Galilee’s light of the world

Posted on June 25, 2018 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky June 2018 (25)

Galilee’s light of the world

Devotions from Jefferson Vann # 2423

John 8:12-18

Joh 8:12 This was why Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”
Joh 8:13 So the Pharisees said to him, “You are testifying about yourself. Your testimony is not valid.”
Joh 8:14 Jesus answered, “Even if I am testifying about myself, my testimony is true, because I know where I came from and where I’m going. But you don’t know where I come from or where I’m going.
Joh 8:15 You decide based according to the flesh. I am deciding about no one.
Joh 8:16 And if I do decide, my decision is true, because it is not I alone who is deciding, but I and the Father who sent me.
Joh 8:17 And even in your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true.
Joh 8:18 I am the one who is testifying about myself, and the Father who sent me is testifying about me.”

Galilee’s light of the world

I don’t include John 11:53-8:11 in my translation, because I think that story was added to John’s Gospel afterward. One of the reasons (besides the manuscript evidence) is the Pharisee’s reference to Galilee in 7:52. John then explains that this is why (οὖν) Jesus responded with a reference to him being the light of the world. He was reflecting on Isaiah’s prophecy that the Messiah would indeed emerge from Galilee as a light for the nations (Isaiah 9:1-2).

Jesus is not ashamed of having been raised in that foreigner’s outpost region of Galilee. He knew what he was, and that was what mattered. God chose to shine his light first in a very dark place. The fact that the Pharisees could not see that shows that they were not willing to even take the testimony of the father himself.

LORD, thank you for Jesus, the light of the world.

___________________________________________________

[I am not commenting on the authenticity of the story of the woman caught in adultery , per se. It sounds to me like a legitimate event that could have happened in the life of Jesus. My choice not to include it is based on its not appearing in the early manuscripts, and it seems to break up a conversation that for John would have been best kept together, and not separated by the story.]

 

 

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then there’s Nicodemus

Posted on June 24, 2018 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky June 2018 (24)

then there’s Nicodemus

Devotions from Jefferson Vann # 2422

John 7:45-52

Joh 7:45 Then the assistants came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, “Why have you not brought him?”
Joh 7:46 The assistants answered, “No man ever spoke like this!”
Joh 7:47 Then the Pharisees answered them: “Have you been led astray too?
Joh 7:48 Have any from the rulers or Pharisees believed in him?
Joh 7:49 But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed.”
Joh 7:50 Nicodemus– the one who came to him previously and who was one of them– said to them,
Joh 7:51 “Our law doesn’t decide about a man before it hears from him and knows what he’s doing, does it?”
Joh 7:52 “You are not from Galilee too, are you?” they replied. “Inquire and you will see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”

then there’s Nicodemus

In an age like ours, we think that the truths of Christianity have been buried behind a meter thick façade of agnosticism. It was like that in Jerusalem at the time recorded in this text. But, then, there was Nicodemus. He was not ready to feed Jesus to the popular wolves just yet. Today we have such people in leadership as well. They deserve our support.

LORD, bless those in leadership who are willing to stand for your truth, and show us how to bless them as well.

 

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yes, no

Posted on June 23, 2018 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky June 2018 (23)

yes, no

Devotions by Jefferson Vann # 2421

John 7:40-44

Joh 7:40 After those from the crowd heard these words, they said, “This truly is the Prophet.”
Joh 7:41 Others said, “This is the Messiah.” But they said, “Wait … the Messiah doesn’t come from Galilee, does he?
Joh 7:42 Doesn’t the Scripture say that the Messiah comes from David’s line and from the village of Bethlehem, where David lived?”
Joh 7:43 That was why there was a schism in the crowd because of him.
Joh 7:44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him.

yes, no

The word used in the Greek for the division caused in the crowd over Jesus is σχίσμα, from which we get our word schism. It means ‘something that is in parts through force’ like a tear in fabric. Like it or not, the question of who Jesus is has always been a cause for controversy and division. It takes faith to affirm all that the scriptures say about him. It takes insight, and the ability to suspend judgment upon the questions that pop up in us because of our limitations.

LORD, give us the courage to believe all that you have revealed about your Son, and to trust him implicitly.

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streams will flow

Posted on June 22, 2018 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky June 2018 (22)

streams will flow

Devotions by Jefferson Vann # 2420

John 7:37-39

Joh 7:37 On the most significant last day of the festival, Jesus stood up and cried out, and this is what he said, “If anyone is thirsty, let that person come to me and drink.
Joh 7:38 The one believing in me, like the Scripture has said, streams of living water from inside him will flow.”
Joh 7:39 He said this about the Spirit. His believers were about to receive the Spirit, because the Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been made glorious.

streams will flow

I cannot help but link this passage with what John records of Jesus’ discourse with the woman at the well in Samaria (4:13-14). But there is a difference here. The woman was primarily interested in her own salvation. She wanted to drink of the water that would keep her from ever getting thirsty again. But even she could not resist the urge to share Jesus with her village.

