Bible study Daily, explanation and encouragement - John
But the result, man's response to God's action in relation to man himself, was the failure to know Him, the refusal to receive Him. God's purpose and man's refusal are here set in vivid contrast. A literal translation would be as follows: "He came for his own things, and his own people did not receive him." It was not the natural world that refused to accept him. Refusal and rebellion came from the heart of man. Failure to know God is failure on an ethical plane. It is the willful rejection of God, and the repudiation of his justice. Undoubtedly, complete rejection - of God's best and highest relationship - was demonstrated by the leaders of Israel, often described by John as "the Jews".
THE POWER TO BE MADE CHILDREN OF GOD - Although many have rejected the shining Light, God's personal revelation, many have received it. In the incarnation, God makes adequate provision for men to have the right - based on proper authority and power - to become "children" of God. Such a right is not an inherent human ability separate from the grace of God. It is given by God. Only for people who receive it, those who have faith, are children of God.
There is only one way to become a child of God, and that is to be begotten "of God." The Samaritan woman (4:12) appealed to Jacob as a certification of his religious standing, and the Jews often spoke to Jesus about his father Abraham as sufficient justification of his standing before God. Jesus' teaching to Nicodemus, who was a teacher of Israel, centered on this fact. Only God can give spiritual life.
Communication is the starting point for the success of any family relationship. It is the key to a healthy husband-wife, parent-child relationship. However, many families suffer because they do not communicate properly.
God knows how to communicate perfectly. In order for us to understand his love for us and his special plan for our lives, He sent Jesus into the world to live among us. Jesus made himself equal to man so that divine communication could take effect. Christ communicated with love and truth.
Human beings need to communicate. No one can live isolated like an island and still feel complete. We have to improve communication between our family members on a daily basis if we want to see them calm, confident and safe.
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
In verse 37 of chapter 1 it shows two disciples of John the Baptist leaving him to follow Jesus, then Jesus realizes that they were following Him and asks, "What do you want?" These first words of Jesus in the Gospel of John constitute the question for the two disciples. These are appropriate words for a meaningful dialogue. Were the disciples looking for something for themselves? Was his quest born of selfishness? Did the switch from John the Baptist to Jesus imply a search for advantages? Did they expect to find satisfaction for physical appetites, or easy discipleship that did not involve repentance and confession? The response of both showed inspiration. THEY WERE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE, not SOMETHING. Rabbi, where do you live? This was an excellent answer, for at the same time it answered Jesus' question and affirmed his deep interest. These early disciples substituted something (what?) for a Person. They needed Christ first, not any special gift from Christ.
Is that you? What do you want from Jesus? He has all the power to accomplish all things. But then what? And after the miracle received? What do you look for in Jesus? His presence in our life is the most precious thing that we can have, the person of Jesus acting in our life is worth more than gold. The peace of Jesus surpasses all understanding. Knowing that sometimes we need God to help us in some situation but we should not just want blessings, the owner of the blessing is more important.
THE FIRST DISCIPLES
The brothers Andrew and Peter were fishermen, as were James and John (Mt 4:18; Mk 1:16; Lk 5:3-10). It was Andrew who, even though he was a new disciple of Jesus, FOUND HIS BROTHER FIRST. What a wonderful place to witness—in your own home, to your loved ones! There is also implied a search testimony. Some must be sought after. The lost must be found. Furthermore, André's testimony was clear. WE FOUND THE MESSIAH. Long sought after, promised by God through the prophets, the Messiah was identified; He has been found! And anyone who reads and studies the scriptures can understand and discern the signs when given. André's testimony was not only personal and clear, it was powerful. AND HE LEADED HIM TO JESUS. Men must be brought into a position of confrontation with Jesus Christ.
How many times do we act like Nathanael? It is very common for this to happen. Nazareth was a very poor village so he did not expect the Messiah to come out of such a place. Bringing it to our reality is as if someone said "can anything good come from the Sarah desert?" Of a poor people who live in drought? Miserable that they are… of course all this is prejudice and lack of information. And a lot of prejudice has been put into us by other people through things we have been told. Or through negative propaganda.
But the good part, or what Jesus liked about Nathanael, was that, although he seemed to be convinced that nothing good could come from Nazareth, HE WAS WILLING TO VERIFY. Although he had a strong opinion, he had an open heart. Be encourage to have an open heart towards everyone you meet. Think about it. If Nathanael had not been willing to open his heart to Jesus, he would have missed out on the greatest blessing of his life - a great relationship with the Lord. I believe that God has blessings in store for you through relationships as well. So keep your heart open.
- In chapter 2 of John talks about the first miracle, where Jesus was at a wedding feast and lacked wine. Jesus' mother went to Him and related the fact. Thereafter Mary said to the servants: “Do whatever He tells you”.
- Has God ever asked you to do something that did not seem to make sense? No doubt the servants wondered why Jesus asked them to fill the jars with water when it was wine that had run out. Fortunately, they were obedient - and witnessed Jesus' first miracle. Even when you do not understand why God is asking you to do something, heed Mary's advice and do whatever God tells you to do. You will be blessed because of your obedience.
The presence of the Lord of life, who gives true joy, transformed the whole scene. Resources that were once inadequate and insufficient to meet man's needs now become plentiful. The resources that had been limited and that had posed a threat to man's true joy now flowed in rich profusion. The resources that were less than the best, the inferior, are now God's best for man: YOU KEEP UNTIL NOW THE GOOD WINE. At best, the law was "a shadow of good things to come" Heb 10:1; but now, in Jesus Christ, the good things to come have arrived, are available to all, and are suited to the deepest needs of men. Man's weak resources are supplanted by God's best.The presence of the Lord of life, who gives true joy, transformed the whole scene. Resources that were once inadequate and insufficient to meet man's needs now become plentiful. The resources that had been limited and that had posed a threat to man's true joy now flowed in rich profusion. The resources that were less than the best, the inferior, are now God's best for man: YOU KEEP UNTIL NOW THE GOOD WINE. At best, the law was "a shadow of good things to come" Heb 10:1; but now, in Jesus Christ, the good things to come have arrived, are available to all, and are suited to the deepest needs of men. Man's weak resources are supplanted by God's best.
