John 10:19-30
19So again came to be division among the Jews because of these words. 20But many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is raving mad; why do you pay attention to Him?” 21Others were saying, “These are not the sayings of being demon-possessed. A demon is not able to open eyes of blind, is it?”
22Now the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) took place in Jerusalem, and it was winter. 23And Jesus was walking about in the temple in the Portico of Solomon. 24Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You hold our soul in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
25Jesus answered them, “I told, and do not believe; the works which I do in the Name of My Father, these testify concerning Me. 26But do not believe, because are not of My sheep, just as I said. 27My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28And I give to them eternal life, and they shall by no means perish into the age! (they shall never ever perish!) And no one will pluck them out of My hand. 29My Father who has given to Me is greater than all, and no one is able to be plucking out of the hand of My Father. 30I and the Father are one!”
Good Day Child of God! "Father? I open my heart and my mind that you may teach me for I am willing to hear and believe." It is more than interesting that our Scripture follows our last Study and the challenges of the understanding of why something happened, will outstrip our knowledge that it simply happened. For example, we know Jesus was a man, looked like a man, spoke like a man, walked like a man, had a mom and earthly dad as well. Even took on His earthly father's career of being a carpenter. We also know that nothing much is said of Jesus' earthly father except to point out that he really wasn't Jesus True Father, but more of a foster father instead.
Jesus' mother Mary was His real mother on the human side, implanted with the seed of God by the Holy Spirit, who is God, an extension of God. Jesus then the human is born of water and of Spirit. Interesting, but why this way?
Today's easy lesson: When we start to look at all the things that Jesus taught and the things He did, all of a sudden it starts to fall in place, doesn't it? It is meant too! There is no mistake, no accident, no coincidence, this is all planned out, and it wasn't planned by the human part of Jesus. How can that be said with certainty? Jesus would not have the ability as a human to pick His parents or His time of birth, or where He would be born, just to sight a few examples. The complex prophecy of future events, Judaism's background, the people who cared and those that only cared for themselves, cannot be put together by a child, then young adult. Of course, the teachings planned to be given at certain places and times would be impossible for any human to lay out ahead of time.
In Part 1 of this series, we learned why Jesus had to come when He did. It couldn't have been much later, nor to much sooner, because the world keeps moving forward, things change, rulers change, a simple idea from one person can change the lives of all people on an entire continent, so the timing was critical. Certainly, a human could not do that! Yet we have this Human/God Jesus, and why is it that He came as a man the way He did? The Father could have had Him just appear out of the desert coming from nowhere in particular, but what authority would He have over the Jews, even with knowledge and understanding? How could be prove Himself by Scripture if that were to happen. Besides the fact that the Messiah was to come after Elijah, and the Jews were looking for this man was a certainty. Elijah did come first, but the Jews didn't recognize him, only the Chosen did, and they followed him. His name was John the Baptist, Jesus' cousin. Without John the Baptist's introduction, Jesus would have had a more difficult time making the impact He did in the time needed. Again the question is why a man, why Jesus, why not a prophet, or perhaps a sign, similar to the "writing on the wall"? In order to make an impression on people, you have to be one of them. If God were to come Himself, no one could look at Him, and the overall message would be drowned out by an event only a few could attend. One reason that God only met with Moses alone after the Exodus. Moses represented God, but look at the impression Moses made. Almost nothing. In fact so poorly did he manage the people, he too was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. Look at Jesus as opposed to Moses. Jesus could not be backed down, pushed around, even touched without it being planned ahead of time by the Father. The Father along with Jesus made the Messiah more than a man that would challenge religion and it's varied belief systems, and more than a person that would take the punishment for mankind's sins for all, forever, nor the man that would end up dying on a Cross to be Resurrected from the dead to defeat death. He has to be the perfect example of how God would like to be worshiped, followed, and spoken to. We have more than a simple carpenter that is sent to take our sins and end death for God's Chosen, we have a faultless example of what we should do to please God, in our actions, our speech, our treatment of others, and our reverence for our Father. The simplicity of which is to follow the Father, not do and ask His Blessing. Follow, not lead. No works, no penance for sins, no confession, no tithe, nothing with rites or rituals or traditions are for the Father. Those are for you alone. They would be your gift to you to feel better about being a Believer. They have NO effect on God's wishes for you. Jesus did all these things to complete the Law which then would end it. Jesus did all the works, as well, so God's Children, even as adopted, would know how to follow, not lead the Father. When you think about it, it is nearly exactly backwards of what most are taught in traditional church gatherings to this very day.
