The Problem Is Thinking You Aren't Blind

John 9:35-41

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

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The man born blind is wiser than the Jewish leaders, and when presented with the opportunity to believe in Jesus, he does so.

The problem with the Jewish religious establishment is not that they are blind so much as the fact that they are convinced they “see.”

41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains [John 9:41].

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
The same is true for us—our problem is not our weakness, but when we lie or cover up our weakness. All that God is asking us to do is confess our need for Him, and He’ll take care of the rest. But when we refuse to acknowledge our dependence and need, we become like the hard-hearted Pharisees who are blind to the life and light right in front of them.

My Kind Of Guy

John 9:13-34

13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. 17 So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”
18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19 and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” 20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 21 But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” 22 (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.) 23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” 28 And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.

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The same issues we have previously seen reoccur here:

• The Jewish leadership is angry at Jesus for healing people on the Sabbath;

• The ordinary people are afraid to speak well of Jesus;

• There is a contrast between sight and blindness.

This is really a funny encounter. Just like with the incident at the wedding when Jesus turns water into wine, I think John is having fun remembering and retelling this story.

24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Wh y do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” [John 9:24–27].

That line is so funny! Good for him.

Of course, His smart aleck response really provokes His opponents:

28 And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from” [John 9:28–29].

Then the man really lays on the sarcasm:

30 The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing” [John 9:30–33].

What we see is that the ordinary man born blind “sees” more clearly that the Jewish establishment. And his conclusion is right on: “All I know is that I was blind, and now I’m not, so whoever this guy is, He is doing something right.”

The leaders can’t handle that obvious conclusion, and so they excommunicate him from the Jewish community.

34 They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out [John 9:34].

QUESTION FOR THE DAY
Why is the Jewish leadership so dead set against Jesus?

P.S. This is the fifth sign (out of seven) that Jesus performs, in order to reveal his glory. (See 9:16).

Why Was The Guy Born Blind?

John 9:1-12

9 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” 10 So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” 12 They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

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From the beginning of John’s Gospel, light has been a key theme:

• Jesus is the light of the world;

• The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it;

• He is the true light that gives light to everyone in the world;

• And yet the world, through its spiritual blindness, did not know Him;

• But to all who did receive Him, Jesus gave the right to become children of God.

Now, with the man born blind, these themes come together. It’s a fantastic story, and also quite funny, as we will see. Note that the disciples assume that the reason the man was born blind was because of someone’s sin. Jesus rejects that idea and implies that blindness just occurred and that no one “caused” the blindness.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
There is a human tendency to want to assign specific blame when things go wrong. But, in this imperfect world—made imperfect because of human rebellion against God—sometimes things just go wrong.

Before Abraham Was, I Am

John 8:48-59

48 The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50 Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” 52 The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” 54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ 55 But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” 57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

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Why did the Jews try to stone Jesus here?

It’s because of His statement:

58 Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am [John 8:58].

This is how God identifies Himself in the Old Testament. To cite one out of many examples:

10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor shall there be any after me.
11 I, I am the Lord,
and besides me there is no savior [Isaiah 43:10–11].

The divine claim Jesus makes is too much for the crowds, and they seek to kill Him because of what they consider to be blasphemy, but we the readers have known to be the truth from 1:1:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
What distinguishes the Christian faith from all other beliefs is the claim that Jesus is God.

You Are Of Your Father The Devil

John 8:39-47

39 They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40 but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. 41 You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”

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Way back at the beginning of the Bible, the Lord speaks to the serpent after it tempted the man and woman to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil:

15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel” [Genesis 3:15].

Note that the Lord says there will be two kinds of people:

• People who are offspring of the woman;

• People who are “offspring” of the serpent, because of their rebellion against God.

The very next story in Genesis is the story of Cain and Abel, whereby Cain acts like an animal and gives over to sin and anger and murders his brother.

Here, Jesus is pulling from the same idea—that His opponents are actually working for the devil and against the purposes of God.

44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies [John 8:44].

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Every time we engage in falsehood, we are doing the work of the devil. There is a lot at stake in being a person who tells the truth.

What Does "The Truth Will Set You Free" Actually Mean?

John 8:31-38

31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”

34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. 38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”

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“The truth will set you free” is a popular and well-known statement, but what does it actually mean?

Jesus is not speaking in vague generalities about the concept of truth, but is making specific reference to the truth about Himself. Let’s look at His statement in context, drawing from yesterday’s reading:

28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.

29 And he who sent me is with me . He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” 30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him. 31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” [John 8:28–32].

