John 10:30 -42   Jesus said, " I and the Father are one."  The Jews really didn't like this and took up stones to throw at Him.  They considered Him a blasphemer, claiming to be God..   Yet, Jesus pointed them back to the Scripture.. to Psalm 82 where it said, "I said, you are gods.. " 

The psalmist was talking about the people of God, men who were set apart to serve Him as judges and rulers.. given divine authority to carry out the judgements of God.  They were supposed to  "vindicate the weak and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and destitute. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.. "  But, they failed at doing the work of God.. the work of the "sons of the Most High.." 

Jesus said to the Jews, "I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?"  (v32)  He was doing what the "sons of God" were meant to do.  He was sent by the Father for this purpose.. "If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me and I in the Father. " 

Jesus did the works of the Father.. those spoken about in Psalm 82.. those things that the rulers failed to do. The rulers of the Jews in His time were failing to judge justly.. they were failing to do the work of the Father too.. just like in the times of the Psalmist.  The proof of Jesus' statement, "I and the Father are One" is found in the "works of the Father" .. those very works that the "sons of God" were supposed to do..  He did. 

Jesus vindicated, or defended, the poor and fatherless. He showed justice to the poor and needy.  He delivered them from evil  and helped the helpless.  He was sent from the Father to do the work of the Father.. and He did it in complete unity with the Father.  

Though the Jewish leaders wanted to stone Him.  Others recognized the truth and followed Him.  "And many believed in Him there." 

Father in heaven, thank You for showing us Your works through the Life of Your Son, Jesus.  These are the precious works of God that are most glorious.. justice and mercy.. deliverance and help.. abundant lovingkindness..forgiveness and restoration.  We give You thanksgiving and worship.  You alone are God and Jesus Christ is the Beloved Son who has made a way that we might also be Your sons and daughters.. sanctified to do Your works among those around us.  Surround us and fill us Spirit of God that we might be faithful to do the Father's work today. We ask this in the Name of Jesus our King. Amen.

 John 10:1-30

  Jesus told a parable about sheep. There are two characters.. actually three.. that we need to recognize in this story...  First there is the doorkeeper.  He is the one who opens the gate for the shepherd.  Secondly, there is the shepherd. The shepherd goes to the doorkeeper and the door is opened. The shepherd calls his sheep and they follow him, knowing His voice. Thirdly, there is the stranger. the thief, the robber.. the one who comes to "steal and kill, and destroy." 

Jesus calls Himself the "good shepherd".  He also calls Himself "the door".   He came to give life to His sheep. He came to lay down His own life for His sheep.  Jesus tells us that He knows His sheep.. and that they know Him.  It is a relationship founded in the Father, Who loves the Son.. who gave the Son authority to lay His life down and to take it up again.. on behalf of the sheep. Jesus.. promises to bring "other sheep" to join His flock.. His flock will be all those who hear His voice and follow Him.  He knows His sheep, He tells us.. for the Father has given them to Him and "no one shall snatch them out of My hand."  -  the thief and robber cannot snatch those who belong to the Father for the Father is" greater than all".

To belong to the Father and to the Son is to have abundant life.. eternal life.. to be His sheep.. is the gift to all who will believe.  The Jews would not believe and Jesus told them that because they would not believe the witness of the works that He did in the Father's name.. they were not His sheep.  Those who don't hear His voice and follow Him.. those are the ones He does not know. They are the ones who will perish.. who will be snatched out of His hands... out of the Father's hand.. stolen by the great thief. 

Father, we pray to You.. to bring more sheep into the flock of Jesus Christ. More to hear His voice and follow Him.. more to believe so that they might not perish but have eternal life in Jesus.  Our hearts break to see so many who refuse to believe..who refuse the Truth. Oh Father of mercy and grace.. let Your Light shine through us, Your children, so that others might turn from unbelief and find life in Christ our Good Shepherd.. the only One to lead us to salvation .. Thank You for patiently waiting , for hearing our prayers. and for bringing others into the flock.. into the family of Heaven.  Amen. 

 John 9  It is interesting that John gives us a whole chapter about this amazing miracle.. and none of the other gospels cover it at all.   "And as He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth." 

We learn from this passage that this was not an ordinary blind beggar.  He was able to converse with the Pharisees clearly and boldly as they questioned him. He was kicked out of the synagogue without concern and worshipped Jesus joyfully.  The Words of Jesus had changed everything in his life. 

It was the disciples that thought the blind man was being punished for either his own sin or his parent's sins and that was why he was blind.  Jesus said, "It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was in order that the works of God might be displayed in him." 

