PRAY

The response offered by those who had been miraculously fed was not what Jesus intended. He wanted them to see Him as their Messiah, but they wanted to make Him their king. The miracles were proof of His deity, yet the people were only thinking of the physical. Several times in the various Gospel accounts Jesus tells someone not to advertise His miracles. This is because Jesus did not want people to follow Him just for the miracles. Unfortunately, many in His day saw His miraculous powers as a tool they could use to overthrow Rome and have an independent, prosperous Jewish kingdom. This seems to have been Judas’s problem. It is true that he is called a “thief” (John 12:6), but his financial and political plans seem to have included Christ’s popularity and powers. When Christ failed to use His powers to defend Himself in the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas realized that his plans had failed, he would not become a prince in the Jewish Kingdom and he, in fact, had sent Jesus to His death. As He often did, Jesus came apart from the crowd to be alone on the mountain. The place was on the western bank of the Sea of Galilee near the city of Bethsaida (Luke 9:10). Jesus had sent the disciples on ahead and had possibly agreed to meet them near Bethsaida (Mark 6:45) on their way to Capernaum. He had remained to see the crowd off and then had gone up into the mountain to pray (Mark 6:46). The disciples had not expected to see Jesus coming to them walking on the sea. This fifth sign demonstrated His power over creation and the ability to transcend the physical limitations that hinder mankind. “With God all things are possible” (Mark 10:27).

Many today seek after the miraculous and the spectacular. God’s desire for man has not changed. It’s that we might look to the Son and seeing with the eyes of faith, believe. What is your motivation in following God?

What is the writer saying?

How can I apply this to my life?

The response offered by those who had been miraculously fed was not what Jesus intended. He wanted them to see Him as their Messiah, but they wanted to make Him their king. The miracles were proof of His deity, yet the people were only thinking of the physical. Several times in the various Gospel accounts Jesus tells someone not to advertise His miracles. This is because Jesus did not want people to follow Him just for the miracles. Unfortunately, many in His day saw His miraculous powers as a tool they could use to overthrow Rome and have an independent, prosperous Jewish kingdom. This seems to have been Judas’s problem. It is true that he is called a “thief” (John 12:6), but his financial and political plans seem to have included Christ’s popularity and powers. When Christ failed to use His powers to defend Himself in the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas realized that his plans had failed, he would not become a prince in the Jewish Kingdom and he, in fact, had sent Jesus to His death. As He often did, Jesus came apart from the crowd to be alone on the mountain. The place was on the western bank of the Sea of Galilee near the city of Bethsaida (Luke 9:10). Jesus had sent the disciples on ahead and had possibly agreed to meet them near Bethsaida (Mark 6:45) on their way to Capernaum. He had remained to see the crowd off and then had gone up into the mountain to pray (Mark 6:46). The disciples had not expected to see Jesus coming to them walking on the sea. This fifth sign demonstrated His power over creation and the ability to transcend the physical limitations that hinder mankind. “With God all things are possible” (Mark 10:27).

Many today seek after the miraculous and the spectacular. God’s desire for man has not changed. It’s that we might look to the Son and seeing with the eyes of faith, believe. What is your motivation in following God?

What is the writer saying?

How can I apply this to my life?

Pray for the single parents in your church to be consistent and to persevere in patience and love.

Many who heard His words at the Feast of Tabernacles were convinced that He was their Messiah and believed (v. 31). The Jewish leaders only increased in the hardness of their hearts and their rejection (v. 30). Finally the Jewish authorities decided they had to act. The “chief priests” (v. 32) were from the party of the Sadducees. They controlled the Temple. The Pharisees were the pastors of the people and controlled the synagogue system. They normally did not get along, but now they joined hands against Jesus. Jesus predicts His imminent death and departure to heaven (at the next Passover six months ahead). His words went right over their heads (v. 36). Interestingly, they did wonder if He intended to take His Gospel to the Gentiles (v. 35)!

During the Feast of Tabernacles, every day the High Priest would lead a procession from the Pool of Siloam with water in a gold pitcher to pour out at the temple. They were thanking God for the rains that gave the good harvest and they were praying for the rains to come again for the next harvest. During the procession they would quote Isaiah 12:1-4, “And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.” With this as a backdrop, Jesus stands on the eighth day and calls out to the spiritually thirsty crowds (v. 37). Jesus proclaimed that He was the source of true satisfaction and that those who find this satisfaction would become a source of refreshment to all (v. 38).

John says that the “water” is the “Holy Spirit” (v. 39). Will we allow the Holy Spirit to refresh and empower us today?

What is the writer saying?

How can I apply this to my life?

The episode in chapter 8 is designed to entrap Jesus and discredit Him. The scene begins on the Mount of Olives where He is already ministering to a constant stream of people (v. 2: “came” actually means were coming, indicating constantly). The Pharisees show up with a woman taken in the very act of adultery. (Where was the man?) The tense of the verb say (v. 4) indicates that they were repeatedly saying. Their statement about the Mosaic Law was accurate although God in His grace did not always insist on capital punishment, such as in the case of King David. They were hoping to either accuse Him of contradicting Moses or of contradicting Roman law, which did not allow the Jews to inflict capital punishment. It seems that Jesus was embarrassed by the crassness of their treatment of the woman (v. 6). He brilliantly avoids the trap by putting it back on them to fulfill the Law, if they are worthy. John uses an unusual word for “wrote” in verse 8, which means to write down a record as in an official court document. Perhaps Jesus recorded their secret sins as they then began to disappear. Christ succeeded in turning another challenge back on His interrogators when questioned about the tribute money [(“Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” (Matthew 22:21).] In neither case did He really answer their question, but rather He exposed their ulterior motives for asking the question. Out of gratitude for His gracious treatment, the woman awaited His direction. It is established that not one of the men stayed to pursue the matter. Jesus does not condone the woman’s sin, but releases her with the admonition to cease her life of immorality.

We are to hate the sin, but love the sinner. Jesus associated with the dregs of society. They were the ones who needed the doctor. He did not water down His demands, however. Sinners were forgiven, but expected to repent and forsake their sin.