I Am the Bead of Life, John 6:35
Reflections:
In John 6:35, Jesus declares, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” These powerful words remind us that Jesus provides sustenance for our spiritual hunger and thirst. Just as bread nourishes our bodies, Jesus nourishes our souls.
Illustration: Imagine a weary traveler in a desert, parched and hungry. Suddenly, they come across an oasis with fresh water and a table laden with nourishing food. In the same way, Jesus offers us the oasis of his presence, quenching our spiritual thirst and feeding our souls with his life-giving truth.
Application: In our fast-paced lives, it’s easy to seek fulfillment in temporary things that leave us empty. But Jesus invites us to find true satisfaction in him alone. Just as we partake of physical food daily, let’s daily partake of Jesus’ presence through prayer, Scripture, and meditation. As we feast on his Word, our spiritual hunger is satisfied, and our souls find rest.
Conclusion: Jesus’ proclamation as the Bread of Life is a profound reminder of his role in meeting our deepest needs. Let’s not only seek physical nourishment but also prioritize our spiritual nourishment through a close relationship with him. In him, we find eternal satisfaction and true fulfillment.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for being the Bread of Life that satisfies our spiritual hunger and thirst. Help us to turn to you daily, feasting on your Word, and finding our ultimate satisfaction in your presence. Amen.
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Reading for Lent
Philip And Nathaniel
Prayer
Heavenly Father, help us to grow in the knowledge and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ through Your words, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
John 1:43-51
Verses 43-46, 43 On the next day, he was determined to go out into Galilee, and he found Philip. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
Reflection
On 2nd day of Jesus’ public ministry, He left Bethabara for Galilee, seventy miles away. In Bethsaida, Jesus found Philip the 3rd apostle. Philip found the 4th apostle, Nathaniel, or Bartholomew from Cana and told him that Jesus could be the prophet that Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 18:15. Philip was a calculator. In John 6:7, he calculated the cost of bread to feed the multitude. Nathaniel was a sceptic. He was sceptical when Philip told him that Jesus of Nazareth could be the Messiah.
John 6:7 (NKJV), Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”
Verses 47-51, 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said about him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I told you, ‘I saw you underneath the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these!” 51 He said to him, “Most certainly, I tell you all, hereafter you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Reflection
Jesus called Nathaniel an honest Israelite who had no deceit, comparing him to Jacob, an Israelite who was full of deceit. When Jesus said that He saw him under the fig tree, Nathaniel declared his great confession of faith, ”Rabbi, you are the Son of God!” Jesus told Nathaniel he would see “angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man’’ alluding to Jacob’s dream in Genesis 28:10-22. Jacob dreamt of a ladder originating from the earth to the Heaven. On this ladder, the angels were climbing up and down. Jacob’s ladder was a foreshadow of Jesus Christ, the Son of Man. Jesus is the way to God. Jesus is the bridge and mediator, between God and men.
John 14:6 (NIV), Jesus answered, ‘’I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’’
Genesis 28:12 (NIV), “He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.”
Application
Today, we are introduced to Philip, the calculator, and Nathaniel, the sceptic. We must not imitate the calculating nature of Philip and the sceptical nature of Nathaniel. We are to walk in faith and believe in Him.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we acknowledged that Jesus Christ, the Son of God is Jacob’s ladder, the One who connected us to You, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Reading for Lent
Water to Wine: 1st Sign
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we acknowledge that You are Almighty God. You have the power over nature and the power to change water to wine. We give You all glory and honor, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
John 2:6-12
Verses 6-7, 6 Now there were six water pots of stone set there after the Jews’ way of purifying, containing two or three metretes a piece. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the water pots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim.
Reflection
In the first century Israel, stone jars are not used to store drinking water. They are used to store water for ceremonial and ritual cleansing. Jesus told the servants to fill up six stone jars with water. They filled up the stone jars until they overflowed. This was to prevent anyone from secretly adding wine to them.
Verses 8-10, 8 He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the ruler of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the ruler of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and didn’t know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the ruler of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when the guests have drunk freely, then that which is worse. You have kept the good wine until now!”
Reflection
At Jesus’ command, the servants drew water from one of the stone jars and took it to the master of the banquet. When the master of the banquet tasted it, he was surprised at its quality, exclaiming that the wine was indeed excellent. The master of the banquet did not know that this was water that had changed into wine. He praised the host for serving the best wine last. The wine brought tremendous joy to everyone in the feast and saved the host and his family from ridicule and embarrassment. Wine is a symbol of joy.
Psalm 104:15 a (NIV), “wine that gladdens human hearts.”
Verses 11-12, 11 This beginning of his signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.12 After this, he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they stayed there a few days.
Reflection
The changing of water into wine was Jesus’ first sign or miracle. In the Gospel of John, you will discover seven signs and seven I AM statements of Jesus. The first sign was a private sign. It was not disclosed to the public. Only Jesus, His team, the wedding host, his family members, and the servants knew about the miracle. In this miracle, the disciples saw Jesus’ glory and believed in Him.
Application
Jesus changed an extremely large amount of water into wine. This is grace. Imagine, the host could be able to sell the wine and generate a decent income after the wedding. Jesus is grace and truth, unfailing love, and faithfulness, “hesed” and “emet.” He gave us super abundant grace.
The idea of super abundant grace is like the ocean waves, crashing in one after another. His grace is more than sufficient to meet our needs.
Wine in the Holy Communion represents Jesus’ blood of the New Covenant.
Wine also represents the joy of salvation in Christ.
2 Corinthians 12:9 a (NIV), But, he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
John 1:16 (NIV), “Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.”
Prayer
Heavenly Father, Thank You for grace and truth. Thank You for Your super-abundant grace, that supplies more than enough for all that we needed and more than what we could ever have imagined, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Reading for Lent
Cleansing The Temple
Prayer
Heavenly Father, give us this day our daily bread, forgive us for our trespasses. Help us to forgive others even as You have forgiven us, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
John 2:13-17
Verse 13, 13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Reflection
Jesus, His mother Mary, His half-brothers, and His disciples went down from Cana to Capernaum, which was 23 miles eastward. They went down because Capernaum was at a lower altitude than Cana. From Capernaum, they went up to Jerusalem, 70 miles southward, to attend the annual Passover. They went up because Jerusalem was at a higher altitude than Capernaum. All Jewish men above 12 years old living within a 50 miles radius from Jerusalem were required to attend the annual Passover.
Passover commemorates the angel of death passing over the houses of the Jews and killing all the Egyptian’s firstborn men and animals. This was part of the Biblical story of the Exodus in Exodus 12.
Jesus is our Passover. Whoever believes in Him will Passover from death to life, John 5:24.
John 5:24 (NIV), “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life”.
1 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV), “Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed”.
Verses 14-17, 14 He found in the temple those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, and the changers of money sitting. 15 He made a whip of cords, and threw all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changers’ money and overthrew their tables. 16 To those who sold the doves, he said, “Take these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a marketplace!”17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will eat me up, “Psalm 69:9.
Reflection
The first temple of Solomon was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC. The second temple was rebuilt in 515 BC by the post-exilic Jews. Herod the Great rebuilt this temple from 19 BC until 63 AD and renamed it Herod’s temple. The temple authorities exploited the pilgrims by charging exorbitant prices on animals and charging exorbitant exchange rates for the temple shekels. This was daylight robbery in the house of God. Jesus overturned the money changer’s table using a whip made of cords and chased away the traders from His Father’s house. John quoted Psalm 69:9, ‘’ Zeal for your house will consume me.’’ Jesus called the temple “My Father’s house.”
Application
Spiritually speaking, going to Jerusalem to worship God is always a spiritual high of going up to worship God. Similarly, going to the church is always a spiritual high as we are going to worship God. Are you excited and looking forward to going to church for Sunday worship? If not, why not?
The Jews abused the temple by abusing their powers. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. You should to abuse your body by consuming drugs or other illicit products. You should take good care of your body and use it for the glory of God in servitude to Him. You should offer your body as a living sacrifice to God, Romans 12:1.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for speaking to us through the Gospel of John. Thank You for opening our eyes to see, ears to hear, hearts to feel, mind to understand, and will to obey, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Reading for Lent
Destroy This Temple
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us Bread of Life, Bread from Heaven, Living Bread, Living Word, Living Manna, and Living Water to feed our souls and quench our spiritual thirst and hunger, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
John 2:18-25
Verses 18-19, 18 The Jews therefore answered him, “What sign do you show us, seeing that you do these things?”19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
Reflection
After the cleansing of the temple, the Jews demanded a sign from Jesus to prove His authority. Jesus replied, ‘’destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days,” speaking of His death, burial, and resurrection. His resurrection proved that He is God. Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Him will have eternal life.
John 11:25-26, Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Verses 20-22, 20 The Jews therefore said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple! Will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he spoke of the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he said this, and they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
Reflection
This temple was Herod’s temple. The first temple of Solomon was destroyed by the Babylonian invaders in 586 BC. The second temple was rebuilt by the post-exilic Jews in 515 BC. Herod the Great undertook a massive rebuilding of the second temple from 19 BC until 63 AD and renamed it Herod’s temple. Raising up the temple in 3 days, speaks of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. After His resurrection, the disciples remembered Jesus’ words and believed.
