John 12:44-50

1) Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes) 



2) Scripture Reading: John 12:44-50

44 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. 45 The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. 47 “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. 49 For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”

3) Devotional: This passage at the end of John 12 is really, in a way, Jesus Himself summarizing the words and activity of the preceding chapters of John: to believe in Jesus is to believe in God Himself (verse 45), Jesus is the Light of the world (verse 46), He did not come to judge the world (verse 47), and Jesus does not speak on His own but with the mind and authority of God the Father (verse 49), who has sent Christ into the world to save it and offer it hope.

            So in reality, in the closing words of John 12, and before we move on to the events of the final week of Jesus’ ministry before the crucifixion, we see a summary statement- a balance sheet, if you will- of Jesus’ incarnate, public life and ministry- why He came, and the motivation behind everything He did.

           

4) Questions to Consider: If someone were to summarize your life- why you are here, and what you have done with the time, relationships, and resources at your disposal, what would that “balance sheet” look like? Does it read like you would want it to? How might you change how it reads for the better in the days ahead?

5) Prayer: Jesus, You came to this earth with purpose, and You fulfilled it. Give me the clarity, strength, and courage to live fully in the purpose you have planned for me, so that the summary statement of my life would clearly point to You and point others to You. Amen.

Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)

John 12:37-43

1) Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes) 

2) Scripture Reading: John 12:37-43
³⁷ Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. ³⁸ This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:

   “Lord, who has believed our message
   and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
 ³⁹ For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:
 ⁴⁰ “He has blinded their eyes
   and deadened their hearts,
so they can neither see with their eyes,
   nor understand with their hearts,
   nor turn—and I would heal them.”
 ⁴¹ Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.
 ⁴² Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; ⁴³ for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.

3) Devotional: 
Here we see the Jews continue in their unbelief.  No matter what they saw, they still would not believe in Jesus.  But for those that did believe could not say it publicly because they didn't want to face any consequences if they expressed their belief in Jesus Christ.  I think verses 42 & 43 are a challenge to many of us.  It's hard to express truth in situations where you don't want to offend someone.  You may think your faith may cause division in relationships you have with others.  I think our minds tend to hijack when we are faced with situations where you have the opportunity to express your faith.  Our minds play out a whole scenario of "if I say this then so-and-so will say that and then things will get awkward and our time together will be ruined".  Does that ever happen to you?  Don't let your mind take you places that are far from reality.  Think on the things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable (Phil. 4:8).  If you are in a situation where you believe your faith will be opposed, bathe that relationship in prayer.  Ask the Holy Spirit to give you guidance in words and for your thoughts to be focused on Christ and what he brings to us - an abundant life.  

4) Questions to Consider:
What relationships do you need to bathe in prayer?  What "scenarios of your mind" need to be thrown out so that your mind can focus on God's truth?

5) Prayer: Lord Jesus, help take captive of thoughts that aren't of you or aren't pleasing to you.  Break free the binds of my unbelief in situations where I am scared to speak freely of my faith. Help me to express my love for you to others no matter what.  I want to please you and honor you and bring glory to Your name.  Amen.

Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)

John 12:20-36

1) Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes) 

2) Scripture Reading: John 12:20-36
²⁰ Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. ²¹ They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” ²² Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

 ²³ Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴ I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. ²⁵ The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶ Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
   ²⁷ “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. ²⁸Father, glorify your name!”
   Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” ²⁹ The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
 ³⁰ Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. ³¹ Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. ³² But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” ³³ He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
 ³⁴ The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ^[a] will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”
 ³⁵ Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. ³⁶ Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

3) Devotional: Instructions. . . an important part of any child's Christmas present, especially when faced with two sheets of different colored stickers!  One Christmas my son asked for a bus that held many little race cars.  It was really cool.  It had little compartments for the cars, and it folded up into a suitcase, so he could carry it around.  The bus on the box looked amazing too, until I opened it up and found a plain blue shell.  It was my job - as the parent to affix the labels to the bus, to make it look like the bus on the box.  At 2:00AM on Christmas morning - it was not an easy task.  It was time consuming, and if it weren't for the instructions - I don't know what it would have looked like, as things are not always as easy as they appear on the outside.  The same thing can be said of becoming a follower of Jesus.

In this passage - two Greek men wanted to meet Jesus.  I would assume that Phillip and Andrew, when they went and told Jesus, didn't expect what they he was about to tell them.  He explained the cost.  "Those who love their life in this world will lose it.  Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.  Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am."  Following Jesus, was not as easy as it looked.  The expectations were great then, and they are still great today.  To be a follower required death. . . death to self and death to sin.  It also required a turning towards the light. . . truth and righteousness, and walking in it.

When people come to Christ - when they ask Him to be their forever friend, it's exciting.  There's the promise of eternal life.  On the outside it seems so easy.  They are saved from a death sentence - from an eternity in Hell.  But is it really that easy?  Do people really understand what it costs to follow Jesus?  Jesus made it clear - "those who love their life in this world will lose it.  Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity"!!

