The Perfect Bridegroom

Lesson #27

In Lesson #26 we questioned why Jesus chose to use the stone jars that were used to hold water for ceremonial washing. Water from these jars was not used for drinking but for bathing. By using these jars Jesus was drawing focus to the current method of covering ones sins and then drew attention to himself with a miracle. From this point forward Jesus needed to convince the Jews that he was replacing their ritual of animal sacrifice with the sacrifice of himself.

Our lesson today will come from John 2:6 – 11. Jesus told the servants, “Fill the water jars with water” (v7). The servants filled the six stone water jars, each holding twenty or thirty gallons, to the top. Jesus then told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the head steward,” and they did. When the servant drew from the water jar was it then wine or was it still water that turned to wine on the way to the head steward. All we know is that the servants filled the jars with water and the head steward tasted wine. Between those two events the miracle took place.

After tasting the wine the head steward called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the cheaper wine when the guests are drunk. You have kept the good wine until now!” (v 10). The first miracle that Jesus did was to complete what the bridegroom could not do and provide even better wine than the wine first served.

The shortcomings of this bridegroom represent the shortcomings of all grooms on this earth. As husbands fall short of what we ought to be, Jesus steps up and plays the role of the perfect and all providing Bridegroom for his bride, the great assembly of all those who trust in him.

From this wedding account we see Jesus as the obedient Son, the coming perfect sacrifice for our sin, and the perfect Bridegroom who would meet our needs forever. “In this way [Jesus] revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him” (v 11).

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for your demonstration of obedience by coming to be the perfect sacrifice for our sin. Thank you for setting an example of a perfect Bridegroom that can meet all our needs. Father, as I continue to study, help me fully understand what Paul wrote about in Romans 7:4; “So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you could be joined to another, to the one who was raised from the dead, to bear fruit to God.” What an awesome plan you are unfolding before us.

Purification

Lesson #26

In our lesson today we will consider the containers Jesus used to produce the wine in that are mentioned in John 2:6 - 8. Specifically, verse 6 reads, “Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification [or ceremonial washing], each holding twenty or thirty gallons.” These jars are used to hold water, not for drinking, but for bathing, for purification to prepare one for offering a sacrifice for their sin. Jesus decides to use this water for a different purpose. He could have used other containers but he chose to use these pots in meeting the need of the bridegroom for more wine. He chose to use these pots for a different purpose to plant the idea that he as the coming bridegroom would one day be the perfect sacrifice that would meet our need for purification from our sin.

Drinking wine from these pots begins the difficult task Jesus has of developing an understanding of how drinking wine from these pots will eventually lead to the meaning of what we read in John 6:53 – 55, where Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in yourselves. The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink” (NET). Like the Jews, we have much to learn to get from these stone water jars to the meaning of drinking his blood.

God had taught the Jews to follow a ritual in sacrificing animals to cover their sin. God now enters human life as Jesus to show the Jews a better way to be cleansed of their sin. It will no longer be a ritual of purification and the sacrifice of animals, but a relationship with Jesus through his blood as the perfect sacrifice. Here at the wedding at Cana Jesus shows that he can perform miracles, but by using those special water pots he points to an event that will involve his death on the cross as the perfect sacrifice for our purification from our sin.

Prayer

Father, it is easy to read our text today and see that Jesus turned 20 to 30 gallons of water into wine for use at a wedding, but to see the significance of using the stone water jars that were part of the Jewish rites of purification is an entirely different matter. Thank you for the mysteries that are tucked away in the Scriptures that are revealed by the Spirit of God to those who believe. Thank you for the excitement and humbling effect understanding these mysteries provide.

My Hour has not Come

Lesson #25

Our lesson today will again cover the text from John 2:3 - 5 but will focus on the statement “Woman, why are you saying this to me? My time has not yet come.” In our last lesson we said, “When Jesus responded to Mary as “Woman” and not “Mother” he was beginning to push back from his physical family to establish the needed relationship, in the minds of people, with his heavenly family. When Jesus responded with “Why are you saying this to me?” he may have been trying to disconnect with the responsibility his mother was giving to him. The part we want to focus on in this lesson is the statement “My time has not yet come.”

“My time” or “My hour” as some translations say, is a reference to the time when Jesus would depart this world and return to the Father (John 13:1) to be glorified (John 17:1). But to accomplish that goal, Jesus knew that suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension lay ahead. Jesus also knew that this was not the time to reveal his identity as the Messiah. Gradually he must reveal his divine nature to the people and stimulate their belief in him.

As Jesus continued to teach and perform miracles, his listeners divided into three groups; those who believed, those who grew to hate him, and those who were still just watching and listening. Jesus was able to avoid physical harm from those who hated him, as we see in John 7:30 and 8:20, but in John 12:27 Jesus said, “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.” In John 12:24 Jesus said, “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” As Jesus spoke to his mother he knew his hour to suffer and die was not too far away and he knew by providing the wine needed for the wedding with a miracle was to start that fateful journey. To die physically on the cross is one thing, but for the holy Son of God to contaminate himself with our sin and cause his Father to turn away from him is beyond our comprehension. A short video has been included to help understand this.

Link to Video

Prayer

Lord, I am trying to understand how you must have felt as you spoke to Mary and fully realized what lay ahead; the rejection, anger and hate that would develop against you; the physical and mental abuse, the disrespect and the brutality of the scourging and the cross. How you must have felt as those thoughts came to mind as you said, “My time has not yet come.” But the time came and with your blood you purchased my salvation. For that I am so thankful. Lord, help me use my life to be a witness for you.

Obedient Son

Lesson #24

Our lesson today will cover the text from John 2:3 - 5 and begin to understand what is going on behind the comment Jesus made. Jesus, his disciples and his mother, Mary, are at a wedding in Cana when it becomes known that the supply of wine was not sufficient to meet demands of the guest. It is possible that this wedding was for a relative of the family, which is what may have prompted Mary to inform Jesus about the need of more wine. It is only conjecture as to what Mary might have been thinking that prompted her to ask. She probably had been a witness to the events of the past few days and suspected that Jesus was entering a new period of life. She may have thought of the supernatural events surrounding his birth and the prophetic words of the angle to her and also to Simeon and Anna in the temple at Jesus’ dedication. But let’s not leave God out of the picture. I suspect that on God’s calendar this wedding at this time was the event he was going use to draw attention to Jesus as a unique kind of person.

