The Will of God

John 7 Part 2

John 7:10-18 (NIV)

10 However, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. 11 Now at the festival the Jewish leaders were watching for Jesus and asking, “Where is he?” 12 Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.” Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.” 13 But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders. 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.

Let’s take a closer look at this text:

V 10: Jesus ended up going to the Feast of Tabernacles but not in the way his brothers suggested (John 7:4) Jesus remained behind the scenes at first.

Vv 12-13: “Whispering” is the key word here – nobody was safe to openly talk about Jesus because he was a controversial person in the Jewish community. Some of the religious leaders accused him of being a false prophet – this was due to the fact that He healed a paralytic on the Sabbath and asked him to “get up and carry his own mat.” (John 5) To the religious leaders, this was a breech of the Sabbath law.

V 14: At just the right time, Jesus made himself known to the crowds. It was the middle of the festival and the crowds were at their peak. Many would have the opportunity to hear his teachings. Jesus’ timing is perfect!

V 15: Jesus was never a student under a recognized Jewish teacher. He amazed the crowds both commoners and leaders because of the authority with which he spoke. The people could not believe that he was not “formerly” educated in one of the rabbinical schools.

·       We see a similar reaction when Peter and John address the crowds (Acts 4). “They confounded the religious authorities because they were ‘unschooled, ordinary men’ but they had been with Jesus and apparently drew their knowledge and authority from that exposure.” (DA Carson, The Gospel According to John, p. 311)

·       Even though we are living hundreds of years after the time that Christ was here on earth, we have His Word with us. The more we are exposed to His Word and the more time we spend in His presence, the more our speech and life style will reflect Who he is.

V 16: God the Father was his “Rabbi.” Again we see that Jesus came for the purpose of fulfilling God’s work here on earth. (John 4:34) He was not operating on his own, but in direct alignment with the will of the Father.

Vv 17-18: Jesus was not seeking his own glory but glory for God the Father. He is focused and intentional about his mission to complete the work of God for humanity. If someone embraces God, then he or she must receive the words of Christ also. Not unlike today, the people then were not willing to hear everything God wanted to speak to them about. They were “selective” listeners.

·       There are times when I want to cover my ears during a sermon or skim over a convicting passage of scripture because it is simply not what I want to hear. However, Jesus words here are a reminder that as believers, it is imperative to embrace the whole message and when we do, we will be able to discern the wonderful will of God.

Wrap up:
Jesus was actively engaged in doing the will of God. “He was totally committed to working for the honor of the One who sent him.” (DA Carson) Psalm 40:8 says, “I desire to do your will. O my God; your law is within my heart.” When we desire to do God’s will, we will not miss it! We will hear His Words of truth and feel the promptings of His Holy Spirit. We will have peace to rest on His Word and on Who he is. We will also have faith to take risks. Jesus has so much in store for us. He asks us to believe in Him and follow Him so we can be a part of the work of the Kingdom here on earth and in eternity! His rewards are incomparable and His grace is unbelievable!

Lesson written by Kelly Preston, 2011.

Sources consulted:

NIV Study Bible, 10^th Anniversary Edition, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 1995.

The Message Bible Remix/Eugene Peterson, NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO, 2003.

M.H. Commentary, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 1992.

D.A. Carson, The Gospel According to John, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI, 1991.

N.T. Wright, John for Everyone, Westminster John Knox Press, 2002.

Look Up!

^{Psalm 46:8-10 (The Message)}
"Attention, all! See the marvels of God! He plants flowers and trees all over the earth, Bans war from pole to pole, breaks all the weapons across his knee. "Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything."


Recently, the familiar passage, "Be still and know that I am God," (Psalm 46:10 NIV) has been repeating in my mind. 


This passage in the book of Psalms reminds me of a time years ago when Greg and I were stressed about our wedding day. The day before the wedding it seemed like chaos took over, from my rehearsal dress tearing to petty family feuds. The well planned details seemed to unravel one at a time and both Greg and I were in tears before the rehearsal began. This was supposed to be the happiest time of our lives, but instead we were feeling miserable.


I will never forget, our brother-in-law took us aside and asked us to look up. As we literally looked up at the ceiling, we wondered why he asked us to do this. He told us to, "Look up at God." Then he said, "Now, look at each other." As we stared into each other's eyes, we were reminded that God was the most important and that this time was about Him and about our commitment to spend the rest of our lives together. We hugged and cried. And the peace of God rested on us both.


As I look back on that day, those problems now seem small, but at the time they were overwhelming. Over the years we have experienced bigger problems and crazier chaos, but the Lord has never let us down. Of course God has not changed, but our perspective of him certainly has. He is able to take on any challenge and make the impossible possible.


