
    all have become corrupt.
No one does good,
    not a single one! – Psalm 53:2-3 NLT

And the apostle Paul would paraphrase the words of David when stressing to the believers in Rome “that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin” (Romans 3:10 NLT).

“No one is righteous—
    not even one.
No one is truly wise;
    no one is seeking God.
All have turned away;
    all have become useless.
No one does good,
    not a single one.” – Romans 3:10-11 NLT

Jesus is simply supporting this idea that sinful men have no capacity to seek God. And even the miracles of Jesus would prove insufficient to convince the unbelieving to accept the truth of His claim of equality with God. Unless God dragged them out of their sin-darkened stupor into the light, they would never recognize Jesus as who He really was: The Son of God and the Savior of the world.

Jesus quotes the Old Testament prophets, declaring that the ability to believe in Him requires instruction by God.

“‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me.” – John 6:45 (NLT)

God will speak to them, revealing to them the true nature of His Son. And when they hear what He has to say, they will come to Jesus willingly and gladly.

When Peter, James, and John witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus, God had spoken from heaven, declaring, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him” (Luke 9:35 NLT). God clearly revealed to them the identity of Jesus and then commanded that they listen to what His Son had to say. And one of the first things Jesus had to say to them after this incredible experience was a command to tell no one what they had seen.

As they went back down the mountain, he told them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. – Mark 9:9 NLT

Jesus was the revelation of God. He came to earth in the form of a human being so that He might make God known. John opened up his gospel with the bold claim: “No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us” (John 1:18 NLT). And Jesus supported that assertion when He claimed, “Not that anyone has ever seen the Father; only I, who was sent from God, have seen him” (John 6:46 NLT).

Paul declared Jesus to be “the visible image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15 NLT). And later on in his gospel, John records Jesus’ exclusive claim that “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!” (John 14:9 NLT). But there is more required than the mere physical sight of Jesus. There were many who saw Jesus and failed to believe. That is why Jesus clarifies by adding, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life” (John 6:47-48 ESV). In other words, eternal life is reserved for those who believe that Jesus is the bread of life, sent down from heaven by God. It is to believe in His deity and His God-given role as man’s sole source of salvation.

Unlike manna that provided temporary relief from the physical need for food, Jesus provides a permanent solution to man’s hunger and thirst for righteousness. He alone can provide man with the one thing he needs to have eternal life.

“This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 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.” – John 6:50-51 ESV

But even this fantastic truth will fall on deaf ears as the people continue to wrestle with unbelief and an inability to recognize Jesus as the Son of God.

Devotionary

The Bible Made Accessible and Applicable

Month: August 2020