SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/7/2016 9:28 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Introduction to John 7:25-36
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: John 7:25-36
Message of the verses: “25 So some of the people of Jerusalem were
saying, "Is this not the man whom they are seeking to kill? 26 “Look, He
is speaking publicly, and they are saying nothing to Him. The rulers do not
really know that this is the Christ, do they? 27 “However, we know where this
man is from; but whenever the Christ may come, no one knows where He is
from." 28 Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying,
"You both know Me and know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself,
but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. 29 “I know Him, because I am
from Him, and He sent Me." 30 So they were seeking to seize Him; and no
man laid his hand on Him, because
His hour had not yet come. 31 But many of the crowd believed in Him; and
they were saying, "When the Christ comes, He will not perform more signs
than those which this man has, will He?" 32 The Pharisees heard the crowd
muttering these things about Him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent
officers to seize Him. 33 Therefore Jesus said, "For a little while longer
I am with you, then I go to Him who sent Me. 34
"You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot
come." 35 The Jews then said to one another, "Where does this man
intend to go that we will not find Him? He is not intending to go to the
Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks, is He? 36 “What is this
statement that He said, ’You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I
am, you cannot come’?"”
I have to
begin by saying how the Lord is showing me things from the book of Zechariah
that go along with some of the things that are found in this seventh chapter of
the book of John. While listening to a
sermon by John MacArthur on the 4th chapter of John yesterday he
spoke of things I have been learning from this seventh chapter of John, and it
had to do actually with the feast of Tabernacles which is what is going on in
this chapter of John. OK I am getting a
little ahead of myself as what I learned will go along with what we will be
looking at in the next paragraph of John chapter seven beginning in verse 37
and so I will save what I learned for there, but it is wonderful how God has
set things up in my studies to have these two books help me learn some of the
same truths found in both of them.
We have
mentioned that this Feast of Tabernacles was six months before the next
Passover, the Passover when our Lord would be crucified for our sins and so for
these next six months we are seeing more than ever that Jesus would be walking
in the looming shadow of the cross. We
read in Hebrews “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him
endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of
the throne of God.” It had to be difficult
for our Lord in those last six months, knowing exactly what was going to happen
to Him, but as we see this verse in Hebrews 12:2 we also know that it was for
the joy set before Him, and that would happen in six months from this feast.
A paragraph
of review and also what is going to happen from MacArthur’s commentary: “As the Feast of Tabernacles approached,
Jesus’ brothers had urged Him to make a grand entry into the city and thus
openly declare Himself to be the Messiah (vv. 3-5). But Jesus declined, choosing instead to go
privately to the feast (v. 10), arriving halfway through it (v. 14). When He entered Jerusalem, He immediately
went to the temple and began to teach (v. 14), where both His unexpected appearance
and unprecedented authority (vv. 45-46) caused a stir. The Jewish leaders responded with predictable
hostility (vv. 15-19), even attempting to have His arrested (v. 32). The people, on the other hand, were deeply
divided over Jesus—some violently opposed Him (v. 30), while others
enthusiastically believed in Him (v. 31).”
Now as I read this paragraph I ask myself the question: “What has changed from that day to this day?”
If we go
back to the first chapter of John’s Gospel we read “He came unto His own, but
His own received Him not.” John was
speaking of the Jews, for Jesus Christ was a Jewish man, and it was the Jews
who would reject Him and if you go back over what we have learned from the
first part of our study of John we have seen this happen, that is the Jews
rejecting Him and eventually they will say that “we will not have this man rule
over us.” MacArthur concludes his introductory
commentary by writing “Despite the opposition, Jesus never mitigated or
moderated His claim to have been sent from God (cf. vv. 16-18; cf. 5:30;
6:38-39, 44). This section again records
how the crowds responded to Him. It
reveals their dense confusion, divided conviction and derisive contempt.” Those the subjects we will be looking at as
we study this portion of John chapter seven.
MacArthur entitles this chapter in his commentary “Reactions to the Claims
of Christ.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: Just as Jesus made sure that the people in
His day, that is while He was on planet earth, knew who He is I should have the
same attitude as to tell people who He is, for understanding who Jesus is, is
the biggest question of any person born.
My Steps of Faith for
Today: Learn to love the Lord more,
learn more about Him, and tell others who He is and what He can do for them.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible question: “Lice (third)” Exodus 8:18).
Today’s Bible question:
“What reigned from Adam to Moses?”
Answer in our next SD.
5/7/2016 10:00 AM
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