So, what is the truth that will set a person free?

That Jesus is the Son sent from the Father, and those who hold fast to that knowledge will thereby be identified as Jesus’s disciples and they will be set free as a result.

From what are those people set free? Jesus tells us:

34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed [John 8:34–36].

People who know the truth about Jesus are set free from slavery to sin.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
The very fact that modern people have taken the phrase “the truth will set you free” and stripped it of any reference to Jesus merely proves the point that He is making—what matters is holding on to the truth about Jesus, which is the only truth that has power to truly save.

Why Is This So Hard For People To Admit?

John 8:21-30

21 So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” 22 So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23 He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” 25 So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. 26 I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” 27 They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. 28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. 29 And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” 30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

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The world is in rebellion against God. The result of rebellion is death, because God is life, and when you move away from God, you move away from life. A cut flower can’t live on its own—it needs to be connected to its root. In the same way, a person who turns his back against God and rebels is cutting himself off from God, and when that person dies, he will face spiritual death.

The reason the Father sent the Son was to bring people back to life:

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him [John 3:16–17].

This is what Jesus is getting at when He says here:

24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins [John 8:24].

The point is not that Jesus came to judge healthy people and send them to their deaths, the point is that Jesus came to save sick and dying people and bring them to life!

All that is required to be saved is to believe in Jesus, that is to humbly acknowledge that you are stuck in sin and need to be saved.

QUESTION FOR THE DAY
Why is it so hard for people to admit that they need a savior?

How Much Evidence Will Finally Be Enough?

John 8:12-20

12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 13 So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” 14 Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. 16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. 17 In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. 18 I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” 19 They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

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Back in 5:32–40, Jesus speaks of the witnesses that affirm His identity:

• John the Baptist;

• The works that Jesus does;

• The Scriptures in general;

• Moses specifically.

Here He builds on that and unambiguously tells the Pharisees that he has been sent from the Father.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
People often want more evidence before they will believe in Jesus. But how much evidence is enough? Often, our desire for evidence is a stalling tactic, like a child asking for one more glass of water before going to bed. Rather, at some point we have to make the decision to believe, or not believe. No amount of evidence will take away the need to take a step in faith.

The Woman Caught In Adultery

John 7:53-8:11

[The earliest manuscripts do not include 7:53–8:11.]

53 [[They went each to his own house, 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”]]

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Quick note on the text itself: the earliest manuscripts do not have this story at this place in John’s Gospel, but the later manuscripts do. So, it seems that somehow the earliest manuscripts were missing this section, and later scribes added it back in.

The obvious problem with what the scribes and the Pharisees do to the woman is that it is impossible for a woman to commit adultery by herself—there had to be a man present also! So, the Jewish leaders are seeking to enforce the law unfairly, since Old Testament law condemned both the woman and the man who were caught committing adultery.

Jesus once again proves here that He judges differently than do the Jewish leaders, as He has already said:

24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment [John 7:24].

QUESTION OF THE DAY
This is a very popular Scripture passage, particularly the part when Jesus says, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” From reading the passage as a whole—and the Gospel of John so far—do you think Jesus is accepting and approving the adulterous actions of the woman? Why or why not? [Hint—look at His final words to her in v.11.]

Where Is Jesus Actually From?

John 7:40-52

40 When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” 43 So there was a division among the people over him. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46 The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 47 The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? 48 Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” 50 Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, 51 “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” 52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”

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We see the irrational opposition and even hatred that the Jewish religious establishment has for Jesus. Even when their colleague Nicodemus makes the relatively tame suggestion that they should at least listen to Jesus before making up their minds, they react with anger.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Jesus is neither from Galilee nor from Bethlehem—John has told us in the first chapter of his Gospel that Jesus actually comes from heaven.

Rock Strike

John 7:37-39

37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

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In Exodus 17, the Israelites are in the wilderness; they are thirsty and begin to complain and grumble. But the Lord is merciful toward them and provides water:

6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel [Exodus 17:6].

When Jesus is crucified, a Roman soldier pierces His side with a spear:

34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water [John 19:34].

The life that Jesus offers is life in the Spirit, and those who believe in Him receive the life of God. But before that life is available, Jesus will have to be “struck,” like the rock in the wilderness.

QUESTION OF THE DAY
Why is the Spirit so often compared to water?

Officers Sent To Arrest Jesus

John 7:32-36

32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. 33 Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. 34 You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.” 35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36 What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”

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Jesus tells that crowd that where He is going will be impossible for them to follow. He is speaking of His resurrection and ascension into heaven, but they take Him literally and wonder if He is going to go to the Jews who live around the Mediterranean region and who speak Greek.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
The irony is that the gospel message does in fact spread around the Greek-speaking parts of the Mediterranean after the ascension of Jesus.

