John Chapter 11 Verses 25-26

John 11:25-26 reads,

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Jesus said this of Himself. He revealed this trait of who He is, so it is important to understand what it means that Jesus is the resurrection and the life. What is resurrection? It’s simplest definition is, “the act of causing something that had ended or been forgotten or lost to exist again, to be used again” or “the state of one risen from the dead.” (Merriam-Webster, 2014).

In Judaism and Christianity we look forward to the prophesied resurrection that will bring us into Eternity. In Ezekiel chapter 37 The Lord shows Ezekiel a vision of resurrection. Ezekiel is a valley of dry bones and God has him prophesy to the bones and as he does, the bones grow muscles, sinew, and skin, but they remain dead until God tells Ezekiel to prophesy to the breath and when Ezekiel does, the breath enters them and they stand up and become a great army. Ezekiel 37:12-14 read,

“Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.14 And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”

Isaiah 26:19 describes our ultimate resurrection this way,

“Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise.
    You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!
For your dew is a dew of light,
    and the earth will give birth to the dead.”

After Jesus’ resurrection we learned more clearly about our own expected resurrection.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 reads,

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

But Jesus didn’t say, “I will be the resurrection.” He said, “I am.”

His Godly statement gives us hope that we do not have to wait until He returns to receive the new life He promises. He gives new life now. He doesn’t only give it. He is the source. We learned in John 1:1-5 that Jesus is the Word, God’s will manifested, that in Him is the life, and everything was created by Him and through Him and for Him.

Jesus is the source of our physical life and our spiritual life. Death entered the world when Adam and Eve sinned. Life entered the world when Jesus rose from the dead. 1 Corinthians 15:22 reads, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.”

Believer, you once were dead, but now you live. You once had no hope, you could only look forward to eternal death after your physical life ended. But now, you await eternal life in New Jerusalem with Jesus. But that life begins the moment you accept Jesus as Christ your Savior. Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (John 11:25-26).  He gives you life the instant you believe and it is eternal.

2 Corinthians 5:15-17 reads,

“and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Jesus gave you life when you believed. He continually makes possible your physical and spiritual life. And one day, Believer, you will rise up transformed in an instant to spend eternity with Christ. Though we look forward to our eventual resurrection, we are called to live resurrected now.

Jesus came to save everyone. He doesn’t want to stop with just you and the Ladies Auxiliary, and the church deacons. He died so all men could live. That includes your racist neighbor, the hooker, the junkie, the sweet lady with 11 cats, and the atheist who has been slandering you. They’re dead. But Jesus is the resurrection and the life. He wants to breathe life into their dry bones. Just as Ezekiel spoke God’s word in his vision and brought life to the bones, you, Christian are called to speak life into the remains of the world.

When Jesus told Martha that He was the resurrection and the life and that whoever believed in Him would have eternal life, He asked her if she believed. She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” (John 11:27).

Don’t keep the awesome gift of God’s grace to yourself. Jesus is the resurrection and the life. That is awesome and desperately needed news for the dead. If you are alive, you are Jesus’ representative, you are salt and light. Express your love of God by doing His will which is that none will perish but all should reach repentance. (2 Peter 3:9).

John Chapter 8 Verse 12

John 8:12

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

How often have you heard that phrase, “the light of the world,” and thought nothing of it? What does it mean that Jesus is the light of the world?

We know in context of this reading that The Feast of Booths had recently ended or was on its final day. During that celebration, a lamp-lighting ceremony took place in the temple every evening of the feast, during which large lamps were set up in the Court of Women at the temple. Jesus was teaching in the temple treasury directly next to the Court of Women, so His words likely brought to mind the image of those lamps and the great celebratory singing and dancing over God’s salvation that took place in their glow which filled every courtyard in the city.

That light represented God’s salvation and demonstrated it during the week-long festival. Jesus is the eternal representation or glorification of God’s salvation. In Him we have reason to dance and sing praises and thanksgiving forever.

The Old Testament has many references to light. When people read John’s gospel they would connect light to some of these references. They would understand that Jesus was saying something very intense. He was claiming to be God.

Light represents God’s attention toward you, His presence with you.

Psalm 4:6 reads,

“There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?
    Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!”

In Ezekiel Chapter 1 God is described this way,

Verse 4 says, “As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal.”

Verses 27-28 read,

“And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. 28 Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around.”

Light signifies God’s salvation.

Psalm 27:1 says,

“The Lord is my light and my salvation;
    whom shall I fear?”

