Week 16
Week 16 Day 1
The Daily Take 10
The Gospel of John
Week 16 Day 1
Introduction…Did you ever know someone who made tremendous claims about themselves and what they have done? There was a man, my dad’s neighbor, who had some amazing accomplishments. He studied to be a doctor and dropped out at graduation when he saw blood. He was a tailor and made a seamless suit and somehow he was a court clerk who amazingly made judgments in court cases along with the judge. He served in WWII. This man was an excellent storyteller and he filled everyone with excitement in each tale he told. But he couldn’t back these stories up and eventually everyone learned that his life was a sham.
Read John 5:19-30 “Then Jesus answered them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do. For whatever He does, the Son also does and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming and now is when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself and has given Him authority to execute judgment also because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. I cannot do anything which originates in myself. As I hear, so I judge. But the judgment which I exercise is just, because I do not seek to do what I wish to do, but I seek to do what he who sent me wishes to do.”
Bible Study
- There are over 300 Old Testament prophecies that Jesus fulfilled that indisputably declared Him to be the prophesied and promised Messiah (Hebrew) or Christ (Greek). Jesus also clearly stated that He is the Messiah and His actions reinforce the same.
- Jesus called himself the Son of Man. See Daniel 7:1-14. Daniel the prophet declares there would be 4 great and beast like empires (Babylonian, Median, Persian, and Macedonian) that would come with terror and each would pass away. Then would come the Son of Man, the Messiah with love, peace and gentleness and usher in the golden age.
- The miracles were a sign that Jesus was the Messiah. Isaiah 35:6 pictures the new age of God, ‘then shall the lame man leap like a deer.’ Jeremiah 31:8,9 envisioned the blind and lame would be gathered in.
- Jesus claimed to raise the dead and be their judge. Deuteronomy 32:39 and 1 Samuel 2:6 say, “I am He…I kill and I make alive.” “The judgment is God’s.” Deuteronomy 1:17
- Jesus left no doubt. A person hearing Jesus’ words and declarations must either accept Him as the Son of God or hate him as an imposter and blasphemer.
- Jesus declares with confidence and fearlessness that His identity with God is true. That God the Son obeys His Father and their relationship is based upon their unity of love.
- Jesus declares only He is the giver of life, the bringer of judgment, and one who receives the honor that the Father has planned and purposed for Him.
- Jesus declares that to accept Him is life and to reject Him is death.
- Jesus said only He can bring to life the spiritually dead and on that day of His return, He will resurrect the dead in Christ and the others to judgment.
- Jesus said His judgment would be that true judgment of God that is perfect, holy, and loving.
Application
- Do we have the relationship with God through Jesus Christ our Lord? If so…
- We enter a new love relationship with God, without fear. God, the judge, becomes our Father and God is love.
- We enter a new relationship with people where we love them and do not hate people. Our selfishness is turned to service. Our bitterness when offended is changed to forgiveness instead.
- We enter a new relationship with ourselves where our human weakness becomes strength as we trust God, trials build our faith and our self worth comes from our great value to God.
Week 16 Day 2
The Daily Take 10
Gospel of John
Week 16 Day 2
Introduction…Abraham Lincoln’s famous quote rings true. “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.” Jesus never tried to fool anyone. He clearly told everyone who He was. He also proved who He was by virtue of the hundreds of prophesies He fulfilled, by what He said, how He lived and by what He did. No one ever did the wonderful miracles He did. His works stand alone as proof He was the Messiah.
Read John 5:31-47 “If I bear witness about myself my witness need not be accepted as true, but it is Another who is bearing witness about me and I know that witness which he bears about me is true. You sent your envoys to John and he bore witness to the truth, but the testimony which I receive is not from any man, but I say these things that you may be saved. He was the lamp which burns and shines. For a time you were pleased to take pleasure in his light. But I have a greater testimony than John’s. The works which the Father granted to me to accomplish, the very works which I do, are evidence about me to prove that my Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has borne witness about me. You have never heard his voice, nor have you ever seen his form. You do not have his word dwelling in you because you do not believe in the One whom he sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life. It is they which bear witness of me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. I receive no glory from men, but I know you and I know that you do not have the love of God in you. I came in the natme of my Father and yet you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe who receive honor from one another and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you…Moses who you trust. For if you believed Moses you would believe me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words.”
Bible Study
- Jesus truthfully explains who He is and answers charges that result from His claims. They challenged him to provide evidence to back up His claims.
- Jesus brilliantly establishes the universal principle that evidence from 1 person, even from Himself, cannot be taken as proof.
- The Word says, “In the presence of 2 or 3 witnesses are words established.” From Old Testament practices. Deuteronomy 17:6&19:15
- This same principle is applied in New Testament practices as well. See 2 Corinthians 13:1, Matthew 18:16 and 1 Timothy 5:19
- Jesus purported that according to law that the person being questioned could not give evidence on his own behalf.
