Let us read John 7:25-30. At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, "Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? Here He is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to Him. Have the authorities really concluded that He is the Christ? But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, no one will know where He is from." Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, " Yes, you know Me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own, but He who sent Me is true. You do not know Him, but I know Him because I am from Him and He sent Me." At this they tried to seize Him, but no one laid a hand on Him, because His time had not yet come.
It was halfway through the Feast of Tabernacles (which was to last for eight days) and Jesus was teaching in the temple courts. The residents of Jerusalem were aware of a plot by the Pharisees to kill Jesus. So they were puzzled as to why Jesus was not being arrested. They were wondering at the freedom of Jesus to go about teaching publicly at the temple courts. They thought that perhaps the religious authorities had already concluded that Jesus was indeed the Christ. They themselves would not believe that He was the Christ. According to them, they knew the origin of Jesus and so He could not possibly be the Messiah. Most of them expected that the Christ would be completely divine with no earthly origin. Jesus commented that even if they knew His earthly origin, they did not know the One who sent Him. Jesus was clearly alluding to God the Father as the One who sent Him. He said that they did not know the Father from whom Jesus came. It was the same as saying that they did not know God. This angered the Jews and they tried to seize Him. But God did not allow them to take Jesus because His ministry was not yet finished.
Let’s read the next verses John 7:31-32. Still, many in the crowd put their faith in Him. They said, "When the Christ comes, will He do more miraculous signs than this man?" The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about Him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest Him.
A good number of those who were at the feast put their trust in Jesus either as a prophet or as the Messiah. They truly wondered if anyone else could ever do more miracles than Jesus. The Pharisees were alarmed at the spread of this impression about Jesus. They saw the need to stem any further increase in His popularity. So they sent the temple guards to arrest Jesus.
Let’s read on to John 7:33-36. Jesus said, "I am with you for only a short time, and then I go to the One who sent me. You will look for Me, but you will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come." The Jews said to one another, "Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find Him? Will He go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? What did He mean when He said, `You will look for Me, but you will not find Me,’ and `Where I am, you cannot come’?"
Jesus was already aware that His time on earth was going to end soon. The Pharisees were actively seeking to arrest Jesus so they could kill Him. Thus He told the crowd at the feast that He would soon be gone and that they would not be able to find Him or to go where He would be. This caused confusion among His listeners. They wondered if Jesus was planning to escape to the Greek territories where many Jews had migrated. Countless Jews lived in foreign lands. The number of Jews abroad were many times over the population of Palestine during the time of Jesus. The listeners of Jesus thought that He could be planning to go abroad and teach the foreign Jews. But we know that they were wrong. Jesus was not going to the Jews abroad. He was going to die for man’s sins in order to redeem man. That was the work He had to do as the CHRIST.
Let’s read the final verses John 7:37-39. On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. Up to that time he Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
The last day of the feast had come. It was the greatest day of the celebrations. Now, water was a scarce commodity in the whole of Palestine. By necessity, whenever many people converged for a religious ceremony, water was sold in the streets. There was not enough water for everyone in a big festival such as the Feast of Tabernacles which lasted for eight days. So after seven days, the people in the temple area must have been extremely thirsty. Water was also spiritually important. It was used to symbolize the cleansing of the soul. All Jews were familiar with this symbolism. Thus water also had a spiritual symbolism.
The Jews in Jesus’ time were undergoing a spiritual thirst. Their spirits yearned to be refreshed from the spiritual drought brought about by the doctrine of the Pharisees. Their religion consisted of countless worldly requirements. The Jews were led to believe that it was enough to merely perform all those requirements without having to pursue a real relationship with the living God. They saw no need to listen to God, seek His guidance, and obey whatever God might reveal to each heart. Their spirits were dying from their lack of spiritual nourishment. During the many decades before Jesus came to earth, God had not sent any prophet to proclaim God’s word. They were under a curse from God: " ‘The days are coming,’ declares the Sovereign Lord, ‘when I will send a famine through the land —not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it’. " ( Amos 8:11-12 )
Jesus used the occasion to proclaim an end to that curse. On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus loudly said that anyone who is spiritually thirsty can come to Him to drink of the spiritual water — the kind that both quenches the thirst of the spirit and cleanses the soul. God’s word was once again being proclaimed, and the Christ Himself was proclaiming it: Only Jesus the Christ can save us from the spiritual drought that can kill our souls. When we believe in Him, we are made to drink of His living water and our spirits shall never thirst again. Any person who listens to the words of Jesus with a heart that trusts Him will truly be refreshed. A heart that does not trust Jesus will never benefit from His words. The person who trusts our Saviour is ever so enthusiastic to hear His words again and again and again. He will always be able to draw up new and refreshing nourishment even from verses which he had heard many times before. Experience tells us that those who do not trust our Lord will use every reason they can invent just to avoid giving their lives to Jesus. Some will find ways and means to cast some doubt on the words of our Lord. Others will make up any excuse to stay away from Him. We can find in today’s verses both kinds of human character: those who believed Jesus and those who did not. Those who did not believe Him even went as far as actively seeking His death. How about us ? Do we keep on going to Him to partake of the living water ? Do we continually seek the wisdom of His words ? Are we always trusting Him to free us from the spiritual bondages that have held our hearts and minds in captivity ? Jesus can do so much for us if we actively trust Him with everything in our lives. God bless all of us.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
LETTING GOD BE GOD IN OUR OWN LIVES IN SPITE OF OUR OWN PLANS
Our views concerning God would dictate how we would
1) view the ways of God in our own particular lives and,
2) react to Him by revising our own lives to conform to His will.
