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Daily Devotional thoughts by Stephen Thompson

John 5:37-47: Bibliolatry?

John 5:37-47: Bibliolatry?

37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.41 ‘I do not accept glory from human beings, 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?45 ‘But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?’NIV

It is possible to be a serious Bible student and miss the whole point. If we don’t see Jesus in its pages, and fail to enjoy a relationship with Him, we miss everything that matters.

”You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you’ll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren’t willing to receive from me the life you say you want.” The Message.

The Jews in general, and the religious leaders in particular, ‘diligently’ studied the Scriptures (39) They counted how many letters there were in each book and so on. They knew a lot about IT. But when their Messiah came, they failed to recognise HIM. They were, it’s been said, like people who value the medicine bottle but do not take the medicine. Or, they are to be compared with someone who admires the jewellery box, but not the treasure it contains. They prided themselves on knowing the works of ‘Moses’ (45-47), but missed the One who was at the heart of Moses’ writings; the very One he pointed a long finger towards spanning across the centuries.

Some people’s knowledge of the Bible makes them hard and harsh and judgmental, and you can’t help but wonder if they are missing the whole point.  You think, ‘Where is the heart and spirit of Jesus in such ferocious behaviour? ‘

As a preacher who tries to make a habit of expounding the Scriptures, I need to take to heart this reminder that it is all about Jesus. Wherever I am in the Bible I need to be pointing people to Jesus. Bible Study should lead to a relationship with Jesus, and to an ever-deepening relationship at that. It must never become an arid, academic pursuit that is an end in itself. David Pawson said once that we evangelicals accuse Roman Catholics of having a Trinity of Father, Son and Blessed Virgin. But we ourselves have often been guilty of believing in a Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Scriptures. Beware!

Prayer: Thank you Lord for your Word. It is a remarkable Book. Enable me please, whenever I open it, to meet you there and receive your life. If I am ‘refusing’ you in any area today, please show me and bring me back to a place of full surrender.

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John 5: 19-29: More gigantic claims.

John 5: 19-29: More gigantic claims.

19 Jesus gave them this answer: ‘Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father. Whoever does not honour the Son does not honour the Father, who sent him.24 ‘Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.28 ‘Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out – those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.NIV

 

Following the healing of an invalid man on the Sabbath day, Jesus spoke of His unity withy the Father. The Father had healed the man, and Jesus’ work of healing on this occasion gave expression to His oneness with the Father. The Jews got the point and saw that Jesus was claiming equality with God (18). That gave them even more reason to want to kill Him. But this was just the starting point. Jesus had even more things to say about His essential unity with the Father. He can only do what the Father does (19) so whenever we see Jesus at work, that is God the Father at work. And, indeed, to honour the Son is to honour the Father (23). If we don’t honour Jesus we can’t honour God. 

We need to get this message:

The Father heals the sick on the Sabbath, and so the Son does – for they are one (16-18);

As the Father raises the dead, so Jesus has the power to raise people both spiritually and physically – for they are one (21, 24, 25, 26, 28 and 29);

As the Father judges all, so does Jesus – for they are one (22, 23).

”The relationship of our Lord to the Father was such that he felt himself competent to fulfill all the functions of the Divine Being. Is it God’s prerogative to raise the dead? It is also Jesus Christ’s…Is it the divine right to be the judge of man? It is also the Redeemer’s right…Is it the peculiar attitude of God to be the fountain of life, so that life, inherent, underived, and perennial, is ever arising in his nature, sustaining here an angel and there a hummingbird? This is also an attribute of our blessed Lord…The entire sum of the attributes of Deity are resident in the nature of the Son of man. But though although all divine attributes were his, and might have been called into operation, he forebode to use them, that he might learn the life of dependence and faith, the life which was to become ours toward himself. He did nothing apart from the Father…No vine ever clung more closely to its trellis, and no child to its mother, than he to the Father. See Gal.2:20; Heb.12:2” F.B. Meyer: ‘Devotional Commentary’, pp.461,462.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, as you walked through life in total dependence on your Father, so enable me to keep my heart and eyes fixed on you. I need you every hour, every minute, every second (and milli-second!)

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John 4:31-42: Real satisfaction.

John 4:31-42: Real satisfaction.

31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’32 But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you know nothing about.’33 Then his disciples said to each other, ‘Could someone have brought him food?’34 ‘My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Don’t you have a saying, “It’s still four months until harvest”? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.37 Thus the saying “One sows and another reaps” is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labour.’39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I’ve ever done.’ 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers.42 They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Saviour of the world.’ NIV

You may remember from verse 8 that ‘His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.’ When they returned, they naturally wanted Jesus to ‘eat something’ (31). I’m sure they knew that he was ‘tired…from the journey’ (6). They were being kind and caring. But Jesus sized the moment for a teaching opportunity (32). He wanted to convey the deep inner satisfaction He felt from doing the will of God (34). The disciples were confused because they took His words in a materialistic fashion (33) – much as the Samaritan woman had done previously (11-15).