When Mary said to Jesus, “They have no wine left.” that seemed to turn on a switch inside Jesus that clearly brought to mind the suffering he would have to endure to complete the work his Father sent him to do. Out of anguish over this resting on his shoulders Jesus replied, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come” (v 4). Mary makes no comment about the harshness of his response but says to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you” (v 5). She just gave the responsibility to Jesus to complete what was lacking on the part of the bridegroom. She expected Jesus to somehow provide and that it would involve the servants. Wouldn't you like to know what both Mary and Jesus were thinking at this time?

Jesus, the son of Mary, has been given the responsibility by her to provide enough wine to satisfy the wedding guest. Jesus, the son of God, has been given the responsibility by his Father to become the perfect sacrifice to purchase the salvation of those who are to be saved. I believe that both Mary and Jesus knew that this was the beginning of that work. To begin this visible work here on earth, Jesus must be obedient to Mary. Obedience to the Father had already begun by Jesus coming to earth through his virgin birth. The Father testified to this obedience when John baptized Jesus by saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17 ESV).

Jesus has a mother here on earth and a Father in heaven. The mother identifies Jesus with an earthly family. The Father in heaven identifies Jesus with a spiritual family. This gives us the man/God identify of Jesus. When Jesus responded to Mary as “Woman” and not “Mother” he was beginning to push back from his physical family to establish the needed relationship, in the minds of people, with his heavenly family. Later Jesus will push back even harder.

Prayer

Father, I find such richness in the Bible when one stops and takes time to research and think. It stimulates my faith to learn about Him who after creating a universe was willing to enter into it as a human and become the sacrifice required to redeem a people for you to love and share the kindness of your grace with forever. The Bible is truly a living book with such depth that no one is able to grasp all of it. Thank you for setting this book apart from all others and protecting it against all evil powers.

A Wedding at Cana

Lesson #23

Our lesson today will begin our journey through chapter 2, which consist of two main sections and a small one. The first section, John 2:1 - 12, covers a wedding at Cana, the second section, verses 13 – 22, covers the cleansing of the temple, and the short section, verses 23 – 25, covers the concern Jesus has about the intent of people toward him. With this brief sketch before us we need to go back to a starting point at John 1:43 where “Jesus wanted to set out for Galilee.” a two day journey. It is now the “third day” and Jesus and his disciples are at the “wedding at Cana in Galilee” along with Jesus’ mother (John 2:1 – 2). The invitation of Jesus, his mother, and the disciples seems to indicate that this wedding was family related.

At the wedding a problem develops involving supply and demand. It seems that the demand for wine exceeded the supply provided by the bridegroom. To run out of wine at a wedding in that culture was a serious problem prompting Mary to inform Jesus (v3). The response Jesus makes to his mother in hearing this causes one to stop and wonder what just happened. The harshness of his response indicates that we should stop and try to understand what is going on besides a typical wedding.

Looking carefully at verses 4 – 11 there are four things that stand out that will be identified with the words obedience, hour, purification, and bridegroom. In verses 3 – 5, Mary provides Jesus with a problem and request a solution. Mary is requesting obedience, but don’t forget Jesus has a heavenly Father who he must also obey. In verse 4 Jesus says, “My hour has not yet come.” What hour was he referring to? In verses 6 – 8, there were six stone water jars which were used for rites of purification. Jesus had these filled with water which he turns to wine for them to drink. How might purification relate to Jesus? In verses 9 – 11, Jesus supplied what the bridegroom was lacking. How does this connect with Jesus being the perfect bridegroom?

A quick reading of our text tells us about a miracle performed at a wedding, but we miss the richness that is ours if we stop and think about the kind of response Jesus made. I believe this harshness was intended to capture our attention. It sure got mine.

Prayer

Father, I am so thankful for your word. It is living and active in my life. It illuminates the way before me as I travel along the dangerous paths of life. Thank you for the opportunity to think deeply about who Jesus is, the work he came to do, and what he has to offer me. Lord, please guide me as I dig into chapter 2. Open it up to my understanding and help me share it with others.

Thirteen Titles for Jesus

Lesson #22

As we worked our way through the first chapter of the Gospel of John, we were introduced to at least thirteen titles or names for Jesus. Titles are important because they tell you something about that person. As Jesus identified with those titles, people would have feelings about it. Those that God gave understanding to through faith were attracted to him, but others, for various reasons, became upset to the point of having him nailed to a cross.

In the chart below the thirteen titles are listed along with the verse number and the text they were found in.

Prayer

Father, as I look at these titles I think about what they have come to mean to me over many years as a child of yours. Lord, you are a personal living God that I have a relationship with. As creator of all things, you are my source of life, light of understanding, grace and truth. As the Father has chosen you to be my Savior, he has chosen me to be your witness. I come before you in humility and meekness, awed by your mighty eternal presence. To think that you have made me a member of your eternal kingdom of light and love leaves me without proper words to speak in appreciation.

Conversation between Jesus and Nathanael

Lesson #21

Our lesson today will cover the text from John 1:47 - 51 and covers the conversation between Jesus and Nathanael. In our last lesson, Jesus asked Philip to follow him and Philip went to get Nathanael. When Jesus saw him coming toward him he exclaimed, “Look, a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” (v47). Before Jesus met Nathanael he knew what he was like inside. Jesus, being God, knows each one of us just as well. He knows our every thought. This statement from Jesus surprises Nathanael and he asked Jesus, “How do you know me?” (v48). Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael was out of sight but yet Jesus knew where he was.

It would have been helpful if Jesus had also informed us as to what he was doing there. Since the shade of a fig tree is often used as a place for teaching or studying and because of Nathanael’s next comment it is speculated that he was thinking about the Messiah who was to come. Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” (v49).

