Reading Through John Devotionals – Week 7
See all Devotionals: https://graceforohio.org/category/reading-through-john-devotionals/
Day 43
Read John 7:1-13
Can you imagine growing up as a sibling of Jesus? Every time you did something wrong, you would hear your mom saying, “Why can’t you be more like Jesus?” We can only wonder if that happened, but I’m sure being part of that family came with its own set of ups and downs. In today’s reading, we see Jesus’ brothers asking Him to show off His miracles a little bit so the world and His disciples could see them.
You may be asking yourself a couple questions at this point…Did Jesus really have siblings? Did these siblings automatically believe Jesus was the Messiah?
In Mark 6:3 we see the answer to the first question – we read of people being amazed at Jesus teaching and saying these words: Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?”
So he had four brothers and at least two sisters; apparently, the brothers didn’t accept Jesus’ claims of being from the Father as we will read in verse 5 today. But here is the interesting news… after Jesus rose from the dead, His brothers realized who He was. Check out Acts 1:14 – They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
Let’s read the story with this context in mind.
Read John 7:1-13 again.
Day 44
Read John 7:1-13
Have you ever been to a sporting event only to find out the player you came to see isn’t starting at the beginning of the game? You get a little frustrated because they were one of the main reasons you showed up.
I can only imagine the curiosity of the people at the festival looking for Jesus and wondering what kind of miracles He might perform or what words He might share.
The Festival of Tabernacles was a Jewish holiday also known as the Feast of Booths where those celebrating would remember the 40 years the Israelites spent wandering in the wilderness, the provision God had supplied while they wandered, and they looked forward to the Messianic age when all the nations would come to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. One has to appreciate Jesus’ desire to secretly attend a festival that is looking forward to His appearing.
Let’s look at these verses again today with a little better understanding of what the festival was about.
Read John 7:1-13 again.
Day 45
Imagine being at the festival. You have been searching for Jesus because you want to see what He will do next! Maybe He will be making some food, healing someone or delivering some incredibly wise teaching.
Suddenly you hear a commotion and there in the middle of the crowd you catch a glimpse of the teacher, the miracle worker…Jesus. You overhear the Jewish leaders marvel that this stone carpenter from Galilee knows what he is talking about. He has never apprenticed with a rabbi, but is teaching like he has studied with the best of them.
Let’s read today’s passage as you imagine yourself in the crowd.
Read John 7:14-20 again.
Day 46
Read John 7:14-24
Jesus begins pushing back on the accusations the Jewish leaders have leveled against Him. Jesus was frustrated with them in part because they had taken the law of Moses and made it much more complicated – placing an incredible burden on the people as they added and enforced law after law. There were 613 laws that the people were asked to obey – working on the sabbath was the hot topic that afternoon.
Jesus was the Lord of the Sabbath. When He had healed the man on the sabbath – he had asked him to take up his mat and walk. The Jewish leaders were still pretty salty about that one. Jesus finally asks the Jews to stop judging Him based on their own opinions but to make a judgment based on the works He has done.
Day 47
Here are a couple questions to ponder as you read the passage for today:
What were the people in Jerusalem saying about Jesus?
What was Jesus saying about Himself?
What were the Jewish leaders trying to do?
25 At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? 26 Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah? 27 But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”
28 Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, 29 but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.”
30 At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?”
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.
33 Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me. 34 You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”
Day 48
Read John 7:33-44
Jesus shares some powerful words in this passage.
According to the Jewish customs, water ceremonies were an important part of this celebration. A priest would draw water from the pool of Siloam with a golden pitcher, then carry it back to the temple and pour it into a silver bowl next to the altar, accompanied by musicians and choirs. As the priest poured out the water he would pray to the Lord to send rain. In some rabbinic traditions, the water-drawing of Tabernacles is interpreted as the drawing of the Holy Spirit.
It is interesting that Jesus anticipated this festival as he healed the lame man at the pool of Siloam, and it is significant that on the last day of this festival, in which water is an important symbol, Jesus declares: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink; and the one who believes in me — just as the scripture says — from that one’s innermost being will flow rivers of living water.”
Day 49
Read John 7:45-52
Have you ever met someone who has a crazy belief?… maybe like Michigan is the best football team ever?? No matter how many times you point out the flaws in the team, they won’t come around. They simply ignore all the evidence and stick to their preconceived notions. (Ok maybe Michigan isn’t the best example here, but you get the idea).
The Jewish leaders didn’t care about any of the evidence. The temple guards saw the power in Jesus’ words but the leaders didn’t care. Nicodemus pointed out a flaw in their process but they were very quick to dismiss him as well.
Isaiah speaks about this type of behavior in Isaiah 6:9-10
“And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ / Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.””
See all Devotionals: https://graceforohio.org/category/reading-through-john-devotionals/