Week 12 Day 1

The Daily Take 10

The Gospel of John

Week 12 Day 1

Introduction…The Great Commission found in the Gospels (see Matthew 28:19) are Jesus’ words commanding then and now us His disciples to go into all the world and preach the Good News, baptize new believers and teach those same things Jesus taught. The original disciples did travel from Israel to far away countries so that by now all nations have heard, but the spirit of the command to every believer is to effectively speak and model Christ to those we come in contact with. Attracting them and introducing them to Jesus, the Savior, way, truth and life.

Read John 1:43-51 “On the next day Jesus determined to go away to Galilee and there he found Philip and said to him, Follow me. Now Philip came from Bethsaida which was the town  from which Andrew and Peter came. Philip went out and found Nathanael and said to him, ‘we have found the One about whom Moses wrote in the law and about whom the prophets spoke. I mean Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. Nathanael said to him, can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip said, come and see! When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said,  ‘see a man who is really an Israelite! A man in whom there is no guile! Nathanael said to him, ‘how do you know me?’ ‘Before Philip called you, said Jesus, I saw you when you were under the fig tree’. Rabbi, answered Nathanael, you are the Son of God and you are the King of Israel. Jesus answered, do you believe because I said to you I saw you under a fig tree? You will see greater things than these. This is a truth I tell you, you will see the heavens opened and angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Bible Study

• Evangelism is all about sharing the amazing truth of God’s love for us shown through the sacrificial life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Because He lives, we too shall live.
• Evangelism while Jesus was on earth was introducing people to Jesus. When people encountered Jesus, their life changed. After Andrew met Jesus, he introduced Peter and then Philip and next was Nathanael to be drawn to the reality, love and power of God.
• Nathanael knew as a student of Scripture, that the Messiah was to come from Bethlehem, not Nazareth, so his question was right thinking if Jesus was indeed the Messiah. In the Old Testament, prophesied 800 years before Jesus’ birth, it states the Messiah would come from Bethlehem. Micah 5:2 “But you Bethlehem, though little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you will come that who is to be ruler in Israel, whose going forth has been from old to everlasting.”
• Philip’s answer to Nathanael’s doubting question about Jesus was simple and so true, ‘Come and see’! It is so true even today that if people were to come and see Jesus as He really is, they would be attracted and changed.
• We as true believers, disciples of Christ are sanctified, or set apart in this world, called to be light and salt, not to judge people or the world, but to love them and show them Jesus, the Savior. We are not tasked to argue, fight or force people to come to Christ. See Titus 3:9-11. This is the work of the Holy Spirit that convicts of sin, convinces of judgment and we along with Him can point people to Christ.
• In verse John 1: 47-51 we have visibility into the conversation between Nathanael and Jesus, where we see the Son of God true to His nature in reading the heart of Nathanael…an Israelite whose heart was cleansed of pride and prejudice, who saw in Jesus the one who satisfied the longing of his waiting and searching heart.

Application

• Can it be said of us as God looks at our heart that we are one whose heart is cleansed and longing for more of God?
• The song says it right…

Only Jesus can satisfy your soul.

Only He can cleanse your heart and make you whole.

He’ll give you peace you never knew, sweet joy and love and heaven too.

For only Jesus can satisfy your soul.

Tags: Take 10

Week 12 Day 2

The Daily Take 10

The Gospel of John

Week 12 Day 2

Introduction…In simple 3^rd grade English, God is love and is good. That is who He is. He wants our love in return. He doesn’t force himself upon us or demand we return His love, but if we choose to not receive Him, we will lose out in this life and for eternity. Has God ever done a miracle in your life and then you said to God, “I will never doubt you again.”