The gospel of John introduces the role of the Holy Spirit in spiritual growth. The new birth and baptism with the Holy Spirit, including the ability to pray in the power of the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is our teacher. Comforter, lawyer and guide. He is our source of true spiritual understanding. He establishes believers, enabling them to live the Christian life.
- It is impossible to understand the Kingdom of God and enter it without spiritual rebirth.
These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you (John 14:25,26). - Understand that the Holy Spirit enables the people of God to understand and live according to the truth.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to bring conviction to people's hearts. Understand that it is one of his primary ministries (John 16:8-11).
- Knowing the truth of God's word was made possible through the Holy Spirit.
May the ministry of the Holy Spirit work greatly in your life, helping, leading and operating. He is God!!!
- Biological life is received from the parents, but the life that comes from God only He can give, and this life comes from above.
- Really, it is inadequate and false the religion that does not transform a man into something new, without offering him or her a new birth!
- ONE WHO IS NOT BORN OF WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT CANNOT ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD - that "who" means "any man", not just Nicodemus. He needed to start where he was. But the fulfillment, the life and the solution of his innermost problem will only come through a birth from above, the birth of the Spirit. If one wants to have life, the source must be the Spirit.
- The message is simple. The gospel is for all men. None of them are excluded. This describes why God did what he did. He loved it! The Greek word is egapesen. This is the love that moves for the interests of the other, without thinking about its own interests. It is a love that wants to risk everything for some advantage to another person, that does not consider any price too high when another person can receive some benefit. The aorist tense of the verb indicates that the act of love for God is not limited by time and is simultaneously unique and complete. It is absolute love!
- HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON. That is, the gift that was most precious.
- EVERYONE THAT BELIEVES DOES NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. The alternatives are defined. They are life and death! God's Gift made it possible for man to make the choice, the response of faith.
- Believe in the Lord Jesus. He loves you and has only good things to give you. A totally new and different path.
- Romans 10:9-10 says— If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved.
- God bless you!
John 3:16
This is the first mention of God's love in this gospel. God loved the world. Here's the idea of universal reach. The Gospel is for all men. None of them are excluded. This describes why God did what he did. He loved it! The Greek word is agape–egapesen. This is a love that moves for the interests of the other, without thinking about its own interests. It is a love that wants to risk everything for someone else's advantage. It is absolute love!
GAVE HIS ONLY SON - That is, the Gift that was most precious.
WHOSOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. The alternatives are defined. They are life and death! The Gift of God has made it possible for man to make the choice, the response of faith. The verb "perish" carries the idea of "once and for all", cast out into outer darkness. The verb to have is in the present tense, indicating a present and lasting eternal life.
The word condemn can be translated as "judge", Jesus' purpose was not to bring men to judgment, but salvation. Nevertheless, judgment is inevitable, and it is man himself who causes it, when he refuses to accept Jesus, the mediating and atoning Gift of God. "Man is free to choose torment without God over happiness in God; it is as if he had the right to go to hell."
Judgment and condemnation do not come to the man who has faith, because whoever believes in Him is not condemned. The literal translation would be: "He who puts his faith in Him, in Jesus, is not being judged".
THOSE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE, IS ALREADY CONDEMNED - This is a strong statement. Condemnation is a present state because the unbeliever has refused to believe.
There is an open door to life, the life of God for men. It has three characteristics:
1- It is the gift of God that comes from above (v.3:16)
2- It only comes to those who have faith (v.15,16)
3- The alternative to life is the judgment of God (v.18)
This passage speaks of Jesus' meeting with the Samaritan woman, when He meets her at the well and asks for water.
Jesus himself is that gift from God that she could receive! But the woman did not know this. If she had known, she would have asked and He would have given it. What she and all who ask in faith could receive, is living water. How carefully did Jesus lead her from where she was —thinking of the water at the well of Jacob — to a higher and more satisfying concept!
Thinking, how many people talk to Jesus, sometimes they are even inside a religious group but they do not understand who Jesus is. Our prayer is that as this woman can be enlightened about the person of Christ, many others will be too! That as Jesus did, without prejudice, calmly and patiently. And without questioning who is right or who is better, God can raise up people to clarify through the Holy Spirit the truths of Christ.
The Samaritan woman knew very well that Jesus was telling the truth about her. It was not just that she came daily for years to Jacob's well to get water; the real problem was that all her life, her religion had not quenched the thirst of her weakened soul. Many people do all that their religion requires, but having never drunk from that which is the Living Water, their life has not changed, and so they remain dry and fruitless. The promise that Jesus makes to the woman is universal: WHOEVER DRINKS OF THE WATER THAT I GIVE HIM WILL NEVER BE THIRSTY, BECAUSE THE WATER THAT I GIVE HIM WILL BECOME A FOUNTAIN OF WATER GROWING UP TO ETERNAL LIFE. Here it is! The superlative of life offered to a sinful, needy, ignorant creature. The stagnant pools of the soul are transformed into a well that gushes water. The weakened and dead soul of man comes to partake of eternal life.
- Jesus was back in Galilee after passing through Samaria and on the way he met an official of the king whose son was sick and begged Jesus to come and heal the boy.
- Jesus' answer was a test for the officer. IF YOU DO NOT SEE SIGNS AND MIRACLES YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE - Are signs and miracles the motive or the result of faith? Is this spectacular event, the miracle, the static experience of a thing to be sought for itself? Is it the product of a dynamic and well-founded faith, or is it the open door to it? That is, faith in him and his word? In John, the word MIRACLES appears only here.
