John 7:14-24

1) Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
 
2) Scripture Reading: John 7:14-24
14 Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. 15 The Jews there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?”
16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. 17 Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. 18 Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. 19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”
20 “You are demon-possessed,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?”
21 Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. 22 Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. 23 Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? 24 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”

3) Devotional:
Each one of us has the responsibility of having Godly knowledge. This knowledge must line up with the teachings in the Bible. The local church provides learning opportunities which most people do not take advantage of, which is very unfortunate. However, the Holy Spirit of God is our primary teacher, just as He was for Jesus,  and we do not need to have others teach us. Did you see verse 15? The Jews were amazed because Jesus was so learned without being taught. The implication here is that Jesus did not have an earthly rabbi teaching Him. But He did have the Holy Spirit of God present in His life, and that is all He needed. If we are to reflect Jesus to others, people should say the same thing about us, “How did she/he become so learned without having been taught?”.

We must personally take on the primary responsibility of becoming learned in the things of God. 2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” We are charged with the task of being able to handle the Word of Truth. If you are counting on the Pastors, Elders or Teachers in the local church to be your primary source of Biblical Knowledge, you are making a big mistake. They are to supplement the teaching of the Holy Spirit that you receive in your own private time of study, meditation, memorization and prayer. As Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:3 recommends that this time be daily, even day and night.

 4) Questions to Consider:  What must I do to become learned in the things of God? How often am I cracking open my Bible? Am I not so learned because I am charging others with the responsibility of my personal God knowledge?

5) Prayer: Lord, give me the discipline to open my Bible every day. Holy Spirit, please teach me as you taught Jesus, and it is in His name I pray, Amen.

Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)

John 7:1-13

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

2) Scripture Reading: John 7:1-13
After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life. But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, Jesus’ brothers said to him, “You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
Therefore Jesus told them, “The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come.”
Having said this, he stayed in Galilee. However, after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. Now at the Feast the Jews were watching for him and asking, “Where is that man?” Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.” Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.” But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the Jews.

3) Devotional:
Everyone was talking about Jesus… but nobody was willing to say anything about him. Now THAT is some cultural or social pressure!

Later, in John 9, we’ll see that the “Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue.” That was everything to a Jew of that day… it wasn’t like they could go to another synagogue on the other side of town … they would be removed from the religious, social, cultural, political and economic hub of their community … just for publicly acknowledging Jesus.

Would you say something publicly about Jesus if it would cost you all of your social standing and position in life?

4) Questions to Consider: If you aren’t in the habit of talking about your faith with others… why not?

5) Prayer: Lord God, help me to have confidence in what I believe… and forgive me for the times that I have not applied myself enough to prepare to give a reason for the hope that I have in Jesus. Change me so that I might do so with gentleness and respect for everyone. Amen.

Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)