Proverbs 6:23 reads,

“For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light,
    and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,”

God’s presence and salvation merged as the pillar of fire by night and the pillar of cloud by day. Exodus 13:21-22 reads,

“And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. 22 The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.”

Jesus told the people, “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” He promises that He is God with us and following Him brings us salvation. He is our guide, His light shows us the way to go.

Jesus isn’t merely showing us light and hope, He is light and all hope is in Him. He is light, the source of light and life. John 1:3-5 says,

“All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Jesus light completely overcomes darkness. Psalm 112:4 says,

“Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.”

Darkness cannot exist in light. 1 John 1:5 says,

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

What does all that mean for you and me? Jesus is God, the Light of the world. He is our hope and our salvation. He doesn’t leave us alone to wander blindly toward righteousness. He lights the way, guides us and stays with us every step of the way. But there is more. He said, whoever followed Him would “have the light of life.” In Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus said,

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Just as Jesus is the light, the glorification of God, who leads people to salvation, you and I are also the light. We are called to glorify God, to conform to Jesus’ image and lead people to the beauty of a relationship with God through Christ. We can’t do that if we are hiding in a prayer closet. If our light is hidden because we only let it shine in the privacy of home or the comfort of church then it is not shining into the darkness beckoning men to the hope of eternal life. Does your light call people to celebrate the goodness and greatness of the Lord?

John Chapter 7 Verses 10 -24

Jesus had gone to the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem privately rather than go with His Family. There were some people upset enough to want Him arrested and killed. There were some who thought He was leading people away from Judaism by His teachings, and others who thought He was a good man. But most of them were not vocal because they were afraid of the repercussions for themselves. Their private opinions and their murmurs and whispers didn’t help the situation. Those who thought Jesus was a good man, but didn’t believe or take any action on their belief may as well as agreed with the Pharisees seeking to kill Him. Those who thought He was leading the people astray but kept their complaints to mumbled criticisms were no more influential than those they argued with.

About the middle of the feast Jesus began teaching in the temple. The people listening to Him were amazed. They knew He had not studied but He spoke with knowledge, eloquence, and expertise.

Verses 16-18 read,

“So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. 17 If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. 18 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.”

Some people look like really good people but they are not actually pursuing God’s glory. They work toward their own. The Pharisees were like that. They studied the scriptures. They gave exactly the right amount of money. They did everything right in the law except seek God’s will and love. The people were very impressed by their goodness. But their righteousness wasn’t leading anyone to God. They were leading people away from God’s love and His will and straight to Hell. Hosea 6:6 reads,

“For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
    the knowledge of God rather than burnt offering”

The people couldn’t even recognize God in Jesus. He was supposed to be the focus of their lives. He was right there in front of them, and they didn’t recognize Him. How many people who claim to be Christians have lost the object they are supposed to be following and instead glorify themselves with their goodness or begin following rules and ritual rather than Jesus?

Jesus continued in verse 19.

“Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?”

I’m sure of the listeners were offended by His accusation they they didn’t follow the law. Here they were at the Feast of Booths in the temple. They gave money. They kept the Sabbath. They observed the feasts and special days. They were good Jews. But Jesus told them none of them kept the law. Deuteronomy 6:5 reads,

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

Leviticus 19:34 says,

“You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”

They were not keeping the law. No one likes to have their flaws pointed out to them, especially if they are quite proud of their perfection. The crowd got so upset they accused Jesus have having a demon and in an effort to put him on the defensive told him he was crazy for thinking people wanted to kill him. Jesus didn’t fall for the goad. He didn’t have to defend Himself or argue about things that would take the light of the Father’s will. Verses 21-24 read,

“Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it. 22 Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man's whole body well? 24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

Jesus had healed a man on the Sabbath. He had done an act of love as God desired. But He was being persecuted for it. The Jews were so careful about obeying the letter of the law that would circumcise on the Sabbath to ensure they didn’t break the law by circumcising a day late. Circumcision was an outward sign of a covenant with God. It was an act that required cutting and pain. What Jesus did was heal, take pain away, and give a man a chance to receive grace and forgiveness. The man’s heart would have been circumcised, it would have been in inward and complete sign of his covenant with God. Rather than change one thing about the man, Jesus had made his whole body well.

Which act is better? Is it better to heal a man and give him new life or circumcise a man? The Jews were judging through eyes of law, rules, and ritual. Their perspective was narrowed to the point that God was not no longer in it. They couldn’t follow God if they had left Him out of their view. Right judgment requires looking at the whole picture. Jesus was trying to open their eyes to the truth. They didn’t like what they were hearing and what it showed them about themselves.

