Monday, August 26, 2024
I Am
God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” Exodus 3:14
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” John 8:58
Please consider these two verses today. Feel free to take some time to look at them in their contexts. The Exodus comes as God reveals himself to Moses in the burning bush. The John passage is the one we will be looking at the rest of this week together as Jesus confronts those who believed they knew God but actually did not. God is the great I Am. He is the One who delivered his people from Egypt. It was at this point that he formally introduced himself to them as a people. He let them know that not only was he the awesome God of the Universe, but he was also God who could be known by them. He had a name. Not only is he Elohim, He is Jehovah. When Jesus spoke to those religious leaders who would have been well versed in the writings of Moses, he left no doubt as to who he was. By declaring that before Abraham was, I am, he was making it very clear to them that he is God. They understood exactly what he meant, which is why they sought to stone him (8:59). Instead of celebrating that God had actually come to talk with them and be with them, they chose to disbelieve, reject and abuse him. How do you view Jesus? There can be no doubt that he is indeed God. Do you worship him? Do you adore him? Do you serve him? Do you reject him? Do you disregard him? Do you in any way seek to eliminate him from your life (stone him)? Spend some time today worshiping Jesus!
Tuesday, August 27, 2024
Believe
. . . but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:31
Please read John 20:30-31 today. This week we are considering the second of the I am statements of Jesus in the book of John. As he approaches the end of his gospel, John reveals why he is recording the account in the way he is. John traveled with Jesus for three years. He was one who was closest to the Lord. He saw himself through the love of Jesus as the disciple that Jesus loved. We can be certain that he could write quite a bit about Jesus! He has specifically chosen, as led by the Holy Spirit, these accounts so that a person could believe in the fullness of who Jesus truly is. Jesus—his humanity. The Christ (Messiah, Anointed One)—his royalty. The Son of God—his deity. There are seven ‘I Am” statements and seven signs in the gospel of John that we will consider over the next few months together. We will consider them so that we can believe in the name of Jesus and so that we can have absolute ways to help others know that they need Jesus because of who he is and what he has done. Along the way we will see different ways that Jesus fulfills and brings even greater meaning to the hand of God as seen in the Old Testament. Probably written toward the end of the first century, the gospel of John helps us see that Jesus is indeed the promised Messiah and that he is indeed God in the flesh. He is fully man and fully God. He alone is able to take the sins of the world. He alone is who the world needs to be rescued from sin and separation from
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Light
Again Jesus said to them, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. John 8:12
Please read and/or listen to John 8:12-59 today. As the Feast of Booths finishes, Jesus declares that he is the light of the world. As with the declaration of being the bread of life, his declaration of being the light would reveal his fulfilling of the provision during the exodus. The physical provision of bread and light during the exodus was now seen to be fulfilled in the Person of Jesus. There would now be a spiritual fulfillment of that which the physical represented. There would now be an abundance never before experienced. Jesus will be misunderstood in this, the second of the I am statements in the same way as he was in the first.. This is because he was speaking to them of heavenly things and they were trapped in worldly or fleshly thinking. They were trapped in the temporary here and now and Jesus was declaring eternal truths of the now and forever provision that is available only in him. The encounter with Nicodemus that John recorded in chapter 3 says the same thing (3;12). Jesus is ready to have incredible conversations with the people who have spent their lives longing for this revelation. But as the conversation ensues, it becomes clear that their religion has defined God already and they are not necessarily interested in truth. Their definition of God is serving them quite well, in their opinion and understanding. They do not need the truth of Jesus to interfere with that. They have a conversation with him about what they see as his misperceptions of what is true. They are in darkness. The deceiver has them trapped there. The Light is shining in their midst, but they are unable and unwilling to see. They love darkness rather than light (John 3:19) because their deeds are evil. They have designed a god of their own. Is there any way in which your perception of God keeps you from seeing who he truly is? Have you designed a god that keeps you from seeing God?
