tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41073909021200125572023-06-20T22:51:29.805+09:00Mark's NT Chapter Summaries BlogMark K. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049998079571823584noreply@blogger.comBlogger132125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107390902120012557.post-64585438067201648362013-01-27T11:24:00.003+09:002013-01-27T11:24:42.887+09:00John 12, Part One
<em><span style="color: red;">Mary anoints Jesus</span> </em>(vs. 1-8)--This
appears to be the same event as recorded in <a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Mt+26"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Matthew 26</span></a> and <a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Mk+14"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Mark 14</span></a>. There are some
differences in John's account, but not contradictions. Jesus came to Bethany <span style="color: #1f497d; mso-themecolor: text2;">"<span style="color: blue;">six days before the
Passover"</span> </span>(<a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Jn+12%3A1"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">John 12:1</span></a>),
but doesn't say exactly when this supper was held; Mark tells us it was two
days before the Passover actually began (<a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Mk+14%3A1"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Mark 14:1</span></a>).
Matthew and Mark both indicate that Mary poured the ointment on Jesus' head;
John says on His feet. Obviously, she did both, and then wiped His feet with
her hair. John emphasizes that Judas complained about the waste (<a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Jn+12%3A4"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">John 12:4</span></a>);
this apparently started a murmuring among other disciples (<a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Mk+14%3A4"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Mark 14:4</span></a>).
The cost of the ointment was almost an entire year's wage at that time (300
Roman denarii), so it wasn't cheap. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus praises her actions, though, obviously
because it came from her heart; to Mary, doing something for Christ was more
valuable than the money it cost her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-themecolor: text2;"><span style="color: blue;">“The poor you have with you always”,</span></span>
Jesus tells us in verse 7, and it is a Christian’s duty to take care of those
who are less fortunate, financially.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
have largely abdicated that role to government nowadays, of course, which is
why people look to government, not to the church, for financial assistance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s partly the church’s fault; we spend so
much money entertaining our youth, building our elaborate cathedrals, and
hiring our “staff” to do our work for us that we have little money left over to
help those who truly need our help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
suspect that over half the budgets of most churches are spent on things—church buildings,
“youth ministers,” “involvement ministers”, etc. that are nowhere mentioned in
the Bible and did not exist in the first century Christianity we reputedly are
trying to restore.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">Kill Lazarus,
too</span> </i>(vs. 9-11)—Lazarus was a walking embarrassment to Christ’s
enemies—and proof of His true identity to the open-minded (he still is).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, rather than accept the implications of his
resurrection,<span style="color: blue;"> </span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-themecolor: text2;"><span style="color: black;">“</span><span style="color: blue;">the chief
priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also”</span></span> </span>(v. 10).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These people saw the resurrected Lazarus and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">still </i>rejected Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Denial of Christ is not a matter of evidence,
folks; it is purely a matter of the heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Of course, acceptance of Jesus has consequences, mainly, denial of self and
sin, and submission to Him as Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
is a price too high for many to pay. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">Jesus' triumphant
entry into Jerusalem</span> </i>(vs. 12-19)—Here we have another indisputable
proof of the deity of Christ—the fulfillment of prophecy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Zechariah has specifically mentioned this
event almost 500 years previous (Zechariah 9:9); humans do not have a capacity
to know detailed, precise events that far into the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can make general prognostications for the
near future, based upon historical trends and principles; but to know actual
occurrences, 500 years in advance, is far beyond our abilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God reserved that for Himself, and indeed
mocks other “gods” for their inability to predict the future (Isaiah
41:23).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To put Zechariah’s prophesy into
perspective, let the reader remember that 500 years ago, Columbus had barely
discovered the New World.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could anyone,
in the year 1513, have predicted Barack Obama or even the current United States
of America?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Old Testament, in effect, writes the
entire life of Christ hundreds of years before He was born.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only God could do that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus’ obtuse disciples did not understand
all of this at first (John 12:16), and the occasion further riled the
Pharisees:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <span style="color: blue;"> </span></span><span style="color: blue;">“Look, the world has gone
after Him!” </span>(v. 19).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is important to remember that Jesus always
had a large following among the common people; such is why the religious
leaders had to kill him at night, illegally, before the people knew what was
happening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, the people did not
truly understand Jesus, either, but they did sense His love and concern for
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Envy killed the Jewish Messiah.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">“The hour has
come”</span> </i>(vs. 20-26)—Being the Passover, there were Jews from many
places in Jerusalem, including, apparently, from Greece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is some difference of opinion as to who
these people were—Jews who lived in Greece?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Grecian converts to Judaism?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or,
were they actual Gentiles who, having heard about Jesus, wanted to meet with
Him?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first idea seems to be the best
to me, given John’s statement about people <span style="color: #1f497d; mso-themecolor: text2;"><span style="color: blue;">“who came to worship at the feast”</span></span> (v. 20).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gentiles wouldn’t be doing that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Regardless of their identity, they had the
right idea—they wanted to see Jesus (v. 21).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They spoke this request to Philip who, for reasons unknown, took it to
Andrew, who then brought the matter before the Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus, as He usually did, turned it into a
spiritual lesson not (always) easy to follow<span style="color: #1f497d; mso-themecolor: text2;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: blue;">“The hour has
come that the Son of Man should be gloried”</span> </span>(v. 23).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What, exactly, that had to do with some
Greeks wanting to see Him is not immediately obvious, but then, we are dealing
with the mind of God here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus speaks
of His death, comparing it to a seed that must “die,” be planted in the ground,
and then “live” again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus isn’t
discussing horticulture here, He is describing His coming crucifixion, burial,
and resurrection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He once again, though,
tells us, in effect, why so many will reject Him:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the cost is too high.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-themecolor: text2;"><span style="color: blue;">“He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this
world will keep it for eternal life”</span></span> (v. 25).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is simply a statement that we must love
Jesus more than we love this world, or even ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most people don’t want to do that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But those who serve Christ will one day be
honored by the Father (v. 26). <br />
<br />
Mark K. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049998079571823584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107390902120012557.post-75068676209896897512013-01-13T17:14:00.001+09:002013-01-13T17:14:31.812+09:00John 11, Part Two<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">Gathering at the tomb of Lazarus</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span> </span></i><span>(vs.
27-37)—Martha may have sensed, given Jesus’ last words to her, that He was
going to do something momentous. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
went to her sister Mary, in secret, to tell her that Jesus wanted her attendance
as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We probably aren’t privy to all
of the conversation Jesus and Martha had, so some of the motivation here
escapes us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, Mary quickly arose
and went to Jesus (v. 29), not telling her friends why she was leaving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They presumed<span style="color: blue;">, “She
is going to the tomb to weep there”</span> (v. 31).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That would be a reasonable presumption, but
erroneous, of course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus’ presence
was, apparently, not yet publicly known (v. 30).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mary’s agony touched Jesus deeply (v. 33), to
the extent to where He even wept (v. 35).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Controversy followed Him, even at this sad time; some couldn’t resist
taking a dig at Him:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: blue;">“Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also
have kept this man from dying?</span>” (v. 37).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am reminded of the current situation in America where liberals,
especially, use every event, such as a tragic mass murder, to try to make political
gains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The concern of such people (and,
as we see, they existed in Jesus’ days), is not for the well-being of others,
but advancing their own cause.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such
small-minded people have always existed, and always will.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Jesus was aware of their gibes, He wisely
ignored them, having a far more important mission.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">The raising of Lazarus</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span> </span></i><span>(vs. 38-44)—John
tells us that Lazarus’ tomb was “<span style="color: blue;">a cave, and a stone
lay against it</span>” (v. 38); apparently, such burial plots were not unusual
among the Jews.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Jesus commanded the
stone be removed, Martha, skeptical, was concerned about the smell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What was going through her mind?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why did she think Jesus wanted the stone
removed?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t know, but her statement
doesn’t manifest much faith in Christ at this point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, Jesus, with a pointed question, redirects
her attention to where it should be:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<span style="color: blue;">Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see
the glory of God?</span>” (v. 40).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
wasn’t her faith that raised Lazarus, of course, it was the power of God, and
Jesus fully intended to bring Martha’s brother back from the dead, whether she
believed or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In verse 42, in His
prayer to the Father, Jesus once again states the purpose of the
miraculous:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<span style="color: blue;">that
they may believe that You sent me.”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Miracles were performed not <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">because
</i>of people’s faith, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">but in order to
create it!</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Miraculous evidence to
support a miraculous claim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there is
no better evidence than that produced in this chapter, which is, no doubt one
reason why the Holy Spirit, through John, spends so much time discussing
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only God can raise the dead; man can’t
do that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus raised the dead, ergo,
Jesus came from God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is the only
conclusion that can, logically, be drawn from this story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only way to deny that is, of course, to
deny that this event ever happened in the first place, i.e., call John a liar,
which means that everything he, Matthew, Mark, Luke, Paul, and other Bible
writers wrote and said was pure fantasy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That is an awful lot of evidence to simply toss in the trash without any
attempt at refutation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John, in effect,
is saying, “Here is what is happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Refute it, if you can.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nobody
can, so it is easy to simply deny it and, more than that, try, through ridicule
and mocking, to intimidate believers into silence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Historical evidence is stubborn, though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Jesus spoke—“<span style="color: blue;">Lazarus,
come forth!</span>”—not even death could defeat Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you imagine the awe, and probably sheer
terror, of the people standing around when Lazarus came walking out of that
grave!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus, however, had only one
other thing to say:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<span style="color: blue;">Loose him, and let him go</span>” (v. 44).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Human words fail at trying to explain the
magnificence of this event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reader
is invited to use his/her own imagination and creativity in order to properly
appreciate what happened on that day.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Wouldn’t it have been interesting to
talk to Lazarus, after he was raised, to ask him where he had been and what he
had experienced!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">Belief and obstinacy </span></i><span>(vs.
45-57)—Many honest individuals did, indeed, believe in Jesus after this event
(v. 45), but some hearts are so stubborn and cold that no amount of evidence
can ever be persuasive (v. 46).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Pharisees and other religious leaders soon gathered together to take council
about what to do about Jesus (v. 47).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They could not deny the miracles He did, yea, admitted them:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: blue;">“For this Man works
many signs.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>Their fear was for
their own honored position:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: blue;">“If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in
Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation” </span>(v.
48).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That statement shows such utterly
convoluted thinking that it is hard to imagine intelligent men talking like
that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Jesus was indeed the Messiah,
come from God, with the intent of establishing the kingdom the Pharisees
wanted, then the Romans could have done nothing against Him; not even Rome
could defeat God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the Pharisees did
not draw the correct conclusion from the evidence they themselves admitted;
they did not believe that He was God, and thus, if the people tried to make Him
an earthly king (which Jesus never intended, of course), then the Romans, who
had no king but Caesar, would come and destroy Israel, and, more importantly,
the power and prestige of the Pharisees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Why not accept the evidence—<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and the
explanation of He who gave it?</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that
is something they would not do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the
high priest, Caiaphas, announced, prophetically (v. 51) that Jesus had to die—it
was either him or the nation (v. 50).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, from that day forward, the plot to kill Jesus picked up at a
feverish pace (v. 53), so much so that Jesus could no longer walk “<span style="color: blue;">openly among the Jews</span>” (v. 54).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The final Passover of Jesus’ life was near
(v. 55), and He continued to be “the talk of the town” (v. 56).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A general order was given that, if anyone
knew where Jesus was, they were to report it to the Jewish authorities (v.
57).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, the Pharisees were serious
about killing him, and the last days of His earthly sojourn are upon us.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span></span></span> </div>
Mark K. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049998079571823584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107390902120012557.post-83320309437369686742013-01-06T10:59:00.005+09:002013-01-06T10:59:47.715+09:00John 11, Part One<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">The death of Lazarus</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span> </span></i><span>(vs. 1-16)—This
is one of the most remarkable stories in the New Testament which, if true,
forever verifies the divine nature of Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Jews understood this, too, of course, which is why they wanted to
kill Jesus—and Lazarus (John 12:10-11).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some have expressed surprise that the other three gospel writers did not
include this story, but that is perhaps because they wrote while Lazarus was
still alive and did not want to draw undue attention to him because of the
Jewish leadership’s desire to kill him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For whatever reason, John includes it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This isn’t the only example of Jesus raising someone from the dead, but
it does seem to have been surrounded with the most fanfare and consequences.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Lazarus is identified in vs. 1-2 as the
brother of Mary and Martha, the same Mary who had anointed Jesus’ feet with oil
and wiped them with her feet (Matt. 26:7).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The family was good friends of Jesus, and lived in the town of Bethany,
a small village about two miles (“<span style="color: #0070c0;"><span style="color: blue;">fifteen furlongs</span></span>,”
KJV) from Jerusalem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lazarus was sick
(v. 3), and would temporarily die; that is the meaning of Jesus’ statement in
v. 4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In that verse, Jesus states the
purpose of this whole event—to bring glory to God and Himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For again, if this account actually happened,
then Jesus certainly is God and requires our allegiance and obedience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Lord waited where He was for two more
days (v. 6) before making the decision to go to Bethany, probably waiting until
his beloved friend was dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His
disciples express surprise that Jesus would go anywhere near Jerusalem again,
since the Jews were so threatening (v. 8).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But Jesus came to the earth to work and had to do that (during the “<span style="color: #0070c0;"><span style="color: blue;">day</span></span>”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
doesn’t work or travel in the dark, that’s dangerous, and in a spiritual sense,
will be disastrous (vs. 9-10).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lazarus
had died and Jesus was going to go to him, “<span style="color: #0070c0;"><span style="color: blue;">that
you may believe</span></span>” (v. 15)—more evidence to convince the disciples who
Jesus really was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His apostles were
willing to go wherever He went (v. 16).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At least for the moment.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">“I am the resurrection and the life”</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span> </span></i><span>(vs.
