Bible study – Page 80 – Me From the Inside Out

Posted on April 7, 2022April 7, 2022 by

No Other Access

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
John 14:6 HCSB

Loving Others

I’ve had John 13:34 in my memory bank for many years, so while it isn’t our focus/soap verse I can’t just skip by it. Love is a key ingredient of Christ’s teaching. Actually, loving others was included in the answer He gave to a teacher of the law who asked Him what the most important commandment was. After explaining that the greatest commandment is loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength He went on to say that loving our neighbor was equally important. Suffice it to say Love was a vital part of His teaching and He intends for it to be a vital part of the believer’s life as well. To understand why it’s so important we only have to read the next verse which says, “By this (loving like Jesus) all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

You see it isn’t just nice to love one another like Jesus has loved us, it is our testimony for Him.

Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. ³⁰And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’³¹The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
Mark 12:29-31

“How Can We Know the Way?”

Jesus was re-emphasizing the importance of love because it would be the very thing that identified them as His witnesses when He was gone. This naturally led to great concern over where He was going and answers they didn’t quite understand. This discussion led to our focus verse today which was Jesus’ answer to Thomas who asked: “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?” The answer comes back to one we have looked at before, Jesus is the way to the Father for everyone who believes. So He makes the statement again that when we know Jesus we know “The Way”. He is not only the way to the Father, but He is the truth of the Father, in the flesh,(Psalm 119:142 and John 1:1). Finally, Jesus declares Himself to be the life from the Father, (John 3:16).

The answer to Thomas’ question is the same for us today. When we know Jesus we know The Way! While we rejoice in this we must take seriously the alternative – for those who do not know Jesus do not know the way and will have no access to the Father’s promise of eternal life. For this reason, like Jesus, we must be committed to our Father’s business – the saving of souls.

Personal Application

There are several noteworthy applications we can make from our focus/soap verse as well as others from today’s reading.

Let’s look at our focus verse in John 14:6.

Examine how Jesus has loved you and love others like that. (13:34)
Be His witnesses (13:35)
Go “the way” of Jesus – the way of the cross. (Luke 9:23)
Walk in “the truth” – His Word is truth (Psalm 119:142)
Live “the life” of freedom that He came to give (Gal 5:1, John 10:10)
Enjoy the access we have to the Father. (Hebrews 4:14-16; Eph 2:18

What is the chief end of man? To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
https://westminstershortercatechism.net/manschiefend/

2. I also want to make an application note on verse 11 of chapter 14, where Jesus tells Philip to believe – if not because of what He has told them – then because of all they had seen Him do. You see, it won’t always be what we say that leads others to believe – sometimes it will be because of what we do in His name – such as loving others as He has loved us.

3. The final application came at the end of the passage, 14:31 where Jesus says to His disciples –

but I am doing just what the Father commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Get up, let us go from here.

Actually, it’s those last five words that hit me. It is so easy and comfortable to sit in the presence of Jesus, to talk with Him – listening to Him, asking Him questions, gazing into His eyes through His Word. But, at some point we must “get up” and go out from that place of safety and comfort to do what the Father has commanded us – and this so that others may believe. For “how will they believe if they do not hear?”

As we discovered earlier this week, we are His messengers and today we have seen that we are His representatives – so that others will know that we are His disciples. In this He is glorified (made known) – and in this the Father will be pleased.

Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study

Posted on April 5, 2022April 5, 2022 by

Sent

Today’s Reading: John 13:1-30

“I tell you the truth, anyone who welcomes my messenger is welcoming me, and anyone who welcomes me is welcoming the Father who sent me.”
John 13:20 NLT

An Action Packed Narrative

I don’t even know where to start with today’s reading. It is action packed emotionally and physically. You can almost feel a pulse to John’s narrative as he tells us Jesus is aware that His time to leave this world was getting close. The depth of His love is seen and heard both through John’s words and through Jesus’s act of servitude as He tied the towel around his waist and began to wash the feet of His disciples. His knowledge of a betrayer among His own is heart wrenching as it unfolds subtly, almost silently from Jesus’ lips. His servant’s heart and attitude are a living and lasting example of His love. His patient and gentle explanation of what He was doing and why it was important for Peter to reconsider letting Him wash his feet. The beautiful yielding of Peter is such a fabulous picture of the relationship developed between teacher/Lord and student. Having washed their feet, we watch as He moves closer to the final hour, revealing more and more to His inner circle. He has set for them an example of serving others and made sure they know this is how they are to live. He also removes all excuses of stations in life and focuses them on the blessings of obedience to His way.