Verses 23-25, 23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in his name, observing his signs which he did. 24 But Jesus didn’t entrust himself to them, because he knew everyone, 25 and because he didn’t need for anyone to testify concerning man; for he himself knew what was in man.
Reflection
Jesus attended the Jewish Passover in Jerusalem. Passover falls annually on the 15th day of the first Hebrew month of Nisan in spring. The word Passover can also refer to the Passover sacrificial lamb, the Passover meal, or the Feast of unleavened bread, from 16th to 23rd Nisan.
Greek for entrust is “pisteou” which means believe. Verses 23 to 25 is a word play on believe. Many people saw Jesus’ miracles and believed in Him, but Jesus did not believe in them. They believed in His miracles but not in Him as the Messiah. Jesus is omniscient. He knew everyone’s thoughts and intentions of the heart. He knew that they were not genuine believers, Hebrews 4:13.
Hebrews 4:13 (NIV), ‘’Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
Application:
Jesus do not want you to have a superficial faith in Him. He wants you to have a deep personal relationship with Him and love Him. Christianity is a relationship between people and Christ. The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ died, buried, and rose from the death to save us. Whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. Do you believe this?
John 3:16 (NKJV), “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (NKJV), “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.”
Prayer
Heavenly Father, help us to cultivate a personal relationship with You, to abide in You, and to journey with You through life. Thank You for sending Your Son Jesus Christ to this world 2000 years ago to be a substitutionary atonement for our sins, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Reading for Lent
Nicodemus (1)
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us Your Words of eternal life, that we may eat and will not get hungry again, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
John 3:1-7
Verses 1-2, 1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 The same came to him by night, and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.”
Reflection
Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a conservative, legalistic Jewish teacher or Rabbi. He was also a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling council of the Jews. He came to Jesus secretly at night, so as not to be too noticeable.
Verse 3, 3 Jesus answered him, “Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can’t see God’s Kingdom.”
Reflection
Nicodemus acknowledged respectfully that Jesus was a teacher sent by God. Jesus replied that no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again. Greek for born again is “anothem” which means born from above. No one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born from above. To see the Kingdom is to be saved.
Verses 4-5, 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”5 Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom.
Reflection
Nicodemus was thinking of naturally, but. Jesus was speaking spiritually. To be born of water, speaks of natural birth. To be born of the Spirit speaks of spiritual regeneration by the Holy Spirit, John 1: 12. You cannot enter the Kingdom of God by natural birth alone. You need to have a spiritual regeneration or be born again. The Kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom and exists in the hearts of believers who trust in Jesus as their King.
Verses 6-7, 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Don’t marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’
Reflection
Natural birth gives birth to a natural life. The natural life is spiritually dead because of sin, Romans 3:23, Ephesians 2:1. Spiritual birth gives birth to spiritual life, 1 John 5:12.
When a person confessed his sin, believes in Jesus, and surrenders his/her life to Jesus, the Holy Spirit enters him/her, regenerates him/her, and makes him/her into a new creation, 2 Corinthians 5:17. Only a spiritual heart transplant by Jesus could save Nicodemus from his sins, not his Jewish ancestry, wealth, political power, or knowledge of the Mosaic law.
Romans 3:23 (NIV), “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”.
Ephesians 2:1 (NIV), “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins”.
1 John 5:12 (NKJV), “He who has the Son has the life, he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV), “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come, the old has gone, the new is here!”
Application
Salvation is by grace alone, by faith alone, and by Christ alone. To be a Christian requires a spiritual regeneration, a born again experience. You can be born again today if you confess to Jesus that you are a sinner, believe that Jesus died for your sin to pay the penalty of sin for you, and surrender your life to Him. You can do this by saying this prayer sincerely from your heart:
Dear God, I confess that I am a sinner. Please forgive me. I believe that You died on the cross to pay the punishment for my sin. I surrender my life to You, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you said this prayer, you are born again. This is the first and most important step. Find a bible believing church near you and tell your decision to the pastor. Join in the community of faith and grow your faith.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You that it is by grace that we have been saved, through faith and not by works, so that no one can boast about it. Thank You for sending Your Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross as a substitutionary atonement for our sins. I pray for anyone who are not born again to receive the gift of salvation today, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Greetings, everyone! I trust you’re savoring the daily Lenten readings. The journey concludes on Easter, and to add an interactive touch, there’s now a quiz. Feel free to share any feedback!
Reading for Lent
Nicodemus (2)
Prayer
Heavenly Father, give us today Your Word of eternal life to sustain us. Enable us to understand spiritual truth by giving us spiritual eyes, ears, hearts, and minds of faith. Speak to us as only You can, through the Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
John 3:8-15
Verse 8, 8 The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but don’t know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Reflection
Here is a comparison between the wind and the Spirit. Greek for wind and Spirit is the same word, “pneuma.” Just as we cannot predict the activity of the wind, neither can we predict the activity of the Holy Spirit. Just as the wind is invisible, powerful, mysterious, and real, the Holy Spirit is invisible, powerful, mysterious and real. You can feel the presence of the Holy Spirit if your spiritual antenna is sensitive. You can see the mysterious power of the Holy Spirit through the testimonies of transformed lives.
Verses 9-10, 9 Nicodemus answered him, “How can these things be?”10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and don’t understand these things?
Reflection
As an unregenerate man, Nicodemus was thinking naturally, but Jesus was speaking spiritually. An unregenerate person cannot understand spiritual truth.
1 Corinthians 2:14 (NKJV), “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.’’
Verses 11-13, 11 Most certainly I tell you, we speak that which we know, and testify of that which we have seen, and you don’t receive our witness. 12 If I told you earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.
Reflection
Greek for “very truly” is “amen, amen,” which means most assuredly. The plural pronounce ‘we’ is an allusion to the Holy Trinity. Jesus used earthly metaphors like child-birth, water, and wind to illustrate spiritual truth and still Nicodemus could not understand. No one has ever gone to Heaven except Jesus Christ, who came down from Heaven. Jesus coming down from heaven speaks of His pre-existence, John 1:1. Son of Man is a Messianic title of Jesus, Daniel 7:13.
John 1:1 (NIV), “in the beginning was the Word, and Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
Daniel 7:13 (NIV), “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.”
Verses 14-15, 14 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Reflection
The bronze serpent that Moses erected in the desert on the instruction of God in Numbers 21:19 is a foreshadow of Jesus Christ. Any Israelites bitten by a real serpent in the wilderness will live if he looked at the bronze serpent. Lifting up the Son of Man speaks of the crucixion of Christ. Jesus was crucified on the cross to pay the penalty of your sins for you. Anyone who looks to Jesus with faith and believes in Him will be saved. Jesus is the substitutionary atonement for your sins. If you visit Mount Nebo in Jordan, you can see the brazen serpent monument.
Numbers 21:9 (NKJV), “So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV), “God made Him to be sin who knew no sin so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”
John 3:16 (NIV), “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Application
God loved you. 2000 years ago, Jesus, who is God became a man. He came down from heaven to earth. He lived a perfect life and died a cruel death on the cross to pay your sin debt. Whoever believes in Him will receive salvation and eternal life.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the punishment of our sins for us. Thank You for Good Friday, Easter Sunday, forgiveness of sin, salvation, justification, and eternal life, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Reading for Lent
Healing at Bethesda:3rd Sign
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we pray for open hearts to understand and receive Your words. We pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit to teach, enlighten, convict, correct, rebuke, and training in righteousness, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
John 5:1-15
Verses 1-2, 1 After these things, there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now in Jerusalem by the sheep gate, there is a pool, which is called in Hebrew, “Bethesda”, having five porches.
Reflection
After these things, means, after an undisclosed interval of time. Jesus left Cana, traveling 70 miles south to Jerusalem to attend a Jewish festival. The author did not say which festival this was. It could be Passover, Tabernacles, or Pentecost. Although travelling south, Jesus and His disciples went ‘up’ to Jerusalem. This is because Jerusalem is 2500 feet above sea level and is higher than Cana.
The ancient sheep gate is now called the Lion gate or St. Stephen’s gate. Today, you can visit the archaeological site of the pool of Bethesda just inside the Lion/ St. Stephens’s gate at the Temple Mount. Greek for Bethesda means ‘house of mercy.’
Verses 3-6, 3 In these lay a great multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, or paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water; 4 for an angel went down at certain times into the pool and stirred up the water. Whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was healed of whatever disease he had. 5 A certain man was there who had been sick for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had been sick for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to be made well?”
Reflection
A multitude of disabled people waited at the pool for the stirring of the water due to an intermittent activation of an underground spring, and not by angelic visitation. They believed that whoever entered the pool when the water stir up would receive healing. Of all the great multitude of people there, Jesus took pity on one single man who was paralysed for 38 years. He asked the man whether he wanted to be healed.
