Show Them Jesus

scripture

John 11:39  "Roll the stone aside," Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man's sister, protested, "Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible."

40  Jesus responded, "Didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believe?" 41  So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "Father, thank you for hearing me. 42  You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me." 43  Then Jesus shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" 44  And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a head cloth. Jesus told them, "Unwrap him and let him go!"

45  Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen. 46  But some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47  Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together. "What are we going to do?" they asked each other. "This man certainly performs many miraculous signs. 48  If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation."

49  Caiaphas, who was high priest at that time, said, "You don't know what you're talking about! 50  You don't realize that it's better for you that one man should die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed."

51  He did not say this on his own; as high priest at that time he was led to prophesy that Jesus would die for the entire nation. 52  And not only for that nation, but to bring together and unite all the children of God scattered around the world.

53  So from that time on, the Jewish leaders began to plot Jesus' death. 54  As a result, Jesus stopped his public ministry among the people and left Jerusalem. He went to a place near the wilderness, to the village of Ephraim, and stayed there with his disciples.

55  It was now almost time for the Jewish Passover celebration, and many people from all over the country arrived in Jerusalem several days early so they could go through the purification ceremony before Passover began. 56  They kept looking for Jesus, but as they stood around in the Temple, they said to each other, "What do you think? He won't come for Passover, will he?" 57  Meanwhile, the leading priests and Pharisees had publicly ordered that anyone seeing Jesus must report it immediately so they could arrest him.

observation

Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen

Well who wouldn't believe! This guy was gone for four days when Jesus told him to get up out of that grave, everybody knew he was dead, but now he is stumbling around with these grave clothes on that he isn't gonna need any more. I think that everybody standing there must have been in shock and awe, they just stood there as Lazarus was trying to walk out of the tomb with his face covered and his whole body wrapped, and so finally Jesus had to tell them to do the obvious, "Unwrap him and let him go!"

If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him

How anybody could not believe that Jesus is the Messiah after witnessing this event? What are we gonna do? If we allow this Jesus to continue then we are gonna be out of work.

There were such a great number of miracles and there was his teaching that was far beyond what an unlearned man from Nazareth could possibly know, signs that people will read and there is only one thing that they could conclude after taking in all this information. This guy has to be the Messiah!

It is really weird, the Pharisees have witnessed so many miraculous works and they can see that those works are pointing to the obvious fact that Jesus is the Messiah, they know that if Jesus continues that everyone will be convinced, but they still choose to ignore what they see.

You don't know what you're talking about!

No
Caiaphas, you are the one that doesn't know what you are saying, it was God's plan all along that "one man should die for the people." What an awesome gift that has become available to us through this one man:

Romans 5:15  But there is a great difference between Adam's sin and God's gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ.

16  And the result of God's gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man's sin. For Adam's sin led to condemnation, but God's free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins.

17  For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

application

We need to show Jesus to people so that they will see the evidence and they too will believe, if we can draw people into the church for a peek at who Jesus is then they will believe. Our church needs to be a place where the unchurched can feel comfortable enough to come around and check out Jesus and come to believe in him.

prayer

Help us to do church in new ways that will allow the unchurched people to come around in a natural, comfortable situation so that they can check you out and decide for themselves who you are.

Plans Bigger Than Ours

scripture

John 11:1 A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. 2 This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord's feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. 3 So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, "Lord, your dear friend is very sick."

4 But when Jesus heard about it he said, "Lazarus's sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this." 5 So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, 6 he stayed where he was for the next two days. 7 Finally, he said to his disciples, "Let's go back to Judea."

8 But his disciples objected. "Rabbi," they said, "only a few days ago the people in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again?" 9 Jesus replied, "There are twelve hours of daylight every day. During the day people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. 10 But at night there is danger of stumbling because they have no light." 11 Then he said, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up."

12 The disciples said, "Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!" 13 They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died. 14 So he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. 15 And for your sakes, I'm glad I wasn't there, for now you will really believe. Come, let's go see him." 16 Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let's go, too—and die with Jesus."

17 When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. 18 Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, 19 and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. 20 When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask."

23 Jesus told her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 "Yes," Martha said, "he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day." 25 Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?"