4) Questions to Consider: Have you ever truly counted the cost of being a follower of Jesus?  What sacrifices have you had to make, in order to embrace the light, to walk in truth?  Eternal life is a free gift, but comes with a hefty price. . . self sacrifice.  What does that mean to you?  Take time to journal your thoughts.

5) Prayer: Father, show me what gets in the way of me following you.  Help me to daily walk in the truth, and to reject all that hinders me from receiving your mercy and grace.  I am your child - much beloved by You.  Let my words and action reflect that truth.  In Jesus name.  Amen.

Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)

John 11:38-43

1)   Silence, Stillness, and Centering Before God (2 min)

2)   Scripture Reading: John 11:38-43

³⁸ Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ³⁹ “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” ⁴⁰ Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” ⁴¹ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” ⁴³ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

3)   Devotional:

Here we see Martha question Jesus’ actions despite her saying she believed who he is.  She believed that Jesus could have prevented Lazarus from dying, but still had doubts.  She didn’t believe that she would see a miracle at this point.

Jesus had to remind her that if she believed, she would see the glory of God – he seeks to stretch her faith.

I know that in my own life, Jesus stretches my faith.  There is no question in who Jesus is.  But more than often I question what He’s doing.  That I question his ways and timing.  Dr. Frank put it best in his sermon from last Sunday, that “God’s delays are not God’s denials.”  There have been many times in my life where God shows up at the right time – not necessarily when I want him to, but in his time.  We may question that if God does something outside of our desires, it’s surely going to “stink”, that it won’t turn out in our favor.  Let’s not forget that Jesus represents life and wants us to experience the glory of God.  Let’s put to death our own desires or perspective and allow Jesus to stretch our faith in Him and what He is and will be doing.

4)   Questions to Consider

In what areas of my life do I see my faith stretched?  Where do I see God’s delays and how can I put more trust in his timing?

5)   Prayer

Dear Lord, forgive me for not trusting in you.  Help my disbelief.  Protect me from the enemy that wants to put my desires over yours.  Increase my faith, strengthen it and stretch it in Jesus’ name.  Amen. 

John 11:28-37

1) Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes) 


2) Scripture Reading: John 11: 28-37

²⁸ After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” ²⁹ When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. ³⁰ Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. ³¹ When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.  ³² When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” ³³ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ³⁴ “Where have you laid him?” he asked.  “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. ³⁵ Jesus wept.  ³⁶ Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”  ³⁷ But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

3) Devotional:
“One of the greatest cultural divides in today’s world is the different ways in which we do funerals.  In many parts of the world people still mourn their dead in much the same way that they did in Jesus’ day.  There are processions, carrying the coffin along the streets to the place of burial or cremation.  Everyone, particularly the women, cries and wails.  There is wild, sad music.  The process of grief is well and truly launched.  One person’s grief communicates to another; it’s part of the strange business of being human that when we are with very sad people their sadness infects us even if we don’t share their particular grief (The psychologists would point out that we all carry deep grief’s of one sort or another, and these come to the surface when we are with others who have more immediate reason for sorrow)....What grief within Jesus’ own heart was stirred by the tears of Mary and the crowd?  We can only guess.  But among those guesses we must place, not a grief for other deaths in the past, but a grief for a death still to come: his own…Couldn’t the man who did so many signs have brought it about that he himself didn’t have to die?  Couldn’t the one who saved so many have in the end saved himself?  John is telling us the answer by a thousand hints and images throughout his book.  It is only through his death, it is only through his sharing of the common fate of humanity, that the world can be saved….’Come and see,’ they respond, as Jesus had responded to the early disciple’s enquiry as to where he was staying.  It is the simplest of invitations, and yet it goes to the heart of the Christian faith.  ‘Come and see,’ we say to Jesus, as we lead him, all tears, to the place of our deepest grief and sorrow.  ‘Come and see,’ He says to us in reply, as he leads us through the sorrow to the place where he now dwells in light and love and resurrection glory.”

N.T. Wright from John for Everyone pp.9-12    

 4) Questions to Consider:
What great grief and sorrow overtakes you now?  How is Jesus leading you through the sorrow to the place where light, love and resurrection glory live?

5) Prayer:
Lord, you know the pain that I am going through now.  I don’t understand or even like what this is, but bring me to the place where I can embrace Your resurrection power.  Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)

John 10:22-30

1) Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes) 

2) Scripture Reading: John 10:22-30
 ²² Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³ and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. ²⁴ The Jews gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

 ²⁵ Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, ²⁶ but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. ²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.”

