THE INCONSISTENCE OF UNGODLINESS

 John 7:20-24

‘You are demon-possessed,’ the crowd answered. ‘Who is trying to kill you?’ Jesus said to them, ‘I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.’ (NIVUK)

Godliness has integrity - everything holds together, because everything that is true is held together by God.  So those who fight against God in their hearts will always be inconsistent.  The crowds were amazed at Jesus, but could not work out who He was.  He was far better than a good rabbi.  He taught with authority in a way which made sense, and His miracles were extraordinary... but they could not see that He was the Son of God. When He rightly said that they were trying to kill Him, they assumed He was demonised with paranoid thoughts.

So, He exposed their inconsistency.  They protested that He did 'unlawful work' on the Sabbath when He healed a man, but they allowed circumcision on the Sabbath.  Using a knife was considered to be 'working', so by what logic could they allow circumcision and deny the healing of a grown man?  There was no logic or consistency because although they were religious, they were ungodly... fighting against the Son of God and hating Him so much that they wanted to kill Him. So Jesus told them to learn to make right judgements: at the end of time He will judge all people in total fairness and utter consistency (Psalm 98:9).

They were trying to kill Him, but deflected His straight accusation in John 7:19 by accusing Him of being demon-possessed.  It was to become a recurrent blasphemous slander (John 8:48; John 8:52; John 10:20) .  In their minds, as supposedly holy men of God, the only logical explanation for Jesus not conforming to them was that He was in the grip of Satan.  How blind they were and ensnared by evil – even though they were seen to be holy men of God (John 9:40-41).  In truth, Jesus was God in the flesh, filled with the Spirit of God and held in the grip of His Father God.  Attributing the work of God to the devil is the ultimate blasphemy and unforgivable sin (Matthew 12:31-32).      

Godliness brings a consistency to a person's character because their decisions are based on truth.  Those who refuse to submit to God cannot make consistently right judgements; their decisions will be crucially flawed.  The root problem is that self-centred decisions have a very limited horizon.  They do not take anything or anybody else or eternity into account, and they are unaffected by God's wisdom.  Only God knows how to fit everything together in a way that is right.  By making decisions to suit themselves they cannot make right judgements themselves, and are liable to God's judgement.  These verses may come closer to our own situation than we might like to think.  Let the Lord examine our hearts to reveal our motivation, who we listen to, and whose glory we seek.

All-knowing God. Thank You for bringing all things together under Christ's control one day. I am sorry when I have made decisions based on my own self-interest and forgotten how ungodliness spoils Your world and my character. Please help me to seek Your wisdom in all things and make right judgements so that I will be obedient to You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

GREATER THAN THE HUMAN EYE CAN SEE

 John 7:25-31

At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, ‘Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah? But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.’ Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, ‘Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.’ At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, ‘When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?’ (NIVUK)

They did not know what to make of Jesus.  Nothing seemed to add up.  The religious leaders were known to have issued an arrest warrant for Him, but they did not dare to arrest Him in the temple or when He was preaching publicly (Mark 12:12) .  The people wondered if the authorities had changed their opinion about Jesus, allowing Him to speak openly to crowds who had come to the Festival of Tabernacles in Jerusalem.  They were awed by Jesus’ miracles, but they wrongly believed that the Messiah would be previously unknown and come in a surprising way: therefore Jesus could not be the Saviour from God.

Perhaps they had misinterpreted the ‘suddenly’ in Malachi 3:1, “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple …” .  However, the scholars knew that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:3-6), and Matthew understood that Jesus’ home in Galilee was prophesied in Isaiah 9:1-2.  However, because He was well-known to the people (Matthew 13:55-56) , they assumed that Jesus could not be the Messiah because His coming was not sudden and dramatic.  We will all have to await the complete fulfilment of the Malachi prophecy, when Jesus comes again (1 Thessalonians 4:16-5:4).

But when Jesus tried to tell the crowd about His intimate relationship with Father God (John 7:14-17) , and that they had no real relationship with Him, some of them became very angry and rushed to grab Him.  However, they were supernaturally restrained and could not even touch Him although He was so close.  Yet, at the same time, others believed in Him - His miracles were enough to prove that He was no ordinary man (John 14:11); He is the Holy Son of God (John 1:14-18).

Perhaps, if we had been there, we might also have been confused.  It is the same today.  Until the Holy Spirit opened our eyes, we were blind to the true identity and heavenly pre-existence of Jesus.  That is why it is essential that we share God’s Word about His Son - who Jesus is and where He came from.  Some will become angry or may ridicule us; but others will believe and put their trust in Him.  When we know we need more than ourselves - then He is the only answer.

Loving Father. Thank You for sending Jesus to be my Saviour. I am glad that He is so much greater than I can imagine; and His wisdom, power and authority exceed my understanding. I know that I am totally safe as I trust Him. But I repent of the times when I have rejected His wisdom and preferred my way to His. Please forgive me for such foolishness, choosing my own weakness rather than trusting in His strength. Please help me to learn to commit myself to Him even though I cannot imagine how great He is. Help me to explain to my family, friends and colleagues who Jesus is, where He has come from and why He came; praying that they will also want to trust Him. In His Name. Amen.