Ask yourself some questions.

1.)    Who are you glorifying in your life?

Does your life shine the light on Jesus? Is Jesus being praised by your deeds? Are you getting the acclaim for the good things you do? Are there any signs of your relationship with Jesus to be acclaimed?

2.)    Are you following a list of rules and laws or are you following Jesus?

If you were running late on your way to church and you met a drunk, hurt, and lost man that needed help, would you stop, help him, and miss church?  Would you say a prayer that someone who has time would stop and help him? Would you be disgusted by his drunkenness and feel he deserves what he is getting? Would you even notice him as you rushed to church?

3.)    Are you loving God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and your neighbor as yourself?

Is your lifestyle one of active and intentional love? Has Christianity become a checklist rather than a relationship?

4.)    Are you judging the situation, yourself and others with right judgment?

Is the love of God, His plan, and His sovereignty in the picture? Or are you basing your assessment on appearances? Do you assume the woman leading the church food drive is good and the goth teen who doesn’t go to church is evil?

John Chapter 5 Verses 19-24

After Jesus healed the man at the pool of Bethesda, the Jewish leadership were appalled that He referred to God as His Father. It incited a fury in them against Him. But Jesus took the opportunity to teach. Verses 19-20 read,

“So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.”

Jesus, the Son of God, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, said that He was completely dependent on the Father to act. If Jesus was that reliant on God, how much more so should we be? Jesus sees the Father not only through history, creation, and scripture but He sees Him through His deep relationship with Him. They are united. Whatever the Father does, the Son does the same.

Believer, you and I have a relationship with the Father through the Son. We are given the chance to know Him deeply as well. We, like the world have history and scripture which give a person a superficial knowledge of God. But more so we have a relationship that allows us to commune with the Father in such a way that day by day we know Him more. We get to see different facets of His personality, we come to understand His love in such a profound and meaningful way. He becomes our Father too.

But we also have the Holy Spirit, God’s own Spirit within us. He continually teaches us and guides us. He also makes the way open for us to know God more deeply. He reveals God to us. We read the scripture with a greater understanding. We hear His voice. We not only see evidence of Him in creation but we recognize Him throughout His creation. The Spirit works in us persistently to make us into the image of Christ.

We have Jesus. We have His example of who we could be as we are made more and more into His image. We have Him within us, united with us. He abides in us as we abide in Him and He abides in the Father. As we depend fully on God, the Father, Son, and Spirit we are able to reflect Him and express Him to the world who does not know Him the same way we are given ability to know Him.

The Father was revealed in Jesus through His actions. And Jesus is revealed in us through our actions. Jesus told the people He was going to do greater things than heal people in order to demonstrate the Father to them. He referred not only to the many miracles He did, but also to His ultimate deed of taking on the sin of the entire world, dying on the cross, and resurrecting three days later. He was talking about our redemption as His greatest work.

Jesus made it possible for us to enter into a relationship with the Father. And He made it possible for us, in following Him and doing what He did to be a part of the salvation plan. We can do the works Jesus did. You and I can demonstrate the Father’s love for people too so that they will marvel. When they marvel at the beauty of what God can do, they will want to know Him too. You and I cannot save them, but Jesus can. We can be a conduit to Jesus for them.

Jesus came to give life to the world. We were dead before Jesus. We had no hope before Jesus. Now we are not merely alive but we have eternal life. Do you see what an amazing miracle that is? Do you marvel at the immensity of it? Verses 21-24 read,

“For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22 The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

Jesus is the only way to a relationship with the Father. God gave judgment to Jesus. In order to honor God we have to honor Jesus. Without submission to the Son, one can’t submit to the Father. As Jesus relies wholly on the Father, we must rely wholly on Jesus. When we do that, Jesus gives us the miracle of eternal life. Not just living forever, but living on an entirely new plane of existence here and now. We pass from shadow life in the world to full bright life in the Kingdom of God.

Ask yourself if you are truly dependent on God for all your actions. Do you do all that you see Him doing? Is your whole life about expressing Jesus so that you are reflecting and glorifying God to the world? Are you a light as Jesus is the Light? Are people marveling at your actions and conduct as you demonstrate Jesus to them? Is what you are doing leading people to want to know God more deeply? Or is your light so dim it is indistinguishable from the shadows of the world?