Verses 7-10, 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I’m coming, another steps down before me.”8 Jesus said to him, “Arise, take up your mat, and walk.” 9 Immediately, the man was made well, and took up his mat and walked. Now it was the Sabbath on that day. 10 So the Jews said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath. It is not lawful for you to carry the mat.”
Reflection
The man lamented that he could not enter the pool at the crucial moment because of his paralysis. The man must have wanted healing otherwise he would not go to the pool.
Jesus commanded him to stand, take up his mat, and walk. Immediately, the man stood up, took up his mat, and walked! The Jews here refer to the Pharisees. The Pharisees rebuke him for carrying a mat on a Sabbath and violating the Sabbath law.
Verses 11-15,11 He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’” 12 Then they asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your mat and walk’?” 13 But he who was healed didn’t know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a crowd being in the place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “Behold, you are made well. Sin no more, so that nothing worse happens to you.” 15 The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.
Reflection
The man replied that someone healed him of paralysis and told him to carry his mat and walk. The Pharisees asked him who this person was, but he could not answer them.
Later, Jesus found the man in the temple and told him not to sin anymore. The man went to the Pharisees and informed them that it was Jesus who told him to carry his mat and walk. On hearing this, the Pharisees plotted to kill Jesus.
Healing the paralytic man at the pool of Bethesda was the third sign.
Application
Jesus saw the paralytic man with eyes of love and compassion. Do you show any compassion when you see homeless, jobless, handicap, or terminally sick people? Will you do anything to help them?
At the ‘house of mercy’, Jesus had mercy on a paralysed man and healed him of paralysis. As stated earlier, Bethesda means ‘house of mercy.’
We are all paralysed by sin. Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s perfect standard. Romans 6:23 says that the consequence of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ.
Jesus is asking you today, do you want to be healed of sin? Will your answer be yes?
Jesus died on the cross to you to pay your sin debt for you. Do you believe in Jesus?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, please help us to see suffering people with the eyes of love and compassion. Please help us reach out to those in need. Thank you for salvation, justification, and the gift of eternal life. in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Reading for Lent
Confrontation with the Jews
Prayer
Father, may we grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as we listen and tune in to Your Word, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
John 5:16-30
Verse 16, 16 For this cause the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill him, because he did these things on the Sabbath.
Reflection
After the incident of healing the paralysed man, the Jews began to persecute Jesus.. One sect of the Jews called the Pharisees were legalists. They considered doing work on a Sabbath to be illegal according to the Mosaic law.
But their definition of work was absurd. They considered walking with a mat and healing sickness as works and therefore, not permitted on a Sabbath. So, they began to persecute Jesus for breaking the Sabbath law.
Verses 17-18, 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is still working, so I am working, too.” 18 For this cause therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath, but also called God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
Reflection
Jesus replied that He and His Father did not stop working. The Jews were incensed because Jesus claimed that He was God by calling God as His Father.
Verses 19-20, 19 Jesus therefore answered them, “Most certainly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father doing. For whatever things he does, these the Son also does likewise. 20 For the Father has affection for the Son, and shows him all things that he himself does. He will show him greater works than these, that you may marvel.
Reflection
Jesus solemnly declared that He could do anything on His own accord but only according to His Father’s instruction. The Father loved Jesus and showed Jesus all the things that He did.
Verse 21, 21For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom he desires.
Just as the Father had the power to raise the dead, Jesus too had the same power. In John 11:38-44, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.
Verses 22-23, 22 For the Father judges no one, but he has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who doesn’t honor the Son doesn’t honor the Father who sent him.
Reflection
God, the Father gave Jesus the authority to judge. Whoever honour Jesus, honour God. Whoever does not honour Jesus does not honour God.
Verse 24, 24 “Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and doesn’t come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
Reflection
Jesus solemnly declared that whoever hears Jesus’ word and believes in God, the Father, has eternal life, will not be judged at death, but has passover from death to life. John 5:24 is a good verse to commit to memory for evangelistic purpose..
Verses 25-27, 25 Most certainly I tell you, the hour comes, and now is, when the dead will hear the Son of God’s voice; and those who hear will live. 26For as the Father has life in himself, even so he gave to the Son also to have life in himself. 27 He also gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of man.
Reflection
Jesus solemnly declared that the dead will hear His voice at the rapture, and will live, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. The Father is the giver of life and so is Jsus. The Father gives authority to Jesus to judge as the Son of Man.
Verses 28-30, 28 Don’t marvel at this, for the hour comes in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice, 29 and will come out; those who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. 30 I can of myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is righteous; because I don’t seek my own will, but the will of my Father who sent me.
Reflection
The Bible says that there will be three resurrections of the dead. At the rapture, all Christians will be resurrected to life, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. In the Millennial Kingdom, tribulation martyrs will be resurrected to life, Revelation 20.:4-5. At the Great White Throne Judgment after the Millennial Kingdom, believers will be resurrected to life and unbelievers to condemnation, Revelation 20:11-15.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NIV), For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
Revelation. 20:4-5 (NIV), ” I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. This is the first resurrection.”
Revelation 20:11-15 (NIV), Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Application
Jesus healing the paralysed man on a Sabbath was an act of grace. For 38 years than man was chained to his mat, and now at last, he was free to carry his mat and walk!
There are provisions for exemption to the Sabbath laws on compassionate grounds and healing the sick comes under this provision.
Jesus is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. He is God in a human body. He is fully God and fully man
You can claim the promise of John 5:24. If you hear Jesus’ word and believe in Him, you will have eternal life, will not be judged after death, and has passover from death to life.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ into the world to save us Thank You for salvation, by grace through faith in Christ. We claim the promise that Jesus is the resurrection and the life, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Jesus Called Witnesses
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us consistency, determination, persistence, diligence, and perseverance in the study of Your Word, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
John 5:31-47
Verses 31-35, 31“If I testify about myself, my witness is not valid. 32 It is another who testifies about me. I know that the testimony which he testifies about me is true. 33 You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. 34 But the testimony which I receive is not from man. However, I say these things that you may be saved.35 He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.
Reflection
To proof that He was what He claimed to be, Jesus called five witnesses to the witness stand. The first witness was John the Baptist. John the Baptist testified that He was the Lamb of God and Messiah. John the Baptist was a lamp that burned and shined for Jesus.
John 1:29 (NIV), The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
John 1:34 (NIV), “I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”
John 1:36, (NIV) “When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
Verse 36, 36 I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish, the very works that I am doing, testify that the Father has sent me.
Reflection
The second witness was His works. The miracles that Jesus did testified and proved that He was God.
Verses 37-38, 37 The Father himself, who sent me, has testified about me. You have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his form. 38 You don’t have his word living in you, because you don’t believe him whom he sent.
Reflection
The third witness was His Father, who sent Him into the world. The Father spoke from heaven and proclaimed Jesus as His Son during His baptism and Transfiguration, Mark 1:11, Matthew 17:5.
Mark 1: 1, NIV, and a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Matthew 17:5 NIV, While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
Verses 39-40, 39 You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me. 40 Yet you will not come to me, that you may have life.
Reflection
The fourth witness was the Scripture. The Jews studied the scripture for salvation. Even though scriptures testified about Jesus, yet the Jews refused to believe.
Verses 41-44, 41 I don’t receive glory from men. 42 But I know you, that you don’t have God’s love in yourselves. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you don’t receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. 44 How can you believe, who receive glory from one another, and you don’t seek the glory that comes from the only God?
Reflection
Jesus receive glory from God but the Jews have no love God. Jesus came in His Father’s name and they refused to accept Jesus. When Satan comes in his name and they will accepted him (satan)..
Verses 45-47, 45 Don’t think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you, even Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote about me. 47 But if you don’t believe his writings, how will you believe my words?
Reflection
The fifth witness was Moses. Moses wrote about Jesus in the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy). The Jews considered Moses as their greatest prophet. Moses testified about Jesus, yet, they did not believe in Jesus.
Deuteronomy 18: 15 (NIV), “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites.’’
Application
Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Son of God, and the Lamb of God, who took away the sins of the world. Jesus of Nazareth is God who came to earth 2000 years ago by being born as a baby in Bethlehem. He grew up, lived a perfect life on earth, died a cruel and painful death on the cross to pay the penalty of yours and my sin. If you believes in Him, you will receive the forgiveness of sin, salvation, and eternal life.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we acknowledge that You are the vinedresser, Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. Help us to abide in You because with You we will perish. Thank You for the gift of salvation and eternal life in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Reading for Lent
Miracle Lunch Box, 4th Sign
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we pray for enablement to draw close to You in a personal encounter with You today. We pray for the enrichment of our lives through Your Living Word. Please sensitise our spiritual attenas to hear your words, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
John 6:1-15
Feeding the ‘5000’ is the 4th sign and is recorded in all the four Gospels.
Verses 1-2, 1 After these things, Jesus went away to the other side of the sea of Galilee, which is also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A great multitude followed him, because they saw his signs which he did on those who were sick.
Reflection
‘After these things’ is a time marker. After an undisclosed interval of time, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee, or Sea of Tiberias, and a great multitude followed him. By this time Jesus had become very popular because of the miracles that He did.
