Details

Hits: 812

            I apologize for the delay, upon sending this via email it somehow didn’t go through, then this file was unintentionally deleted from my computer after. So, I’m doing it again!

            The last half of this chapter is confirmation that Jesus is the Son of God who came from heaven. As Jesus was speaking of these things the ones that were stuck in religion got highly offended by His statements. It’s important to realize that when ones are questioning anything that God has ordained, its because they doubt. Jesus said that no one can come to Him unless the Father draws them in. He then says that they shall all be taught by God and everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Him. I want to emphasize the word “learned” here. Many will hear from God but that doesn’t mean they choose to listen and learn from Him.

            Have you ever had someone try to teach you something that you just didn’t want to learn?  When anyone tries to teach me about chemistry or physics, its like the second they start talking about it to me, my mind immediately shuts it down and I don’t obtain anything they said. Meaning I don’t learn it… why? I don’t find science interesting, and I don’t have the desire to learn anything science related. However, if its something important and something God is putting on my heart to learn, then I will push through and allow God to teach me.

            For example, God showed me He wanted me to learn on some of the science in nutrition and the way He created us to eat. Because God wanted to teach me on this, I chose to be obedient and take in His teaching. Notice, I have to choose to allow God to teach me, He won’t force it on me. God reveals Himself to so many people that sadly choose not to learn from Him and choose to turn the other way. We have to be open to receive Him and whatever it is that He wants to teach us. The Pharisees were open to God but weren’t open to what He had to teach them in regards to Jesus being His Son, the Messiah.

            We must always be open to whatever it is God is wanting to show us, no matter how uncomfortable it may seem to our flesh. The Pharisees couldn’t fathom that a man they knew who was a Nazarene could be the Messiah, it was uncomfortable to their flesh so for that reason they not only shut it down, they plotted to crucify Him.

            Nothing gets by Jesus, nothing. At the end of the chapter Jesus stated that He chose the twelve disciples knowing that one was of the devil. Many ask why wouldn’t He pick someone else? Jesus knew what needed to be done to fulfill prophecy and overcome death and to further Gods Kingdom. He didn’t allow His flesh to make Him feel uncomfortable and refuse to let Judas Iscariot join the group because He knew He would betray Him. No, He went through with the plan and He also treated Judas with love. He showed love to the man who He knew would betray Him. Often times we have opportunities to be offended by man and we want to retaliate or throw pity parties. Jesus didn’t do either of those things, He showed him nothing but love. This is the example we are to follow.

Details

Hits: 820

            The chapter begins with stating that Jesus walked in Galilee rather than Judea because the Jews sought to kill Him. The Feast of Tabernacles (celebration of God protecting them in the desert as they awaited to enter into the promise land) was at hand and scripture says that Jesus’ brothers tried to convince Him to go to the Feast. They made fun of the fact that He would perform miracles then leave and not stay to take credit for His works. They said that no one would heal people and then not stick around for the credit. They tried to convince Him to go to the Feast and take credit for His works, they didn’t have faith in Him and mocked Him. Jesus simply replied by stating that His time has not yet come, but their time is always ready. The world can’t hate them rather it hates Jesus because He came to testify of it that its works are evil. So often we receive persecution, but like Jesus we need to not allow that to entice us into strife or bickering. Our own family can be the ones to mock us, but just know that this isn’t anything new to Jesus, and He can comfort you through whatever persecution you will face for following Him; but it is so worth it.

            After His brothers left He then went to the Feast as well, but in secret, not openly. When He got to the Feast He noticed that the Jews were looking for Him, some thought He was good and the others thought He was bad, there was clear division. As they were all arguing amongst themselves over Jesus and His whereabouts, Jesus then got up in front of all of them in the temple and began to teach. The Jews were astounded, they didn’t understand how Jesus knew the word yet hadn’t formally studied. Jesus said that His doctrine is not His, but He who sent Him. If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from
God or from ones own authority.