Confusion in Jerusalem

John 7:25-31

25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 26 And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? 27 But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” 28 So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. 29 I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.” 30 So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”

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The crowds in Jerusalem are confused—if Jesus is not the Christ, then why would authorities let Him go around teaching? Shouldn’t they already arrest Him for making such a (false) claim? But if He is not the Christ, then how is He able to do the miracles that He has been doing?

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
The obvious right move for those in the crowd who are confused about Jesus is to come closer to Him to gain clarity! It is the same for people today, who are not yet sure about Jesus—they need to allow their curiosity to lead them to Him. “Come and see.”

P.S. His “hour” is the time of His arrest and crucifixion—the reason Jesus came was to die for the world.

How Do We Know If Something Is From God?

John 7:14-24

14 About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. 15 The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?” 16 So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. 17 If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. 18 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. 19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?” 20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?” 21 Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it. 22 Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man's whole body well? 24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

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The Feast of Booths is taking place in Jerusalem, and Jesus is teaching in the temple grounds. One of the problems He is facing is that people are skeptical of His teaching, so He gives them a simple way to know if He is from God:

1. Choose first to be obedient to God and act accordingly;

2. And then you will be able to discern whether this or that teaching is from God.

17 If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority [John 7:17].

Jesus is facing opposition because He healed a man on the Sabbath, but He points out that because it is permissible to circumcise a baby on the Sabbath. It makes no sense that healing a man’s body on the Sabbath is somehow disregarding God’s law.

QUESTION FOR THE DAY
Obedience is the foundation to so much of the Christian life. Where do you need to exercise obedience today?

What John Means By "The Jews"

John 7:10-13

10 But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. 11 The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?” 12 And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, he is leading the people astray.” 13 Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.

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What John means when he uses the term “the Jews” depends on the context. Sometimes it just literally means “Jewish people.” But other times, as here, it means “the Jewish religious establishment.” These are the power brokers that are particularly opposed to Jesus’s message of repentance. Note how much influence they have over the people, in that people choose to censor themselves rather than face the consequences of upsetting the religious leaders.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Speaking the truth is an important part of faithfulness to Jesus. There is no call for needless provocation, but at the same time Christians need to be more committed to speaking the truth than afraid of the powers that be.

Jesus's Brothers Egg Him On

John 7:1-9

7 After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. 2 Now the Jews' Feast of Booths was at hand. 3 So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4 For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For not even his brothers believed in him. 6 Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. 8 You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” 9 After saying this, he remained in Galilee.

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The Feast of Booths (also called the Feast of Tabernacles) was one of the great Old Testament religious holidays. When the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness before they reached the Promised Land, God told them that once they arrived in the land, they would need to observe an annual festival in which they would build temporary booths or tents and live in them for a week, to remind themselves of God’s deliverance.

Galilee is in the north, and Judea is in the south—Judea is the region around Jerusalem. Jesus’s brothers want Him to make a big splash and go to Jerusalem, but He demurs because He knows if He goes to Jerusalem, folks will try to kill Him. Why does the world hate Him? Because He has been preaching about the need for repentance, and the power brokers don’t like having their sins and hypocrisy pointed out.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
I wonder how lonely it was for Jesus that even His own family members didn’t believe in Him.

What Else Is There?

John 6:55-71

66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” 70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” 71 He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.

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After these hard sayings, many of the crowd of disciples leave because they aren’t willing to keep going. Jesus asks the twelve what they are thinking, and Peter replies, “Well, where would we even go?” Jesus is proud of that response, which shows He chose the right type of men to be in His inner circle. (Though He knows that even in the inner circle there is one who is going to betray Him.)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
It’s easy to tear down and point out problems or difficulties. But what few people actually do is think through the alternatives. I love Peter’s response to Jesus: “What else is there?” Sure, the way of Jesus can be hard, but what else is there?

Why Can't The World Save Itself?

John 6:60-65

60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 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. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

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The “disciples” are those people who are following Jesus and learning from Him—the term does not necessarily refer to the inner circle of His disciples—the twelve.

Jesus has told them that He is “heavenly bread” and that the way people can have life is to trust Him, but this claim troubles some of those in the crowd of disciples. Jesus asks if they would still be offended if He ascended into heaven? He goes on to point out that the world cannot save itself—it is the Spirit who gives life, not the flesh or worldly things. In other words, God is the only source of life.

