John 8: 21-30

1) Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
 
2) Scripture Reading: John 8: 21-30

21 So he said to them again, “I am going away, and ^you will seek me, and ^you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” 22 So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23 He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. ^You are of this world; ^I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that ^I am he you will die in your sins.” 25 So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. 26 I have much to say about you and much to judge, but ^he who sent me is true, and I declare ^to the world ^what I have heard from him.” 27 They did not understand that ^he had been speaking to them about the Father. 28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, ^then you will know that ^I am he, and that ^I do nothing on my own authority, but ^speak just as the Father taught me. 29 And ^he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” 30 As he was saying these things, ^many believed in him.

3) Devotional:
I hate it when traffic is slow. The other day I was driving to work and there was construction. I knew that there would be someone directing traffic up ahead, and sure enough there was a police officer doing just that. Right then, I had a thought. What if I just went and did what I want and ignored the policeman? He can’t physically compete with the power of my Nissan Sentra! If he got in my way, he couldn’t physically stop it. As you can guess,

I didn’t run down the nice policeman, but I had another thought, the reason why I stop, isn’t because the policeman has the physical power to stop my car…but because he has authority. Authority is delegated power. The state and local government gave this policeman authority, so when he tells me to stop, he is backed by the authority that comes from those institutions. In the same way, Jesus did nothing on his own authority, but by the delegated power of God. Whatever God did, He did, whatever God said, He said, whoever God revealed Himself too responded to Jesus.

You and I function under similar authority. We have been given the delegated power of God. Power to pray, desire Jesus and to become more like Him. And we have the ability to do nothing that we don’t see God doing. Right now, at this moment, as you read this God is doing something, and He wants to invite you to participate in that. Will you join Him?

4) Questions to Consider:
What is God doing right now?  In your family, in your home, in your heart?  What response is He asking for?

5) Prayer:
Jesus, show me what you are doing, that I might join you and adjust my life to your will.

Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)

John 8:12-20

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

2) Scripture Reading: John 8:12-20

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”

Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going.  You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.  In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”

Then they asked him, “Where is your father?”

“You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”  He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.

3) Devotional: Have you ever met someone who said something that was true, but you did not believe them? I am sure that you have. And when the truth was discovered, you were embarrassed or ashamed for insisting that the person was wrong. Sometimes there is even a tangible consequence for being wrong.

Jesus, by claiming to be the light of the world and claiming that God the Father is his actual father, is claiming to be God. The Pharisees did not believe Jesus, but it did not make them right. In fact they were dead wrong. But they had their minds made up that Jesus was a blasphemer and not God. No matter what Jesus said or how many people believed Him or how many miracles He did, the Pharisees were not going to believe in Him. They may have never experienced the earthly shame or embarrassment of being wrong but they would experience the ultimate eternal consequence as they stood before God on the judgment day.

Believe in Jesus and you will know peace. Believe in Jesus and you will know truth. Believe Jesus and you will know your eternal future is secure.

           

4) Questions to Consider: Do you know Jesus? Have you trusted Him for eternity? These are the most important questions you will ever be asked. I hope you can say YES!

5) Prayer: Jesus, I believe that You are God and the One who has saved me from my sins by Your sacrifice on the cross. Help me to know You better and strengthen my faith so that my can fully trust in what You have promised, eternal life in heaven, In your name I pray. Amen.

Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)