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Tag: John

Life in the Spirit
What is life?

The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.
John 6:63b CSB the words of Christ Jesus

Look intently into the eyes of anyone. Who do you see?

What makes this mortal son or daughter of man so different?

King or commoner, young or old, rich or poor — how does this life impact you personally? What is it about this person that makes their life matter?

A young shepherd of little note speaks to a king. “Who am I, and what is my life or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be the king’s son-in-law?”

An aging king notes, “Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life.”

And another rich man who has lost everything laments, “For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, when God requires his life?”

What is life and what does spirit have to do with it?

Spirit Living in Flesh

“God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 4:24 NASB

πνεῦμα ὁ θεός theos pneuma – The spirit of the Living God must be approached only in spirit and not in our flesh.

Is man anything at all before the God of creation? How does the Lord breathe spirit from the holiness of His life-giving Spirit?

One place the Bible reveals this nature of the One God is in the books of Moses.

רוּחַ

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. – Genesis 1:2 WEB

Do you realize Moses’ description of the Lord in Eden after original sin describe God as Spirit?

וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֞וּ אֶת־קֹ֨ול יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהִ֛ים מִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ בַּגָּ֖ן לְר֣וּחַ הַיֹּ֑ום וַיִּתְחַבֵּ֨א הָֽאָדָ֜ם וְאִשְׁתֹּ֗ו מִפְּנֵי֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֔ים בְּתֹ֖וךְ עֵ֥ץ הַגָּֽן׃
Genesis 3:8 WLC – NASB translation: They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

A translation of cool here comes from the word ‘spirit.’

Therefore the man and his wife ‘heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the Spirit’ in this day following their sin. He created man in His spiritual image, filled our flesh made not for decay with the spirit of His own essence of goodness.

Generations after man’s expulsion from a paradise on earth spoiled by the evil: “Then the LORD said,

“My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh…”

So there it is: The LORD speaks to Moses this one mysterious truth of His immortality contending with our mortality.

πνεῦμα

The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature is of no help! The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.
John 6:63 NET – the words of Jesus

The concept confuses mankind who cannot see the breath of life in our own flesh, that of others, in living creatures, unseen demons or the revealed eternal Spirit of the Living God.

Our brief look at the Hebrew root [Strong’s H7307 – ruwach – רוּחַ ] primarily suggests: wind, breath and mind, in addition to the Spirit of the LORD God.

Jesus’ words in common first century Greek also differentiate life in man and things from that of the Holy Spirit.

πνεῦμα – Pneuma, also signifies: ‘the vital principal by which the body is animated; the rational spirit, the power by which the human being feels, thinks, decides; the soul, a simple essence, devoid of all or at least all grosser matter, and possessed of the power of knowing, desiring, deciding, and acting; the wind itself, a breath of nostrils or mouth.

It also includes beings (good or evil) higher than man, but lower than God; that is: angels, seraphim, cherubim, demons and the like. And of course, Satan is one of these created ones with beginning and end, but a powerful spirit of evil lower than the Lord God Almighty.

From its root word John describes Jesus walking on the Sea after feeding 5000, a sign mentioned in my previous post.

The sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.
John 6:18 NASB

Jesus describes more differences in unseen life, which we will explore more in my next post.

“The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
John 3:8 NASB
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January 13, 2020
Unless the Father draws you – Bread from Heaven
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life…
John 6:35a

A group of hopeful Jews has begun following this Son of Man from place to place looking for signs that He IS the Messiah of the One God. Now we turn to a sign Jesus shows to five thousand followers in a remote place where He provides bread and fish from the lunch packed for one young man.

Miracles & Signs by Jesus
- The Lord once again makes clear His purpose in Jerusalem.
John 5:

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. – John 5:39-40

What Scriptures? The Jewish Scriptures, of course. And the proofs religious leaders demand will undermine their own earthly authority if Jesus produces such convincing miracles.

Yet like the Prophets the Jews recognized, including John the Baptist, Jesus also points to our natural disobedience of God from these same scriptures.

45 “Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope.

Once again Jesus offers us a choice between obedience and turning away from God, not between signs or disbelief.

46 “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

Exodus 16:

2 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה הִנְנִ֨י מַמְטִ֥יר לָכֶ֛ם לֶ֖חֶם מִן־הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְיָצָ֨א הָעָ֤ם וְלָֽקְטוּ֙ דְּבַר־יֹ֣ום בְּיֹומֹ֔ו לְמַ֧עַן אֲנַסֶּ֛נּוּ הֲיֵלֵ֥ךְ בְּתֹורָתִ֖י אִם־לֹֽא׃
Exodus 16:4 WLC

4 Then said the LORD unto Moses,

Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.

Note the significance of the sign of the bread:

Genesis

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. – Genesis 3:19 KJV on consequence of man’s sin of disobedience to the Lord God

And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. – Genesis 14:18 KJV

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Matthew 26:24-26 NKJV

Communion – Bread from Heaven

The Apostles will later understand a communion with Jesus witnessed after they depart from Jerusalem with Jesus a second time.

A mountainside overlooking the Sea of Tiberias, Galilee
- John 6: 2 A huge crowd was following him because they saw the signs that he was performing by healing the sick. 3 Jesus went up a mountain and sat down there with his disciples.
The men numbered about five thousand. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and after giving thanks he distributed them to those who were seated.