- The officer was not prepared for a theological discussion when his immediate need seemed so great. COME DOWN BEFORE MY SON DIE. Jesus' response was an even greater test of the man's faith. GO, YOUR SON LIVES. Now what the officer had was the promise of life for his son. COULD HE BELIEVE, HAVING NOT SEEN? Is it possible to trust God's Word without hesitation? This man did it! AND THE MAN BELIEVED THE WORD THAT JESUS SAID AND WENT.
- YOUR SON LIVES - What Jesus had promised was fulfilled exactly! HE BELIEVED AND ALL HIS HOUSE - What had been belief in Jesus' specific promise now takes on a deeper and broader aspect in personal faith.
This is the passage of the healing of a man at the pool of Bethesda. This man was sick for 38 years and went to the pool trying to receive healing because of the angel who stirred the waters and the first person to enter the pool after that was healed. But… as he said to Jesus, he could not go that fast and each time someone got in before him. Jesus, as always, had compassion and healed the man.
A while later Jesus found the man in the temple. If Jesus found him, it was because he was looking for him. At least the man had not returned to his old place, the tank. Instead, he was in the temple, possibly giving thanks for its restoration. Jesus first recalled what he now knew so well: YOU ARE WELL and then he moved on to the great imperative: SIN NO MORE (in the present tense, literally “do not continue to sin”). We need to remember:
1- It was Jesus who gave the order.
2- He enables people to do what He commands.
3- He would not ask a person for something he did not ask everyone.
4- Living above sin is God's plan for men.
The last part of Jesus' sentence reflects two things. The first is that it appears that the 38 years of illness were the result of man's own folly and sin. The second is that there is an indication of an element of judgment. Many people do not understand that Jesus is love but He is also justice. We do not know what sin this man committed but the fact is that it was not supposed to do more! People want to receive Jesus' love but not His righteousness. If you at least try to fight sin, Jesus will give you the strength you need to go on. Maybe you can get it in one go. Or it could be day by day, each step a victory.
Those who are spiritually dead will hear, and those who respond in faith will live. What they hear, the voice of the Son of God, is the spoken Word, the full revelation and consummation of God's ransom of men who are dead in trespasses and sins.
ALL WHO ARE IN THE TOMB WILL HEAR THE VOICE - Here, the man answers, they will come out - not because he wants to or because he believes, but because God called him to a balance, according to what he has done through the body, either good or bad (2 Cor 5:20). The Christian view is that men are responsible for works done in the flesh. The exclusion of the flesh at death does not mean the abandonment of the evil side of human nature while the soul is saved.
The promise is that believing in the Son provides more than perishable food; this attitude brings a gift that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. The believer's work, in the end, does not bring a reward as if it were a salary, but guarantees a gift, a blessing.
It is as if people are saying to Jesus, "Yesterday you fed us. Today we come to you for another meal and all you give us is this talk about having faith. Moses did better than that. The manna was fresh every day. In the mornings. So either you give us food, or we shall not follow you anymore!"
Here Jesus corrects their impression. Even the gifts, such as the old covenant manna, did not come from Moses, but from God - Moses did not give you the bread from heaven. It is even the gifts of God of the old covenant, like the manna, had no other intention than to announce the true bread (Heb 10:1). FOR THE BREAD THAT COMES DOWN FROM HEAVEN IS THE BREAD THAT GIVES LIFE TO THE WORLD.
The people in John 6:28 wanted to know what they needed to do to please God. What was Jesus' response to those people? "This is the work of God: to believe in him whom he has sent..."
You and I think we should be achievers, and we should. But the way we do it is primarily by believing. Doing so frees us from worry and rationalism and allows us to live victorious and blessed lives. God has work for us to do, but faith must come first; the works will follow. When done in faith, works are easy and God takes the credit, not us. Faith without works is dead, and we must be careful not to put the "ox before the horse." When we do that, we struggle and strive, but we do not see any progress. We are called "believers" and not "doers." Our first and main work is always to believe!
- Some think HIS BROTHERS may be a reference to the children of his mother's sisters, Mary, or may be the children of Joseph by a previous wife. But the best and simplest interpretation is to assume that they were the children of Joseph and Mary. The suggestion to leave for the reasons given was a subtle temptation for the Lord to substitute the applause and demands of men for the divine will; so that He would follow the calendar of men, and not the times appointed by God; AND TO DO THE RIGHT THINGS FOR THE WRONG REASONS. In this gospel, the purpose of signs, or works, is that people might see and believe.
- Both then and today, the things of the Spirit must be perceived spiritually. So these brothers of Jesus were not able to understand, BECAUSE EVEN HIS BROTHERS DO NOT BELIEVE IN HIM. Their failure to understand was due to their affinity for the world, and their lack of sensitivity to God's plan.
- We are often like this, for us everything will work out now! We do not understand God's timing and working. Let us always pray asking God that the Holy Spirit guide us so that we never go ahead of the Lord.
If anyone is thirsty, come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the scripture says, rivers of living water will flow from within John 7:37-38.
Note that Jesus did not say that rivers of living water will flow from time to time from those who believe in Him. He said these rivers of living water will just flow! That living water is the Holy Spirit.
In this passage, Jesus talks about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which we receive if we accept Jesus as Savior and Lord - the Person and power of the Holy Spirit in us.
The river of living water flows within you and me. It should not be stagnant, but it should bubble up inside us and flow out of us. And we can release the power of that living water to an even greater extent by receiving the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Ask Him to fill you each day.
John 7:37-38
Note that Jesus did not say that rivers of living water will flow from time to time from those who believe in Him. He said these rivers of living water will just flow! That living water is the Holy Spirit.
