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 John 8: 12-20: ”Lighten our darkness”.(please click for todays passage)

In John’s gospel you find a number of repeated themes. There are key words and phrases which come up again and again. Three of them are found in this short section:

1. ”Light” (12). This is another of the ”I Am” sayings in the fourth gospel. They are undoubtedly claims to divinity.

    There are at least two ways in which we may think of God/Christ being ”light”:

• Light is about clear sight: He brings illumination into our lives. He reveals spiritual truth to our hearts. He gives understanding. He also sheds light on our way. He shows us what to do/where to go. He guides our feet in His paths. At times He may only give enough light for the next step. But that is enough. And when you take it you’ll probably be able to see a further step;
• Light is about a clean conscience: He brings holiness into our lives (1 John 1:5ff). As we walk in the light of Biblical truth we find that we are on the sunlit road of godliness. To walk in the light means to live in openness before the Lord and fellow believers, confessing our sins and experiencing the cleansing of the blood of Christ.

1. ”Testimony”/”witness” (13, 14, 17, 18): There is a legal air to this. Jesus is verified/affirmed as God’s Son. He is who He says He is. Of course, as God, Jesus knew precisely who He was and where He was going (14,15). He could capably testify to Himself, but the Pharisees would not accept this (13). However, because the Father also testified to Him, there was the required twofold witness (17,18).

1. ”Hour” (20). It was not yet ”time” for Jesus to die. When He did die it was obvious that God was in control, not wicked men.This was not a tragic waste of a young life, but a purposeful death. It could not happen outside of God’s timescale.

This section of the fourth gospel opens with the words: ”When Jesus spoke again to the people…” (12). Note the little, but so important, word ”again”. Here is an insight into Jesus’ perseverance. We read in (7:43) that ”the people were divided because of Jesus”. Yes, there were those who were open to Him and interested in Him; in fact fascinated by Him. But others were aggressive and abusive and some wanted to kill Him. Yet Jesus would not be silenced. Like a rubber ball He came bouncing back!! When Manchester United won their first European Champions League title under Sir Alex Ferguson (then just plain Alex), they had to slowly but surely claw their way back into a game that they were losing at half time. In the closing minutes they equalised through Teddy Sheringham, then ‘super sub’ Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came on and won it for them with virtually the last kick of the match. In his post match interview Sir Alex, as I recall, said something like this: ”I’m so proud of my team. They never gave in; they just kept going. The famous nineteenth century preacher C.H. Spurgeon said, ”By perseverance the snail made it to the ark.”

In Junior school, we regularly said this prayer at the end of the day. It seems appropriate to quote it here: ”Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee O Lord, and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night.”

 John 7:53 – 8:11: Three pointing back…(please click here for todays passage)

The earliest and most reliable ancient manuscripts of the gospel of John do not contain John 7:53-8:11. But this beautiful story does not contradict any other part of the Bible, and it fits with the picture of the Jesus we know from elsewhere.

This short story points to:

1. The centrality of Jesus (2). Jesus has ”appeared” to us. We can only see Him because He has revealed Himself to us. And our lives personally, and the church’s life collectively, centres ”round” Him. We revolve around Him. He has ultimately authority in our lives and we listen to and obey His teaching. He is the centre of our orbit.
2. The hostility of the religious leaders (3-6). There is a challenge here about how we treat people – especially those we know to have done wrong. Many years ago, because of a mistake I made in a Physics exercise, a science teacher not only humiliated me in front of my own class, but also marched me down the corridor to where my maths teacher was working with a group. He proceeded to rant about my stupidity in front of her and her class. That day I felt deep shame. What was it like for this poor woman when ”They made her stand before the group…” ?And by the way, there was profound hypocrisy here, for if the woman was ”caught in the act of adultery” (4), where was the man? (See Leviticus 20:10).Presumably he had been let go? How do we treat people whose lives, we know, run contrary to the Word of God? Do we remember that they are still in the image of their Maker, even though it has been defaced? Do we treat them with dignity? Do we show a proper recognition of their worth and value? Do we remember our own faults? Bill Hybels says, ”You will never lock eyes with anyone who doesn’t matter to the Father.” You need to remember that when you point a finger at someone else, you have three others pointing back.
3. The charity of Jesus (6b-11): No one knows exactly what Jesus was doing when He ”bent down” and wrote in the dust (6b, 8), but I find the suggestion attractive that He was listing the sins of these violently critical men. It seems they came under conviction of sin. None of them were without it (7). The older ones, who had the longest sinning experience, were the first to leave. Eventually, only two people were left – Jesus and the woman. Jesus was balanced in His approach. He didn’t compromise with evil, but neither did He condemn her. Rather, He called to repentance. Jesus shows mercy so that we may pursue a life of holiness. He does not expect us to continue to flirt with sin.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for loving me in a way that is different to how anyone else would treat me. I deserve condemnation, but your grace has given me a fresh start and a second chance at life. Help me to never abuse your great kindness.