I am sure Nathanael had been doing a lot of thinking and when Jesus expressed his knowledge of what he was like on the inside and where he was when Phillip called him, he declares two aspects of Jesus: “Son of God” and “King of Israel.” It is not clear at this point how much Nathanael understood, but in the time spent with Jesus as a disciple he would learn much more. Jesus then said, “Because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” (v50). Jesus acknowledges Nathanael’s statement and then implies that this is just the beginning of what he will experience in the days to come.

Jesus continues by saying, “I tell all of you the solemn truth—you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (v51). Jesus identifies himself as the “Son of Man,” which has its origin in Daniel 7:13 – 14. His claim as the Son of Man is a huge claim considering what Daniel had to say about him in his night vision: “And with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man was approaching. He went up to the Ancient of Days and was escorted before him. To him was given ruling authority, honor, and sovereignty. All peoples, nations, and language groups were serving him. His authority is eternal and will not pass away. His kingdom will not be destroyed” (NET). How will Jesus convince people that this is who he is? Has he convinced you?

Prayer

Father, there is so much to think about in this lesson and how it applies to my life. To think of Jesus as the eternal Son of God who entered his creation through a woman to live as a perfect man, to die for my sin and to overcome death. To think of Jesus as a King who is forming a kingdom that I will exist in forever. To think of Jesus as the Son of Man with his heavenly origin and divine authority. Father, the draw of the world to its pleasures and glamor is strong but so shallow and short lived. What I find here is so deep and rich and will last forever. Thank you for choosing me to share it with you.

Jesus Calls Philip

Lesson #20

Our lesson today will cover the text from John 1:43 - 46 and takes place on the next day, which is day four if you are keeping track of the days for some reason. On this “next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee” (v43). No reason is given here for why Jesus wanted to go there, but he probably wanted to attend the wedding at Cana, which is about a two day journey away. Probably before Jesus left “He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.’” (v43). “Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter” (v44). Andrew and Peter are brothers and probably friends with Philip since they are from the same city. Philip wanted to take Nathanael along and so he goes to him “and told him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets also wrote about—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph’” (v45).

I had to stop and review what I was writing and realized that of the five Philip was the only one directly asked by Jesus to join him. Andrew who left John and followed Jesus went and got his brother Simon Peter. Philip went and got Nathanael. No name was given for the other disciple of John and no indication given that he continued to follow. Do we have a problem here? When I looked at the other gospels it was clear that Andrew and Peter were at their boat fishing when Jesus called them to follow. What do we do with this difference? What is the focus of the authors at this time? Until today I have not, in 60 years, noticed this difference because I was focused on the general development by the authors. The selection of the disciples was minor compared to the entrance of God in the flesh and what that meant. If several people saw an accident would their reports about it be the same or contain some differences?

Philips statement to Nathanael caused him to reply, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip replied, “Come and see.” (v46). Making such a negative statement after such a declaration by Philip would indicate the possibility tension between Bethsaida and Nazareth. Seeing things differently and tension between different groups of people is human. What is important is what Jesus says to Nathanael when he meets him. That will be our next lesson.

Prayer

Father, I found this to be a hard lesson to write. I feel like I can’t find the good stuff to make a sandwich with. One slice of bread is the announcement of the “Lamb of God” and the other slice will be the first miracle of Jesus at the wedding in Cana. I believe the next lesson will help when I look at the conversation between Jesus and Nathanael. Father, thank you for the hard times because they cause me to draw closer and think more deeply.

We Have Found the Messiah

Lesson #19

Our lesson today will cover the text from John 1:40 - 42 and takes place on the same day as our last lesson. One of the two disciples that heard John declare of Jesus, “The Lamb of God” and left to follow him was Andrew. At this point we don’t know the name of the second disciple. We also don’t know what happened when the two disciples began their conversation with Jesus. I think Andrew suspected something unique about Jesus and wanted his brother Simon to be with him. Simon may have been close by and he went to get him. When he found Simon he said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (v41). Simon then accompanied Andrew and they went to join Jesus and the other disciple of John.

There are three interesting things we should look at here. First, Andrew is the first person to be mentioned in our study so far to proselytize another regarding Jesus. This is the beginning of a movement in which those identifying with Jesus go and tell others about him and bring them to him. It is a movement that Jesus will develop during his stay on earth and it is a movement that continues today that you and I should be active in.

The second interesting thing is what was the understanding of Andrew when he told Simon, “We have found the Messiah.”? As we look ahead over the next three years it becomes clear that the disciples of Jesus did not understand this until after they met Jesus after his resurrection. Think about when you first became believers and was born again. If we continue to grow in our relationship as we walk with Jesus and if we spend time in the Word on a regular basis then our understanding of the Lord will be much more mature at the end of our lives. We found Jesus, maybe many years ago, but now we know so much more about him. Andrew was then just discovering something that was unique to him and he wanted to share this.

The third interesting thing comes from verse 42. “Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon, the son of John. You will be called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter)” (NET). Jesus looks at Simon and knew the assignment that had been designed for him. It is an assignment that God, in his sovereignty, had prepared a long time ago when he chose Simon for a particular task. In like manner, I believe God has chosen each one of us and given to us an assignment to accomplish with him during our lifetime. How clear is your focus on that assignment? What is your experience in your partnership with Jesus Christ in doing this assignment?

Prayer

Father, I have been a believer for over 60 years and as I look back across my life I can clearly see your hand at work in it. Lord, forgive me for being so slow to understand this working partnership with you in carrying out my assignment. The more I understand this partnership and surrender my life into your hands the more exciting is the work we are doing together. Before I took pride in my accomplishments, but with you in control, life is so much fuller and so much richer. Thank you for the transformation you are carrying out in my life.

A Transition

Lesson #18

Our lesson today will cover the text from John 1:35 - 39. The event we will look at takes place on the “next day”, the day after Jesus was baptized by John, which would be the third day in our sequence of days.  We find “John was standing with two of his disciples” (v35) and as he looked he saw Jesus walk by and he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” (v36). This declaration is not new material, but a repeat of 1:29, and is probably made to draw the focus of John’s two disciples to Jesus.

