The Gospel of John Lesson 20 (1-27-2013) John 7:1-20

The Gospel of John (1-27-2013)

Lesson 20 – John 7:1-20

Chapter 7

As we begin chapter 7 it is good to remember that there is quite often a time lapse between John’s recorded accounts. As we begin chapter 7 our setting here is at least 6 months later than the events recorded in the last chapter and some of the comments that we see here in the beginning of this chapter concerning the condition and lay of the land in Jerusalem may be tempered by other additional events that had occurred during this time such as healings and dialog interchanges with the Jews.

I am always amazed at how persistent Jesus was in His love for us and in doing the will of the Father. Here in the beginning of chapter 7 we find that even His own family, His siblings, were at that time unbelieving, and it appears from these verses, that they were also critical and antagonistic to Him and His work. We see from this passage that at this point in Jesus’ ministry that He spent a good bit of His ministry work and time up and around the Galilean region and the Sea of Galilee. There was a good reason for this. It had gotten pretty dangerous for Him in Jerusalem, and… in Judea in general, and it tells us in Chapter 7 and v. 1 that it had gotten so bad that His life was at risk.

It was not that Jesus was afraid of dying for as we will see later He will willingly give up His life, suffering great pain, ridicule and torture on the cross for us. But, as He would state to them that were critical and unbelieving in His family His time had not yet come. There was more to do in preparation for the event of the Cross. There was a purpose in His life that although it had the Cross and His death as a focal point, yet there was a lot more related to His sacrificial death to accomplish God the Father’s full and complete will.

One of the possible reasons for His siblings unbelief was that they had not in all likelihood witnessed much of what went on concerning His ministry. It was often hearsay to them. It is recorded that Jesus did not do many miracles in His home town of Nazareth because of their unbelief..a prophet is not without honor but in His own town. In v. 2 John tells us that the Jews Feast of the Tabernacles was ready to begin and His siblings in somewhat of a critical way in essence tell Him that this would be a good time to demonstrate His inability essentially daring Him to make a fool out of Himself urging Him to make a public display out of Himself.

But, Jesus gives an interesting reply to them in v. 6. He tells them, knowing what would await Him there, knowing that climate there was ripe for premature hostilities toward Him, that it was not yet the will and timing of the Father. The Father had more for Him to do before the Cross was to happen.

He continues by telling them that they are not in danger and that they can go up at any time and shouldn’t be concerned even though they are related and there are those that sought His life. He reminds them that it is not them that the Jews have an issue with, but reminds them that it is Him that they hate because of His stance on righteousness being that their deeds were evil.

There is a possibility the that Jesus in v. 6 was also prompting them to think twice about their perspective of unbelief concerning Him possibly encouraging them by saying to them that any time is a good time to change their perspective and believe.

After this conversation His family leaves and goes to Jerusalem and He initially stays behind, but, not for long. He eventually goes up also to the feast of the Jews secretly. Some might say that this was a point of indecision as to what God the Father wanted Him to do next, whether to go up to Jerusalem at this time or not. One could argue the point that this was so because it surely appears that way. But, whatever the reasons, Jesus had His reasons to refuse to go up to the feast accompanying His family at the beginning of the feast.

In all probability He hesitated to go up with them not to endanger His family. As we read in v. 11 that they were earnestly looking for Him for the purpose of seizing Him and putting Him to death. The first place that they would look for Him was those close to Him, His relatives and those who knew Him. But, there was another reason for Him not going to Jerusalem at this time. V. 8 tells us that it was because it was not time for the encounter that would lead to the Cross. The Father had more for Him to do to make His redemptive work complete before the event of the Cross was to happen. There yet remained too much indecision in many who would eventually decide to believe and end up following Him. We see a good example of this in his family. They would eventually change their opinion and view of Him as He continued to show them the works of the Father. So would others. Many would not change their mind until after they see the events of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection.

In v. 12 we see just that. There was much indecision concerning Him at this time. In v. 13 we see just how touchy they were concerning Him. V. 13 gives the impression that those in power were very serious about Jesus’ reputation being quite threatened by it and willing to squelch Him and any followers by force if necessary.

In v. 14 Jesus makes a bold move, taking center stage again, making a public witness of Who He was/is teaching things that could only be known by a learned man. They, the religious leaders knew that He had never sat in on their classes. And, even if He had, when He taught He shared insights and wisdom that no man had ever expressed or demonstrated. We will see later in this chapter that even those who were sent to take Him are overcome with His words and wisdom, so much so that they could not bring Him in to those who wanted to take hold of Him, Jn. 7:46.