17-27)—By the time Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had been dead for four
days (v. 17).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A crowd had gathered to
comfort, and mourn with, the family (v. 19).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was a perfect setting for a notable miracle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When she heard that He had arrived, Martha
came to meet Jesus; for unknown reasons, Mary remained in the house (v. 20).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The following conversation between Jesus and
Martha is striking and enlightening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Martha’s incomplete, yet growing, knowledge of Jesus is evident from her
statement, <span style="color: #0070c0;"><span style="color: blue;">“Lord, if You had been here, my brother
would not have died.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But even now I know
that whatever You ask of God, God will give You”</span></span> (vs. 21-22).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus did not have to be there heal Lazarus, He
certainly could have done it from a distance, so Martha was still confused as
to the totality of His power, and thus His full identity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, she had enough faith in Him to believe
that He could raise Lazarus from the dead if He asked God to do so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus tells her that Lazarus would live
again, which she misinterprets as the final resurrection (v. 24).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus then speaks some of the most beautiful,
and comforting—and breathtaking —words, recorded in Scripture:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <span style="color: blue;"> </span></span><span style="color: #0070c0;"><span style="color: blue;">“I am the
resurrection and the life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He who
believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And whoever lives and believes in Me shall
never die”</span></span> (vs. 25-26).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Jesus
isn’t God, then He was utterly insane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How could any mere human make a claim like this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many such statements by Jesus could only be
based upon Him being the Son of God, i.e., God in the flesh, an earthly, living
manifestation of deity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If indeed Jesus
is God, then the words here are among the most comforting He ever spoke—<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">eternal life </i>awaits the believer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Martha expresses her belief in Jesus being
the Christ, though, as noted, her understanding was apparently somewhat faulty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She, like all other Jews, had been
(erroneously) educated to expect certain things from their Messiah, things
which Jesus wasn’t providing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
confused them and made them fully unsure of His plans and power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But her faith was deep enough, and her love
for Jesus was certainly deep. </span></span></div>
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Mark K. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049998079571823584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107390902120012557.post-87953158523599993592013-01-01T11:18:00.003+09:002013-01-01T11:18:40.825+09:00John 10, Part Two<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“I am the Father are one”</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span></i></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(vs. 22-30)—The scene here is three
months later, the Feast of Dedication, which took place around (our) December
18 and lasted for eight days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was not
a Mosaic feast, but rather was instituted in 164 B.C. by Judas Maccabees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Greek emperor, Antiochus Epiphanes, had
grossly defiled the temple, but a revolt, led by the Maccabee family, actually
gained independence for the Jews for about 100 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Judas had cleansed and rededicated the temple
in 164, and this feast was a commemoration of that event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The word “<span style="color: #0070c0;"><span style="color: blue;">winter</span></span>”
in verse 22 implies nasty, inclement weather, which is why Jesus was in <span style="color: #0070c0;"><span style="color: blue;">Solomon’s porch</span></span><span style="color: #002060;"> </span>(v.
23), which was the covered entrance at the east of the temple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The question the Jews asked Him doesn’t
suggest sincere curiosity, but anger, frustration, and malice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, once again, Jesus does not give them a
direct answer, but points them to the evidence (v. 25).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Words are virtually useless; proof is in
deeds and Jesus had done “<span style="color: #0070c0;"><span style="color: blue;">works</span></span>” that “<span style="color: #0070c0;"><span style="color: blue;">bear witness of me</span></span>” (v. 25)</span><span style="color: #002060;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A person must have the
right kind of heart, however, to accept truth (Luke 8:15), and these Jews did
not (v. 26).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those who remain faithful
to the Lord shall have eternal life (vs. 27-28); because the Father is greater
and more powerful “<span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-themecolor: accent1;"><span style="color: blue;">than all</span></span>”,
Jesus’ sheep are secure in the Father’s hand--<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">as long as they remain faithful. </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-themecolor: accent1;">“<span style="color: blue;">Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life</span>” </span>(Rev.
2:10).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus then closes this section
with a remarkable statement:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-themecolor: accent1;">“<span style="color: blue;">I and the Father are one</span></span>”--“<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-themecolor: accent1;">the</span>”</span> Father (ASV), not “My”
Father (KJV; NKJV).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is an obvious
claim for deity, and the Jews understood it as such.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“You are gods”</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span></i></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(vs. 31-42)—That the Jews understood
that Jesus was claiming to be God is evident from the next verse:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>they were going to stone Him, which was the
Old Testament penalty for blasphemy (Lev. 24:14-16).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They told Jesus that was the reason:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-themecolor: text2;">“<span style="color: blue;">You, being a man, make yourself God”</span> </span>(v. 33).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus then throws them a curve by quoting an
Old Testament passage to them, <span style="color: #1f497d; mso-themecolor: text2;">“<span style="color: blue;">I
said, You are gods</span>”</span> (Ps. 82:6).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The context of Psalms 82 refers to judges, or prophets, who had received
the Word of God; they are perhaps given that title, “gods”, because they were
given God’s message to pass on to the people. Jesus’ point here is that, if
these mortal men, who were simply spokesmen for God, could be given the
appellation “gods,” then how much more should Jesus, Who had truly done the
works of God and proven by proper evidence that He indeed was God, be rightly
called “God.”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Since these Pharisaical
Jews did not, themselves, do the works of God (v. 37), then it is not
surprising that they would not recognize someone who did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the Lord again encourages them to look at
what He was doing, not just at what He was saying (v. 38).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus never asked anyone to believe simply on
the basis of what He <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">said.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any fool can claim to be God; only Jesus did
works that proved He was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of those
who saw Him didn’t believe Him, so it’s hardly surprising that so few people
today believe Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Jews tried to
seize Him again at this time, but He escaped in a manner which John does not
explain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus then went to the
location, east of the Jordan River, where John was initially baptizing (John
1:28).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many people accepted the evidence
Jesus provided (v. 41) and believed on Him (v. 42).</span></span></span></div>
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Mark K. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049998079571823584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107390902120012557.post-23130249560358619902011-10-11T16:40:00.000+09:002011-10-11T16:40:24.152+09:00John 10, Part One<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">The true and the false</span> </span></em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(</span>vs. 1-6)--From all appearances, the first half of this chapter is a continuation from chapter nine. Jesus uses a very poignant and relevant illustration. Since He's in the temple area, where sheep are being brought for sacrifice, He borrows that to make His current point. His main idea initially is that error tries to use deception and trickery while truth needs no such dishonesty. The sheep will know the voice of their true owner and follow him; and, indeed, "<span style="color: blue;">he calls his own sheep by name</span>" (vs. 3-4). But they won't follow a stranger (v. 5). Those who want(ed) to follow God would know/ recognize Jesus for who He was (is). This section is as much a slap at the Pharisees as anything, and they didn't understand it (v. 6).<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><span style="color: red;">The Good Shepherd</span> </em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(vs. 7-18)--Jesus uses two metaphors in this section, "<span style="color: blue;">I am the door</span>" (vs. 7, 9), and "<span style="color: blue;">I am the good shepherd</span>" (vs. 11, 14). People enter into salvation through Him; "<span style="color: blue;">if anyone enters by me, he will be saved"</span> (v. 9). There had been counterfeits (v. 8); history tells us of some false Christs who arose. The true sheep will only hear and follow the true Shepherd. In verse 11, He hints at His coming crucifixion--<span style="color: blue;">"the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep."</span> A "<span style="color: blue;">hireling</span>"--false teacher--won't do that (v. 12), but leaves the sheep to the wolf. He "does not care about the sheep" (v. 13). An interesting commentary on false teachers; they </span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">"</span>serve <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">their own belly"</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> (Rom. 16:18). To make His crucifixion allusion even clearer, He says in verse 15, <span style="color: blue;">"I lay down my life for the sheep,"</span> and because of His willingness to do so, the Father loved Him (v. 17). God loves all of mankind (John 3:16), and needed some way to try to bring men back into fellowship with Him. Jesus was willing to pay the price to do that. How could the</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Father--or any other right thinking person--NOT love Him? Jesus did this voluntarily (v. 18). The Father didn't force Him to do it, and the Jews couldn't kill Him without His permission. The "<span style="color: blue;">other sheep</span>" of verse 16 almost surely refers to Gentiles, to whom the gospel would also be sent. "<span style="color: blue;">There will be one flock and one shepherd."</span> All of mankind, Jew and Gentile, can unite in the Lord's church.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">Opinions about Him</span> </span></em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(vs. 19-21)--Nothing Jesus had said, or could say,</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">lessened the division He caused. Some claimed--with absolutely no proof--the He was insane or had a demon (v. 20). Others, more reasonably, pointed to the evidence--"<span style="color: blue;">Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"</span> Only God has that kind of power, of course. But, some people were, and are, immune to evidence, especially if it would force them to change their lifestyles and give up their sin. That's the commitment Jesus demands and it's too high a price to pay for too many people. So, find an excuse, and pretty much any excuse will do as long as it convinces the one making it. It doesn't fool God, though, or those who are knowledgeable of the truth.</span></span>Mark K. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049998079571823584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107390902120012557.post-91426823991170039232011-10-01T10:00:00.000+09:002011-10-01T10:00:16.107+09:00John 9<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">Healing the blind man</span> </span></em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(vs. 1-12)--This is a very interesting story. We see a lot of 1st century Jewish philosophy here, and much of it is wrong. When Jesus' disciples saw the blind man, they asked Him, <span style="color: #002060;"><span style="color: blue;">"Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"</span></span> The underlying presupposition of the question is erroneous: God was punishing this man with blindness because somebody had sinned. Sin can have physical consequences, but not like this. And they should have known better. This is the same philosophy Job's friends had--"Job, you must be a wicked person for God to do what</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">He's doing to you." Job knew he hadn't sinned, at least not like his friends were accusing him, so he couldn't understand what God was doing either. In the case of the blind man, Jesus tells His followers that nobody sinned, but this case will be used "<span style="color: #002060;"><span style="color: blue;">that the works of God should be revealed in him"</span></span> (v. 3). And Jesus would keep working the works of God as long as He was here because He is the light of the world (vs. 4-5).<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So Jesus made clay from dirt and spittle and anointed the blind man's eyes, telling him to go wash in the pool of Siloam (vs. 5-6). The making of clay was symbolic; Jesus had, many times, healed with a word. But Christ wanted the man to do something towards his own healing, and the fellow did. And he <span style="color: blue;">"came back seeing"</span> (v. 7). Can you imagine what it would be like, having been blind from birth, and now able to see? It must have been a marvelous thing. And indeed, it attracted attention (vs. 8-12), so much so that he was taken to the religious leaders for cross-examination (v. 13).<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">The blind man's conversation with the Pharisees</span> </span></em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(vs. 13-34)--John informs us that the healing had taken place on the Sabbath day (v. 14). That meant more to the Pharisees than an incredible miracle being performed. They asked the man what had happened and he explained (v. 15). The Pharisees were incensed; Jesus can't be from God because He broke the Sabbath, or at least their interpretation of it. But some of them were confused. <span style="color: blue;">"How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?"</span> (v. 16). It was a legitimate question, but too many of the Pharisees were simply immune to examining their own religious doctrine. The blind man himself, understandably, claimed Jesus was a prophet (v. 17). What the Pharisees did next is not necessarily to be condemned, except they weren't properly motivated: they asked the blind man's parents about him. Getting confirmation was a good thing, again if motivated correctly. There were then, as there are today, a lot of tricksters and shysters who made (make) their living through deception. The blind man's parents claimed their son (v. 20). When asked how he was now able to see if he was born blind, the parents, reasonably, replied, "<span style="color: blue;">ask him. He will speak for himself"</span> (v. 21). John does note that they were intimidated by the Pharisees (v. 22). So, the religious leaders turn back to the blind man. <span style="color: blue;">"Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner"</span> (v. 24). The blind man rips their argument apart. "I don't know if He's a sinner or not. All I know is, I was blind and now I see" (v. 25). In other words, "you draw the conclusions from that." The Pharisees asked the man again how he had been healed (v. 26). "I've already told you. Do you want to be His disciples, too?" (v. 27). That really angered the Pharisees. "We're Moses' disciples. We don't where Jesus came from" (v. 29). And once again, the blind man makes a fool of them. "This is amazing. A sinner couldn't do this, only somebody who truly worships God" (vs. 30-31). Actually, his "<span style="color: blue;">we know that God does not hear sinners"</span> (v. 31) is more inaccurate Jewish philosophy. Depending upon circumstances, God will hear "sinners"; Cornelius in Acts 20 is an example. But because the Jews would agree with the blind man's philosophy, he has them cornered. "He's performed a miracle that is unheard of <span style="color: blue;">'since the world began'</span>"--an interesting observation on the economy of miracles in human history (v. 32). So, the man's conclusion was logical, given his doctrine: <span style="color: blue;">"if this Man were not from God, He could do nothing"</span> (v. 33). And there was no way the Pharisees could counter that--except by force, so they kick him out of the synagogue. This was something of an excommunication,</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">separation from those who would worship God at that place. His parents had feared this would happen to them if they supported Jesus (v. 22). The blind man's adherence to logic and truth cost him his place in the Jewish religion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But gained him something better.