Today’s Reading: John 10:22-42

AT THE TEMPLE

It was in the temple that Jesus taught the people, healed the sick and gave sight to the blind. Many came to believe in him while standing in the temple listening to all he had to say, yet others rejected him.

AT THE TEMPLE

It was at the temple that Jesus was surrounded by people who were demanding he make it clear right there and right then whether or not he was the Messiah.

Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name.” — John 10:25

AT THE TEMPLE

It was at the temple that people picked up stones to kill Jesus. When he reminded them of all the good works he had done at his Father’s direction, they replied that they were stoning him because he, a mere man, claimed to be God.

“Why do you call it blasphemy when I say, ‘I am the Son of God’? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world. Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work. But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.” – John 10:36-38

AT THE TEMPLE

It was at the temple that Jesus drove out all of the people who were buying and selling animals for sacrifice. They were taking advantage of God’s people and taking the focus of worship away from God. He stood up for the poor and needy; he defended those who had traveled so far. When the religious leaders heard what Jesus had done, they made plans to kill him (Mark 11:15-19).

AT THE TEMPLE

It was at the temple that Pilate killed some who had traveled from Galilee to offer sacrifices to God. The place that had been built to restore life had become a place of death (Luke 13:1-5).

AT THE TEMPLE

It was at the temple that the religious leaders demanded Jesus prove his authority. Because they were not able to answer his question, he did not answer theirs.

“I’ll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question,” Jesus replied. “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human? Answer me!” – Mark 11:29-30

AT THE TEMPLE

It was at the temple that those who were appointed to prepare God’s people for the coming of the Messiah plotted to kill the one they were supposed to be celebrating. Jesus cried out over the devastation that Jerusalem had become and pointed out to them that their temple was no longer a dwelling place for the God they had been called to serve.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. And now, look, your house is abandoned. And you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’” – Luke 13:34-36

AT THE TEMPLE

We are God’s temple, the place He chooses to have His Spirit dwell. It is in that temple that God teaches us and prepares us for the life to which He is calling us. It is in that temple that our faith is strengthened and our healing begins. At times, God does a clearing of all of the ungodly habits and practices we have let creep into our life. At times, we question His character and challenge His motives. But it is also at this temple that God’s sanctifying power begins to take away our sinful desires and replace it with His righteousness. Have you opened the door of the temple to allow God to clean out and remodel your heart?

Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. – 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Today’s Reading: John 10:1-21

“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” — John 10:1-5

It might seem to us like a random analogy, but it was the Festival of Dedication (Hanukkah) and it made sense to the people who were listening. This day commemorated the rededication of the Temple after it had been defiled by Antiochus IV. At this Festival, the priests would do some self-examination, considering their own commitment or dedication to the ministry to which they had been called. They would reflect on Ezekiel 34, when the Lord was upset with the “shepherds”, or leaders of Israel. He accused them of abandoning the flock and taking care of themselves first, leaving the sheep to starve. He had appointed them to watch over his people but they had been unfaithful and He would have to do it Himself.

God said, “I myself will search and find my sheep…I will find my sheep and rescue them…I will bring them back home…I will feed them…I will give them good pastureland…I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace…I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak…You are my flock, the sheep of my pasture. You are my people, and I am your God. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!” – Ezekiel 34:11-16,31

To what ministry have you been assigned and how well are you watching over the sheep in your care? Whether it is the small group I lead or the class I teach, am I putting forth my best effort? Am I concerned about the spiritually starving; am I pursuing the hearts of those who are wandering away? Have I become self-focused rather than keeping my eyes on the flock? Am I feasting on God’s provision without sharing the abundance of God with others? Today is a time of rededication — a time to examine my service to God.

“I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.” — John 10:6-13

Often we read this passage and see ourselves as the sheep, but we have much to gain by putting ourselves in the role of the hired hand. We have been given responsibility over others by the Good Shepherd himself. Some of us are even blessed to be employed and receive compensation for our time, but we must be careful not to let it become only a job instead of working intently to please the Shepherd. We cannot run when things get tough. We must listen to the voice of the Shepherd. We must see ourselves as also being under His care. We must care about the sheep; we must pay attention to those who are wandering away or lost.

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.” – Matthew 18:12-14

God, strengthen our call this morning. Give us a fresh desire to serve you by serving others. Lord, I am listening to your voice, a voice I know so well because you are my Shepherd. What do you want me to do with this day you have given me? Help me to see all of your sheep through your eyes – that I would never abandon this responsibility that you have given me, that none would starve while in my care. Amen.

