The Carpenter's Chapel (6)

Saturday January 8, 2005

“After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand. His brethren therefore said unto him, 'Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.' For neither did his brethren believe in him. Then Jesus said unto them, 'My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come.' When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee. But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, 'Where is he?' And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, 'He is a good man:' others said, 'Nay; but he deceiveth the people.' Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews."
(John 7:1-13)

Jesus continued in Galilee as the Jews of Jerusalem sought to kill Him. Six months after the feast of the Passover, mentioned in 6:4, Jesus is approached by His brethren, the sons of Mary and Joseph (Mt. 13:55-56). They wanted Jesus to join them as they went to Jerusalem for the feast of tabernacles (the Jews were to live in booths for seven days to remember their ancestors who lived for 40 years in the wilderness). They challenged our Lord to go boldly to Jerusalem and perform miracles that would give proof to all of Jesus' claims. Jesus does not yield to their pressure as He did not want to enter Jerusalem with much fanfare of a crowd. He realized that, like the crowd, His earthly brethren did not believe. Later when Jesus went to the Cross, they were no where to be found as John was told to care for His mother, Mary (19: 25-27). It wasn't until sometime after the resurrection that His brethren were saved. They joined the disciples after His ascension in the upper room of prayer (Acts 1:14).
After their departure, Jesus went up to Jerusalem, "not openly", but quietly as His "time is not yet full come."

Now, before going, I would like to comment on verse eight. While not wanting to weigh-in to the versions debate, it does seem to this writer that this is a point where the King James Version, it’s variants, (and a few others, i.e., NIV, HCSB), has a better reading, and makes more sense than some other versions:
(John 7:8) Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up YET unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come.
Some versions simply render it like: “I am not going to the feast.” This makes less sense because He did, in fact, go to the feast. To add the “yet” removes any implication that the Lord was being deceptive.

 

Thank you Charles,

God Bless

Sheila

 

Sunday January 9, 2005

Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? (John 7:14-15)
At the time of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus went up to the temple and taught. The Scriptures do not describe the teachings that so amazed the Jews, but Jesus gave the Father the credit for its content: "My doctrine is not mine, but He that sent Me." (vs. 16). Further, He stated that anyone whose will was in accord with that of the Father would be able to discern the truth of His (Jesus) message.
Not only that, but if someone speaks authoritatively from knowledge within himself, he is simply seeking to bring recognition to himself. On the other hand, anyone who sincerely seeks to represent the Father and what He has said-one who desires to bring glory to Him, as Jesus did, would certainly tell the truth (vv. 17-18)
Possibly the issue, at the time, was over whether it was right to do good on the Sabbath. He rebuked His listeners because they were not really following the Law of Moses as they professed. They did not hesitate to perform the good work of circumcision on the Sabbath (vs 22), so what was unlawful about making a person whole on the Sabbath? (vs.23). Jesus then summed up the basis for His claim that He was doing what was right. "Ye both know Me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of Myself, but He that sent Me is true, Whom ye know not. But I know Him: for I am from Him, and He hath sent Me" (vv28-29).
Did Jesus have to learn any truth, or did He only have to reflect the message of His Father? Mans learning is only valid as it approaches the absolute knowledge and truth of God in Whom there is no error. It is clear that Jesus already knew the truth, because it was given to Him by the Father. He didn't have to learn it from man, or from His own experience, but from the Father, the source of all wisdom.
The unique caliber of His teaching (literally "indoctrinating") caused the Jewish scholars there to "marvel."
Their question on this occasion was how an uneducated man, who had never been taught by the scribes and rabbis, could have acquired such a remarkable understanding of the Holy Scriptures. He had never had formal training in the word; yet, when He taught, "He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes" (Matthew 7:29).
His answer to their question was amazing: Jesus answered them and said, "My doctrine is not mine, but His who sent Me." (vs. 16)
There are two factors at work here. First of all, His working of the Old Testament Scriptures was encyclopedic, acquired in the same way any other student of the word can acquire it-by diligent and prayerful personal study thereof. He had no doubt done this all His life from the time He was a small boy. Remember how He had asked questions of the astonished doctors in the temple, and then how He was "subject unto" His parents, and how He "increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." (Luke 2;46, 51-52) In all of this, He is a perfect human example to us, as we also seek to learn the Scriptures and to grow in wisdom and in favor with God.

 

Amen - wonderful thoughts and in the proper perspective.