Someone preaching on this passage said something like this: ‘Imagine an artist at work in his studio. At lunch time his wife brings him a drink and some sandwiches. When she returns to collect the empty’s a little while later, it’s barely been touched. Her husband is so absorbed in his work.’ That’s a good illustration. Obviously, it has stayed with me. Jesus found unparalleled satisfaction in doing ‘the will’ of the Father. That particular day it involved a ‘witnessing conversation’ with a deeply dissatisfied woman. And what a chain reaction it set off (39-42) It’s been suggested that when Jesus said, ‘I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields!’ (35), He was pointing to the Samaritans streaming across the fields towards them (40). There was a contrast to be drawn between the natural harvest, still four months away, and the spiritual one right before their eyes (35).

‘These Samaritan fields are ripe. It’s harvest time!…Without lifting a finger, you have walked in on a field worked long and hard by others.’ The Message.

There is nothing more satisfying for a Christ-follower than to point people to Jesus. And if you see success in some form; if people respond positively, better still. But all evangelism is team work, whether we are sowing or reaping (and in a lifetime you’ll probably do a bit of both.) The bottom line truth, of course, is that God gives the growth (1 Corinthians 3:7). So to Him belongs all the glory.

‘No single individual can claim credit for the success of any spiritual mission. The harvest belongs to the sower as much as to the reaper. It is possible that the others referred to the long line of prophets who had prepared the way, of whom John the Baptist was the last.’ Donald Guthrie: ‘New Bible Commentary’, p.1035.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, may I not fail to play my full part in your harvest.

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John 4:27-30: Evangelistic musings.

John 4:27-30: Evangelistic musings.

27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, ‘What do you want?’ or ‘Why are you talking with her?’28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 ‘Come, see a man who told me everything I’ve ever done. Could this be the Messiah?’ 30 They came out of the town and made their way towards him. NIV

Here are a couple of thoughts about evangelism that have occurred to me whilst reading today’s passage:

  1. Sometimes effective evangelism takes place where someone is prepared to break the mould and part from convention. They may take flak for it. They run the risk of being misunderstood and misrepresented. But they go for it, believing it to be the right thing to do. The disciples were ‘surprised to find him talking with a woman’ (27). That reflects the general Jewish prejudice at the time. Rabbis were not permitted to speak to women in the street (not even their own wives!) and they considered any conversation with a woman to be a hindrance to the study of the law. The disciples, as men of their time, were embarrassed by Jesus’ actions. But His going out on a limb led to a huge spiritual breakthrough. So all our human traditions need to be tested at the bar of truth. Our customs – general ways of doing things and culturally accepted norms – must not be allowed to rule; we cannot afford to permit them to choke off our witness. In short, I’m saying that there are ways of doing evangelism that may earn you the disapproval of others. Someone said to D.L. Moody: ‘I don’t like the way you do evangelism.’ His reply: ‘And I don’t like the way you don’t do it!!’
  2. Might we not consider more fully the place of questions in our witness? (29). The Samaritan woman aroused curiosity in others by her question. She herself was not fully convinced that Jesus was the Messiah (in spite of His declaration in verse 26), but she knew He was special and very much hoped that He was. Nevertheless, her question got others searching out the truth for themselves. I’ve been thinking a lot of late about the importance for leaders of asking good questions. Often, it is more effective to lead by asking than telling. I’m not saying that there isn’t a gospel to tell and explain. There most certainly is. But might we not also make good use of some well thought through questions (as well as those that may occur in the inspiration of the moment?)

Prayer: Lord God, please give me Paul’s willingness to ‘by all means’ win some. May I not be afraid to pioneer new approaches as your Spirit leads.

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John 4:1-14: Futility.

John 4:1-14: Futility.

“Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptising more disciples than John – 2 although in fact it was not Jesus who baptised, but his disciples. 3 So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.4 Now he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, ‘Will you give me a drink?’ 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)9 The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?’ (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)10 Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.’11 ‘Sir,’ the woman said, ‘you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?’13 Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’NIV

Wilfred Owen wrote a beautiful little war poem, full of pathos, and called it ‘futility’. It’s one of his shorter works, but it says so much. Reading Jesus’ words in (13), I call to mind the Old Testament book of ‘Ecclesiastes’. It too speaks of ‘futility’: the ‘vanity’, the emptiness, of everything we pursue in this life (‘under the sun’) in order to find meaning. King Solomon had everything you could want in this world. He had money, sex (oodles of it!!) and power. He found by personal experience that apart from God it was all ‘meaningless’. F.B. Meyer has said that you could write the words of verse 13 over all worldly amusements: ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again’ (13).