Read John 2:1-11 “On the 3^rd day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee and Jesus’ mother was there. And Jesus was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine had run short, Mary the mother of Jesus said to him that they have no wine. Jesus said to her, let me handle this in my own way. My hour has not yet come. So his mother said to the servants to do whatever Jesus tells you to do. There were 6 stone waterpots there, needed for the Jewish purifying customs and each of them held at least 20 gallons. Jesus told them to fill them to the brim with water. Then he said draw from them now and take the wine to the steward in charge. When the steward had tasted the water that had become wine, he did not know where it came from, but the servants that drew the water knew. The steward called the bridegroom and said to him that everyone first sets the good wine before their guests and then when they have had their fill, he sets before them the inferior wine. You have kept the best until now. Jesus did the first of his signs in Cana of Galilee and displayed his glory and his disciples believed on him.”

Bible Study

• Cana of Galilee was very close to its neighboring town of Nazareth where Jesus grew up. It is evident that Mary had certain responsibilities during the festivities which naturally caused her great concern when the wedding which normally lasted a few days was going to ruined by running out of wine.
  • Note Jesus and His disciples are there, which makes a statement that having fun and loving life is part of the Christian life and discipleship as well. God is not about doom and gloom. He is about abundant life and joy!
• Jesus was just starting his ministry that would declare and fulfill God’s purposes. God who while creating the world had said let there be light and light shot forth at 186 million miles per second, now with His same omnipotence practically helps a family in need and rescues them from an embarrassing and difficult situation.
  • Is anything to difficult for God? No! “All things are possible to those that believe.” Just as did Mary, we need to turn to Jesus for our needs.
  • Is there anything too insignificant or that I cannot bring before God? No! “God has the hairs of our head numbered…sees the sparrow fall…is acquainted with our grief and sorrow…and encourages us to come boldly before His throne.” There is no problem too small or too big for God.
  • Does God only work His miracles in church buildings or settings? No! This miracle took place at a family wedding reception. God does miracles at home, work, church, wherever and whenever.
  • Do we have to know how or when God will work out His miracle? No! “My God shall supply all my needs…” Mary just said to the servants, do what Jesus says and knew that something good was about to happen.

Application

• The God of Miracles is moving through our world still today. The God of Miracles is reaching out His hand to us. So touch Him, believe Him this moment as you pray and the God of Miracles will be yours today.
• This Scripture tells a message of God’s abundant love and grace for us.
  • Taste and see that the Lord is good (Ps. 34:8). The more intimately you know God and the more you take Jesus with you into your everyday life, the more experiences you will have of His miraculous power and love. God’s blessings come in mysterious ways…sometimes even through difficulty, but God is faithful, so trust Him. Thank Him. Draw near to Him and receive His miracle of peace in the midst of the storm.

Tags: Take 10

Week 12 Day 3

The Daily Take 10

The Gospel of John

Week 12 Day 3

Introduction…There are watershed times when enough is enough and it is time to take a stand. There are times when anger is in order…righteous anger. That is what Jesus had when he arrived at the temple in Jerusalem. In this passage we are about to study, Jesus is going to the Holy City of Jerusalem for the Passover that was instituted by God. The Passover pointed to the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whose blood would be shed to save us. It was this very Jesus, the Messiah, the Passover Lamb, that was with them and they received him not as God’s Son sent to the world to save us from our sin. Jesus mourned and lamented over Jerusalem’s unbelief in Matthew 23:37 where He says, “Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you would not!”

Read John 2: 12-16 “After this Jesus went down to Capernaum with his mother and his brothers and his disciples and stayed there for a short time. The Passover Feast of the Jews was near and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the Temple he found those who were selling oxen, sheep and doves and the money changers sitting at their tables. He made a scourge of cords and drove them all out of the Temple. He scattered the coins of the exchangers and overturned their tables. He said to those who were selling doves, take these away and stop making my Father’s house a house of trade.”