In this passage, Jesus talks about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which we receive if we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior—the Person and power of the Holy Spirit in us.
The river of living water flows within you and me. It must not remain stagnant, but must bubble up within us and flow out of us. And we can release the power of that living water to an even greater extent by receiving the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Ask Him to fill you each day.
Having heard Jesus' words, they were helpless in His presence. Evil men, with evil intentions, are subject to God's plans and purposes, and even their most powerful accomplishments occur always and only within the permissive will of God. So… let us pray that we may understand God's will, that we may have discernment and be guided on how to act and make decisions. The Pharisees were only able to lay their hands on Jesus when God allowed them to. We are reaching the end of time. Many horrible laws will be passed to persecute, forbid, and silence God's people. But this is what the Word of the Lord has been warning us for many years… and the Word has to be fulfilled. Let us pray more, let us be firm... and the Lord will lead us in the best possible way.
This word of Jesus to the adulterous woman is no indication that mercy is permission to sin! Grace is never increased or exalted by the multiplication of sin. On the contrary, the Christ of the Cross makes it possible for man to abstain from the sins that He commands man to forsake. For this woman, there was an open door. "His final word is neither condemnation nor forgiveness, but an order to abandon her old way of life." This is the right thing to do when having an encounter with Jesus and not taking advantage of His love and mercy to continue sinning.
What a beautiful promise to start a year… Nowadays, the word FOLLOW is used a lot within social networks. But the big direction here is FOLLOW JESUS in 2022 and forever.
When we follow people from this world, we often have an ungrateful surprise or disappointment, because in pictures and words people are different from what they practice outside the networks.
Jesus said: He who follows me will NEVER WALK IN DARKNESS - with Jesus you will not be deceived... because the light of his teachings is the ruler that will measure what is right and what is wrong.
Just as the pillar of fire lit up during the night on your desert pilgrimages, so Jesus is the I AM, ever-present, ever-lighting, dispelling the darkness.
WHOEVER FOLLOWS ME WILL NOT WALK IN DARKNESS - in ignorance, sin, limitation, and death. BUT IT WILL HAVE THE LIGHT OF LIFE - Light and life go together and it is the eternal life that He came to bring to men.
Happy 2022!
John 8:12
He is the light in which we see light… So when John speaks of the light coming into the world, he is always thinking of the appearance of Jesus Christ in history. WHO FOLLOWS ME WILL NOT WALK IN DARKNESS, that is, in ignorance, sin, limitation, and death, BUT WILL HAVE THE LIGHT OF LIFE. Light and life go together and it is eternal life that He came to bring to men. Therefore, follow Jesus, do not abandon Jesus, read the Bible to know more about the person of Christ, pray, seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit and always be sure that your path will always have light, no matter how dark everything is around.
This search for Jesus was the search under despair, under the pressure of oppressing calamity; and the result was not failure only, but death, and death in sin, for seeking under false motives, with false results, was itself a sin, an open abandonment of the divine will. Man separated from God is desperately lost. And what separates man from God and keeps him separate from God has only one antidote. Jesus literally said, "Unless you believe that I am you, you will die in your sins." The only way from death to life is through faith in Christ, who is fully God and fully man.
How many people do you who are running to churches looking for God only in affliction? In a moment of crisis? Of pain? And after they receive the blessing, does the solution to their problem start to get discouraged and leave Jesus aside? There are many people like that... Seek the Lord with all your soul and heart, He has much more than an external blessing... in addition to eternal life, He has purpose and secrets to reveal to you here on earth, He wants through your life and the your testimony reach many more. See what a beautiful sense of life! Be a channel of God's blessing in the lives of many!
What makes a man truly free? An interesting combination of important factors is given here, in 8:30,32. Believing in Him, standing in His word, true discipleship, and the knowledge of the truth - all these make a man free. The truth that generates freedom is alive and personal and can be none other than the incarnate truth, the Son Jesus Christ.
Jesus' mention of freedom evoked a question in the Jews. THEY ANSWERED HIM: WE ARE A SEED OF ABRAHAM AND WE NEVER SERVE ANYONE: HOW DO YOU SAY: YOU WILL BE FREE? Without knowing it, the Jews were in a bondage that was of the worst kind. What makes a slave man? Three things are evident: 1 Sin - Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 2 Separation from the only source of freedom - the slave does not stay at home forever; because of his own status as a slave, he is not entitled to any of the privileges that belong to a son, for example, inheritance, residence, liberty. 3 A completely wrong motivation - HOWEVER, YOU SEEK TO KILL ME, BECAUSE MY WORD DOES NOT ENTER YOU. My word makes no progress in you. Here is the picture of men who believe in him, who recognize the power of personality and message, but resent it enormously when they discover that their defense of conventional and traditional morality is inspired by sinful motives. They are mistakenly led to think that a deep concern for high morality brings with it deliverance from sin.
WE NEVER SERVE ANYONE will be the false claim of the Jews and many others today with proud and sinful spirits.
People ask, "How can I be sure I'm hearing God's voice?" The Word says that we can know his voice and distinguish it from others; He gives us discernment to identify His voice over the voices of deception. He parallels this insight and the instinctive nature of sheep who recognize the voice of their shepherd.
In order to hear from the Lord and avoid the spirit of fear, it is important to examine God's Word and spend time with Him. The more we study and learn the Word, the more we will allow its power to flow through our lives and the better we will be able to hear, discern and obey the voice of God.
Many people are afraid of death. Is that you? Martha had just buried her brother, but she trusted Jesus' words and believed that He was the Son of God and that her brother would live again. As a believer in Jesus, you do not have to fear death. As Martha discovered, you too can know that Jesus defeated the power of death. Though your body will one day die, you may look forward to the resurrection from the dead to live with God forever.
