February 19, 2024
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 our Lenten readings from “The Life of Jesus”? Here’s today’s reading:
Day 1 in the Book: “The Life of Jesus“
The Year of Growing Opposition
Read Sections 4.33 through 4.36 (pages 95-98)
This book is an account of Jesus’ life and teachings told through in chronological order from the four Gospels to create one continuous story.
*If you do not have a copy of the book please contact the church at (401)667-0775 and we can get you a copy.
Acts 14-15 & John 1-2.
4.33-4.36
4.33 – 4.36
Good morning!
So happy to be here . Really felt like Jesus was speaking to directly to me through you Pastor Peter this past Sunday.
I have a few questions about the Lent first reading. Full disclosure I am just starting and have not read the proceeding chapters yet.
4.33- who is Jesus speaking to? Is it the Jewish non believers ?
4.34- Jesus days “the facts is, before Abraham was born, I am”. What does he mean by this? That he knew Abraham before being born?
Thank you!
Colleen
Glad to hear Colleen and welcome! And it is Jewish unbelievers who have justified themselves before Jesus saying Abraham and God were their fathers and Jesus says they can’t be if they reject Him! And in 4:34 Jesus means that He preexisted Abraham, which effectively speaks of him always being and thereby being God. This is also reenforced when He says “I am”, referencing the name God gives Moses when Moses asks what He should call the One speaking to him in the burning bush.
“He answered, ‘I have already told you that. But you would not listen to me. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to be his followers too?’”
Lol…I love this guy. Talk about confidence. That’s what an encounter with the King will do!
“While it is daytime, we must continue doing the work of the one who sent me.” This seems especially true for us today. While night is coming, He is and will be “the light of the world”.
Your father is the devil Imagine telling these. Pharisees. Talk about getting hit right between the eyes. Some of them had to question. Before Abraham was “I AM”. Great verse to extinguish those who don’t believe in the deity of Jesus. This man healed By Jesus using saliva and dirt to make mud There has to be significance in that. Someone told me a great explanation years ago. Don’t remember. That man has no problem schooling the Pharisees. Jesus was definitely from God. How else did he have the power to heal me. Once again the Pharisees had to be questioning. Why would Jesus be doing all these miraculous compassionate deeds
4:33 – 4:36
Lenten Day 1
I think that when Jesus said, “You don’t understand the things I say, because you cannot accept my teaching.” He meant that the Pharisees not only did not want the teaching of Christ, but they literally could not understand his words because they are spiritually discerned and the things of Christ are folly to them.
“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”(1 Cor 2:14)
It says that Satan is the father of lies(absolutely true) and that the Pharisees are sons of Satan and are believing lies and hardening their hearts towards God. Are all sins rooted in lies because it sure seems as if they are. I love it when the once-blind man says, “Do you want to be his followers too?”. This is pretty funny that he assumed that the Pharisees wanted to do exactly the opposite of what they actually were wanting to do.
“A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies.”(Proverbs 14:5)
Well said Mark. The Jews said that they are descendants of Abraham.{previous section 4.32} Jesus agreed with that part but called them out for not having faith like Abraham. But instead called them children of the Devil. To them they were insulted. How dare this man who isn`t one of us {a Pharisee } think that He is the I AM. Doesn`t He know who we are? How dare He question us. Talk about self righteousness. The Pharisees thought that they were better than any man and looked down upon others. There were a few however that became believers. Two that we know by name. They were Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. I like how the man that was blind taught the Pharisees saying that Jesus is come from God. They were mad at him and kicked him out of the synagogue. How dare he teach them. They were blind themselves spiritual and refused to even consider that they were wrong. Such is the world today. The blind leading the blind. But God gives us the answers in the word. It is in the Person of Jesus the Christ and His Holy Word which speaks of Him. May we always seek Him in our daily walk with Him.
Leviticus 27; Genesis 1-5; The Life of Jesus 4.33-4.36
Lenten 2024-Day 1
I always enjoy reading the interchange between the healed man and the Pharisees … ” I do know this: I was blind and now I can see.” That is so true for all of us! He did not shrink back when they cross examined and insulted him. He stands his ground and says..”This man must be from God”. A good example for all of us when we are being ridiculed, criticized and shamed by others for our belief in Jesus.
“Your father Abraham was very happy that he would see the day when I came. He saw that day and was happy.”
We think about Jesus knowing Abraham before he was born. That is amazing! But Jesus says that Abraham saw the day Jesus came. He is speaking in past tense, but He is in the present when he says it.
I was thinking about time as well when we were reading Genesis. When God started the days of creation He also created time. There were things that happened before time was created.
When Abraham went to “Abraham’s bosom” did he step out of time? Is that how he could see Jesus’ day? (Rhetorical questions)
25 ¶ He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see
Lenten 2024-day 1
Colleen Thanks for joining us. My wife { Melodye} and I are always happy to have more people join us in this study of the scriptures. We are all growing together in the Lord. Some of us have read the word awhile and others of us are new to it. But if we ask God to teach us He will. After all He indwells the believer. God bless.
Jesus is never shy to say exactly who He is and to make clear to these religious leaders what their rejection of Him means. Since He is the Son of God and the Messiah of Israel, how can they say they follow God and revere Abraham and then reject Jesus who both God and Abraham pointed to? And if that is not bad enough, because they do reject Him, they must be listening to the devil who rejects Jesus as well. He does not want honor from them, but wants them to recognize the honor that the Father has given Him in enabling to be and do all that He has done. But they just can’t see it. And where better to see their blindness than Jesus healing a person born blind. It always amazes me that these religious leaders focus on minor issues in the presence of a clear miracle. Even after investigating the truth of the man’s former condition, being critical of him because he believed in his healer. You gotta love how he addresses them….now wait a minute, you don’t know here He comes from but He healed my eyes….like what’s more important. The proof really is in the pudding….if he did something only God can do, then He must be good, not bad..right? Who are really the ones who are blind?
Satan is the father of lies and even when faced with the reality and evidence of the work Jesus did to give a man blind from birth back his sight the Pharises refused to believe it. This is such a picture of the world, believing in Jesus makes you confront your own sin, the parts of you that need to be changed and it is easier and more comfortable to make excuses to dismiss God than give up those things the worlds holds so dear. The reality is you hold on to temporary pleasure at the cost of eternity with God…an exchange I am sure not willing to make!