Today’s Reading: John 8:21-30, 48-58

MANY WHO HEARD JESUS BELIEVED.

Later Jesus said to them again, “I am going away. You will search for me but will die in your sin. You cannot come where I am going.”
The people asked, “Is he planning to commit suicide? What does he mean, ‘You cannot come where I am going’?”
Jesus continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You belong to this world; I do not. That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins.”
“Who are you?” they demanded.
Jesus replied, “The one I have always claimed to be. I have much to say about you and much to condemn, but I won’t. For I say only what I have heard from the one who sent me, and he is completely truthful.” But they still didn’t understand that he was talking about his Father.
So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I am he. I do nothing on my own but say only what the Father taught me. And the one who sent me is with me—he has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases him.” Then many who heard him say these things believed in him. — John 8:21-30

MANY WHO HEARD JESUS REFUSED TO BELIEVE.

The people retorted, “You Samaritan devil! Didn’t we say all along that you were possessed by a demon?”
“No,” Jesus said, “I have no demon in me. For I honor my Father—and you dishonor me. And though I have no wish to glorify myself, God is going to glorify me. He is the true judge. I tell you the truth, anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!”
The people said, “Now we know you are possessed by a demon. Even Abraham and the prophets died, but you say, ‘Anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!’ Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”
Jesus answered, “If I want glory for myself, it doesn’t count. But it is my Father who will glorify me. You say, ‘He is our God,’ but you don’t even know him. I know him. If I said otherwise, I would be as great a liar as you! But I do know him and obey him. Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad.”
The people said, “You aren’t even fifty years old. How can you say you have seen Abraham?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I am!” At that point they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden from them and left the Temple. — John 8:21-30

MANY WHO HEARD JESUS BULLIED THOSE WHO BELIEVED.

The man who had been blind since birth had been healed, and the Jewish leaders wanted to find an explanation other than the obvious — that Jesus truly was the Messiah. They had questioned the man and came up empty, so they brought in his parents.

They asked them, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?”
His parents replied, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind, but we don’t know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.” — John 9:19-21

The Jewish leaders had already made it clear that anyone who believed that Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue, so the man’s parents hid their faith in fear. So the leaders brought the man who had been healed back in wanting him to renounce his faith and declare that Jesus was a sinner.

“I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”
“But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he heal you?”
“Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”
Then they cursed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.”
“Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.”
“You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue. — John 9:25-34

2000 years later, we continue to experience this kind of bullying. Those who do not believe in Jesus challenge us regarding our faith. They look for ways to exclude us; they use their authority to silence us. How will you respond when you are insulted for your faith? How will you reply to those who attempt to take away your rights because of your faith? Will you quietly blend in to the current culture or will you speak up and say — This I know: I was blind, and now I see! I was dead in my sins and now I am alive in Christ!

Today’s Reading: John 11:1-44; Luke 11:33-36

Our hearts break when we watch those we love get sick; we fall to our knees when a diagnosis changes our lives forever. What did we do? Why has God allowed this suffering? We cannot see the road ahead of us through the pain and tears. What is ahead appears so dark; it is not a journey we want to walk and we beg God to take it away! We demand God for an explanation — for a reason He is allowing this sorrow in our lives.

Mary and Martha asked similar questions of Jesus when their brother died. They were grieving and begging Jesus to explain himself – to do something!

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.” – John 11:21-22

When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” – John 11:32

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE STARTED OUR PRAYER WITH “LORD, IF ONLY…”

Before arriving, Jesus had told his disciples, “Lazarus’ sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this” (John 11:4).

Later, at Lazarus’ grave, Jesus said, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a head cloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!” (John 11:40-44).

GOD ALLOWS SORROW IN OUR LIVES SO THAT OUR FAITH CAN BE STRENGTHENED.

God allows sorrow and pain so that we can see the Light of the Word and believe — so that we can experience His glory. It is in these moments that our faith is strengthened. Perhaps this prayer is for you today:

Heavenly Father, thank you for not abandoning us in our darkest moments, for loving us enough to listen. Light of the world, when we feel the darkness closing in around us, give us sight! Show us your glory! Come and do something so miraculous that it can only be explained as a result of your power. Give us the miracle of sight today, and help us to believe. Fill us with your light so that we can be radiant for you today. Amen.