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Notice also in verse 34 that the Pharisees, too, accept the idea that the man must have been a sinner to have been born blind. God blesses the righteous and He curses sinners. If rich people can't go to heaven, who can? (Matt. 19:25) It was the common belief of the Jews of that day but it was wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><span style="color: red;">Jesus' conversation with the blind man</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span></em></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(vs. 35-41)--Jesus apparently went looking for the fellow (v. 35) and directed him to saving faith. The miracle wouldn't have done much good if the man hadn't been taught what to do with it. Jesus came to the world for "<span style="color: blue;">judgment</span>" (v. 39). In other words, those who will "<span style="color: blue;">see</span>," will be judged righteous and be granted eternal life. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Those who will not see will be judged and condemned to eternal separation. The Pharisees, hearing this, wanted to know if Christ considered them among the spiritual blind (v. 40). Jesus' enigmatic statement in verse 41 probably confused them. "<span style="color: blue;">If you were blind, you would have no sin</span>"--if they didn't already have their minds made up, they would be open to His message--"<span style="color: blue;">but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sins remain." </span> They thought they already had the answers, thus they were not willing to listen to Jesus. Their rejection of him was their ultimate sin.</span></span></span>Mark K. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049998079571823584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107390902120012557.post-62554329068152308042011-09-22T13:36:00.000+09:002011-09-22T13:36:28.861+09:00John 8, Part Two<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <em> </em></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><span style="color: red;">Truth produces freedom</span> </em>(vs. 30-36)--Verse 30 tells us that "many believed in Him" as a result of what He had just said. It is interesting how people are converted; different messages appeal to different people, and whether they</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">fully understood Him or not (and surely they didn't), there were those who were impressed enough by Jesus that they began to trust in Him. He then had a message for them: by continuing to follow His teaching, they would be His disciples and <span style="color: blue;">"the truth shall make you free"</span> (vs. 31-32). Perhaps perceiving this shift of public opinion towards Jesus, His enemies intervene once again with a humongous lie: </span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">"We are Abraham's servants and have never</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, 'You will be made free?'"</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> (v. 33). The Jews, of course, had been in political bondage many times, and Palestine was, indeed, at that very moment a province of the Roman Empire. Jesus, in His reply, doesn't bother discussing history or politics with them. He had been speaking of spiritual bondage--sin--not physical, and once more, the Jewish leaders had misunderstood Him. Jesus' teaching, if adhered to, will free us from the penalty of sin and allow us to follow Him to eternal life. That's why He came. And being "free," we will be "<span style="color: blue;">sons</span>" and abide in <span style="color: blue;">"the house forever"</span> (v. 35). But only Christ can provide this sort of freedom (v. 36).<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><span style="color: red;">Their true father</span> </em>(vs. 37-47)—The Jewish leaders had brought up Abraham, so Jesus picks up that thought. They might be Abraham's physical descendants, but not his spiritual ones. Jesus did the works of His Father and these Jewish leaders did the words of <em><span style="color: red;">their</span> </em>father, whom Christ will identify clearly momentarily (vs. 37-38). <span style="color: blue;"> "Abraham is our father,"</span> they replied (v. 39), and Jesus' answer was, if Abraham were truly your father, you'd follow in his footsteps--that is, have true faith in God. But it's obvious they did not, because they wanted to kill Jesus, who had come from God (vs. 39-40). The Jewish confusion is further manifest by their statement in verse 41, <span style="color: blue;">"we have one Father--God." </span> Well, they had just said Abraham was their father and now they assert that God is their Father, so they are either totally discombobulated, or they began to have a slight perception of His spiritual meaning. But Jesus immediately thwarted that claim by saying that if God were truly their Father, then they would love Him (Christ, v. 42). They didn't understand Christ because they did not truly know God. Their father is the devil (v. 44) because they believed lies and not the truth. And because Jesus spoke the truth (v. 45), they didn't understand or follow Him. Again, He concludes this little speech by saying they don't truly know God, so they don't recognize Jesus as coming from God. It once more boils down to the fact that they did not understand their own Book.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">"Before Abraham was, I AM"</span> </span></em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(vs. 48-58)--These Jewish leaders were so incensed that they could no longer think clearly. In verse 49, they throw out a wild, ridiculous accusation, part of which Jesus doesn't even bother to respond to. But they also claimed He had a demon, so He takes that thought and compares it with the truth. If He had a demon, He would be seeking His own honor, not that of God. Christ's word will lead to eternal life (v. 51), a thought the Jews again misconstrue into physical, not spiritual, terms (v. 52). <span style="color: blue;">"Who are you? Are you greater than Abraham?"</span> (v. 53). No doubt they are mocking Him here. And once again Jesus points to the evidence--what has the Father allowed Me to do? (v. 54). Jesus' works, His teaching and His miracles, clearly indicate, to the open heart, Who He is. <span style="color: blue;">"Abraham rejoiced to see My day"</span> (v. 56). Indeed, all in the Old Testament who lived by faith understood that eternal, spiritual life was the goal, not earthly, physical existence. Abraham obviously had a very limited comprehension of Messianic matters, but he did know that sin separated him from God, that life on earth was temporary, and that forgiveness was necessary to secure eternal life in heaven. In that sense, he "rejoiced" to see Jesus' day, that is, what Jesus would bring to the world. The Jews, again, were clueless as to all of this. <span style="color: blue;">"You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?"</span> (v. 57). Jesus then makes one of the most remarkable</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">statements in the New Testament: <span style="color: blue;">"Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM"</span> (v. 58). This can be nothing short of a claim for eternal deity. It reminds us--and no doubt intentionally--of Jehovah's statement to Moses in Exodus 3:14, <span style="color: blue;">“I WHO I AM."</span> God just <em><span style="color: red;">is</span>, </em>He exists, He always has and He always will. And this is exactly what Jesus is claiming here. <em><span style="color: red;">He is God!</span> </em>And THAT the Jews understood (or at least that He was claiming so) because they were so outraged that, right then and there, they were going to kill Him. But He managed to escape (v. 59).<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Any religious group, such as the Jehovah's Witnesses, who teach that Jesus is anything short of eternal deity must completely and utterly pervert John 8:58.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything Jesus had said up to this point indicated His divine nature; now He flat-out claims it with a statement that only God could make. How could any human being, any non-eternal being, make the ultimate claim "I AM." And note, He did not say, "Before Abraham was, I was." That could imply a time when He did not exist, even though He might have been around before Abraham. The "I AM" is eternal in its meaning, and again, the Jews understood it to be so, held it to be blasphemous, and were going to stone Him for it in accordance with Leviticus 24:16.</span></span>Mark K. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049998079571823584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107390902120012557.post-81493277463698011682011-09-17T19:12:00.000+09:002011-09-17T19:12:26.416+09:00John 8, Part One<em><span style="font-family: Arial Unicode MS;"><span style="color: red;">The woman taken in adultery</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span></em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(vs. 1-11)--We have an interesting little interlude here as the Jews try to trap Jesus. It is quite a conundrum they put before Him. They find a woman caught in the very act of committing adultery (there have been Catholic writers in the past who have told us that her name was Susanna, that she was married to a feeble old man named Manasseh, and that she died a saint in Spain. This, of course, is nothing but fanciful speculation.). The problem Jesus faces here is two-fold. The Law of Moses requires that the woman be put to death (though not necessarily by stoning, Lev. 20:10. Certain rabbis say there were strangled.) Roman law, however, did not make adultery a capital crime. So, Christ was on the horns of a dilemma here. If He said, "Stone her," He could be in trouble with the Romans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if He did not support the death penalty, then He would be denying the Law of Moses, and this would certainly go far in destroying His influence with the Jewish people. The scribes and Pharisees, who initiated</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">this dilemma, probably didn't care how Christ answered; they thought they had Him, either way.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">"Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger"</span> (v. 6). What did He write? Who knows, and there's no sense in guessing. He acted like He didn't hear what was being presented to Him, so they pressed Him on the matter (v. 7). He responded with that well-known, and bone-chilling, answer, </span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">"He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">her"</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> (v. 7). There was no good retort for that, so the crowd slowly dissipated and left the woman alone. Since, under Jewish law, a capital crime needed at least two witnesses for the punishment to be applied, and since no one was left to accuse the woman, Jesus couldn't very well condemn her to death. He certainly didn't deny her guilt, He simply told her to <span style="color: blue;">"Go and sin no more"</span> (v. 11). Which is the worse sin--adultery or hypocrisy? Either will cost a person his/her soul. In this marvelous example, Jesus exposes one and forgives the other. A good example for us to follow, but great wisdom and prayer are needed to know when to do which.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<em><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Arial Unicode MS;">Bearing witness</span></span></em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(vs. 12-20)--There is a lot of conversation between Jesus</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">and the Jews that make up the rest of this chapter and it's somewhat convoluted. The Jews didn't understand Him and were constantly trying to twist His words to their own advantage. Jesus starts out this section by saying <span style="color: blue;">"I am the light of the world,"</span> a most arrogant claim--unless He were truly the Son of God. The Jews, and rightly so, responded, in effect, "We don't have to believe you just because you say so." Again, the idea of the necessity of more than one witness. Jesus replied that, even if He didn't have any supporting witnesses, His words were true (single testimony isn't necessarily false), because He knew where He had come from and could tell them about it (v. 14). But He didn't speak only from Himself, but the Father supported Him (vs. 16, 18). He had made this point before, of course. So, they ought to believe Him, based upon their own law (v. 17). The Jews wanted to know where His Father was. Jesus replied that they would know the answer to that if they truly knew the Father--that is, what had been revealed in the Old Testament. He had gone back to the temple, so there was obviously a large crowd listening in (v. 20).<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial Unicode MS;"><span style="color: red;">Death leads to life</span> </span></em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(vs. 21-29)--This is wholly incomprehensible to Jesus' opponents. Jesus begins by telling them of the immediate future, which, in effect, summed up His mission. He was going to die and go back to heaven, but this unbelieving group would<span style="color: blue;"> "die in your sin"</span> (v. 21) and not be able to follow Him. Of course, they didn't understand. "Is He going to kill Himself?" Jesus tries to explain His divine, heavenly nature and home, and that they would<span style="color: blue;"> "die in your sins"</span> if they did not believe in Him as the Son of God " (v. 24). Clueless, they ask Him <span style="color: blue;">"Who are you?"</span> (v. 25). Jesus responded, "I've been telling you that all along,</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">speaking to you the message from above," but<span style="color: blue;"> "they did not understand"</span> (vs. 26-27). His death would convince many of His true identity (v. 28), because He would be fulfilling the Father's will as revealed in the Old Testament. That's what's important to understand here. If Jesus wasn't the fulfillment of the Old Testament, then all of His statements regarding<span style="color: blue;"> "the Father has sent me and taught me"</span> etc. would be so much humbug. These are things the Jews should know, but so foreign to them was His mission, that His words were incomprehensible.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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</div>Mark K. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049998079571823584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107390902120012557.post-30319627170226386462011-09-14T13:06:00.001+09:002011-09-14T13:08:04.735+09:00John 7, Part Two<em><span style="font-family: Arial Unicode MS;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">"Could this be the Christ?"</span> </span></em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(vs. 25-31)--John relates a brief summation of some of the discussion people were having about Jesus. "Is this the one they want to kill?" (v. 25). "Don't the rulers know this is the Messiah?" (v. 26). "Can't be, because we know where this fellow is from and nobody knows where the Messiah comes from" (v. 27). This last statement certainly wasn't true, because Micah 5:2 </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">very plainly states that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem of Judea. A minimum of research would have discovered, of course, that Jesus was born in that city. It's easier to remain ignorant, however, than it is to do a little work. Jesus' statements in vs. 28-29 were designed to help the people understand His divine nature and source, but they almost surely didn't understand Him. Well, some of the leaders apparently understood Him well enough to still want to kill Him (v. 30). The debate raged (v. 31).<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><span style="color: red;">More obtuseness</span> </em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(vs. 32-36)--John gives us interesting insights into the blindness and, implicitly, the effects of the philosophy of the Jews. The Pharisees sent men to arrest Him (v. 32), but Jesus kept teaching (vs. 33-34). <span style="color: blue;"> "I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come."</span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">He's referring to heaven, of course, but the earthly-minded Jews could only think in physical terms. <span style="color: blue;">"Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?"</span> (v. 35).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The "Dispersion" refers to Jews who lived outside of Palestine. Many who had been taken from Palestine during the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities chose to remain where they were, and indeed, move to other places. We know from the rest of the New Testament that there were Jews living all over the Roman Empire. Paul continually argued with them on his</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">missionary journeys. But the bottom line of this section is, again, the cross talk between Jesus and the Jews, i.e, His intentions versus their expectations, and thus the utter lack of effective communication between the two. However, it should be pointed out that they did understand Him well enough to realize He claimed to be God. That only infuriated them because He didn't provide them what they wanted--glory over the Romans. And since that is what they thought their Messiah would bring them, Jesus must be a blasphemous imposter and thus worthy of death. If He had fulfilled their earthly, carnal desires, they certainly would have followed Him </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">wherever He led them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><span style="color: red;">Living water</span> </em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(vs. 37-39)--This is a theme He had used with the Samaritan woman in John 4.