Category: Daily Devotionals

John 5.9-18

We know John included the events around the healing of the paralyzed man at the pool of Bethesda as the third sign that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. It is not a sign simply because of its miraculous nature but also because of what Jesus said regarding his actions in the follow up to the healing. The day of the healing was the Jewish Sabbath and Jesus’ instruction to the man was to pick up his mat and walk, which he immediately did. ^{John 5.8} There is no record of the man objecting that he couldn’t possibly do that on a Sabbath. He was in receipt of grace and mercy. The pool though was a large crowded place and he was seen by Jewish leaders who challenged him. ‘It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.’ ^{John 5.10}

At this first point the first chasm of understanding is exposed. For the Jewish leaders salvation was dependent on keeping the law meticulously. Salvation in their mind was earned and if one was ‘good’ at keeping the law one was better than those who were not so good at it.  It took a great deal of effort and study to achieve so little. However, being so meticulous and interpreting the law so rigorously, fed their self-righteousness. It also, in their eyes, gave them the right to judge and condemn. Can you see how in adopting these attitudes they were attributing to themselves god like status about their own righteousness and right to both judge and condemn? In their apparent effort to be obedient they were in fact going down the line of idolatry, for only God who is truly righteous is both the one who judges and has the right to condemn.

The man replies that he has no idea who healed him. This seems to be the most extraordinary lack of curiosity and thankfulness. Jesus had just completely changed his life beyond anything he could have realistically thought and he didn’t even ask Jesus’ name. At this point the object of the Jewish leader’s wrath moves from the healed man to the healer who had instructed him to carry his mat. But this was just the start of an escalating situation. When Jesus later saw the man again he stopped and spoke to him, ‘See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.’ ^John5.14 For some reason the man thought it would be a good idea to promptly find the same Jewish leaders and tell them it was Jesus who healed him. The motivation for this is interesting, he was clearly aware that the Jewish leaders were hostile to Jesus for his act of mercy on a Sabbath day but was more interested in keeping in with them than protecting the very person who had healed him. This raises for ourselves the need for self-awareness of our own motivations for the things we do and say.

Our own receipt of God’s mercy can be thrown back in his face whilst at the same time as we continue to benefit from the mercy of God. If we connect that with the warning Jesus gave the healed man, to ‘stop sinning’ ^{John 5.14} it raises the question of how many times we throw Jesus mercy towards us in his face by our own persistence in carrying on sinning. How seriously do we take our continued sin? Jesus’ warning to the man that, ‘something worse may happen to you’ was not a reference to another malady brought on by his sin either administered by God or otherwise but a warning of God’s judgement.

The response to Jesus, who is the one who is genuinely righteous and has the right to judge and condemn, was to set about persecuting him. When the word persecute is used in this context it does not mean say hateful things or make life difficult. It is absolutely clear it means plot to kill Jesus. ^John5.18 In addition to Jesus acting mercifully on the Sabbath was added the charge that he was making himself equal to God.

A second chasm opened at this point was over the identity of Jesus. In response to the Jewish leader’s accusations Jesus spoke directly to them. It confronted their understanding of the Sabbath, a fundamental pillar of their religiosity, and Jesus’ relationship with God the Father. Jesus’ statement that God the Father works on the Sabbath bringing grace, mercy and salvation to people conflicted with their own beliefs about the Sabbath. God, Jesus was saying, does not become detached from the world and people’s need on the Sabbath, he continues to be a merciful and loving God active in people’s lives.

Additionally, no Jew would term God their Father as Jesus did. Jesus by saying God was his Father and he was about his Father’s work was making a statement that Jesus was equal to the Father. He was indeed God incarnate. Jesus was saying he is the Lord of the Sabbath and his healing of the man was evidence that both he and God the Father were at work. He had the right to heal on the Sabbath and to tell the man to carry his mat because he was Lord of the Sabbath.

A divide had arisen, “between God’s Son and God’s historic people who want to kill him”. (John’s Gospel: Read, Mark, Learn. Marshall Pickering.)

Are we comfortable with our own sin?

Is there a danger of succumbing to the idolatry of legalism?

Have we taken in the significance of Jesus’ equality with the Father when we reflect on his words?