Imagine being that young man. Perhaps all of his life he had felt the shame of his blindness. Perhaps he had known anger that this was his lot in life.. maybe even blaming his parents or himself.  The lies of Satan often cause us to blame sickness and disability on God.. it is not so!  No matter what situation we find ourselves in.. Jesus is ready to display the "works of God" in us.  It does not always mean we will be completely healed.. but it does mean that God can be glorified in every one of us when we open ourselves to His work. Father, do Your work in us today!

 Jesus took some dust from the ground, spit on it, and made it into clay.  Just as Adam was formed by the Lord's Hand in Eden, Jesus formed this clay and applied it to the eyes that had never seen. "Go wash in the pool of Siloam." He told the man.  He went, washed, and "came back seeing." !   Ever wonder how he knew where to go and how to get back?  This was an unusual man in many ways. 

We are never told his name, but his testimony is so powerful.. 

"The man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed by eyes.. so I went away and washed, and I received sight." (v11)  he tells his neighbors. 

".. one thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see." (v25)  he tells the Pharisees. 

" Lord, I believe." (v38)  he tells Jesus. 

He understood the Truth.  He believed the Truth. He chose to abide in that Truth.. a life changed by the Light of the world. 

The Pharisees wondered.. for a minute.. if they were blind. "We are not blind too, are we?" they asked Jesus.  If only they could have confessed the truth.  If only they would have received Him.  They would be able to see.. they would have no longer remained in their sin. 

Jesus said, " We must work the works of Him who sent Me, as long as it is day; night is coming when no man can work. While I am in the world I am the light of the world. " (v5)  His work is to open blind eyes. To bring light.. to give life.  His Words are life changing, light bringing, earth shaking.  We have those words to share with others.. Lord, help us to be faithful to share this with those still lost in the darkness. 

Father, we willing choose to abide in the Word.. in Jesus Christ.. Whom You sent to bring us Life.  Be glorified in us.. we are the work of Your hands. Amen. 

 John 8:31-59 "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." 

The key to everything.. to all Truth.. to all Life.. to all that is of God.. is the Word.  The Logos - the living voice.. the essential Word.. The Word who" became flesh and dwelt among us"  Jesus instructs us to "abide" in His Word.. abide in Him.. remain in Him, continually,  for in Him is true freedom. 

The Jews didn't even want to admit that they were not free!  They were living under the authority of the Romans.. they had been slaves for 400 years in Egypt..  They had been taken captive by Babylon.. and worst of all they were slaves to sin.  They lied straight into the face of Truth.. and lied to their own selves. Satan, the father of lies had them so blinded that they could not see the Truth, nor could they hear the Words of Jesus. Our world is much the same today.. who today would confess that they are slaves and not free?  America the land of the free and the home of the brave?  huh.  See the faces of those addicted to drugs..immorality.. money.. fame.. Will they admit that they are slaves and not free?  O Lord, help us! Open the blind eyes and the deaf ears!

Jesus said that they were not of God. That is why they could not hear or understand Him. There was only one hope for them.. they must come to know the One who alone knows the Father.  Not Abraham, not Moses, not the prophets.. only Jesus! 

"If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me."  Jesus was sent by the Father.. to honor the Father.. to speak the Words of the Father.. to do the work of the Father.. to be glorified by the Father.  He came to bring Truth, to set us free from sin and death, to fulfill the Father's will. 

This is the Word we abide in.. the word that makes us true disciples. The Word that is Life.. 

Father in heaven, once again I'm brought before this amazing Truth.. that You sent Your only Begotten Son so that we can believe on Him and be saved.. eternally alive with You.. I am  overwhelmed by the height and depth and width and breadth of Your great love for even me.  I will. I want to.. . I determine to .. abide in Your Word.. in Jesus Christ.. the Truth.. the One who has set me free from sin and death.. All glory and honor to Jesus Christ and to our Mighty God and Father forever and ever. Amen 

 John 8:12-30  Jesus tells them.. and us.. Who He really is. He speaks only what the Father has told Him to speak.. He acts according to what the Father has done.  The statements He makes in this passage are truth.. a foundation for our faith in Him.

 "I am the light of the world, he who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (v12) 

 Light and darkness.. from the beginning this has been the work of God. Light is not produced by man's efforts.. it is from above.. from the Word of God.. spoken into being.  Jesus came from God and went back to God.. He was not on His own.. but sent from the Father.  The Father testified.. bore witness of Jesus.. by His Spirit upon Him.. by His Word spoken to them.  Jesus said that if they knew the Father they would also know Him.  But.. if they refused to listen to Him they were refusing the testimony of God the Father too. 

This is Truth that we need to hear.. really hear!  The unbeliever will "die in [his] sin".  There is not a clearer statement. An unbeliever cannot go where Jesus has gone. An unbeliever does not know God... and he does not know Jesus. This is darkness. 