            Jesus then pointed out that Moses gave the law, yet none of them keeps it; yet they all seek to kill Him. The Jews then accused Jesus of having a demon for thinking that and demanded to know who was trying to kill Him. Rather than list names Jesus simply stated that He did one work and they all marveled. If a man receives a circumcision on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses wouldn’t be broken they wouldn’t marvel, yet a man needed healing and so Jesus healed him on the Sabbath and they all judged it. Jesus said that they needed to judge with righteous judgement. You see, the Sabbath is for man, not for man to serve the Sabbath.
God cares about His children, if one is in pain and in need of healing God would want them healed, regardless of what holiday it was. They had putter the law above anything else and it was making it to where they weren’t valuing peoples lives and livelihoods, they were instead valuing their pride and self righteousness. Jesus came to give us relationship, to know Gods heart and to do away with the religion. Relationship trumps religion.

            The Jews wanted to have Jesus arrested but no one would lay their hands on Him, because His time was not yet. Jesus said that He would be with them a little while longer than He would leave and go where they couldn’t come. They had no idea what He was talking about and it angered them that they couldn’t understand what He was saying. Rather than rebuke their pride and ask Him what He meant they fed into anger which further fueled their fire, their ego’s got the best of them.

            Jesus prophesied about the Holy Spirit being the living water that would flow living rivers through them and that caused even more confusion upon them. Some believed Him to be a prophet, some believed He was the Christ and others didn’t know what to think but they chose to treat their confusion with anger. The officers and the chief priests wanted Him to be brought in and no one would arrest Him, they all marvel at how He spoke with such authority. Nicodemus, the pharisee who secretly went to visit Jesus at night to learn from Him, tried to remind them that their law tells them not to judge until they know fully what is going on and have had the opportunity to confirm the situation by getting facts. Yet they Jews didn’t want to listen to Nicodemus, they had their minds made up. It is so important to always remember to seek God in all things, especially when the flesh is involved. The Jews were offended by Jesus and that didn’t feel good to their flesh, because it hurt their egos and their pride was offended. So they acted out in rage and anger rather then pausing and really seeking God on the matter. Whenever an opportunity presents itself to be offended, stop and go to God with it, never react off of fleshly ways. Jesus knew what was to come, He knew the prophecy that was to be fulfilled, yet He handled everything with such grace and strength. He had many opportunities to be offended yet He never gave into that, we shouldn’t either.

Details

Hits: 830

            This chapter begins with Jesus performing the miracle of feeding the thousands. There was 5000 men (not including women and children) who came out to see Jesus and there wasn’t enough food or money to feed them all. The disciples reaction was to send them home so they may go eat food there but Jesus didn’t want to send them away, He knew they came out to seek Him and He didn’t want to turn them away. So Jesus looked up to God and gave thanks to Him and the food was supernaturally multiplied to feed the multitude, with left overs to spare. God doesn’t work in worldly ways, He doesn’t work according to what is logical or mathematical. Only God can make the impossible, possible. However, to receive this kind of lifestyle from God, one has to believe in Him above anything else, ones mind has to be renewed to have faith in Gods way, heavens way, not that of the earth. When doubt or secular mindsets get in the way, it blocks Gods flow of supernatural abundance. Thats not to say God can’t make things multiply in the secular, He surely can, but our faith should always be in Him and not in that of the world. Expect the unthinkable.

            After this happened, the crowd wanted to take Jesus and make Him the king by force and He knew this wasn’t the way. Again, secular mindsets got in the way, but God’s plan was something none of them could even fathom. Often times we get so caught up in the circumstances that we often forget to take a step back and see the bigger picture. God’s plan was way bigger than secular government roles. So Jesus retreated to be alone with the Father and the disciples got I the boat and went towards Capernaum. This is when the big winds began to blow and then in the distance the disciples could see Jesus walking on the water, only they didn’t know it was Him. Sense they didn’t know it was Him at first they began to fear thinking it was a ghost, till Jesus told them not to be afraid because it was Him. Then they willingly received Jesus into the boat, notice here He didn’t force Himself in the boat He waited till they received Him in. God is so gentle with us, He never forces anything on us.

            The crowd noticed that Jesus’ disciples had left on the boat without Jesus, yet they couldn’t find Jesus anywhere. So they got on boats and went to Capernaum seeking Him. When they found Him they asked when did He come there? Jesus said that they seeked Him not because of the signs He did but because of the loaves they ate and were filled with. He told them that they needed to seek the Son of Man not for the food that perishes but for the food which endures for everlasting life. God the Father Has set His seal on Him. Jesus knows our hearts and our intentions, He knows who we are to the core and what are motivations are. We shouldn’t try to hide a thing from Him rather believe in Him and thank Him for loving us despite our downfalls.