What do you Worship?

As I have been studying Biblical Counselling in my school I have been impacted by a few things. 

One challenge that my teacher presented to us was this: What is it that I worship? We are all worshipers, whether it is money, sports, possessions, or just ourselves, we all worship something. How do you know what you worship? Think about this: What do you talk about most? Whatever you talk about most is what you worship. As Christians the Lord has commanded us to worship Him alone, above all other gods! (Deut. 6:13; Matt. 4:10)

Another way we express our worship is looking at what we 'sing our praises' about. What is the song of our hearts? Do we sing about the majesty of God, or the grace He has given to us? Or are we constantly 'singing' about the latest news, what happened to your sports team, or how we can have fun over the weekend? These things in and of themselves are not bad, but compared to our Love for Christ, everything else is to seem as hate! (Luke 14:26-27). Christ wants us to be wholly committed to Him alone! There can be no place for other idols in our heart that demand attention. If you have struggled with serving anything but God, and have struggle with worshipping the things of the world rather than God alone you must repent. I pray that God would create in us clean and pure hearts and that He along would be our song from Age to Age:

 

 

- Age to Age by Sovereign Grace Music

 

 

Have a blessed Week!

                             Lucas C.

   

Sunday Psalm

 

Psalm 119:1-8

 

How blessed are those who way is

blameless,

Who walk in the law of the LORD.

How blessed are those who observe

His testimonies,

Who seek Him with all their heart.

They also do no unrighteousness;

They walk in His ways.

You have ordained Your precepts,

That we should keep them diligently.

Oh that my ways may be

established

To keep your statutes!

Then I shall not be ashamed

When I look upon all Your

commandments.

I shall give thanks to You with

uprightness of heart,

When I learn Your righteous

judgments.

I shall keep your statutes;

Do not forsake me utterly!

 

 



 

Blessings,

          Lucas C.



The Gospel of John: John 10:1-21

John 10:1-21

Title: The Good Shepherd

Analysis:

                Chapter 10 flows nicely from chapter 9 and Jesus begins a discourse about Himself as the good shepherd to the people. In this passage He speaks of the religious leaders as thieves contrasting them to Himself as the good Shepherd. In ancient times a shepherd would tend for a flock of sheep and their physical state. Sheep were kept in a pen to be protected from wild animals at night and the shepherd would sleep in the doorway. Those who tried to harm the sheep would not protect them but rather come at them from another way. This is who the religious leaders were. They were supposed to tend for the people’s spiritual needs, but instead they destroyed them. In verse one Jesus describes them as thieves and robbers.  

                Jesus is the good shepherd that would lead His people to green pastures if they listened to Him. The Sheep know the voice of the real shepherd and they will follow Him. The true sheep will follow His voice, and they will not listen to the voice of a stranger (vs. 5).

                Jesus then uses another figure of speech to describe Himself, saying in verse 7, “Truly, Truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.” And in verse 9, “…if anyone enters through me He will be saved…” Those who would believe in Jesus as Messiah, like the blind man did, would receive everlasting life. If they did not believe in Messiah they would be destroyed by the thieves and robbers who came only for personal gain. Jesus did not come to destroy, but rather to, “…lay down His life for the sheep.” Jesus foreshadows His own death by saying this.

                Christ was the good shepherd, one who was committed to the spiritual needs of the people of Israel. The Pharisees were hired hands (vs. 12) and they did not care for the needs of the people. Just as a hired hands runs when a wolf attacks the sheep, so the Pharisees left the people when times of danger came. Verse 14, talking about Jesus, says, “I am the Good Shepherd and I know My own and My own know Me.” Jesus truly was the contrast of the Pharisees and a picture of a faithful shepherd.

                Not only was Jesus the shepherd to the people of Israel, but He would also become shepherd to the Gentiles as well (vs. 16). He would bring them into His fold and together they will be one flock with Jesus as their shepherd, for He was to lay down his life for them.

                Although Jesus said He wold die for His sheep, He makes it very clear in verses 17 & 18 that His death is not the end. It reads, “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life…I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

                The crowds, after hearing this teaching of Jesus were once again divided over Him. Some said that He had a demon, while others said, “A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?” (vs.21).

These people fell into the only two categories that one can believe about Christ. For some, they rejected Him and chose to follow the hired hands, while others believed in Him as the Good Shepherd and entrusted their lives to Him.       