John Chapter 5 Verses 1-18

Jesus had gone to Jerusalem for a Jewish Feast and while there He went to the pool at Bethesda. People who needed healing of any kind would gather around the pool and wait. At various times and angel would come down and stir the waters of the pool. Whoever entered the water first when the angel stirred the water would be healed. Verses 5-6 tell us,

“One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?”

It was Jesus who initiated this encounter. Jesus saw the man’s need and asked, “Do you want to be healed.” Of course we would all assume that the man wants to be healed. That is the reason he is at the pool. But sometimes those questions can make you reflect on what you really want. Do you want to be healed? Do you want to move past this and experience a fullness of life you couldn’t before? Do you want to remain in your current state and stay with what you know even if it is crippling you?

Verse 7 reads,

“The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.”

Have you wondered why Jesus didn’t heal everyone at the pool? Why did He choose this man? Here lies an answer, the sick man had no one to help him. He was alone. He wanted to get to the pool, he wanted to be healed but he couldn’t do it without intervention. This man needed Jesus.  He answered Jesus’ question by giving him an explanation of why he hadn’t been healed yet instead of a yes or no. Rather than ask for Jesus to stick around and help him into the pool, he presented his need and let Jesus be the one to offer to help him. But Jesus knew His need, and Jesus knew a better way. Verses 8-9 read,

“Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.”9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.”

Jesus met this man’s need immediately. He knew the man wanted healing and that He was his only hope of having the need met. But what was this man’s response to this amazing gift? It turned out that this took place on the Sabbath. The Jewish leaders had taken what was mean to be a beautiful day of honoring God and turned it into a day filled with rules to ban any activity that might be considered work. They couldn’t even light a candle. They had taken the Lord out of the Sabbath.

As the man was leaving he came across some leaders who said, “Whoa! Dude, it’s the Sabbath you can’t be carrying your bed! It’s against the law!”

Immediately the man answered, “But I was just doing what the man who healed me told me to do. It wasn’t me it was him!” But Jesus was nowhere to be seen and the man didn’t know who had healed him. The man was about to get in trouble for breaking the rules and instead of dealing with it, instead of praising God for a miracle he says, “It’s not my fault, I was just doing what I was told.” Neither this man nor the Jewish leaders stopped to praise God for the healing. They were too concerned with rules and punishment.

Verse 14 reads,

“Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”

Jesus found the man at the temple. He could have avoided him but Jesus is loving and forgiving. He reminded the ungrateful man of the miracle and told him to sin no more. The miracle would not be complete without Jesus revealing Himself to the man. The healing and forgiveness was from Jesus, the Son of God. This man had to know where his healing came from. He had to know that God was his Healer and that He had been offered this new life because of the Great and Mighty All-Sufficient Lord. Without this second encounter, the miracle wouldn’t be complete. The man would be healed but God was not glorified and the man wouldn’t have been given a choice to change his life and walk with Jesus as a believer.

What was the man’s reaction? Did he immediately run to the priest and make an offering for his healing? Did He praise God and tell everyone of the miracle that would forever change him? Verse 16 tells us.

“The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.”

The man wasn’t grateful. He chose not to believe Jesus. He chose not accept the gift of forgiveness. So what did Jesus do? Did He take back the healing? Did He condemn the man? No, Jesus healed the man out of love. His love is deep and perfect and was not lessened because the man reacted in such a human way. Jesus doesn’t take back the gifts He gives. Even though the man’s betrayal stirred up the Jews against Him, Jesus stilled loved the man and still let Him have His opportunity for a new life. Jesus used the betrayal to further glorify His Father even though it put Him in danger. Verse 16-18 read,

“And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.”

The Jewish leaders were no longer simply concerned about Jesus. Curiosity had turned to fear and fear to anger and hatred. Now they were out to kill him. Jesus didn’t let that stop Him from speaking truth, loving people or glorifying God. He used the chance to teach them. We will read His response tomorrow.

John Chapter 2 Verses 23 25

While Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Passover, He taught and He did miracles and many people believed Him. But He didn’t tell them the deep truth about Himself. He remained cryptic to them. Not because He didn’t want them to know Him, but because wanting to know Him, meant seeking Him, asking questions, and pursuing the answers. He wants the same today. Verses 24-25 read,

“But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.”

To discover the truth and to sincerely believe it, one can’t just be told the information. Jesus told them He was the Son of God. He showed them miracles. He healed. He forgave sins, yet that wasn’t enough for them to believe it at their core. Knowledge stays shallow when it is what we are told, for it to become intrinsic, we must learn it through search, discovery, and revelation.