Let us read today’s verses — Luke 7:17-23
This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country. John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, he sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are You the One who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So He replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of Me."
It seems that the news about the miracles of Jesus had spread far and wide, and that He was being regarded by the people as either the MESSIAH ( as foretold in many parts of the Old Testament ) or as the PROPHET who would prepare the people for the Messiah’s arrival ( foretold in Isaiah 40:3-5 ). Now John the Baptist knew that he himself was not the Messiah. He knew that his role was that of the prophet — "a voice crying out in the wilderness" — the one who was sent merely to prepare the way for the coming Lord who was to bring salvation. Therefore, John the Baptist knew that the awaited Messiah was the only one who had not yet been revealed.
The prevailing notion about the Messiah was that he would redeem the Jews from the yoke of the Roman colonizers. If Jesus was to fit that image, He had to have the characteristics of one who would militarily unite the Jews and lead them against the mighty Romans. At that time of Jesus’ miracles, He was indeed popular enough to ignite such a revolution. But Jesus never spoke of starting an armed struggle against the Romans. All He ever talked about was the kingdom of God. And instead of arousing the people to a revolution, He talked about loving others - even loving their enemies. This led John to question if Jesus was truly the promised Messiah.
When John sent his disciples to confront Jesus with that precise question, Jesus had a remarkably direct answer. He replied by pointing to the many miracles that He had been doing which only God could perform —— " tell John ..... the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the gospel is preached to the poor". This reply was meant by Jesus to remind John of the time when he baptized Jesus. For as he baptized Jesus, John heard the words of God the Father : "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased "(Matt. 3:17 ).
Jesus’s answer to the disciples of John ended with a remark which carried both a rebuke and an encouragement. " Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me " was how Jesus finished His reply.
It was a REBUKE to John who had personally heard God’s voice identifying Jesus as His Son. But later, John started to doubt this truth that God had spoken, mainly because Jesus did not seem to fit the role the Messiah was expected to be. This rebuke was meant to correct the prejudice of those who would cling to their preconceived ideas about how God must act.
People view their lives as the arena in which God will act, thinking that their personal plans and notions are the boundaries within which God must act. They believe that anything which deviates from their personal plans and notions would probably not have come from God. This is a common mistake in the way people think. We oftentimes have this mindset that God’s will for our lives must function only within the limits of our own ideas about the future. So when God acts in ways contrary to our ideas, we feel "offended" as Jesus warned.
Subjugating ( or regarding as less important ) the will of God to our own will is WRONG !
" Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him And He shall direct your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes ; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. " ( Proverbs 3:5-7 )
John was being rebuked for leaning on his own understanding. He was somehow trying to limit God to the boundaries of his own understanding of the future. He was being wise in his own eyes. This is an important lesson for us to learn because we often expect God to act within the confines of our own understanding, our own plans, our own will. What God requires of us is actually the reverse. In trusting God with all our heart, our will must conform to God’s will, our ways must conform to God’s ways, and our well-being and our future must be totally surrendered to His abounding love and mercy for us.
The reply of Jesus was also an ENCOURAGEMENT. He who is not offended at God’s chosen ways ( which may differ from our expectations ) will be rewarded. Only the person who truly fears and trusts God can wholeheartedly embrace God’s ways. Just the way Jesus prayed before he was killed, " Yet not as I will, but as You will " ( Matt.26:39 ). Let’s read the rest of today’s verses Luke 7:24-28 After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.This is the one about whom itis written: ‘I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way before You.’ I tell you, among those born of women, there is no one greater than John, yet the One who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." (NIV)
After the disciples of John left, Jesus spoke to the people concerning John the Baptist. Jesus confirmed that John was the prophet that God had sent to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. And Jesus said that there was no greater prophet among all men than John. He ended by saying, " ... but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater " than John. By this Jesus was NOT saying that John will not enter heaven. What Jesus was saying was that at that point in time, John did not have as much trust in Jesus as "anyone who is" the least in the kingdom. At that point in time, John had not completely surrendered his own understanding unto the will of Jesus.