Response:

                Jesus is a good shepherd, and just as a shepherd tenderly cares for his own sheep, our Lord tenderly cares for us. He leads us into green pastures where we will be nourished and fed. He guards over our lives when we are vulnerable and blocks out thieves and robbers. And most amazingly, He lays down His very life for us, sacrificing Himself so that we may live. As a believer I find my confidence and trust in Jesus as my Saviour strengthened when I know that even when I fail and sin and stumble into temptation He will still be there to lead me, feed me, and grant me forgiveness from my sins. He truly is an amazing shepherd that gives all He has for the life of those who are His sheep. 

 

Blessings,

          Lucas C.      

 

The Gospel of John: John 9:1-41

John 9:1-41

Title: A Picture of Profound Belief.

Analysis:

                In chapter 9 of the book of John, the author makes a dramatic comparison with the previous events. Just a little while earlier the crowds and the religious leaders picked up stones to kill Jesus (8:59). The Messiah eluded their grasp and the first thing He does is display His miraculous power again by healing a man who was born blind.

                As Jesus continued His ministry to the people of Israel, He passes by a man who had been blind from birth. The disciples ask the Lord whether it was the man’s or his parent’s sin that had caused the blindness. In this time, the Jews linked almost all illness and disease to personal or parental sin. The disciples assumed that someone must have sinned for the man to have such a disease as blindness. In this case however, the Lord showed them that sin was not the reason for disease and suffering.

                The Lord replies to the disciples by saying in verse 3, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in Him.” The Lord, making clay from the ground applies it to the man’s eyes and tells him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. The man went and washed and immediately his sight was restored!

                The crowds soon saw the man who was blind and marveled that his sight had been restored, they questioned Him saying, “How then were your eyes opened?” Excitedly the man replies in verse 11 saying, “The man who is called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes…I went away and washed and I received sight.”

                Now, the day that Jesus healed the blind man was a Sabbath. So the blind man was brought to the Pharisees (vs. 13) and questioned as to how he became healed of his blindness (vs. 15). Upon hearing that Jesus healed again on the Sabbath some decided that He could not be from God for He did not keep the Sabbath while others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” Just as there was a division in the crowds about Jesus in 7:40-43 the religious elite were now divided as to who Christ really was.

                Unbelieving, the religious leaders call in the blind man’s parents to see if he really was blind and had received his sight verses. 18-19 say, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?” Unwilling to answer for fear of the religious authorities, the parents admit that it is their son and that he was blind, but do not say that Jesus was the one who made him well. The reason for fear was that the Jews said they would remove people who confessed Christ form the synagogue.

                The blind man is once again summoned to answer the questions of the religious leaders. The man points to the simple fact of the miracle saying in verse 25, “…one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” Not satisfied the religious men press him further saying, “What did He do to you?” Seeing their hypocrisy, the man responds sarcastically saying, “I told you already and you did not listen; why do you want to hear it again? You do not want to become His disciples too, do you?” Being angered (vs. 28) they revile the man and claim that they do not know where Jesus came from.

                In an amazing response and confession of Jesus, the blind man now responds with far more spiritual insight than the religious leaders had saying in verses 30-33, “Well here is an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him. Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God he could do nothing.” Immediately the religious are enraged and put him out of the synagogue.

                Jesus, knowing what had happened finds the blind man, and although He had restored his physical sight, He now grants the man spiritual sight to know who He is and believe in His name. The man worships Jesus as Lord (vs. 38). In contrast, the Pharisees who were spiritually blind remained in their sins, and willful rejection of Jesus Christ as Lord.              

Response:

                ‘I once was blind, but now I see’ resonated through my mind after studying this passage of Scripture. The blind man accepted the harsh treatment of those who were religious for he knew that the pleasure of God was far greater than the pleasure of man. For me as a believer this is a reminder that persecution will come and it will most likely come from those who are inside the church and are religious. The way to handle persecution is to respond as this man did. He would not reject the Lord Jesus even if it meant loosing privileges in the temple and synagogue. He was not concerned about associating with the religious elite but rather with the very Son of God. In a display of humility and honour he bows down to his knees and worships Jesus as Sovereign Lord. What a great example for us as believers to be firm in our belief of Christ and to worship Him with a strong faith a believing heart. 

 

Blessings,

           Lucas C.