John 7: 45-52: The ignorance of arrogance.(please click here for todays passage)

Three A’s!

ATTRACTION (45, 46): It’s a lovely story isn’t? The temple guards who had been despatched to arrest Jesus (32), came back empty handed. You can’t imagine that these men were easily put off in their work, and it probably wasn’t a good idea for them to be negligent. They had tough bosses, and my guess is they were no softies themselves. But they were utterly charmed by the words of Jesus. It’s a compelling insight into Christ’s magnetism. If they are honest, probably very few would argue with the assertion that Jesus spoke the best and most beautiful words in the world. They may not believe in His divinity, but they cannot doubt the power and persuasiveness of His teaching.

ARROGANCE (47 – 49):This is not a winsome quality. Arrogant people feel and act superior. They are dismissive of the thoughts, ideas and opinions of others. They imagine they know best and are unteachable. They are, as someone put it, ”Blocked learners.” If you ever recognise the slightest hint of arrogance growing up inside you, root it out before it spreads and covers the whole garden of your soul. It’s a malignant, destructive weed. It does not belong in a believer’s heart. It’s incongruous.

ASSERTIVENESS (50-52): While the Pharisees were putting others down, Nicodemus spoke up for Jesus. You can be assertive without being arrogant. It may have been easier for him to keep silent, but as all soldiers of the cross should, he stood up for Jesus. Nicodemus may not yet have experienced the new birth. We just don’t know. But he certainly knew about it, and he was deeply impressed by Jesus (John 3:2). We also have reason to believe that he spoke for others of his group. He was not alone in his admiration. You don’t have to be rude to be assertive, but you do have to be brave. In an atmosphere that seems to be increasingly secular and anti-Christian, may God the Holy Spirit give us the backbone to speak up for Jesus, even if it makes us unpopular and abuse comes flying our way.

John 7: 32 – 44: ”Streams in the desert.”(please click here for todays passage)

I suppose it is better to ”whisper” about Jesus (32), than to not speak about Him at all. The mention of ”whispering” here reflects the generally tense atmosphere in Jerusalem at that time. It was a dangerous period. Tension filled the air. There were people who were impressed by Jesus, but it wasn’t safe to express such sentiments. At least, that’s how many felt about it. So they kept their voices low.

Do you see a strong contrast with Jesus standing and raising His voice (37)? At the right time, He spoke His message loudly and clearly. He was prepared to die for it. He would die for it.

He spoke of a wonderful offer (37) – the satisfaction of spiritual ‘thirst’ (contrast with John 6:35). ‘Coming’ to Jesus and ‘believing’ in Him are two sides of the same coin (38). In Christ alone can the profound spiritual longings of the human race be assuaged. If you feel at all ‘thirsty’ now, you know who to go to.