Jesus knew this. That is why rather than speak plainly, He answered questions with questions, spoke in parables, and pointed to motivations. Especially at this point, before The Holy Spirit had come to allow people the depth of revelation, Jesus knew that people believed, but didn’t believe it at that intrinsic deep-down level.  Rather than entrust them with the treasure of Himself, He left it for them to seek Him and learn the truth.

You can tell people about Jesus ‘til your blue in the face and it might not make a dent. You can and should show people who Jesus is by actively and intentionally loving them the way Jesus does. But it is not you that does the saving. It is God.

When they seek to know the truth, perhaps because you made them curious to know more about this Jesus guy, it is The Holy Spirit who will reveal Him.

This section begins the day after John the Baptist encountered the Levites.

Verse 29 reads,

“The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

Immediately upon seeing Jesus, John knew He was the Messiah, and he describes Him as the Lamb of God. He was the sacrifice that would once and for all end sacrifices. He was the completion of the law and the old covenant. John had been preparing people for the coming of Christ. He had them purify their bodies and repent of their sin so that when the Savior came, He could once and for all cleanse and forgive their sin. Jesus’ arrival was the completion of John’s ministry. Verses 30-31 read,

“This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.”

John said, that Jesus came after him but ranks before him because he was before him. He was merely a prophet a servant of God, but Jesus was the Son of God. And John didn’t mean Jesus was older than him. In fact John was about 5-6 months older than Jesus. He meant Jesus had existed before him. Jesus had been the Savior since the beginning and now they were no longer waiting for Him. Jesus was God.

Remember John’s ministry popular enough with the people that it freaked out the Pharisees. He had devoted disciples, he had been teaching, and he had people who followed him and showed up to hear him teach. Those followers respected him. He had taught them about the Messiah and now he finally saw Jesus. He had to direct his followers away from him and preparation, and to Jesus and fulfillment. John told them the reason that he had baptized was so that Israel would recognize their Savior, the Lamb of God, the fulfillment of the Law. John exalted Jesus as Savior and Son of God as he decreased himself.

John hadn’t known who the Messiah would be. But when John saw Jesus, he recognized Him because God spoke to Him. He told all those with him how he had recognized that Jesus was Christ. Once again he directed attention to Jesus and away from himself. Verses 32-34 read,

“And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

John had the privilege of being God’s prophet. He was filled with the Holy Spirit from his time in the womb. God told him who Jesus was and then God confirmed it in this way that to me seems to be a beautiful illustration of transfer of ministry. We know from the other gospels that John had just baptized Jesus. Immediately after the baptism the Spirit came from Heaven like a dove and stayed on Jesus, just like God told John He would. John was filled with the Holy Spirit but Jesus was God and so He had no need to be filled with His own Spirit, He was His own Spirit. The Spirit manifested visibly and came down and remained on Jesus. John required God’s voice in order to be a voice. John required God and pointed to God. Jesus was God. He spoke with God’s voice. He loved with God’s love. His Spirit was The Holy Spirit. He pointed to Himself, to His Spirit and to His Father. John could only baptize with water, a merely symbolic act. But Jesus baptism was actual cleansing of sin, real forgiveness and an act of God, the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus came, John lessened himself, and his ministry. John now could tell everyone that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah and the one He had been teaching about. He sent his followers to follow Jesus, as we will read tomorrow.

When Jesus came into your life, did your life change? Did you stop gratifying yourself and start doing God’s will? Do you consistently decrease your flesh as The Holy Spirit fills you and transforms you? Do you point to yourself, your goodness, and your hard work or do you reveal Jesus to the world?

John 1 19-34

John the Baptist was baptizing[1] a lot of people. He had followers and he taught people. He was making a splash. So much so that the Pharisees were becoming concerned about a possible new sect sprouting up. So they sent some representatives out to find out more about what he was doing.

Everything John did pointed to Jesus. His ministry was about the Messiah. And so when the priests came and asked him who he was, his answers directed them to the Messiah. They said, “Who are you?” He said, “I’m not the Christ.” But that didn’t answer their questions. So realizing that he wasn’t going to start teaching them about his ministry, they asked, “are you Elijah?” and then, “are you the prophet?” (The Jewish people were expecting Elijah and the Prophet to come before judgment day). John answered both, “No, I am not.”