Now, Jesus explains through this metaphorical language that such will be the case with all those who are saved by believing in him. They will automatically become the resource leading to the salvation of others. The Holy Spirit will flow from inside them.

Jesus says that anyone who believes will have this Holy Spirit (38). John notes that Pentecost had not yet happened, but Jesus’ assurance is that this flowing Holy Spirit resource is not the result of a second experience or second blessing. If you believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit is inside you, and will flow to others.

LORD, thank you for your Holy Spirit, and the chance to bring others to eternal life.

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lost among the Greeks

Posted on June 21, 2018 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky June 2018 (21)

lost among the Greeks

Devotions by Jefferson Vann # 2419

John 7:30-36

Joh 7:30 Then they tried to arrest him. Yet no one laid a hand on him because his hour had not yet come.
Joh 7:31 But many from the crowd believed in him and were saying, “The Messiah when he comes won’t do more signs than this one has done, will he?”
Joh 7:32 The Pharisees heard the crowd grumbling these things about him, and so the chief priests and the Pharisees sent servants to arrest him.
Joh 7:33 Then Jesus said, “I am only with you for a short time. Then I’m departing to my sender.
Joh 7:34 You will look for me, and not find me; and where I am, you are not able to come.”
Joh 7:35 Then the Jews said to one another, “Where is he about to go so we will not find him? He doesn’t intend to go to the diaspora among the Greeks and teach the Greeks, is he?
Joh 7:36 What is this word he said: ‘You will look for me, and not find me; and where I am, you are not able to come’?”

lost among the Greeks

The Jewish officials thought Jesus was referring to his getting lost among the Greek speaking Jews of the diaspora. They misread Jesus when he predicted that very soon they would be looking for their Messiah but he would be gone. He was, of course, referring to his returning to his sender, his Father in heaven.

If you have been looking for the one missing piece to the puzzle of your life, and have not found it, maybe you have felt like it is lost among the Greeks. Perhaps you think your answer is where you never intend to go. Just look up. It is cliché to say that Jesus is the answer, and the only way to the Father. But it is also true.

LORD, whatever we get in life, may we never lose you.

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what we think we know

Posted on June 20, 2018 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky June 2018 (20)

what we think we know

Devotions by Jefferson Vann # 2418

John 7:25-30

Joh 7:25 Then some of the Jerusalemites were saying, “Isn’t this the man they are looking for to kill?
Joh 7:26 Yet, look, he’s speaking publicly and they’re saying nothing to him. Can it be true that the authorities know he is the Messiah?
Joh 7:27 But we know where this one is from. When the Messiah comes, nobody will know where he is from.”
Joh 7:28 While teaching in the temple, Jesus cried out, “You know me and you know where I am from. Yet I have not come on my own, but the one who sent me is true. You don’t know him;
Joh 7:29 I know him because I am from him, that one sent me.”
Joh 7:30 Then they tried to arrest him. Yet no one laid a hand on him because his hour had not yet come.

what we think we know

What strikes me as I read this is the misinformation that the Jerusalemites thought they knew about the coming Messiah. It makes me wonder how much of the Christology that we hold to has come from the biblical text, and how much is a product of our history and culture. If the Jerusalemites had really known who Jesus was, and why he had come, they would not have tried to arrest him. If there is one part of my life that I will never regret no matter how it turns out, it is my biblical studies. I want to really know what’s there. I also want to know him because he is my sender.

LORD, we want to know you as our Savior and sender.

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one work too many

Posted on June 19, 2018 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky June 2018 (19)

one work too many

Devotions from Jefferson Vann # 2417

John 7:19-24

Joh 7:19 Didn’t Moses give you the law? Yet none of you does what the law teaches. Why are you looking for me to kill me?”
Joh 7:20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon!; who is trying to kill you?”
Joh 7:21 Jesus answered, “I did one work, and you are all amazed,” .
Joh 7:22 “This is why Moses has given you the circumcision ritual — not that it comes from Moses but from the fathers– and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.
Joh 7:23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses won’t be broken, are you angry at me because I made a man entirely healthy on the Sabbath?
Joh 7:24 Don’t decide this kind of thing according to outward appearances; decide right decisions instead.”

one work too many

The one work Jesus referred to was his healing of the crippled man at the Sheep Gate (5:1-15). The man had no one to bring him into the pool — possibly because no one dared break a Sabbath rule by doing so. Jesus called on the man to actually break one of those “outward appearance” rules by picking up his pallet and carrying it away. When “the Jews” saw him doing that, they objected to his obedience.

