Friday, February 3, 2017

PT-"Faith" (John 16:27b-32)


SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/3/2017 12:12 PM

My Worship Time                                                                                          Focus: PT-3 Faith

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  John 16:27b-32

            Message of the verses:  “and have believed that I came forth from the Father.  28 "I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father." 29  His disciples *said, "Lo, now You are speaking plainly and are not using a figure of speech. 30  "Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God." 31  Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? 32  "Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.”

            The last thing that we looked at in our last SD was the statement that the Lord said to His disciples “I am leaving the world again and going to the Father.”  When Jesus said this to them they said to Him “Lo, now You are speaking plainly and are not using a figure of speech,” and this would suggest that finally they were beginning to understand as finally the plan of redemption is making sense to them.  However when we look at what happens when Jesus goes to the cross we find out that they at this time did not realize what was going on and would not understand what is going on until the day of Pentecost.  The disciples went on to say “Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God,” and this “is far more than an affirmation of their appreciation for the Lord’s teaching.  It is nothing less than a full affirmation of Christ’s omniscience and hence His deity.”  This is what the disciples understood and not the redemption that Christ would care for on the cross.

            William Hendriksen is quoted in MacArthur’s commentary:

“The light is shining brightly now, more brightly, perhaps, than ever before.  Within a few hours it will be obscured once more.  Yet, the confession which is here made will linger on in the realm of the subconscious, until by and by, when the Lord arises in triumph from the tomb and ( a little later) pours out His Spirit, it will bear the fruit of calm and steadfast assurance, and this fruit will abide forever.”

Jesus knew their hearts and says to them “Do you now believe?”  Jesus knew that their faith was still immature, but their faith was none the less real, and even though the disciples would soon leave Him, He still knew what the outcome of their ministry would bring about because it was and still is in the plan of God.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question: “Young men” (Titus 2:6-7).

Today’s Bible question:  “How was the way made for the women to get inside the tomb of Jesus?”

Answer in our next SD.

2/3/2017 12:27 PM  

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