With the attention of John’s two disciples on Jesus and his identity as the “Lamb of God” in their minds, notice what happens in v37. “The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.” Why do you think they followed Jesus? Do you suppose God prompted them to follow for some reason? Jesus now becomes involved by turning around and seeing them following and he said to them, “What are you seeking?” By asking this question, Jesus is encouraging their level of commitment in following him. He wants to draw them in closer. Their response was, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” (v38). The disciples are seeking to establish a place where they could find him in the future. I believe they are interested in spending more time with Jesus to maybe learn more about him. Jesus responds to their question by inviting them to come with him and see where he was staying. “So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour” (v39).

Don’t miss the importance of this simple passage. John has been gradually introducing a special type of person who has a very unusual connection to God. At a particular point in this growth of understanding, John declares, “This is the Lamb of God.” and encourages his disciples to want more. A connection is established with Jesus and growth in a relationship continues. This is effective witness. In a careful manner information about Jesus in presented, leading in growth of relationship. Sometime in the future that growth will reach the point where it is time for spiritual birth. It is a natural process of relationship growth. It is not a debate to convince the mind. Without the heart being prepared by God a mind yielding to pressure does not result in a spiritual birth as many in the western church may think.

Prayer

Father, I find it is so easy to read over verses like these and simply see a story unfolding, but when I stop and ask you what is being said here I find a message that speaks to my heart. Father, I see here the beginning of the idea that salvation is connected to a relationship with Jesus not in obedience to an external law. Lord, it is essential that I understand the richness and the depth of life that is being developed by you in this chapter. Father, how thankful I am that you chose to draw me to you through Jesus and then to give me this understanding.

The Effects of Baptism

Lesson #17

We left the last lesson indicating that the presence of the Spirit in one’s life would have profound effects. Let’s consider four of those effects.

First, from John 6:63 we read, “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” (ESV). It is the Spirit that gives us life. Without spiritual life the flesh is unable to understand spiritual things. The disciples could not understand very much of what Jesus was telling them. It was not until after his resurrection and the filling of their lives with the Spirit that they understood and became powerful Christian figures.

Second, from John 7:38 we read, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (ESV). The Spirit that is given will provide “renewed strength, and [we] will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring that continually produces water” (Isaiah 58:11 NET). Like a well-watered garden that produces nourishing food, our Spirit filled lives are able to nourish others. The words we speak or acts of loving kindness can encourage people through difficult times of life.

Third, from John 15:26 we read, “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me” (ESV). Jesus makes the promise that he would send the Spirit from the Father to dwell in us and instruct us about Jesus and his provision for our lives. He will teach us all things we need to know (q John 2:27).

Fourth, from John 16:13 – 14 we read, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (NET). We were chosen by the Father and caused to be born again and filled with the Spirit. Being empowered with truth we are to go forth into the world as a source of light from the life of Jesus and search for others chosen by the Father and thus bring glory to the Lord.

Prayer

Father, from preparing these lessons I am overwhelmed with what you are doing. You chose me who was spiritually dead and you caused me to be born again. At that instant life from Jesus came into my life in the form of the Spirit and dispelled the darkness with the light of truth and understanding. Your love for me overwhelms me and now as one filled with what I need to live with you for an eternity, you now nudge me into obedience to search the darkness to find others you have chosen. Father, how can I possibly rest in the comforts of the world when others bound in prisons of darkness desperately need what you have given me to share? Lord, empower me to be willing to give even my life to bring glory to you.

Baptizes with the Holy Spirit

Lesson #16

In lesson 15 we saw water baptism as an indication of changed lives as a result of the witness of John. In the line of people coming to John for baptism was Jesus. He came to be baptized to fulfill John’s prophecy of the coming of the Chosen One of God and to enter the focus of the people that John had been establishing through his preaching and baptisms. As the two men meet, John declares, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 ESV). John baptizes him, “And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven [saying], “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased”” (Mark 1:10 – 11 ESV). The dove was used as a descriptive comparison to help us understand that the Spirit came from heaven in some bodily representation and stayed with Jesus. The coming of the Holy Spirit and the Father speaking of his Son was a powerful witness of God’s triune presence and an indication that God was beginning to do something that would challenge the minds of people beyond their natural ability. This is not some made up story, but a well-documented historical event that was moving mankind toward a pivotal event of all history.

John the Baptist is being so careful to minimize himself and what he is doing so as not to distract from the one he is introducing to the people of Israel. John makes it clear that he is a mere man whose assignment is to point to the one who is the God-man. Here stands God’s Messiah, empowered by the Spirit of God with the task of drawing people to him in belief.

What is the significance of being baptized with the Holy Spirit? At the baptism of Jesus the Spirit came and remained with Jesus. Jesus is therefore the one who gives the Spirit to those who come to him in belief. To be baptized means to be immersed into. When giving the Spirit, Jesus will immerse the spiritually dead person in the Spirit, filling that person with spiritual life. Having the Spirit living in us will have a profound effect on us. We will consider those effects in our next lesson.

Prayer

Father, It overwhelms me to consider the assignment Jesus was given. He had to live a perfect life, suffer and die on the cross, drinking the cup of the wrath of God in our place. He also had the overwhelming job of trying to replace the system of animal sacrifice for sin with himself. How do you convince sinful people to abandon their life long religion and replace it with a relationship with himself? Father, I realize that you don’t. It is a work that the Spirit does from the inside out. Father, thank you for choosing me to enjoy a relationship with you through your beloved Son.

God’s Love for Us

Is God’s love for all people the same or does he love some more than others? We will look at two examples of his love. Associated with these two examples of love are the two words, “ask” and “accept”.

Our first verse reads, “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). “For God so loved the world” is to say that he loves all people of the world. He loves those who will go to heaven and he loves those who will go to eternal destruction. The verse contains no indication that there is any difference in his love for the two groups of people. If you come to salvation using John 3:16 and “ASK” Christ into your life then with what love does he love you. Is it the same love as for the unsaved? Consider a second possibility.