Jesus said that in this world we will have trouble, but that He has overcome the world! (John 16:33 NIV) We have nothing to fear! Jesus conquered the chaos and invites us to celebrate the victory he had on our behalf! No matter what size obstacle lays in our path or chaos surrounds us, let's look up and see Him.

The Faith in Waiting

Lessons from John

John 7:1-9 (NIV)

1 After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him. 2 But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near, 3 Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. 4 No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For even his own brothers did not believe in him.

 6 Therefore Jesus told them, “My time is not yet here; for you any time will do. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil. 8 You go to the festival. I am not going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come.” 9 After he had said this, he stayed in Galilee.

John 7:1-9 (The Message)

 1-2 Later Jesus was going about his business in Galilee. He didn't want to travel in Judea because the Jews there were looking for a chance to kill him. It was near the time of Tabernacles, a feast observed annually by the Jews.

 3-5His brothers said, "Why don't you leave here and go up to the Feast so your disciples can get a good look at the works you do? No one who intends to be publicly known does everything behind the scenes. If you're serious about what you are doing, come out in the open and show the world." His brothers were pushing him like this because they didn't believe in him either.

 6-8Jesus came back at them, "Don't crowd me. This isn't my time. It's your time—it's always your time; you have nothing to lose. The world has nothing against you, but it's up in arms against me. It's against me because I expose the evil behind its pretensions. You go ahead, go up to the Feast. Don't wait for me. I'm not ready. It's not the right time for me."

 9He said this and stayed on in Galilee.

Jesus was on a mission and no one and nothing could deter him from accomplishing it. He knew what He came to do and was actively doing it. It was not important that everyone understand what he was up to, but rather that they put their faith in what God was doing through Him.

In the previous chapters in the book of John, Jesus desires for his followers to see with eyes of faith. In John 6:33 & 51, “Jesus identifies himself as his flesh as the true bread of life that must be given for the life of the world.” (DA Carson, The Gospel according to John, p.268) In the Old Testament, God provided manna for the Israelites, but Jesus not only fed the crowds with bread and fish, He told them that he is the Bread of Life. If they eat of him they will never be hungry again! Just like the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4), Jesus is asking the people to have eyes of faith.

Let’s look at several observations from this text in John 7:

V 2: The Feast of Tabernacles: The holiday on the Jewish calendar that celebrated the end of the of the harvest and remembered how God took care of the Israelites who roamed in the desert. (Leviticus 23:33-43; Deut. 16:13-15)

·       The Israelites were vigilant in celebrating and remembering what God had done for them.

·       How and when do we celebrate what God has done for us?

·       Paul challenges believers in Philippians 4:4 to, “Rejoice in the Lord always.” We can celebrate God everyday, not just on sacred holidays.

Vv 3-5: These verses are referring to the actual brothers of Jesus, the ones he was raised with. Some scholars say they had knowledge of miracles that Jesus did that no one else was aware of because of their relationship to him. Even if they saw him perform miracles that others did not know about, John points out that they still did not fully believe in Who he was.

·       Seeing is not always believing

·       Are there times when it is difficult to believe? (Why or why not?)

V 6: God’s timing was what Jesus was following not the timing suggested by others. “Jesus moved in accordance with the will of God.” (NIV Study Bible notes)

·       Is it difficult to wait for God’s timing? (Why or why not?)

·       Describe the last time you waited for God’s timing, what were the circumstances and what happened as a result of waiting?

V 7: Jesus’ brothers belonged to the world and could not be hated in the way Jesus was because he did not belong to the world. John is pointing out here that the brothers are still “in the dark” about who Jesus is and therefore do not know the ways in which he works.

·       They thought they knew what was best for him. Peter also thought he knew best when he told Jesus he would not allow him to die (Mark 8:33) but Jesus rebuked him.

·       How have you learned to trust in Christ’s plan for your life?

V 8: Jesus did not refuse to go to the Feast of Tabernacles, but he did refuse to display himself the way his brothers advised.

·       Jesus was not impatient. He knew that waiting for the right time was part of His mission. He did not attempt to hurry things up.

·       Who likes to wait? J Most likely none of us, but what usually happens when we hurry too much? Often something gets overlooked and it ends up taking longer than originally planned.

·       What can we do while we are waiting?

Lesson written by Kelly Preston, 2011.

Sources consulted:

NIV Study Bible, 10^th Anniversary Edition, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 1995.

The Message Bible Remix/Eugene Peterson, NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO, 2003.