Verses 3-4, 3 Jesus went up into the mountain, and he sat there with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.
Reflection
Jesus sat on a mountain with His disciples. This was the time of the Jewish Passover, a yearly spring festival to commemorate the exodus of the Jews out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses.
Verses 5-6, 5 Jesus therefore lifting up his eyes, and seeing that a great multitude was coming to him, said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, that these may eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.
Reflection
Jesus looked up and saw the great multitude from a distance. Jesus asked Philip where to buy bread to test his faith. Jesus already knew what He would do. Jesus, the Bread of life, asked Philip where to buy bread! Bethsaida was Philip’s hometown.
Verse 7, 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may receive a little.”
Reflection
Philip was a calculator. He failed the test of faith. He calculated the cost and came up with an astouding figure of 200 denarii. In the first-century middle eastern world, 1 denarius was 1 day’s wage for an ordinary worker, and 200 denarii was 200 day’s wage! Philip did not factor the Bread of Life, into the equation. Philip did not have faith.
Verses 8-9, 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these among so many?”
Reflection
Enter Andrew, Peter’s brother, from Bethsaida. He was a connector. He connected a small boy who had five barley loaves and two small fish with Jesus. Barley bread was bread for the poor and Passover was the time of the barley harvest. Greek for fish is “opsarion,’’ which means small salted fish. Andrew did not have faith because he commented that this would be too little for so many people.
Verses 10-11, 10 Jesus said, Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in that place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 Jesus took the loaves; and having given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to those who were sitting down; likewise also of the fish as much as they desired.
Reflection
Jesus organized the crowd by asking them to sit down in groups on the grass. In spring the ground was full of grass. The synoptic gospels commented that Jesus organised the crowd into groups of 50s and 100s. Mark commented that the grass was green, Mark 6:39. There were five thousand men, excluding women and children. Jesus took the loaves, prayed, and multiplied the bread to feed everyone as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. Jesus’ performed the miracle and the disciples distributed the miracle. The multitude sitting on green pasture, fed by the shepherd is a picture of Psalm 23:1-2. Since women and children were not counted, 5000 was an underestimate of the real numbers. Conservatively, the actual number could exceed 10,000.
Mark 6:39, NIV, Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.
Psalm 23:1-2, (NKJV), ‘’The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.’’
Verses 12-13, 12 When they were filled, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the broken pieces which are left over, that nothing be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves, which were left over by those who had eaten.
Reflection
The disciples collected leftovers to protect the environment and to prevent wastage of food. They collected back 12 baskets full of leftovers. Jesus’ provision was superabundant. Imagine how excited the boy’s mother would be when her son came home and told her about the lunch box miracle!
Ephesians 3:20, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.”
Verses 14-15, 14 When therefore the people saw the sign which Jesus did, they said, “This is truly the prophet who comes into the world.” 15 Jesus therefore, perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
Reflection
The Jewish leaders remembered Deuteronomy 18:15. They turned rowdy and wanted to make Jesus their King by force. Jesus, therefore, left the crowd and withdrew to a mountain.
Deuteronomy.18:15 a (NIV), “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you.”
Application
If Jesus asks you to do something impossible, He may be testing your faith. Are you like Philip? Do you have faith in Jesus? Without faith, it is impossible to please God.
Hebrews 11:6 (NIV), “And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
When the boy’s mother packed lunch for his son, she was packing lunch for Jesus! Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of the Lord, 1 Corinthians 10:31.
1 Corinthians 10: 31 (NIV), “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
Jesus is the Bread of Life. Only Jesus can satisfy all your needs. Pray that God will give you your Daily Bread.
Jesus performed the miracle. The disciple’s job was to distribute the miracle to the people. Here is an example of Christian ministry. Jesus is the miracle worker. You and I, are just the distributor so the miracle. You and I are in the wilderness. Without the Bread of Life, we will die of spiritual hunger. Jesus had compassion on us, and fed us with the Bread of Life.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You that You are the God of the impossible. Thank You that You are the Bread of Life. Thank You for Your love, mercy, faithfulness, compassion, and superabundant grace. Help us to be distributors of your miracles, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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Reading for Lent
Walking on Water:5th Sign
Prayer
Heavenly Father, let your word dwell in us richly. Help us to share and admonish one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to You. We pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ name, Amen
John 6:16-24
Verses 16-17, 16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea. 17 They entered into the boat, and were going over the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not come to them.
Reflection
In the evening, after the feeding miracle, Jesus instructed His disciples to go to Capernaum by boat while He retreated to the mountain to pray and to escape from the crowd.
Verse18, 18 The sea was tossed by a great wind blowing.
Reflection
The Sea of Galilee is 680 feet below sea level, 8 miles wide, and 12 miles long. Mt Arbel on the west is 1,400 feet above sea level and the Golan Heights on the east is 2,500 feet above sea level. Cold winds from the Mediterranean Sea crossed the valley at high speed, and descend steeply to mix with warm air above the Sea of Galilee. This wind tunnel effect and the collision of cold and warm air causes violent flash thunderstorms in the Sea of Galilee. This phenomenon is happening even until today. The disciples obeyed Jesus but still encountered a storm. Jesus saw them struggling in the storm from the mountain and prayed for them.
Verse 19, 19 When therefore they had rowed about twenty-five or thirty stadia, they saw Jesus walking on the sea, Job 9:8, and drawing near to the boat; and they were afraid.
Reflection
25 to 30 stadia is 3 to 4 miles. So, when they were in the middle of the sea of Galilee, Jesus walked on water towards them and they were afraid. Greek for afraid is ‘phobia.’ They thought Jesus was a ghost. Walking on water was the 5th sign. Jesus is Lord over gravity, sea, winds, and storms. uJesus could walk on water just as easily as on dry land.
Verses 20-21, 20 But he said to them, “It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 21 They were willing therefore to receive him into the boat. Immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.
Reflection
Jesus replied, do not be afraid, ‘I AM.’ Greek for I AM, is ‘eigo eimi’ and Hebrews for I AM, is ‘YHWH.’
In Exodus 3:14, the pre-incarnate Jesus appeared to Moses as ‘I AM’ in the burning bush through a Christophany.
They invited Jesus into the boat and were transported out of the storm immediately to shore. In the storm, Jesus revealed His identity, glory, presence, and power to the disciples. He walked on water, calmed the storm, and rescued them.
Verses 22-24, 22 On the next day, the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except the one in which his disciples had embarked, and that Jesus hadn’t entered with his disciples into the boat, but his disciples had gone away alone. 23 However boats from Tiberias came near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 When the multitude therefore saw that Jesus wasn’t there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats, and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
Reflection
The next day, the multitude who witnessed the feeding miracle in Bethsaida, looked for Jesus but He was no where to be found. Seeing that boats from Tiberias were landing in Bethsaida, and they hopped in and sailed to Capernaum in search for Jesus.
Application
Storm comes even when you are in God’s will. In the storm of your life, Jesus is watching you in Heaven and praying for you. He has not left you and has not abandoned you. He is interceding for you in the throne room of the Father, and will rescue you at the right moment.
The disciples were in the storm for several hours before Jesus showed up. When you are in a storm for some time, just hang in there and persevere. Put your trust in Jesus. He is never late and His timing is perfect.
In the storms of your life, Jesus will reveal to you, His identity, glory, presence, and power
Invite Jesus into your boat, and He will take you out of the storm..
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we pray that You will reveal to us Your identity, glory, presence, and power in the storms of our lives. We pray for calming the sea and rescuing us out of the storm. Help us to persevere and pray, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Reading for Lent
1st I AM: Bread of Life (1)
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we pray that You will quiet down our hearts as we commit our time fully to You. Help us to be sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ name, Amen
John 6:25-40
Here is Jesus’ teaching on the spiritual significance of feeding the 5000.
Verses 25-27, 25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves, and were filled. 27 Don’t work for the food which perishes, but for the food which remains to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has sealed him.”
Reflection
When the multitude found Jesus in Capernaum, they asked Him when and how He arrived there. Jesus said they were looking for Him not because they saw the miracle, but they only wanted more bread to eat. Jesus replied that physical bread would not satisfy their spiritual hunger. What they need was spiritual bread to satisfy their spiritual hunger.
Verses 28-29, 28 They said therefore to him, “What must we do, that we may work the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
Reflection
The Jews asked what does God require them to do to get this spiritual bread. The jews believed in salvation through work and law-keeping. Jesus replied that the work of God is not work and law-keeping but to believe in Jesus, whom God sent.
Verses 30-33, 30 They said therefore to him, “What then do you do for a sign, that we may see and believe you? What work do you do? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness. As it is written, ‘He gave them bread out of heaven to to eat.’” Exodus 16:4, Nehemiah 9:15, Psalm 78:24-25. 32 Jesus therefore said to them, “Most certainly, I tell you, it wasn’t Moses who gave you the bread out of heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.”