The second text reads, “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, so that, because you have been rooted and grounded in love, you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of his love], and thus to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:17 – 19 NET). If God chose you as a vessel of honor according to his foreknowledge and caused you to be born again, you would “know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge” when you “ACCEPT” the gift of eternal life.

Before Adam sinned, God knew what was going to happen and what he was going to do. He had already chosen from the future world population a people for himself. As each chosen one is born physically, God begins a spiritual work in them in partnership with those searching for lost sheep. At the point of spiritual birth it is like a mother that can’t hold back her child from physical birth. It must be born. These are the ones that know and understand how deep God’s love is for them. They know that salvation was God’s doing and their part was simply to accept.

The John 3:16 people are often quite different. In the above case a person over time shares the word out of friendship and love allowing God to bring about necessary growth. In the case of John 3:16 we have emotional alter calls with pressure to get people forward. On a personal basis our conversation of sharing turns into a debate in an attempt to get that person to accept. It is beyond my comprehension how you can through a debate get a person to accept and at the same time believe that you are persuading God to comply with your timetable of spiritual birth. These people may accept your persuasion, but as time passes they may not experience much change, if any, in their lives and wonder if God loves them any more than the ones headed for hell.

John 3:16 is not an invitation verse as the western church thinks. It simply states that God loves all people enough to sacrifice his son. It also states that those who believe have eternal life and are secure. How they believe is covered elsewhere. I spent several years in China before I got this figured out. We must not forget that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. God chooses and we search. If you prayerfully walk with God in this process and you will spend less time trying to argue someone into heaven that God hasn't chosen. You cannot cause a person to be born again. Only God can do that and when he does that person truly knows and is thankful for his love.

The Missing Verse

Recently I listened to a sermon on John 10:14 – 18, a passage we looked at some time ago when we were covering the seven “I AM” statements Jesus declared of himself. What caught the focus of my attention was not on what was being covered, but the verse that was skipped. That was verse 16 which reads, “And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd” (ESV).

Sheep refer to those who have eternal life as opposed to goats who will depart into eternal punishment. The sheep in this fold would most likely refer to the Jewish believers and those not of this fold being Gentiles. Thus both Jewish and Gentile believers would make up one flock under one shepherd, our savior Jesus Christ.

As I thought about these other sheep that were omitted from the sermon I began to think of when a person becomes a sheep. As a person grows in spiritual understanding before spiritual birth, is that person a sheep? That is a valid question because many don’t think a child is human until after birth. I think that is absurd. A person is human from the point of conception. Is there a spiritual conception point before spiritual birth and if so are these not also sheep that we are to find? It is so exciting to share with people during the gestation period and then be present when God chooses the time to cause the spiritual birth.

God Is Sovereign

Consider two more verses that you might not thought about as fitting together. What I am going to write may be hard to accept, but think about it in terms of the sovereignty of God.

The first verse reads, “Your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb. All the days ordained for me were recorded in your scroll before one of them came into existence” (Psalm 139:16 NET). As a person who has designed and built five houses I understand the selection of materials and how they will be used together to satisfy the design. Scripture seems to suggest that a body of spiritual members was designed before creation to be presented to Jesus Christ as his bride. From this verse it appears that God clearly saw and wrote in his book what each life lived would be like and what the end product of each would be like. God knew the exact makeup of every piece of human building material that might be used in forming the body of believers for Christ.

The second verse reads, “Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use” (Romans 9:21 ESV)? The clay represents all of humanity we considered in the above verse. God is the potter with the clay and potter’s wheel before him. As God plans the vessels, is he writing in his book the life of that vessel that will be lived out on earth? Is he choosing from the spiritually dead (the vessels of dishonor), the ones he will transform into vessels of honor through spiritual birth? As these vessels live out their lives it appears that God knows the end product of each by design, but as each life is lived it is free to live within certain God given parameters.

I know I deserved to be a vessel of dishonor because of sin and rebellion against God, but in his sovereign, for reasons I can’t comprehend, God chose to transform me into a vessel of honor. Knowing what he has done for me and the eternal consequences, I don’t know how to thank him enough.

The Word

In the last post I wasn’t sure what I would write about for the week my friend was traveling. As I prayerfully considered what to do, two verses came to mind. The first reads, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12 NET).

As you read the verse again think about Jesus as the Word. He is living and active and since he lives within us he surely knows the desires and thoughts of our heart. He knows what is good and what is unhealthy or contaminated within us and as a skilled surgeon he is able to cut away that which is causing darkness within our soul. The procedure may be quite painful at times, but he wants to present us before the Father without blemish.

The second verse considers our response. It reads, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 ESV). Jesus is the Word. Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NET). As we study the word of God, the word of truth, we grow in our understanding of God and his ways. We, like a workman, develop greater skill in handling the word as tools helping others grow.

If you were called to stand before God at this moment, would you be ashamed of your spiritual growth and your contribution in expanding the kingdom of God because your focus has been on something else more temporary?

Update on Friend

I received a note from my friend in China that I have been sending these lesson to informing me, with thanksgiving, that it has been good learning from me these days and that it has been a great journey to be close to God with the lessons. He also informed me that he would be traveling for about a week and might not be able to spend time with daily lessons. I wrote back and told him I would hold up for a week to give us both a rest. He wrote back, “Thanks so much! With love, [friend].”

Since I have a growing number of daily readers, I would like to relax with you with some lighter material for a week.

The Lamb of God

Lesson #15

In this lesson we will look more closely at John 1:29 – 31, which reads, ²⁹ “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ³¹ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.”” (ESV).

If we identify day one as the day Jews sent priests and Levites to ask John some questions then this lesson takes place on day two. On this “next day” John sees Jesus coming toward him, and he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” As God prepared the way for our salvation he used the lamb as a symbol of a coming sacrifice that would be sufficient to cover our sin. Other animals were also sacrificed to cover sin, but the lamb became the symbol of what God was going to provide. This illustration was enhanced when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac as proof of his love for God. Abraham took Isaac and went to the place God had directed, placed him on the altar and was about to kill him when God stopped him and provided a ram as a substitute (Genesis 22). When John sees Jesus as the Lamb of God, he sees God’s substitute for us who will die for our sin.

