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Free Daily Bible notes by Rev Stephen Thompson

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Retired pastor

John 1: 35-42: Bowled over!

John 1: 35-42

35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God!’37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning round, Jesus saw them following and asked, ‘What do you want?’They said, ‘Rabbi’ (which means ‘Teacher’), ‘where are you staying?’39 ‘Come,’ he replied, ‘and you will see.’So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas’ (which, when translated, is Peter).NIV

‘The next day John was there again…’ (35).

For a preacher, there is something important about consistency – that you keep turning up, faithfully doing the job you’ve been given (35), and preaching the same Biblical Gospel (36). As with a bowler on a cricket team, who consistently keeps to a good line and length, there is likely to be a breakthrough at some point. Just keep on ‘putting the ball in the right place’. It will happen. It may not necessarily involve big numbers, but it’s the reality of the conversions that matters – and the further waves made by them.

Here, then, is the power of preaching: John ‘picked up a couple of wickets’ (37). As a result of John’s ‘sermon’ these two began to personally relate to Jesus (38, 39). It was all that John wanted. A sermon does not need to be long to be effective, but it does need to have sound content. There is no greater theme than Christ crucified.

Someone said about Andrew’s action (41, 42), ‘It was as great a service for the church as anyone ever did.’ Here you see some of the potential ‘knock-on’ effects of a sermon.

Preaching is ultimately about pointing to Jesus and getting people to Him. He then does the work of transformation on them (42). The changing of Peter’s name indicated Jesus’ authority over him. Under the Lordship of Jesus, the ‘reed’ would become the ‘rock’.

Don’t ever under-estimate the importance of consistency/dependability in a preacher – the being ‘there again’. He may not be the greatest preacher in the world. Or, he may be having an off day. He may be low in the spirits. Things may not appear to be going too well in the church. Perhaps he’s feeling below par. But he’s there. Others may be bunking off church. Some may forsake the assembling with other Christians on a regular basis. But he’s there – at his post. He’s there with the eternal gospel in his heart and on his lips. And although he may keenly feel his weakness and lack confidence; though he may be feeling depressed and thinking of many others who can ‘do it better’, God’s Word is ‘mighty, releasing captives’. That Word does the work.

Preacher, you have the greatest job in the world. Don’t lose heart. Stay on duty.

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John 1:29-34: ‘I came…that he might be revealed…’ (31).

John 1:29-34: ‘I came…that he might be revealed…’

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, “A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.” 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptising with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.’32 Then John gave this testimony: ‘I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptise with water told me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit.” 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.’ NIV

The first thing I want to underline is that Jesus moves towards us before we move in His direction (29). He takes the initiative. He is the ‘Prime Mover’ in our salvation. No-one will become a witness for Christ, or a preacher of the gospel without this starting point of a God-initiated meeting with the Lord. There is great power in preaching where we not only ‘testify’ to the truth, but can also say ‘I have seen and I testify…’ (34). As a preacher, always seek to ‘see’ that which you ‘testify’ to; to experience what you preach about. Obviously, it is important to preach salvation as a saved person; as a genuine believer in Jesus, ‘the Son of God’.

John the Baptist stands before us as a ‘model’ preacher. He was Christ-centred and Cross-centred. He said:

‘Look’ – look at Jesus; look to Jesus, to take away your sin. There was none of the platform strutting, ego parading ‘look at me’ mentality on display; nothing of the peacock preacher. John knew that Jesus is the answer and he was not. His ministry was all about Jesus (31b). He was humble. He freely confessed his ignorance apart from divine revelation: ‘I would not have known him, except…’ (33).

I heard Alec Passmore speak on verse 29 and 2 Corinthians 3:18. His theme was ‘a saving look’ and a ‘sanctifying gaze’. It takes a moment to look to Jesus and be forgiven; but it then takes a lifetime of gazing on Him, in adoration, to be made like Him. 2 Corinthians 3:18 speaks about our being ‘transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory’ as we ‘behold’ or ‘contemplate’ ‘the Lord’s glory’. (The word used can also mean ‘reflect’)

John preached the SACRIFICIAL death of Jesus – Jesus as ‘the lamb’ – the fulfilment of the Old Testament sacrificial system (29).

John preached the SUPREMACY of Jesus (30). In terms of time, John was born first; but in terms of eternity, Jesus existed before John. He superseded His cousin – He was pre-existent. John knew his place, bent low at the feet of Jesus and at the foot of His cross.

John preached the SPIRIT- anointed/SPIRIT- imparting Jesus. We need this double emphasis on the Cross and the Holy Spirit in our preaching today. Proclaim Jesus as Saviour and Sanctifier. He both forgives sin and frees from its power. He changes us; makes us different. ‘He breaks the power of cancelled sin…’ Let us seek the ‘something more’ of the Holy Spirit and preach that ‘something more’.

There can be such a temptation to make Christian ministry about us. It is NEVER about us. The preacher’s work is to lift up Christ alone. God the Holy Spirit will greatly bless a ministry where the focus is on Christ crucified.

