John Study 17: 10:25-11:13

Dear Student of the Word,

It's time to study God's word again, particularly John's gospel.  This week we take a look at Jesus' ability to minister while His life was in danger.  He eventually leaves Jerusalem only to return when He gets the report that his friend Lazarus was ill. The more we study this gospel, the more I admire Jesus' courage. He is a remarkable man, and a glorious God!  This week I wrote the following on day four of this seven-day devotional study:

v. 39 – Jesus was in constant danger, yet at the same time He was in no danger.  While the Jews wanted desperately to seize Him, they could not do anything that was not in perfect accord with God’s will and timing. The same is true for you and me.  We can and should take great confidence in this:

My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me (Psalm 31:5).

'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring (Acts 17:31).

Are you afraid for your life?  Afraid to do some things because they may be dangerous?  I am not talking being reckless.  I am talking about doing things that are a part of life, like traveling, trying new things, or learning a new language.

v. 40 – Jesus had had enough of that visit to Jerusalem, which had lasted several months, and took a break across the Jordan River to what is known today as the country of Jordan.  Perhaps Jesus needed a break to restore His ministry confidence and went to a place where His ministry was welcomed. He could heal and teach, with no concerns about the legalistic Jews watching His every move.

Does that thought make Jesus too “human” in your eyes, thinking that He may have needed encouragement?  It fits the picture of Him described in Hebrews:

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering (Hebrews 2:9-10).

v. 41 – Jesus had ministry success in this retreat spot, for many people came, remembering what John the Baptist had said about him. Even though John had never done any public miracle to verify his words, the people bore witness to the truth of what he had said.  It is ironic that these people judged properly but the Jewish leaders could not do so.

v. 42 – The issue always comes down to faith or no-faith in Christ.  That was the issue then and it is the issue today.  People who say they have no faith are not aware of how much faith they have every day!  They believe the other drivers will stay on their side of the road when they drive. They have faith a can of peas they open will not be poisoned. They have faith their cars will start when they turn the key, that the bridge will remain intact when they walk over it, and that they will be back to work the next day.  Contrary to what some people say, they live in faith.  So to having faith in God is really a natural outflow of their already faith-saturated lives. Does that make sense?

As always, I welcome your comments to this week's study. You can write them or find the studies to Corinthians, Colossians, First Timothy, and Matthew's and Mark's gospels on the site where this week's entry is posted. You can also go there to sign up to receive each week's study.

Plus my website archives contains a complete collection of all my verse-by-verse Bible studies from Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts, Romans, 1&2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1&2 Thessalonians, 1&2 Timothy, Hebrews, James, 1&2 Peter, Hebrews and Revelation, along with the unpublished volumes of The Faith Files.

Download John Study 17

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1. THE SOPHIA FUND UPDATE: $393 came in last week for The Fund, which is just super! As you know, I am using the money to feed AIDS orphans and widows in Kenya and Zimbabwe.

I wrote an update and a thank you for those who have given to the Fund four weeks ago and you can read it here. You can also read about my rationale for The Fund here (named after my late mother).

Please consider a contribution of at least $5 toward the fund and hopefully more. You can use the "Chipin" widget on the Monday Memo site to contribute, or go directly to my website to contribute there through PayPal, or send a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91099, Pittsburgh, PA 15221. Make sure you let me know it is for The Sophia Fund. Don't delay; give today and make a difference in the world.

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2. REVELATION: I still need your help, although I had two good leads for publishing last week but no money. I have finished a devotional focusing on the book of Revelation and I feel an urgent need to self-publish this work, which will cost about $2,500. I wrote about this project in my blog a few months ago and encourage you to read what I wrote there. You can also read some sample excerpts of the book here.

In that post, I explain my urgency in wanting to get it out for people to read. Once you read my rationale, please consider if the Lord wants you to help me to restore an important book of the Bible that has been distorted by so many weird interpretations. I know there is someone out there who is going to help me with this project.  Maybe it is you.

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5. UK AND KENYA: I am scheduled to be in the UK from September 18-September 27 and then in Kenya from September 29-October 4.  If you can use my services while I am there to speak, consult or conduct a purpose seminar for your company or church, please let me know as soon as possible.

Comments

[Paul]

Dr John: You have posed a great question in your comments about Jesus retreating to possibly restore his ministry confidence.

I immediately gave some thought of what it would be like to go to a party and to give a well thought out,sacrificial, gift only to have it scoffed at or put aside as nothing. The humiliation that one would feel at the snub would make me, at least, want to immediately leave and never return. It would also hurt immeasureably. Do you think it hurt him (Jesus) when he was snubbed or scoffed at? I do. It would only make sense to me to immediately leave to find comfort and acceptance wherever he could. I think this plagues ministers daily and some, eventually, are overcome and retreat too far to return.

Thank God he didn't. Thank God he found comfort, strength, solace, and whatever he needed to finish the race.

Thanks for a great thought provoking question

Your friend,

Paul