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> The<span style="color: blue;"> "living water"</span> was supplied by the Holy Spirit, who <span style="color: blue;">"was not yet given"</span> (v. 39). Whether this refers to miraculous activity, or simply the salvation that comes through the word given by the Spirit's inspiration is not fully clear. Probably the latter, since everyone can have</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">salvation but only a few had miraculous gifts. The Holy Spirit obviously did not inspire the New Testament message, given through man, until after Jesus was "glorified" (v. 39), i.e., finished His work and returned to heaven.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><span style="color: red;">And this produces more division</span> </em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(vs. 40-44)--For whatever reason, this concept of "living water" led many to believe in Him (v. 40). Different people are convinced by different arguments, metaphors, allusions, or parables, so Christ used many of all in order to reach as many souls as possible. Some stumbled over the misconception that Jesus was from Galilee: <span style="color: blue;"> "Will the Christ come out of Galilee?"</span> (v. 41), and those who had some knowledge of the subject knew that, as noted above, the Messiah would come from Bethlehem (v. 42). But again, it wouldn't have taken much to clear up the false notion that Jesus was from Galilee. That group</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">probably didn't want to believe in the first place.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><span style="color: red;">Division among the leaders</span> </em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">(vs. 45-53)--<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Every rank and class of people were confused. Verse 32 tells us that the Pharisees had sent some officers to arrest Him, but in verse 45, they returned empty-handed. "Why?" they were asked. <span style="color: blue;">"No man ever spoke like this Man!"</span> (v. 46). These officers were overawed by Him and obviously not prejudiced against Jesus. This angered the Pharisees (not surprisingly) and a debate raged in their midst. Nicodemus (of John 3) </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">defended Jesus, or at least raised the reasonable point that the Law requires a proper hearing before judgment is reached (v. 51). But the Pharisees through the "Galilee" argument at him (v. 52), and that's where the current matter ended.</span></span></span>Mark K. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049998079571823584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107390902120012557.post-23952312072955738142011-09-13T13:14:00.002+09:002011-09-14T19:43:36.294+09:00John 7, Part One<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">"My time has not yet come</span>" </span></em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(vs. 1-9)--Jesus did not initially go up to the Jerusalem for the</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Feast of Tabernacles, something that, as a Jewish male, He was required to do. There were three feasts each year which men were obligated to attend--the Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. This latter feast was celebrated in the Jewish month of Tisri, corresponding to our late-September or early-October. Jesus' own</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">brothers, who initially <span style="color: blue;">"did not believe in Him</span>" (v. 5), apparently were chiding Him a bit when they encouraged Him to go to Judea (vs. 3-4). Jesus wasn't ready to go, at least openly. He intended to be there, but at His own time (v. 8). It was easy for His brothers to speak; the Jews weren't trying to kill them as they were Jesus (v. 1). In verse 7, Jesus provides us some wonderful insight as to why--to this very day--He and His religion are so opposed by so many: <span style="color: blue;">"Because I testify of it <span style="color: black;">[the world]</span> that its works are evil."</span> Pour salt on a wound and it will hurt. Expose wickedness, and the wicked will be outraged. In </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">John 3:20</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">,</span> Jesus said, <span style="color: blue;">"Everyone practicing evil hates the light."</span> Christ wasn't crucified because He preached loved; He was killed because He told people they needed to repent. The hatred of Christianity is just as manifest in the world today as it was in Jesus', and the wise can perceive that such is what truly underlays the left's vehement opposition to politicians like George W. Bush, Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachmann, and Rick Perry. This is no small part of it, and don't be deceived into thinking it’s not.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><span style="color: red;">Division over Jesus</span> </em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(vs. 10-13)--Ideally, everyone in the world would </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">unite behind the Son of God; God wants all men to be saved (I Tim. 2:4</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">). But, while there is always an ideal, there also exist the reality, and that reality is that Jesus brought--and brings--division (Mt. 10:34-36</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">). Even though He hadn't arrived at the feast yet, He was the "talk of the town". The Jews</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">were looking for Him (v. 11; John apparently uses the term "the Jews" in reference to Christ's enemies, cf. v. 1). The common folks also talked of Him, some supporting Him, some not. But everybody was intimidated by the ruling authorities (v. 13). The bitterness against Jesus within the elites was deep indeed; and, again, it still is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The way Jesus and the Bible expose the true psychology of man is simply another evidence of the divine source of Christianity.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><span style="color: red;">"<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My doctrine is not mine"</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span></em></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">(<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">vs. 14-24)--When Jesus finally did arrive in Jerusalem about the middle of the week, He started teaching in the temple--that's where the people were, so that’s where He went. We don't know why Jesus waited a few days before going to Jerusalem; we do know He was aware of the desire of the religious leaders to kill Him (v. 1). He may have surmised that they would be looking for His arrival at the beginning of the feast, thereby hindering His movements. By not entering Jerusalem till about mid-feast, He was able to slip in unawares and thus make His way to the temple unnoticed. He wasn't hiding from the Jews; He simply had work to do and skillfully outmaneuvered the Jews to accomplish it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">People listened to Him, of course, and many marveled at the fact that He had such a keen grasp of spiritual truth, though He had never been trained by the "intelligentsia" of His day (v. 15). Jesus answer was simple: <span style="color: blue;">"My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me"</span> (v. 16). What He was teaching <em>couldn't </em>have been taught by the religious scholars of the day, at least most of it. Indeed, much about Christ and much of His message was revealed in the Old Testament, but not all. So He was teaching doctrine that He came from heaven to deliver. And the honest and good heart would recognize it (v. 17). Jesus wasn't seeking His own glory, an assertion that could be substantiated by a petition to the Law of Moses (vs. 18-19). If the Jews had truly adhered to the Law of Moses, they would have recognized Jesus as the one to whom Moses pointed. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Jesus put the leaders back on their heels with His question, <span style="color: blue;">"Why do you seek to kill Me?"</span> (v. 19). They had to deny that, because Jesus did have a lot of following among the masses, and that following would want to know, too, why there was a plot to kill Him. Once again, Jesus points them to Moses and their own hypocrisy: they circumcised on the Sabbath and that wasn't a violation of the Law of Moses. But they condemned Jesus for healing on the Sabbath--also not a violation of the law. Judge righteously, He told them, not according to your own standards or the way things might seem to be (v. 24). Notice that judgment itself is not condemned by Christ. But we must make certain that any judging that we do is with <span style="color: blue;">"righteous judgment,"</span> that is, in accordance with the word of God.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Addendum:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those interested in the particulars of the Feast of Tabernacles, Clarke has this fine note:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“This feast was celebrated in the following manner. All the people cut down branches of palm trees, willows, and myrtles, (and tied them together with gold and silver cords, or with ribbons), which they carried with them all day, took them into their synagogues, and kept them by them while at prayers. On the other days of the feast they carried them with them into the temple and walked round the altar with them in their hands, singing, Hosanna! i.e. Save, we beseech thee!—the trumpets sounding on all sides. To this feast St. John seems to refer, Revelation 7:9-10</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">, where he represents the saints standing before the throne, with palm branches in their hands, singing, Salvation to God, etc. On the seventh day of the feast, they went seven times round the altar, and this was called Hosanna rabba, the great Hosanna….But the ceremony at which the Jews testified most joy was that of pouring out the water, which was done on the eighth day of the feast. A priest drew some water out of the pool Siloam, in a golden vessel, and brought it into the temple; and at the time of the morning sacrifice, while the members of the sacrifice were on the altar, he went up and poured this water mingled with wine upon it, the people all the while singing, with transports of joy, Isaiah 12</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">, especially Isaiah 12:6</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">: “With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>[This is actually Is. 12:3, MKL]. To this part of the ceremony, our Lord appears to allude in v. 37</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> of this chapter.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">During this feast many sacrifices were offered. On the first day, besides the ordinary sacrifices, they offered, as a burnt-offering, thirteen calves, two rams, and fourteen lambs with the offerings of flour and the libations of wine that were to accompany them. They offered also a goat for a sin-offering. On all the succeeding days they offered the same sacrifices, only abating one of the calves each day, so that when the seventh day came, they had but seven calves to offer. On the eighth day, which was kept with greater solemnity than the rest, they offered but one calf, one ram, and seven lambs, for a burnt-offering, and one goat for a sin-offering, with the usual offerings and libations. On this day, they also offered in the temple the first fruits of their latter crops, or of those things which come latest to maturity. During the feast, the 113th, 114th, 115th, 116th, 117th, 118th, and 119th Psalms were sung. Leo of Modena says that, though Moses appointed but eight days, yet custom and the devotion of the people have added a ninth to it, which is called the joy of the law, because that on it they complete the reading of the Pentateuch….For the law relative to this institution, see Lev. 23:39-40</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">, etc., and the notes there; and Numbers 29:16,</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> etc.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lot of this information would be gathered from Jewish history books, because many of the particulars above are not found in the Bible.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">—Adam Clarke's Commentary</span></span>Mark K. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049998079571823584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107390902120012557.post-7037929688852434982011-08-21T12:56:00.001+09:002011-09-14T13:08:23.083+09:00John 6, Part Three<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <em><span style="color: red;">A hard saying</span></em><em> </em>(vs. 60-71)--"<span style="color: #244061; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="color: blue;">This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"</span></span><span style="color: #002060;"> </span>(v. 60, NKJV, which helps clear up the KJV's "<span style="color: blue;">who can hear it?")</span> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, a lot of what Jesus said is difficult for men to comprehend, even today. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can look back, through the entirety of the New Testament, and understand most of what Christ taught. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But for those worldly Jews to whom He was speaking, Jesus' message here was far beyond them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even some of His disciples complained (v. 61), and Jesus asked them, <span style="color: blue;">"Does this cause you to stumble?"</span> (ASV, which is better here than the KJV and NKJV's <span style="color: blue;">"offend you."</span> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus' words didn't "offend" them in the sense we might think of, but because they didn't understand it, they might reject it.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus' argument in verse 62 seems to be, "if you can't understand the simple truth I've just taught, how are you going to grasp the great spiritual truths later on?" <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The flesh (the physical bread) won't help you get to heaven; only spiritual bread ("<span style="color: blue;">the words I speak</span>") will do so (v. 63). But Jesus knew that many would not believe, and even knew who some of them were (v. 64). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The "<span style="color: blue;">therefore</span>" of verse 65 is clarified by what He had just said in verse 63--"<span style="color: blue;">no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.</span>" <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How does the Father "<span style="color: blue;">grant</span>" that one comes to Jesus? T hrough the words Christ spoke. If we will accept those words, God graciously pardons us from our sins and allows us access to eternal life. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This wasn't what some people wanted to hear (v. 66); for whatever reasons, "<span style="color: blue;">many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more</span>." Jesus then turned to the twelve and asked them if they were going to leave Him, too. Peter answered, and it's a classic: "<span style="color: blue;">Lord, to whom shall we go? thou has the words of eternal life</span>" (v. 68). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We've already seen, constantly in fact, the obtuseness and lack of understanding of the apostles. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And almost surely, they did not understand what Jesus had said in this chapter any more than any others of the Jews did. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What was the difference? The heart. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is something about the Lord Jesus Christ that, even though we do not--cannot--comprehend him completely--the "<span style="color: blue;">honest and good heart</span>" (Lk, 8:15) will accept and follow Him. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is surely the case with His apostles. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Jews who rejected Christ had seen His miracles and heard His teachings--just like the apostles. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The apostles followed Him, most of the Jews didn't. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only difference was inside. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peter then concluded by saying "<span style="color: blue;">We have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God</span>" (v. 69). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notice that Peter makes a distinction between belief and knowledge. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"We believe it, based upon the evidence, therefore we know it." <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The evidence proves it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Jesus has some sad words to end this section. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Not all of you believe; one of you is a devil" (v. 70). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was talking about Judas (v. 71).<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This chapter begins with a great miracle, follows with great teaching, and ends with a great statement by Peter. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus is the "bread of life." <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it is spiritual life, not physical. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To those who love this world, the latter is not what they want.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span>Mark K. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049998079571823584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107390902120012557.post-70417712479479097842011-08-21T12:14:00.003+09:002011-09-14T13:08:36.718+09:00John 6, Part Two<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <em><span style="color: red;">The bread of life</span></em><em> </em>(vs. 30-35)--Jesus introduces a theme that will thread through the rest of the chapter--the bread of life. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually, in a form, He introduced it in verse 26. The question the Jews ask in verse 30, <span style="color: #0070c0;">"<span style="color: blue;">What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You?</span>"</span> is indicative of their cold, stubborn hearts. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had just witnessed Jesus feeding 5,000+ people with five loaves of bread and two fish. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had done other miracles in their presence. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What else did they want? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In mentioning Moses (God) feeding the people in the wilderness for 40 years (v. 31), their argument seems to be, "What is your tiny miracle in comparison so this?" <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A miracle is a miracle, and what Jesus did was no small thing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, the Jews were looking for any excuse, and when that is the case, one is as good as another.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Jesus then (once again) steers them to what is truly important--spiritual matters. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bread Moses fed the people was physical and did not last. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bread the Father now sends down from heaven ("<span style="color: blue;">the true bread,"</span> v. 32) <span style="color: blue;">"gives life to the world" </span>(v. 33). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His audience, thinking only in physical, wanted that bread so that they could have it always; famines were still common in the ancient world. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Jesus is that true bread, and those who come to Him <span style="color: blue;">"shall never hunger"</span> and <span style="color: blue;">"shall never thirst" (v. 35). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they didn't believe (v. 36).</span> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><span style="color: red;">The Father's will</span></em><em> </em>(vs. 37-40)--It is the will of God that all men be saved (<a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=1Ti+2%3A4"><span style="color: blue;">I Tim. 2:4</span></a>; <a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=2Pe+3%3A9"><span style="color: blue;">II Pet. 3:9</span></a>), and the promise He has made to mankind is that those who come to Him through His Son would find eternal life. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus will protect those who come to Him (v. 37). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That's what He came for, not to do His own will, but the will of the Father (v. 38), that is, to save men from their sins. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But again, that salvation comes through Jesus<span style="color: blue;">--"everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life" </span>(v. 40). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The "seeing" here is obviously metaphorical; we "see" Him through the eye of faith. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walk by faith, not by sight (<a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=2Co+5%3A7"><span style="color: blue;">II Cor. 5:7</span></a>).<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><span style="color: red;">Returning to the bread of life theme</span></em><em> </em>(vs. 41-59)--The complaint of the Jews was Jesus' statement that He <span style="color: blue;">"came down from heaven"</span> (v. 41). T hey knew His earthly father and mother, so how could He say He came down from heaven? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus tells then that those who are <span style="color: blue;">"taught by God" </span>(v. 45) would come to Jesus. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The statement <span style="color: blue;">"And they shall all be taught of God"</span> is actually a quotation from the Old Testament (<a href="http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Isa+54%3A13"><span style="color: blue;">Isa. 54:13</span></a>). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus, in effect, Jesus is saying that the Old Testament speaks of Him, and that if they knew their own book, the Jews would come to Him. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now this is not a literal, face-to-face teaching by the Father (v. 46). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nobody has, or can, truly see God. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the Father teaches through the One whom He sent, and those who believe in Jesus will have everlasting life (v. 47). In verses 48-50, Jesus again contrasts the bread He offers (which leads to eternal life) and the bread Moses fed the people with. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those people <span style="color: blue;">"are dead"</span> (v. 49). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <span style="color: blue;">"living bread"</span> which came down from heaven is Christ, and He emphasizes that those who partake of it "will live forever" (v. 51). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep in mind this is all metaphorical. Jesus often uses matters at hand to make a spiritual point, and since the feeding of the 5,000 was fresh on everyone's mind, it provided a wonderful opportunity for Jesus to use that event to illustrate a spiritual truth. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Jews still didn't get it (v. 52). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their worldly-mindedness simply forbade them to understand great spiritual concepts. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some have seen in verses 53-55 (eating the flesh and drinking the blood) as an allusion to the Lord's Supper, but I'm not convinced. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe Jesus is simply indicating the necessity of partaking in His life and death, fully accepting Him; just as food is necessary to sustain physical life, spiritual food (Jesus) is necessary to procure eternal life. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this was the bread the Father sent down from heaven (v. 58). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's not like the bread which Moses gave to his people. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus reiterates that point over and over again; how many times did He have to say it before they caught on? Well, they never did, so more repetition of it was not going to help, just like doing more miracles would not have created faith. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus did enough, and taught enough, for anyone with a true heart to believe and accept Him. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we do not believe on the evidence we have now, then we will not believe.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I will sum up the last few important verses of this chapter in my next post.</span>Mark K. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049998079571823584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107390902120012557.post-2834607224668789562011-08-15T17:15:00.000+09:002011-08-15T17:15:10.403+09:00John 6, Part One<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: red;">Feeding the 5,000</span> </span></i><span style="line-height: 115%;">(vs. 1-14)—This is long chapter, so it will take at least two, and possibly three posts to cover it all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately—at least for posting’s sake—the first two stories (vs. 1-21) are covered in earlier gospels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, there are a couple of brief points that John adds that are worth noting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In verse 6, Jesus tested Philip, apparently to see what sort of conclusions that apostle had drawn from earlier miracles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was Philip who told Him that it would take an enormous amount of money—200 days worth of wages—to feed the whole multitude (v. 7).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Andrew then chimes in that <span style="color: blue;">“a lad here has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”</span> (v. 9).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John is the only gospel writer who tells us the source of the five loaves and two fishes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The child apparently was willing to help and offered what he had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once the miracle was performed, the people were astonished, and said, “</span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue;">This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world"</span> (v. 14).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This statement is based upon Deut. 18:15, where the promise of the Messiah is made and the word “prophet” is used to describe Him. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: red;">Jesus walks on water</span> </span></i><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(vs. 15-21)—Since many of the multitude had (rightly) concluded that Jesus was the Messiah, <span style="color: blue;">“they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king”</span> (v. 15).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus escaped from this ill-conceived attempt to turn Him into something He never intended to be, and even found some respite from His apostles (v. 15).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They then entered a boat in order to cross the sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As related in earlier gospels, Jesus walked on the water to go to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John omits Peter’s failed attempt to walk on the sea as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: red;">The work of God</span> </span></i><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(vs. 22-29)—Jesus is now in Capernaum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The feeding of the five thousand took place near Bethsaida (Luke 9:10), which is on the east side of the Sea of Galilee, a couple of miles up from the Jordan River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He drew a crowd, some of them coming from a city called Tiberias, which was on the southwest corner of the lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When they all got together, somebody asked Him, <span style="color: blue;">“Rabbi, when did You come here?”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus doesn’t bother answering an unimportant question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He, in effect, turns the question back on them and explains <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">why</span> </i>they came to Him--not for spiritual reasons, but because He had fed them (v. 26).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, as always, Jesus tries to get them to focus their priorities on proper things:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <span style="color: blue;"> </span></span><span style="color: blue;">“Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him”</span> (v. 27).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus, having mentioned the Father, elicits a further question from them:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<span style="color: blue;">What shall we do, that we may work the works of the God?”</span> (v. 28).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s interesting that they do not use the term “Father,” perhaps because Jesus did and they didn’t want to be accused of the very thing they had wanted to kill Him for (John 5:18).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <span style="color: blue;">“works of God”</span> are those things which God tells man to do—in other words, commandments to be obeyed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The concept of “works” has confused many, many people, and they get the willies when someone dares to suggest that men are saved by works.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, that’s exactly what James says in James 2:24<span style="color: blue;">—“you see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span> </span>Man is not saved by works alone, of course; no one would be so ignorant as to claim that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The point is, some works do save, and some do not (Eph. 2:8-9 and Gal. 5:19-21 speak of “works” which do not lead to salvation).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But some works do, i.e, the works which God gives us to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notice very carefully John 6:29:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: blue;">“This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Even faith is a work!</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>It is something God commands us to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So think of the <span style="color: blue;">“works of God,” </span>those which justify us (James 2:14-26), as doing His will as He commands us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too many denominational people have been so influenced by the Lutheran heresy of “salvation by faith only,” that they have a complete mental block regarding the word “works.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a fine word, the Bible uses it in relation to our salvation, and we should thus not fear to use it, either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We just need to understand that no one can earn salvation (such is what Paul means in Ephesians 2 and Romans 4); no one can “work” their way to heaven, putting God into his debt as owing him eternal life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this does not mitigate the commandments of God, the “works of God,” or obedience to God, which is also obligatory for our salvation (Heb. 5:8-9).</span></span></div>Mark K. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049998079571823584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107390902120012557.post-1168808523161364022011-08-15T15:53:00.003+09:002011-08-15T15:56:21.111+09:00John 5, Part Two<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: red;">Honoring the Father and Son</span> </span></i><span style="line-height: 115%;">(vs. 16-23)--There is so much rich material in the rest of this chapter that a book could be written on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rage of the Jews is evident in that they persecuted Jesus (Greek literally, “pursue, put to flight), and some even wanted to kill Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What barbarity, evil, and blindness were in the hearts of these people!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was bad enough that Jesus broke their perverted view of the Sabbath, but when He called God His “Father,” implying equality with Jehovah, they felt they had another reason to kill Him, i.e., blasphemy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The term “Son of” is a Hebrew expression which means having the qualities and characteristics of whatever, or whoever, you are a “son of.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus called James and John “sons of thunder” because of their explosive temper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By calling God His “Father,” Jesus being the “Son of God,” He was thus making a claim for deity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Jews knew it (v. 18) and “sought all the more to kill Him.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Jesus goes on to describe His unique relation to His Father, and in ways we do not—cannot—fully understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus works whatever works the Father gives Him to do, marvelous works (vs. 19-20).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Father and Son both give life—physical and eternal (v. 21).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Judgment has been committed into the hands of the Son, perhaps because He is the one who came to earth (v.23), and because of that judgment, everyone should honor the Son equally with the Father (v. 23).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: red;">The coming resurrection</span> </span></i><span style="line-height: 115%;">(vs. 24-30)—This is one of the most thought-provoking, and comforting, passages in the Bible—at least to Christians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eternal life comes from hearing Jesus’ words and believing <span style="color: blue;">“in Him who sent Me”</span> (v. 24).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The word ultimately comes from heaven, thus any rejection of Christ’s word is a rejection of the Father (and, in effect, the Son and the Holy Spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Jesus, in this passage is discussing His unique relationship with His Father, and thus He speaks hear of damnation resulting from a rejection of that Father).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is that word <span style="color: blue;">(“the voice of the Son of God,” </span>v. 25) which gives life, because the Father has granted that authority to Christ (vs. 26-27).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The phrase (v. 27) <span style="color: blue;">“because He is the Son of Man”</span> perhaps indicates that such judgmental authority has come to Jesus because of His dual nature, God and man, and He is the only one in the godhead who has occupied that position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That “<span style="color: blue;">voice</span>” (word, v. 28) will also raise <span style="color: blue;">“all who are in the graves” </span>(v. 28), some to eternal life, some to eternal damnation (v. 29), depending upon how they have lived in this world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Jesus reiterates, in verse 30, that this authority comes not from Him, but from the Father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus’ judgment comes from what He is told by the Father<span style="color: blue;">—“as I hear, I judge.”</span></span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: red;">The witness of the John the Baptist and the Father</span> </span></i><span style="line-height: 115%;">(vs. 31-37)—The law of Moses required that the testimony of more than one witness was required for the death penalty (Dt. 6:17), thus establishing a principle that truth must be supported by more than one witness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus, based upon that idea, said that the Jews weren’t required to believe Him simply on the basis of His own testimony (v. 31).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John the Baptist, a second witness, also authenticated Christ’s identity (vs. 32-35), but Jesus had greater support than this—“<span style="color: blue;">for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent me” </span>(v. 36).