“No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house. Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is bad, your body is filled with darkness. Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light.” – Luke 11:33-36

Today’s Reading: John 9:1-17, 35-41

THE PAIN

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”

“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.” — John 9:1-5

Our hearts break when we watch those we love get sick; we fall to our knees when a diagnosis changes our lives forever. What did we do? Why has God allowed this suffering? We cannot see the road ahead of us through the pain and tears. What is ahead appears so dark; it is not a journey we want to walk and we beg God to take it away! We search for some kind of explanation or obsess over what we could have done differently.

Jesus says – I am the light of the world. I will shine my light in the darkness that surrounds you. This has happened so the power of God can be seen in you!

GOD ALLOWS PAIN IN OUR LIVES SO THE POWER OF GOD CAN BE SEEN IN US.

Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!

His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!”
But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!”
They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?”
He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So I went and washed, and now I can see!” — John 9:6-11

Later, after the man had been questioned by the Pharisees, Jesus found him and revealed that he was the Son of Man, and the man worshiped him. He believed Jesus was who he said he was, because he had experienced the healing power of the Messiah. His life would never be the same! Those around him were now given a reason to believe, because the power of God was on display in his life.

Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment – to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.” — John 9:39

How often do we think our faith is strong until something tragic happens and then we realize we do not have enough faith to get us through this difficult time. We realize we are blind and we need Jesus, the Light of the World, to give us sight. We want to believe – Lord, help us to believe! Strengthen our faith and shine your light into our situation.

Today’s Reading: John 8:1-20, 31-47

Let’s keep in mind that the Pharisees and Jewish leaders knew who Jesus’ mother was when we consider what they did next. They probably knew she was found to be with child before she was married to Joseph. John tells us that these teachers of the law were trying to trap Jesus when they brought to him a woman who had been caught in adultery. They were waiting to see if Jesus would be faithful to the law of Moses, which demanded she be stoned.

…but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

“No, Lord,” she said.

And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” – John 8:6-12

FORGIVENESS. FREEDOM. MERCY.

We continue today to judge one another by where we came from, who our parents are and by the sins of our past. The enemy wants to define us by these things so that he can convince us that we belong to the sinful world and not to our Heavenly Father. If he can convince us of this, it is easier for him to convince us that sinning is simply a part of who we are and where we came from.

But Jesus says – I know who you are and what you have done. Go and sin no more. You don’t have to continue to walk in darkness if you follow me, for I am the light of the world. If you will walk in my light, you will truly experience life; if you follow my teachings, you will experience true freedom.

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free…I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” – John 8:31-32,34-36

FREEDOM – freedom from whom the world wants us to be, freedom from whom others define us to be, and freedom from our past mistakes and sins.

In anger, the people asked Jesus, “Who do you think you are?” They also asked him where his father was and then made the statement, “We are not illegitimate children! God himself is our true Father” (8:53,19,41). Oh yes, they knew what they were doing when they brought to Jesus a woman caught in adultery. What they didn’t know is who Jesus truly was and to whom he truly belonged.

When others try to define you by where you came from, or try to condemn you with what is in your past, remember who you truly are. You are a child of God, forgiven and set free from sin. When the enemy tries to pull you back into a life of sin, remember who you truly are. You are no longer a slave to sin but a part of God’s family forever. You have been set free from the past, free from sin and you are a faithful follower of Jesus.

Today’s Reading: John 7; Mark 6:1-6

Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles! You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!” For even his brothers didn’t believe in him. — John 7:3-5

In some ways it is surprising that the brothers of Jesus did not accept that he was the Messiah, but it also makes sense that it would be harder for them to believe. They had grown up around him, played games with him and worked alongside him in the family business. To them he was just Jesus.

Jesus replied, “Now is not the right time for me to go, but you can go anytime. The world can’t hate you, but it does hate me because I accuse it of doing evil. You go on. I’m not going to this festival, because my time has not yet come.” — John 7:6-8

Jesus knew what others were saying about him. He knew that his brothers were mocking him in unbelief and he knew there were many others who hated him; he knew there were some who were even plotting to kill him.

The Jewish leaders were so caught up on where Jesus had come from and from whom he was born that they were missing who Jesus was and from whom he had been sent. They tried to use this information to prove that he was not the Messiah. They knew where Joseph and Mary were from and they knew that Jesus had grown up in Galilee so they assumed he was also born in Galilee. They actually used the argument that Jesus would have been born in Bethlehem, as the prophets foretold, if he was truly the Messiah. They were making accusations without having all the information, something I am afraid I have been guilty of at times.