But He also spoke of a glorious opportunity (38). Jesus can make us a blessing to the parched, dry, barren world around us. We receive from Jesus the Holy Spirit (39), when we come to Him/believe in Him, and then the Holy Spirit flows out from us in ”streams” (or ”rivers”). Remember these words were spoken in a hot, dusty culture where people really valued water and knew the seriousness of water shortage. A believer has an out-going, out-flowing life. This life brings life wherever it goes (see Ezekiel 47:1-12). And it doesn’t merely trickle; it ”streams”; it rushes like a river in flood. Jesus, by His Spirit, makes the believer like running water in a barren land. We are totally necessary to this world, and we need to ensure that we keep the outward focus.

But however loudly and clearly we speak about Jesus – repeating His offer to the world – and however refreshing our Spirit-filled lives may be, there will still be those who persecute and oppose (32, 44). There will also be those who are dull and lacking spiritual perception (35, 36). And we will find a divided response (40-43). The gospel has always had to face these differing realities, and will do so for as long as time lasts.

(By the way, contrast verse 27 with 41b, 42. Not everyone thought the same way. But even those who could say that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem didn’t seem to know that He had!)

Prayer: Help me Lord Jesus to keep bringing my thirst to you, looking to you alone for true satisfaction. And I pray you will keep on flowing through me by your Spirit, and affecting the world for good. Help me to keep moving in you, regardless of the responses of people. Let my life water the society in which you have placed me.

 John 7: 14-24: Enough to be like the Master.(please click for todays passage)

This passage contains words which say clearly that if someone is a genuine seeker they will find (17). Authentic seeking has at its heart a willingness to change, to obey, to be different. I don’t just want to know about Jesus; I am also prepared to follow Him. And in the doing of God’s Word I find that it is self-authenticating.

Here are a minimum of five things that, being true of Jesus, will also be true of His disciples (John 13;16):

1. A disciple will operate on a different timetable (14). Do you remember what Jesus had previously said to his brothers? (6). He marched ”to the beat of a different drummer.” All Jesus’ movements were according to a Divine table. May it be so for you and me. Let God the Father organise your schedule. Allow Him to fill in your diary. Then, like God the Son (and through Him) you can walk in companionship with the Holy Spirit. The world can offer no adventure like this one.
2. A disciple will arouse curiosity (15). ”The Jews were impressed, but puzzled: ”How does he know so much without being schooled?” ” The Message. At times a Christ follower will ‘amaze’ others. People will wonder how we can be how we are; how we can do what we do; how we can speak as we speak. We will lives of ‘ever-increasing glory’ (2 Corinthians 3:18) and they will inevitably stand out. There will be a whiff of the supernatural which cannot be naturally explained.
3. A disciple will speak Christ’s word (16). The great evangelical Anglican leader, John Stott, wrote a book entitled ‘Our guilty silence.’ There is a danger that in today’s atmosphere we focus on being and doing and not speaking. Now the church certainly must live the gospel. It is right that we should serve others in Jesus’ Name. But we also have a message to communicate. So let’s prayerfully apply our minds to the task – think through how to express the essential truths of the gospel in terms that are relevant and meaningful to our contemporaries. It’s good that people speak about Jesus, but we need to beware that we do not lazily trot out well-worn cliches and incomprehensible jargon. Let’s find fresh ways to speak the timeless and unchanging truths our world so needs to hear. This is not about reinventing the message. We have no right to tinker under the bonnet of truth. But we can be creative in how we say what we need to say.
4. A disciple lives for the glory of God (18). He speaks God’s revealed truth whether it makes him popular or not. The response will not sway her, be it positive or negative. But people wanting their own kudos will tailor the message to ensure they get precisely what they want. ”A person making things up tries to make himself look good. But someone trying to honour the one who sent him sticks to the facts and doesn’t tamper with reality.” The Message.
5. A disciple can expect to suffer (19, 20). In fact disciples can expect both interest and curiosity on the one hand (15), and profound negativity on the other. Don’t be surprised if you are verbally abused, and even if your life should be in danger. It goes with the territory. Jesus pointed out the hypocritical position of his opponents. They would circumcise someone on the Sabbath day – actually wound them, but for a good purpose. So why were they persecuting him because he had done a good and beneficial thing on the Sabbath day when he healed a man? (John 5:1-16). Don’t be surprised if some of the stuff the world throws at you seems to be irrational and nitpicking. It all came the way of Jesus in the first place.

