Week 10 Day 1

The Daily Take 10

The Gospel of John

Week 10 Day 1

Introduction…this world is hungry for leadership and direction. People are desperate for help and are searching today as they were in the past for answers to life. In Jesus’ day people were looking for someone to lead and free them from Roman rule. Today we are looking for someone who can solve financial and economic issues that bring prosperity. God saw the primary need of mankind to be spiritual. The answer needed to be spiritual since the spirit of man was dead and in bondage to sin. Without a Savior all the people of this world, past, present and future would be judged and sent to an eternity without hope and without God. Enter Jesus, the real and true light, the Savior.

Read John 1:9 “He was the real light, who in his coming into the world, gives light to every man.”

Bible Study

• Jesus came into the world some 2000 years ago and was born in Israel, a Jew, but in all actuality and purpose…He was God who came into the world, for the world, that whosoever would believe would be saved. Matthew 1:21 says, “and you shall call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.”
• The word “true or real” that describes the light is the Greek word “alethinos” indicating real or genuine as opposed to fakes, deceivers, false, or unreal.
• There are many ways, religions and beliefs in the world. Someone had to be misled to then deceive other followers into the false hopes, wrong ways and dead works that lead to destruction. See Romans 1:18-25.
• The light of Jesus is directly from God, it will save us and it is God’s provision, not man’s inclination or cleverly disguised fables. See Titus 3:9-11, 1 Timothy 6:3-6 and 2 Timothy 2:23; 4:3-4.
• Until Jesus came and reflected God as the true light there were doubts about what God was like. With Jesus light has come. We saw God and what He is like.
• Until Jesus came there was despair upon mankind and the world. What would take away, pay for, eliminate our sin?
• Until Jesus there was darkness and death. Isaiah 9:1-2 prophesied 1000 years before Jesus, “the people who sat in darkness saw great light and to them…in the shadow of death, light is sprung up”. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, death became a doorway to eternal life to those that believe, instead of judgment.
• There is reflected light, for example the moon gives earth reflected light from the true light of the sun. Likewise the true light is Jesus and we at our best as disciples of Christ are to reflect Him, that perfect light. The meaning of Christians is “little Christs.”
• Jesus came for all people and for all times. All those before Christ that died with a faith in the true and living God looked to the Cross in hope of salvation. Those who came after Jesus died for our sins look back to that single act of God as the covering Creator God has a heart big enough to give light, knowledge, hope and forgiveness to whoever comes to Jesus, the light of the world.
• Philippians 2:9-11 declares, “God has highly exalted him and given him a name above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow…and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father”. Some of us will accept Christ and bow now, but even those who reject Christ throughout their lifetime, someday will be faced with the reality of Him in judgment and bow acknowledging the truth although forfeiting His intended forgiveness.
• Until then let’s pray and work for God’s Kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven and pray that the nations of this world will become the kingdoms of our God. Psalms 2:8 says, “ask of me and I shall give you the nations for your inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession.”

Application

Consider the Song “The Stand” and make it your testimony.

You stood before creation.

Eternity in Your hand.

You spoke the earth into motion

My soul now to stand.
So what could I say, and what could I do?

But offer this heart O God, completely to You.

So I’ll walk upon salvation

Your Spirit alive in me

This life to declare Your promise

My soul now to stand.

So I’ll stand, with arms high and heart abandoned

In awe of the One who gave it all

I’ll stand, my soul, Lord, to you surrendered

All I am is Yours!

Tags: Take 10

Week 10 Day 2

The Daily Take 10

The Gospel of John

Week 10 Day 2

Introduction…if you are a parent, you may know the pain of bringing a child into the world and giving them all your love and the provisions needed for life, only then to be disregarded, disobeyed and not appreciated by that child. It is a situation beyond sad and is certainly heartbreaking to a loving parent. It is especially tragic when you have what your children need, but they refuse you. What a travesty and tragedy!
Read John 1:10-11 “He (Jesus) was in the world and although the world came into being through Him, the world did not recognize Him. It was into his own home that He came and His own people did not welcome Him.”

Bible Study

• Initially and in the very beginning, God was in the world creating it. The world and all that is in it. God created by His Word, ‘Logos’ …the case for God can recognized by considering the amazing world He created with design and order. Then  mankind – the apex of creation was breathed into by God making us a living soul and giving us superior ability to think, choose and love like God. Psalms 19: 1-3 says, “the heavens declare the glory of God…day by day they utter speech…and show knowledge…there is no speech…where their voice is not heard.”
• The visible things of this world were so designed by God to lead men’s thoughts to the Creator that loves them and wants relationship and fellowship with them. See Genesis 3:8-9 where God comes to Adam and Eve seeking and calling to them.
• When we look outward we see the world God created. When we look upward we note such infinite ability as the heavens declare the glory of God. When we look inward, we sense God, know right from wrong and have an innate desire to be connected to our Creator. When we look backward into history we can see that people who denied God and His ways failed and their civilizations crumbled.
• So God was clearly revealed through nature. He was also revealed through the Bible and then ultimately through Jesus.
• Jesus came to Israel, to the Holy Land, to the Jewish nation, to God’s people that were set apart since Abraham, to further reveal to them and the world…the Creator, the Living God.
• Jesus was rejected by His own people, God’s chosen people. Still today Jesus stands at the door of people’s hearts and knocks…do we let Him into our lives? See Revelation 3:20 says, “Behold I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and will dine with him and him with me.” That is a picture of Divine fellowship.