In v. 16 Jesus straightens them out as to Who taught Him telling them that He was taught by the Source of wisdom, a concept that most questioned and many flat out had a problem with. But they could not deny the words that He spoke and there was no denying that they had to somehow process and deal with what they heard…making a decision as to what they thought about Him and who He claimed to be.

It is true that He took a bold move and stood up publically in the center of what was perceived as the source of religious truth, the temple, stating wisdom in such a way that it made practical sense. The only problem was that it was too real. As such, it was convicting, challenging those who heard, being trapped in the darkness of their life in reality under the veneer of religious practices with the need to make changes themselves, bold changes that may cost them something. But, in v. 16-7 He again reminds them that He was not speaking His own philosophy on life, but God’s Truth and reminds them if they are looking to do and please God that they will identify with what He is saying.

At the end of v. 18 Jesus makes an interesting statement that is easy to miss if we were not paying attention. He makes the claim to them that He like God can only do righteousness making the claim that there is no sin or evil found in Him or any of His actions. Yes, it is true that He was claiming to be perfect here and by doing so He confronts them with their inability to do the same. In v. 19 He gets quite pointed with them reminding them that He was able to do what they were unable to…keep the Law. To them He was pouring salt in their wound. This was only because they were hiding behind their education and their self imposed rules and standard of practices which were worthless according to God.

In v. 19 He makes it very clear by bring up a topic that they could not deny bring up Moses who they claimed to follow measuring them according to the standards of the righteousness in the Law which they had to admit they could not do. At the end of v. 19 He gets very specific, bring up one of the Ten Commandments making the underlying problem that was the undertone of this festival, namely the plot to take Him and kill Him, a direct violation of the Law that they claimed to practice, adhere to and uphold.

In v. 20 it says that the people deny this claim. Either they were ignorant of their plot which is totally possible that the religious leaders were working covertly, or they were in denial of the truth which is a common response of man when He does not want to deal with something that is too big for him or is something that he does not want to face or admit. 

The Gospel of John Lesson 19 (1-20-2013) John 6:48-71

The Gospel of John (1-20-2013)

Lesson 19 – John 6:48-71

In vs. 48-58 He begins to share with them a very difficult concept again calling Himself ‘the Bread of Life’ using descriptive terms that were raw and socially unpleasant in that day and in ours as well. The Gospel offers a beautiful outcome, but deals with a very unpleasant and even downright ugly topic. Dealing with the problem of man’s sin is in reality an ugly mess. If anyone doubts this all they need to do is to look at the effect of man’s sinful actions and the messed up lives and the reality of these actions being clearly seen if we are willing to take an honest look at ourselves.

Jesus was willing to deal with this problem, but it  is what it is and for Him to deal with man’s sin and fix the problem and not just cover it over requires a method of payment that costs big…giving His Life, His flesh and the shedding of His blood. Jesus was telling them if one is not willing to look at the cost and swallow, receive, digest the truth of it they did not believe in Him because this is what it took. The Gospel is beautiful, but the reality of it is gross and is not pleasant. Christ’s Passion and road to the cross was not pleasant at all. He only found Joy in His passion because He was motivated by and was full of Love!

It is also important to remember that even though the concept that Jesus was sharing with them was real, in reality these were spiritual concepts and are not completely and fully understood by them because they were thinking on a horizontal or physical plain. In reality one must receive into themselves, their heart or being, the truth of Christ spilling His blood and tearing His flesh in payment for our own personal sin, offering us a plate of His pain and His suffering to receive as payment for our wrongs. He was not just asking them to follow Him. We will see later in this chapter that a commitment to follow Christ by itself was/is not good enough. This section of Scripture is in no way pleasant and is hard to embrace. We observe communion contemplating and reflecting on His pain and His suffering using the bread to represent His body and grape juice to represent His blood. It is like a plate of bitter herbs, but His pain was our gain.

In vs. 48-54 He again gives them the details of how this works and what He is offering saying that the bread (food) that we eat on a physical level will eventually fail us, but what He is offering will indeed last forever. In v. 54 He gives them ‘the key component’ of what is included in His offer that does not come with the offer found in this world…eternal life. This one act in v. 54 is the primary difference between the two offers and why it comes at a Premium cost. But, this is the offer that makes the difference…all the difference between what this world has to offer and what God has to offer. All of eternity for us rests on this one Promise which will not be made good until the very end..the last day. Do we believe Him and His offer? Our actions will demonstrate our decision. Jesus was indeed offering them more…much more in life, but some of the details were difficult to receive to say the least.