UNDERSTANDING JESUS

 John 7:32-36

The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him. Jesus said, ‘I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me. You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.’ The Jews said to one another, ‘Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? What did he mean when he said, “You will look for me, but you will not find me,” and “Where I am, you cannot come”?’ (NIVUK)

Jesus was speaking the truth, but the crowds could not understand who He was, where He came from or where He was going.  The apparent indulgence of the religious leaders to His public ministry at the Festival of Tabernacles confused the people in Jerusalem (John 7:25-27) .  Was He the Messiah or not?  His miracles and teaching clearly had divine power, but He was a carpenter (Mark 6:3) from Nazareth, which was not a respected religious town (John 1:46).  They did not know that He was born in Bethlehem (John 7:42), or understand that Jesus came from God, was going to God (John 13:3) , and that He is God (John 1:18).

The religious leaders did not want to give this Messianic speculation any more room to grow.  All they knew was that He was a threat to their authority over the people, a privilege granted by the Romans provided that they maintained civil order.  If the people rebelled publicly, the Romans would impose martial law.  John 11:48 describes their fearful dilemma: “If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”   So they sent guards to arrest Him quietly before He stirred up the crowd to riot (Matthew 26:3-5); but their consciences would not let them seize Him (John 7:45-49).

The words of Jesus were unforgettable.  But what did He mean about ‘going to the One who sent me’, ‘you will look for me’, and ‘you cannot come’ ?  Did He mean that He would leave Jerusalem and teach the Jewish diaspora scattered widely in countries around the Mediterranean Sea?  Would He go to teach the Gentiles as well?  He was simply predicting that in a short while (the next six months) He would die, be raised from the dead and then would ascend to the Father.  When that happened, they would not be able to find Him. In fact, nobody who resists Jesus, despises His cross and refuses to serve Him can go to heaven.  But the work of preaching the gospel to the rest of the world was delegated to the Apostles and those who have followed them, like us (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8).

 

Many presume that after this life they will go to a 'better place', especially if they have been religiously active.  But Jesus taught that only those who submitted to Him in this life will be received into heaven. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" (Matthew 7:21-23).  The key to being welcomed by Jesus into His home one day is to make Him welcome in our hearts now.

Dear Lord. Thank You that You have a place in Your home for all who repent and receive Jesus. I am sorry for failing to make that clear to my friends and family, allowing them to assume that there is a 'better place' for them even though they resist the call of Jesus. Please help me to explain Your loving salvation so that they will understand and put their trust in Christ, while there is still time. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

LIVING WATER FROM JESUS

 John 7:37-39

On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. (NIVUK)

Read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: in English, and many other languages

On the last day of the Festival of Tabernacles, a solemn procession of priests left the Temple to draw water from the Gihon Spring, just outside the Temple Mount.  This spring was the only immediate water supply for Jerusalem and was seen as the ‘life of the city’.  The water was ceremonially carried in a golden jar back to the Temple and then poured over the altar.  It was a symbolic reminder that God provided water out of a rock during the wilderness wanderings (Exodus 17:1-7) , to give life to His people.  All the people crowded the streets to see the spectacle which marked the climax of the Festival.  But Jesus stood up and spoke loudly, drawing attention to the words which had divine power.

 

He used the occasion to announce Himself as the God who satisfies.  The 'living water' He promised was not physical liquid drawn from a well or spring, but would be the life-giving presence of the Holy Spirit who would continue to satisfy and energise every believer.  It was the same promise Jesus had made personally to the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:14), and it is a promise which He continues to fulfil.

Before Jesus returned to Father God in heaven, the Holy Spirit had only been given to particular individuals to enable them to work with God.  People like Mary (Luke 1:34-35), Elizabeth (Luke 1:41), Simeon (Luke 2:25), John the Baptist (Luke 1:13-16) were all imbued with the Holy Spirit.  After Jesus ascended to the Father, the Holy Spirit was given to all the apostles and every believer (Acts 2:38).  The Spirit brings the promised eternal life of God into the hearts of all who trust in Jesus.

 

Although many Christless religions encourage people into pious activity, Jesus asks that people believe in Him as their Saviour and submit to Him as Lord.  When they do, God's Holy Spirit is given to authorise them to be God's children and fill them with His powerful presence (Romans 8:16) .  That is grace: exchanging our sinfulness for His forgiveness and the indwelling presence of God.  If you are trusting in Jesus, wherever you are today the Holy Spirit is in you, longing to do His Divine work in you and through you - to satisfy you and to reveal the love of God to others.  You are not on your own; God lives in you. That is a great reason to praise and to pray, to worship and to work so that His kingdom may grow and the glory will go to Him.