The Gospel of John: John 8:12-59

John 8:12-59

Title: The Great I Am.

Analysis:

                Jesus has continued to speak with the religious leaders and the people, proving that He is from God and does the works of God above. In this second “I am” declaration the mounting hatred of the people becomes extremely evident as they attempt to murder the Messiah.

                The Pharisees, ignorant of the previous claims of Christ in 7:16-18, when He proved His authority from the Father, accuse Christ again of testifying of Himself (8:13). Jesus counters and gives proof of His authority by declaring His beginning, “…I know where I came from and where I am going…” His partnership with the Father, “…I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent me…” and finally His intimacy with His Father, “…if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.”

                Jesus in verses 21-30 reveals the consequence of the Pharisees unbelief in Him. The Pharisees were self-righteous, thought of earthly things, were unbelieving, and ignorant of Jesus. They would not listen to His words nor believe in His name. Only the ones who would believe and know the truth would truly be free. For all men are enslaved to sinfulness but if men believe in the Son of God, they will be freed from this bond (vs. 35-36). Jesus, spoke these things because they were the words from His Father who was in heaven. Once again though, the Jews did not understand Him or His Father.

                In verse 39 they respond to Jesus saying, “Abraham is our Father.” But little did they really know who Abraham was. If they were the children of Abraham they would have believed in Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus knew their hearts, and their hatred towards Him and exposed them for who they really were in verse 44 saying, “You are of your Father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning…” Just as the devil was a murderer, the people and Pharisees for that matter wanted to murder Jesus.

                Jesus continues to call to the people saying, “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death.” The Jews were even more angered by this and responded in verses 52-53, “Now we know you have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also…Surely you are not greater than our father Abraham who died…whom do you make yourself out to be?” Jesus answered them by saying, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is my Father who glorifies me…and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep His word. Your Father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and He saw it and was glad. (Vs. 54-56) Tragically, the Jews mock the Lord again saying in verse 57, “So the Jews said to Him, You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”

                Because of their continual unbelief in Him as God the Lord Jesus now says to them in verse 58, “Truly, Truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I Am.” In this statement Jesus declares Himself to be the eternal pre-existent Yahweh God of the O.T. This statement is the culmination of the continual discussion Jesus has been having with the Jews. They continually rejected Him as the rightful Messiah, and when He finally declares that He is the great I Am, they are filled with hatred. Immediately they pick up stones to throw at Christ but He hid himself, and eluded their grasp.

Response:

                This was by far the most difficult passage for me to write an analysis on. It contains so much discussion and rich truth it is hard to just slightly skim over it and give the main thrust. But what it comes down to is this; Jesus is the light of the world, the God-man, the Saviour of the world, and the Great ‘I Am’!

For personal application, verse 36 sticks out the most to me. It says, “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” I know as a believer that it is the truth of the gospel and the belief in Jesus Christ as Lord that brings us freedom. This freedom is a privilege that God gave us when we were saved. It is a freedom to obey Christ and be submissive to His will and His Word. As Christians we live in this freedom from sin for our entire lives until we go to be with the Lord or He comes to take us home.

 

Blessings,

        Lucas C.

The Gospel of John: John 8:1-11

John 8:1-11

Title: The Woman Caught in Adultery

Analysis:

                This passage of scripture is thought of by many commentators and teachers to be somewhat out of place in the gospel. The natural break of 7:53 seems to flow much smoother if it is picked up in 8:12. These 11 verses are also not found in the best of manuscripts or are found placed in different parts of the gospels. Although this is true, the passage has been accepted to still have the veracity of Scripture and it is still good to consider what the passage means.

                As we can imagine, the Religious leaders are venting in anger at Jesus. He managed to teach the people at the feast (7:37-38) and when they sent to arrest Him, even their soldiers were stunned by His words (7:46). Jesus is now once again in the temple, “…and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them.” (8:2).

                The Religious leaders have now had enough of Jesus and they bring in a woman, who was caught in ‘the very act’ of adultery. Verses 5-6 explain their reason for doing this, saying, “Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say? They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him.” The religious leaders had thought they were very clever in bringing about this scheme to trap the Lord. They thought Jesus could only give two responses to their challenge. The first was that if He rejected the Law of Moses He would lose credibility among the people, the other option was if He held to the Law He would be viewed as merciless and without compassion.