The Warning

Then Jesus comes back to the subject of the betrayer with a warning that one among them is not truly clean or to be blessed. He acknowledges that choosing this one was not a mistake but done so that Scripture might be fulfilled. He isn’t telling them this to stir up dissension or trouble but so that when it happens they will be able to deal with it and know that it was supposed to be this way. While it might be a shock to them they will know with certainty that it was not a surprise to Jesus.

Even my friend in whom I trusted,
one who ate my bread,
has raised his heel against me.
Psalm 41:9 HCSB

The Messenger

Then comes our focus verse, which seems a bit oddly placed as it appears to fit more with verses 12-17, specifically verse 16 where Jesus mentions “one who is sent as a messenger”. Here He continues with the explanation that whoever accepts the message He has been giving them, which is the Gospel, that person accepts Christ and if the person accepts Christ they also accept God, who sent Him. It is so important for us to understand and to grasp that what we do with the “message” Christ gave His followers about who He was and who sent Him is a life giving message. Make no mistake, as surely as we are to serve and love others as He served and loved – we are also called to be His messengers. (Mark 16:15)

Then He said to them, “Go into all the world
and preach the gospel to the whole creation.
The Prayer
Mark 16:15 HCSB

The Prayer

Father, You sent the Son and I have believed – Not because I have walked with or talked with Jesus like Peter, James, John, and the rest of the twelve – but because You placed people in my path who have demonstrated His Love and shared His message with me. Help me to be Your faithful messenger in all I do and say, so that others will see and hear and receive the message and draw near to Jesus and to You through Him. In Jesus’ Name – Amen!

Don’t miss today’s Love God Greatly Blog Post

Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study

Posted on April 5, 2022April 5, 2022 by

Out of the Darkness Into the Marvelous Light

Today’s Reading: John 12:12-50

But Jesus shouted out, “The one who believes in me does not believe in me, but in the one who sent me,⁴⁵and the one who sees me sees the one who sent me.⁴⁶I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in darkness
John 12:44-46

Clarification

In John 8:12, Jesus introduced Himself as “The Light of the World”, the One who would keep those who believed in Him from walking in darkness and give them life. He expounds on that truth in today’s passage, clarifying that not only did His LIGHT allow them to see in the “darkness” but it enabled them to see the Father who sent Him. To reject or look away from The Light is to reject salvation, the only true way to eternal life with God, John 14:6

Then Jesus spoke out again, “I am the light of the world! The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12

If They Do Not Hear

In Romans 10 Paul shares his longing for all of Israel to be saved but writes of the reality that they have rejected God’s way to make themselves right with Him because they continue to believe it is what they do that saves them. He continues on with his teaching that it is by faith and not by works. It’s by believing what you hear and making a profession of that belief that salvation comes, and he clarifies that this is true for “everyone”, Jew or Gentile, who believe. In verse 14 of Romans 10, Paul then raises the question: How can they believe if they do not hear?

These writings of Paul came to mind as I read through John 12, specifically verses 17 and 18 where he wrote that the crowd who had seen Lazarus come out of the tomb were continuing to testify about it and because of this the crowd in Jerusalem went out to meet Jesus because they had heard about Him performing the miraculous sign. Knowing it was time for Him to be glorified, Jesus uses an analogy with His disciples in conjunction with His statement about being glorified: “…unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces much grain.”

What stands out to me here is that by the death of Jesus, many more were saved and are still being saved today! Because His Light continues in and through us. When we “continue testifying” about Him (17-18), what He’s done for us, what we’ve seen Him do for others, and what He says He’s going to do it impacts others. When we fail to testify about Him, when we love the praise/approval of man more than the praise/approval of God (42-43), we impact others. The question is – what goal have we set before us? God’s approval or man’s? God sent His Son to be The Light of the world and He has called us to be lights of the world – how can we be anything less?

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.
Matthew 5:14

The Light

In our focus/SOAP passage today Jesus once again is heard pointing people to the Father, saying that to believe in Him was really to believe in the One who sent Him, and not only that but to see the One who sent Him. Jesus wanted them to know – He wants everyone to know that He is the LIGHT, reflecting and allowing all who believe to see their way out of the darkness to the Father.

Application

Jesus has “shone” me the way to the Father – because of His LIGHT I can see the Father. Because I have heard from The LIGHT and seen The LIGHT – I AM SAVED!