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are two ideas here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament’s predictions of Who the Messiah would be and what He would do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But also, His miraculous deeds—power from above—were a strong testimony to His identity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only God could do what He did; man has never had the power to work such miracles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus, these “works” gave full support to His claims, and they mean that <span style="color: blue;">“the Father Himself…has testified of Me”</span> (v. 37).</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: red;">“Search the Scriptures”</span> </span></i><span style="line-height: 115%;">(vs. 39-47)—And herein lay the great problem<span style="color: blue;">—“You do not have His word abiding in you”</span> (v. 38).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was something more important to the Jews—power, wealthy, national honor and splendor—than believing what God had said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And thus their vision was warped and they did not recognize the Messiah when He came.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They simply misinterpreted the Old Testament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They still do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Verse 39 is a bit ambiguous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The King James Version has <span style="color: blue;">“Search the Scriptures,”</span> implying a command, the NKJV says <span style="color: blue;">“You search the Scriptures,”</span> indicating simple action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Greek form of this word could mean either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I prefer the KJV’s command structure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus tells them that the answer is in the Old Testament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Study it, they testify of Me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they wouldn’t do it (v. 40).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They wouldn’t come to Christ because He wasn’t the kind of King they wanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus’ honor did not come from men (v. 41); He wasn’t going to accept their accolades and become an earthly monarch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And because of the Jews desires for Him, they did not <span style="color: blue;">“have the love of God”</span> in them (v. 42).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they truly loved God, they would love Jesus and submit to Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus came from the Father, but they did not receive Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, they would accept someone else, if he came telling them what they wanted to hear (v. 43), because they sought honor from men and not God (v. 44).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then Jesus lays open their hypocrisy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Jews wanted to kill Him, initially, because He (they thought) was breaking the Law of Moses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they didn’t truly believe Moses, for if they did, they would believe Jesus, <span style="color: blue;">“for he wrote about Me” </span>(v. 46).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s what the whole point of the Old Testament was—Christ is coming to redeem mankind—all men from every nation—from sin, not to exalt the Jews to a prominent national position in this world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Jews, like most people, had become earthly-minded, and thus could not—would not—see the true meaning of their own law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And <span style="color: blue;">“if you do not believe his (Moses’) writings, how will you believe My words?”</span> (v. 47)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a marvelous section this is.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span></div>Mark K. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049998079571823584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107390902120012557.post-88006992100087669812011-04-16T08:56:00.001+09:002011-08-15T15:48:03.905+09:00John 5, Part One<em><span style="color: red;">Healing the lame man</span></em> (vs. 1-15)--We aren't sure which feast is mentioned in verse 1. Jewish men were required to go to Jerusalem three times a year for the major feasts--Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. The first was in our current month of April (sometimes March), the second was 50 days after, and the third in September. There is no doubt that Jesus always attended all of them, though John is the only one who mentions His attendance during Jesus' 2nd year of ministry, which is probably the time of this feast. Bethesda (v. 1) means "house of mercy," perhaps because of this pool. How often the <span style="color: blue;">"angel went down...and troubled the water"</span> we don't know, nor do we know how many years he did this. It probably started about the time of the miraculous events of Christ's life and ended sometime during the first century when all such activity ceased. It gave Jesus a chance to show His mercy and miraculous ability.<br />
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The man whom Jesus healed had had his infirmity for 38 years (v. 5). Jesus told him to take up his bed and walk (v. 8), which disturbed the Jews because it was the Sabbath day, and <span style="color: blue;">"it is not lawful for you to carry your bed"</span> (v. 10). They didn't get this from the Law of Moses but from Jeremiah 17:20, where we read <span style="color: blue;">"bear no burden on the Sabbath Day."</span> In Christ's interpretation of the law and prophets, this "burden" carrying obviously didn't mean a bed. It would have something to do with a man's work, which was what the Sabbath Day prohibition was about. But the Jews were petty about such matters, of course. They completed neglected the fact that a notable miracle had been performed; they were more concerned about their interpretation of the law. The only response the man could give them was <span style="color: blue;">"He who made me well said to me, Take up your bed and walk" </span>(v. 11). When the Jews asked him who had said that, the man didn't know. Not everybody knew Jesus yet, and here was a man who obviously didn't. Later (v. 14), Jesus found the man again, and gave him the most important advice that He could give: <span style="color: blue;">"Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you" </span>(v. 14). Eternal damnation is far worse than being infirm for 38 years. Jesus always had His eyes on the ultimate prize and tried to direct men to that goal. The healed man now knew who had made him whole and told the Jews (v. 15).<br />
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The remainder of this chapter is a rather lengthy conversation between Jesus and the Jews—mostly a monologue by Christ, actually, but it is better handled as a unit, which I will do in the next part.Mark K. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049998079571823584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107390902120012557.post-31015438757109865752011-03-30T08:25:00.000+09:002011-03-30T08:25:40.208+09:00John 4, Part Two<em><span style="color: red;">The work of Jesus</span></em> (vs. 27-42)—Even though the location is the same (the well at Samaria), there is a shift of emphasis in this section to the work that Jesus came to do. His disciples returned from Sychar and, being the good Jews that they were, couldn’t understand why Jesus was talking to a despised Samaritan woman. But they had enough sense not to ask Him (v. 27). The woman, stricken by the meeting she had just had with Christ, returned to the city and drew a crowd out to see Him (vs. 28-30). In the meantime, the apostles urged Jesus to eat (v. 31), which He turns into another object lesson. He was very good at that, and had already done it once in this chapter—the water at the well became a lesson for <span style="color: blue;">“living water.”</span> Now the food He was offered gave Him an opportunity to discuss the work He came to do. His initial response to their urging was <span style="color: blue;">“I have food to eat of which you do not know”</span> (v. 32), which, not surprisingly, the disciples misunderstood (v. 33). But Jesus then explained that His true “<span style="color: blue;">meat</span>”—the true substance and importance of His life—was <span style="color: blue;">“to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work”</span> (v. 34). There is plenty of work to be done for the Lord (v. 35), and those who labor faithfully will be rewarded, gathering <span style="color: blue;">“fruit for eternal life”</span> (v. 36). The sower and reaper receive the same blessing, and, at the moment, the apostles are reapers of others’ labor, though it’s not totally clear who those others are (v. 38). Possibly the prophets of old and the writings in the Old Testament.<br />
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At this stage, many of the Samaritans followed the woman out to see and hear Jesus and a lot of them were convinced, because<span style="color: blue;"> “we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world”</span> (v. 42). The woman’s word wasn’t sufficient to convict them; a five-time loser might indeed render skepticism. But at least they were willing to listen. The word of Christ will take it from there, if an individual has the right kind of heart.<br />
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Return to Galilee (vs. 43-45)—Jesus stayed in Sychar for two days, and then went to Galilee, where He will preach for the next two years. At first, He was welcomed in Galilee (v. 45), but as Jesus Himself had testified, the vast majority would eventually reject Him. Shallow hearted Galileans! For awhile, they were willing to bask in the light and fame of their native son, but when they realized the price He demanded, it was too much to pay. ‘Tis a major reason why most people reject Him.<br />
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The nobleman’s son (vs. 46-54)—This is a completely different story from the one recorded in Matthew 8, so don’t be confused. Here a rich man—a “<span style="color: blue;">nobleman</span>,” he is called—heard that Jesus had returned to Cana in Galilee, and went to Him, and<span style="color: blue;"> “implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death”</span> (v. 47). Jesus gives him a mild rebuke, or at least teaches him a lesson—there is more to faith that just seeing miracles (v. 48). The nobleman was persistent (v. 49), and Jesus healed the boy (v. 50). The man believed Jesus’ word (v. 50), and that was the key. As he was going home—and apparently he lived some distance away (v. 52)—his servants met him and announced that his son had become well, and at the very hour at which Jesus pronounced the healing. This created a greater faith in the nobleman and his household (v. 53). Notice that Jesus did not have to go to the boy to heal him. There was no public healing service. Jesus simply spoke the word, and from at least a day’s distance away, the child was made whole. Let’s see some of the modern “miracle workers” do that. John concludes the chapter by telling us that this was Jesus second major miracle in that region (v. 54). He had done plenty of other miracles in the time being, but now He was returned to Galilee, Cana in particular, where He had performed the miracle recorded in John 2.Mark K. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049998079571823584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107390902120012557.post-24034029610937633072011-03-19T16:53:00.000+09:002011-03-19T16:53:49.817+09:00John 4, Part One<em><span style="color: red;">Jesus' trip plans</span></em> (vs. 1-4)--Jesus was already making enemies in Jerusalem, and so when word got out that His followers now outnumbered John the Baptist's, He decided to go to Galilee, where He would spend most of the next two, and final, years of His ministry. Going from Judea to Galilee required traveling through Samaria (v. 4).<br />
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<em><span style="color: red;">Living water</span></em> (vs. 5-15)--Sychar was a small, insignificant town in Samaria. It was about a mile from Jacob's well, which was apparently on the plot of land Jacob bought from Hamor, the father of Shechem, who was the young man who raped Dinah and led to the mass murder of the men of the town of Shechem by Simeon and Levi (this interesting tale is found in Genesis 34). Jacob eventually gave this land to Joseph (John 4:5), which means part of the land inheritance of his son, Ephraim. Jesus stopped at the well due to weariness; it was noon (v. 6). His disciples had gone to Sychar to purchase some food (v. 8), and while they did, Jesus struck up a conversation with a woman of the city who came out to draw water from the well (v. 7). He asked her for a drink. This surprised her because she recognized Him as a Jew (we're not exactly sure how--perhaps His mode of dress or Galilean dialect). Jews hated Samaritans, whom they considered half-breeds, and in once since they were. The Samaritans arose after the Babylonian captivity (605-536 B.C.). The Babylonians did not take the entire populace into slavery; they left some of the poorer "trash", and when others, non-Jews, moved into and began settling in Palestine, there was some intermarriage. The "Samaritans" were the product. They had also taken some non-Jewish theological positions, as we shall see. Jesus, of course, was always looking for a way to save souls--Jew, Gentile, or Samaritan, thus He directed the conversation into spiritual ways. He provides a <span style="color: blue;">"gift of God"</span> (v. 10), <span style="color: blue;">"living water."</span> The woman, thinking in physical terms, wondered how Jesus could produce this water, since <span style="color: blue;">"you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep"</span> (v. 11). The Lord, of course, was talking metaphorically--He can provide "<span style="color: blue;">water</span>"--the greatest necessity of life, and especially important in desert regions like Samaria--which has no end and will <span style="color: blue;">"spring up into everlasting life"</span> (v. 14). The woman, still thinking in physical terms, requests this water,<span style="color: blue;"> "that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."</span> Jesus will then introduce Himself as the Messiah.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><em>True worship</em></span> (vs. 16-26)—Upon Jesus displaying some miraculous knowledge (that the woman had had five husbands and was now living with a man with whom she was not married (vs. 17-18), the woman rightly deduced, <span style="color: blue;">"You are a prophet"</span> (v. 19), though He was obviously greater than that. Thus, understanding at least something of His true nature, she wanted some clarification: <span style="color: blue;">"Our fathers worshiped on this mountain <span style="color: black;">(Gerizim),</span> and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship"</span> (v. 20). In other words, who's right? The Samaritans believed that it was on this mountain that Abraham prepared to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, and that, soon after, he met Melchizedek near here. So they venerated this location, since the Jews wouldn't let them into Jerusalem anyway.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><em>Jesus endorsed the pure Jewish position</em></span> (v. 22)--"<span style="color: blue;">S</span><span style="color: blue;">alvation is of the Jews." </span>The Messiah came through that line. But <span style="color: blue;">"the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship Him"</span> (v. 23). The Jewish age was passing; Jesus came to end the Mosaic dispensation and inaugurate a completely different one, where He would have all authority and salvation would come through Him (Matt. 28:18; Acts 4:12). There would be no one physical location for worship. It would be an inward thing ("<span style="color: blue;">in spirit</span>") in accordance with the diktats of God ("<span style="color: blue;">in truth</span>"). Both are necessary (v. 24). To worship Him with the proper attitude but not in accordance with His pattern is improper, as is to go through the correct ceremonies with no sincerity or devotion. God has always told man how He wants to be worshipped, and that is true in the Christian age as well. We are to gather on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; I Cor. 16:1-2), where we sing (Eph. 5:19), pray (I Cor. 14:15), partake of the Lord's supper (Acts 20:7; I Cor. 11:20), give of our financial means (I Cor. 16:2), and study from God's word (Acts 20:7). This is the "truth" (God's Word, John 17:17), by which we "<span style="color: blue;">must</span>" abide (John 4:24). But again, that worship must also be "<span style="color: blue;">in spirit</span>," with true love, devotion, and appreciation to Him. The final part of this section of John 4 has Jesus flat out telling the woman that He is the Christ (vs. 25-26). He didn't do that very often, but in this case He obviously found it propitious to do so.Mark K. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049998079571823584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107390902120012557.post-79051002894195657352011-03-01T12:22:00.000+09:002013-01-06T11:10:51.335+09:00John 3, Part Two<span style="color: red;"><em>“For God so loved the world”</em></span> (vs. 11-21)—The apostle John often has Jesus speaking of heavenly matters, which can be somewhat difficult to understand. The “<span style="color: blue;">We</span>” of verse 11 perhaps refers to the godhead in its totality. Jesus came down from heaven and is trying to tell men about it, but <span style="color: blue;">“you do not receive Our witness.” </span>Men, by and large, don’t accept Jesus’ interpretation of earthly matters—things they can see—so they certainly aren’t going to accept what He says about heaven—things they can’t see (v. 12). Jesus is the only one qualified to speak of heaven because He has been there and, in some sense, still <span style="color: blue;">“is in heaven”</span> (v. 13). And His crucifixion is what will save mankind from sin (v. 14). The faith of verses 15 and 16 is obedient faith, not faith only. Verse 16 is, indeed, a very beautiful and powerful verse, but must not be taken out of context, or alone, as the totality of what God says about how men are to be saved. We already saw, earlier in this chapter, that a “new birth” by “water and Spirit” is necessary, and thus how can verse 16 mean faith alone? God wants all men to be saved, not lost (v. 17); that’s why Jesus came, and those who have faith in Him will indeed be saved. But the unbeliever will be lost—is lost (v. 18). That can be remedied, of course, by faith in Christ. What condemns man is not Jesus’ coming to the earth or His message or anything God has or has not done. What condemns man to eternal perdition is a rejection of the light which God sent to the world (v. 19). Why do men reject the light (Jesus)? Because “men loved darkness (sin) rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (v. 19). There are people who hate the light (v. 20); they don’t want their evil deeds exposed to others. But there are those who do indeed love the truth and love the light, will come to it, and glorify God by those works (v. 21).<br />