Fast forward two chapters, and the controversy continues. Jesus points out that the problem is not with the Mosaic law. It was designed to promote mutual love and healthy living. But the legalism that had enslaved the law kept people from making right decisions about things.

LORD, show us how to do the right thing, even when it does not always look right.

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enhancing God’s reputation

Posted on June 18, 2018 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky June 2018 (18)

enhancing God’s reputation

Devotions from Jefferson Vann # 2418

John 7:15-18

Joh 7:15 Then the Jews were amazed and said, “How can this man know so many writings, since he hasn’t been trained?”
Joh 7:16 Jesus answered them, “My teaching isn’t mine but is from the one who sent me.
Joh 7:17 If someone wants to do what he wants, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking from myself.
Joh 7:18 The one who speaks from himself seeks to enhance his own reputation; but the one who seeks to enhance the reputation of the one who sent him is true, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

enhancing God’s reputation

Make it your life’s goal to enhance the reputation of God. One of the ways you can do this is by speaking God’s truth into your life situation. But this comes at a price. You did not come down from the sky like Jesus did. The only way for you to know God’s words and teach God’s teachings is for you to bury yourself in this Bible of his. There is no shortcut. Immerse yourself in the healing water of life. Then, when you encounter that woman at the well, you will be ready to lead her to Christ. Be born from above through the Spirit. Then, when you meet your Nicodemus, you will be able to guide him through the same experience. This is how God’s reputation is enhanced, one soul at a time.

LORD, glorify yourself through us.

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teaching that points to God

Posted on June 17, 2018 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky June 2018 (17)

teaching that points to God

Devotions from Jefferson Vann # 2415

John 7:11-16

Joh 7:11 That was why the Jews were looking for him at the festival and saying, “Where is he?”
Joh 7:12 And there was a lot of gossiping about him among the crowds. Some were saying, “He’s a good man.” Others were saying, “No, he’s deceiving the people instead.”
Joh 7:13 Still, nobody was talking publicly about him for fear of the Jews.
Joh 7:14 When the festival was already at mid-point, Jesus went up into the temple and began to teach.
Joh 7:15 Then the Jews were amazed and said, “How can this man know so many writings, since he hasn’t been trained?”
Joh 7:16 Jesus answered them, “My teaching isn’t mine but is from the one who sent me.

teaching that points to God

Jesus had decided not to publically enter the festival and announce himself. It gave the listeners to his teaching the opportunity to hear him without the hype that would have accompanied his reputation as amiracle worker. So, what the people were amazed at here was the teaching that could not be explained by the influence of any of the current teaching rabbis.

For all of us, there is a learning of the sacred writings that can only come from getting into those writings, and being taught by God. Jesus had that understanding directly from the Father who had sent him to teach. May we seek to learn the Scripture so clearly that our understanding points to God as our teacher.

LORD, we commit ourselves to learning from your word, every day.

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cryptic Christ

Posted on June 16, 2018 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky June 2018 (16)

cryptic Christ

Devotions from Jefferson Vann # 2414

John 7:2-10

Joh 7:2 The Jewish Festival of Shacks was near.
Joh 7:3 So his brothers said to him, “Leave from here and go to Judea so your disciples can see your works that you are doing.
Joh 7:4 Because no one does anything privately while he’s seeking to be public. If you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.”
Joh 7:5 (Because not even his brothers believed in him.)
Joh 7:6 Jesus told them, “My time has not yet presented itself, but your time is always ready.
Joh 7:7 The world cannot hate you, but it does hate me because I am testifying about it– that its works are evil.
Joh 7:8 Go up to the festival yourselves. I’m not going up to this festival, because my time has not yet completely come.”
Joh 7:9 After he had said these things, he stayed in Galilee.
Joh 7:10 But after his brothers had gone up to the festival, then he also went up, not openly but privately.

cryptic Christ

The word I translate privately in verses 4 and 10 is the Greek κρυπτός, from which we get our English word cryptic — a hidden message. Jesus chooses to go to the Festival privately — without calling attention to himself. He does so, not because he is ashamed of his words or ministry, but because it is not yet time for him to go public. His timing was designed to lead him to the cross. His circumstances and actions would conspire to have him slaughtered as our sacrifice to atone for our sins.

Also, don’t confuse the word time here with the word hour in chapter 5. In that chapter, Jesus contrasted two hours, the hour of evangelization and the hour of resurrection. In this section, Jesus contrasts two instances of καιρός (time to go public), saying that his brothers were free to do things publically, but he was not.

LORD, thank you for hiding yourself for a time, so that when you did reveal yourself, you did it to save us.

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