Jesus did not ‘have’ to go through Samaria as a geographical necessity. He could have taken another route. But there was a divine necessity about this trip. The Father had scheduled an appointment with a deeply ‘thirsty’ woman. She had found that this world does not satisfy, and she was ready to ‘drink’ what Jesus offered her.

Notice the simple relevance of Jesus’ approach. It starts with a shared understanding and need for water (7). But skilfully, carefully, Jesus went gradually deeper in the conversation, arousing her curiosity, drawing her in, whetting her appetite. Michael Green once said that in personal evangelism we have to row our gospel boat around the island of a person’s life, and determine which is the best place to ‘put in’. When you read the gospels you see that Jesus had no pre-packaged, pre-programmed approach. He was led by the Father.

By the way, can you see the irony in (12)? We know the answer, even if she doesn’t – yet!!

Prayer: Father God, please organise my schedule for today – and every other day. And help me to never make tiredness an excuse for avoiding people, and failure to serve.

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John 3:22-36: God gives the growth.

John 3:22-36: God gives the growth.

“22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptised. 23 Now John also was baptising at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptised. 24 (This was before John was put in prison.) 25 An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26 They came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan – the one you testified about – look, he is baptising, and everyone is going to him.’27 To this John replied, ‘A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, “I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.” 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must become greater; I must become less.’[a]31 The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God[b]gives the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” NIV

Never forget the principle enunciated clearly in (27) – a man can have only what is given him from heaven. God gives the growth, so why do we act like He doesn’t? Why do we place so much store by people who seem to be experts at producing growth and telling ‘how it’s done!’?

We need to remember this especially when other churches and leaders SEEM to succeed more than we do. How we handle the success of others is a real test of character. Dallas Willard makes the point that one practical out working of the doctrine of the Trinity will mean that pray for other church leaders and root for them. We will want their success.

John’s disciples seemed to complain about the growth of Jesus’ ‘church’, but John himself was delighted with the news. He recognised the total superiority of Jesus to himself (31-36). He realised that more and more he would have to retreat into the shadows, whereas Jesus’ place was in the spotlight (30). He likened his role to that of the ‘best man’ at a wedding (28, 29).The best man needs to be efficient (and John was very good at what he did), but he must not steal the show. He cannot court the limelight. He wants to see the bride and the groom come together. It would be terrible if he were to run off with the bride. John was watching the ‘bride’ run to her Beloved, and nothing could give him more pleasure. This was what he lived for. The bride and Groom were coming to centre-stage, and he would be able to slip out through the back door.

‘What a blessing it would be if we could enshrine in our hearts this immortal maxim: ”A man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven!” What we have is God’s gift; let us hold it reverently. What another person has is God’s gift to him; we have no right to find fault with his dealings with another of his servants. Our orbits are distinct; all we have to do is shine our brightest where he has placed us, confident that he knows best.’ F.B. Meyer: ‘Devotional Commentary’, p.459.

Prayer: Help me Lord to see your glory in the gifts you share with others. Let me feel neither jealous or discouraged. Let me be content to be the best version of me that I can be. It will be because of you, and to you be all the glory.

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John 3:9-21: Darkness to light.

John 3:9-21: Darkness to light.

“9 ‘How can this be?’ Nicodemus asked.10 ‘You are Israel’s teacher,’ said Jesus, ‘and do you not understand these things?11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven – the Son of Man.14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.’16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” NIV

‘This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil’ (19).

There are people in the world who, although yet in darkness, like Nicodemus (9 – 12) they are making honest movement toward the Light (20, 21). They are prepared for the exposure the Light brings, and at some point (probably soon) they will be willing to repent of their wickedness and trust in Christ’s sacrifice on their behalf.

But the natural state of man is anti-God/anti-Christ (19).The natural person hates God. It is a sin against love (16), we know, but there it is. He/she rejects Christ, and therefore they are in condemnation (17). Such a person will never turn from darkness to Light without a regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. They ‘must’ be born again (7). Thank God that, by His Sovereign grace, such a miracle is possible.  Think about Saul of Tarsus for example (Acts 9). A man or a woman, a boy or a girl, can ‘believe in’ Jesus (16) and receive this gift of ‘eternal life’ (16). This faith in Christ crucified brings a person ‘out of darkness’ and into ‘marvellous light’ (1 Peter 2:9). 