 

Thank you for that devotional Jim,

God Bless

Sheila

 

Tuesday, 11th January, 2005

Finally, in this little three part devotional from Romans 15 we have one last instruction. Before that though, there is one precious thought about God that we need to consider.

Sometimes we are called to glorify God in a way that requires patience. William Carey waited seven years before he saw his first profession of faith and fourteen years for a church to be started. He was a man of great patience in his service – he once wrote in his journal that if all he would be enabled to do was to gather the materials for someone else to do the work he would be content. No one likes this kind of service, but we must trust that eventually, perhaps not till we get to heaven, we will see the results of that that kind of service. The question is; “How do I do it?”

What gave him that kind of ability – it was the God of patience and comfort. We will not all be called to a service which bears immediate results. Sometimes serving God simply requires the ability to wait, to be patient, to “bear up under” the load of the tasks set our before us. What joy it is to read that God is the God of patience. Think about how patient He was with you and me as we dabbled in the sin of the world, rejecting Him day after day. Think about all of the times He patiently waited of us while we wandered off the road after salvation. Lovingly waiting and imploring us to return to Him

Praise God that He is the God of patience and that He makes that patience available for each one of us today!

 

Amen.

Thank you Roger,

God Bless

Sheila

 

Thanks guys
Also Jim, not only is that verse the center of the Bible, but notice Who is the center of the verse: The Lord.

Thank you too Roger, I need a great deal of patience now. Well, read my post for today on the prayer forum.

 

Amen. Yes Jim, we certainly need to listen more to the Lord.

God Bless

Sheila

 

Thursday, 13th January, 2005

Glorify God in Unity

In a little less than two weeks my beautiful bride and I will celebrate 27 wonderful years together. For our wedding we chose a theme from the above passage – “That we may with one mind and one mouth glorify God.” We have often failed in that desire, but is a goal we have always tried to achieve.

Glorifying God in unity. What a wonderful and what a blessed truth. In our little church plant we have had our struggles, but one thing we have always had is the opportunity to worship and minister with Christians from all over the world passing through Ireland. We have had folks from Nigeria, Spain, Cameroon, the Congo, Zimbabwe, South Africa, the United States, and now Poland as a part of our fellowship. We all have one thing in common; the God of patience and comfort unites us all.

Notice that our pattern is Jesus Christ. We are challenged to be likeminded in glorifying God. God does not expect “cookie-cutter Christians” but He does expect us to be unified in glorifying Him. We must be able to lay aside our petty differences when it comes to this.

May we, as associates on the cyber community, strive in 2005 to work together with our brothers and sisters in Christ that with one mind (our thoughts) and one mouth (our words) always seek to glorify God in every situation and every discussion.

 

Amen and Amen.

Thank you Roger and God Bless you and your ministry.

Sheila

 

Thanks guys for these messages.

 

Saturday January 15, 2005

“Jesus answered them, and said, ‘My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?’ The people answered and said, ‘Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?’ Jesus answered and said unto them, ‘I have done one work, and ye all marvel. Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man. If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day? Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.’ Then said some of them of Jerusalem, ‘Is not this he, whom they seek to kill? But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?’” (John 7:16-26)

Jesus moved around "as it were in secret", but it was not because he feared the Jews. Many times they wanted to seize Him, but could not. He waited until the midway point of the week, then went boldly into the temple and taught. (Please note that the temple was not only a place of sacrifice, but it was also a meeting place, as a town square was to many towns in years past.)
Just a He had done as a young lad (Luke 2:46-47), Jesus again marvels the "doctors" and professors. Here the Jews question how Jesus could know so much about the "letters" (the scrolls of the Old Testament) without attending their school? The Apostle Paul had been taught at the feet of Gamaliel (Acts 22:3), but Jesus is the Word (1:1), He is the personification of wisdom in Proverbs 8. Jesus retorts that Hsis doctrine is actually of God and can be verified by those who "do His will."