The Jews demanded a sign from Jesus. Feeding the 5000 was such an amazing sign but they refused to believe it. They said Moses gave their ancestors manna from Heaven to eat.. Jesus corrected them, saying, manna was not from Moses but from God, His Father. Manna was only a foreshadow of Jesus, who is the Bread of God from Heaven.
Verses 34-36, 34 They said therefore to him, “Lord, always give us this bread.” 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will not be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But I told you that you have seen me, and yet you don’t believe.
Reflection
Jesus declared ‘I AM the Bread of Life,’. This is the first ‘I AM’ statement. The Jews were thinking naturally but Jesus was speaking spiritually. Whoever believes in Him will never be thirsty or hungry again. The Jews wanted this bread but they did not want to believe in Him.
Verses 37-39, 37 All those whom the Father gives me will come to me. He who comes to me I will in no way throw out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. 39 This is the will of my Father who sent me, that of all he has given to me I should lose nothing, but should raise him up at the last day.
Reflection
All that the Father gave to Jesus will come to Jesus. This is called divine predestination. Whoever comes to Jesus will not be rejected. This is called human decision. Divine predestination is God’s choice. Human decision is a personal response to Christ in faith. Divine predestination and human decision worked together synergistically in the salvation of a soul. These are two sides of the salvation coin. “Raised them up at the last day” speaks of the resurrection of the dead at the end of time, 1 Thessalonians. 4:16. Greek for last is “eschatos” which means the end of time.
1 Thessalonians. 4:16 (NIV), “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.’’
Verse 40, 40 This is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son, and believes in him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Reflection
Everyone who come to Jesus, the Son of God, and believes in Him, shall have eternal life and God will raised them up at the end of time, 1 Corinthians 15:52.
1 Corinthians 15:52 (NKJV), “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”
Application
Jesus is the Bread of Life, the Bread from God, the Bread from Heaven, the Living Bread, and the Living Manna. Only Jesus can give you eternal satisfaction of the soul. To eat the Bread of Life is to believe that Jesus died on the cross as a substitutionary atonement, to pay the penalty of your sin for you.
Feed on Jesus, the Bread of Life, every day to strengthen your spiritual life. Without feeding on the Bread of Life, you will be stunted and weak. Feed on the Word of God and pray to Jesus every day without fail.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of salvation by grace through faith in Christ. Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ to be a substitutionary atonement for our sins. We pray that You will give us Jesus, our daily Bread of Life, to sustain us spiritually,, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Reading for Lent
Bread of Life (2)
Prayer
Heavenly Father, give us this day our daily bread to feed and nourish our souls. Help us to discern your will and hear from You. We pray that Your Word will be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. We pray for training in righteousness, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
John 6:41-59
Verses 41-42,41 The Jews therefore murmured concerning him, because he said,“I am the bread which came down out of heaven.” 42 They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then does he say, ‘I have come down out of heaven?’”
Reflection
The Jews i.e. Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes, (teachers of the law) could not accept Jesus’ incarnation. They could not accept Jesus as the Bread from Heaven.
Verses 43-45, 43 Therefore Jesus answered them, “Don’t murmur among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Isaiah 54:13. Therefore, everyone who hears from the Father and has learned, comes to me.
Reflection
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent me draws him,’ is divine predestination. “I will raise them up at the last day” is the resurrection of the dead. ‘Everyone who hears from the Father and has learned comes to me’ is divine predestination.
Do not be carried away by the Calvinist-Arminian debate. The Calvinist’s insistence that salvation is 100% divine predestination is too extreme. The Arminian’s insistence that salvation is 100% human decision is also too extreme. As mentioned before, salvation is the synergistic interplay between divine predestination and human response. These are two sides of the salvation coin.
Verses 46-52, 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except he who is from God. He has seen the Father. 47 Most certainly, I tell you, he who believes in me has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and they died. 50 This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, that anyone may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. Yes, the bread which I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” 52 The Jews therefore contended with one another, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
Reflection
Only Jesus had seen God because He is the second person of the Holy Trinity. Whoever believes in Jesus shall have eternal life.
Manna is a foreshadow of Jesus, the Bread of Life, Living Manna, Living Bread, Bread of God, and Bread from Heaven. Whoever ‘eats’ Him will live forever. ‘Eat’ must not be taken literarily. To ‘eat’ is to believe. Whoever believes in Jesus will have eternal life.
In John 6:48, Jesus declared again that He is the Bread f Life, compare 6:35.
Verses 53-59,53 Jesus therefore said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you don’t have life in yourselves. 54 He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he who feeds on me, he will also live because of me. 58 This is the bread which came down out of heaven—not as our fathers ate the manna, and died. He who eats this bread will live forever.” 59 He said these things in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
Reflection
Jesus is the bread that came down from Heaven. ‘Son of Man’ is Jesus’ Messianic title.
The Jews were thinking naturally but Jesus was speaking spiritually. To eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man means to believe in Jesus. Whoever believes in Jesus will be raised to life during the resurrection of the dead. Jesus was not talking about cannibalism here.
The Bread of Life discourse took place in a synagogue in Capernaum. Archaeologists had discovered the ruins of this synagogue at Capernaum.
This passage had nothing to do with the Holy Communion because Jesus had not instituted this sacrament yet.
John 11:25 (NIV), Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.
Application
Manna is a foreshadow of Jesus. God fed the Israelites in the wilderness with manna from heaven for forty years. Today Jesus feeds us with the Bread of Life every day to sustain us spiritually. Without the Bread of Life, we will die of sin.
Jesus will raise up all those who believe in Him at the resurrection of the dead. Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Him will live even though he dies. Do you believe this?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for all that You have done for us in our lives. Thank You for salvation, justification, sanctification, and eternal life by grace through faith in Christ. Thank You for sending Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life to us, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Reading for Lent
2nd I AM: Light of The World
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we pray for divine wisdom, knowledge, understanding, insight, conviction, and revelation. We pray for a divine encounter with You in Your word today, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
John 8:12-30
Verse 12, 12 Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world, Isaiah 60:1. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Reflection
On the next day, with the 4 giant golden menorahs in the background, Jesus declared His 2nd I AM statement, “I am the light of the world”, John 8:12.
Jesus quoted Isaiah 60:1.
Verses 13-14, 13 The Pharisees therefore said to him, “You testify about yourself. Your testimony is not valid.” 14 Jesus answered them, “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from, and where I am going; but you don’t know where I came from, or where I am going.
Reflection
The Pharisees disputed Jesus’ claim that He was the Light of the world, saying that He had bo witness to support His claim
. In John 5, Jesus had already called five witnesses to testify His authority, John the Baptist, His miracles, His Father. Moses, and Scripture.
Jesus knew where He came from and where He was going, speaking of His pre-existence, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and glorification.
Verses 15-20, 15 You judge according to the flesh. I judge no one. 16 Even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent me. 17 It’s also written in your law that the testimony of two people is valid. Deuteronomy 17:6, 19:15. 18 I am one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me.” 19 They said therefore to him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 Jesus spoke these words in the treasury, as he taught in the temple. Yet no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.
Reflection
The Mosaic law requires a minimum of two witnesses to establish any arguments. Jesus testified that He was not operating alone. He was with His Father, who sent Him into the world, speaking of His pre-existence and incarnation.
The Pharisees were incensed when Jesus claimed that God was His Father.
This confrontation happened in the treasury of the temple court of women, where offerings were collected.
The Jews dare bot arrest Jesus because ‘His ‘hour had not yet come.’
Verses 21-24, 21 Jesus said therefore again to them, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sins. Where I go, you can’t come.” 22 The Jews therefore said, “Will he kill himself, because he says, ‘Where I am going, you can’t come’?”23 He said to them, “You are from beneath. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world. 24 I said therefore to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”
Jesus prophesied His death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and glorification, but the Jews could not understand. The Jews were from the world, but Jesus was from Heaven, speaking of His pre-existence. If the Jews do not believe that He was ‘I AM’” they would die in their sins. Hebrews for ‘I AM’ is ‘YHWH’. The Jews were incensed and wanted to kill Jesus for blasphemy.
Verses 25-26, 25 They said therefore to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. 26 I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you. However he who sent me is true; and the things which I heard from him, these I say to the world.”
Reflection
The Jews challenged Jesus’ identiy. Jesus declared that He was who He claimed to be, the Messiah. sent by God into the world.
Verses 27-30,27 They didn’t understand that he spoke to them about the Father. 28 Jesus therefore said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing of myself, but as my Father taught me, I say these things. 29 He who sent me is with me. The Father hasn’t left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”30 As he spoke these things, many believed in him.
Reflection
’’Son of Man’ is the Messianic title of Jesus. ‘Lifting up the Son of Man,’ speaks of the crucifixion of Jesus. When the Jews crucified Jesus, the Son of Man, they will know His identity. The Father who sent Jesus into the world was always with Him.. Even as He was speaking, many of the Jews believed in Him.
Application
Jesus told the Jews that if they do not believe that He was God, they will die in their sins.
Today, if anyone do not believe that Jesus is God, they will die in their sins.
What about you? Do you believe that Jesus is God?