In v. 60 even His disciples tell us of the difficulty in understanding and receiving this concept and doctrine expressing to each other their true feelings saying when they heard this that ‘it was a hard saying’. It was so hard to them that they were not sure that they could accept it, and in essence as we will see that many did not continue following Him and His teachings saying that the reality and the cost was too much turning and leaving Him.

Jesus was however very descriptive in the previous verses. Did He have to be so blunt? If He had just created a little prettier picture not giving them all the details in making it clear what it cost Him, and, by the way what it might cost them, maybe more would have stuck with Him.

But, the reality was that many of those who were following Him were also not believers at all and were following Him for the wrong reason, v. 64. This conversation was the litmus test for those that truly believed in Him for those who truly are followers will respond like Peter in v. 68 realizing that these words are hard, but understanding that Jesus is speaking Truth and those seeking truth have no other place to go no matter how hard the road is.

Jesus presented further challenges to their faith in vs. 62 and 63 pinpointing the exact area in their problem in accepting and or rejecting the truth of the Gospel. What Jesus was presenting to them was the reality of principles and things that they had never seen before and could only be received by faith in Him. The Door or passage to receiving the reality of what He was offering was through Him much like passing through a tunnel into another world, like the wardrobe in C. S. Lewis’ book. They had to believe Him in order to recon on any of it. It was a world that could only be perceived and received by faith being that He was speaking of spiritual realities. They were not willing to give up what they were familiar with even though it was the wrong perspective for what He offered was in actuality reality. This is the same pivot or turning point for all men..including us.

In v. 62 He continues to challenge them with realities that were and would be essential to accept to receive the benefit of what He had to offer. He tells them about His ascension which to them was a strange concept because they did not believe what He was telling them, i. e. that He came down from God. However, to us we see the reality of what He was saying being on the other side of this historic event.

In v. 63 He makes a very important statement. He tells them in essence that what man has his whole life focused on investing his whole life on, his time and attention on, has little benefit. In v. 63 He actually apparently goes further saying that there is no profit in the commonly accepted way of life at all.

Wow…what a message of us as well as them. The best example of what He was talking about was found in His own life. His works, His perspective and His life focus. His actions and His life really were different than ours. His focus was on another world which He found now to be present on earth which is essentially not perceived by us with our physical senses, being understood only by faith. He tells them that this other world that is unseen by us physically is truly the reality that will give us the goods that we are looking for giving us life and not death, Mt. 6:33 Mk. 10:30. But, many that He was talking to did not believe Him..they are not believing Him still even in our day.

In v. 64 however, it tells us that Jesus was not fooled as to who was actually following Him. It tells us that He knew those who actually followed Him in faith believing what He shared with the concerning the Kingdom and those that really did not believe what He was saying at all. In vs. 60-5 he tested their faith by doctrine. By doing so He separated out many that did not really believe Him, but were following Him for other reasons, i. e. what they could get. He knew that for them to be true followers that the Father would be at work revealing to them spiritual things pertaining to the Kingdom. As the Father and or the Holy Spirit begins to work in someone’s life they will begin to understand and recon on spiritual things that do not make sense to others that are not looking for the truth. Those who are truly of this world will not understand nor receive these truths rejecting them as those present here did embracing the laws and ways of this world instead.

But, in vs. 66 to the end of this chapter He challenges them even further asking the few that are left if even they were going to leave Him because of the Truths and doctrine that He had shared with them. But, Peter reveals that not all of them are unbelieving replying to His request in v. 69 that they did believe His message and were fully confident that what He represented to them was the Truth. Jesus knew that even this faith that they expressed here would be tested and found not yet complete, but He also knew and trusted that the Father would keep them by His strength even if their faith in Him faltered.  

The Gospel of John Lesson 18 (1-06-2013) John 6:37-47

The Gospel of John (1-06-2013)

Lesson 18 – John 6:37-47

In the next few verses He reveals further mysteries of the Kingdom telling them in essence that their rejecting His offer is not a total loss telling them that the Father is fully involved in the process bringing those who were to come to Jesus. This will be a recurring theme in John’s Gospel (Jn. 1:12-3, 17:6-9). In v. 38 Jesus tells them that He is fully content with the Father’s plan and His outcome saying that He did not have His own agenda, but was on a mission to accomplish the exact will of the Father and only that.