                Jesus knew this and responded unlike any of them thought He would. He does not answer the men with a word but rather stooping down, He writes in the ground. They persist in questioning Him and He responds by saying, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again He writes on the ground, and the men leave, one by one until only Christ and the women are left. Jesus now stands back up and says, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”

                Much discussion has come about from what Jesus wrote on the ground. Obviously it must have been very confronting to the religious men who were so ready to accuse this woman of adultery. Perhaps He wrote the name of the man who she was committing adultery with. After all, how could they just have the woman and no man for Jesus to try? Perhaps He was writing all the sins they themselves had committed, hence each man left one at a time after Jesus exposed them. We really don’t know exactly what He wrote, but we do know that what He said caused them to be so ashamed that they left the woman and Jesus alone.

                Jesus, the only one who had never sinned chose to be merciful in this situation and grant the woman life. But He also warns her that she must stop living a life of sin. In His perfect wisdom, Jesus frustrated the Religious Leaders plans again, and granted grace to another unbelieving sinner.        

Response:

                This is an amazing passage about the knowledge of the Lord Jesus and the extension of His unmerited grace. As a sinful fallen human, this passage is a keen reminder that the Lord Jesus knows everything about us. He knows all our thoughts, words, actions, and all our sins. This omniscience should spur us on to continually live a life of holiness so that we will be pleasing to the Lord, live free of hypocrisy, and glorify His name by being a positive witness of who Jesus is.

Secondly, this passage reminds us that although the Lord knows our most intimate thoughts and deeds, he is a mighty Saviour and one who is willing to wash away our sins and make us clean again. By confession and repentance the Lord will forgive all those who trust in His name.     

 

The Gospel of John: John 7:37-53

John 7:37-53

Title: Jesus is the Living Water.

Analysis:

                Now it was the last day of the feast and Christ makes one final call to the people proclaiming once again that salvation is through Him alone. This declaration in verses 37-38 says, “If anyone is thirsty, let Him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” The Lord called to the people using the same illustration as when He spoke to the woman at the well (4:10). Offering to them that as the Christ, He will bring quench their spiritual thirst.

                The people once again became divided over Christ and argue amongst themselves whether or not Jesus is the Christ. The unbelieving crowd says in verse 42, “Has not the scripture said that the Christ comes from the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” In a tragic proclamation, the crowds do not even realize that Jesus was from the line of David and was indeed born in Bethlehem. Instead they believed Him to be from Galilee. These unbelieving people had taken the time to know the prophecies of Christ, but had never looked into His very lineage and birthplace. They lacked interest in the Messianic proof of Christ and rather speculated in their own minds whether or not to believe in Him. Because of this there was another division in the crowd towards Jesus. Some wanted to seize Him, but because His time had not yet come, no one laid hands on Him.

                Not only were the crowds ignorant of Christ, but the real ignorance lay within the religious leaders. Even the officers who were told to arrest Jesus did not bring Him back to the religious leaders saying in verse 46, “Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks.” The religious are furious with their soldiers mockingly asking them if they had been led astray and telling them that the crowd is accursed for listening to Christ.

                John, in a remarkable way, inserts the words of Nicodemus, one of the major religious leaders of the day. He was the man, who had come to Jesus by night earlier, and John shows us that unlike the other religious elite, he had not closed his mind to Christ. Instead quite the opposite is true and he speaks in the Lords favour in verse 51 saying, “Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing does it?” Angered by the report of the officers and the claims of Christ, the other religious men mockingly question him wondering whether he ‘is from Galilee as well’.

                Utterly blinded were both the people and the religious leaders to Christ that they rejected Him without even looking to see whether or not he was actually born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the line of David the King. Instead they rejected Him as Lord, because their hearts were hardened to a Messiah who could save them from their sins.          

Response:

                As John has been writing His gospel about Jesus he has continued to give proofs that Jesus truly was from God and was the long awaited Messiah King of Israel. As I studied this passage I realized that there are so many people who are still divided over Christ today. These people must be instructed to know who Jesus really is. They should be showed that their unbelief is wrong and that Jesus Christ is truly the Saviour of the World. As we know it is our responsibility to go and make disciples for Christ. Teaching them what He taught and explaining to them that He is the Saviour of their souls, if they repent and put their trust fully in Him. 