Elizabeth, the wife of a certain priest named Zacharias, became pregnant in her old age with John the Baptist. Elizabeth was six months pregnant at the conception of Jesus. Both John and Jesus were miracle babies because Elizabeth was beyond child bearing and Jesus was virgin born. Physically, Jesus was born after John, but John said that he ranks [existed] before him. Connect this with John’s statement of not being worthy of undoing the straps on the sandals of Jesus clearly identifies him with the Word who was God.

Since Mary and Elizabeth knew each other I am sure Jesus and John must have. For John to say that he did not know or recognize him suggest that John didn’t know Jesus was the Lamb of God as a boy any more than John knew he would be preaching and baptizing people later in life. God chose John and prepared him for his assignment as the son of a priest. At a particular time God made him aware of his assignment like God made Paul aware of his assignment. God made it clear to me that I was to serve him over an eight year period in China. God has a way of motivating the people he chooses to do the work he assigns to them. Many of us would experience much less suffering if we understood that and cooperated with him.

God chose John to be a witness, to stimulate interest, to get people thinking about something big that was about to happen. As people heard and began to understand they testified of their commitment through water baptism. God wanted all of this activity to draw the attention of people for the entrance of Jesus, the Lamb of God.

Prayer

Father, what joy it gives me to study deeply your word and see how wonderfully it unveils the mystery of knowing you and showing me that I am unable to live a life of meaning and purpose without your provision. Lord, the world displays its glamor and with persuasion entices us to join its party. But within the pages of your word, the Book of Life, are hidden treasures that are hungered for by the one seeking righteousness. There in its pages I learn that all my needs can be met in the One called the Word. Only in Jesus Christ is my life complete. Saying thank you doesn’t seem sufficient for your wonderful provision.

Three Testimonies

Lesson #14

When John the Baptist identified himself as “the voice of one crying out in the wilderness”, he was identifying with the voice that cries in Isaiah 40:3, which reads, “A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God” (ESV). Isaiah was prophesying the coming of Yahweh, Jehovah; the God of creation. John now stands up and announces that he is that voice and that God is now here among us as a man who is more than anyone has ever dreamed.

When asked why he was baptizing, “John answered them, ‘I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie’” (1:26 – 27 ESV). John is making it clear that the one comes baptizes with the Holy Spirit, which is much superior to his baptizing with water. John baptizing with water is a witness to a baptism that is eternally superior, performed by one infinitely superior to him.

Looking ahead to verses 29 – 30, John links a most important feature of the one he announced in verse 15 where he cries out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’” Verses 29 – 30 read, “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me”’” (ESV). John sees Jesus and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Only God can take away sin and as God Jesus is infinitely superior to John and existed as God before John but was born as a man after John.

Prayer

Father, as I think about John the Baptist and see that you chose him to make preparations for the coming of Jesus, to be a witness of him, and to perform the activity of water baptism as a pointer of something greater that was to come, I realize that you chose me, caused me to be born again for the purpose of obeying your will. Father, as I prepare these lessons, I am overwhelmed by your love for me and the sacrifice you were willing to make to establish an eternal relationship with me. The benefits of your grace that are provided for me cause the offerings of this world to pail into insignificants. Strengthen me to live out this reality.

Who Am I

Lesson #13

The next section includes John 1:19 – 28 and covers the testimony of John the Baptist. There are two thoughts we will look at in this section. In this lesson we will consider the position of John in relation to Jesus. In the next lesson we will acquire more information about Jesus.

The Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask John who he was (v19). John confessed, “I am not the Christ” (v20). Not satisfied they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” (v21). Still not satisfied they said to him, “Who are you?” and “What do you say about yourself? (v22). John replied, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said” (v23). If you are simply a voice crying out in the wilderness “Then why are you baptizing?” they asked (v25). John answered, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie” (1:26 – 27).

The Jews wanted to determine if John was someone important; maybe even the Christ the coming Messiah. But John was not ashamed to say that he was just a voice of one crying out in the wilderness, pointing to someone else who is so much more important. So important that John felt he wasn’t even qualified as a servant to untie his sandals. John draws no importance to himself and points others to the central figure of history, the Word incarnate in flesh as Jesus. John sets an example for us as Christians that we are to see ourselves for what Jesus has done for us and point others to him. Don’t think that the job of a witness is not important. Jesus said, “I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (Luke 7:28 ESV).

Prayer

Father, how difficult it is to develop the humble posture of John the Baptist. Father, you know the world puts a great premium in being proud, in drawing attention to ones accomplishments. Thank you for teaching me the importance of being humble and meek. I know you are not finished with me yet, but I am enjoying the peace and joy there is when my focus is on you. Lord, I find great excitement when I turn my life over to you and allow you to use me, to work through me. Humbling myself under your mighty hand and watching you work, I find that I am being lifted up in the sight of others because of the work you are doing in and through me. Lord, I know you are at work building your kingdom and being part of that work through union with Jesus Christ is so exciting. Thank you for choosing me and causing me to be part of your life and work.

Padina's Story

I met Padina through video a year ago at a VOM conference I attended. She was watching a Christian program on Satellite TV and decided to call in at the end of the broadcast when phone lines were open. She explained that she was going to hang up and take her life, but instead she accepted a challenge to allow God one week to show his hand to her in a convincing way. The link below to a video tells an exciting story.

Link To Story

We learn that Padina's mother was healed and both accept Christ, but the story didn't end there. Experiencing this new life and power from God they could not refrain from sharing their faith and wining converts. What happened next I learned just recently from a VOM recording of a radio program. The program was an interview with Padina and describes what God can do when someone gets turned on Christ. The link below is to this radio interview.

Link To Interview

This is excellent material for anyone who wants better insight into what God is doing in Iran. It is a side of the story you don't hear much about.

As a PS to this use the following link to see what it means to be a Christian in Syria.

Persecution in Syria

I pray that this material will challenge your walk with the Lord.

I would like to include two more links to ministries related to the above.