It is enough for the disciple to be like his Lord.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your example and your power. I want to be like you.

It is an honour to follow you.

John 7: 1-13: Family matters (please click here for todays passage)

It is a dangerous thing to be a Christian in this world (7, 11, 13).The world hated Jesus, and it will hate those who walk in His steps and speak His words; those who expose it; who show it up for the dark and dismal place it is. People do not like conviction of sin. 

”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.” The Message.

So the opening verse of chapter 7 shows that it is fine to act wisely to protect yourself, so long as that does not conflict with doing God’s will. Jesus was willing to die, and He knew that He would, when it was the right ”time” (or ”hour”). This is a repeated theme in John’s gospel. (We will come across it again in verses 6-9). Jesus wanted all His movements to be according to a divine timetable. He wanted all He did to be in the will of God – not just His dying, but also His living. It seems that He could not have been too far behind His brothers in leaving for the ”Feast” (8). Even so, He was on a different timetable to them. Frank Laubach tells how he got to a place in life where regularly, during the day, he would ask God that he might do His will in what came next. To look to the Father in this way became a habit and pattern in this missionary’s life. Jesus was not going to take His orders from his brothers, however much He loved them. He was not under their authority.

”Live on God’s schedule and you will always have God’s help.” Warren W. Wieners be: ‘With the Word’, p.693.

There is encouragement here for all those who have family members who don’t understand them; who are out of sympathy with them because of their faith. Jesus’ brothers did ”not believe in him” (5). What they said to Him sounds hurtful. There is no indication in the Bible that Jesus ever ‘wanted’ to be ”a public figure” (4). They just did not ‘get’ Him at all. But it looks like later on, at some point – probably after His resurrection – his brothers came to faith (Acts 1:14). So don’t give up. Don’t stop praying for your family. Don’t lose heart. Keep living a life of dedication to God, and keep on shining His light into their darkness. It’s the kindest; most loving thing you can do for anyone.

There is, in this passage, another reminder that Jesus divides people (12, 13). So it will be until the end of time. This is one big reason why it is dangerous to be a believer.

”But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, ”You are my God.” My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.” Psalm 31:14, 15.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be both courageous and wise. I don’t want cowardice to force me into hiding when I should be highly visible in my witness. But I do need the wisdom to know when to take a lower and quieter profile. Help me to know your will and timing in everything.

John 6:60-71: How to empty your church.(please click here for todays passage)

This morning I saw an extract on the news, of an interview with the newly appointed England football manager, Sam Allerdyce. He explained that he had developed a certain toughness through the years and gave every impression of a man relishing the challenge. He said with a smile, ”Bring it on boys!”

Leadership is tough, and it is an art to be able to have the hide of an elephant and yet retain the heart of a child. It’s a delicate balance to be able to combine softness and strength. A lot of us are not made of the sort of stuff that smilingly says, ”Bring it on.” We’d avoid it if we could.

But as a preacher you must be prepared to speak the ‘hard’ truth (60). You don’t have to be hard in your manner; but you must not put the hard truths of the gospel in a blender and mush them up.

As a leader you have to be prepared to face grumbling and offence (61). You won’t always be understood and you can’t always be popular.

In John 6, Jesus preached a message that emptied the church – well, almost. At the end of it He only had twelve left in His congregation. (Actually, He knew it was just eleven: verses 70, 71). But was He a success in God’s eyes? Of course He was! We can be too obsessed with growing numbers. The black and white stats don’t tell the whole story.

Methodist missionary to India, E. Stanley Jones tells this story:

”A Brahman came to me confidentially one day and said, ”Your addresses have been very much enjoyed, but there is one thing I would suggest. If you will preach Christ as a way, all right, but say that there may be other ways as well. If you do this, India will be at your feet.” I replied, thanking my brother for his concern, but said: ”I am not looking for popularity, and it is not a question what I should say. It is a question of what are the facts. They have the final word.” I should be glad, more than glad, if I could say that there are others who are saving men, but I know of only One to whom I dare actually apply the term ”Saviour.” But I do dare apply it to Christ unreservedly and without qualification.” ‘The Christ of the Indian Road’, pp.48, 49.