Bible Study

• Of all religious books in the world, only the Bible has prophecy and in fact 30% of the Bible is prophetic. Every Biblical prophecy thus far has come to pass as stated and predicted. There are some 300 prophecies in the Bible that declare who the Messiah would be. Amazingly Jesus of Nazareth fulfills them all.
• In the passage of Scripture we are studying, here comes Jesus cleansing the Temple. The Messiah coming and cleansing the Temple was prophesied 400 years before in Malachi 3:1-4 where it says, “And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight; behold he is coming, says the Lord of Hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fuller’s soap…he will purify the sons of Levi…till they present right offerings to the Lord. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord, as in the days of old and as in former years.”
• One of the planned and purposed reasons for Jesus, God the Son, coming to earth was truly to cleanse and put in order the worship of men and open the doorway (Jesus is the door) to God. No temple, no place, no ritual, no sacrifice, no person would ever provide the way or take the place of Jesus and the relationship God intends to have with His people.
• The Passover Feast required every adult Jewish male living within 15 miles and those living outside Israel to attend. Estimates of 2.5 million Jews came to Jerusalem each year for Passover.
• What was it that angered Jesus?
  • The Church representing the true and living God was taking advantage of precious people that God loves and came to save.
  • There was a Temple tax that had to be paid in Jewish currency with exchange rate profits.
  • There were additional costs to purchase a sacrifice that they ordered as necessary, but God didn’t require it.
  • What angered Jesus was the pilgrims with a heart after God were being fleeced by the money changers and being over charged by the animal providers and it was being done in the name of God.  All man made traditions interfering with true worship of God.
• God’s intention has always been a relationship with His people. Psalms 50 and 51 makes this clear. God says He is not interested in the blood of sacrifices, but wants His people to be thankful and call upon Him and He will deliver them and they glorify His name. See also Hosea 8:13
• Jesus’ words are clear about His house, the Church that must be true to its mission and God’s intention. Church is to be place of prayer that honors God and a light for the nations to find God. See Matthew 21:13, Mark 11:17 and Luke 19:46

Application

• It is important for us to know the heart of Jesus. So as you study this passage of Scripture take note of it because Jesus is the same and has the same heart today.
• Jesus shows us the heart of God when he cleansed the Temple because it was being desecrated with irreverence for the Living God and misled the people.
• The Temple taught the people that God wanted sacrifices. Animal sacrifices for sin had become irrelevant as many prophets before Christ instructed, but these were not listened to. God made it clear when He says, “to what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to me? I am full of them and do not delight in them…Bring no more vain offerings.” Isaiah 1:11-17  “They seek the Lord with their sacrifices, but will not find him.” Hosea 5:6 “For the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Jeremiah 7:22

• God wants a relationship with the people He created. God does not obligate us, expect our perfection, or want our attempts to earn salvation, or get to God through works of pennance.
• Remember, do not try to earn your salvation, since Jesus paid it all. Live life gratefully before God. Live for Him and thank God while being constrained by God’s love for us. Jesus is the mediator between God and man.
• The final offense that angered Jesus, was one of lost opportunity. God wanted the Jewish people to open their lives and reflect the goodness of God to the world, to the nations and to rightfully reflect God’s love and mercy. They did not.
• Exclusivity and snobbiness is not acceptable by Christians. We need to be open, inviting and loving to others to properly represent the Living God we serve.

Tags: Take 10

Week 12 Day 4

The Daily Take 10

The Gospel of John

Week 12 Day 4

Introduction…God has always wanted to have an intimate relationship with His people since the Garden of Eden. That is why He has designed our body to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. The omnipresent, always present, Holy Spirit dwells in us. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 makes it clear, “Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have of God and you are not your own? For you are bought with a price, therefore, glorify God in your body and spirit which are God’s.”

Read John 2:17-22 “His disciples remembered that there is a scripture which stands written: ‘For zeal for your house has consumed me.’ Then the Jews demanded of him: ‘what sign do you show us to justify your acting this way?’ Jesus answered: ‘Destroy this temple and in 3 days I will raise it up.’ Then the Jews said: ‘it has taken 46 years to build the Temple so far, and are you going to raise it up in 3 days?’ But he was speaking about the temple of his body. So when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this and they believed on the scripture and on the word which Jesus spoke.”