- The key word of the gospel is BELIEVE.
- Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father John 14:12.
- We have received the power of the Holy Spirit, now let us preach the gospel that will result in the blessings of justification, reconciliation and the gift of the Holy Spirit to all humanity.
- PRAY AND EXPECT the ministry of the GREATEST WORKS of the church.Good morning! ADVANCE CONFIDENTLY GOD'S WARRIOR! EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE! GOD IS WITH YOU!
John 11:40
Before Jesus resurrected Lazarus, He said a prayer. He prayed: Father, I thank you for listening to me. I know that you always hear me. Jesus' life was full of obedience to God's will, and His prayer does not admit of an answer that contains uncertainty. The prayer that is heard comes from the cry of the heart; it is in accordance with the will of God; and is sure of the divine will.
JESUS CALLED LAZARUS TO COME OUT - God calls his own, and when He calls there is no power that can hold them back, not even death itself. Lazarus came out even though he was still wrapped in bandages. Jesus ordered them to untie him and let him go. Only the power of God can bring life and light to dead souls shrouded in darkness. But man's task is essential - to untie the knots and heal the scars left by the ravages of sin, whose wages are death.
Jesus was saying that true disciples of the Son of God do not cling to life with passionate affection - this is permanent, unproductive death. Loving life, the psyche, is equivalent to losing it, whereas whoever hates (loves less) his life will keep it for eternal life.
Selfishness is always the death of man's true life. Likewise, when a person has to make a decision between Christ and the dearest things in his life, the contrast is so great that he hates the latter. Thus, the believer is a servant, a follower, for whom the guarantee is reserved: WHERE I AM, THERE WILL BE MY SERVANT ALSO. Thus, the cross is the symbol not only of man's salvation, but also of the Christian way of life.
He who walks in darkness cannot see where he is going. Believe in the light while there is still time; in this way you will become children of light (verse 38).
Obviously, Jesus is the light; refusal to believe in Him is the extinction of the Light, and there the results are darkness and disorientation. Jesus, withdrawing, hid Himself from them. They were left in the darkness due to their unbelief.
THEY LOVED PEOPLE'S APPROVAL MORE THAN GOD'S APPROVAL. Time and again men failed to support some great cause because it interfered with something of lesser interest. When Joan of Arc realized that she was abandoned and alone, she said: "Yes, I am alone on earth: I have always been alone. My father told my brothers to drown me if I did not want to take care of his sheep, while France was bleeding to death. France could die, as long as our herd was safe".
You often seek help from God when you are in need, you feel good, you feel peace, you like, you know and sing many praises, you have friends in church. But … you do not want to be criticized or excluded by other groups for your choice. Watch out! Those who stay on top of the wall have already chosen a side.THEY LOVED PEOPLE'S APPROVAL MORE THAN GOD'S APPROVAL. Time and again men failed to support some great cause because it interfered with something of lesser interest. When Joan of Arc realized that she was abandoned and alone, she said: "Yes, I am alone on earth: I have always been alone. My father told my brothers to drown me if I did not want to take care of his sheep, while France was bleeding to death. France could die, as long as our herd was safe".
You often seek help from God when you are in need, you feel good, you feel peace, you like, you know and sing many praises, you have friends in church. But … you do not want to be criticized or excluded by other groups for your choice. Watch out! Those who stay on top of the wall have already chosen a side.
WHAT I DO - was the humiliation of the Lord symbolized in the act of washing their feet; in reality, however, He was providing all of God's redemptive work for man. Peter's reaction is not a contrast between Peter's pride and Jesus' humility, but rather between the knowledge of Jesus, which is the basis of action, and Peter's ignorance, who does not yet realize that humiliation of the Messiah is the effective cause of Christian salvation.
IF I DO NOT WASH YOU, YOU HAVE NO PART WITH ME - There is no place in Christian society for those who are not purified by the Lord Jesus Himself. In the act of washing the feet, Jesus symbolically declares their complete cleansing through the humiliation of the Messiah's death. The faithful Christian is cleansed by the blood of Jesus.
Here we can clearly see the most sublime love delineated:
- Love that finds a way to serve - Jesus did not need to wash the feet of the disciples, He did it to set an example. Many of us do not like serving! In the church, I have seen the pastor beg for some brothers to go help with work in the church building and people would answer: "I don't have time" or worse, "I don't want to get involved".
- The love that knows the worst, and still loves the most - Jesus knew the intentions of Judas (13:26-29). But He did not exclude him from the group. See, whether it is me or you who know someone is going to cheat on you... we want that person away from us. May we at least try to pray for those who err and not look down on them.
- Life passes into a situation of darkness when love is rejected - in verse 27 it is written that Satan entered Judas. Something terrible happens to the man who rejects the highest love. Judas left soon. And it was already night. When John wrote these words, he no doubt remembered seeing Judas open the door, turn away from the light, and go out into the night. IT IS ALWAYS NIGHT WHEN A MAN LEAVES CHRIST TO FOLLOW HIS OWN PURPOSES.
"But why should I love?" Simple, because He loved you first. Whoever is born of love is love. A bird does not give birth to a cat. If we are children of God, we are also full of love, because we are children of Love.
Knowing that sometimes we cannot connect with certain people because they are very different from us in some points, so we end up being closer to others with whom we identify more. Just like some people might have the same feeling about us. And that is okay.
But this love we are talking about goes beyond that, it is Agape love, the love of God. We, as children of one Father, love our brothers and sisters and must take care of each other, pray for each other and give ourselves for each other. And this is done blindfolded, loving above all else.
In the 2nd letter to the Corinthians, Paul tells how the church in Macedonia, despite being in a situation of poverty, was able to act with mercy and generously. Even under a domineering and unequal government, they acted like a family with everything they had, not just what was left over.