In v. 37 Jesus makes an interesting statement. He tells them that He did not have unrealistic expectations. He was not looking for everyone to come and to agree with His offer telling them that He was only looking for the ones that the Father would send to Him. This is often a point of conjecture and debate as to man’s free will vs. God’s sovereignty in the affairs of man often called the debate over grace vs. election. The answer to this age old question is impossible to agree on depending upon the perspective one approaches this question with, much like the question ‘is the glass half empty or is it half full’. Both answers could be seen as right depending upon how one phrases the question and their varying perspective or point of view. However, one answer may be more right than the other, but let’s not go there.

There is no doubt that man has a choice in the matter for that perspective is born out in the pages of Scripture in the many encounters that we have recorded concerning man’s encounter with the Truth, man not always choosing that which is right. However, in passages such as this one it does appear that our final decisions and even the process may be tempered and even influenced by a sovereign God. It is clearly stated in the Scriptures that we will be judged by our deeds and actions…the choices that we make. Judas chose to betray Christ and in the end will be judged for his choice and his actions.

But, one cannot deny passages like this either clearly saying that God is involved in the process. This is a great mystery. And, one that I am not sure that man has the ability to adequately explain, but we can be sure that God understands it perfectly. There is much more that can be said on this topic from both perspectives, however, for the purpose of this study it is important to recognize that Jesus did make such statements as those found in the beginning of v. 37 and v. 44 of chapter 6 and it would be difficult or relatively impossible to make them mean anything other than the Father being intimately involved in the process of those who ultimately believe in Jesus. It is also important to recognize that the end of v. 37 makes it clear that anyone who does believe choosing to come to Jesus on His terms will be received and will not be cast out or have the door closed on them. In essence the door is open to any and all who would chose to come.

Again, v. 38 states that He had come to do the Father’s will stating in v. 39 what that will was and is which was/is to gather all that the Father had given Him loosing no one, even those that have passed from this earthly scene raising them up presenting them to God on the last day. In v. 40 He sums up the last few verses making it perfectly clear what he came to do and to accomplish telling them that His focus was to do the Father’s will receiving anyone that believed on Him giving them everlasting life, even life that extended past death.

In vs. 41 and 42 they could not get past His humanity which one would have to admit is a difficult concept when you are thinking on an earthly or human level when considering God. Realizing the reality of the God-man was not in their realm of possibility. They had seen Him as a boy knowing His parents and His siblings. Rightly so we would question someone coming to us making the same claims. After all from what they saw He came as other humans do being born from His mother’s womb even though he was not a product of man’s seed having been conceived by the Holy Spirit.

One might think that they might have had an easier time believing if God the Father had dropped Him off directly on the earth having seen His arrival. But, God had given them proof by the four witnesses stated in the last part of chapter 5. They forget that God did show up from heaven in the past and it frightened them, frightened them so much that they were afraid to come anywhere near to Him. This is what this encounter with the God-man was all about. Jesus came to identify with man coming through the seed of man a mediator between God and man helping man to come close to God having fellowship with Him. After all, John the Apostle would give us a good example of how close he felt to God leaning his head on His, Christ’s breast, at the supper table…the Last Supper.

It appears from Jesus’ comment in v. 43 that they did not confront Him openly with their comments appearing to murmur and grumble to each other instead of confronting Him directly. But, Jesus still heard every word they said and confronted them instead. It is wise to be careful what we say…Jesus knows and hears every word, or thought for that matter, and will have a discussion with us at sometime in the future about the content of out speech.

He appears to tell them in v. 44 that it is not even possible for someone to come to Jesus and agree with His message unless the Father draws them to the Truth. In the next few verses He will again restate the narrow way to God the Father taking center stage claiming that all roads to the Father must pass through Him. In v. 45 He states that it is clearly written in the account of the prophets that any who will seek the truth will end up at Him before reaching the Father as their destination.

In v. 46 He says that no one else knows the way to the Father and again in essence that no one else can take them there. He will restate this again in John chapter 10 making it clear that man has no other options. God made it simple for us. In v. 47, Jesus the Giver of Life says that the payoff is big for believing and receiving His message telling them that it is an all or nothing proposition. If you believe you get it all, if you don’t you lose it all getting nothing.