14 When the people saw the sign [the feeding of 5000 with five loaves of barley bread and two fish] he had done, they said, “This truly is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
John 6:14 CSB

How would we follow the Messiah?

15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king…

These disciples of the big crowd of ‘believers’ were no different from us. We prefer to lead the Lord, to have Him follow us our way. Jesus perceives how some would make Him an earthly King of the Jews. (Even the Apostle Judas had hoped for this.)

The Lord walks away from the crowds and the next day miraculously reappears on the other side of the Sea of Galilee.

Capernaum, Galilee on an opposite shore of the Sea
- John 6: 23 Some boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
26 Jesus answered [those who crossed the sea and found Him in Capernaum],

“Truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled…

“This is the work of God—that you believe in the one he has sent.”

30 Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’

We have already rejected the signs

Then Jesus said to them,
“Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven,
but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
John 6:32-33 NKJV

It’s nearly the Gospel of John 3:16 restated, but here Jesus clearly states that some of the Jews have rejected the Messiah just as most of the world will reject eternal life.

And Jesus said to them,
“I am the bread of life.
He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
John 6:35 NKJV

“… 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day…

57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.”

Bread from Heaven – מָן

When we encounter the miracles of God, when our eyes open to see the Son of God come down from heaven we still ask, “What is it?“

58 “This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead.

He who eats this bread will live forever.”

59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

60 Therefore many of His disciples… [followers, that is, in addition to some of the Apostles] questioned Jesus and many later turned away.]

More signs to the Apostles

Some of the Apostles witnessed signs privately away from the crowds. One of these had already taken place between His sign of the bread to the five thousand and preaching about it in the synagogue at Capernaum.

On the Sea of Galilee

Lake Tiberias – Rome’s name for Kinneret [Sea of Galilee]
- … Darkness had already set in, but Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 A high wind arose, and the sea began to churn. 19 After they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea. He was coming near the boat, and they were afraid.
Do you fear the Living God?

Do you honor the Son?

20 But he said to them, “It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

What next?

Jesus concludes this current teaching about the Father sending the One Son by asking the Apostles about the Spirit of God.

What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.
The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
John 6:62-63 NKJV

They will see the ascension of the Son of Man, risen from Sacrifice of crucifixion and death!

The Apostles, some who had witnessed the Voice of the Father and the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus, will receive the Spirit. They witness Jesus’ words of life.

Will you with ears to hear and a heart open to receiving the life of the Spirit receive the Word – the truth and the life of Jesus?

For He IS the bread which came down from heaven to satisfy forgiveness of our sins and fill us with the Good News of eternal life.
January 7, 2020
Unless the Father draws you – Signs
Signs from God the Father

Perhaps as one of the multitude hearing the preaching of Jesus you may have missed His relational claim to God as His Father. Even now as one seeing signs on a mountainside and your amazement by the Lord’s miracles, your ears failed to hear His mention of the Father.

And like those in the crowds who followed Jesus for a time, but later left Him when their path to Heaven became steep and dangerous, you may have asked yourself a question like this:

Why would I follow Jesus or worship Him instead of God?

שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהוָ֥ה אֶחָֽד׃
Deuteronomy 6:4 Masoretic Text

“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
Deuteronomy 6:5

Previously I asked you to “Follow Me” & support my Christian Social Witness by subscribing to new posts. Most will not.

Why? Same reason that the multitudes did NOT follow Jesus. The Lord asks us to submit to His will in place of our own.

Today we will show some signs of Jesus and address reactions of those who claimed to believe in God while selfishly opposing to follow the Messiah of Israel.

Miracles & Signs by Jesus

The Apostle John outlines several signs and proofs of the Good News that Jesus IS the Son of the Living God. That is to say, Jesus proves to witnesses that God IS His Father and He IS God’s only Son!

Before hearing (or reading) Jesus’ words about the Father, let’s briefly look at John’s list of proofs witnessed by many in several places.

Cana, Galilee
- John 2:7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. 9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom…
Jerusalem, Judea
- John 2: First Passover—Cleansing the Temple
  - 18 The Jews then said to Him, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?”
  - 19 Jesus answered them,
  - “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
  - But He was speaking of the temple of His body.
- John 2:23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.
Galilee, along road through Samaria from Jerusalem
- There was a certain royal official whose son was ill at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea into Galilee, he went to him and pleaded with him to come down and heal his son, since he was about to die.
Jesus told him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.”
John 4:48 CSB

Do you and I tend to require more proof from God?

(I know sometimes my faith falters.)

Jesus provides proof of a miracle here even though the Lord lamented that we so often require signs.

49 “Sir,” the official said to him, “come down before my boy dies.”

50 “Go,” Jesus told him, “your son will live.”

A pool by the Sheep Market gate, Jerusalem, Judea
- John 5: (Most likely during a second Passover) The Healing at Bethesda
3 Within these [five porches] lay a large number of the disabled—blind, lame, and paralyzed.

5 One man was there who had been disabled for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and realized he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to get well?”

⁸“Get up,” Jesus told him, “pick up your mat and walk.” ⁹Instantly the man got well, picked up his mat, and started to walk.

Now that day was the Sabbath…

Son’s Signs through the Father

“Truly I tell you, the Son is not able to do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing… And just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son also gives life to whom he wants.
John 5:19b,21 CSB

28 Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done good things, to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked things, to the resurrection of condemnation.
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January 6, 2020