Thursday, August 29, 2024
Booths
Now the Feast of Booths was at hand. John 7:2
Please read and/or listen to John 7:1-52 today. You may want to check out Leviticus 23:33-43 and Deuteronomy 16:13-17 to gain background for this feast. Zechariah 14:16 tells us that during the Millennial reign of Jesus this feast will be observed by all the nations! This was the last of the feasts that God gave the nation of Israel. As the spring feasts were fulfilled in the first coming of the Messiah, so shall the fall feasts be fulfilled at his second coming. The Feast of Booths, also known as Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot, was a feast which was to be filled with joy. In fact, God commanded them to be joyful! It celebrated the great provision of God as represented in the harvest. But it also commemorated his hand of provision as they lived in temporary dwellings in the wilderness. It was also a look forward to the coming Messiah. In the temple at the time of Christ, there would be great ceremonies during this seven-day feast. Water from the pool of Siloam would be brought and poured out to remember the provision of water in the wilderness. On the last day of the feast, Jesus declared that he would provide living water for any who thirst (see also John 4:7ff). Another ceremony was that of the lighting of four large candelabras that some accounts recall as being seven stories tall. They would have shed light that would have been seen over all Jerusalem as they reflected off the bright limestone of the buildings. This would recall the pillar of fire that led the people through the wilderness as they made their way to the Promised Land. It was in this setting that Jesus would declare that he is the Light of the world. Consider the beauty of the metanarrative of Scripture and the faithfulness of God to reveal and unfold his plan of redemption. Imagine what it would have been like to have come to Jerusalem for this great and joyful celebration and then hear Jesus make these declarations of fulfillment. How might you have responded if you were there? How do you respond to those claims now?
Friday, August 30, 2024
Light (part 2)
Again Jesus said to them, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. John 8:12
Please read and/or listen to John 8:12-59 again today. Take a look at John 3:1-21 as well. In John 3, Jesus has a one-on-one conversation with a Pharisee. In John 8, it is a group of them. It is thought that Nicodemus had a much different response to the teaching than that of the group as a whole. There is a choice. The contrast of light and darkness find its way all throughout the metanarrative of the unfolding of God’s redemptive plan as found in Scripture. It illustrates the stark contrast of evil and good, sin and holiness. Darkness represents the chaos of the dominion of darkness, while light represents the kingdom of Jesus (Colossians 1:13). Jesus makes it clear to Nicodemus that people will choose darkness. They will love it. People love to sin because of the way it fuels the sinful nature. It fuels the nature that longs for autonomy and rebellion. The sinful nature in mankind loves sin and the temporary deceitful nature of its pleasure. Yet it knows that it is wrong which is why it seeks to hide. Even so, in this world, it is many times celebrated and made to look like a good option. It never is. Choosing to live in the darkness is rejecting the light of life that is available only in following Jesus. Darkness is death. Light is life. As Jesus speaks to those who should have been understanding what he is saying, they do not. They insult God to his face, calling him illegitimate and declaring that he has a demon (8:48). They have chosen the darkness. They have rejected the light of life. Their eyes are darkened so that they cannot see. There is nothing greater than following Jesus and having the light of life. Walking in darkness is not the better option, though because of the love of evil most will choose the dark. Which have you chosen? How are you following Jesus? What stirs in your heart as you consider the fate of those who choose instead to love evil? What is your response to them?
Saturday, August 31, 2024
I Am (part 2)
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. John 8:58-59
Please read and/or listen to John 8:12-59 one more time today. Jesus hid himself. Ponder that. Take time to really consider what it means to reject Jesus. The world needs Jesus, but the deceiver has convinced it that it does not. But in some ways, even worse, this account reveals that those who say they are seeking God can be the most deceived and can choose darkness and think that it is light. We hear this today from people who declare they are Christian and yet believe all sorts of things directly opposed to the teachings of Jesus. There is no shortage of examples of declarations of people who are not embracing truth but instead are embracing darkness who also declare themselves to be good Christians. They are deceived and they are deceiving others. They are picking up stones. He is hiding himself. Do you believe Jesus is truly who he says he is? Do you know him? Are you allowing him to lead you as you follow him? Aree there any ways you designed a god that will allow you to stay in your sin, keeping you from knowing the truth that will set you free? Pray for our world. Pray that people may turn to the light. Pray that God may use you to make Jesus known to those who are trapped in darkness.