While Jesus was in the Temple, he called out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I come from. But I’m not here on my own. The one who sent me is true, and you don’t know Him. But I know him because I come from him, and he sent me to you.” – John 7:28-29

Later Jesus left for the festival but stayed out of public view. Many were talking about Jesus: some were asking where he was, some were saying he was a good man and others were calling him a fraud. Halfway through the festival he began teaching in the temple and many were amazed at how much he knew. Others accused him of being possessed by a demon when he made the comment that there were some trying to kill him. Many believed in him saying, “Would you expect the Messiah to do more miraculous signs than this man has done?” (John 7:31b)

FORGIVENESS. FREEDOM. MERCY.

Jesus was there because he had mercy on sinners. He was willing to give his life so that we can be forgiven of our unbelief — so that we can experience freedom from our sins. So on the last day of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowd: “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart’” (John 7:37b-38).

In spite of all the grumbling about him, despite the hateful plots against him, Jesus still extended the gift of life to all those who were willing to come to him. This is what forgiveness looks like; this is what freedom looks like. Let us consider the freedom we experience when we choose forgiveness and mercy. What would our lives look like if we consistently let forgiveness flow and mercy show? What would it sound like to truly let freedom ring?

Jesus said to the people who believed him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:31-32

Father God, open my heart to areas in which I need to allow forgiveness to heal my hurts. Spirit, reveal in me any unforgiveness or hatred toward others. Work in my life in such a way that I experience freedom from my opinions, my attitudes and my agendas. Fill me with your mercy so that forgiveness flows from me. Amen.

Today’s Reading: John 6:22-71

“Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do?” – John 6:30

What a ridiculous comment for the crowd to make just after Jesus had fed the 5000 with only five barley loaves and two fish. Jesus had provided for their physical needs by healing their sick and feeding them in a similar way to how God had provided manna from heaven for their ancestors. But apparently healing the sick and feeding 5000 people with a child’s sack lunch was not enough.

THEY WANTED MORE.

They wanted more and so do we. How often does God provide over and over again for us, yet we sit back and say we have never experienced a miracle or seen God move in a mighty way. God provides for our needs yet we desire more. We look at what others have around us and see what we do not have, rather than focusing on what God has so generously given us.

“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” – John 6:35

Jesus warned them not to get caught up in the perishable things this world has to offer (the things that do not last), but spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you (John 6:27). But witnessing miraculous signs was not enough for this crowd, they wanted the ability to perform these miracles themselves; they wanted power and glory (John 6:28-29).

At times our focus is on the desire for God to do something great and mighty through us for others to see. But God’s response to us may be the same as it was to the crowd – to first seek Him, consume Him, believe in Him and fully experience life through Him.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.” – John 6:47-51

“I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.” – John 6:53-58

GOD WANTS TO GIVE US MORE.

God is saying – I can answer your prayers and provide for your needs here on earth, I am capable of that. I can once again show you my generosity and you can experience the miracle of my provision, but I want to provide you with so much more than what you are asking for. I can heal you of your disease, but you will still die eventually. I am offering you something so much greater; I am offering you eternal life!

Perhaps the miracle is not in the provision but in the satisfaction. We know that God is able to provide – the moment of surprise is when we rest in His care, trusting and believing in Him whether or not He provides as we have asked. The miracle is in our satisfaction with what God has done and will do according to His will. Consume the Bread of Life and you will experience the miracle of satisfaction.

At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”

Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.” – John 6:68-69

ARE WE SATISFIED WITH WHO JESUS IS?

Some would not allow themselves to be satisfied with who Jesus was and what Jesus asked of them. For the disciples, Jesus was enough. They were satisfied that he truly was the bread of life and they were determined to follow Him in pursuit of the answers instead of walking away when they didn’t fully understand. Jesus was enough.

So what about us? Will we be satisfied with all Jesus has to offer us or will we turn away and desert Jesus? Will we be satisfied with who Jesus is and who He is calling the church to be? What miracle will God perform in our hearts today? Let’s choose to rest in God’s provision and find satisfaction with who He is and what He wants to do in our lives.

Today’s Reading: John 6:1-21

Jesus went away to a remote area to grieve the death of John the Baptist but the crowds followed him. He had compassion on them and healed their sick but it was getting late and the people were getting hungry. They were quite a distance from the villages, so the disciples encouraged Jesus to send the crowds away so that they could begin their walk back to where they could buy food.