Lord Reign in me – Brenton Brown

John 5.1-14

The pool was crowded that day but not with swimmers or children larking about. Instead it was packed with resigned despairing adults waiting for a false hope. The pool itself was impressive, stone built with five colonnades. Steps surrounded the pool leading into the water. Jesus was walking there, picking his way between sat and lying bodies. He had returned to Jerusalem for a festival and made his way to the pool called Bethsaida near the city Sheep Gate. As he looked around he could see a multitude of suffering; the blind, those who could not walk disfigured by illness or accident, a few paralyzed and entirely dependent on others to carry them each day to the pool, all waiting for the water in the pool to be disturbed. This was not a pool for swimming or play but the story went if the water rippled then the first person into the water would be healed. Each time it happened there was a mad scramble as the disabled on their own or aided by friends sought to be the first. This architecturally beautiful pool had become a pool of human tragedy. While people waited there were those begging as their sole source of income.

In the middle of this scene Jesus became aware of one particular man and his story. He had been an invalid for thirty-eight years, longer than many lived in those days. We do not know his name and in a sense his anonymity adds poignancy to the account. Jesus stopped, looked at him and when he spoke he said, ‘Do you want to get well?’ The answer might seem obvious but the man evidently knew nothing of Jesus. Instead of affirming his desire for healing his reply was a resigned complaint. There was not an element of hope within it. “Sir,” the invalid replied. “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” Jesus then told him to, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” Surprised he undoubtedly was but he did as he was told.

That question, ‘Do you want to get well?’ has a much wider significance and application than for this one man and event. There were potential costs and implications for his identity arising from being healed after thirty-eight years. How were family and friends going to respond? Was he going to accused of being a fraud all these years? How was he going to make money and live now? What was going to happen to his state of mind? His life was about to change radically, had he become content with his disability and accepted it as his lot in life with the hope of healing just being an excuse to beg?

We have no idea about what eventually happened to this anonymous man, it would appear that despite being the recipient of the third sign of Jesus being the Messiah in John’s gospel, he did not become a follower of Jesus.

The question, do you want to change, is a bottom line question when it comes to discipleship and being a Christian. It may be that you know you need to change but actually you like what you know is wrong or undesirable and you are too attached to it to change. The cost may be too much and you are unwilling to pay.

Jesus repeatedly made it very clear there is a real cost to following him. Discipleship is not a call to easy street. Amongst other things it costs changes in behaviour and for that to happen you need to want it. On one occasion Jesus explained to his disciples that the cost they bear is one he shares with them.

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.” ^{John 15.18-25} 

What do want in life?

Has Jesus challenged you and are you prepared for the consequences?

Whatever your answer this is God the Father’s promise – ‘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.’ ^{John 3.16}

Look Up Child – Lauren Diagle

John 4.43-54

How would we describe a superficial faith in Jesus today? It may be that Jesus is recognised as an important historical figure whose teachings have had a positive impact on our society and even influenced how one lives individually. It could be that one wants to include Christian landmarks in our lives such baptising a child, getting married in church and a church or Christian led funeral. For some it may be that Christian theology is of interest even fascination in a purely intellectual way. Other’s might really like visiting Christian architecture on holiday or love classic Christian art and music. They may pray occasionally usually at a particular point of need. At no point though would a person with superficial faith or interest say that Jesus was at the centre of their lives in a continual way. This is at least in part because they are not convinced about the identity of Jesus.

Above all John’s gospel is written so that people will understand who Jesus is, ‘Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.’ ^{John 20.30,31} John’s gospel above all is an evangelistic gospel, written first to Jews spread out across the world so that they would know who Jesus is and have life in him. He recorded Jesus’ healing of the son of the royal official as the second sign ^{John 4.54} of who Jesus is (note present tense) so that they could enjoy the same life as the official and his whole household.

He records an interesting contrast between the Samaritans who believed and the Galilean welcome. The Samaritans believed, ‘because of his word’ ^{John 4.41} they had been convinced by his teaching and his prophetic insight and recognised him as the promised Messiah. The Galileans were fascinated by his miracles which they had witnessed in Jerusalem but had not made the connection as to his identity as the promised Messiah, the Son of God. They were sensation seekers.