The Gospel of John: John 7:1-36

John 7:1-36

Title: The Messiah Teaches in the Midst of the Feast.

Analysis:

                Jesus, now approximately six months later is walking in Galilee. He had left the crowds and had only been teaching those who were truly committed to Him. The crowds had wanted to make Him king and the religious leaders wanted to kill Him. At this time it is the feast of Booths, and Jesus brothers who were not believing in Him suggest to Him that He go to the feast and display His miracles before the people (vs. 3-4). Jesus was unwilling though and replies in verse 8, “Go up to the feast yourselves; I do not go up to this feast because My time has not yet fully come.”

                After hearing His response, His brothers and family leave and go to the feast while Jesus stayed in Galilee. In verse 10 though we seem to come to a contradiction for after His brother’s leave, Jesus Himself departs and goes to the feast but in secret. Perhaps while the Lord was alone, the Father had directed Him to go. Regardless, Christ did leave for the feast but avoided the religious leaders who sought to kill Him (vs.11).

                The crowds, who attended the feast were divided as to whether to believe that Jesus was a good man or be convinced that He led others astray (vs.13). But they too only spoke of Him in secret for fear of the authority that the Jews held. Although the crowds were hostile, this did not prevent the Saviour from continuing His ministry. In the midst of the feast Jesus reveals Himself at the temple and begins a three part declaration of His relationship with His Heavenly Father. First Christ declares that His authority is from the Father, second, that He came from the Father, and third, that He will depart to the Father.

                The first of these declarations come in verses 14-24. Amazed by His wisdom, the Jews were questioning between themselves as to how Jesus could have such wisdom while having never been educated. Jesus, knowing their thoughts and words replied to them saying that His teaching is not from Himself but rather, “…His who sent me.” Jesus was not like the other self-proclaimed Messiahs that had come before Him. They speak for themselves (vs. 18) but Christ spoke for the Father. Therefore, “…He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.” This declaration was another proof that Jesus was Messiah, for He spoke for the Father. He sums up His declaration of authority by saying in verse 24, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgement.” Jesus’ wisdom, teaching, actions, impact, and deeds all testified to the fact that He was God and His authority came from God.

                Secondly, Christ proclaims that He came from the Father (vs. 25-31). And at this time, some of the crowd recognized Him as Jesus, the man whom the religious leaders were trying to kill. They question the ruler’s thoughts of Christ and decide in their own minds that He can’t be the Christ. Both the rulers and the people could not firmly decide who Jesus was. Jesus cries out to the people once again telling them in verse 28, “You both know Me and know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.” Jesus confronts their unbelief in Him by saying once again that He came from the Father. While some of the crowd believed in His name the Pharisees were still indignant.

                We see this hatred develop in verses 32-36 where Jesus completes His third declaration saying He will depart to the Father whom He came. Verse 32 says, “The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about Him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees made plans to seize Him.” Jesus, knowing these plans boldly tells them that He would only be with them a little while, and then He would leave to the Father. Where He was going they could not follow, because they did not believe in His name. They Jews, not understanding tragically mock Jesus’ words not realising that they speak to their own condemnation to judgement. The Lord was soon to go to His eternal home, and only those who believed in Him, would follow Him there.

Response:

                How am I to respond to this Jesus? As John has been outlining throughout His gospel we see the continuing animosity towards the Saviour. He is rejected by the people (6:60-66), the religious leaders (7:32), and even His own family (7:3-5). Isaiah rightly did prophecy about Christ when he said in Isaiah 53:3, “He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.” This Jesus lived a life of rejection but He was not to be rejected for all time. Many believed in His name and many more have come to salvation by His work of death on the cross. His rejection by sinners like me has now turned into a life of worship and praises to this most High King. And as I live the rest of my days here on earth, I will never cease to bring ultimate glory to His name.

The Gospel of John: John 6:22-71

John 6:22-71

Title: “I am the Bread of Life”

Analysis:

                John continues to bring us through the ministry of Jesus and we now come to the first of Jesus’ “I Am” statements. These statements convey to the people that Jesus is the Messiah, Son of God, and only way to the Father. Jesus was not just a prophet nor just a miracle-worker but rather the Son of God who came to this earth to save people from their sins.