- Jesus provides the witness of John the Baptist that declared Him to be the Messiah/Christ.
- Jesus provides the amazing and incomparable witness of his works as evidence. See Matthew 11:4 and Luke 7:22. Jesus presents His supernatural works as being empowered by the Father working in and through Him.
- Jesus provides the witness of God the Father.
- 1 John 5:9-10 establishes that since God cannot be seen by any person, “He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself.”
- Matthew 3:17
- Jesus provides the witness of the Scriptures
- Since the Scriptures were God breathed and the Word prophesies the Messiah and declares His work, God through them testified of Jesus.
- Luke 24:27 says “…beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he (Jesus) expounded unto them in all the Scriptures, the things concerning himself.”
- Luke 24:44 Jesus said, “…these are the words which I spoke unto you while with you, that all things must be fulfilled…written in the law of Moses, in the prophets, and in Psalms concerning me.”
- There are 300+ prophecies in Scripture that confirm Jesus of Nazareth, born in Bethlehem, of a virgin, traveled to Egypt, betrayed, beaten with stripes, had lamb-like quietness before slaughter, gambled for his clothing, crucified without a bone broken…was indeed the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Application
- Do we trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior, sent from God?
- Psalms 118:9 says “it is better to trust in the Lord…than man.”
- Psalms 2:12 says “kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they who put their trust in Him.”
- “Trust” is the word used 152 times in the Old Testament for the New Testament word faith and believe. The Hebrew meaning for ‘trust’ is to take refuge, to lean on, to roll on, or to wait for.
Week 16 Day 3
The Daily Take 10
The Gospel of John
Week 16 Day 3
Introduction…There will come a time when all the world will see and know the reality of the Living Creator God. At that time, ‘every knee will bow and confess Jesus Christ as Lord’ (Philippians 2:9-10) and there will be no longer a need for faith since our faith will become sight. Until that time comes, we, ‘the just shall live by faith’ (Hebrews 10:38) and the good and bad of life will happen to all of us. ‘The rain will fall on the just and unjust alike’ (Matthew 5:45). We will have to trust God in the good and bad times of life…the advantage of knowing Christ is this, He is with us and will never leave or forsake us.
Read John 6:1-13 “After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee which is the Sea of Tiberias. Then a great multitude followed Him because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. And Jesus went up on the mountain and there He sat with His disciples. Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. Then Jesus lifted up His eyes and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, said to Philip, ‘where shall we buy bread that these may eat?’ But this He said to test him, for He knew what He would do. Philip answered, ‘Two hundred denari worth of bread is not sufficient for them that everyone may have a little.’ One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him. ‘There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?’ Then Jesus said, ‘make the people sit down.’ Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down in number about 5000. And Jesus took the loaves and when He had given thanks, He distributed them to the disciples and to those sitting down, and likewise the fish, as much as they wanted. So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, ‘gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.’ Therefore they gathered up and filled 12 baskets with fragments of the 5 loaves…”
Bible Study
- The distance Jesus and the disciples traveled by boat across the Sea of Galilee was about 4 miles. The people could see the direction of the boat was taking and followed it by walking around the lake until Jesus came ashore again.
- A denarius was a days wages, so Philip quickly calculated it would take 6 months wages to buy enough food to feed the multitude. 5000 men at the scene would interpolate to possibly 15,000 men, women and children.
- To our human understanding, Andrew’s comment about 5 loaves and 2 fish would seem irrelevant.
- We might have said, ‘so what or why even bring that insignificant point up?’
- The lesson is this…little is much when place it in God’s hands (our tithes, our offerings, prayers, efforts and work, a word fitly spoken).
- Giving thanks before we eat is modeled by Jesus here. Praying to give thanks is only the right thing to do.
- A famous prayer offered in those days was, “Blessed are you, oh Lord, our God, who causes to come forth bread from the earth.”
- The lessons behind the miracle…
- Reflect on the fact that while tempted by Satan, Jesus could have turned those stones into bread an eaten, but He would not submit to evil influences. See Matthew 4:3-4. We must resist the devil and he will flee from us.
- Like Andrew the disciple, we must do our part and trust Jesus to do the rest. Our little acts of faith are the stuff miracles are made of.
Application
- Our faith, just the size of a mustard seed, if we faint not, nor abandon our faith can do much in the hands of Jesus and with God’s marvelous intervention in our lives and situations.
- What has God placed in your hands now that though may seem insignificant, through faith can be used to supply us our miracle…let’s expect a miracle.