Because I am saved I am called to share Jesus with others – to make Him known in word and deed and actions- I am called to be the light of the world

Prayer

Father, Thank You for Jesus, the Light! The Light that You sent to seek and save the lost out of darkness into the glorious light!! THE LIGHT that led me to You! Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Don’t forget the LGG Blog Post for today

Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study

Posted on April 4, 2022April 4, 2022 by

Caiaphas and the Prophesy

Today’s Reading: John 11:45-12:11

(Now he did not say this on his own, but because he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish nation,⁵²and not for the Jewish nation only, but to gather together into one the children of God who are scattered.)
John 11:51-52

Instigators

Verses 50-52 are a great example of how God uses both those that are His and those who do not belong to Him to accomplish His purposes. First, let’s first focus on what happened to bring the Pharisees back into the picture. To see that we need to start in verse 45, where we read how many who had been with Mary when Lazarus was raised to life were now believers in Jesus. However, there were others who had also witnessed the event and reported it to the Pharisees which of course stirred up trouble for Jesus and struck fear and concern in the Pharisees hearts. Because of their concern they called the Sanhedrin together to decide what to do to keep more people from believing in Jesus. Note, the basis of their fear was that if more people turned to follow Him they would lose their “sanctuary and nation”, (48).

Caiaphas

Caiaphas was not just a priest that met as one of the council but he was the high priest that year. A high priest that is described by Bibleref.com as a “hardened non-believer”. Neither his prophecy nor his intentions were honorable but rather self-seeking. Bibleref.com describes it like this: ‘Caiaphas means this (50) in a worldly, political sense: that it’s better to have a troublemaker executed rather than let that person disrupt the peace.”

In verses 51-52 we find an explanation from John as to why Caiaphas even made the statement, which basically was because of his position as High Priest. He spoke true words but had no idea how true and what truth they pointed to – see John 3:16.

Application in the Here and Now

When people follow us to Jesus they may see and hear and be saved while others rile against the work He does – or the work we do in His name. We will either be instruments of peace and leading others to Christ, such as Mary in verse 45 or we will be instruments of division and crucifixion such as those who reported the things Christ was doing to the Pharisees, who planned to kill Him, (53).

Prayer

Father – How great your are! Your ways are beyond my understanding. Your love and Your plan are beyond my comprehension. Use me for Your will. In Jesus’ Name – Amen!

Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study

Posted on March 31, 2022March 31, 2022 by

Lazarus Come Out

Today’s Reading: John 11:1-44

²⁵Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. ²⁶Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” ²⁷“Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.”
John 11:25-27

I AM

Our passage today introduces the fifth of Jesus’ “I Am” Statements when He tells Martha: I Am the resurrection and the life. He went on to explain that “The one who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and the one who lives and believes in Me will never die.” I love that when asked, Martha affirms her belief by addressing Jesus as “Lord” and making a clear statement of exactly who Jesus is and where He has come from.

Jesus Wept

They were having this conversation because Martha’s brother, Lazarus, had been sick and died. Lazarus was Jesus’ friend and it is clear as the story unfolds just how special Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, were to Jesus. Not only do we read how He was greatly distressed at their grief and even wept. Yet, even in His weeping there was division, for while some saw it as a testimony of His deep love for Lazarus others viewed it as a lack of action on Jesus’ part and once again His power and character were brought into question. When He heard them raise the question, “Couldn’t He have done something to keep Lazarus from dying?” the Scripture says He was intensely moved again.

At the Tomb

Being intensely moved – Jesus went to the tomb and said, “Take away the stone.” – Then looking upward, He thanked the Father for listening to Him and expressed His desire for the people that were watching to believe that God had sent Him – and then – “Jesus shouted in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” – and Lazarus came out and at Jesus’ command he was unwrapped from the burial clothes and let go. Ah, the power of our God and of our Savior.

God’s Glory

Just as Jesus had said, in the beginning of this story (John 11: 1-15), Lazarus’ sickness led not to His death but to God’s glory. Surely the Son of God was glorified through it as the people watched in wonder, not only the incredible evidence of Mary and Martha’s real and present pain in their loss but also the faith that they exhibited, and of course the resurrection and the life of Lazarus by the One who had declared Himself to be – “The Resurrection and the Life.”