Jesus was now in Cana the place of his first sign, as to who he was, at a wedding. He was approached by a royal official from Capernaum, some 16 miles away. He was part of Herod Antipas’ court and almost certainly a Gentile. He was a man in great distress because he believed his son was about to die of an unspecified disease. He was desperate that Jesus came immediately to his home to heal his son. ^{John 4.47} Jesus first response was not to the official but directed to Galileans around him, saying that faith for them relied on signs and wonders ^{John 4.48} the implication being, how many more do you need to see? Jesus was not being careless of the official’s distress however he was always conscious and focused on his mission of revelation and salvation.

Up to this point the official was a superficial believer, he believed and wanted to believe that Jesus was in some way a healer because he had heard of him healing many. He thought that for Jesus to heal he would have to be in the presence of his son. Then Jesus spoke, ‘Go, your son will live.’ ^{John 4.50} There was something about the authority of Jesus coming from his divinity that the official grasped. He believed the words of Jesus and went on his way. On his return his belief was confirmed by the news that his son recovered at the exact time Jesus spoke. ^{John 4.53} What an awesome moment. It was then that he completed his move from superficial faith to deep faith and not only him but his whole household, probably including servants as well as family members.

Deep faith occurs when the words of Jesus strike deep into our hearts and our lives change.

What will it take to believe?

Has deep faith in Jesus, recognising him as the Son of God, occurred in our lives?

How do people now hear the words of Jesus?

I See the Lord (Live) – Ron Kenoly

John 3.27-42

Tolstoy in his novel War and Peace wrote that a battle can turn in a “Hurrah”. The Hurrah represents a changed contrasting attitude compared to the disposition of all around. It stands for a different vision of what is before them. It is grasping the positive when all around is negative. Suddenly the world seems different and the “Hurrah” enthuses, encourages and conveys a new sense of reality.  Belief in Jesus can be that “Hurrah” as we see in the Samaritan woman when the penny drops and she realizes that the man before her is the Messiah she and all her people have been waiting for. She believed him when he said, ‘I who speak to you am he’. ^{John 4.26}

Jesus’ disciples returned from town with food just as he made that confession to the woman. It reads as if they barged in breaking the intimate profound moment oblivious to the significance of the event that had taken place and not caring. ‘No one said, “What do you seek?” or “Why are you talking with her?”’ ^{John 4.27} Their preoccupation was with the mundane and the everyday. Food was their dominant thought. ‘Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”’ ^{John 4.31}

The woman though had just had her view of the world changed by her encounter with Jesus. She was a convert in the first flush of excitement. The mundane, such as collecting water, had fallen away and she was bursting to share her new-found faith and introduce others to Jesus.  What a contrast with the disciples. ‘The woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, and see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”’ Counter culturally we have in essence the woman being the evangelist. She was doing what all can do and so frequently do not do. She was inviting people to discover Jesus for themselves.

Jesus and the woman now shared the same vision inspired by the Holy Spirit. It was a vision of a harvest of people for salvation. Is it too strong a term to say that Jesus rebuked his disciples when he said, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about’? He was referring to the Spirit of God empowering him to preach the gospel. This was his calling and purpose. The disciples like the woman at the beginning of her encounter were preoccupied with the everyday and literal understanding of his words.

You can feel Jesus frustration coming through the words, ‘Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper may rejoice together.’ ^{john 4,36,37} He was drawing on the imagery in Amos 9.13 which also describes the abundance of the new age. Men and woman from the Samaritan town responded to the woman’s invitation to come and see Jesus. Their salvation was Jesus’ total priority and he stayed two days teaching. As a result, many believed. They believed because they encountered Jesus for themselves and the Holy Spirit spoke into their hearts. ‘They said to the woman. “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Saviour of the World.”’ ^{John 4.42}

Are we preoccupied with the everyday or do we share Jesus’ vision for the gospel?

As a church have we stopped inviting people to meet Jesus?

Do we think that we are not sufficient in some way to invite people to meet Jesus?

Where does reaching people with the gospel rate in our priorities as a church?