Jesus is the pre-existing, self-existing, and eternal God. He is YHWH, the covenantal God who commissioned Moses in the burning bush.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for sending to us You Son, Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, and the Son of Man. We pray for protection against disease and good health. We pray for spiritual maturity, faith, and obedience to do your will, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Reading for Lent
6th Sign: Amazing Grace (1)
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we pray for spiritual understanding as we study the story of Jesus restoring sight to a congenitally blind man. Thank You for saving us from sin and spiritual blindness, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
John 9:1-17
Verses 1-5, 1 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “This man didn’t sin, nor did his parents; but, that the works of God might be revealed in him. 4 I must work the works of him who sent me while it is day. The night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Reflection
Jesus saw a congenitally blind man begging in the temple complex. His disciples wanted to know the reason for the man’s blindness. Jesus explained that the man’s blindness was not due to sin. The man was born blind to display God’s glory and power. Jesus repeated the 2nd I AM in John 9:5, compare John 8:12.
Jesus is the Light of the World and there is no darkness in Him. Those who follow Him will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life, John 8:12 b.
Light speaks of God, day, goodness, righteousness, and life. Darkness speaks of satan, night, wickedness, sin, and death. Light overcomes and defeats darkness, John 1:5.
Verses 6-7, 6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground, made mud with the saliva, anointed the blind man’s eyes with the mud, 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So he went away, washed, and came back seeing.
Reflection
Jesus made mud with saliva and sand and applied it to the man’s eyes. He ‘sent’ the man to wash his eyes in the pool of Siloam. Siloam in Greek means ‘sent.’ There is a wordplay here. Jesus ‘sent’ the man to wash in the pool of ‘sent’ and he was healed of blindness.
The pool of Siloam is connected to the Gihon spring by the Hezekiah’s tunnel. Jesus touched the blind man and healed him. It must have been a long time since somebody touched him. Jesus touched him with compassion, love, grace, and mercy. Healing the congenitally blind man was the 6th sign.
Today, you can visit the Hezekiah’s tunnel as a pilgrim. You enter the tunnel from the City of David and come out at the Pool of Siloam.
Verses 8-12, 8 The neighbors therefore, and those who saw that he was blind before, said, “Isn’t this he who sat and begged?” 9 Others were saying, “It is he.” Still others were saying, “He looks like him.” He said, “I am he.” 10 They therefore were asking him, “How were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “A man called Jesus made mud, anointed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went away and washed, and I received sight.” 12 Then they asked him, “Where is he?” He said, “I don’t know.”
Reflection
When the man was healed, his neighbours could not recognize him until he insisted that he was indeed the same person. They asked him how he was healed. He said a man called Jesus applied mud to his eyes, told him to wash in the pool of Siloam and he was healed. When they asked him where Jesus was, he said, he did not know.
Verses 13-15, 13 They brought him who had been blind to the Pharisees. 14 It was a Sabbath when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 Again therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, I washed, and I see.”
Reflection
The man was healed on a Sabbath. The neighbours took him to the Pharisees for questioning. The Pharisees asked the man how he was healed. He replied, Jesus applied mud to his eyes, told him to wash in the pool of a Siloam and he was healed.
Verses 16-17, 16 Some therefore of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he doesn’t keep the Sabbath.” Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” So there was division among them. 17 Therefore they asked the blind man again, “What do you say about him, because he opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”
Reflection
Some of the Pharisees declared Jesus a sinner who had broken the Sabbath. Others disagreed saying that a sinner would not be able to heal blindness. They turned to the man for his opinion and he declared Jesus a prophet.
The Pharisees had no love, mercy, grace, and compassion. They turned a blind eye to people in pain, suffering, disability, and distress. They were steep in legalism. Keeping the Sabbath law was more important than someone’s health, misery, or suffering.
Jesus did not break the law by healing the blind man. As mentioned before, there is an exception to the Sabbath law for healing the sick on compassionate ground. The Jews conveniently ignored this just to accuse Jesus as a sinner.
The Sabbath law cannot be applied to Jesus. He super ceded the law because He is God. Sabbath was created for the benefit of men and not the other way round.
Application
There are 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night. Day speaks of life and night speaks of death. Serve God when you are alive because when you are dead, you cannot serve God.
We were once spiritually blind and could not see Jesus, but He opened our eyes to see Him and we believed. This is a miracle.
This is God’s amazing grace to us. He opened our spiritual eyes so that we can see Him with the eyes of faith.
‘I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see,’ Amazing grace, John Newton.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for divine enablement for us to see You with the eyes of faith. Thank You for touching us with compassion, mercy, love, and grace. Thank You that Jesus is the Light of the World and in Him there is no darkness, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Reading for Lent
3rd and 4th I AM: Door and Good Shepherd
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we come before You in humility and submission. Help us to be sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirt. We are ready to receive Your divine instruction through the reading and meditation of Your Word, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
John 10:1-21
This is the parable of the Good Shepherd.
Verses 1-2, 1 Most certainly, I tell you, one who doesn’t enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 But one who enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
Reflection
In this parable, the shepherd represents Jesus, the sheep represent Christian, the gatekeeper represents the Holy Spirit, the thief and robber represents satan. The shepherd enters the sheep pen through the door. The thief and robber enters the sheep pen by climbing over the fence
Verses 3-4, 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. 4 Whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
Reflection
When the gatekeeper (Holy Spirit) opens the gate, the shepherd (Christ) will call His sheep by name. The sheep follow the shepherd because it recognize the shepherd’s voice. Jesus calls us by name and we follow Him.
Psalm 23 a, “The Lord is my shepherd.’’
Isaiah 53:6, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
Verses 5-6, 5 They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him; for they don’t know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus spoke this parable to them, but they didn’t understand what he was telling them.
Reflection
A sheep will not follow a stranger whose voice it did not recognize. We must listen to Jesus’ voice and not to satan’s voice.
Jesus was speaking figuratively. The Pharisees did not understand him because they were thinking literarily.
Verses 7-10, 7 Jesus therefore said to them again, “Most certainly, I tell you, I am the sheep’s door. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture. 10 The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.
Reflection
‘I am the door,’ John 10:7, is the third ‘I AM’. Jesus is the door of the sheep pen. He is the door way to God, eternal life, salvation, provision, safety, and protection. Jesus comes to give us abundant life, while Satan comes only to steal, kill, and destroy life, John 10:10.
John 14:6 (NIV), Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Verses 11- 13, 11 I am the good shepherd, Isaiah 40:11, Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15, 22. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.12 He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn’t own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep, and scatters them. 13 The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand, and doesn’t care for the sheep.
Reflection
‘I am the Good Shepherd,.’ John 10:11, is the 4th I AM, see also John 10:14. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, lays down His life for us on the cross of Calvary as a substitutionary atonement for our sins.
Satan does not love the sheep because he is only a hired hand.
John 15:13 (NIV), ‘’Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.’’
Verses 14-15, 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own; 15 even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep.
Reflection
The greatest love that one person can show to another person is to die for him in his place. Jesus, the Good Shepherd did this when He laid down His life for us.
Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Verse 16, 16 I have other sheep, which are not of this fold, Isaiah 56:8. I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd.
Reflection
The other sheep speaks of the Gentiles. Jesus will bring Gentiles and Jews together into one flock, the church, under Him as the head. Paul called the church ‘one new man’ in Christ.
Ephesians 2:14 (NKJV), “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation.’’
Ephesians 2:15 (NKJV), “having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace.”
Verses 17-18, 17 Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, Isaiah 53:7-8, that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down by myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. I received this commandment from my Father.”
Reflection
‘Laying down His life and taking it up again,’ speaks of Christ’s death, resurrection, ascension, and glorification. No one can take Jesus’ life. He laid down His life voluntarily, and took it up again, according to God’s divine plan. Pontius Pilate and the Jews had no power to take Jesus’ life.
Verses 19-21, 19 Therefore a division arose again among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane! Why do you listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the sayings of one possessed by a demon. It isn’t possible for a demon to open the eyes of the blind, is it?”, Exodus 4:11.
Reflection
The Jews were divided about Jesus’ identity. Some believed He was demon-possessed but others believed He was from God.
Application
Jesus is the Way to God, the Truth of God, and the Life of God. Jesus is the true light that gives life to us. Jesus died on the cross as a substitutionary atonement for our sins.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd, Chief Shepherd, Great Shepherd, and Shepherd of our soul.
Jesus did for us something that we could never do for ourselves. He died the death we deserve so that our sins can be washed away and forgiven. He died the death we deserve so that we can have eternal life in His Name.
For all that He did for us, He deserved to be in the centre of our life.
Is Christ in the centre of your life?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to be our Good Shepherd, Chief Shepherd, Great Shepherd, and Shepherd of our souls. Thank You that Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sin and give us eternal life, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Reading for Lent
5th I AM: Resurrection and the Life
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. Thank You for Your divine appointment with us to speak to us through scripture. We claim the promise that when 2 or more are gathered in Your name, You will be there with us, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
John 11:17-35
Verses 17-19,17 So when Jesus came, he found that he had been in the tomb four days already. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away. 19 Many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.