27 "Yes, Lord," she told him. "I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God." 28 Then she returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, "The Teacher is here and wants to see you." 29 So Mary immediately went to him.

30 Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him. 31 When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus's grave to weep. So they followed her there. 32 When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died."

33 When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. 34 "Where have you put him?" he asked them. They told him, "Lord, come and see." 35 Then Jesus wept. 36 The people who were standing nearby said, "See how much he loved him!" 37 But some said, "This man healed a blind man. Couldn't he have kept Lazarus from dying?"

38 Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. 39 "Roll the stone aside," Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man's sister, protested, "Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible." 40 Jesus responded, "Didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believe?"

41 So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "Father, thank you for hearing me. 42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me." 43 Then Jesus shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" 44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a head cloth. Jesus told them, "Unwrap him and let him go!"

45 Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen.

observation

"Lord, your dear friend is very sick."

A messenger was sent out to find Jesus, this guy had an urgent message, Mary and Martha were sure that if the messenger got to Jesus in time then their brother would be healed and he would avoid death. Jesus is not rattled by the news that his friend is going to die, instead of rushing down to his village, Jesus stays put right where he is at.

Notice the difference in the reaction of the Savior and the reaction of the mere humans in the midst of the crisis. The humans had a plan, it was all going to work out, we just have to control this situation and make this happen and then that will happen and everything will be okay. But there was one major flaw in the sisters plan to get Jesus to come to their house, they couldn't make him come to their house because Jesus had a better idea.

The disciples thought that they knew Jesus plan.

Jesus finally told his disciples that he was going to Bethany to see Lazarus. It is pretty clear that the disciples thought that Jesus wasn't going to help Lazarus because they thought that Jesus was avoiding going back into Judea, our Lord was not avoiding trouble, he was waiting for the "right" moment to go see Lazarus.

John 11:8 But his disciples objected. "Rabbi," they said, "only a few days ago the people in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again?"

There has been a lot of opposition to Jesus lately, there have been attempts to arrest him and they have tried to stone him, the disciples were glad that he wasn't running over to see Lazarus.

"What now, our plan has failed"

Martha heard that Jesus was coming and she ran out to meet him and said "Lord, if only" and then later her sister came running out to meet Jesus and she says "Lord, if only" it is clear that they had a plan that didn't work out and now what are they to do? They were saying to Jesus "Lord, you didn't come through"

How often do we make our plans and God doesn't show up and work things out the way that we thought that they should?

We make our personal plans, we decide what the family will do, what the church will do but how much of it is really God's plans?

One of the most difficult things is when God's plan doesn't seem to include the easy answer to your situation. Mary and Martha's plan was the easiest way to make the outcome be the most pleasant, but there is one problem, God had a much bigger plan than they could imagine. It is natural that we want to relieve the situation as pleasantly as possible, we all want to live comfortable and with the least amount of suffering possible but that isn't always the way God wants to work. There are a lot of things that it seems like God should step onto the scene and fix, people that are not healed, violence that goes on against his people around the world, and many other situations that we cannot understand with our limited intelligence.

"Didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believe?"

Jesus asked Mary that question, and earlier he told the disciples "I'm glad I wasn't there, for now you will really believe" It seems that Jesus was more interested in strengthening the disciples and the sisters faith. I am pretty sure that my belief in Jesus would be incredibly strong after witnessing my brother's return to life.

God had bigger plans for Lazarus than just healing him of whatever ailed him. Some guys have a war story or a ship wreck story but this guy can top them all with his "I was once dead and gone but now I am alive again" story.

application

I have to be careful that I don't leave God out when I am making plans, in ministry it can be easy to run with an idea without knowing what God's opinion of what we are rushing to do.

There is a lot of struggle in this world and many of us are looking for some relief from our difficulties. We struggle to answer the hard questions that God doesn't give us the answers to but sometimes all we can know is that everything is in control and God has a plan that is being worked out for his glory.

prayer

Give me wisdom Lord to always check my plans with your will for my life, sometimes when things don't turn out the way I planned I need to refrain from blaming you. Help me to see that everything is working out for your glory. Increase my faith.