The Gospel of John Lesson 17 (12-30-12) John 6:22-36

The Gospel of John (12-30-12)

Lesson 17 – John 6:22-36

In v. 22 John tells us that the crowd that had received the food at the beginning of this chapter had actually been very observant and had watched all that had gone on. Jesus had sent His disciples away and stayed behind going into a nearby mountain to pray. They, the crowd as they are called, began to be somewhat bewildered by the logistics of how this ended up. The next day when they came looking for Him, but He was nowhere to be found. They had put 2 and 2 together. He had sent the disciples away in the only boat that was apparently there and He was not seen to go past them traveling by land. They questioned…where did He go? Figuring that He must have gone to somehow catch up with His disciples in some unexplainable way they set out to find Him hitching a ride on some boats that were passing through the area from Tiberias and headed toward Capernaum. Their theory was find His disciples and we will find Jesus!

In v. 25 they catch up to Him and begin to question Him concerning the details of the last 24 or so hours asking Him how He had gotten to the other side of the sea. But, in v. 26 Jesus essentially tells them that that really is not important and begins to confront them with the truth of what was actually motivating them telling them that they were really not interested in finding out who Jesus really was, but were in fact only interested in the neat trick that He pulled off that provided them food filling their stomach.

In the next few verses Jesus will challenge them with their perception of realty. In v. 27 again He attempts to encourage them to make a paradigm shift encouraging them to focus on the Kingdom of God instead of this temporal world which perishes and has no lasting value like food that rots or only satisfies one temporarily or for the moment.

Instead He tells them to work for something that lasts attempting to get them to accept Him for who He really is. Like the woman at the well, it was necessary for them to receive the whole package not just the morsel or free lunch that they were focused on. They needed to see that receiving Him would connect them with the Giver of All Life forever not only providing for their physical needs, but every other need one might have forever including forgiveness of sin.

He tells them that this life is found only in God’s Son telling them that He was the One that God had given His seal of approval to, placing His, God’s, seal on Him, i. e. the Holy Spirit. This verse, v. 27, and v. 63 are the central focus and lesson of this section and would be good life focus verses to adopt as one’s focus and purpose for living life. However, as we will see true commitment to this focus and theme for life with God is not for the shallow or fainthearted.

In v. 28 it appears that they begin to warm up to the idea and want to see the bigger picture that Jesus was offering and ask what they should do to earn God’s favor asking Him what is required to do so. They were apparently thinking in the direction of the Mosaic Law as to what God required to please Him. But, Jesus gives them a shorter and maybe a somewhat more difficult answer telling them that all of the required works necessary for inheriting eternal life are found in one relatively simple but profound step…Belief in the One that God had sent, the One right in front of them, believing who He said that He was and joining Him in what He came to do. (Rom. 4:1-8)

But, in v. 30 it is apparent that they had not yet come to the place of believing on Him asking yet for more proof in v. 31. They bring up the food issue again revealing where their focus and belief was seeing God as a meal ticket or someone who meets their physical needs only.

But, in v. 32 Jesus tells them straight and again gives them the bigger picture. They brought up how their ancestors were cared for in the wilderness apparently giving more credit than was due to Moses for supplying manna while they journeyed. After all, Moses was the one they saw when this provision showed up so they naturally looked to him as the one with the connections to get the goods much as we give credit to our government and our world system for our provisions.

However, in v. 32 Jesus reminds them and us that it is not Moses who gave food to them, also reminding us today that it is not governments or this current world system that actually provides for us our daily bread, but that it was and is God the Father that is really the Provider of all things referring to His provisions as Bread from Heaven.

In v. 33 Jesus narrows their focus really making it simple for them to understand if they will receive it saying that in essence that He IS the Bread of Life supplying any and all life to all things in the whole world that have life. After hearing this they respond in v. 34 by telling Him in essence that His offer sounds like a better deal than what they had in their present way of life. However, they haven’t heard all the terms and conditions yet and Jesus in v. 35 and after begins to reveal them unto them and explains to them the agreement and commitment needed to receive this Living Bread.

In these verses He begins to make some bold claims that are hard for them to swallow, no pun intended. In v. 35, just as He did to the woman at the well, He makes the claim that He is more than just a temporary fix for the needs and necessities of life making the claim that the one who partakes of what He has to offer will never again hunger or thirst God becoming their Provider for all things forever…

It is true that in God’s Kingdom that there will be food, but this food will not be necessary to survive. Even Jesus ate after His resurrection. We will be found to receive our life and sustenance directly from the Giver of Life. The offer that they missed was that He was not only their Giver for their current need or sustenance, but was also the offer of Life itself to them…giving them life forever in relationship with Him.

This was a rather large claim that was hard for them to accept. But, Jesus tells them that they had just seen this to be true, v. 36, in the feeding of the five thousand providing for more than their need telling them that they had rejected what He had done for them also rejecting Him and what He was offering them by asking Him for more signs as proof of His claims.