So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, look, the one you love is sick.” When Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness will not lead to death but to God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
John 11:3-4

Some Helpful Behind the Scene Commentary

Chapter Summary
Jesus has left the vicinity of Jerusalem to avoid hostile religious leaders. While gone, He receives word that a good friend, Lazarus, is sick. In fact, Lazarus has died by the time this message reaches Jesus. He purposefully waits a few days before returning to Bethany, arriving four days after Lazarus' burial. In front of Lazarus' mourning sisters—who Jesus weeps with—and an assembled crowd, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead in a stirring and spectacular miracle. This is the seventh of John's seven ''signs'' of Jesus' divine power. In response, religious leaders coordinate in their effort to have Jesus murdered.   BibleRef.com @ John chapter 11

Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study

Posted on March 31, 2022March 31, 2022 by

Safe and Secure In His Hands

Cornered and questioned

Once again Jesus is questioned by the Jewish leaders, this time in Solomon’s Portico of the temple area. John tells us he was “surrounded” by them, likely making it harder for Him to escape this time, and according to verse 31 they were primed and ready to stone Him. They demanded that He tell them whether or not He was really the Christ, accusing Him of keeping them in suspense. If you’ve been reading along with us our journey through John you know that this is far from the truth. Jesus has told them exactly who He is, which is exactly how He responded. “I told you and you do not believe. The deeds I do in my Father’s name testify about me. But you refuse to believe because you are not my sheep.” Sheep always recognize the voice of their shepherd and since the Jewish leaders are refusing to believe Jesus, the Good Shepherd, it is clear they do not belong to Him.

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1;18

Safe and Secure

Jesus makes it clear to the Jewish leaders that the ones who listen to His voice and follow Him, those are His sheep. They know who He is and they trust Him. Because they belong to Him He gives them eternal life, not only allowing them to live forever but they will live forever as His – they are safe and secure from the predators who would seek to take them away from Him.

Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Psalm 100:3

Reflection We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. In ancient times, being a sheep in a pasture meant that you belonged to a family.   Unknown Source

Prayer

Father, thank you for receiving me through Christ Your Son. He knows me by name. I am a sheep in His pasture, a follower of His. His voice is in my ear and I seek to follow where He leads. Help me to not falter – help me to always hear His voice and may Your Word drown out all the other voices that vie for my attention! Thank you for the gift of eternal life through Him and for the promise that I am safe in His care – I will not perish or be snatched away! With hope in Jesus’ name – AMEN!

Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study

Posted on March 29, 2022March 29, 2022 by

I Was Blind But Now I See

Recommended Reading: John chapter 9 and SOAP 9:39

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 NLT

It wasn’t Sin

Sometime after Jesus had escaped the murderous plot of those who were hostile to Him in John chapter eight, “He saw a man who was blind from birth”. His disciples were curious and asked who was to blame for the man’s blindness – him or his parents. Jesus’ answer may surprise you. He said, “It wasn’t sin that caused the man’s blindness.” Jesus laid the answer at God’s feet when He replied that it happened – “so that the acts of God would be seen through him”. Even if you’re familiar with the story, I believe most would admit that the answer Jesus gave was not what anyone expected. It’s important to note this part of the chapter and all that happens after it to truly understand what Jesus meant both throughout the chapter and in today’s focus verse.

The rest of the passage tells what happens to the man, so read and watch for the “acts of God” all the way to the last verse. You will watch Jesus give the man a mud bath on his eyes and send him to wash off in the pool. You will stand in awe as he returns no longer blind! You will hear as the man testifies several times about what Jesus did. He will be doubted and questioned, his parents will be questioned, and yet there will still be disbelief – but the man does not waver in his testimony. In fact he becomes more adamant that the man who healed him was surely from God! Finally you will see the man profess his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ – which I think you would agree is a pretty good result of ‘the acts of God’.

What Jesus Came To Do

According to our focus verse today, John 9:39, Jesus came to the world “to render judgment”. What? Doesn’t the Scripture say that He didn’t come to judge or condemn as some translations say it? We just read in John 3:16 and 17 that He was sent to save the world not condemn (or judge) it. Paul’s letter to the Romans says that “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”. So why does Jesus say what seems to contradict the words of John and Paul? Because, in order to bring salvation “sin” has to be judged – He did not come to condemn us – but the sin that had entangled us – in order that we might be saved. To be sure – there will be those who, having heard and seen the truth, will still reject God – but didn’t we just read in John 3:36, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them. Because of their rejection they will be forever separated from God.