Consider The Evidence

scripture
John 10:22 It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. 23 He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The people surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

25 Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. 26 But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, 29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I are one.”

31 Once again the people picked up stones to kill him. 32 Jesus said, “At my Father’s direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?” 33 They replied, “We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.”

34 Jesus replied, “It is written in your own Scriptures that God said to certain leaders of the people, ‘I say, you are gods!’ 35 And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. So if those people who received God’s message were called ‘gods,’ 36 why do you call it blasphemy when I say, ‘I am the Son of God’? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world. 37 Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work. 38 But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”

39 Once again they tried to arrest him, but he got away and left them. 40 He went beyond the Jordan River near the place where John was first baptizing and stayed there awhile. 41 And many followed him. “John didn’t perform miraculous signs,” they remarked to one another, “but everything he said about this man has come true.” 42 And many who were there believed in Jesus.

observation
How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.
After all this time, after all the evidence, after all the previous assertions that Jesus made…just tell us one more time, maybe this time we will believe you. I don’t think so! Get out a red letter edition of the New Testament and see what he has been saying about himself, he has told them over and over again that he is the Messiah and better yet he has proven himself by his works, one miracle after another.

Talking a good talk is not as important as walking the walk. What you believe affects how you behave, if you believe murder is wrong then you don't murder, if you think that robbing the bank is wrong then you don't do it. If you believe in the teachings of Christ then it has to affect your behavior. Jesus said believe in who I am because of the things that I do, how many times does our behavior testify against who we claim to be as a child of God, Jesus said:

John 10:37 Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work. 38 But if I do his work, believe in the evidence

Here is what the problem is, you are not my sheep.
The evidence is there he told them plainly that he is the Messiah, the “I Am” the one that they have been waiting for so long to see. Then Jesus tells them what their real problem is, “I have told you who I am but the real issue is that you have a hearing problem.”

If you can’t hear the masters voice then you must not be his sheep, His sheep hear his voice and they follow him wherever he leads them to with complete trust, they don’t think that there must be a better way or a short cut, he speaks and they follow. If we would just give up control and follow the voice of the shepherd he will lead us to eternal life, and we will never perish.

“John didn’t perform miraculous signs,” they remarked to one another, “but everything he said about this man has come true.”
The question is what did John say?

John1:23 John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah: “I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Clear the way for the Lord’s coming!” Then the Pharisees who had been sent asked him, “If you aren’t the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet, what right do you have to baptize?”

26 John told them, “I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognize. 27 Though his ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal.” 28 This encounter took place in Bethany, an area east of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing.

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’ 31 I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.”

32 Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. 33 I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.”

application
Can you tell from all the miracles and the testimony that Jesus is the Messiah? The evidence is irrefutable.

Am I acting like a sheep? I need to be faithful in follow Jesus and I have to be careful that my actions don’t refute what I claim to believe.

prayer
Thank you Lord for saving this lost sheep, I want to follow you everyday so that others can see the evidence and there will be proof of what I say that I believe.

Can You Hear The Shepherds Voice?

scripture

John 10:1 “I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! 2 But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. 5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”

6 Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, 7 so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them.
9 Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. 10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. 12 A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. 13 The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, 15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.

17 “The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. 18 No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”

19 When he said these things, the people were again divided in their opinions about him. 20 Some said, “He’s demon possessed and out of his mind. Why listen to a man like that?” 21 Others said, “This doesn’t sound like a man possessed by a demon! Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

observation

In the last chapter Jesus healed the blind man and a debate started about Jesus identity. Today in John 10 Jesus reveals more information about who he is.

The shepherd is the guy that the gate keeper knows and he will open the gate for him, unlike the thief that has to sneak over the back wall, the sheep know who the right guy is and they are drawn to him. Besides the thief there is also the gate keeper, this guy knows where his paycheck is coming from and he wants that money coming in at least until the wolf shows up and then he is history.

The gatekeeper and the thief have limited interest in the well being of the sheep, but the good shepherd leads his sheep to good pastures and offers them protection from the wolves that are anxious to get to them.

application

Am I drawn to the Good Shepherd? The sheep are supposed to be, that is one of their traits, they know the shepherd, they know his voice and they are drawn to him. I must be careful if I don't hear the voice of the shepherd then I just may be in the arms of the thief or in the jaws of the wolf.