QUESTION FOR THE DAY
If God is the only source of life, why are you looking at other things to make you happy?

Is Jesus Advocating Cannibalism?

John 6:52-59

52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 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. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

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In the long discussion that takes place after the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus follows the same practice He often does when interacting with the Jews—He speaks cryptically, allowing Himself to be misunderstood on the surface to get people to lean in and really think about what He is saying. Here, it almost seems at first as if He is advocating some kind of bizarre cannibalistic practice:

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 [John 6:53].

Let’s break down what He is saying:

• What do you do with bread? You eat it, i.e., you take it into yourself.

• What has to happen for bread to sustain life? It has to be broken before the energy it contains can be transferred to your body. In some sense, you might say the bread has to die before it offers life.

• In the wilderness during Old Testament times, the Lord provided heavenly bread—manna—for the Israelites.

• Jesus feeds the five thousand in the wilderness, using only five loaves and two fish.

• But the people miss the point of the miracle and want more literal bread, whereas Jesus wants to offer them the life that He came to bring.

• So, Jesus tells them that what they really need is “heavenly bread” and tells them that He Himself is heavenly bread, sent from the Father to give them life.

• What do you do with bread? You eat it. What do you do with “heavenly bread?” You “eat” it.

What does it mean to consume Jesus? He has told us in v. 30—to believe in Him. That is, to eat His body and drink His blood is to make Jesus the central part of your life.

Like so many of the things Jesus says, it is deliberately provocative and at first appears bizarre, but once you take your time and break it down, it makes sense.

QUESTION FOR THE DAY
How can you make Jesus more central to your life today?

Thoughts On Predestination

John 6:35-51

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— 46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

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Predestination is the theological idea that God has elected some people for heaven and some people for hell, and that they have no choice in the matter. Often this theological system is called “Calvinism” or “the Reformed position.”

At Asbury we are in a different theological camp, called “Arminianism.” This system stresses the responsibility each person has to say yes or no to salvation and emphasizes the freedom every person has to make that decision.

There is a deep mystery as to why some people say yes to Jesus and other people say no, and certainly salvation is something God does for us, not something we do for ourselves. The Calvinists quite rightly want to clearly state that salvation isn’t something we earn because we are better than other people or something we choose because we are smarter than other people, and they draw upon some biblical passages that seem to teach predestination.

One such passage is John 6, where Jesus talks about how the Father draws people to the Son. James Lambert is one of our associate pastors at Asbury. He and I recently talked about this passage, and I’ve asked him to write a guest commentary for today. It is extensive, but I think you will find it helpful. For me personally, I am persuaded that the Reformed position on predestination is not the best way of understanding what the Bible teaches about salvation, and James’s commentary below is a good explanation of why we believe what we believe. –Andrew Forrest

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Guest commentary by the Rev. James Lambert

In the Bible, bread stands for life, and breaking bread stands for fellowship. The message in today’s reading is that Jesus is the source of true life, and the way to receive that true life is to trust Jesus. He is God’s provision for everything that humanity needs, and that provision never runs out, just as with the spring of living water Jesus mentions in 4:14. “The living bread that came down from heaven” in v. 51 references the manna God provided for Israel in the Exodus. “Looking on the Son and believing in him” in v. 40 is an echo of Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus in chapter 3 and the story of the plague of snakes in Numbers 21. Jesus is the one who has conquered death, represented by the snake and later by the cross, and so He is the trustworthy source of true life and healing.

This passage is often used to support the Calvinist / Reformed doctrines of “unconditional election” and “perseverance of the saints,” and/or the popular doctrine of “once saved always saved.” Those who hold these teachings point to the idea of the Father “giving” people to the Son in vv. 37 and 39, the Son not turning any of those away, and the Son not losing anything given to Him, as well as the idea of the Father’s “drawing” in v. 44, which must happen before anyone comes to Jesus. These verses certainly teach us about the trustworthiness and compassion of the Son, the way the Father and Son work together in salvation, and the way salvation starts with God’s action, God’s initiative.

However, those ideas must be balanced with other Biblical teachings, including those found in John’s gospel itself; and we must focus on the actual words of the text rather than ideas imported onto them from elsewhere.

For example, in John 12:32 Jesus proclaims: “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

Very interesting. So ultimately all people will be drawn, not just a few. Comparison with chapter 12 causes problems for the Calvinist reading of chapter 6, because the “all” here is not consistent with the idea that only certain individuals chosen beforehand are drawn to Jesus and given eternal life.