Week 16 Day 4
The Daily Take 10
The Gospel of John
Week 16 Day 4
Introduction…Moses and the Law, that is the first 5 books of the Bible, promised and prophesied in Deuteronomy 18:15, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brethren, him you shall heed.” But the people forgot the promise and missed the prophet, priest and king…Jesus. The people were mob-like in their behavior. They were ready to make Jesus king when they saw the miracles and food He provided. Then just a short time later the people turned into a mob was ready to kill Him as they shouted ‘crucify him, crucify him’. How fickle, unstable and disloyal the people were! This kind of weak and feeble faith that looks for and depends upon good circumstances only, does not trust God and is not a saving faith.
Read John 6: 14-21 “Then those men when they had seen the sign that Jesus did said, ‘this is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.’ Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him King, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone. Now when evening came His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark and Jesus had not come to them. The the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. So when they had rowed about three or four miles they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat and they were afraid. ‘It is I, do not be afraid.’ Then they willingly received Him into the boat and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.”
Bible Study
- The people loved Jesus when He gave them what they wanted. Food, miracles and hope to overthrow Roman rule. All selfish desires, but not the will of God.
- God does not ‘buy us’ with miracles, nor would Jesus. Miracles point us to God and confirm Jesus as the Messiah, but it would take faith not fame to save souls.
- When God demands sacrifice, says no or not now, or requires us to take up our cross and follow Jesus as disciples, there is the test of our faith and trust in Him.
- We see Jesus saying what seems to be God’s favorite greeting, “fear not”. God is not about fear, showing us His awesome power or presence to scare us.
- The angel said to Mary, “fear not for you have found favor with God.”
- The angel said to Joseph, “fear not to take Mary as your wife.”
- The angel said to the shepherds, “fear not for I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.”
- Let’s develop what God has given to us as believers. 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind.”
- God care and helps us when in need. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble.” Psalms 46:1
- Take God’s advice and cry out to Him. Psalms 107:28-30 says, “Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble and he brings them out of their distresses. He makes the storm calm…then they are glad because they are quiet and he brings them to their desired haven.”
Application
- When we pray, is it, “Father give me strength to do your will and what you want done, or to do our will and what we intend to get done?”
- Are we using God or is He using us?
Week 16 Day 5
The Daily Take 10
The Gospel of John
Week 16 Day 5
Introduction…In business it is said that a manager focuses on the bottom line, but a leaders vision is on the horizon. Napoleon is noted to have said that only the man with vision that looks to the horizon and see the stars is truly alive. Many of us are so engrossed in the day to day details required for survival that we don’t take time to dream, envision or take time in solitude with God. Spending quality time with God not only prepares us for the day, but it allows God to place visions and dreams into our hearts. A scholar made the observation that most people are nailed to the things of this life.
Read John 6:22-29 “On the following day when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there except that one which His disciples had entered and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone, (however, other boats came from Tiberias near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks) when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’ Jesus answered and said, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you because God the Father has set His seal on Him.’ Then they said to Him, ‘What shall we do that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus answered, ‘this is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
Bible Study
- The Jews were looking for Jesus to tell them things to do…works of God. They incorrectly understood that we earned God’s favor by doing good deeds.
- Jesus was correcting their thinking by saying God is not a task master. God desires a relationship with us based upon our faith that He exists, is good, holy and loves us. Therefore we should trust in Him and His goodness and live for Him. “For by grace are we saved through faith, not of ourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
- That we don’t get in good with God by what we do but by accepting by faith what has been done for us through Him. Something we couldn’t do for ourselves. That is the fuel that propels us to do work for Him.
- Jesus sees the motives of the people following Him that they are looking at the miraculous works and following their stomachs instead of having a heart for God.
- Jesus challenges the people to do more than look for physical provision/food which perishes, but instead seek eternal life. Hunger from the heart and soul for truth and abundant life.
- There is a hunger for more in a physical sense. During this time the Roman Empire experienced opulence, but it’s documented that it came without satisfying the hunger of the soul within its people.
- Isaiah 55:1-2 says, “Stop everyone that thirsts, come to the waters and he that has no money, come, buy and eat. Yes come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for that which is not bread? And you labor for that which does not satisfy? Hearken diligently to me and eat that which is good and let your soul delight itself.”
Application
- There is a story about a night clerk at an upscale department store that changed all the price tags on the merchandise. All the expensive price tags went on the most inexpensive items and the low cost price tags went on the most expensive items. This is story is an example of what Satan has done to us in this world so as to confuse and frustrate our lives. Some of us are laboring and paying the big bucks for things that do not satisfy and really have little value. The most valuable things to us in this world, God gives to us freely because He paid for them and offers them to us…love, joy, peace, forgiveness. We take these priceless commodities for granted and overlook them and instead pay dearly and work for things that do not satisfy.
- We can get so engrossed in the day to day details of life that we miss the great questions of life…who am I? Why am I here and where am I going?
- Let’s get it right on the inside of us. Let’s get God in us…on the inside. Then the outside of life will then take care of itself.
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