This is your chance, Jesus! It’s getting late and the crowd is getting hungry. This is the perfect opportunity for us to lose this crowd and have some alone time. But instead Jesus turned to Philip and asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” He was testing Philip, but Andrew is the one who spoke up in faith that there was a boy who had five loaves of bread and two fish.

“Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves. — John 6:10-13

Instead of sending the people away, Jesus invited them to sit down and allow him to supply their needs. He broke bread and they ate as much as they wanted. The great love of our Savior was displayed that day. At a time when both tradition and human reasoning gave him permission to pull inward and enter a time of grieving, Jesus had compassion on others and thought more of their needs than his own. What a great example for us today. But now that the needs of the crowds had been met, Jesus set another great example for us — he separated himself from the people in order to spend some time alone with his Father.

Immediately after this, Jesus insisted his disciples get into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

But Jesus spoke to them at once, “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

Then Peter called out to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”
“Yes, come,” Jesus said.
So Peter went over to the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him, “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” – Matthew 14:22-31

Jesus took time to be alone with God but did not turn away from the needs of others. I strongly believe in taking time to grieve; I strongly believe in spending time alone in God’s presence. God calls us to this. But He also calls us to walk away from that time filled with Him in such a way that we are ready to care more about others than we do about ourselves. This is not always easy to do.

Lord, thank you for the compassion you daily show your people. You are a God who supplies our needs and meets us at our time of crisis with the words, “Don’t be afraid. Take courage. I am here!” Only you know what lies before us this week. As we fill ourselves with Your presence, please go with us. Give us eyes to see and ears to hear the needs of others around us. May we focus on you and in doing so see others, rather than focusing on our own needs. In your power, may we experience the kind of faith that has us walking on water – believing that you will supply our needs so that we can turn our eyes off our own situation and see the opportunities around us. Amen.

After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. When the people recognized Jesus, the news of his arrival spread quickly throughout the whole area, and soon people were bringing all their sick to be healed. They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed. – Matthew 14:34-36

Today’s Reading: John 5

When the time was right, Jesus returned to Jerusalem and boldly taught the crowds and healed the sick, even on the Sabbath. The Jewish leaders harassed Jesus and this is how he responded:

“My Father is always working, and so am I.” — John 5:17

God is always working — He is always paying attention, always responding to our needs. Jesus, too, is always working — always representing us before His Father. Nothing going on in your life is unknown to God. He is aware of how you are feeling and what you are thinking. It is not in His nature to ignore you, for He cares deeply for you. You have His attention because you have the attention of Jesus.

“Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.” — John 5:19b

Jesus was able to heal the sick, raise the dead, and restore sight to the blind because he was capable of doing what God can do. Jesus didn’t have to ask God to work through him, for God had already given him the power over death and disease. If it was Jesus’ desire to give someone life, he could do it. And the Father had given Jesus authority to judge. To honor the Son is to honor the Father, and to honor the Father is to honor the Son.

When we listen to the message of Jesus and believe in God, we immediately begin experiencing eternal life — we “have already passed from death to life” (John 5:24b).

“And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live. The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son. And he has given him authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man. Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment. I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.” — John 5:25-30

Jesus gave the religious leaders every opportunity to believe in who he was and who had sent him. He explained his relationship with God the Father, and he demonstrated the power God had given him. In addition to this, God had sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. They had heard John the Baptist preach and foretell the coming of the Messiah, yet they rejected both the messenger and the message.

“John was like a burning and shining lamp, and you were excited for a while about his message. But I have a greater witness than John—my teachings and my miracles. The Father gave me these works to accomplish, and they prove that he sent me. And the Father who sent me has testified about me himself. You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face, and you do not have his message in your hearts, because you do not believe me—the one he sent to you.” — John 5:35-38

The religious leaders loved the Scriptures. They studied them for hours every day, believing that the words on the page would qualify them for eternal life. They were caught in the routine of reading the scriptures and the pride in their thorough knowledge of each verse, yet they were missing the introduction of the Messiah Himself. The only way to eternal life was standing in front of them and they were arguing with him rather than worshipping him.

Jesus loves it when we study the Bible. He even places a hunger in our hearts for the promises found in His word. But we must be careful that we don’t miss the messenger because we are too busy building knowledge. He desires for our study to lead us into a tighter relationship with him. May Jesus come to life for each of us this morning as we study his Word. May he be more real to us today than he was yesterday!