John wasn’t the only guy out there talking about the soon to come Christ, but he was different. He wasn’t claiming to be a great prophet, although he was. (Later in this chapter we will see God speaking directly to John). He wasn’t trying to gain fame for himself, but for Christ. He wasn’t trying to get rich, in fact he lived kind of a hippie lifestyle, eating organically in the wilderness and wearing clothes no one was going to rush out to copy. So the Levites were kind of exasperated and they said, “C’mon who are you? We’ve gotta tell the big wigs something!” So John answered, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” (Verse 23).

John quoted Isaiah 40:3 to them. That should have answered them completely or at least piqued their curiosity, but the priests were not open to the truth of scripture, only their preconception about the scriptures and the prophecies. With this quote, John told them exactly who He was and once again pointed to the Messiah. But they were too stubborn to hear his answer and asked. “Then if you aren’t the Christ, and you’re not Elijah or the Prophet, why are you baptizing?”

John could have told them about himself, his ministry, his training and the good he was effecting but once again took the chance to tell them about the coming Christ. Instead of explaining who he was, his identity was related completely to Christ. His answer is recorded in verses 26-27.

“ John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 

John was telling them that the Messiah was already living among them and He would soon begin His ministry. And the ministry of the Christ would be so much higher and better than his own. John baptized with water, but Christ would cleanse and purify differently. His ministry as so much higher that John couldn’t even untie his sandal. Even this sentence referred prophetically to Christ and should have caused the Levites to want to know more about Him. It alludes to Christ as our Bridegroom and John as the one unable to be a bridegroom[2]

Every opportunity John had, he gave attention to Christ rather than himself. His entire ministry was about shining a light on The Light. He had gained fame. He could have live the comfortable life of a rabbi. Pharisees were worried about his identity. The government had taken notice of him. He was shining the light of Christ into the darkness of people’s lives and they were either humble enough to repent and want to know more about the Savior or they got angry and afraid.

Is your ministry about Jesus or you? Does your life point people to God’s power and grace or your charm and strength? Is your identity in Christ or in your flesh? When people ask who you are do they hear who Jesus is?



[1] Baptism was not a new concept in Judaism, it was something the people did to purify their bodies and prepare themselves for a closer walk with God. It was different than the ritual washings to that cleansed the body for particular sins. It was not because it had been prescribed by the law but because they were choosing to for something special. It had its roots when God revealed Himself on Sinai, before He did so the Israelites had to wash themselves and their clothes by immersion. When proselytes were ready to commit to Judaism, they were baptized to bring them into the protection of God.


[2] Deuteronomy 25 5-10

John Chapter 1 Verses 1-5

Today in our pursuit to know Go more deeply and follow Christ more closely, we will being reading the Gospel of John. John is quite poetic and expressive and sometimes his words can be difficult to grasp. So let’s did deep an discover the simplicity of truth in this gospel.

John begins with these graceful and meaningful sentences. Verses 1-5 read,

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

The Word, John is speaking of is Jesus. What does it mean that Jesus is the Word? The Word, the word logos is Greek and is the rational principle that governs the universe. Greeks (Gentiles) that John wrote to would understand the word in its philosophical use about reaching a conclusion using reasoning. Jewish readers would understand the word as it was used in scripture to mean the principle of divine reason and creative order. Logos was God’s purpose spoken into action or being. In the Old Testament Logos is often the embodiment of God’s will carried out.  So John is saying that Jesus was God’s will personified, exemplified, and accomplished.

Psalm 33:6 reads,

“By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.”

Psalm 107:20 says,

“He sent out his word and healed them,
    and delivered them from their destruction.”

John begins with “In the beginning.” His gospel opening immediately brings to mind Genesis 1:1

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

But now we learn that before God created anything The Word already was. Consider that, Jesus was not created. He already was.

The Word was with God. Jesus was with or by God’s side. As God created the Heavens and the Earth, Jesus was with Him completely in mind, heart, purpose, and work. Not only was Jesus with God, but He was God. They are one and the same completely one and yet side by side.  It is a difficult concept to grasp that Jesus and The Father are two persons of the same God. There is the Father, who is God. There is Jesus, who is God. And although not mentioned in this verse, there is the Holy Spirit, who is God. They’re all completely God, not 1/3 of God, but God, and they are all separate persons of God.

Verse 3 says,

“All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

Now not only do we read that Jesus was with God and was God but He was active in the creation. It was through Him that everything was made. And nothing was made without Him. God spoke creation into being. “And God said, “Let there be… And there was” God’s will was implemented by His word, the Word, Jesus.

Verse 4 reads,

“In him was life, and the life was the light of men.”