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There is much brilliant, though simple, philosophy in Jesus’ words here. People are lost in spite of everything God has done for them. He<span style="color: blue;"> “so loved the world</span>”—not just “loved the world,” but <span style="color: blue;">“<em><span style="color: #cc0000;">so</span></em> loved the world</span>”—that He gave His perfect, sinless Son to die a death we all deserve. Yea, we deserve worse. Unfortunately, Christianity, the teachings of Jesus, the very nature of God, demand a holy, righteous lifestyle, as much as in us is. We must turn from our evil ways and submit humbly to Jehovah. Too many men do not want to do that simply because they prefer the pleasures of this world. And they live, and will die, in the hope that Christianity is not true, that Jesus is not the Son of God. It is a supreme gamble they are taking, and a vain one. But again, God has done all He can; there must be a response by man.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><em>John the Baptist’s further testimony</em></span> (vs. 22-36)—Jesus, of course, was never fully understood while He was on this earth, because His mission was so contrary to Jewish expectations. John the Baptist continued his work of baptizing and preparing men for the kingdom of God (vs. 22-24). A dispute over purification arose between some Jews and John’s disciples; this is not terribly surprising since John was preaching that baptism was for the forgiveness of sins (it always has been), and Judaism has its own cleansing rites. And some of John’s disciples complained that Jesus was beginning to steal the spotlight (v. 26). But John, being the great man that he was, tries to direct his followers towards Jesus. John recognized that Jesus’ mission came from heaven (v. 27). He’d already told everybody that he wasn’t the Christ. John is <span style="color: blue;">“the friend of the bridegroom”</span> who <span style="color: blue;">“rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice.”</span> So John himself was very joyous to know of the coming of the Christ (v. 29). And, “<span style="color: blue;">He must increase, but I must decrease”</span> (v. 30). Jesus came from heaven, spoke heavenly things, not earthly, and <span style="color: blue;">“is above all”</span> (v. 31). All He is doing is testifying of what He has seen and heard—of heavenly things (v. 32). Jesus is the only one qualified to do so. But <span style="color: blue;">“no one receives His testimony”;</span> that’s a hyperbole, of course, because many men did receive Christ’s message, but most did not. Yet, at the time, very few understood Him. God sent Him to give the full measure of the Spirit’s message (v. 34). There is a close bond between Father and Son, and salvation and the preaching of that message is now in Christ’s hands; that is my understanding of John’s enigmatic statement that the Father<span style="color: blue;"> “has given all things into His<span style="color: black;"> (Christ’s)</span> hand”</span> (v. 35). It could also be a statement of authority, such as Jesus said in Matthew 28:18. Belief in Jesus leads to everlasting life; disobedience leads to the wrath of God (v. 36). There is a difference, in verse 36, between the “<span style="color: blue;">believes</span>” in the first part of the sentence, and the “<span style="color: blue;">believe</span>” in the latter; they are different Greek words, and the latter means “obey.” The American Standard Version accurately translates this; the KJV and NKJV don’t make the distinction that they should. Obedience is necessary for salvation (Hebrews 5:8-9).Mark K. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049998079571823584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107390902120012557.post-17081867889327527802011-02-28T18:12:00.000+09:002011-02-28T18:12:20.153+09:00John 3, Part One<em><span style="color: red;">“Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?”</span></em> (vs. 1-10)—This is a very famous, and unfortunately, much misunderstood and abused passage. A Pharisaic ruler named Nicodemus, whom we learn elsewhere was, or became, very sympathetic towards Jesus (John 7:50; 19:39), came to speak to Him privately. Why Nicodemus approached Jesus at night is pure speculation. He admitted his belief that Jesus came from God; Nicodemus correctly interpreted the miraculous evidence: <span style="color: blue;">“no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him”</span> (v. 2). Exactly what he wanted we don’t know, but Jesus cut right to the quick and spoke of the new birth: <span style="color: blue;">“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”</span> (v. 3—the old KJV’s <span style="color: blue;">“Verily, verily, I say unto thee”</span> is so much prettier). Nicodemus did not understand, thinking Jesus spoke in physical terms (v. 4). But Jesus expounds a little more in verse 5: <span style="color: blue;">“Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”</span> It is a <em><span style="color: #cc0000;">sine qua non, </span></em>an absolute. One cannot see or enter God’s kingdom without this birth of water and Spirit. So, verily, verily, it is a very important concept.<br />
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It would take a full article to completely elucidate Jesus’ meaning; countless sermons have been preached, explaining, and mis-explaining, the meaning. Suffice it for this survey to say that <span style="color: blue;">“water”</span> refers to baptism, and <span style="color: blue;">“the Spirit”</span> refers to the Holy Spirit’s message as revealed in the word of God. It is important to understand that baptism is a change of state—not a change of heart, or mind, or life. Those take place in belief and repentance. But just as a baby is <em><span style="color: #cc0000;">alive</span></em> in its mother’s womb, it is not yet born; its birth changes its state, not its life. Of course, if it is never born, it will soon die. Baptism is the point at which our sins are forgiven (Acts 2:38; 22:16). This, of course, takes place in the mind of God, not in the heart of man. A person cannot “feel” forgiveness, only the one offended can state the conditions for that forgiveness. And God has included baptism as that point when He will view a sinner as pardoned. The Spirit acts, in effect, as the “father” in the spiritual begetting process. Paul wrote in I Corinthians 4:15, <span style="color: blue;">“I have begotten you through the gospel.” </span>Peter is perhaps more explicit in I Peter 1:23: <span style="color: blue;">“having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God.” </span>Thus, we are begotten by the Spirit through His word and we come forth from the spiritual womb via water, i.e., baptism. The figure is so beautiful that Jesus even has the order correct. Just as one cannot be said to have been begotten by his father until he is first born of his mother, even so one cannot be born of the Spirit until he is first born of the water. For if one will not accept the Spirit’s word to be baptized for the remission of sins, how can one truly be said to have been begotten by that Spirit?<br />
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Jesus makes the delineation in verse 6—flesh is flesh and spirit is spirit. The new birth is, of course, a spiritual one, not physical. It is not possible for us to understand the workings in the human heart (v. 8). That verse does not refer to the “movings” of the Holy Spirit, as is often claimed. Notice,<span style="color: blue;"> “so is <em><span style="color: #cc0000;">everyone</span></em> who is born of the Spirit.”</span> Why some accept and why others reject can only be known by God and each human heart.<br />
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Nicodemus still didn’t understand.<span style="color: blue;"> “How can these things be?”</span> (v. 9). And Jesus rebukes him for it: <span style="color: blue;">“Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?”</span> In other words, “Nicodemus, if you knew the Old Testament the way you ought to, then a new birth of water and Spirit shouldn’t be a surprise.” Jehovah used water frequently under the Jewish dispensation to effect a change of state—Noah and the flood, the children of Israel crossing the Red Sea into freedom from bondage, Naaman being purified of leprosy by the waters of the Jordan River being the three most effective examples. All of these, however, were predicated upon belief and obedience. Unless we believe God and are willing to do as He says, then the cleansing waters of baptism, where we contact the blood of Christ (in the mind of God, Romans 6:1-4) will never reach our eternal spirit and free us from the bondage, from the dreaded disease, of sin.<br />
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Remember, reader, according to Jesus we cannot enter the kingdom of God without the water and Spirit birth. It’s His words, not mine.Mark K. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049998079571823584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107390902120012557.post-83482676457190899762011-02-18T10:19:00.000+09:002011-02-18T10:19:03.819+09:00John 2<em><span style="color: red;">The wedding at Cana</span></em> (vs. 1-12)—Cana was a small town about 8 miles north of Nazareth, so it would have taken Jesus about three days to get there from where the events at the end of chapter one had taken place. It was quite a blessing for that couple to have Jesus at their reception. When they ran out of wine, Jesus’ mother, Mary, speaks to Him about it, perhaps implying that He should do something. We don’t know the extent of Mary’s understanding of her son’s abilities. Jesus’ response in verse 4 seems to be a mild rebuke; His mother is not going to control His mission or direct His affairs. <span style="color: blue;">“My hour is not yet come” </span>speaks of higher things than the mundane affairs of this world. Mary may have been looking at the immediate; Jesus attempts to direct her mind to something far more significant. Regardless of the exact meaning of their conversation, Mary tells the servants to do whatever Jesus instructs them to do. <br />
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The six <span style="color: blue;">“waterpots of stone”</span> would have contained between 120 and 150 gallons. Jesus had the servants fill the pots with water and then performed His miracle. The master of the feast recognized the superiority of what Jesus had made and commended the bridegroom for his actions of providing the best drink for the last. The bridegroom, of course, would have no idea what happened. John then tells us that<span style="color: blue;"> “this [was the] beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee”</span>—not necessarily the first miracle He wrought because we saw in chapter one He displayed some miraculous knowledge. But now He’s in Galilee and this is His first miracle there.<br />
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A note on the “wine” of this wedding feast. Because most people drink alcoholic wine, it is assumed that the beverage here was also fermented. This is not necessarily so. The Greek word used here, oinos, is a generic term—it can mean either fermented or unfermented juice of the grape. The fact that there was at least 120 gallons of the stuff would seem to point to an unfermented beverage; a lot of people can get awfully drunk on that much alcohol, and to think that Jesus was endorse, or encourage, such drinking by His presence, or even more, my producing that much alcoholic drink, is a bit hard to fathom. The ancients knew several ways to keep grape juice from fermenting, and they would water down both unfermented and fermented drink to make it last longer. Hence, the master of the feast’s comment would not necessarily imply alcohol. Wine was a common drink in the ancient world, just as it is today. But people back then also drank unfermented grape juice—just as many do today. Context, and the whole repercussions of the use of alcohol, would lead me to conclude that Jesus produced an unfermented beverage.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><em>Jesus at the Passover</em></span> (vs. 13-25)—Jesus then returns to Jerusalem for the Passover. He was upset when He saw people selling sacrifices to the visitors and He drove them out. He did this also later in His ministry, so obviously His actions here didn’t have much effect on the money-grubbers of His day. To His disciples, this called to mind a thought from Psalm 69:9, <span style="color: blue;">“Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.” </span>The Jews questioned Him, asking for a sign (v. 18); He’d give them one: <span style="color: blue;">“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up”</span> (v. 19). They misunderstood, not surprisingly, thinking He was talking about the physical temple in Jerusalem (v. 20). But John explains that He was talking about His resurrection (v. 21), and that when He had indeed risen from the dead, they remembered His words here. It’s virtually assured that, when He spoke these words, that they did not understand Him, either. A lot of people <span style="color: blue;">“believed in His name”</span> when He worked a number of miracles at the Passover (v. 23), but this “belief” is obviously a very shallow perception of Him, and He did not take the time, at the moment, to explain fully who or what He was, or His mission. That would come in time. He recognized how such a shallow understanding of Him could lead to severe misunderstanding, so He kept His identity unrevealed until a future date. This is reminiscent of cases, recording in the other gospels, where Jesus healed an individual but then told him not to tell anybody. The masses could have created a tremendous uproar and, frankly, kept Him from completing the preaching and teaching that He came to do. He knew men (He had created them) so He didn’t commit His identity to them this early in His ministry.Mark K. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049998079571823584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107390902120012557.post-63044986910026337472011-02-14T09:43:00.000+09:002011-02-14T09:43:10.014+09:00John 1, Part Two<em><span style="color: red;">The work of John the Baptist</span></em> (vs. 19-35)—While much of this material can be found in the other three gospels, there are a few additions here by John the apostle. The Jews wanted John the Baptist to identify himself (v. 19), and he plainly stated that he wasn’t the Christ. “Who are you then?” (v. 21). The reference to Elijah goes back to Malachi 4:5, and “the Prophet” apparently has reference to Moses’ prophecy in Deuteronomy 18:15-18. It appears that the Jews might not have taken the Deuteronomy passge as Messianic, which it almost assuredly is. But John denied that he was the fulfillment of either of these two Old Testament references, rather he is the<span style="color: blue;"> “voice crying in the wilderness”</span> of Isaiah 40. He came to prepare the way for the Lord. Jesus tells us that John was the <span style="color: blue;">“Elijah who is to come”</span> (Matt. 11:14), but he isn’t the literal Elijah, which is how John the Baptist answered the question. John further explains his mission in verses 25-28. This particular conversation was held after Christ’s baptism, because verse 29 indicates that <span style="color: blue;">“the next day”</span> John saw Jesus in the distance and announced, <span style="color: blue;">“Behold, The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”</span> It's interesting that he uses the singular "sin" rather than "sins." Sin here is pictured as one, great mass that is offensive and in opposition to God. Jesus can remove it. John then discusses how he knew that, i.e., <span style="color: blue;">“I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him”</span> (v. 32). John did not know Who Jesus was until that time. For those who think there is a contradiction here—verses 26 and 27 happening after Christ’s baptism while the other gospel writers recording it before Jesus’ immersion—one only has to realize that John had this discussion at least twice, once before and once after. It’s highly likely, given the number of Jews who came out to be baptized of him, that he spoke similar words many times. Jesus tells us how great John was, and we see a marvelous indication in this passage. When John points to Jesus as the Messiah, he was inviting disaster to his own popularity; he was telling his followers to shift their allegiance to Jesus. Some did, but some didn’t, but John certainly did his job and was willing to disappear from the scene. Not many men would do what he did.<br />