Beloved, let us at least try to be so. Knowing that many live in love. They are God's blessing. But we have another part that still just wants to receive. One just wants things his way. If it is not how I want it, I DO NOT DO IT, I WOULD LET IT. Let us put this behavior aside! Jesus, the Son of God had no privileges, He gave up everything for us. Let us follow His example.
John 13:34-35
Have you ever wondered what is the best way to tell someone about Jesus? The answer is: "love this person". Express with your life the unselfish and sacrificial love you have received from Jesus. Extend that love to those who do not trust Him as Lord and Savior, and their actions will speak loudly about who Jesus is and all things about him.
At the end of the Last Supper, Jesus told his disciples that the time for his departure was at hand, that he was about to go to a place that, for the time being, would be beyond their reach. Sadness and despair filled their hearts as they imagined how helpless and lonely they would be without Him. Healing for troubled hearts is prescribed in John 14:1-3. The cure for the feeling of helplessness and loneliness is defined in his teachings about the Comforter, who shows us the life of Jesus and who is the force that lends capacity to our lives.
Sometimes in our life we face problems that bring us sadness, sometimes even our friends leave us aside and we feel so alone. Sometimes it is a situation so far beyond what we can do as people in this world that we say: "God alone" … and the Lord tells us today: DO NOT BE AFFLICTED! BELIEVE IN GOD AND ALSO IN ME. Beloved, let us turn our eyes to the one who is the only one who can help us in times of distress. Jesus said that in the world we would have these moments of affliction, but as He won, we will also win.
Have you ever been in a car with someone who did not know where you were going and who refused to ask for information?
Many people think that there are several paths that lead to God; they look for the truth in different places, ignoring the instructions that God has given us.
However, the reality is that there is only one way to God: Jesus Christ. As you follow Jesus, who is the Way, He will lead you into truth and you will experience the fullness of life.
Pray for those who do not yet know Jesus that they too will find life and truth in Him.
John 14:6
I AM is used here as a metaphor, simultaneously identifying Jesus with Deity and as the fulfillment of man's basic needs. CAN A LOST MAN FIND THE WAY? Christ is the way, the only way, to God (Hebrew 10:19-22). The road to God is the knowledge of the truth, and regeneration, enlightenment, and possession of life. Truth and life are not ideal abstractions. They are concretely present in the incarnate Son of God, who is both the truth and the life. There is a kind of glorious uniqueness about Christ the Way. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER BUT THROUGH ME. The glory here is not to the exclusion of any other. Rather, because of who He is, and because of what He has done, the Way is a universal way. Whoever wants to take the water of life for free (Rev. 22:17, John 3:16). Thomás à Kempis wrote in adoring meditation:
Without the Path, there is no way to go; without the truth, there is nothing to know; without Life, there is nothing to live for. I am the path you must follow; the truth that you must believe; the life for which you should hope. I am the inviolable Way, the infallible truth, the endless Life. I am the way that is most upright, the Truth that is highest, the Life that is true, the blessed Life, the uncreated life. IF YOU REMAIN ON MY WAY, YOU WILL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE, and you will take possession of eternal life.
Both the words and the works of Jesus are from the Father, and are sufficient reasons for the disciples to believe that He is in the Father, and the Father is in Him. If, because of human weakness, a man cannot believe in Jesus through his Word, there is a second level of faith - BELIEVING, AT LEAST BECAUSE OF THE WORKS THAT JESUS DID AND DOES - The faith that is generated by such a resource type is not the highest type of faith, but it is not despised by Jesus.
Jesus laid it out in plain language that works are secondary, and that faith in Him for who He is, not what He does, comes first. And whoever believes in Jesus will do even greater works.
Whatever the proportion of our love to God, this will also be the proportion of our obedience to Him. Whatever the measure of our obedience, this will be the measure of our love. As our love for Jesus grows, so will our obedience.
Things get difficult when we try to do them independently, without depending on God and trusting in his grace. If everything in life were easy, we would not need the Holy Spirit's power to help us.
One way the Bible refers to the Holy Spirit is as our "counsel". He is in us and with us all the time to help us, to instruct and enable us to do what we cannot do - and to do with ease what would be difficult without Him.
The Spirit is called a "Consolator"" which, in the original, has the following meaning: "someone called to stay beside a person to help him in any way, especially in civil and criminal cases". The Spirit, therefore, came as a helper and advocate, filling the needs of the apostles, who felt weak and helpless at the thought of Christ's departure. He is called "another" Consolator because he would be, invisibly and spiritually, where Jesus had been to them visibly and literally during their three and a half years together. Today, the Spirit is to believers what Jesus of Nazareth was to the apostles.
John 14:26
- Just as we read in 1 Corinthians 1:3,4 - About God's comfort in our sufferings, here in the book of John we are introduced to the comforter, the Holy Spirit.
- In some versions the Holy Spirit is called "counselor". These different names show His character. It reveals what He does and what He wants to do for believers. The Holy Spirit is willing to do a lot for us if we want to receive help from Him.
- God will allow people to do things for us up to a certain limit, and no more than that. Even those people who are closest to us cannot give us everything we need all the time. When we expect others to do for us what only God can do, it means that our expectations are misplaced and, because of this, we will always be disappointed.
- No consolation is as good as God's consolation. People can never give us what we really need unless God Himself uses them to reach us, which He often does. Whether He uses someone else to comfort you or He comforts you Himself through the Holy Ghost, let me remind you that He is the Comforter. Ask and receive His comfort is your advice, whenever you need it.
Jesus' peace is a spiritual peace, and His rest is that which operates in the midst of the storm - not in the absence of it. Jesus did not come to remove all opposition from our lives, but to reveal a different approach to the storms of life. As we learn to walk in His ways and deal with life in the same way that He did, we will experience His rest in the midst of our storms.