                In verses 22-25, we see the people’s urgent desire to get to the Lord, so urgent that they travel across the Sea of Galilee to be in His presence. They find Him and question Him saying, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” The people did not seek Jesus Himself and the Lord immediately exposes their hearts to them. He knew full well that they sought Him only for the food and rebukes them saying, “Do not work for the food which perishes but for the food which endures to eternal life.” The crowds are displeased and ask Jesus for a sign, once again showing their hearts, for they really wanted food again.

                Jesus now states plainly to the crowd in verse 35, “I am the bread of life.” This is the pinnacle of our Lords entire discourse with the people. Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ will never perish and will never be cast away. And even in the last day Jesus Himself will raise up those who put their trust in His name.               

                John now interjects the thoughts and words of the crowds both here in vs. 41-42 and also in vs. 52. As the passage continues the Jews grow continually hostile and begin to reject the words of the Messiah. In vs. 42-43 they mock the Lord saying, “Is not this Jesus…son of Joseph…How does he now say, ‘I have come down out of Heaven’?”

                The Lord, ever mindful of the grumbling and hateful thoughts of the unbelievers directly addresses them and confronts their unbelief. He continues to explain that no one can come unless the Father draws him. Also, He confronts their desire for physical food saying in verse 48-50, “I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from Heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.”

                Still, the unbelieving Jews argue with themselves (vs. 52) because they did not understand His words. Jesus explains once again that they must, “…eat my flesh and drink my blood…” (Vs. 54) and also, “…so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me.” (Vs. 57).

                Because of this call to commitment that the Lord Jesus Christ made of His disciples was hard to understand and believe, many who had only followed Him for the food and wonder of the miracles were rooted out and left (vs. 66). Jesus now focuses on His own 12 disciples and questions them saying, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” Peter, as a spokesman of the disciples gives a very profound and amazing response in verses 68-69 saying, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that you are the Holy one of God.” What an amazing confession he makes. Unlike the people who followed Jesus for the superficial gain, Peter begins by calling Christ ‘Lord”. He declares their submission to Him as master and proclaims that He alone has the words of eternal life.

                But even Jesus Himself knew that one of them would betray Him. John, is this section of scripture shows us that although it seemed that many truly followed Christ, the reality was it was only very few. And even among the Messiah’s closest disciples, one of them hated him with an utmost hatred.             

Response:

What is an appropriate response to reading this passage? In a word, ‘belief’; complete belief that Jesus Christ the Holy Son of God is the King of the universe and the only one who can save my soul from eternal punishment in hell. Jesus truly is the ‘Bread of Life’ and only those who partake in His body can be called Children of God. I must confess with Peter that Jesus is in fact, ‘Lord’ and not just say it but rather believe it and live it out. Those who were truly Disciples of Christ did not leave Him in this situation; instead they saw their ultimate need for them, realizing that without Him they could do absolutely nothing.  

 

Blessings,

          Lucas C. 

The Gospel of John: John 6:1-21

John 6:1-21

Title: Miraculous displays of Christ’s Deity.

Analysis:

                Jesus has now left the Religious leaders in Jerusalem letting them stew over the declarations He had made. The Lord was interested in serving those who would believe in His name. It is quite possible that these next events that John describes in his gospel take place 6 months or even 1 year after our Lord’s confrontation with the Pharisees. Jesus has now travelled from the southern area of Jerusalem, into the northern regions of Galilee.

                As he travelled we see that a large crowd begins to follow Him and the disciples (vs. 2). No doubt the massage of Jesus and the miracles he performed had been widespread throughout the many surrounding districts. The people “…saw the signs which He was performing…” and this was the real motivation for their following.

                Regardless, the Lord is very compassionate and performs an astounding miracle to put His disciples to the test and once again show His deity. Our Lord questions Phillip as a test in verse 5 saying, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?” The Lord was testing Phillip, who responded by reasoning that even 8 months of wages would not be enough to buy food for all the people. Andrew came to Jesus with a child who had five loaves and two fish, offering it to the Lord while realizing that it was far too little to feed the multitude.

                Jesus was unfazed by the minimal amount of food and tells His disciples to command the people to sit down. In total, about 20,000 people were present. Our Lord then took both the loaves and the fish and blessing them, distributed food to all who were seated. In an astounding display of His glory the Lord creates both bread and fish from nothing. The people were filled and satisfied with their food. Jesus then commands the disciples to gather the leftovers. In total they collect twelve small basketfuls, each of which would have been sufficient to feed themselves. Once again the Lord shows His provision not only by feeding the thousands but also feeding His disciples. 