Voice of Martyrs

Iran Alive Ministries

Grace Upon Grace

Lesson #12

It is clear that Jesus is a unique central figure in history. He has no beginning and has always existed with God as God. In him was life and from that life comes light that illuminates our understanding. He is the Word that has come as a true image of God to show us what the Father is like. Out of obedience to his Father, Jesus came as God to live a perfect life and die for our sin in our place.

Consider John 1:16 – 18 which reads, “¹⁶ For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known” (ESC).

Jesus stands as a lighthouse, illuminated with his glory that all true faith is focused on. Before him God chose Moses and through him the law was given. This law described how people where to live to maintain a relationship with God. It provided knowledge of sin and a method of sacrificing animals to cover that sin. The law pointed toward a perfect sacrifice that would be sufficient to cover sin without being repeated. That perfect sacrifice was to be their Messiah, the person of Jesus. During the time of the law the grace of God was making preparations for the needed sacrifice.

The stage was set and Jesus with all the fullness of God entered flesh through a woman. He was to be the perfect sacrifice that people seeking God would come to for salvation. His death paid the penalty of our sin, his resurrection overcame the power of death, and for those who came to him he provided life and the light of understanding. Jesus stood as the pivot point in history to which people now look back to by faith for their salvation. It is this Jesus who was at the Father’s side who has made him known to us. It is through Jesus Christ that grace and truth came to us. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 ESV).

Jesus is the source of all we need to live in perfect union with God for eternity. He is the source of all we need to overcome death and darkness of sin during our earthly life. As the source of life and his indwelling presence his grace is more than sufficient for all our needs. He is the one who has made know the Father to us and provided all we need to be able one day to behold his glory.

Prayer

Lord, from your fullness by grace through faith I am made complete. You are the only source of life and in union with you through spiritual birth my life is not barren but bears fruit to your honor and glory. The fruit on the tree in the garden was eaten and your light in us went out as promised, but through great sacrifice the kindness of your grace provided a way for us to bear fruit. Thank you for turning the light on inside me. Help me find others now in darkness. Empower these lessons to that end.

Those Who Receive

Lesson #11

Consider a meal of a burger, chips and a drink you grab at a drive thru as you hurry on your way. Consider another meal where you sit down with close friends at a well prepared menu of several courses and enjoy an extended time of food and conversation. We can approach the Bible in the same way. We can read a short passage without much thought or we can sit down, take time and prayerfully with God chew on the richness of flavor and enjoy the stimulating pleasure it has to offer. I am finding such richness as we spend time on short text here in John.

Consider the following passage: ⁹ “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. ¹² But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:9 – 13 ESV).

The world in which we live was perfectly created by Jesus. Mankind was given a choice to walk with God or to walk by himself. As we all know from experience we chose to walk apart from God and experienced spiritual death and its darkness. Jesus, the Word, the Son of God, entered into this world he created through a virgin birth. In the womb of a woman, God entered into the formation of a human to be born physically and spiritually alive. This child, we call Jesus, was fully God and fully man. This union, in the womb of Mary, defies understanding, but in this manner true light came into the world to provide a way to bring God and man back together. As Jesus matured into a man and explained his origin and his mission to those around him, he was not understood and was not received by the very people God had chosen to work through. In our sinful state there are none who can understand; there are none who seeks for God (Romans 3:11). Here God was standing in their midst and they did not receive him.

If sinful people are unwilling to seek God then how is it possible for anyone to turn to God. Consider Paul on the road to Damascus, filled with intent to destroy Christians. But along the way Jesus intercepts him and reveals to him who he really is and in that instant Paul’s life completely changes. It was God’s will that Paul would become a key messenger of the Gospel. It was God that chose me and brought me to my knees before him as a teenager. It is God who chooses us like we might go to an orphanage to choose a child to adopt. Is it fair that some never get adopted? Is it fair that God chooses some and not others? Remember, we are all dead in our sin and deserve eternal separation from God.

Those who are chosen by the will of God (verse 13) are the ones who receive the true light and are then able to receive him, to believe in his name, and have the right to become children of God. To say that everyone is given enough light to make a choice conflicts with the text that it is by the will of God. I personally know it was not me who initially chose God where some of my close friends didn't. It was God who chose me.

Prayer

Father, I know that according to your foreknowledge I was chosen and according to your great mercy you cause me to be born again to a living hope (1 Peter 1:1 – 3 NASB). Thank you that Jesus was obedient to your will to enter into his creation, to live and then to die on the cross to provide access to life and the light of understanding. Father thank you for giving to me through the work of Jesus Christ, the right to become a child of yours. Thank you for the kindness of your grace while through discipline you are conforming me into the image of your Son. Lord, it is so hard to stop listing what I am thankful for, but space requires that I do. In love, a most thankful child.

Personal Note

Lesson #10

I had the opportunity to spend some quiet time with the Lord this afternoon as I began walking again following recovery from foot surgery. As I walked my thoughts were about the lessons I have written from the Gospel of John. I realized the joy that was growing in my heart as I prayerfully dug deeper and deeper into the text. I also experienced a greater sense of spiritual life and a greater brightness in my life. I realized that the Word is God, the Son of God, who became flesh and dwelt among us as Jesus Christ was becoming more meaningful to me. As I studies the Word I was learning more about Jesus and as a result was abiding more deeply in him and as a branch that is attached to the vine, I was drawing greater life from him and thus more light.

As I study the Word it is like sitting down to a great meal and since the Word and Jesus are the same it reminds me of a passage in John 6:53 – 56, which reads, “⁵³ So 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. ⁵⁴ Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. ⁵⁵ For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. ⁵⁶ Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him” (ESV).

As God the Word is living and as I make it part of me through study it is like I am feeding on his flesh and drinking his life blood. He becomes one with me and I with him. Becoming one with him, his life becomes mine and the light of his glory fills my heart with understanding because he is the source of truth. I know and fully believe who he is and who I am in him. As I thought about this as I walked along, I nearly exploded with the sense of God living within me.

Prayer

Lord, as I feast on your Word through study I am deeply touched by your life and the light of its glory. Joy fills my heart as understanding deepens and the desire for more continues to grow. Life with you clears my focus as the things of this world become more like clutter that one needs to discard. Father, you knew that mankind would turn away from you in disobedience, but instead of turning away from us you were willing to pay the ultimate price to redeem back to you those who believe and accepted your perfect sacrifice in the person of your beloved Son. Father, only by giving my life completely to you can I even begin to thank you enough for what Jesus has done for me.