Now Jesus challenges the skeptics in 7:19 as He rebukes them for not keeping the law of Moses and yet desiring to kill Him.
(If these Pharisees who studied n detail all the do's and don'ts; who would even take time to tithe of mint couldn't keep the whole law, how do you suppose you can?) Also notice that "the people" have the same attitude as the Pharisees in Mt. 12:24. They accuse Jesus of being possesed by a devil. Just think about it - Jesus can cause the blind to see, the deaf to hear, cast out devils, and even raise the dead, but when He healed on the Sabbath, He's supposed to have a devil!
But Jesus continues His thought as He uses the example of Moses and circumcision. If a boy was eight days old on the Sabbath, they would break the Sabbath law and circumcise the child, but when Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath, they wanted to kill Him. Notice now the same crowd that mocked our Saviour a few verses ago are now wondering how Jesus could be "speaking boldly" even though the rulers "seek to kill?" Now they begin to think that if the rulers can not answer Christ's word, maybe He IS the Christ!

 

Sunday January 16, 2005

Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is. Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me. Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come. And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done? The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.
Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me. Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come. Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles? What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come? In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) (John 7:27-39)

Verse 27 Brings in focus one of the key stumbling blocks of the Jews. "Howbeit we know this man whence He is." They knew Jesus as the Son of (as they supposed) Joseph, the carpenter. The Jews assumed that Jesus was born in Galilee, while the Old Testament Scriptures predicted Bethlehem as the Messiah's birthplace. We will deal with Galilee later. Jesus responds by declaring His relation to His heavenly Father, whom Jesus says they "know not." Again Jesus clearly identifies the leaders as unbelievers. The leaders seek to apprehend Him, but are not able; soldiers are sent, but they too can not take Him by force.
On the last day of the feast of booths (7:37) Jesus again stand and cries out "If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink." The Westminster Dictionary of the Bible tells us that "Splendid ceremonies were subsequently added to those prescribed in the Law for the festival...At the time of the morning and evening oblation, a priest filled a golden vessel with water at the pool of Siloam and carried it into the Temple, were it was received with trumpet blasts and the words of Isa. 12:3: "Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation." (p.589) Though not prescribed in the Old Testament, Jesus used this added Jewish custom to proclaim the availability of living water. Notice that it is free to all. "If any man thirst, let him come." Isaiah 55:1: "Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." He told the woman of Samaria about the living water back in chapter 4, but now He adds "out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." Back in Exodus we know the account of Moses smiting the "Rock" in the desert and from the belly of that Rock, a river came forth. 1Cor.10:4 tells us clearly: "That rock was Christ."
So realize that as the Jews performed a ceremony involving earthly water that had no salvation, Jesus explained the true meaning of Isa. 12:3: the need to partake of Christ's living water; to believe in God's ability to supply salvation.
Today "holy water" (tap water that is "blessed") is sprinkled on a child in hope of salvation. All it does is make the child wet and gives the parents and grandparents a false hope.
Before we look at the response of the people, the writer, John, adds a note of teaching. In parenthesis (7:39), John explains that "rivers of living water" would be fulfilled in the person of God, the Holy Ghost. Isa. 44:3: "For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour My Spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thine offspring." The word, rivers (plural form) speak of the satisfaction that only comes from God. A cup of water helps the thirsty, but rivers of water are more than enough to calm the fears of lack of supply. He also informs us that the Spirit had a different ministry during the preceding age, but now, after the Cross and resurrection of our Lord, the Holy Spirit indwells the believer (Compare 20:22 for when the disciples received the Holy Ghost.) John 14: 16,17,26 and 16:7-11 will speak more about the Spirit's ministry today.
Notice also, John clearly identifies the water as being the Spirit and makes no reference to water baptism. If water baptism had any part in our salvation, this passage would have been a great proof text, but it is not mentioned.
You cannot add anything to the finished work of Christ on the cross!

 

You cannot add anything to the finished work of Christ on the cross!

Amen!

 

Monday, 17th January ,2005

For the next few days we have company in and will be quite busy. For these few days I am preparing devotions in advance and we will be considering some thoughts from “The Valley of Vision” compiled and collected by Arthur Bennett. I trust that the Lord may bless us with the thoughts of these godly Puritan writers. – Roger

Thoughts on the Saviour

It is obvious to every thinking Christian that we live in a vile, evil, world. Although we perceive it as being more vile than ever before, it is only so in the visible manifestation.

How often do we find the smiles if this world alluring? How often are we terrified by its frowns? How often do we allow ourselves to be defiled by its vices and deluded by its errors? It is unfortunate that in our desire to act on our liberty in Christ we often take our eyes off of Him and onto this world.

May we join in the closing line above – “Lord whatever I do, may it be done in the Saviour’s name.” As we go through today, may we honestly go to the Lord with that thought and desire in mind – may ALL we do today be done in the Saviour’s name.