It seems to me that there are two important ‘must’s’ in John 3 – two compelling necessities:

  1. The necessity of the new birth (7);
  2. The necessity of the cross (14).

These two necessities are linked, and through the life-giving work of the Spirit we are enabled to trust in Christ for our salvation.

I heard a preacher say something like this: ‘We talk about wearing the heart on the sleeve; God wore His heart on a cross.’

W.E. Songster said in a sermon that God knows ‘the pain of unrequited love.’ He ‘so’ loves even those who hate Him. 

‘My Lord, what love is this…?

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John 3:1-8: ‘Blowin’ in the Wind.

John 3:1-8: ‘Blowin’ in the Wind.

“Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.’3 Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’4 ‘How can someone be born when they are old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!’5 Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.7 You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again.” 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.’NIV

Nicodemus was a ‘seeker’. It would appear that he was not the only one among the group of ‘Pharisees’. They were exceptionally devout men, and there were certainly those who recognised that there was something special about Jesus (2). They were not yet converts. Clearly, they were still in spiritual ignorance (10) and should have known better. But there were promising indications of eyes starting to open; the first glimmerings of a spiritual dawn.

Nicodemus may have come to Jesus ‘at night’ because he was embarrassed to be seen with him during the day. He was, after all, a man of great status, and we know how pride can affect us all. But maybe at this stage, he just wanted a private, unhurried and uninterrupted conversation with Jesus. Whatever, although the man was religious – a ‘man of the cloth’ you might say – Jesus wasted no time in letting him know that religiosity was not enough. In one statement Jesus swept away much of what Nicodemus stood for (3) and demanded that he should be remade on the inside by the power of God. Jesus said it is not possible to ‘see’ the kingdom of God (3), let alone ‘enter’ it (5) without a second and spiritual birth. (There is in the Greek language the idea of being ‘born from above’ as well as being ‘born again’. Just as a person is born physically, so there must be another, a second birth, which is the work of the Holy Spirit.) This should not have come as a surprise to Nicodemus (7). He was well versed in the Old Testament, and there are intimations there of the need for, and possibility of regeneration (e.g. Ezekiel 36:24-27).

There is a mystery about the work of the Holy Spirit, and about those in whom He is at work (8). Spirit-led people will often leave worldly people scratching their heads. (Sometimes they will even baffle fellow-believers!!). The Spirit of God is like the wind. (It’s interesting that in the original language, the same word is used for ‘breath’, ‘wind’ and ‘spirit’).We can’t see Him, but we can see what He does. And we certainly can’t control Him. One of the problems we can have in church life is when ‘the Wind changes direction’ and we don’t realise it. May we remain sensitive to God’s mighty Spirit, and seek to always keep in step with Him.

Prayer: Thank you Lord that you recreate – that you make brand new people by your Holy Spirit. Thank you for your work in me. I pray that I will never resist your Holy Spirit, but move wherever He ‘blows’ me.

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John 2: 12-25: ‘Get these out of here.’

John 2: 12-25: ‘Get these out of here.’

“12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days. When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, ‘Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!’ 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’ 18 The Jews then responded to him, ‘What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?’19 Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.’20 They replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?’ 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.”NIV

There was quite a lucrative business going on in the Temple precincts. If you wanted to buy an animal for sacrifice it would cost you ‘an arm and a leg’. (Let’s face it, people travelling great distances to worship at the temple might not be able to bring one with them. They needed the opportunity to purchase a beast on site. But they got ripped off). Also, only Temple currency could be used there, and the exchange rate was exorbitant. 

Jesus came to the Temple in the spirit of Malachi 3:1ff. He acted like the Temple was HIS. It was. He assumed the right to act in this way. This was not lost on the Jews. Only God had the ‘authority’ (18) to clean up the Temple. Jesus was (and is) God, and His resurrection demonstrates the fact (19). The Jews in this story totally misunderstood what He was saying (20). At His trial, these words were aggressively thrown back at Him. But Jesus did not say that He was going to destroy the Temple. He did know, however, that they were going to ‘destroy’ His body (which He refers to as ‘this temple’). Yet they would find Him to be indestructible.

What does Jesus ‘find’ today in His temple?

My body is His temple (1 Corinthians 6:19);

The local church is His temple (1 Corinthians 3:16, 17).

What does He find there that needs to change? He has the right to challenge and to change it.

He is Lord.

What needs to go?

‘Get these out of here.’

‘When he comes to dwell within us, he finds our hearts desecrated by unholy things which he quickly casts out. He sits as a refiner of silver; his fan is in his hand, and he thoroughly purges his floor.’ F.B. Meyer: Devotional Commentary,’ p.459.

Prayer: Lord show me what needs to go from my life. Help me to throw it out, in your strength.

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