How about us ? Are we completely trusting our own understanding ? Are we trying to be wise by our own human standards ? Or have we surrendered our ways to God’s ways ? Our will to God’s will ? In all our ways, we are to render ourselves as subjects to His will, and He shall oversee our paths with His love and His grace. God bless you.
1) view the ways of God in our own particular lives and,
2) react to Him by revising our own lives to conform to His will.
Let us read today’s verses — Luke 7:17-23
This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country. John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, he sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are You the One who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So He replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of Me."
It seems that the news about the miracles of Jesus had spread far and wide, and that He was being regarded by the people as either the MESSIAH ( as foretold in many parts of the Old Testament ) or as the PROPHET who would prepare the people for the Messiah’s arrival ( foretold in Isaiah 40:3-5 ). Now John the Baptist knew that he himself was not the Messiah. He knew that his role was that of the prophet — "a voice crying out in the wilderness" — the one who was sent merely to prepare the way for the coming Lord who was to bring salvation. Therefore, John the Baptist knew that the awaited Messiah was the only one who had not yet been revealed.
The prevailing notion about the Messiah was that he would redeem the Jews from the yoke of the Roman colonizers. If Jesus was to fit that image, He had to have the characteristics of one who would militarily unite the Jews and lead them against the mighty Romans. At that time of Jesus’ miracles, He was indeed popular enough to ignite such a revolution. But Jesus never spoke of starting an armed struggle against the Romans. All He ever talked about was the kingdom of God. And instead of arousing the people to a revolution, He talked about loving others - even loving their enemies. This led John to question if Jesus was truly the promised Messiah.
When John sent his disciples to confront Jesus with that precise question, Jesus had a remarkably direct answer. He replied by pointing to the many miracles that He had been doing which only God could perform —— " tell John ..... the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the gospel is preached to the poor". This reply was meant by Jesus to remind John of the time when he baptized Jesus. For as he baptized Jesus, John heard the words of God the Father : "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased "(Matt. 3:17 ).
Jesus’s answer to the disciples of John ended with a remark which carried both a rebuke and an encouragement. " Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me " was how Jesus finished His reply.
It was a REBUKE to John who had personally heard God’s voice identifying Jesus as His Son. But later, John started to doubt this truth that God had spoken, mainly because Jesus did not seem to fit the role the Messiah was expected to be. This rebuke was meant to correct the prejudice of those who would cling to their preconceived ideas about how God must act.
People view their lives as the arena in which God will act, thinking that their personal plans and notions are the boundaries within which God must act. They believe that anything which deviates from their personal plans and notions would probably not have come from God. This is a common mistake in the way people think. We oftentimes have this mindset that God’s will for our lives must function only within the limits of our own ideas about the future. So when God acts in ways contrary to our ideas, we feel "offended" as Jesus warned.
Subjugating ( or regarding as less important ) the will of God to our own will is WRONG !
" Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him And He shall direct your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes ; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. " ( Proverbs 3:5-7 )
John was being rebuked for leaning on his own understanding. He was somehow trying to limit God to the boundaries of his own understanding of the future. He was being wise in his own eyes. This is an important lesson for us to learn because we often expect God to act within the confines of our own understanding, our own plans, our own will. What God requires of us is actually the reverse. In trusting God with all our heart, our will must conform to God’s will, our ways must conform to God’s ways, and our well-being and our future must be totally surrendered to His abounding love and mercy for us.
The reply of Jesus was also an ENCOURAGEMENT. He who is not offended at God’s chosen ways ( which may differ from our expectations ) will be rewarded. Only the person who truly fears and trusts God can wholeheartedly embrace God’s ways. Just the way Jesus prayed before he was killed, " Yet not as I will, but as You will " ( Matt.26:39 ). Let’s read the rest of today’s verses Luke 7:24-28 After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.This is the one about whom itis written: ‘I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way before You.’ I tell you, among those born of women, there is no one greater than John, yet the One who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." (NIV)
After the disciples of John left, Jesus spoke to the people concerning John the Baptist. Jesus confirmed that John was the prophet that God had sent to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. And Jesus said that there was no greater prophet among all men than John. He ended by saying, " ... but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater " than John. By this Jesus was NOT saying that John will not enter heaven. What Jesus was saying was that at that point in time, John did not have as much trust in Jesus as "anyone who is" the least in the kingdom. At that point in time, John had not completely surrendered his own understanding unto the will of Jesus.
How about us ? Are we completely trusting our own understanding ? Are we trying to be wise by our own human standards ? Or have we surrendered our ways to God’s ways ? Our will to God’s will ? In all our ways, we are to render ourselves as subjects to His will, and He shall oversee our paths with His love and His grace. God bless you.
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