As Jesus said, ‘He will glorify me…’

Prayer: Lord, please give me a heart like John’s – a grand obsession with Jesus.

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John 1:19-28: Public Confession.

John 1:19-28: Public Confession

“19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leader  in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, ‘I am not the Messiah.’21 They asked him, ‘Then who are you? Are you Elijah?’He said, ‘I am not.’‘Are you the Prophet?’He answered, ‘No.’22 Finally they said, ‘Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?’23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, ‘I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, “Make straight the way for the Lord.”’ 24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, ‘Why then do you baptise if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?’26 ‘I baptise with water,’ John replied, ‘but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptising.” NIV

‘He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely…’ (20).  These words dig into me because at times I have failed to confess. I have missed opportunities to identify myself with Jesus.

Help me Lord to confess you with my life. I can’t always be speaking about you verbally, but if I obey you I dare to believe that others will see you in me. If I walk in your steps, my life will silently speak volumes. Let me carry your fragrance Lord Jesus; may I ‘smell’ of you. I don’t want to put a ‘lid’ on my testimony; I don’t want to position my candle under a bucket.

Help me to confess with my lips. Forgive me for any sense of cowardice or embarrassment. Fill me with boldness. Enable me to give a reason for my hope in you, when I’m asked. I want to SAY that I am a Christian, and tell what that means, in appropriate ways and at the right time.

And help me please, dear Lord Jesus, to never fail to confess that you are the greatest, and it’s all about you.

This is my prayer today.

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The Gospel of John 1:15-18: Lift Jesus higher.

John 1:15-18, Lift Jesus Higher

“15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, ‘This is the one I spoke about when I said, “He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.”’) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and[b] is in the closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.” NIV

Jesus is the greatest (15). A certain well-known former boxer, who recently died, famously declared that he was ‘the greatest’, but no doubt his tongue was firmly in his cheek. Jesus is greater than the greatest of men and women. I guess we have no problems accepting that Jesus ‘surpasses’ us. We shouldn’t have.  He obviously does! We are mortal; He is eternal. We are men; He is God. But what about when we are surpassed by other human beings? When we are eclipsed in popularity and ability.? That supplies a real test of character. Can we be like John and determine to decrease so that another may increase? Richard Foster tells how his ministry colleague and elders sacrificially released him to write ‘Celebration of Discipline.’ They took on more work for a time to free him to serve the wider church. He is well-known in the Christian world because of this book. They are not. But they showed a humble, John the Baptist like spirit in order to make his work possible. They played a vital role.

Jesus is the Fountain Head (16, 17). Innumerable blessings flow from Him into our lives. ‘We all live off his generous bounty, gift after gift after gift.’ The Message. 

We have every spiritual blessing in Christ. All these gifts are expressions of grace, i.e. Undeserved favour:

‘…there is a grace in our lives because of his grace’ (J.B. Phillips).

‘We have all benefited from the rich blessings he brought to us – blessing upon blessing heaped upon us! For Moses gave us only the Law with its rigid demands and merciless justice, while Jesus Christ brought us loving forgiveness as well’ (Living Bible).

Jesus is the revealer (18): ‘It is true that no one has ever seen God at any time. Yet the divine and only Son, who lives in the closest intimacy with the Father, has made him known’ (J.B. Phillips). Someone translated this: ‘…has exegeted Him.’ Jesus shows us what the invisible God is like. As Michael Green wrote, He is ‘the window into God.’

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The Gospel of John 1:6-14

John 1: 6-14

“6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” NIV

‘The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighbourhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish’ (14, The Message).

We move quickly from the God who became man (1-5,14), to ‘a man sent from God’ (6). John Baptist was not God. He knew He was not God. But God gave him an important job to do. He was a signpost, pointing to Jesus. He didn’t stand in the spotlight. He never confused his role with the Lord’s. He consistently pointed away from himself to Christ. So he stands as an example to all Christian witnesses:

‘He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light’ (8, The Message).

Although Jesus made the world, when He came into it He was not, by and large, recognised.

When He came to His own people – the Jewish race – a people uniquely prepared by God for the coming of their Messiah – they showed Him the door. The put out the ‘unwelcome’ mat.

But here and there were people who did receive Jesus. When they did so they became children of God. And that’s why John kept on pointing to Jesus, because only He can bring folks into God’s family. We are not all children of God by birth, but we become such by new birth, when we trust in Jesus.

Remember, ‘You cannot at one and the same time demonstrate that you are a great preacher and Jesus is a great Saviour.’

Take your cue from John. Lift up Jesus!

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The Gospel of John 1:1-5

John 1:1-5, Theology singing

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” NIV

This is one of the best known parts of the Bible. It is so important; so significant.

It is theology.

It is (it seems to me) poetry.

It is theology set to music; theology singing.