Behold His Glory

Lesson #9

Before we move on I want to spend more time on John 1:14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (ESV) and raise a question about this glory that the disciples saw. When I think of his glory I am reminded of Revelation 21:23 which says, “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb” (ESV). His glory is pretty intense light to be able to illuminate an entire city. So, what is this glory that the disciples saw while they lived with Jesus?

When John said, “We have seen his glory,” did he mean all or part of it? When God became flesh did he cease being fully God by giving up some of his glory? I don’t think so. I don’t think he could and still be fully God. Consider a clear sunny sky with the ground covered with clean white snow. Without a pair of good sunglasses it would be extremely difficult to see and easy to damage your eyes. Standing before God’s glory as a sinner without some form of protection would be disastrous. So, what is the protection the disciples had that allowed them to look at God’s glory and later talk about it? I think the answer lies in the phrase “full of grace and truth.”

We learned in a previous lesson (January 18^th blog entry) that Jesus was the source of truth and what he came to tell us and accomplish for us we could believe and accept through faith. We can believe that God became flesh, to graciously die on the cross in our place so that we could experience his glory in us by having the Spirit of Christ living in us. When God’s spirit came to live in us, was he fully God or not? Consider 2 Corinthians 4:4. “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (ESV). In Revelation the bright light that illuminated the city was from God’s glory, but that same glory is the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ and produces the light that illuminates the lives of believers. I believe that after physical death this light of God’s glory will explode from us in brilliant light as from God. After the disciples were born spiritually and received God’s spirit, they were able to understand and say that they did behold his glory and through eyes of growing understanding knew that they were seeing, as through a veil for now, what was the full glory of God.

As I wrestle with this concept I sense a growing insight on this that I don’t have words yet. If I didn't take time to prayerfully dig into the Scriptures I wouldn't even have this veiled insight. More study and more prayer will gradually add more and then one day I will be ushered into his presence and I will know. I need to study now to lay the foundation of what I will see later. What foundation are you laying?

Prayer

Father, this has been an exciting lesson to try to come to grips with what God has given us in the form of a new creature that was produced in us through being born again. The characteristics of God that were made part of us we can begin to see and understand and then one day they will be unhindered by our sinful flesh and will explode into the realm of the eternal in ways we don’t yet comprehend. I believe the disciples were beholding this in Jesus and as I humble myself before you now I can also behold this for me as Jesus lives in me. Father, how do I thank you for your sacrifice of your Son, and Lord, how do I thank you for dying for me that I can have this light of your glory illuminating my soul. From the depths of my heart I thank you.

John the Witness

Lesson #8

It is time for me to write another lesson. As I sit here looking at John 1, I realize slow progress but I also saw something that I had not taken time to think about before. I was listening to a sermon one night by John Piper and remembered some comments he made about how chapter 1 was structured. As I now look at chapter 1, I notice that verses 1 – 5 are about Jesus being the Word, God, creator, life and light. If you jump down a bit you will find that verses 9 – 13 discuss the entry of this light into the world that was created by the Word and find those in the world did not receiving him. Then verse 14 reaches back to the Word in verse 1 as the left bookend and here defines Jesus as the right bookend. Verse 16 – 18 then indicates that grace and truth also come from Jesus.

Inserted within those 18 verses are two interruptions. Inserted in the section on light (verses 4 – 9) is the introduction of a person named John. We learn that he was a man sent from God as a witness about this light that is coming into the world. The idea is introduced that this light will provide an avenue of belief for those who come to its source. It is also made clear that John is not the one with the light, but simply a witness about the light.

The next interruption is so abrupt that verse 15 is place within parenthesis in the ESV translation. After being told that the Word became flesh in verse 14, John cries out that he is not the one, but that he who is coming is much greater than he.

By inserting these two interruptions, the apostle John indicates the importance of our witness to the world concerning the person of Jesus Christ. As God sent Jesus to provide the way of salvation, he also sends us as witnesses of this gospel of salvation to the lost world.

Prayer

Father, you have made it clear to us the importance of our witness. The joy that has been mine over the years in sharing my faith in different parts of the world, especially in China has been such a blessing. I pray that what I write in the social media would be of help and encouragement to those who stop and read. It is such a joy to study your word, apply it to my life and share my findings with others.

Life Produces Light

Lesson #7

“In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind” (John 1:4 NET). As part of creation Adam was created and given life and became an image of God. But this life was the light of mankind. It removed darkness and gave one the ability to see, but to see what? Consider the following: “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing, among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:3 – 4 NET).

As the image of God, Adam was created with this life that was in Jesus, the Son of God. This life provided Adam with the ability to see by removing darkness. This light gives understanding to the minds of those who believe and have the Son of God living within. At creation God gave Adam freedom of choice and placed a test before him. He was not to eat of the fruit of the tree of good and evil. If he did he would die. As the story goes, Satan shows up and convinces Eve that she would be more like God if she ate the fruit. Both she and Adam ate and their minds were blinded to the light of the glorious gospel of Christ. All future offspring would now be born lacking spiritual life and thus lacking light that would allow them to understand spiritual things. Without this light no one has the ability to understand; no one desires to seek for God (Romans 3:11).

Consider the apostle Paul. Breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, he was headed toward Damascus when “suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ And he said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting’” (Acts 9:3 – 5 ESV). That light from God removed enough spiritual blindness to allow Paul, called Saul at the time, to understand things he never could before. This work of God in his life completely change the direction of Paul’s life. Without this life and the light it provides a person remains in spiritual death and darkness.

Prayer

Father, I am so very thankful that you chose a sinner like me to enlighten my desire to understand the gospel of Christ. Thank you for causing me to be born again; to experience eternal life and to understand spiritual things. Thank you for adopting me into the family of God to enjoy an eternal relationship of love with you and the body of believers. Thank you for causing Jesus to be my life and my light of understanding.