Jesus spoke the Truth. He spoke what the Father wanted Him to say.  The Father sent Him to say these things so that people would believe and be saved.  "Abide in MY word.. "  He tells them.  Abide in Truth spoken by Jesus Christ and find life. Find freedom. Find the Father. 

This is my prayer, Father in heaven,  to know You, to abide in Jesus, and to follow Him always. Let the Light of Jesus Christ be my abiding place I pray.. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

John 8:1-11   Jesus spent the night on the Mount of Olives and went back to the temple early the next morning.  People began gathering to hear Him and He sat down to teach.  It is at that time that the scribes and Pharisees brought the "woman taken in adultery".  They claimed to catch her "in the very act"!  Amazingly they did not catch the man involved "in the very act"!

Their plan was to test Jesus. To "catch"  Jesus in the act of breaking the commandment of Moses.  Isn't it interesting that they credited Moses with making that Law and forgot that it was actually God Who gave the commandments.  They wanted the woman to be stoned.  Perhaps they wanted Jesus to throw the first one.  Instead, He stooped down and wrote something in the dirt on the ground.  When they continued to ask Him what He had to say.. He spoke, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 

Only Jesus was "without sin".. only He had the authority to judge her.  These self-righteous men recognized their own guilt in that moment. The power of Jesus' words pierced their hearts.  Everyone left.. one by one.. until only Jesus and the woman were left.  Jesus remained stooped over and writing on the ground until they had all departed from His Presence.  

When Jesus straightened up again He saw the woman still standing there.. all alone.  His words were for her.. "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?"   She answered, "No one, Lord."  KJV says  "No man."  Not even one. none. nobody.. nothing.  She calls Him "Lord".. recognizing His authority, submitting to His supremacy.. she recognized that, even though no man condemned her, Jesus still could.  But.. He did not.. "Neither do I condemn you; go your way. From now on, sin no more." 

This is one of the most powerful, personal, and precious displays of God's mercy found in the Word.  Remember John's premise in writing this account is to reveal that Jesus spoke only what His Father told Him to say and to do only what the Father does..  Jesus perfectly displayed the mercy and grace of our Father in heaven.. He reveals our sins. He chooses not to condemn us, but to forgive us, cleanse us, and lead us out of sin and into His righteousness.   His lovingkindness never fails.  Psalm 136 reminds us 26 times.. in every verse.. this truth.."For His lovingkindness is everlasting"! 

"Give thanks to the God of heaven, for His lovingkindness is everlasting." (v26) Amen!

 John 7  There was so much controversy and confusion over Jesus during this time.  It was the Feast of Booths.  It was a time to celebrate the harvest.. a time of rejoicing and feasting.. a time of worshiping the King.  Jesus' brothers challenged Him to go to Jerusalem and let everyone see Him.  They  did not believe in Him.  Jesus sent them away on their own.  He went up later in private but eventually ended up teaching in the temple. 

Some people questioned Jesus. Some accused Him of having a demon.  Some argued with Him and some called Him good. 

Meanwhile,  Jesus just kept on proclaiming the Words of His Father. 

He testified of the evil deeds of the world. 

He sought to give glory to the Father. 

He exhorted them to judge with "righteous judgement" not "according to appearance.

He testified that He was sent by the Father. 

He told them that He was going to leave and wouldn't be seen by them because they could not go where He was going. 

He offered them, once again, living water. 

He left them in their division and confusion. Each to make the choice for themselves.. to believe or to reject His Words. 

We live in a world that is in the same state of confusion, division and controversy.  We have been offered  the Word of Life.. and the Living Water.. and we have to make the same choice that those before us had to make... will we believe in Jesus and receive the Holy Spirit.. or will we turn away.. never able to go where Jesus has gone?  

Jesus says that if we seek Him we will find Him. If we believe we will have Life.  If we trust in Him we will be held in His Hands and He will never cast us away.  The Father has set this course for mankind.  He sent Jesus for this purpose and given us the opportunity to find salvation through Christ.  If.. we will believe. 

But, if we refuse. If we let our hearts stay hard and broken. If we stay in our sin and confusion.. we will never see Him for we cannot go where He is. Not everyone will go to heaven.  Death will come to everyone.  The choice has to be made now. Tomorrow may be too late. 

Father in heaven, You are Holy and good. You offered up Your Son so that we might believe on Him and receive eternal life.  Thank You. Give us faith that is living and growing by Your grace and power. Help us to love as You have loved us.  Help us to walk in the Truth.  Help us to worship and celebrate every day the blessings that You have provided. Remove any confusion and cleanse us from all evil we pray. In Jesus'  name we come. amen