As faithfully as you may preach the good news, the anointing of the Spirit bringing a life-giving word is no guarantee of belief (62, 63). As we saw previously, the mystery of God’s Sovereign grace is at work in every conversion (65). And there were those who believed, few though they were in number. They were not perfect. They included in their ranks Peter, with all his flaws. But he was ever big-hearted Peter; quick to say the right thing on this occasion. Does he not speak for us all? (68, 69). As E. Stanley Jones observed, there is no one like Jesus.

Prayer: Toughen me up Lord to always do and say the right thing; the required thing, in any given circumstance. But please, also, keep my heart so soft towards you, and to every person I meet.

John 6:52-59:(please click for todays passage)

We should not be surprised to find that Jesus’ teaching divides and offends certain people (52). We cannot, and should not, try to make palatable that which the natural man innately finds distasteful. Certainly we should not aim to be offensive. There is no virtue in that. But it is not for us either to sandpaper down the rough edges of the of the cross. It says in ‘The Message’, ”But Jesus didn’t give an inch.” Neither should we. If you never have an adverse reaction to the gospel you share, just check that you are preaching the Biblical gospel. Neither should we be surprised, by the way, if what we teach ‘in church’ (59) sometimes meets with painful opposition.  There may be ‘disciples’ (66) who don’t much like the sermon. The truth sets free, but first of all it can make people miserable, angry and uncomfortable. (Notice again here that Jesus was being taken literally when His intention was to be understood spiritually.)

Whenever Jesus says, ”I tell you the truth” in this fourth gospel (and He frequently does), He is underlining the importance of what is to come. It’s like, ”Listen up folks. This really matters.” Jesus was not advocating cannibalism. But He did have a teaching style that involved being provocative at times. He would say shocking things and get people to think. When you ”eat” and ”drink” you take into yourself that which is outside yourself – and we have to do that with Jesus.  We have to receive Him into the ‘inner person’. I mentioned in yesterday’s piece that there is the idea in the Greek language of enjoyment. ‘The Message’ captures this in these words: ”The one who brings a hearty appetite to this eating and drinking has eternal life and will be fit and ready for the Final Day. My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.” If you’re looking for reality, you will find it in Christ alone. Feed on Jesus Himself and you will find yourself consuming great big mouthfuls of reality; swallowing down huge gulps of authenticity. You’ll be fully alive because of Who Jesus is in His Person and because of what He did for you at the cross, and that new, fresh quality of life will continue forever.

Furthermore, His death is indispensable for us to have ”life”. ”Flesh” and ”blood”, mentioned in separation, as here, point to death – violent death. It cost the Lord Jesus dearly to save us. It’s the Bible Jesus we are called to feed on – not some version of Him (and therefore an idol) we have constructed in our own image. It’s the Jesus of the cross who is our true life. Let’s feed on Calvary truth and all that it means. Devour it. Hunger for it. Settle for no substitutes.

There is no basis here for the belief that the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of our Lord at the communion service (‘transubstantiation’). Jesus did not teach that. He did however make it clear that we can feed on Him (the One who died for us) by faith, and be eternally nourished and satisfied in Him.

Remember, as long as Jesus is outside your life He cannot free you from your sins. You must ”eat” and drink” and ‘feed’. (Look at the repetition of ”eat” and ”drink” in 53, 54, 55. This imperative is hammered in). Open up all you are to all He is, and all that He has done on your behalf.

Prayer: Lord, let there be no compromise in the way I live, or in the message I communicate. However tempted I may feel, I never want to dilute your gospel to make it more acceptable to the hearers. ”Great is thy faithfulness”. O Lord, grant that I may have a great faithfulness towards you and your truth.