Think what BIG things it says about Jesus:

He is God;

Yet He is distinct from God;

He is the creator of all things;

The ‘light’ in every person – the light of conscience – the light of spiritual understanding – is actually the ‘life’ of Jesus alive in them – whether they recognise Him or not. His life animates everyone and everything.

And how about this for a barnstorming statement of truth? ‘The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out’ (5, The Message).

Still today, in many ways, the darkness huffs and puffs at the light and tries to extinguish it. The fact is it will never succeed. Sometimes it will appear to, but in reality our ‘Good Friday’s’ will always be eclipsed by His ‘Easter Sundays’.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for the beauty of truth; for its poetic, melodic, rhapsodic quality. It makes my heart sing. I love you Lord Jesus Christ, and I worship you.

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Daily Bible thoughts 1968: Wednesday 3rd July 2019: Revelation 22:21: Grace.

Revelation 22:21: Grace.

21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen. NIV

Throughout these past six months, Tom Wright has helped us again and again with his observations on the book of ‘Revelation’. Here is his comment on the last verse:

‘The letter – it always was a letter, as well as a prophecy and a revelation – ends as it should, with a closing greeting. ‘The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all’ (verse 21). But, however conventional, this greeting now carries the freight of the entire book. It is dense with a thousand images of ‘grace’, pregnant with the power of the word ‘Lord’ when spoken under the nose of Caesar, sparkling in the still-open invitation to ‘you all,’ and above all delicious with the name, the name that is now exalted high over all, the name of the slaughtered lamb, the name of the one we love and long to see. This book has been a revelation of Jesus, a testimony to Jesus, an act of homage to Jesus. This word. This book. This prophecy…Coming soon. This Jesus.’ ‘Revelation for Everyone’, p.207.

I began to write these Bible notes a number of years ago as a result of an inner ‘prompting’. Just recently, I felt a similar prompting to stop. Such promptings have played a major role in my life and ministry, and I know I cannot afford to ignore them. It’s been a privilege to seek to obey God in putting these thoughts ‘out there’, and I’d like to thank all of you who have made use of them. I also have a special ‘thank you’ for those of you who have communicated with me from time to time, and told me how the notes have helped you. I’m grateful for your encouragement.

As I sign off, let me encourage you to keep reading THE BOOK of books – God’s Book, the Bible. It is mighty; it is life-changing. No notes on Scripture (and there are a lot out there!) can ever replace Scripture itself. As you read it, remember, if you’re a Christian, the Author lives within you. You can ask Him for understanding and He will help you.

I take my leave, echoing John’s prayer that the ‘’grace of the Lord Jesus’’ will be with you.

Stephen.

 

 

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Daily Bible thoughts 1968: Tuesday 2nd July 2019: Revelation 22:17: ‘Come!’

Revelation 22:17: ‘Come!’

“17 The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come!’ Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.” NIV

As we have seen, in this final chapter of Revelation, there is a repeated emphasis on the theme that Jesus is coming soon. In response to this, John’s prayer is (and it should be the prayer of the whole church): ‘’Amen. Come, Lord Jesus’’ (20). But there is also, in the seventeenth verse, the gracious, and repeated, invitation to the ‘’thirsty’’ to ‘’come’’ and ‘’take the free gift of the water of life.’’ These words surely draw from the well of Isaiah 55. Verse 1 of that chapter says:

‘’Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.’’

 Words of Jesus are also brought to mind:

‘’If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink’’ (John 7:37).

The invitation stands for all the spiritually thirsty today. Jesus will not fail to deliver on His promise. You and I can prove its truth. Salvation is a free gift. Let the church echo this message, and repeat it throughout the world. As the old hymn says, ‘Now none but Christ can satisfy…’

 

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Daily Bible thoughts 1966: Monday 1st July 2019: Revelation 22:16-17: Jesus is.

Revelation 22:16-17: Jesus is.

16 ‘I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.’17 The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come!’ Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. “NIV

Jesus is everything we could ever want or need. He is what our starving souls are hungering for, if we but knew it.  In John’s gospel, 7 ‘’I am’’ statements made by Jesus are recorded. Most commentators would see an implicit claim to divinity in Jesus’ use of this great Old Testament Name for God.

I was reflecting on the fact that John also wrote ‘Revelation’, and there are a number of ‘’I am’’ sayings of Jesus in this last section of the book:

‘’I am coming soon!’’ (7, 12 & 20);

‘’I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End’’ (13; see 21;6. Note that Jesus and God speak the same words, and we know that both share the throne);

‘’I am the Root and Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star’’ (16; see 5:5, 2:28; Romans 13:12).

Richard Bewes writes regarding this last statement:

‘…here is a title of Jesus to make the most pessimistic heart thud with expectation! A new age is going to dawn, and it will be Christ who ushers it in… The bright Morning Star is there before our gaze. And tomorrow belongs to us!’ ‘The Lamb Wins’ pp.149/153.

‘This Morning Star is a sign of the dawning of a new day after a long night of tribulation – a sign of the new day of the kingdom of Jesus Christ.’ Tom Hale: ‘Applied New Testament Commentary’, p.997.

 

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