May 28, 2021
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in John? Here’s today’s reading:
John 7 (NIV)
Jesus Goes to the Festival of Tabernacles
1 After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him. 2 But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near, 3 Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do........Continue Reading
I love the protection that was on Jesus. God’s plan had Him finishing His work on the cross so despite the multiple times they attempted to seize Him in this chapter it said they were not able to. And while they did not say how or why we can be sure it was because His work was not finished and God did not allow that to happen.
I also love verse 18 “Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him”
This was a reminder to me that we need to speak to others with the knowledge and love of God and He will be glorified through us and we should be open vessels to be used to share His word with the world. We don’t need to worry if we have the right words but rather pray for God to give us the words and speak through us.
John 7
On reading these Gospel accounts recently, I have been focusing on what the Jews were thinking at that time. To us, as Christians, it is easier to understand the reasons Jesus did or said certain things but apparently, the Jews at that time missed a lot of Jesus’ intended meanings and were confused, divided and unsure about him. I can hear a song in my mind: “How do you solve a problem like Jesus?” The part where they were confused about Jesus’ birthplace VS where they thought the Messiah would be coming from (which is Bethlehem,) was particularly interesting to me. Of course, we know Jesus was in fact born in Bethlehem! In literature, this is called dramatic irony. But I guess the point is, all those confusions and misunderstandings were meant to happen to fulfill scripture – otherwise, Jesus would not have been crucified and paid for the penalty for our sins. In this day and age, there’s a lot of confusion and deception everywhere – even among Christian circles but someday, everything will fall into place and we will have better knowledge about things.
To read this about how much hate jealousy and evil against our Lord. I’m sure someone pointed out to the Pharisees. Micah 5:2. But they certainly dismissed that immediately. It was brought up on Wednesday night Bible study how much the Pharisees hated the Roman government and Ceaser. But on the day that our lord was crucified, they yelled, “We have no king but Ceaser.” They hated our Lord so much!!!
John 7
It is interesting that Jesus at first says He is not going to the feast but then does. It is sad that His brothers did not believe but because of that had no understanding of the timetable He was on and what drove His life. It certainly wasn’t public opinion or winning people’s favor but doing God’s will. Even at this point He seems to know that there will be a time when He will go to Jerusalem and be killed by the Jews, but before that He will avoid it..at least in a very pronounced way. But He ends up going because that was the expectation that God had put on the Jews in celebrating certain feasts. While there He deems it safe to teach and proclaims who He is and what He comes to offer them. It is interesting that people recognize the wisdom and authority of His teaching, but are very divided as to believing Him to be the Messiah. Some think that He fails in regards to His human lineage, but we know well Jesus was human and was born in time and space to share in our humanity so as to be able to die for us. Others conclude correctly that He is doing the kind of miraculous things Messiah would do….isn’t that more important than His pedigree?
The reality is that He was from heaven and would return there. This was the time to believe and accept Him for who He is and received from Him the life and Spirit that He offered them. And I just love that the temple guards were sent to arrest Jesus but didn’t do it because He taught with an authority they had never heard before. Just another indication that the simple and unlearned believe and the scholars who know the Scriptures do not. They had already formed an opinion about Him and therefore were blind to all the things He said and did. It is so important to receive instruction from God about things rather then following the dictates of the big thinkers who know the better way based in human wisdom….
I am a little behind! I spent yesterday trying to finish up questions for the study we are doing in Joshua.
I love the book of John, it is so rich and there is so much here about Jesus, who He was and why He came. It is interesting that His brothers suggest that he go boldly to the feast and declare Himself. All I could think of was politicians, who seek power and acclimation rather than to serve the people. …or they use their “good works” to achieve power and position. Even though Jesus will come to rule, this was not the time for that plan, He must first suffer and die…and He comes from the Father to fulfill the Father’s purpose.
“Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. 17 If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. 18 He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him. 19 Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?”
30At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come