Application

• The Westminster Confession of Faith begins by saying: “the lights of nature, and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom and power of God as to leave men inexcusable.”

Note the words of the song “One Day”

One day when heaven was filled with His praises

One day when sin was as black as can be

Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin

Dwelt among men like you and me

Living He loved me

Dying He saved me

Buried He carried my sins far away

Rising He justified freely forever

One day He’s coming oh glorious day!

Tags: Take 10

Week 10 Day 3

The Daily Take 10

The Gospel of John

Week 10 Day 3

Introduction…Much like it is today, many people rejected Jesus while alive on earth, although some were drawn to Him and loved Him. Those accepting Christ opened themselves to persecution, ridicule and rejection from peers and by leadership in their world. As disciples of Jesus Christ they decided to follow Jesus whatever the cost and would rather have Jesus than the comforts or acceptance of this world.

Read John 1: 12-13 “To all those who did receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become the children of God. These were born not of blood, nor of any human impulse, nor of any man’s will, but their birth was of God.”

Bible Study

• God has given to this world all He has to offer. First to mankind God has given physical life and an environment in this world that supports life.
• God gave spiritual and eternal life only to those who believe and receive God’s person, Jesus Christ, with His plan of forgiveness, salvation and sonship…to those only did God give the power and right to become the children of God. “We received the Spirit of adoption.” See Romans 8:15
• When we become children of God, we become joint heirs with Jesus Christ our elder brother. See Romans 8:16-19
• Sonship with God the Father includes a relationship with Him and fellowship that offers intimacy and depth. This was God’s plan for us in Creation.
• Just because you are a relative of Abraham or your earthly parents raised you to go to church does not make us children of God. Note…we are not born of blood, or human impulse, or our determined will to become sons of God.
• The Word declares that no one comes to God but the Father draws them (See John 6:44) and no one comes to the Father except through Christ Jesus.
• Just like we cannot determine to be friends with some earthly king and become friends, so it is dependent upon the king’s terms and desires.
  • We can only enter into friendship and sonship with God by His undeserving grace toward us.
  • God offers us the right to become His sons, but it is our choice to accept and live in that right relationship.
• The Biblical meaning of ‘knowing or believing in His (Jesus’) name’ referred to those who knew God’s character, nature, what He is like…those who would be ready and willing to trust Him.
  • Psalms 9:10 says, “those who know your name put their trust in you.”
  • Psalms 20:7 says, “some boast of chariots and some of horses, but we boast of the name of the Lord our God.”
• Knowing the name of Jesus is recognizing He is God. He shows us what God is like. He is our Savior. See Acts 4:12, “There is salvation in no other name.” Because of Jesus, the only mediator between God and man, we can know God and be with Him someday in heaven for eternity. See Hebrews 9:15

Application

The song that has been sung for years by disciples of Jesus Christ as a prayer of dedication has been:

I have decided to follow Jesus

I have decided to follow Jesus

I have decided to follow Jesus

No turning back, no turning back.

Though none go with me

Still I will follow

Though none go with me

Still I will follow

Though none go with me

Still I will follow

No turning back, no turning back.

The Cross before me the world behind me

The Cross before me the world behind me

The Cross before me the world behind me

No turning back, no turning back.

Tags: Take 10

Week 10 Day 4

The Daily Take 10

The Gospel of John

Week 10 Day 4

Introduction…some people hear better with their eyes before they ever listen with their ears. God has spoken to us in various ways over the centuries, through the world that He created, nature, the heavens, through prophets, the Jewish people and nation of Israel, through a voice within us and on occasion to some audibly, but the capstone of all the efforts of God speaking to us is through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Read John 1:14 “So the Word of God became a person and took up his abode in our being, full of grace and truth, and we looked with our own eyes upon his glory, glory like the glory which an only son receives from a father.”