So, if all people are drawn, does that mean all people will be saved? No. Only those who believe will be saved. We know that those who do not believe “are condemned already,” as Jesus said in John 3:18. (We also know from Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 25:41–48 that there will be “goats” sent away into eternal fire; more on that below.)

Jesus is telling us here that the “drawing” of God must happen before anyone can believe. It is about chronology and initiative and doesn’t actually mention the idea of choice or election at all. Then John 12 tells us that all people will be drawn. If we hold these two teachings together, the logical conclusion is that all people are somehow “drawn,” but not all people actually “come” to Jesus. In chapter 6 it is crystal clear that the criterion for receiving true life is faith—believing in Jesus the Son. In chapter 12 Jesus gives different criteria—those who “hate their lives,” those who “serve me,” and those who “follow me” are the ones who receive eternal life (12:25–26).

So taken together, John 6 and 12 teach us that God offers salvation and true life to all people through Jesus. Those who look on Him with faith will follow through with faithfulness, laying down their lives in faithful service to Jesus and receiving honor from the Father. Why do some come to Him and others do not? Why do some respond positively to the drawing which all receive? We cannot say for sure. It is not a question of merit, but there is choice involved. Otherwise, it makes no sense for God to expend so much effort throughout Scripture telling us to choose and calling us to repent. If we are not careful, our desire to know why can lead us to read more into certain Scriptures than is actually there, with the tragic result of missing the force of other plain Scripture teaching—reading right past it as if it’s not even there.

Another text we must compare in order to avoid drawing the wrong conclusions is John 15:6—“If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.” This verse is from an extended speech that begins in 15:1–2 with “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me…” Therefore, the branches in question in 15:6 were at some point connected to Jesus, the true source of life. They were truly alive, but they end up dead. The metaphor of spiritual life is crystal clear: you can be in the Vine now, spiritually alive, and later out of it, spiritually dead. We should not read in any artificial distinctions here between true and false believers. Certainly, it is true that there are false believers, people who claim Christ but know Him not. However, Jesus would never refer to those people as “in me.” We see the same thing in Romans 11:22, where the Apostle Paul addresses Gentile believers who are clearly in Christ and warns them that they must “remain in his kindness” or else be cut off. It is an identical message to that of Jesus in John 15: “Remain in Me.” The Son will not “cast you out” for any flaw in you or any lack of love and patience on His part. But you must abide in Him. You must continue in the relationship of faithful, obedient love which He graciously makes available to you.

The other Biblical teachings we must consider here is God’s universal desire for all people to be saved. John affirms this famously in 3:16—“God so loved the world.” 2 Peter 3:9 is more explicit: “The Lord is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” And in 1 Timothy 2:3–4 Paul declares that “God our Savior desires all people to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.”

John 6:37–40 cannot be referring to individuals who were unconditionally chosen by God before the world began being unalterably saved, with no future possibility of being lost, while everyone else is hopelessly damned; otherwise it would contradict other Scriptural revelation. The true meaning of those verses is grand and wonderful, but it cannot be that rigid. To find a better interpretation here we must ask questions of the text and answer them from Scripture:

What has the Father given the Son?
(And what will the Son most assuredly not lose?)

We learned that in John 3:35–36—“The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

The Father has given the Son “all things,” and this makes the Son Himself the plumb line, the ultimate determiner of who is in and who is out of God’s kingdom.

What the Father has given the Son is authority. Kingship. “You are my Son; today I have begotten You.” (Psalm 2:7) “Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.” (Revelation 5:37, KJV) “Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.” (Rev. 1:5)

The purpose of the Father giving the Son all things is redemption of the world and salvation of sinners. “For in him all the fulness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” (Colossians 1:19–20)

So, what the Father gives the Son in John 6:39 is the same thing the Father gives the Son elsewhere in Scripture: everything! Full authority which will be fully revealed “on the last day.” Those who trust in the Son will be included in the “all things” which will be raised up on the last day. Those who do not will perish when the world is cleansed and re-made. The Son of God, the great King of the universe, will judge all people according to the criteria He has laid out for us in His own teaching and that of His apostles.

In all the talk of predestination and perseverance we may be tempted to skip the last part of verse 51: “And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” How shocking! We will unpack the shock more in Monday’s reading. But today we need to end where we began: bread stands for life. That life in Jesus is full and rich, disciplined but free, lived in the company of other believers who are united in an imperfect fellowship (the church) which lifts up earthly signs (bread and wine) of heavenly reality (salvation in Christ).

Will we receive this heavenly bread? Will we accept Jesus as the only way to life?