I couldn’t read this chapter without having to search for answers to several of the verses along the way, specifically our focus verse, and the ones that followed. They proved to be a bit confusing, especially because we know from other passages, that God did not send His son to ‘judge’ the world but to save it – the fine line is this … Jesus came to bring salvation and for that to happen “judgment had to be made on and against sin”, as one commentary says. To better understand this, as well as the full chapter, visit the link below and simply click on the verse or verses that may have you wanting more clarity.

https://www.bibleref.com/John/9/John-chapter-9.html

Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve

Despite the confusion that can arise with some passages in the God’s Word, we must not allow the questions that arise cloud the TRUTH. Rest assured, those who TRUST in God will be given sight and understanding (6-7 and 35-37). It is equally certain that those who reject the TRUTH of God that they have both heard and seen will be ‘made blind’ by their ‘own decision’ to reject God and live in disbelief. In the Old Testament Joshua told the people to choose whom they would serve, the LORD or the god of the Amorites and in the New Testament we are given much the same choice – the way of the world, which leads to sin and death or salvation through Jesus Christ – who sets us free from from the law of sin and death, (Romans 6:1-2, 14-15). Jesus was referring to money (material wealth) when He taught His disciples that they couldn’t serve two masters, because they would either love the one or hate the other – but we can certainly equate the teaching with any thing that has a hold on us and draws us away from God. So, like Joshua and his people, we must choose – The way of Christ which leads to God and eternal life – or the way of the world ruled by the dark forces and leading to impending judgment and eternal death. – As for me, I choose the way of Christ.

Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study

Posted on March 27, 2022March 27, 2022 by

The Light of the World

Suggested Reading – John 7:53-8:59 and SOAP: John 8:12

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 8:12 NLT

From the “Bread of Life” to “The Light of the World”

Jesus continues to introduce Himself to the people, hoping to help them see and know who He is and what He was sent to do. He continues to draw attention to the Father, “who sent” Him, making sure they know that He is not their of His own “initiative”. In this rather lengthy but powerful conversation between Jesus and both the crowd of people following Him plus some of the religious leaders – Jesus dives headlong into more controversial territory with another “I Am” statement, equating Himself not only with God but basically as God.

Following His conversation with the adulterous woman ( 8:3-11), Jesus immediately makes His second “I Am” statement, this time not as the “Bread of Life” but as “The Light of the world”. Proceeding with an explanation, He teaches that those who follow Him will no longer have to walk in the “darkness of the world”, but in the “Light” of His Presence. The teaching is best explained by this commentary from BibleRef.com at John 8:12

This incident occurs during the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem. Jesus has already used festival rituals as analogies for His role as Messiah (John 7:37–38). As part of this major festival, lamps would be lit using wicks made from priestly garments. In addition, light was a powerful metaphor in Hebrew thinking (Psalm 84:11; Malachi 4:2). "Light," for the Jewish person, was the ultimate ideal, a representation of salvation, knowledge, and goodness. For Jesus to claim to be the "light of the world" was no small thing. In fact, it is a claim to equality with God. Even further, the Greek of this passage indicates Jesus' claim to be "the" light, not merely "a" light. In the text's original Greek, Christ says "Egō eimi to phos tou kosmou," which explicitly claims He is the single, solitary source of "light."

Those who follow Christ, in truth, may stumble into darkness, but they will never perpetually "walk" in it (John 12:46; Psalm 36:9).

https://www.bibleref.com/John/8/John-8-12.html

For Us

For those of us who are believers and followers of Jesus the application is simple and sweet – We have been set free from the power and death that the darkness bring and in its place we have been given the ‘Light of Life’. As sweet and simple as the application is – there is an equally profound lesson to be noticed and applied – and that is the message that Jesus gave to those who had believed – which was basically not just to say they believed but to faithfully live out what He was teaching.

“You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. (31)

Unsatisfied words lead to violence – Yet many believe

Despite the fact that He was questioned, responded to indignantly, repeatedly doubted, and ultimately assaulted – “many of the people believed“. (30) I hope you will read the dialogue to see how gracious yet bold Jesus was with His answers and pointed statements of truth. There was one basic question the crowd and leaders asked that all of the other questions seemed to boil down to and that being, “Who do you claim to be?” To which He answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.” (54)

Prayer

Father, yet another beautiful Scripture filled with and portraying Your love, and the depth of it through Jesus Christ. The Light of the World! Light that brings HOPE to all who believe – all those who follow Him will be set FREE from the darkness! A darkness that leads to death BUT is not greater than the LIGHT of LIFE!

Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study

Posted on March 25, 2022March 25, 2022 by

A Packaged Deal

History, Rituals, and Irony

Jesus challenges the Jewish people with this statement from verses 28-29, a statement that brings into question who they are – basically a rerun of the conversation He had with the Jews He addressed in Jerusalem, noted in chapter 5. Both conversations took place during the 7-day “Feast of Booths”, also known as the “Festival of Tabernacles”. The Festival was a celebration commemorating Israel’s journey through the wilderness. Because it was rich with history and rituals the crowd would have been large and the city crowded which means this conflict would have been all the more intense and public. Don’t miss the irony, a festival where God’s people are celebrating their ancestor’s journey through the wilderness and they’ve just been told by Jesus, the Son of God, that they don’t even know God.

The rituals of this festival reminded the people of how God had provided for Israel during their journey out of Egypt.
Bibleref.com @ John7:2

Where in the world

The people contended that they knew where Jesus was from and that this meant He couldn’t be the Christ because no one would know where the Messiah was from, vs 27. So, He shouts out, acknowledging they knew where He was from – well, at least they knew where in this world He was from – but what they didn’t know, or who they didn’t know – was God, the One who sent Him. Basically He repeats the message He delivered to the Jews in Jerusalem just days earlier. Jesus wants them to understand that it’s the One who sent Him that they do not know.

This is a direct criticism of Israel's spiritual state, and an extremely personal reproach. Israel's ultimate point of pride was its identity as God's chosen people. No other nation could make that claim—and here, Jesus tells God's chosen people that they do not know God! Their rejection of God (John 5:39–40) has resulted in a rejection of the One sent by God (John 6:29). Stubbornness and pride have made them resistant to the truth (John 7:17).     Bibleref.com @ John 7:28

You Can’t Have One Without the Other

I noticed three specific things in these two verses:

God sent Jesus to the people
Jesus always points to the Father for those who come to Him must believe in the One who sent Him, (John 5:24).
Jesus speaks with humble but certain authority.

My Response

To live like Jesus means I cannot shrink back when others challenge or threaten what I know is truth from God
I should speak with humble authority-
I should always promote God and Christ above myself and all others

My Prayer

Father, You are the One who sent Jesus, the One who comes in Your Name and authority to save those who believe in Him and in You who sent Him! Father, I have believed – Help me and use me to share the message of the Gospel which is Your power to save. In Jesus’ Name – Amen and Amen!

Be sure and check out today’s LGG Blog Post
Love God Greatly Blog

Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study

Posted on March 23, 2022March 24, 2022 by

This is a Difficult Saying

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 NLT

Some Context

Jesus had been teaching and talking with some Jews in the synagogue who didn’t understand His teaching that He was the “bread of life”, specifically the teaching that He was the “bread that came down from heaven.” Bread, that would allow those who ate from it to live forever (6:52-58) It turns out that the comment they make here in verse 60, about it being a difficult statement and “who can understand it”, was more than simply a ‘we don’t understand what you mean’ response. The phrase is perhaps better translated – “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” or “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” The statement indicated, according to one commentary¹, that they were offended by or couldn’t tolerate the statement. It seems most of His disciples or followers were deeply offended by the teaching because they were looking for a conquering hero, not one who sacrifices His life but of great and visible victory.

The phrase "hard saying" here comes across in English with much less force than it does in Greek. The teachings of Jesus are being described here as sklēros, which means "offensive or intolerable." To these people, Jesus' words are not merely "difficult," they are "unacceptable."  BibleRef.com on John 6:60

Are You In or out?

The passage says because of the offense “many of His ‘disciples’ quit following Him.” (Please note, in this situation the word “disciples” isn’t referring to His inner circle of 12 but rather to the large crowd of followers.) This is when Jesus holds the 12 accountable – questioning them as to their intentions – and receiving a staunch declaration of allegiance from Peter on behalf of them all it would seem. “Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God!” What I love most about this statement is that Peter’s determining factor was the truth of who they believed Jesus to be.

So, Who Do You Say He Is and Why?

The only good and right application here, it seems to me, is to echo Peter’s words and allegiance to Christ – “The Holy One of God”. We mustn’t be naive though – this is no easy allegiance – but it is the best and right one! There is no one like Jesus, no one who can offer eternal life, and no other Son of God!

Prayer

Father, thank you for leading me to “Team Jesus.” Thank you for calling me and saving me from my self and the ways of the world! Thank you for Peter’s reminder that there in NO BETTER WAY, and thank you for all the ways You have shown me the TRUTH of who JESUS IS

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¹Biblereference.com @ John 6:60