Bible Study

• Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple was a serious act that could not be overlooked. It had to be dealt with and different people dealt with it in different ways.
  • The disciples remembered the Scripture in Psalms 69:9 which declared when the Messaih would come, He would be burned up with a zeal for the house of God.
  • The religious leaders that wanted to maintain the economic status quo and routine of the Temple were offended and resisted what was done.
• Jesus’ response was significant to the leaders questioning His Messianic act.
  • Jesus did not say he would destroy the physical building called the Temple and rebuild it in 3 days. He spoke metaphorically and prophetically. Mark 14:58 declares the charge against Jesus that led to His crucifixion was that he said, “I will destroy this temple that is made with hands and within 3 days I will build another made without hands.”
  • Jesus’statement did predict the end of Temple worship. The ritual and sacrifice could do nothing to lead people to God, but Jesus could and would.
  • Jesus later spoke His heart to the woman at the well (see John 4:21) when He said, true worshippers of God would do so not in Jersusalem or Mt. Gerizim, but worship God in spirit and in truth.
  • Jesus spoke of relationship with God, knowing that religion, the traditions of man or ritual would not save us.
• Jesus’ comment about the temple being destroyed and raised up spoke of his death, burial and resurrection that would take place over a 3 day period of time.
  • Acts 2:22-36 Peter the disciple preaches to many in Jerusalem 49 days after Jesus death and 47 days after Jesus’ resurrection showing where it was prophesied to happen and he and the other disciples were eye witnesses.
• Jesus came to show all the world the way to come to God without ritual, sacrifice or temple. Jesus opened the door and made the whole earth the temple where all people can come, find, know and worship God.

Application

• Think of it. Nothing in this world can separate us from the love of God.
• “For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor  powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creation shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

Tags: Take 10

Week 12 Day 5

The Daily Take 10

The Gospel of John

Week 12 Day 5

Introduction… So many people suffer from a poor and wrong self image. They do not realize their true worth in life and great value to God. Some go to great lengths to gain acceptance from others. Social scientist came up with the term ‘the looking glass self’ which is the perception of the self that one forms by interpreting the reactions of others to them. Some only determine who they are by seeing themselves through how others react to them. Not Jesus.

Read John 2:23-25 “When he was Jerusalem at the Passover at the Feast, many believed in his name, as they saw the signs which he did, but Jesus himself would not entrust himself to them because he knew them all and because he had no need that anyone should testify to him what man is like for he well knew what was in human nature.”

Bible Study

• Jesus knew who He was. He was the Son of God, come to earth to save the world from their sin that whosoever will may come to God and receive His eternal love and forgiveness.
• Many did believe on Jesus and began to truly follow him when they saw His amazing works, the wonders and the power of God in Him
• Even though it takes acceptance of God to gain salvation, Jesus did not have the emotional disorder of needing the acceptance of others to know who he was or in order to be fulfilled.
• Jesus knew human nature. Many were attracted, but would only continue to follow Him for the miracles without dedication and service to God or the desire to follow His ways.
• Jesus refused the ego trip of popularity. As long as Jesus healed the sick, did miracles, fed the crowds and gave people the hope of overturning Roman rule…he was popular. But Jesus knew His Divine purpose. See Mark 10:45 “For the Son of Man came…to minister and give his life as a ransom for many.”
• Jesus came to seek and save the lost, those that wanted God, His forgiveness and new life were willing to ‘deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Jesus.’ Jesus said in Mark 8:34-5 “whoever will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For who would save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same will save it.”
• The miracles were for the purpose of showing He was God and God is love.
  • Miracles of God are wonderful things that leave people astonished
  • Miracles of God are a power which is effective as it mends a body, mind, or heals a bruised heart
  • Miracles of God are a sign, a clear indication of the nature of love and heart of compassion of God

Application

• Do not be trapped in seeking the acceptance of others over that of seeking God and gaining their approval above His approval.
• Do not believe you are who others say, think or give you the impression you are.
• Do not look to others to determine your value or gain your self worth because people are fickle, selfish and unable to tell us accurately who we truly are. God created us, knows us best and to Him we are of great value and are loved.
• 2 Corinthians 10:12 teaches us to focus on Jesus with our lives and see His love, acceptance and the worth He places on us. “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves, but they measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves…are not wise.”

Tags: Take 10