#John10 - Voice Recognition

Click here to read John 10:

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

"When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” (John 10:4-5 NIV)" This really stood out to me, to know that sheep follow the shepherd because they know his voice. To know the voice of the Father = knowing the voice of Jesus = knowing the promptings of the Holy Spirit = knowing God's Word (the Bible).

2. How does this relate to any other Scripture I know?

It's interesting to me to hear Jesus talk about other sheep that are not yet here. There remains to be people to gather into the flock. He then talks about there being one flock, and he will be the shepherd. In John 17, Jesus prays for unity, that there would be a oneness among believers just as he and the Father are one. The Bible also talks about "Gentiles" which basically describes anyone who was not Jewish by birth. From the beginning God's plan was to make salvation available to them too. Isaiah 49:6 says, “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

3. What does this mean for my life?

I think more than being a political-type leader, picturing Jesus as a shepherd is a very comforting thought. A political leader sets policies and works from an office. A shepherd leads by mere presence. A shepherd walks with and talks with his sheep. A shepherd protects his sheep. A shepherd loves his sheep. That's the kind of leader I want to follow.

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

I have thought about this in general while reading the gospels, but I wonder how much time passes between each section or chapter or event recorded in the gospels. Verse 22 says, "Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter..." So between verse 21 and 22, was it days that passed? Weeks? Months? He seems to talk about almost exactly the same thing, so my gut instinct is that not much time passed. I just think it's interesting to know that Jesus spent about 3 years in ministry, but we don't know much about the timing of each event.

Those are my thoughts for this chapter. I'd love to hear yours. God's blessings to you and KEEP DIGGING IN!

In Christ,
Dan

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#John9 - Was blind but now I see!

Click here to read John 9:

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

This chapter centers on a man born blind and his encounter with Jesus. Everyone in the story except Jesus misconstrues the man's "misfortune" as a punishment for something. The disciples assume that it was either he or his parents who sinned. The Pharisees remind him that he was steeped in sin from birth. Jesus is the only one that sees this man for who he is - a beloved creation of God. Jesus heals this man, but since it is on a Sabbath the Pharisees go nuts and grill the guy about Jesus. I love that he asks them if they want to be his disciples too. This man has a testimony that no one can argue with, and in sharing it he is pointing people to Jesus. He is the author of one lyrical line in "Amazing Grace." He says, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!"

2. How does this relate to any other Scripture I know?

Jesus likes to heal on the Sabbath. Well, actually he likes to heal all the time, and some of those times happened to be the Sabbath. He was proving that there is no end, no pausing, no break for God's desire to help people. Yes, we should stop working on the Sabbath, but when someone needs help it is always time to help them. Here are some other accounts of Jesus healing on the Sabbath: Mark 3, Luke 13, and John 5.

3. What does this mean for my life?

It's easy to try to rationalize why certain things happen, but from a human perspective we are severely limited in our reasoning. Almost every time something bad happens, or someone goes through a challenging time, some well-meaning Christian says something like, "Everything happens for a reason." That kind of reminds me of the disciples. At best, that statement is not helpful. At worst, it leaves people to figure out why they are being punished. Perhaps the reason is you made a dumb choice not to study and now you're failing the test. Perhaps the reason is that this world is just broken. People get sick. Natural disasters happen. Employers have to make hard decisions. But I believe that no matter what the reason (if there is one), God wants to reveal himself to us more in every circumstance. He wants us to trust him in the midst of hardships. He wants to comfort us in times of loss. He wants to be our hope in times of despair. He wants to be our rock and refuge when the world is shifting all around us. I need to remember to turn to God in all circumstances.

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

I always wondered why Jesus spit in the dirt to make mud and then put it in someone's eyes. Why didn't he just touch his eyes, or speak it over the man? It's kind of gross. However, if I knew it would make me see, I wouldn't care at all. I would just want him to do it.

Those are my thoughts for this chapter. I'd love to hear yours. God's blessings to you and KEEP DIGGING IN!

In Christ,
Dan

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#John8 - Children of the devil!

Click here to read John 8:

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

For anyone who just thinks that Jesus was a mild-mannered wimp in a white dress kissing babies and walking with sheep all the time, they do not know Jesus. John 8 is a prime display of the powerful paradox of Jesus' compassion and Jesus' strength and fortitude. Jesus is trying to teach the people about the unique relationship between himself and God the Father. The Pharisees come and challenge him with question after question. The ironic thing is that they are asking the right questions, they are just not willing to accept the answers Jesus gives. Because of their hard hearts, Jesus says that they if they were really Abraham's children, then they would believe in him. Instead he says they are children of the devil! That's harsh. Dem's fightin' words.

2. How does this relate to any other Scripture I know?

Jesus talks about being a slave to sin, but if we believe in him we are set free from the bondage of sin. There are other passages that also talk about being a slave to sin and finding freedom in Christ. Romans 6 talks about being freed from slavery to sin and offering ourselves as slaves to righteousness. Galatians 3:22-5:1 also talks about this issue. Anyone who has struggled with sinful addictions would verify right away that slavery to sin is a good way to describe our natural tendancies to please ourselves. The only way to be free is to receive a new life in Christ.

3. What does this mean for my life?

In the story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery, Jesus shines as he wins the day with grace and restores the woman back to the truth. Jesus did not walk around in judgment over others, but he always spoke the truth. He never sugar coated God's plan for life, and he never watered down God's commands. But he stood in direct contrast to the Pharisees who were quick to throw stones (literally) at someone who sinned. Jesus knew while he was here on earth, people didn't need another judge to walk around and tell them what they did was wrong. He knew we would all stand before the judge one day to give an account for our life. He knew we didn't just need another teacher to explain why adultery was wrong. He knew we needed a Savior, someone to free us from slavery to sin. So he did that. I need to also remember that although it's important that we all know and understand God's word to the best of our abilities, we should exercise grace and even stand up for others.

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

At the very end of the chapter, Jesus makes a statement that really sets the Pharisees off. He says, "Before Abraham was, I am!" Now, I don't think that was just a grammar slip. I think what he was doing was using God's holy name of "I AM" for himself. Is this accurate? I know that the New Testament was written in Greek and the Old Testament in Hebrew, so I don't know if that translates perfectly or not. That would be interesting to find out.

Those are my thoughts for this chapter. I'd love to hear yours. God's blessings to you and KEEP DIGGING IN!

In Christ,
Dan

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