In Jesus, life was manifested. Life itself, breath came to being because of Jesus. And of course, Jesus is life itself. It is because of The Word, God’s will incarnate, that life exists, and man breathes.

Furthermore, Jesus was even from the beginning the light of men. He is our light as the Giver of Life. He is our light as the manifestation of God’s desire. Jesus is the perfect image of God. He is how we can know God. He is the revelation of God to us. Colossians 1:15-18 reads,

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

Do you see how these verses echo this passage in John? Jesus is the image of the invisible God. So to know God, we must know Jesus. He is the only way. He is the light. The light reveals God to us. The light shows us who God is and demonstrates His will. [And I so want to go off on a tangent right now. But rather than go all the way there, I will keep it short and remind you that you and I are also called to be lights. Because we have the righteousness of Christ and are sealed by the Spirit, we too can reveal God to the world.]

Verse 5 reads,

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Jesus’ light shines in the darkness. It is a beacon to God. Imagine the stormy dark sea. A ship on that ocean can only find its way by the stars. But when the clouds cover the stars and the darkness hides everything, the only way the ship can orient itself and find its way is the bright and guiding light of the lighthouse. Jesus does that! He shines as an example of who God is, and who we can be. He calls people to the truth.

“…and darkness has not overcome it.” Not once did Jesus ever do anything that was not exactly God’s will and purpose. He has always been unerringly and perfectly God. He never sinned, He never veered a single iota or millimeter out of God’s will. He is God. He is perfect and it is because of that, that He can be our light and offer us salvation. He will never be overcome by darkness.

You have an enemy. Whether you are a follow of Christ or not you have an enemy, but if you are a follower you are in the war against him and his minions. Paul wraps up his letter with some powerful and meaty teaching about it. Verses 10-12 read,

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

Paul tells us to be strong, not in our own strength, talent, or wisdom, but in the Lord. We re exhorted to be strong in the Lord. But what does that mean? Remember this, who you are in Christ is different than who you were outside of Him. He gave you gifts. He has trained you, grown you, and moved you through trials. Exercise the faith, wisdom and discernment He gave you and use the gifts He endowed to you. Walk with God, remembering He is alongside you, within you, and you are in Him.

The next verse tells us further how to be strong in the Lord, we are to put on the whole armor of God. It is a choice to use all the gifts and tools we have been equipped with or to let them rust with inactivity. We are all in the battle, but we have a choice in regards to fighting or cowering, and to fight well or poorly.

This isn’t just any fight. We’re not fighting the lost people. They have the same enemy we do, they just don’t know he’s their enemy. It is important to remember that our enemies are not men and women. The lost the prisoners of war. Our enemy is Satan and his underlings the demons who infiltrate, do his bidding, and put the chains on those prisoners. They fight to keep you weak. They fight to keep you ineffective. They do whatever they can to stop you from breaking the POWs out of their prisons and to ensure the captives have no idea they are bound.

But know that you have nothing to fear from Satan much less his demons. You are not called to cower or recoil. You are called to be strong in the Lord and put on His protection. Paul says in verse 13,

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”

If we put on all of God’s protection we will withstand and if we use His strength to be active in the war, we will stand firm. We will remain effective fighting warriors allowing Jesus to set the captives free. Let’s take a brief look at the armor we are to wear. And don’t worry it isn’t cumbersome, every piece helps us to stand and fight.

Verse 14,

“Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,”

The belt of truth is the first piece of armor. The belt held up the soldiers’ tunic allowing him to run and move freely. The truth does that for us. John 8:44 describes Satan as a liar and murderer,

“You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Satan can only lie. And he lies well. He can make lies sound truthful, good, and beautiful. His lies can trip us up, keep us from believing we can fight, leave us tangled in the web of deceit unable to join in the battle. When we know the truth, we don’t have to second guess and trip over the lies that scoundrel tells. We don’t even have to listen to them!

One lie he likes to tell you is that we are not worthy to fight with Jesus, that you are too sinful to dare fight in the Lord’s army. But he’s wrong. The next piece of armor is the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate protected the soldier’s vital organs and kept him alive and able to use his weapons for fighting instead of trying to constantly protect his life. You do not have your own righteousness. But you do have Jesus’ righteousness. Romans 4:22-24 read,

“That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.”

We were credited with Jesus’ righteousness, not because of any work, not because we fight in the war, not because we pleased God but because we had faith, believed and live with Jesus as our Lord. Jesus’ righteousness gives us eternal life. Our heart is new, it is the temple of God and it is protected. The enemy can’t have our heart. It belongs to God.