Reflection
Bethany is about 1.5 miles (15 stadia) from Jerusalem.
When Jesus reached Bethany, Lazarus was already buried in a tomb for 4 days. His body would have decomposed by now and no one could claimed that Lazarus had not died.
Verses 20-22,20 Then when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary stayed in the house. 21 Therefore Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. 22 Even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.”
Reflection
When Martha met Jesus, she accused Him of not coming earlier to raise Lazarus. Even so, she still believed that Jesus could do something for Lazarus.
Verses 23-26, 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies. 26 Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Reflection
Jesus replied that Lazarus would be raised, not at the resurrection of the dead, but immediately. ‘I AM the resurrection and the life,’ John 11:25, is the 5th I AM. Jesus promised that whoever believes in Him will be raised from the dead at the end of time and will have eternal life.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 (NIV), “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.”
Verses 27-28, 27She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, God’s Son, he who comes into the world.”28 When she had said this, she went away and called Mary, her sister, secretly, saying, “The Teacher is here and is calling you.”
Reflection
Martha declared her great confession of faith, ‘I believe that You are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.’ She went back and told Mary to go to Jesus.
Verses 29-32, 29 When she heard this, she arose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was in the place where Martha met him. 31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house and were consoling her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.” 32 Therefore when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.”
Reflection
When Mary came to Jesus, she fell at His feet in worship and said what Martha had said earlier. But Mary did not accuse Jesus for coming late. She was bowing before her master in reverence, brokenness, submission, and humility. There was no anger or resentment in her voice. She was just stating what was in her heart.
Verses 33-35, 33When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews weeping who came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, 34 and said, “Where have you laid him?” They told him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept.
Reflection
‘Jesus wept,’ John 11:35, is the shortest verse in the Bible. Deeply moved with emotion at the death of his dear friend Lazarus, and the sorrows of Martha and Mary, Jesus wept.
Jesus was fully human and fully God. He could feel the emotion that we feel.
Even though He was going to raise Lazarus to life very soon, He still wept.
Jesus also broke down at the consequence of sin on people. ‘For the wages of sin is death,’ Romans 3:23.
Jesus identified with our sorrows and weeps with us. When we weep, God collects our tears into a bottle and records them. He will never allow our tears to go to waste.
Isaiah 53:3 (NIV), “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces, he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.”
Psalm, 56:8, “You count my wanderings. You put my tears into your container. Aren’t they in your book?”
Application
Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life, John 3:16..
Do you believe this?
Jesus identified with your sorrows, sufferings, and pain. He had experienced all the pain that you are experiencing.
He is a God of compassion who identifies with you and understand all your circumstances.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You that when we weep, You weep with us. You collect our tears into a bottle and records them in Your book. This is how much You loved and cared for us. Thank You, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Reading for Lent
7th Sign: Raising of Lazarus
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You that it is by grace that we have been saved through faith in Your Son Jesus Christ and not by work. Give us the stamina, energy, strength, wisdom, persistence, and consistency to study and meditate on Your word, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
John 11: 36-57
Verses 36-39,36 The Jews therefore said, “See how much affection he had for him!” 37 Some of them said, “Couldn’t this man, who opened the eyes of him who was blind, have also kept this man from dying?” 38 Jesus therefore, again groaning in himself, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”
Reflection
The raising of Lazarus was the 7th and most significant sign. After 4 days in the tomb, Lazarus’ body would have undergone irreversible decay and decomposition.
The Jews questioned Jesus’ inability to prevent Lazarus’ death.
Jesus told the people to roll back the stone but Martha objected saying, ‘Lord, by now it stinkered,’ (KJV).
In the first-century Israel, the Jews buried their dead in caves. After wrapping the corpse with linens from head to toes, and placing it inside the tomb, they sealed the entrance with a large round stone. After many months, relatives of the dead person collect the bones and stored them in a stone box called an ossuary.
Verses 40-44, 40 Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you would see God’s glory?” 41 So they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, “Father, I thank you that you listened to me. 42 I know that you always listen to me, but because of the multitude standing around I said this, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 He who was dead came out, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Free him, and let him go.”
Reflection
Jesus told Martha to believe.
Jesus prayed to His Father publicly and commanded with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus come out.’ Lazarus came out wrapped in the grave linens. Jesus told the people to remove the grave linens and set him free.
If Jesus had not specifically mentioned Lazarus by his name, all the dead would have come out from the tomb!
When Jesus resurrected on Easter, His body passed through the grave linens like a butterfly coming out from a cocoon. The Resurrected Christ was raised to eternal life in a spiritual body.
The resurrected Lazarus was raised back to a natural life which would eventually die again. At the rapture, all Christians will be resurrected to eternal life in spiritual bodies, 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 (NKJV), ‘’For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first”
Verses 45-48, 45 Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary and saw what Jesus did believed in him. 46 But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done. 47 The chief priests therefore and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, “What are we doing? For this man does many signs. 48 If we leave him alone like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
Reflection
After the raising of Lazarus, many Jews believed in Jesus ,but those who did not believe reported the miracle to the Pharisees.
The Sadducees did not believe in miracles, spirits, angels, demons, and resurrection. The Pharisees believed in miracles, spirits, angels, demons, and resurrection.
The Sadducees and the Pharisees did not get along but they were willing to worked together to kill their common enemy, Jesus of Nazareth
Verses 49-53, 49 But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, 50 nor do you consider that it is advantageous for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.” 51 Now he didn’t say this of himself, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but that he might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day forward they took counsel that they might put him to death.
Reflection
Caiaphas, the high priest commented that if all the Israelites believed in Jesus, the Romans would destroy their temple and nation. Unknowingly, he prophesied the substitutionary atonement of Jesus and the destruction of Israel. God used an unregenerate, irreligious, and unbelieving Jew, to speak a prophecy.
Verses 54-57, 54 Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews, but departed from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim. He stayed there with his disciples. 55 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand. Many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves. 56 Then they sought for Jesus and spoke with one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think—that he isn’t coming to the feast at all? 57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had commanded that if anyone knew where he was, he should report it, that they might seize him.
Reflection
After this, Jesus and His disciples withdrew to a remote village called Ephraim to hide from the Jews. As the Passover feast was approaching, the Sadducees and the Pharisees were more determined to arrest and kill Jesus.
This was the 3rd Passover feast that John recorded.
Application
The raising of Lazarus was not an ordinary miracle. After 4 days in the tomb, Lazarus was dead beyond any shadow of a doubt. Jesus had to revitalise all the dead, rotten, decomposed cells, tissues and body organs, and put them back together!
The raising of Lazarus was a prelude to the resurrection of Jesus on Easter.
The raising of Lazarus was also a prelude to the rapture when all Christians, whether dead or still alive, will be raised to meet Christ as He descends from Heaven.
Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life, John 11:25. Whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of eternal life. Thank You for the promise of resurrection for those who believe in You. Thank You that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Reading for Lent
Palm Sunday
Prayer
Heavenly Father, creator of heavens and earth, we commit our time to You and give You our full attention. We pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit to speak to us through the living and inspired Word. We pray for wisdom to obey and apply Your Word appropriately, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
John 12:12-19
We are now in the Passion week.
5 days before Passover (Good Friday), the 10th of Nisan, is Palm Sunday, Lamb selection day, or Triumphal entry. All the four Gospels recorded this event. On this day, a Jewish family will select a lamb to look after it at home until the 14th of Nisan for temple sacrifice. On Lamb selection day, the Lamb of God entered Jerusalem on a donkey to Triumph over sin.
Verses 12-13, 12 On the next day a great multitude had come to the feast. When they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 they took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet him, and cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, Psalm 118:25-26, the King of Israel!”
Reflection
On Palm Sunday, a massive crowd of Israelites came to greet Jesus, waving palm branches as He was making His way to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. They shouted Messianic Psalm 118:25-16. Hosanna means, ‘save us.’’ They cried out to Jesus to save them from Romans occupation, but Jesus’ mission was to save them from sin and not from the Romans.
Psalm 118:25-26, “Save us now, we beg you, Yahweh! Yahweh, we beg you, send prosperity now. Blessed is he who comes in Yahweh’s name! We have blessed you out of Yahweh’s house.’’
Verses 14-15, 14 Jesus, having found a young donkey, sat on it. As it is written, 15 “Don’t be afraid, daughter of Zion. Behold, your King comes, sitting on a donkey’s colt.” Zechariah 9:9.
Reflection
Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah spoken 500 years before the event. The Prince of peace entered Jerusalem humbly on a donkey, an animal of peace.
For a prophecy spoken 500 years earlier to be fulfilled to the exact detail is a mathematical impossibility. In the Bible more than 300 prophecies predicted hundreds of years earlier, had been fulfilled to the exact details!
This proved beyond any doubt that the Bible is divinely inspired.
Zechariah 9:9, ‘’Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you! He is righteous, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
”
Verse 16, 16 His disciples didn’t understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about him, and that they had done these things to him.
Reflection
His disciples did not understand the significance of Palm Sunday until after Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and glorification.