3) Devotional:

Happy Birthday Zack. . .today, my oldest son turned 20!  From the day we found out that Debbie was expecting, I enjoyed getting close to her belly and talking to him.  For some of you, that may seem weird, but for me, it began a connection that continues to this day.  My son knows my voice.  When he was born, there were so many noises swirling around him.  Yet when I got close to his crib and began to talk - he instinctively looked my way.  The sound of my voice brought comfort to him.  With all that was unknown  - my voice, and that of my wife, were the constants in his young life. 

Now - twenty years later - he still looks for the sound of our voices.  Even half a world away in Australia - thanks to the wonders of 21st century technology (Skype), when he gets a little homesick (I hope) and needs to hear the sound of home - he can call.  He knows my voice.  Now, I can't say that for his new roommate - who I've never met.

In this passage, as the gatekeeper, Jesus draws a distinction between those who merely believe and those who REALLY believe.  Those who REALLY believe, those who belong to Him - "His sheep" - know His voice.  They heard His teaching and followed Him.  They hung on every word - both spoken and lived out.  Even if they didn't quite understand everything, they knew He was worth listening to and following.  The way He lived, His actions, his miracles identified Him as the Son of God.  They trusted Him.  It was that simple. . . unfortunately, many of the Jews could not embrace Him.

People who give intellectual assent to the things of God, but have not experienced His deep abiding love in their life, that is. . . heard His voice, have a hard time hearing or sensing His presence.  How can they?  It's like asking my son's new roommate - who I've never met or spoken to, pick my voice out of a group of people speaking.  It's very unlikely.  When we become true followers of Jesus, His sheep, the Holy Spirit peels back the shroud from our eyes and removes the "wax" from our ears, enabling us to see and receive all that God has for us, as His children.  We may not understand everything we read, or comprehend everything that happens around us, but we know that our Father is in control.  He's the gatekeeper. . . the shepherd.  That's His job. 

4) Questions to Consider:

Can you think of a time when you clearly heard/experienced God's voice?  How did it come to you?  How did he lead you?  If you can't remember a time when you've experienced God's presence - why don't you stop right now, and ask God through His Holy Spirit to remove the shroud or unplug your ears so you can see Him for who He really is. . . your shepherd!  Decide today to "be a sheep". . . BAAAH!! 

5) Prayer:

Jesus, you are the Way, the Truth and the Life, you are the gatekeeper - and my Shepherd.  Help me Lord to follow you - to be a sheep.  Teach me Lord to hear your voice - and to see your hand at work in my life.  Thank you for loving me the way you do.  In Jesus name.  Amen!

Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)

John 10:14-21

1) Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes) 

2) Scripture Reading: John 10: 14-21  

¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. ¹⁷ The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” ¹⁹ The Jews who heard these words were again divided. ²⁰ Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?” ²¹ But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

3) Devotional:

Red Sox fans…. The most hated and revered of all baseball teams. If you are a baseball fan, you know that you either love the Red Sox (and hate the Yankees) or you hate the Red Sox (and LOVE the Yankees). No such thing as in between. You choose a side and stick with it. In the following passage Jesus does the same thing. His public ministry is starting to wind down and He is pushing people to make a difficult choice. Either embrace Him as God, the Messiah or reject Him. There is no middle ground with Jesus. It’s either you are all in or all out. Many people in our society, including Christians, haven’t chosen to follow Jesus with everything. We know that if we choose to follow Him it will require everything, all we have, all we are, and all we would ever want to be. Jesus isn’t looking for fair-weather fans, but passionate, unruly, untamed, and unquenchable followers who will go after Him to the ends of the earth and back.

 4) Questions to Consider:

What would it look like for you to become a passionate, unruly, untamed follower of Jesus? What is holding you back? What steps can you begin to take to get there?

5) Prayer:

Jesus, forgive me when I don’t choose to give you the best parts of my life? Show me where I fall short so that I can repent and get back on the path you’ve created for me.

Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)

John 9:13-23

1) Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes) 

2) Scripture Reading: John 9: 13-23They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.  Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” The man replied, “He is a prophet.” They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?” “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind.  But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

3) Devotional:Bono, lead singer of the band U2 was sharing with an interviewer his thoughts on karma and grace:

“You see, at the center of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics; in physical laws every action is met by an equal or an opposite one. It's clear to me that Karma is at the very heart of the universe. I'm absolutely sure of it. And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that ‘as you reap, so you will sow’ stuff. Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff.”

This story is a great example of this concept.  Here, the disciples are asking a question that is based on this karma way of thinking.  What did this man do to deserve being blind?  What did his parents do?  Why is he reaping this horrible disease?  Yet, Jesus responded not out of karma, but out of grace.   He did, what this man could not do for Himself.  Give him the ability to see.  The scandal of the cross is that you and I don’t get what we deserve.  Grace interrupts it.  For many of us that is good news because we’ve all done a lot of “stupid stuff,” and need grace to offer us forgiveness and a second chance.