As difficult as things may be, we must not turn away from Christ. Without Him we can do nothing good. Without Him we can do wrong actions that we will later regret. Such is the penalty of departing from Christ. It is a law seen throughout nature, that the faculty which is not exercised is paralyzed, atrophied.
Notice how gradual and progressive this process is: fruitlessness, withering, being thrown away, being picked up, being burned. The consequences are serious. Therefore, in 2023, whatever happens, we have to stay in communion with the Lord. He must be the priority of our lives.
THE RESULTS OF COMMUNION WITH CHRIST.
- Those who abide in Christ bear genuine fruit and it is abundant. The life of Christ in the believer's soul produces marked and real results.
- Success in prayer. "If you abide in me (HOLDING FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST), and my words abide in you (if the teachings of Christ control our thoughts and ideas until they become our guidance and inspiration), you shall ask whatever you will, and it shall be done to you". United with Christ, we ask in His name, that is, according to HIS WILL, and according to the best interests of His Kingdom and our spiritual good.
- Complete discipleship. "And so shall you be my disciples." Disciples, not merely in words, but in deed.
And as for God: "Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit." The farmer is respected, and feels satisfied when the crop bears good fruit. When believers live and collaborate as they should, they are living witnesses to the reality and power of Christ.
What is it that the world hates Jesus and His disciples? The word "world" appears 5 times in 18-19. One thing is clear from the start: it is people who hate Jesus. It was not the physical world that rejected Him. It was his own people. And why did they hate Him? This rejection was born of an intense hatred against Him, because He and His teachings cut right through their selfish sinfulness. So if the world hated Jesus, it would also hate his followers. There is a vivid contrast between those who are not of the world and the world. When it comes to loyalty, there is no middle ground. It is a matter of black and white. There is no gray color. A man is of the world or he is not of the world! Our friendship with people of the world must always be in the sense of praying for them and presenting Jesus. Never sit with them to sin like them. And if they do not want to know about Jesus, naturally they will walk away. Let us pray. The time of blind worldwide hatred is approaching.
Not only the Jews hated Jesus. As Jesus said, the same hatred (from both Jews and heathens) was heaped upon those early Christians. Paul was hated by the Jews and suffered greatly at their hands (2 Cor 11:24). The Jews spread a slanderous propaganda among the pagans about the followers of Christ, labeling them as:
- Revolutionaries, because of their refusal to worship Caesar.
- Cannibals, because of the practice of remembering the Lord's death by eating the broken bread, as a symbol of his body.
- Arsonists, because of their expectation that “the earth and also the works contained therein would be burned” 2Peter 3:10
- Immoral, reporting love feasts as orgies.
- Family breakers (in part true) because of loyalty to Christ by at least one family member.
No wonder, then, that the hatred of the Jews inflamed, the heathen inflated to presecute the Christians. The very intensity with which the world persecuted Jesus' followers and the relentless hatred of their friends "is the sign of the truth of that friendship."
Persecution has always existed, sometimes in one country or another, but today it is intensifying all over the world and especially in so-called free countries. We see negative propaganda about the church linking to certain issues. We already see pastors being called to police stations to “provide clarification” but … this tends to get worse … we see certain laws being passed that go directly against the Word of God. We are reaching a point where, either you remain silent with your head down and accept the impositions against the word or you obey the Word of God and you will be called a religious fanatic who harms society and needs to be isolated, or re-educated, thus losing your freedom and even life.
God have mercy on us!
The reason for this early warning given to the disciples is: LEST YOU BE DISCOURAGED. Some translations use "offend" which means "to cause him to be caught or to fall".
The warning of persecution was also an appropriate and necessary warning. While much is said about the perseverance and heroism of the early Christians, there is evidence that some fell under the pressure of persecution. Pliny, the governor of Bithynia, examined the people to find out whether or not they were Christians. He wrote to Trajan saying that some admitted "that they had been Christians, but that they had ceased to be so many years ago, some as much as 20 years ago".
Jesus was specific and prophetic in his statement about what would happen. THEY WILL EXPULSE YOU FROM THE SYNAGOGUES (CHURCH); THE HOUR IS COMING WHEN EVERYONE WHO KILLS YOU WILL, THINKS HE IS DOING A SERVICE TO GOD. No doubt "they" refers to the Jews, and every allusion to "the murderous hatred of the Jews." Expulsion from the synagogue was feared by every devout Jew, and those who confessed Christ were expelled. There is a Midrash on Numbers 25:13 which states, "Every man who sheds the blood of the wicked shall be like one offering a sacrifice." Persecuting Christians even to death was thought to be a service, the offering of a sacrifice, to God. The reason for this hatred of both the Jews and other groups that came after Jesus himself explained: THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN THE FATHER AND NOR ME.
This passage tells us that the Holy Spirit speaks to our conscience to convict us of sin and righteousness. His work is designed to lead us to repentance, which means turning around and going in the right direction instead of continuing in the wrong direction we were going.
God's conviction is meant to get us out of something to help us climb higher in God's will and plan for our lives. Condemnation, on the other hand, pulls us down and puts us under a weight of guilt and satan.
It is healthy and normal to feel guilt when at first we are convicted of sin; but continuing with the feeling of guilt after repenting of the mistake is not healthy and it is not God's will.
John 16:8-11
- John 16:8-11 tells us that the Holy Spirit speaks to our conscience to convict us of sin and righteousness. His work sets us up for repentance, which means going back and going in the right direction rather than continuing in the wrong direction.
- The Holy Spirit leads believers into all truth (see John 16:13), and He is the agent in the process of sanctification in our lives. Every time we go out of line or go in a wrong direction, the Holy Spirit convinces us that our behavior or a decision made is wrong. This conviction comes with a knowledge in our spirit that what we are doing is not right. The condition is that the believer lets the Holy Spirit work and does not grieve (Ephesians 3:40) and especially not extinguish (1 Thess. 5:19).