My Lord and my God. Thank You for giving me the opportunity to hear about Jesus and for the faith to believe in Him, receiving the Holy Spirit. It is wonderful to know that You are with me always. I am sorry when I have pushed Your Spirit to the corners of my life, thinking that I do not need You. I repent and declare that I want to welcome the Spirit into every part of my life, to satisfy me and give me the wisdom and power to work with You in helping to build Your kingdom. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

WHERE DOES JESUS COME FROM?

 John 7:40-44

On hearing his words, some of the people said, ‘Surely this man is the Prophet.’ Others said, ‘He is the Messiah.’ Still others asked, ‘How can the Messiah come from Galilee? Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?’ Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him. (NIVUK)

Read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: in English, and many other languages

As the crowds started to wonder if Jesus was the Messiah, they rightly asked if He had come from King David's family tribe (Judah).  As far as they knew, Jesus was from Nazareth (Matthew 21:10-11), but David’s family had come from Bethlehem.  Their question was prompted by Micah 5:2 which says, "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."

 

They were right in checking the Scripture, but they were wrong in assuming Jesus was born into a Galilean family from the tribe of Naphtali (Luke 2:4-7) , because He was brought up in Nazareth.  They assumed that He could not be 'the Holy One of God', because they got their facts wrong.  Others looked at the evidence of His life and concluded that He must be the Christ (Messiah).  How could such different opinions arise?  Was it just that some saw evidence and others did not?  Or was it that those who did not want to believe in Jesus were using the Scripture to support their lack of faith?

 

It seems strange that people should quote from the Bible but not believe.  However, that was exactly what Satan did when tempting Jesus (Matthew 4:6) .  It is a cheap way to discredit truth, and yet millions are seduced away from faith in Jesus by false teachers who manipulate Scripture to their own wicked advantage.  Others ignore the Scripture, often because they do not know what it says about Jesus, constructing their own ideas about Him – making Him in their image, and forgetting that He made them in His image (Colossians 1:15-20).

But the Apostles refused to do that.  Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:2, "Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God."  So, if you are a teacher, parent or grandparent, make sure that what you say about Jesus is clearly in line with the Scripture.  And when you hear teaching, use the Scripture to check that it is true, and never twist it to support your unwillingness to submit to the truth.

God of truth. Thank You for giving us the Holy Scripture so that we can understand what is true. I am sorry when I have been selective in choosing sentences from the Bible which support my unbelief or disobedience, or when I have allowed such teaching to go unchallenged. Please help me to be open-hearted to embrace Your Word and willing to obey what it says, so that I may get to know Jesus better and learn to live like Him. In His Name. Amen.

WHO KNOWS THE TRUTH ABOUT JESUS?

 John 7:45-53

Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, ‘Why didn’t you bring him in?’ ‘No one ever spoke the way this man does,’ the guards replied. ‘You mean he has deceived you also?’ the Pharisees retorted. ‘Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law – there is a curse on them.’ Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, ‘Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?’ They replied, ‘Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.’ Then they all went home. (NIVUK)

Read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: in English, and many other languages

The security guards in the temple had been ordered to arrest Jesus (John 7:32) , but they refused.  Pragmatically, they had no appetite for starting a riot in the temple because the people were starting to trust what Jesus said, and would have supported Him.  But, also, the guards were listening to His teaching; they were so impressed with what He said that their consciences would not allow them to seize Him.

Although Jesus’ miracles were amazing, it was His words which struck deep down in their hearts.  What Jesus said carried God’s authority (Matthew 7:28-29) .  His teaching was radically different to the instructions of religious lawyers who set rules, which people could not keep, and could never bring peace to sinful hearts.  But the religious leaders, envious of the popular attention Jesus received, believed that the crowd were deluded, cursed by Satan and held in his evil grip.  In fact, it was they who were being used as the devil's toys (John 8:44).

One of those leaders was Nicodemus, who earlier came to Jesus under cover of darkness (John 3:1-15) .  Nicodemus had personal experience of Jesus and his conscience was also troubled by the warlike attitude of the other leaders.  At the very least, he said, Jesus should have a proper fair trial.  But they would not listen to Nicodemus either, accusing him of being ignorant of the Scriptures: no prophet ever came from Galilee, they said.  But they ignored the fact that Jonah came from Gath Hepher, close to Nazareth in the same northern area of Zebulun (2 Kings 14:25).

 

People who fight against the truth will also hate those who want to know the truth.  Those with seared consciences despise people who struggle to keep their conscience clear.  It is particularly true when the 'truth' is all about Jesus.  He told His disciples, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." (John 15:18-19).  So, if you love Him, do not think that you are in the wrong when other people speak badly of Him or are hostile to you when you stand up for Jesus.  Just rejoice that you know the truth about Jesus and are confident that He understands and stands by your side.

Dear Lord God. Thank You that Jesus fully understands the way some people think about me and treat me. I am sorry when I feel sad for myself or angry with them, and do not realise that they treat me badly, because they are resisting Your love and grace. Please help me to forgive those who ill-treat me and love those who despise me, and please help me to continue to publicly affirm my faith in Jesus. In His Name. Amen.

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