I am a stupid sheep and I must stay in God's word so that I will be drawn to the shepherd.

prayer

Thank you Lord for laying your life down for the sheep. I want to always be drawn to you, listening to your voice, so that the thief or the wolf will not stand a chance.

What Is Your Opinion? Are you too blind to make the right choice?

scripture
John 9:1 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 2 “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his sins or his parents’ sins?” 3 “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. 4 We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. 5 But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”

6 Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. 7 He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!

8 His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!” But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!” 10 They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?” 11 He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So I went and washed, and now I can see!” 12 “Where is he now?” they asked. “I don’t know,” he replied.

13 Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees, 14 because it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made the mud and healed him. 15 The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, “He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!”

16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.” Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” So there was a deep division of opinion among them. 17 Then the Pharisees again questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, “What’s your opinion about this man who healed you?” The man replied, “I think he must be a prophet.”

18 The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents. 19 They asked them, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?” 20 His parents replied, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind, 21 but we don’t know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. 23 That’s why they said, “He is old enough. Ask him.”

24 So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.” 25 “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”

26 “But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he heal you?” 27 “Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” 28 Then they cursed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! 9 We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.” 30 “Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? 31 We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. 32 Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.” 34 “You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue.

35 When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.” 37 “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!” 38 “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.

39 Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.” 40 Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?” 41 “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.

observation
Where is my party?
Doesn’t anybody want to throw this guy a party? He has never been able to see anything for his entire lifetime and now the Pharisees are too intent on killing Jesus, they aren’t your typical party guest and the common people are too afraid of being harassed by the Pharisees, so they aren’t willing to loosen up and celebrate with this man either.

We don’t even know if this guy even asked to be healed, just like every other day of his life, probably the only thing he was asking for was for some money, which was his whole existence. And now because he was healed he is being harassed and being given a hard time for something he didn’t even ask for. His friends and neighbors (verse 8 – 12) give him a shake down and then they haul him over to see the Pharisees (verse 13).

“What’s your opinion about this man who healed you?”
This poor guy has never seen Jesus and at this point although he is healed he still hasn’t seen the man that healed him. The Pharisees have seen a lot more evidence to prove who Jesus is than this guy has ever seen, he knows that Jesus is not your ordinary average Joe so to the best of his ability he tells the Pharisees that he thinks that perhaps Jesus is a prophet (verse 17).

This guy is more perceptive about what happened here today than anyone else around him. “I was blind but now I can see, and there is something else that I know for sure, I know that Jesus could not have healed me if he were not from God” (verses 24 – 34). He has never met Jesus but it is obvious to him that Jesus is not an ordinary guy, he doesn’t know that this is the Messiah yet but he will find out real soon.

Now what’s your opinion about this man?
This seeker that had the ability to see spiritually is now able to see physically. It is only appropriate that Jesus should reveal himself to his man that has great spiritual insight. Now that he has met Jesus he knows that he is more than just a prophet, as soon as he is introduced to the Savior he immediately believes and worships Jesus, there is not any doubt in his mind that Jesus is the Messiah.

application
Are we so busy being religious that we miss the point of what God is trying to do in our lives? Sometimes we can miss our Savior while we are busy doing church, is he working right in front of you and you are too blind to see him?

Everyone of us needs to see the Savior for who he really is and accept him as Lord and worship him.

prayer
Thank you Lord for revealing yourself to us, I am so thankful that you have given me spiritual eyes that can see the truth about who you are.

Get Your Work Done

scripture
John 9:1 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 2 “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” 3 “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. 4 We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. 5 But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”

6 Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. 7 He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!

observation
Jesus is coming near to the end of His time on earth, the night is coming when the "light of the world" will be taken away, it is estimated that six months after this miracle that he was crucified. He is still "on task" doing the works that God has sent Him to do. 

As followers of Christ, we all have a job to do, the good works that we were created for are our mission everyday.