- On the other hand, satan offers condemnation and produces feelings of guilt. And he makes us feel “down” and that is where Satan wants us to be.
- Romans 14:17 says that Jesus came to set us free and give us justice, peace and joy. Our spirit should be light and carefree, not weighed down by burdens we are unable to bear.
The truth is one of the most powerful weapons a believer has against the kingdom of darkness. Truth is light, and the Bible says that darkness never prevailed over light, nor will it ever prevail (John 1:5).
Jesus said the truth will set us free (see John 8:32). The truth is revealed by the Spirit of truth.
Jesus could have shown His disciples the whole truth, but John 16:12,13 reveals that He knew the disciples were not sufficiently prepared to receive it. He told them that they needed to wait until the Holy Spirit came down from heaven to dwell with them and to dwell in them. We know that after Jesus ascended into heaven, He actually sent the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-18).
How can we have the Holy Spirit working in our lives if we do not face the truth? He is called "The Spirit of Truth". An important facet of his ministry for you and me is helping us face the truth, because only the truth sets us free.
Christ's enemies would be sure that they had won the battle and would be busy celebrating (for a little while), while the disciples, sure that all was lost, would be busy with "the loud wailing and lamentation customary in the east after a death".
To illustrate the point that there is "beauty in ashes", joy in sorrow for the true disciple, Jesus used the picture of a woman giving birth to a child. A WOMAN, WHEN ABOUT TO GIVE BIRTH, FEELS SAD, BECAUSE HER TIME HAS COME; BUT, AFTER HAVING GIVEN BIRTH TO THE CHILD, SHE NO LONGER REMEMBERED THE AFFLICTION, FOR THE PLEASURE OF HAVING BEEN BORN INTO THE WORLD (verse 21). Just as the woman's hour has come, so is the hour of Jesus. The question of both is the new life. His resurrection life will bring joy to the disciples: BUT AGAIN I WILL SEE YOU, AND YOUR HEART WILL REJOICE, AND YOUR JOY NO ONE SHALL TAKE FROM YOU. Their joy will be stable... They will have enemies, but... their enemies will not prevail.
This verse is becoming dangerous for whoever announces it. Yesterday, looking at the news on the Internet, there was a man who was walking in a mall in the United States and he was warned by security that if he did not take off the shirt he was wearing with the phrase "Jesus saves", and that it was an offensive phrase other people… My God! One cannot believe it when one read this news. We are talking about the United States which a few years ago was considered the greatest Christian nation in the world! In several places in the world people can do all kinds of wrong, criminal, immoral, etc. things in the open and two words in which Jesus is mentioned is forbidden.
Beloved, each day let us seek God more and pray that the Holy Spirit, the encourager, will give us strength to continue speaking the Biblical truths, on these truths depends the salvation of many, and that the devil wants to avoid… every day more the siege if it closes, sin increases, the person does not need to leave the house or the church to find something interesting for his flesh and go to sin, at home, on his computer, temptations arrive. Love is growing cold, how many people do not want to attend church anymore? They just want to hear the comfortable part of the gospel and what bothers you they cover with their ears.
Let us pray with faith, with boldness, seeking God's power to live in difficult times but be strong and never give in to discouragement and lose this battle. Jesus counts on you! If you cannot leave the house to evangelize, use your social media while you still can and talk about the love of Jesus.
Sanctify: consecrate, dedicate, treat as sacred, revere, purify. What is the nature of the sanctification Jesus asks of the disciples? Of course, this can only happen by the power of God. The very fact that the request was made to the Father, and was not a command to the disciples, evidences this. MAN CANNOT SANCTIFY HIMSELF. He is neither capable nor adequate. The truth by which they are hated and by which they are strengthened is the power by which they are transformed. Jesus dedicated Himself, consecrated Himself to death, a voluntary Sacrifice, to make possible the purification, consecration, and sanctification of believers.
Let us pray and ask God in the name of Jesus to transform us every day. May it sanctify us...
Here is a man's opportunity to follow the truth and what is right, no matter the consequences. And here, too, is the opportunity to reject truth and honorable deeds, when it is costly. If only men could hear Jesus and believe in Him!
Did Pilate hear the voice of Jesus? Evidently not, for his question, WHAT IS THE TRUTH? "half sad, half cynical, it implies that even in routine matters the truth is not attainable".
Jesus never gave Pilate a verbal answer to this question. But what our Lord did, for all men to see, was to show the way of truth. Truth is the way of life, even when it is the way of the Cross.
It is possible that you have already heard this saying: "What matters is not what you know but who you know". As a Christian, you are probably learning this to be true! You are looking for something more in your life. Jesus did not ask Mary "what" she was looking for, He asked "who" she was looking for and that made all the difference. Knowing about Jesus is important but the act of knowing Jesus the risen Savior is the most important thing in our life. Ask Him to help you to know Him more fully.
Have you ever doubted God? If you are like most Christians, you probably have, and you might even feel guilty about it. Jesus "welcomes" you and clears the way for you to take your questions to Him. Like Thomas, be honest with Jesus about your doubts.
He will find you where you are if you are sincere with Him. Ask Him to show you that He is who He says He is, and to help you believe that He can do what He says He can do. He will faithfully do this and, just like Thomas, your faith will increase.
In John 21:18 Jesus tells Peter the difficulties he would have to face to serve and glorify him. As soon as Jesus had said these things to him, Peter turned around, saw John, and immediately asked Jesus what His will was for that disciple. Peter wanted to make sure that if he had tough times ahead of him, so would John.
In response, Jesus politely told Peter to mind his own. When you are tempted to compare yourself with others, or to be jealous, remember this advice!