                Unfortunately the crowd’s response was one of unbelief. Verse 15 says, “So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.” The people were satisfied and filled but not with what would give them eternal life. They rejected Christ’s ability to give them spiritual food, but demanded that he give them physical sustenance. They did not believe in Him as Lord and Messiah; rather they wanted a man of power who could give them the earthly pleasure that they eagerly sought after. Our Lord understood this and immediately removed Himself from their selfish grasp.

                      The disciples, having been left by Jesus decide to travel across the sea to the city of Capernaum. While they travel it has become dark and the sea is disturbed by a storm. They began rowing for shore, when suddenly Jesus appears before then walking on the water. The disciples were terrified by His appearance and even thought He may be a ghost (Matt. 14:26). It was not, but rather it was the Lord displaying his deity. He comforts them by saying, “It is I, do not be afraid.” The disciples receive Him into the boat and are miraculously transported immediately to land.

Response:

                These miracles have once again affirmed the complete deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. As part of personal application I need to guard my heart and sinful desires so that I am not like the crowd. The crowd wanted to Jesus because He could meet their immediate physical need; but this is not the reason why He came. Christ came to save people from their sins not from their poverty. I am reminded that Jesus as my Saviour wants me to be filled with spiritual food so that I may serve Him and spread His gospel to all people.   

The Gospel of John: John 5:19-47

John 5:19-47

Title: Jesus Declares His Equality with God the Father.

Analysis:

                In this specific section of the Gospel of John we see Jesus declare to the religious elite who He really was. He boldly proclaims that He is equal with God in power and authority (5:19-30), next he gives the testimony of four witnesses each of which prove his claims to be true.  In 5:31-35 he gives the witness of John the Baptist, in 5:36 his works witness to Him, In 5:37-38 the Father bears witness, and finally in 5:39-47 Moses bears witness that Jesus is the Christ.

                Herein this first section (vs. 19-30) lays one of the greatest Christological discourses in all of scripture proclaimed by the Lord himself.  It begins with, “Jesus answered…” and it proclaims the equality of The Son God with God himself. First, Jesus claims to be equal with God as a person (vs. 19) saying, “The Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something he sees the Father doing…” Jesus says that both He and God are one and the same. Secondly Jesus claims to be equal with God in life, saying in verse 21, “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.” Both the father and the Son are givers of life, an attribute that con only be given to God. Therefore in this claim, Christ once again declares himself equal with God. Thirdly, Jesus claims to be equal with God in honour (vs. 23). “So that all will honour the Son even as they honour the Father. He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Fathers who sent Him.”  All throughout Scripture, we see that God alone is worthy of honour (Rev. 19:10; 22:9), and this passage is no exception. If Jesus were not God, He would not demand or receive worship from mankind. But Jesus was and is God; therefore we must worship and honour Him in everything.

                In verse 24 Jesus makes a transition starting with “Truly, Truly, I say to you…” And in the following verses, the Lord proclaims that all men will one day be resurrected to life and will be judged by Himself who is the Son of Man. Those who performed good deeds will receive life and those who committed evil deeds will receive death. Jesus then summarizes in vs. 30 by confirming that all he says is by the one who sent Him, that is the Father.

                As we reach verse 31, Jesus now begins to witness that what he says about Himself is true by using four different sources. First, John the Baptist is a witness to Jesus. Verse 33 says, “You have sent to John and he testified to the truth.” And verse 35 says, “He was the lamp that was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in its light.” John was witness to the Christ; the herald that was prophesied to come before Messiah (Is. 40:3). As Jesus says his testimony is true.

                 Secondly, the very works that Jesus performed shouted forth as a witness that he must be from God. Verse 36 reads, “…for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish – the very works that I do – testify about Me. That the Father has sent Me.” Jesus says that his works are and even more powerful testimony than John the Baptist was. The religious leaders knew this, for did not Nicodemus, ‘…the teacher of Israel…’ even say in John 3:2, “We know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Christ’s miracles were undoubtedly true, for even the people who rejected Him most, could not deny this fact.

                Once again, Jesus gives another witness that testifies about who He is. This third witness is the Father himself. Verse 37 says, “And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me.” The reason that the religious men do not believe in Jesus is explained further by the Lord who says, “You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form.” Although the witness of the Father was also true the people’s eyes were to open to this truth. Jesus now uses one more witness that declares he must be the promised Messiah and Son of God.