Verses 17-19, 17 The multitude therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead was testifying about it. 18 For this cause also the multitude went and met him, because they heard that he had done this sign. 19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “See how you accomplish nothing. Behold, the world has gone after him.”
Reflection
By now, Jesus’ popularity ranking among the Israelites was at an all-time high because of Lazarus, while that of the Pharisees was at an all-time low. The Pharisees were incensed at the crowds’ immense support for Jesus.
Application
Jesus entered Palm Sunday to Triumph over sin. Jesus the Lamb of God, died on the cross as the perfect sacrifice to pay the penalty of our sins for us. He died the death that we deserved so that we will have eternal life. He died as a substitution for our sins, past, present, and future.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, today, we remember Palm Sunday when Jesus Christ, entered Jerusalem 2000 years ago on a donkey as the Prince of Peace. Thank you for Jesus’ substitutionary atonement for our sins so that we can have eternal life. We pray for world peace in such a time as this, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Reading for Lent
6th I AM: Way, Truth, And Life
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we pray for opening of spiritual eyes and transformation of worldly worldview. We permit You to do spiritual heart transplants on us, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
John 14:1-14
Verses 1-4, 1 “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many homes. If it weren’t so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also. 4 You know where I go, and you know the way.”
Reflection
We are still in the upper room discourse. The disciples were troubled when Jesus spoke of His betrayal and His intention to leave them. Jesus assured them that He is going back to His Father’s house to prepare a place for them and bring them there. Jesus is returning to Heaven and will bring us Heaven. This is an allusion to the rapture of 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NIV), “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”
Verses 5-9, 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on, you know him, and have seen him.” 8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you such a long time, and do you not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. How do you say, ‘Show us the Father?’
Reflection
‘I AM the way, the truth, and the life,’ John 14:6, is the 6th I AM. Jesus is the Way to God, the Truth of God, and the Life of God. To see Jesus is to see God. To know Jesus is to know God. If you want to know God, get to know Jesus. Jesus is the exact image of God, Colossians 1:15 and Hebrews 1:3.
Colossians 1:15 a (NIV), “The Son is the image of the invisible God.”
Hebrews 1:3 a (NIV), “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.”
Verses 10-11, 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I tell you, I speak not from myself; but the Father who lives in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me; or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
Reflection
The Father and Jesus are first two personalities of the Trinity. The third person of the Trinity is the Holy Spirit. Father , Son, and Holy Spirit shares the same Godhead of the Trinity. There is only one God represented by three Persons.
John 1:1 b (NIV), “The Word was with God and the Word was God.”
Verses 12-14, 12 Most certainly I tell you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also; and he will do greater works than these, because I am going to my Father. 13 Whatever you will ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you will ask anything in my name, I will do it.
Reflection
After Jesus’ glorification, He sent the Holy Spirit to us so that we can do even greater works than Him. We may ask anything through prayer in Jesus’ name, and He will answer us.
Application
Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth of God, and the Life. There is no other way to God apart from Him.
Jesus is the only true God. He is God in a human body, the exact image, reflection, and icon of God’s glory.
Get to see Jesus through the Bible, and you will see God.
Get know Jesus through the Bible, and you will know Jesus.
Knowing the Truth about Jesus will set you free from sin and deception
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You that Jesus Christ, is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Thank You revealing Yourself to us through Christ, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Post Lenten Read
Easter (2)- The Witness of Mary Magdalene
Prayer
Heaven Father, we acknowledged that Jesus Christ is the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the author and perfecter of our faith, the Resurrection and the life. We pray for clear minds and teachable spirits, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
John 20:11-18
Verses 11-13, 11 But Mary was standing outside at the tomb weeping. So as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb, 12 and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have laid him.”
Reflection
After Peter and John left the tomb, Mary Magdalene stayed on and wept outside the tomb. When she looked inside the tomb, she saw two angels seated at the place where Jesus’ body was supposed to be, one at the head and one at the foot. When the angels asked her why she was crying, she replied that tomb raiders had stolen her Lord’s body.
Verses 14-16, 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, and didn’t know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” She, supposing him to be the gardener, said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him, “Rabboni!” which is to say, “Teacher!”
Reflection
When Mary turned around, she saw Jesus standing beside her, but she mistook Him for the gardener. When Jesus called her by name, she recognized Jesus voice and proclaimed, Teacher!
Verses 17-18, 17 Jesus said to her, “Don’t hold me, for I haven’t yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had said these things to her.
Reflection
Jesus told Mary Magdalene not to cling on to Him. As the first fruit of the resurrection, Jesus had to present Himself to God as a wave offering first, before He could be touched, Numbers 5:25.
Numbers 5:25, NIV, “The priest is to take from her hands the grain offering for jealousy, wave it before the Lord and bring it to the altar.”
Jesus’ God is Mary Magdalene’s God, our God, and the God of all who believed in Jesus..
Mary Magdalene was the first person to see the Risen Christ. Jesus told her to go back and tell the disciples about what she saw.
Jesus called the disciples His brothers. Mary went back and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord.
Hebrews 2:11(NIV),“Both, the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So, Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.”
Application
Mary Magdalene saw the Risen Christ standing beside her but still did not recognize Him. Sometimes Christ is standing right beside us and we did not recognize Him until He calls us by name in a still small voice.
We must be sensitive by raising our spiritual antennas, to listen to His still small voice. Listen and you will hear Him call you by name.
Jesus called three people by their names twice, Marta, Marta, Simon, Simon and Saul, Saul.
Jesus called four people by their names once, Peter, Lazarus, Philip, and Mary Magdalene.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we pray for sensitive ears, eyes, spirits, hearts, and minds to hear you speak to us and call us by name. Help us to be in Your will and direct our steps, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Jesus Arrested
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we pray for concentration and attention. We pray for the removal of distractions from all other voices to hear only the voice of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
John 18:1-18
Verses 1-4, 1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples over the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, into which he and his disciples entered. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3 Judas then, having taken a detachment of soldiers and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. 4 Jesus therefore, knowing all the things that were happening to him, went out, and said to them, “Who are you looking for?”
Reflection
Jesus and the eleven disciples crossed the Brook Kidron and entered the Garden of Gethsemane. Gethsemane means olive press, a place for crushing the olive seeds to extract the olive oil.
After Gethsemane, Jesus will be crushed and His blood will be shed to atone for the sin of mankind.
Judas the betrayer escorted soldiers, chief priests, and Pharisees to arrest Jesus.
Jesus, with His omniscient knowledge, asked them what they wanted.
Verses 5-9, 5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas also, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When therefore he said to them, “I am he,” they went backward, and fell to the ground. 7 Again therefore he asked them, “Who are you looking for?” They said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If therefore you seek me, let these go their way,” 9 that the word might be fulfilled which he spoke, “Of those whom you have given me, I have lost none”, John 6:39.
Reflection
Greek for “I AM” is ‘eigo eimi’ and Hebrews for “I AM” is God’s covenantal name, ‘YHWH.’ Jesus spoke to Moses in the burning bush through a Christophany in Exodus 3:16. He revealed His name to Moses as ‘I AM WHO I AM’ or ‘YHWH.’ On hearing “I AM,” those who came to arrest Him fell backward to the ground. John 18:9 is a fulfillment of John 17:12.
John 17:12 (NIV), “While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.”
Verses 10-14, 10 Simon Peter therefore, having a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. 11 Jesus therefore said to Peter, “Put the sword into its sheath. The cup which the Father has given me, shall I not surely drink it?”12 So the detachment, the commanding officer, and the officers of the Jews seized Jesus and bound him, 13 and led him to Annas first, for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14 Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should perish for the people.
Reflection
Peter cut off the right ear of Malcus, the high priest’s servant. Only Peter and John were there as the other nine had fled. According to Luke, Jesus performed His last miracle by attached back the ear of Malchus. The soldiers, the chief priests, and the Pharisees arrested Jesus and brought Him to Annas, the father-in-law of the high priest Caiaphas.
Luke 22:51 (NKJV), “But Jesus answered and said, ‘Permit even this.’ And He touched his ear and healed him.”
Verses 15-18, 15 Simon Peter followed Jesus, as did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered in with Jesus into the court of the high priest; 16 but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought in Peter. 17 Then the maid who kept the door said to Peter, “Are you also one of this man’s disciples?” He said, “I am not.” 18 Now the servants and the officers were standing there, having made a fire of coals, for it was cold. They were warming themselves. Peter was with them, standing and warming himself.
Reflection
Peter and John followed behind Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard. An unnamed servant girl identified Peter as one of Jesus’ disciples but Peter denied ever knowing Jesus. This was Peter’s first denial. Other servants and officers also identified Peter.
Application
Jesus of Nazareth is YHWH, the voice behind the burning bush.
Jesus is a Deity, fully God and fully man, God in human flesh.
The Trinitarian God of the Bible is the only True and Living God who created the whole universe.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we acknowledge that You are YHWH, the God of the Bible. We have already seen all the seven I AM in the Gospel John. We acknowledge that there is no other God apart from You, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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