M.H. Commentary, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 1992.

D.A. Carson, The Gospel According to John, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI, 1991.

N.T. Wright, John for Everyone, Westminster John Knox Press, 2002.

The Peace of Christ

Lessons from the Apostle Paul

  

Philippians 4:1-9

Historical Context for the book of Philippians: There are several reasons Paul wrote this letter to the Philippians. Paul wanted to remind and to urge believers to stand firm in the face of persecution, to rejoice in the Lord, and to be examples of humility and unity. Paul had a personal connection to the Philippians. He was thankful for how they ministered to him and he believed in their potential. It was important to affirm them in the Lord and to challenge them to live out the best possible life Christ offered.

As we study these verses in depth, take note of one thing that stands out to you. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal your strength and or weakness in that particular area and ask Him to help you become more like him.

Philippians 4 (NIV)
 1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends! 2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Philippians 4 (The Message)
1 My dear, dear friends! I love you so much. I do want the very best for you. You make me feel such joy, fill me with such pride. Don't waver. Stay on track, steady in God. 2 I urge Euodia and Syntyche to iron out their differences and make up. God doesn't want his children holding grudges. 3And, oh, yes, Syzygus, since you're right there to help them work things out, do your best with them. These women worked for the Message hand in hand with Clement and me, and with the other veterans—worked as hard as any of us. Remember, their names are also in the Book of Life.

God is not expecting that we live in a perfect world. We WILL have conflict and we WILL have differences but we are to walk in godliness and gentleness. Paul sees that these 2 women (Eudia and Syntyche) have so much to offer the church, but they have a present obstacle thwarting their potential. The time until Christ’s return is short, not too mention life is short, so keep the bigger picture in mind people!

I recently heard this phrase, “Take responsibility for the energy you bring into this space.” (Dr. Klein) We are responsible for the way we conduct ourselves at all times. We are responsible for the way we enter a room and the way we interact with people.

Philippians 4 (NIV)
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

Philippians 4 (The Message)
4-5 Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

·       How can we celebrate God? (“Celebrate” means to rejoice, praise, commemorate, party, have fun, enjoy yourself, and revel)

·       Describe gentleness? (mildness, quietness, calmness, kindness, tenderness – the opposite of harshness and roughness)

Philippians 4 (NIV)
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4 (The Message)
6-7Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

·       Define anxiety? (nervousness, worry, concern, unease, apprehension, angst, fretfulness, apprehension, fear)

o   It is counter productive worry

o   Giving thanks cures worry!

o   When we let God know about our worries – it’s not news to Him, He already knows what we are concerned about, and he wants us to come talk to him about it!

·       Define peace? (harmony, reconciliation, ceasefire, amity) Scripture describes it as “inner tranquility – the peaceful state of those whose sins are forgiven. (John 14:27)

o   “The full dimension of God’s love and care are beyond human comprehension.” (NIV Study Bible) (Ephesians 3:18-20)

·       “Guard your heart and your minds” “God’s protective custody of those who are in Christ Jesus extends to the core of our beings and to our deepest intentions.” (NIV Study Bible) (1 Peter 1:3-5)

Philippians 4 (NIV)
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4 (The Message)
8-9Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

·       What are we thinking about? “Our inner thoughts influence our lives and will sooner or later determine our speech and our actions.” (NIV Study Bible)

o   What we dwell on comes out in our conversation

·       What are we practicing? What do we do when we hear or read God’s Word? Are we putting it into action? Paul was not putting a guilt trip on believers; he knew that actions are a result of thoughts and faith without deeds in dead. The world will know that we are true followers of Christ by the love we display. Paul is urging all of us to put our faith into practice!

Lesson written by Kelly Preston, 2011.

Sources consulted:

NIV Study Bible, 10^th Anniversary Edition, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 1995.

The Message Bible Remix/Eugene Peterson, NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO, 2003.

M.H. Commentary, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 1992.

The Reliability of God

Circumstances change all the time but Jesus stays the same. It is difficult to believe that Jesus never changes. Life changes so frequently, people change, and our understanding of things change, but Christ never does. He is the same One who fed the hungry crowd with only a small amount of bread and fish. He is the same One that died for our sins. And he is the same One that connected us to God.

He provided yesterday and ten years ago and he still provides today. There is no cap to his provision. There is no limit to his goodness. There is no quota of healing that he cannot exceed. We can count on his sameness. He has not changed and will not change ever.

We do not deserve his blessings, but because of Christ, his life, death, and resurrection make us worthy to receive all that God wants to give to us.

What are you longing for today? What need do you have? Ask him. Ask the One who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.