How does this effect my walk with the Father? To understand that to get together frequently with like minded brothers and sisters to honor and worship in song and thanksgiving is basic to being a Christian. To talk to your Father as though He were your real father here on earth, is one example Jesus gives us, for He didn't go through "Thee and thou" as He spoke to His Father. The Father was filled with Love for His Son, and did not want to be treated as though He is so large He must be approached like an untouchable. Please, Jesus/God/Holy Spirit are your best friends, act and speak like it! We see that Jesus had to become a man because for the long term, for you and I today and those to come, we had people research, like Luke, who wrote the Gospel of Luke and Acts, to prove Jesus' lineage back to Adam and Eve. Well in reality it takes both Luke's Gospel and Mathew's Gospel for both Adam and Eve, but that said, we know He is real. He was here, if not, if He didn't do what is written, why tell anyone and risk being brought to your death for doing so? These are the reasons Jesus/God had to come as a man. It was God who started everything, it is God who keeps it going, and it is God who provides, and it is God who will decide when it all ends. You and I are Blessed to be fortunate enough to be able just to have Faith and Believe (Trust) in this, and our bonus for that is never dying. Those that would rather doubt, be the captain of their own ship, well, God will see to them in His own way and will. Jesus' visit was well planned, exacting, and in the end, the idea was to simplify it for the Father's Children. Just simple Faith. Everything else is man trying to get the Father to give more to a people that already have been given everything they need. God is Blessing all of His Children in so many ways. How truly thankful we should be. Yet, many are not, they want more. Jesus settled the sin issue, no sin. He opened the curtain that separated everyday men and women from God to allow for the personal relationship He wants with His Children, and the first gift-gift mind you, is Life and that forever, abundantly. Is there more? Yes, all the attributes of God at our asking; peace, love, joy, calm, gentleness, kindness, patience, faithfulness, and self-control. What do we ask for instead of these things? How about a new home, or car, or whatever else we see as important. Those worldly types of things that may come are not miracles, they are provisions, and our job is to use them properly, which is to honor our Father, and to be ready to do His Will, so the things that really have substance in this world bear something worthwhile for others, and we benefit from them as well. Amen? Have a Grace Day!
Brother Glenn
Complete New Testament Grace Studies link: http://gracehouseministry.blogspot.com/
19So again came to be division among the Jews because of these words. 20But many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is raving mad; why do you pay attention to Him?” 21Others were saying, “These are not the sayings of being demon-possessed. A demon is not able to open eyes of blind, is it?”
22Now the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) took place in Jerusalem, and it was winter. 23And Jesus was walking about in the temple in the Portico of Solomon. 24Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You hold our soul in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
25Jesus answered them, “I told, and do not believe; the works which I do in the Name of My Father, these testify concerning Me. 26But do not believe, because are not of My sheep, just as I said. 27My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28And I give to them eternal life, and they shall by no means perish into the age! (they shall never ever perish!) And no one will pluck them out of My hand. 29My Father who has given to Me is greater than all, and no one is able to be plucking out of the hand of My Father. 30I and the Father are one!”
Good Day Child of God! "Father? I open my heart and my mind that you may teach me for I am willing to hear and believe." It is more than interesting that our Scripture follows our last Study and the challenges of the understanding of why something happened, will outstrip our knowledge that it simply happened. For example, we know Jesus was a man, looked like a man, spoke like a man, walked like a man, had a mom and earthly dad as well. Even took on His earthly father's career of being a carpenter. We also know that nothing much is said of Jesus' earthly father except to point out that he really wasn't Jesus True Father, but more of a foster father instead.
Jesus' mother Mary was His real mother on the human side, implanted with the seed of God by the Holy Spirit, who is God, an extension of God. Jesus then the human is born of water and of Spirit. Interesting, but why this way?
Today's easy lesson: When we start to look at all the things that Jesus taught and the things He did, all of a sudden it starts to fall in place, doesn't it? It is meant too! There is no mistake, no accident, no coincidence, this is all planned out, and it wasn't planned by the human part of Jesus. How can that be said with certainty? Jesus would not have the ability as a human to pick His parents or His time of birth, or where He would be born, just to sight a few examples. The complex prophecy of future events, Judaism's background, the people who cared and those that only cared for themselves, cannot be put together by a child, then young adult. Of course, the teachings planned to be given at certain places and times would be impossible for any human to lay out ahead of time.