Does it bring you joy and excitement to think about your salvation? It does me. Being saved, I want the POWs to be saved as well. And freeing the captives is one of our most important missions. So our next piece of armor is used for that assignment. Verse 15 reads,

“and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.”

You need shoes to walk well and far. Walking barefoot eventually your feet become bruised and painful, causing you to limp. Your feet need shoes to allow you to keep walking with God rather than limping along. Knowing the truth of the gospel, what you believe and why you believe it keeps you walking rather than limping.

Your feet are fitted with the readiness. What does that mean? 1 Peter 3:15 says,

“but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,”

You have to know what you believe and why you believe it. You have to keep Christ honored as your Lord. Your life should show that you belong to Jesus and cause people to ask about the hope, the difference they see in you. You should be able to answer them. You should be able to point them to Jesus, to the Gospel.

The lost have no idea they can have peace with God. They don’t know that God wants to reconcile with them, heal their wounds, and give them freedom and rest. It is our mission as operatives to tell them. We can’t tell them by standing still, we have to go and on order to go, we have to move our feet and travel to them.  Romans 10:13-15 read,

“For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

Verse 16 reads,

“In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;”

The shield allowed the soldier to stop weapons from hitting him. He kept it on him always and used it to stop the blows that might have injured him, weakened him and stopped him from being useful in the battle. Our shield is our faith. Faith means you know who God is. We trust completely in His power and strength. We believe He is our Savior, Creator, and the whole world and everything in it is His.

The enemy shoots a fiery arrow your way, but faith in God keeps it from touching you. 1 John 5:4-5 reads,

“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

We know how the war ends. God wins, we win! We are already victorious and we keep fighting to complete our mission to free the captives with the gospel of peace. So as hard as the enemy wants to try and hurt us, he can’t. Keep the faith in all circumstances. All the arrows the devil throws our way bounce off the shield of faith and don’t even singe us. Satan can’t even get close to us, he has to fling arrows and hope we are not holding up our faith in order to hurt us. He only has the power to hurt us, if we let him.

Verse 17 reads,

“and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,”

The helmet is the most important part of our protection. The breastplate covers the heart and lungs, but the helmet protects the brain. The brain is the control center for our entire body. It coordinates everything in order for us to live.

We can’t be in the Lord’s army unless we have Jesus’ Salvation. That salvation is what directs the faith, gospel, righteousness and truth to work together for our victory. Without salvation we can’t have faith. We can’t reconcile people to god, if we are not reconciled to Him. We have no righteousness without salvation. We do not know the truth.

The next part of our armor is the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. The sword is the weapon of our armor. It takes training to use a sword well. It requires up close combat to use a sword. Unlike the enemy who fling mendacious arrows at us from a safe distance, we are fully involved with the sword of the Spirit, the word of God.

The Spirit is powerful and He is Truth. When we read the word, He reveals it to us and helps us to understand it. He brings it back to us when we need to hear it. He speaks to us and guides us through every circumstance. But to use the sword well, we must be trained in it. He can’t remind us what He has said, if we never read it or listened to Him. We won’t even recognize His voice if we don’t spend time with Him.

The Word of God is powerful if we use it properly. Remember our mission is to free the captives and reconcile them to God. We have to get in there and use the sword as it was meant to be used. Remember just how powerful the Spirit is. He raised Christ from the dead. He brings people to their knees. He can and does do more than we imagine. He speaks to God for us when we don’t know how.

The word of God is a weapon more powerful than we realize Hebrews 4:12 describes it like this,

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

In Jeremiah 23:29 God describes His word.

“Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?”

That is an amazing weapon. What good is it laying by your side? Pick it up, handle it, and use it. The truth of the Gospel is in the Word. The Love of God in the Word. Read it, hear it, speak it and do it.

One of the ways we use the sword of the Spirit is through prayer. Yes! Prayer is wielding the sword of the Spirit. Speaking to the Lord and hearing His Word and doing His Word through obedience makes a difference. Verses 18-20 read,

“praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.”

When we pray we are actively exercising the powerful weapon we’ve been given. Asking the Lord to help us and help others, strengthens us, encourages us, equips us, and unites us. Paul ends this letter with verses 23-24.

“Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.”

Love incorruptible. Nothing can sully God’s love, nothing can damage or rust it. The armor of God, like God is incorruptible. Have faith in Everlasting Awesome God. Be strong.