4) Questions to Consider:What do you need Jesus to do for you now that you can’t do yourself?  How can you experience God’s grace to free you today?

5) Prayer:Jesus, I know I don’t deserve your love or your mercy.  But I choose to receive your grace today.  Show me where you want to bring greater forgiveness and healing in my life.

Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)

John 9:1-12

1) Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 min)

2) Scripture Reading: John 9:1-12
As he went along, 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 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴ As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” ⁶ After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ⁷ “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. ⁸ His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” ⁹ Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.” ¹⁰ “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked. ¹¹ He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.” ¹² “Where is this man?” they asked him. “I don’t know,” he said.

3) Devotional Thought
Many people marvel at this miracle performed by Jesus. However as I read this passage, my focus is on the disciples because I am so quick to pass judgment on others. I especially like to focus on the shortcomings of others because it makes me look better in my own eyes. When I do this, I am so pathetic. I make such poor judgments, just like the disciples, because I can’t really see the journey others have been on or how far they have come in their relationship with God. Additionally, I can’t see God’s purpose in what He is doing until after He is finished. In this case of restoring the blind man’s sight, Jesus reveals God’s purpose before He is finished performing this healing. His purpose was to reveal God’s glory to this blind man, the disciples and an entire crowd.  
I always want to know what God is doing and why. It seems the closer I get to Him by reading His Word, praying and obeying Him, the more I see Him do and the more I understand why He is doing it. The less I read His Word and pray, the more I rely on myself to make judgments about what I think I see Him doing and why I think He is doing it. Remember these truths spoken of in the book, Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby: 1) God is always at work around us and He wants us to join Him in His work, and 2) God wants a intimate love relationship with us that is real and personal. If we have that relationship with God, we will see where He is working, we will join Him in His work, and we will know why He is working as we work by His side. What we won’t be doing is judging others or judging God.

4) Questions to Ponder

Can you see God working and do you know why He is doing what He is doing? Is your relationship so intimate with God that He is revealing His purposes to you?

5) Prayer
Lord, I want to be so intimate with You that You will want to reveal Yourself, Your plans and Your purposes to me. Holy Spirit, help me to do the things necessary to develop a deep love relationship with You. Give me the discipline to read Your word and pray so that the Father can reveal Himself to me. In Jesus name, Amen.

John 8:48-59

1) Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes) 

2) Scripture Reading: John 8:48-59

 48 The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?” 49 “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. 50 I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”

 52 At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?” 54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55 Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” 57 “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” 58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

3) Devotional: Here we find a continuation of the debate between the Pharisees and religious leaders and Jesus about Jesus’ message and his claims to be God. There is much to consider here, but one thing really stands out: Rather than considering the issues or even consulting the Torah, the Pharisees instead decide to attack Jesus personally. They call him insane or demon-possessed in verse 52. They describe him as unqualified and unworthy of consideration in verse 57 because of his age- in Jewish religious culture at the time, the minimum age requirement for leadership in the temple system or civil service was 50 years of age, and Jesus would have been aged 30 or 32. But the real cheap shot is in verse 48 when the Jewish leaders call him a Samaritan.

            This debate is taking place during the Feast of Tabernacles. A crowd would have gathered. The Jewish public hated Samaritans and held them in contempt- the tensions between the Jews and the Samaritans would have been similar to the racial tensions in the US during the 1950’s. It’s an accusation that implies an illegitimate birth, and is basically a racial slur. This was an effort by the religious leaders to get the public on their side- a public much more easily stirred by inflammatory rhetoric than by truth. So instead of engaging the issues, the Pharisees attack the person. Sound familiar?

            Attacking a person’s character rather than vigorously debating the issues is an age-old ugly tactic of fallen human nature. But in our modern equivalent to the Jewish religious system- the church- we find all too often similarities to the Pharisees’ approach in John 8. And it takes on a new level of ugliness when it happens in Christian circles- fights over doctrine, ministry, politics, and between people. Relationships are broken. Churches split. Bridges are burnt. Pain is inflicted. And the witness of the Church is destroyed. Often, the issues are petty and insignificant. Sometimes they are very important and SHOULD be engaged and debated spiritedly. But how we interact with each other is as important or even more important than the issues themselves. God calls us to a higher standard of interaction and discourse.

           

4) Questions to Consider: Have you ever heard truth and attacked the messenger because the truth was too challenging or painful to hear? How is the Holy Spirit speaking to you about the way you engage controversy or disagreement as you read this devotional? How might you bring more grace and peace to the people and debates in your own life, even as you relentlessly seek truth?

5) Prayer: God, help me today to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit but in humility to consider others better than myself and to not only look to my own interests but also to the interests of others (Philippians 2:1-4). Help me live and speak with grace even as I stand for and seek truth in all things. Amen.

Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)