                This fourth witness is the very words of God themselves (vs. 39-46). Jesus says in verse 39, “You search the scriptures…it is these that testify about me.” These religious men were amazing students of the law, many of them having memorized most if not all of the Old Testament, but even with their knowledge they eyes were blinded to see that the O.T. scriptures testified about Jesus as the Messiah (Dt. 18:15; Is. 53; Is. 7:14; 9:6; 11:2;). Even Moses, says Jesus, will accuse them for they believed in Moses but did not believe in the Son of God.

                And thus Jesus ends the most amazing declaration of Himself as the Messiah, Son of God, and even God Himself. There can be no greater evidence than what the Lord provided in this chapter and it is a call to unbelievers who doubt who He is to turn from their sin and believe.                               

 

Response:

                After reading and studying such an amazing passage on the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, I feel that the only proper response is humility and worship. He was and is God the very Saviour of my sins who bore such a harsh burden upon the tree. In His sovereignty he knew he would bear this cross and be crushed as a sacrificial lamb in my stead (Is. 53:5-7). Thoughts of His great mercy must evoke songs of praise and adoration to his holy name. And I cannot help but say with Paul, “O the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has become his counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to Him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” 

The Gospel of John: John 5:1-18

John 5:1-18

Title: Christ heals the Paralytic on the Sabbath.

Analysis:

                John now quickly transitions from Jesus being in Galilee to now back in Jerusalem for the feast of the Jews. As we have seen in this gospel so far; we will continue to see the rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. First he was believed in at Samaria (4:7-42), then he was doubted to be the Messiah in Galilee (4:43-54), and finally he will be persecuted by the religious elite while in Jerusalem (5:16-18) and ultimately rejected and hated by them (7:20-52).In our passage today we see the Sign of the Saviour (5:1-9), the Resentment of the Religious (5:10-15), and the Scheme to Slay (5:16-18).

                Jesus, who had now arrived in Jerusalem came with His disciples to the pool of Bethesda, a place where those who were lame, blind, withered, and sick stayed. Jesus singles out a man from among the crowd, one who had been there ill for 38 years. The Lord observes him lying there and asks the man, “Do you wish to get well?” (vs. 6). To us this question seems almost laughable giving the fact that the man had been ill for almost four decades. But our Lord had a greater motivation for asking the question. He was looking for faith in the man and he finds it.

The man does not respond sharply or mockingly of Jesus question but rather explains his reason as to why he was not healed. Jesus sees his sincerity and opens His mouth again to speak to the man saying, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.” With a word, the Lord commands and heals this man in a supernatural display of His divine nature and relationship with God. The cure is immediate (vs. 9) and those who saw it were amazed by Jesus works.

                Although this healing was amazing John quickly switches gears in the end of verse 9 saying, “It was the Sabbath on that day.” With these words the mood changes dramatically and one can almost hear the approaching footsteps of the Pharisees as they come to us in verse 10.

Instantly the religious elite saw the man who was healed carrying his pallet and confronted him. They bring to his attention not an O.T. law that was given by God but rather one of the many Oral traditions kept by the Pharisees and Sadducees. A rule they had created, saying it was not permissible for a man to carry his pallet on the Sabbath. Rebuking Him they then ask who it was who made him well but the man did not know. Jesus then finds the man in the temple not much later and reveals to him that He is the Christ. The man then lets the Jewish leaders know it was the Lord who made him well.   

                We now come to the third section of this narrative by John and see the hatred that the Religious leaders had for Jesus the Christ. Immediately after hearing that it was Jesus who healed the man on the Sabbath they plotted against Him. The Lord answers their persecution by saying in verse 17, “My Father is working until now and I Myself am working.”  Enraged that he was not only breaking the Sabbath but also calling God His own Father, the Jews plot against the Saviour as to how they might destroy Him. Jesus proclaimed boldly by making Himself equal with God and the religious leaders hated Him for this. Jesus does not back down from this challenge but rather, as we will see in the next few sections, Jesus begins to prove to the Religious leaders His equality with God. This was the purpose that He came to this earth, so that we might know that He is the light and all who come to the Father must go through Him.   

 

Blessings,

              Lucas C.