Ephesians 2:10  For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

application

I must be busy doing the good works that God has prepared me to do.

prayer

Give me wisdom Lord to know what you created me to do and may I never neglect the task.

Who Is In Control?

scripture
John 7:25 Some of the people who lived in Jerusalem started to ask each other, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? 26 But here he is, speaking in public, and they say nothing to him. Could our leaders possibly believe that he is the Messiah? 27 But how could he be? For we know where this man comes from. When the Messiah comes, he will simply appear; no one will know where he comes from.”

28 While Jesus was teaching in the Temple, he called out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I come from. But I’m not here on my own. The one who sent me is true, and you don’t know him. 29 But I know him because I come from him, and he sent me to you.” 30 Then the leaders tried to arrest him; but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.

31 Many among the crowds at the Temple believed in him. “After all,” they said, “would you expect the Messiah to do more miraculous signs than this man has done?”

32 When the Pharisees heard that the crowds were whispering such things, they and the leading priests sent Temple guards to arrest Jesus. 33 But Jesus told them, “I will be with you only a little longer. Then I will return to the one who sent me. 34 You will search for me but not find me. And you cannot go where I am going.”

35 The Jewish leaders were puzzled by this statement. “Where is he planning to go?” they asked. “Is he thinking of leaving the country and going to the Jews in other lands? Maybe he will even teach the Greeks! 36 What does he mean when he says, ‘You will search for me but not find me,’ and ‘You cannot go where I am going’?”

37 On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’ ” 39 (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)

40 When the crowds heard him say this, some of them declared, “Surely this man is the Prophet we’ve been expecting.” 41 Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others said, “But he can’t be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee? 42 For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.” 43 So the crowd was divided about him. 44 Some even wanted him arrested, but no one laid a hand on him.

45 When the Temple guards returned without having arrested Jesus, the leading priests and Pharisees demanded, “Why didn’t you bring him in?” 46 “We have never heard anyone speak like this!” the guards responded. 47 “Have you been led astray, too?” the Pharisees mocked. 48 “Is there a single one of us rulers or Pharisees who believes in him? 49 This foolish crowd follows him, but they are ignorant of the law. God’s curse is on them!”

50 Then Nicodemus, the leader who had met with Jesus earlier, spoke up. 51 “Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?” he asked. 52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Search the Scriptures and see for yourself—no prophet ever comes from Galilee!” 53 Then the meeting broke up, and everybody went home.

John 8:12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

13 The Pharisees replied, “You are making those claims about yourself! Such testimony is not valid.”

14 Jesus told them, “These claims are valid even though I make them about myself. For I know where I came from and where I am going, but you don’t know this about me. 15 You judge me by human standards, but I do not judge anyone. 16 And if I did, my judgment would be correct in every respect because I am not alone. The Father who sent me is with me. 17 Your own law says that if two people agree about something, their witness is accepted as fact. 18 I am one witness, and my Father who sent me is the other.”

19 “Where is your father?” they asked. Jesus answered, “Since you don’t know who I am, you don’t know who my Father is. If you knew me, you would also know my Father.” 20 Jesus made these statements while he was teaching in the section of the Temple known as the Treasury. But he was not arrested, because his time had not yet come.

observation
The church leaders are having a fit, they want to get rid of Jesus, but why can't they just walk up to Him and have Him arrested just like they would some other guy?

God is in control and he always has been and always will be, these simple men could not stop God's will from being lived out through Jesus, at this point Jesus is untouchable.

The disciples tried to control Jesus and make his kingdom be an earthly kingdom, that was the most shortsighted plan that anybody ever thought of, I think that God's long range plan was a much better idea.

1 Corinthians 1:25 This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans.

Isaiah 30:1 “What sorrow awaits my rebellious children,” says the LORD. “You make plans that are contrary to mine."

application
We need to remember that God is in control and that his ways are higher than our ways, even when his plan for you seems more than you can bear, don't forget that he loves you and that the only plan that you can make is to spend eternity with him.

Psalms 138:8 The LORD will work out his plans for my life for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever.

prayer
Help us to give up control and to allow ourselves to be a part of your plans. I can only be useful for you if I am willing to be a part of your plans.