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<em><span style="color: red;">Jesus’ first disciples</span></em> (vs.36-51)—This section helps to explain the seeming perplexity of Matthew 4:18ff. and the parallels in Mark and Luke, where Peter, Andrew, James, and John rise and follow Jesus upon His first contact with Him. But their “leaving all” was not their first introduction to the Messiah. Matthew, Mark, and Luke actually skip nearly all of the first year of Christ’s ministry. John fills in a few of the gaps, one of those being Jesus’ meeting of Peter and Andrew. Thus, they knew Him for at least a year before He called them to follow Him permanently. Andrew was convinced that Jesus was the Messiah (vs. 37-41), and went to find his brother, Peter. Jesus gives Peter the name “<span style="color: blue;">Cephas</span>,” which means rock, which is exactly what “Peter” means in Greek. “Cephas” is Aramaic, a close relative of Hebrew, and probably the language Jesus spoke. Jesus next meets Philip and Nathanael, who is also known as Bartholomew. Philip, in ways that we are not told, is also convinced of Jesus’ identify, and goes to find his friend. Nathanael is skeptical: <span style="color: blue;">“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?</span>” (v. 46), which tells us something of the reputation that city had among the Jews of that day. Philip simply invites him to <span style="color: blue;">“come and see”</span> (v. 46). Jesus then demonstrates some miraculous knowledge (vs. 47-49), which, properly, convinces Nathanael of His deity. Jesus tells him that this is a small thing, and that <span style="color: blue;">“you will see greater things than these”</span> (v. 50). Verse 51 is difficult and, from all future indications, not literal. It probably simply refers to the glory that would be bestowed upon Jesus from heaven. It reminds us of Jacob’s dream in Genesis 38.Mark K. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049998079571823584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107390902120012557.post-33877622952289425242011-02-03T10:25:00.000+09:002011-02-03T10:25:59.482+09:00John 1, Part One<em><span style="color: red;">Who is Jesus?</span></em> (vs. 1-18)—For all his simplistic language, the concepts John introduces are deep, thoughtful theological ideas. And his description of Jesus in verses 1-18 of chapter one is profound. And, as noted in the introduction, it is anti-Gnostic. Without going into great detail, let me analyze who—what—John says Jesus is.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><em>He is God</em></span> (vs. 1-3)—<span style="color: blue;">“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”</span> The statement <span style="color: blue;">“in the beginning”</span> deliberately reminds us of Genesis 1:1 and the verses thereafter, where God used His word to create the world (more on John’s meaning of “<span style="color: blue;">Word</span>” in just a moment). Jesus was there with God, and being God, essential in the creative process. This whole idea takes us to the three-fold nature of God, which is humanly incomprehensible. But then, so is human nature itself. We are three-fold beings ourselves—body, soul, and spirit. Take one away, and we no longer exist. Our universe is actually a tri-universe—space, time, matter. These are reflections of the image of the triune God.<br />
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<em><span style="color: red;">He is the “Word”</span></em> (v. 1)—What are words? Words are expressions of ideas. At this moment, I am communicating my mind to you via the words I am using. In a similar way, God expressed His mind to us through His “<span style="color: blue;">Word</span>,” Jesus Christ. In Christ, we see the very mind of God. What an awesome concept. And then, of course, this “word” was written down for us in the Bible. So the Bible, the word of God, is simply a description of Jesus Himself, the “<span style="color: blue;">Word</span>” of God, the mind of God explained to man.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><em>He is the light which brings life to man</em></span> (vs. 4-5, 9-10)—The “<span style="color: blue;">darkness</span>” of the world is the sin that plagues it; Jesus provides the light which directs men out of that darkness. The world doesn’t understand Him (v. 5, 10), or more accurately, doesn’t want to.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><em>He was not John the Baptist</em></span> (vs. 6-8)—The apostle will talk more about John the Baptist later in the chapter, but at the moment, he simply tells us that John came to bear witness <span style="color: blue;">“of the Light,”</span> in hopes<span style="color: blue;"> “that all through him might believe”</span> (v. 7). The Baptizer came from God (v. 6), but he himself was not the Light (v. 8).<br />
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<em><span style="color: red;">He is the one through Whom men can become children of God</span></em> (vs. 11-13)—Jesus was born as a Jew, something that is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy stretching back to Genesis 12. But the Jews, by and large, rejected Him (v. 11). By the time John writes this gospel (mid-80s), that national rejection was largely manifest. But to those who do receive Jesus—now, notice very carefully—“<span style="color: blue;">to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name”</span> (v. 12). Believers are not children of God, they only have the right to become so, and they become so by fulfilling that belief in obedience. Jesus is <span style="color: blue;">“the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him”</span> (Heb. 5:9). Even the demons believe (James 2:19). Faith only is insufficient for salvation. This new birth into the family of God is spiritual, not physical, and comes from God, not man (v. 13). Jesus will talk more of that new birth in John 3.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><em>Jesus was human</em></span> (v. 14)—“<span style="color: blue;">The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”</span> This, as noted in the introduction, is a direct attack on Gnostic heresy. And again, we have the incomprehensible. On earth, Jesus was not 50% human and 50% God. He was 100% of each. You try to explain it. But then, we must not forget that we are dealing with God here, whose foolishness is wiser than man’s greatest wisdom (I Cor. 1:25), and whose ways are as high above man’s as heaven is above the earth (Isaiah 55:8-9). <br />
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<span style="color: red;"><em>He is the only begotten Son of God</em></span> (vs. 14, 18)—He’s unique, one of a kind. We are all “sons” (children of God), but not like Him. We cannot “see” God in His spiritual form, but only as He manifested Himself. And the second person of the godhead did that in human form.<br />
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<em><span style="color: red;">He brought grace and truth</span></em> (v. 17)—The necessary elements of our salvation. <br />
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My study in these blogs is only a survey, for, believe me, books can, and have been, written on every paragraph above.Mark K. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049998079571823584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107390902120012557.post-29879701451008550952011-02-01T09:30:00.000+09:002011-02-01T09:30:45.523+09:00Introduction to the Gospel of JohnBy all internal evidence and early church history information, this gospel was written by the apostle John, one of five books in the New Testament which he penned (the three letters bearing his name and the book of Revelation being the others). The theme of the gospel is clearly stated near the end, in chapter 20:30-31: <span style="color: blue;">“And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”</span> Notice his aim is not just that people believe, but that they believe unto salvation<span style="color: blue;">—“that you may have life in His name.” </span>In order to accomplish his goal, John presents several notable miracles that Jesus did (the number is usually given as nine, but there are more than that). That is enough. If a person won’t believe on the eyewitness evidence the apostle produces, then more miracles will not convince them.<br />
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But it’s a little more complicated than that. John wrote this gospel, probably in the mid-80s, at least 20 years after the other three gospels were finished. By this time, the battle fought by Paul over justification by faith versus the Law of Moses is over. The “Judaizers”—early Jewish Christians—whom he dealt with had tried to force certain aspect of the Mosaic law, especially circumcision, on Gentile Christians. Paul, and others, would have none of it, and thus the Jewish people, as a whole, began to reject Christianity. The book of Hebrews, written probably in the mid-60s, signifies the break with its teaching that Christianity is superior in every way to Judaism, and that this is exactly what the Old Testament had taught as well. Well, this was obviously something most Jews could not accept, and so they clung to their own religion. Thus, by the mid-80s, when John started writing, most converts to Christianity were Gentiles. Well, understandably, they brought their peculiar religious and philosophical beliefs with them, the most notable and influential being Gnosticism. This doctrine would play a major factor in the church in the 2nd century especially, and it would take a lot of work to root it out of Christianity. John’s writings were of supreme help.<br />
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Gnosticism is complicated, but its major idea—at least the one John combats—is the Jesus did not really come in the flesh. He could not have done so, because the flesh is totally evil; only the spirit can be good. Thus, God as the Son could not have truly lived in the flesh; He only “seemed” to. This was special knowledge (Greek, <em><span style="color: #cc0000;">gnosis</span></em>, hence Gnosticism) which only a few, superior Christians possessed, an inner cult, if you will. Because of their belief in their own elite insights, they looked down upon other Christians as inferior. John deals with this thoroughly in I John, but also somewhat in the gospel. His first few verses are a direct attack upon the Gnostic heresy: <span style="color: blue;">“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…<em><span style="color: #cc0000;">and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…</span></em>” </span>(John 1:1, 14, emphasis mine). This is NOT what Gnosticism believed, and John will produce more evidence, as his gospel proceeds, of the deity and “flesh” of Christ. This basic historical background is crucial to understanding much of what John wrote.<br />
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John, of course, includes much material that Matthew, Mark, and Luke do not have. This is partly because of his unique purpose, but also because there was no sense in repeating, again, what the earlier three inspired writers had written. It’s the same Jesus, of course, just dealt with from a different angle and presenting different aspects of His teaching.<br />
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The gospel of John is a beautiful book, but has its difficulties. I will attempt to iron these out as we proceed through our study.Mark K. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049998079571823584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107390902120012557.post-90940914367196174592010-12-05T10:22:00.000+09:002010-12-05T10:22:20.200+09:00Luke 24, Part Two<em><span style="color: red;">His appearance to His disciples</span></em> (vs. 36-53)--There were at least 11 separate appearances Jesus made to individuals after His resurrection. Luke records one here that none of the writers mention, except Paul in I Corinthians 15:5, if that is a reference to this event in Luke; it's not totally clear. Regardless, Jesus manifests Himself to His followers, and apparently in a miraculous manner. He seemed to suddenly materialize in their midst (v. 36), and some of them were <span style="color: blue;">"terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit"</span> (v. 37). But Jesus comforts them and proves His true identity by showing them His hand and feet, and encourages them to touch Him:<span style="color: blue;"> "for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have"</span> (v. 39). The phrase (v. 41)<span style="color: blue;"> "they still did not believe for joy"</span> is a curious one; apparently they were so overcome and hopeful, that they just couldn't believe it was true. "Can it really be true? Really?" A joy so wonderful that they simply couldn't believe it was happening. But it was and Jesus gave further evidence by eating some fish and honeycomb (vs. 42-43). <br />
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Then He began to instruct them, explaining that He had told them these things before, that His life, death, and resurrection were among the <span style="color: blue;">"all things"</span> which <span style="color: blue;">"must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me"</span> (v. 44). The theme of the Old Testament is "Christ is coming," and that's what He tells them here. They began to understand (v. 45), but still had a long way to go. After fulfilling the prophetic pronouncements of His suffering and resurrection, now "repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem" (v. 47). This is probably a direct reference to Isaiah 2:1-4 and Micah 4:1-3. The apostles were His witnesses (v. 48) and He tells them, in effect, that this is just the beginning: they should remain in Jerusalem "<span style="color: blue;">until you are endued with power from on high"</span> (v. 49). That would happen soon, on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon them and guided them into all the truth.<br />
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He then took them near Bethany--in sight of it--to the the Mount of Olives. Bethany was on the eastern side of that mountain. Perhaps they did go all the way to Bethany for some reason, and then made the short trip back to the Mount of Olives. Regardless, for the latter location, He blessed them one more time (v. 51) and then ascended to heaven. Luke concludes his gospel with a general statement of their joy and worship of Him. The good doctor will begin the book of Acts where he leaves off here--with Christ's ascension up to heaven.<br />
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Thus ends the marvelous gospel of Luke. It's taken me almost 50 posts to get through it, and I certainly did not begin to cover all that this rich book imparts. The central theme that runs through the entire book is priorities (14:26-33, for example). What good does it do to gain the whole world and lose one's soul? Jesus had come down from heaven; He knew its joys and glories, and He was trying--and through His word still is--to get men to focus more clearly on the next life and not this one. Most people won't do that. But then, they will answer to God as to why they did not. And they will have no excuse because the Lord Jesus told us, in unmistakable words, the will and commands of God.<br />
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Luke's story will continue in the book of Acts. By the grace of God, some day in the near future, I will examine, in another blog, that book.Mark K. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049998079571823584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107390902120012557.post-22357461370527720622010-12-04T09:30:00.000+09:002010-12-04T09:30:04.204+09:00Luke 24, Part One<em><span style="color: red;">The resurrection of Jesus</span></em> (vs. 1-12)--The very first thing that happens on the first day of the week is that Jesus rose from the dead. The first and the best--a common theme throughout Old Testament and New. None of the gospel writers tell the complete story, nor necessarily in the same order. Events are what are important here, not chronology, which is never the highest concern of ancient Oriental historians. Verse 1 says<span style="color: blue;"> "certain other women"</span> came to embalm the body; verse 10 mentions who these women were. Notice, they came to finish Christ's burial, not to look for a resurrected Messiah. The latter concept, because of the Jewish prejudice and teaching, was the farthest thing from their minds. And when they ran and told the apostles that Jesus was indeed alive, <span style="color: blue;">"their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them"</span> (v. 11). Overcoming preconceptions can be an extremely difficult thing, which is why so many today refuse to accept baptism for the remission of sins or the concept of only one authorized church. It's just not what they've been taught all their lives. Because of the women's perplexity (v. 4), the two angels explained to them what had happened. Mary Magdalene still had trouble grasping the concept (John 20:11-15), but finally was convinced by Jesus Himself (v. 16). Peter (Luke 24:12), and John (John 20:3), no doubt in hope that the report of Jesus' resurrection was true, ran to the tomb, but Luke indicates that maybe Peter wasn't convinced yet. There was still doubt lingering for sure, however.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><em>The conversation on the road to Emmaus</em></span> (vs. 13-35)--<span style="color: blue;">"Two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem" </span>(v. 13). We learn that the name of one of them was Cleopas (v. 18), the only mention of him in Scripture; the other disciple is not named, but whoever he was, he wasn't one of the eleven remaining apostles (v. 33). Jesus joined them (v. 15), but, probably miraculously, <span style="color: blue;">"their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him"</span> (v. 16). It’s not impossible, however, that their preconceived notions were so strong that their “restrained eyes” were a natural event. Jesus converses with them and they express despair over His death, for <span style="color: blue;">"we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel"</span> (v. 21). But, alas, they had been disappointed. Over and over again we get this physical expectation of the Jews for Christ. The two men then communicate chagrin that Jesus' body had disappeared (v. 22), the women having<span style="color: blue;"> "a vision of angels who said He was alive"</span> (v. 23). A "vision," not reality. Unbelief still reigned in their hearts. Jesus rebukes them for their obstinance, and tells them that His resurrection was the message of the prophets (v. 25), that <span style="color: blue;">"the Christ"</span> had to suffer <span style="color: blue;">"these things and to enter into His glory"</span> (v. 26). He then explained the Old Testament to them (v. 27).<br />
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Apparently, they still didn't recognize Him, but when they drew near to Emmaus, it was<span style="color: blue;"> "toward evening"</span> (v. 29), and they asked Jesus to stay with them, the common hospitality of the day. Jesus did, ate with them (v. 30), and finally<span style="color: blue;"> "their eyes were opened and they knew Him" </span>(v. 31). He then <span style="color: blue;">"vanished from their sight," </span>apparently another miraculous event. Because of their excitement, Cleopas and his companion immediately went back to Jerusalem--a two hour trip<span style="color: blue;">--"found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together"</span> (v. 33). The two who had met Jesus reported that He was truly risen from the dead and had appeared to Peter (v. 34). They then recounted the events they had experienced that day.<br />
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The final passages of Luke need a section of their own and will be considered in my final post on this marvelous book.Mark K. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049998079571823584noreply@blogger.com2