Bible Study

• This verse of Scripture in John 1:14 states the purpose of John, who was inspired by the Holy Spirit as he wrote this Gospel. Note the underlined phrases of this verse…
• The Word of God…the powerful, creative, dynamic agent of creation, that guides controls and directs the universe and made us a living soul to be one with God.
• Became a person…John actually saw, knew and experienced Jesus and declared this is what the Creator God is like…all the words that express God were put to life in a person.
  • The amazing truth of God coming to earth, the Incarnation, is that Jesus was fully God and fully man. Jesus was so much God, he was called the Son of God. So much man, he was called Son of man…both being true and truly God’s plan.
  • 1 John 4:2-3 says, “By this you know the Spirit of God. Every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God and every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God. This is the spirit of Antichrist.”
• Full of grace and truth…Jesus showed us the nature of God…His thoughts and intentions toward us:
  • Grace reflects God’s love and kindness towards us since forgiveness and favor with God is His provision through Christ. God is all power, judgment, but is also all love.
  • Truth describes Jesus in His completeness. He came to show us God. He came to communicate to us clearly God. He remains with us through the ever present Spirit. He sets us free by liberating us from the bondage of sin. He modeled the way and it does not vary or change. He provided consistency and stability as He showed us how to live life at its best, to live like God lives.
• Glory reflects the powerful presence of God that was manifested wherever Jesus went and in whatever He did. Miracles, healings, wisdom, kindness, helpfulness, compassion were all expressed through Jesus like no other. The aura of His presence and closeness of His abundant life can be experienced by us and it is His desire that we, His disciples, live like Him.
  • “Shechinah” is the Hebrew word used to describe the visible presence of God among us. It means that which dwells. Jesus dwelt among us. His Spirit, the Holy Spirit dwells in us as believers, disciples of Christ.

Application

• Hebrews 1:1-3 is a wonderful complimentary and further enlightening passage of Scripture on this theme:
  • I have outlined for understanding and emphasis these first 3 verses…
  • “God who at various times and in diverse manners spoke in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, who He appointed
    • Heir of all things
    • By whom also He made the worlds
    • Who being the brightness of His glory
    • And the express image of His person
    • And upholding all things by the word of His power
    • When He had by himself purged our sins
    • Sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
• Hebrews 1:8-11 further emphasizes this great truth regarding Jesus, Son of God
  • “But unto the Son, he (God the Father) said, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated iniquity. Therefore God, even your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness above all others. And you, Lord, in the beginning has laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the works of your hands. They will perish, but you remain.”

Tags: Take 10

Week 10 Day 5

The Daily Take 10

The Gospel of John

Week 10 Day 5

Introduction…no one has ever seen God. Some are fascinated and driven in search of God. Others are frustrated by the notion and have given up trying. In all truth, none of us by our own efforts can reach God or know Him without His determined efforts to reveal Himself to us and make our responses rewarded. See Hebrews 11:6 where it says, “they that come to God must believe that He is and He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.”

Read John 1:15-18 “John was his witness and his statement still sounds out: “This is he of whom I said to you he who comes after me has been advanced before me because he was before me.” On his fullness we all of us have drawn and from him we have received grace upon grace, for it was the law which was given by Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is the unique one, he who is God, he who is in the bosom of the Father, who has told us all about God.”

Bible Study

• John the Baptist was the most powerful prophet of His time. Multitudes came to see and hear his message. But when Jesus came on the scene, John, rightfully stepped aside and said…this is the Messiah, the one who I have been talking about following. He was before me and is greater than I, for He is God the Son.
• Everyone speaking and living for God before Jesus came to earth were forgiven, saved and redeemed by the work of Jesus that came later and everyone since Jesus came points backward towards the Cross and the hope He brings as the doorway, the mediator, and the savior, bringing God to us.
• People come and go in this life. People watch and follow someone in their lives, but even leaders, like John the Baptist, must point them to the way, truth and life. Let’s point them to Jesus.
• There are 3 great things about Jesus we see in this Scripture…
  • Fullness. “Pleroma” in Greek meaning the sum total of all of what God is. We have drawn from Jesus so much of God. Jesus is the fullness of the Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) bodily. See Colossians 1:19; 2:9
  • Grace upon grace. One wonder leading to yet another. Grace was imparted toward us in forgiveness for our sins. “he that is forgiven much, loves much.” Oh how we love Jesus! And also after forgiveness more grace was bestowed upon us to strengthen us through it all to live for Him.
  • Grace and truth. Through the Law we were commanded to obey and not break them. There was fear. But through Jesus we no longer obey as slaves, but as sons, joint heirs. His love constrains, motivates, inspires us to live for Him. God the law giver and judge, became our Father that loves us.
• Although no one has seen God, it is comforting to know that Jesus fully revealed to us is what God is like. How is that and why is that?
  • Jesus is the only begotten of the Father. Totally unique as the Son of God that is come to earth to save us from our sins. This is God’s plan since the foundation of the world. Jesus, God the Son would come to earth. “There is no other name given whereby man may be saved.” Acts 4:12
  • To see and know Jesus, we can know God. “if you have seen me you have seen the Father.” John 14:9
  • Jesus in the bosom of the Father expresses the deepest intimacy possible in human life. In Jesus Christ the distant, unknowable, invisible, unreachable God has come to men and now God will never be a stranger again.

Application

• Michelangelo’s painting on the Sistine Chapel of God’s finger nearly touching the outstretched arms of man is a beautiful picture, but as I now interpret that scene I see God determining to reach and connect with us and He does through Jesus.
• What is impossible with man is possible with God.
• See Romans 10: 4-9 “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes. For Moses describes the righteousness which is of the law, that the person who does those things shall live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith speaks saying, say not in your heart, who shall ascend into heaven? (that is to bring Christ down from above). Or who shall descend into the deep? (that is to bring up Christ again from the dead). But the word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart. That is the word of faith…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Tags: Take 10