Lord I lift your name of high – Maranatha singers

John 4.1 -26

What stops someone from feeling able to trust in Jesus? There are many potential barriers some of which are intellectual regarding questions about the historical or scientific evidence. Some questions are philosophical perhaps regarding suffering, justice or whether there can be only one true religion. However, for many the barriers that prevent the act of trusting in Jesus are not so much about these wider questions, they are ones concerning personal identity, culturally and emotionally. It is in this highly personal area that the account of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman is highly relevant. Before moving on I want to say there are highly coherent responses to scientific, historical and philosophical questions and if anybody would like a steer towards where to read, listen or view these, please get in touch via my personal e mail or facebook page. (See below)

Jesus left Judea where his disciples had been baptizing because his presence was attracting more attention from the Pharisees than he wished at that time. It was still early in his ministry and there was much more to be done before his death on the cross. He returned to Galilee, taking the shorter route north and therefore passed through Samaria. Many Jews would have gone around Samaria, up the east side of the River Jordon, because they would not have wanted to mix with the Samaritans who they considered, “half-caste, religiously barbaric heretics”. (Josh Moody, John 1-12 For You.) The Jewish view of Samaritans, who lived in part of what was the Northern Kingdom of Israel prior to the Assyrian conquest, were people who were mixed race due to Assyrian deportation and settlement policies. Their religion whilst sharing the Pentateuch, although it partially differed in content, also mixed in pagan worship practices. The Samaritans had a different centre of worship to Jerusalem, Mount Gerizim, where Moses pronounced the law’s blessings. It was on this mountain that the Samaritans had erected a temple but in 128/7 BC John Hyrcanus, a Jewish High Priest, destroyed it. There were then deep historical and cultural divides between the Jews and the Samaritans although they were immediate neighbours.

Jesus and his disciples arrived at Sychar, half way through Samaria and close to Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. It was midday, Jesus was hot and tired and his disciples went on into town for food while Jesus settled down by the famous “Jacob’s well” just outside town. A Samaritan woman arrived on her own to fetch water and Jesus asked for a drink. ^{John 4.7} The woman was shocked because she was immediately aware that the cultural and gender barriers that existed between her a Samaritan woman and Jesus a male Jew would normally prevent any form of communication. ^{John 4.9} Jesus completely ignored these factors and spoke directly to her heart and need. He used water as a metaphor for the Spirit and spiritual life. He loved her and wanted her to have life that was the best it could possibly be. He used the term “living water” to describe eternal spiritual life. ^{John 4.10}  There then followed a conversation at cross purposes, the woman speaking literally and misunderstanding Jesus. She refers back to her cultural heritage and speaks of Jacob supplying them with water from the well and how it was revered as Jacob and all his family had used it.  At this point the barriers between Jesus and the woman were historical, cultural, gender based and simple lack of understanding. There was little hope of this discussion making progress. Jesus then tries to clarify what he meant but initially that did not work and the woman still took him literally although she thought it would be wonderful to have water that satisfied one’s thirst once and for all time.

‘Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 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.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty again and have to keep coming here to draw water”.’ ^John4.13-15 Jesus then jumped over the barrier of culture, religion, gender and comprehension by showing deep insight into her life revealing her disgrace and sin while at the same time offering her the spiritual ‘water of life’. There could not be a greater act of love and respect for a woman who her own people considered did not deserve respect. Jesus had divine insight into her life and heart by exposing her relationship outside of marriage and five previous husbands. Culturally, at that time, it was unacceptable to have had more than three husbands even if there were acceptable reasons for multiple husbands such as widowhood. The implication is though that her multiple husbands were for more unacceptable reasons than that. It was the turning point for the woman. Jesus had made contact with her heart and revealed himself as the Messiah. He moved her thinking from understanding that religion is based on place and culture to spiritual connection and truth. She was looking forward to the Messiah coming who would reveal truth and Jesus revealed himself to her as that Messiah. Instead of a body of ideas her faith was now placed in the person of Christ.

When we reflect on our own spiritual journey can we identify a time when culture and religious practices were replaced by encountering the person of Jesus? Can we also identify a time when our understanding was changed by the Holy Spirit convincing us that the “water of life” is Jesus himself? Can we think of a time when the Spirit of Christ showed us up to ourselves how we really are without excuses?

Jesus’ conversation with the woman was a private conversation, she was not publicly humiliated or made a fool of. He respected her dignity and valued her highly. He was patient in his explanations. He was spiritually insightful. It would be great if as Christians we prayed for these qualities as we meet people cross culturally. When we speak of cross cultural work we often mean across global cultures, however as disciples of Christ we belong to another culture, the kingdom of God. May we have the attitude and discernment to communicate with those around us, cross culturally.

There is power in the name of Jesus – Noel Richards