In Part 1 of this series, we learned why Jesus had to come when He did. It couldn't have been much later, nor to much sooner, because the world keeps moving forward, things change, rulers change, a simple idea from one person can change the lives of all people on an entire continent, so the timing was critical. Certainly, a human could not do that! Yet we have this Human/God Jesus, and why is it that He came as a man the way He did? The Father could have had Him just appear out of the desert coming from nowhere in particular, but what authority would He have over the Jews, even with knowledge and understanding? How could be prove Himself by Scripture if that were to happen. Besides the fact that the Messiah was to come after Elijah, and the Jews were looking for this man was a certainty. Elijah did come first, but the Jews didn't recognize him, only the Chosen did, and they followed him. His name was John the Baptist, Jesus' cousin. Without John the Baptist's introduction, Jesus would have had a more difficult time making the impact He did in the time needed. Again the question is why a man, why Jesus, why not a prophet, or perhaps a sign, similar to the "writing on the wall"? In order to make an impression on people, you have to be one of them. If God were to come Himself, no one could look at Him, and the overall message would be drowned out by an event only a few could attend. One reason that God only met with Moses alone after the Exodus. Moses represented God, but look at the impression Moses made. Almost nothing. In fact so poorly did he manage the people, he too was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. Look at Jesus as opposed to Moses. Jesus could not be backed down, pushed around, even touched without it being planned ahead of time by the Father. The Father along with Jesus made the Messiah more than a man that would challenge religion and it's varied belief systems, and more than a person that would take the punishment for mankind's sins for all, forever, nor the man that would end up dying on a Cross to be Resurrected from the dead to defeat death. He has to be the perfect example of how God would like to be worshiped, followed, and spoken to. We have more than a simple carpenter that is sent to take our sins and end death for God's Chosen, we have a faultless example of what we should do to please God, in our actions, our speech, our treatment of others, and our reverence for our Father. The simplicity of which is to follow the Father, not do and ask His Blessing. Follow, not lead. No works, no penance for sins, no confession, no tithe, nothing with rites or rituals or traditions are for the Father. Those are for you alone. They would be your gift to you to feel better about being a Believer. They have NO effect on God's wishes for you. Jesus did all these things to complete the Law which then would end it. Jesus did all the works, as well, so God's Children, even as adopted, would know how to follow, not lead the Father. When you think about it, it is nearly exactly backwards of what most are taught in traditional church gatherings to this very day.
How does this effect my walk with the Father? To understand that to get together frequently with like minded brothers and sisters to honor and worship in song and thanksgiving is basic to being a Christian. To talk to your Father as though He were your real father here on earth, is one example Jesus gives us, for He didn't go through "Thee and thou" as He spoke to His Father. The Father was filled with Love for His Son, and did not want to be treated as though He is so large He must be approached like an untouchable. Please, Jesus/God/Holy Spirit are your best friends, act and speak like it! We see that Jesus had to become a man because for the long term, for you and I today and those to come, we had people research, like Luke, who wrote the Gospel of Luke and Acts, to prove Jesus' lineage back to Adam and Eve. Well in reality it takes both Luke's Gospel and Mathew's Gospel for both Adam and Eve, but that said, we know He is real. He was here, if not, if He didn't do what is written, why tell anyone and risk being brought to your death for doing so? These are the reasons Jesus/God had to come as a man. It was God who started everything, it is God who keeps it going, and it is God who provides, and it is God who will decide when it all ends. You and I are Blessed to be fortunate enough to be able just to have Faith and Believe (Trust) in this, and our bonus for that is never dying. Those that would rather doubt, be the captain of their own ship, well, God will see to them in His own way and will. Jesus' visit was well planned, exacting, and in the end, the idea was to simplify it for the Father's Children. Just simple Faith. Everything else is man trying to get the Father to give more to a people that already have been given everything they need. God is Blessing all of His Children in so many ways. How truly thankful we should be. Yet, many are not, they want more. Jesus settled the sin issue, no sin. He opened the curtain that separated everyday men and women from God to allow for the personal relationship He wants with His Children, and the first gift-gift mind you, is Life and that forever, abundantly. Is there more? Yes, all the attributes of God at our asking; peace, love, joy, calm, gentleness, kindness, patience, faithfulness, and self-control. What do we ask for instead of these things? How about a new home, or car, or whatever else we see as important. Those worldly types of things that may come are not miracles, they are provisions, and our job is to use them properly, which is to honor our Father, and to be ready to do His Will, so the things that really have substance in this world bear something worthwhile for others, and we benefit from them as well. Amen? Have a Grace Day!
Brother Glenn
Complete New Testament Grace Studies link: http://gracehouseministry.blogspot.com/
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