October 24, 2012

The Blind Man’s Lesson for the Pharisees (10/24)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from John 9:1-10:21.

When Jesus healed a blind beggar, the Pharisees became upset because this was done on the Sabbath (they had a faulty notion that Jesus’ actions here violated the Sabbath law when they did not). So the man who was healed was brought before the Pharisees to answer for what had happened. After this they interviewed the man’s parents. Then they brought the formerly blind man back before them. During this second interrogation, this man taught the Pharisees of some important facts and showed them why they should believe in Christ.

“They reviled him and said, ‘You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where He is from.’

“The man answered and said to them, ‘Well, here is an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him. Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.’

“They answered him, ‘You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?’ So they put him out” (John 9:28-34).

Continue Reading

Filed Under: SERIES: Daily Notes & Observations Tagged With: , ,
October 20, 2012

What Other People Say and What You Say (10/20)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Matthew 16; Mark 8; Luke 9:18-27.

Immediately before promising to build His church, Jesus taught His disciples an important lesson about what to believe.

“Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven’” (Matthew 16:13-17).

It was helpful to recognize what others were saying about Jesus. Many people had misconceptions about Him, just as many people do today. But while it was important to be aware of this, the goal of Jesus’ instruction was not merely to point out the erroneous views that His disciples might encounter. It was also vitally important that the disciples themselves believed the truth about Jesus.
Continue Reading

Filed Under: SERIES: Daily Notes & Observations Tagged With: ,
October 18, 2012

The Faith to Move Mountains

Mountain fog

The gospels record many occasions of Jesus casting out demons. On one such occasion, a man came requesting that Jesus heal his son of his demon possession (Matthew 17:14-15). What was interesting about this example was that this man first brought his son to Jesus’ disciples, but “they could not cure him” (Matthew 17:16). But when Jesus told this father to bring his son, Jesus immediately cast out the demon and cured the boy (Matthew 17:17-18).

Afterward, the disciples asked Jesus why they had been unable to cast out the demon. His answer provides an important lesson for us about faith.

“Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, ‘Why could we not drive it out?’ And He said to them, ‘Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting’” (Matthew 17:19-21).

Let us notice what Jesus was teaching His disciples about faith and how it applies to our lives today.
Continue Reading

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: ,
October 16, 2012

Confessing Christ (10/16)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Matthew 9-10.

“Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33).

Jesus teaches here that it is absolutely essential for His followers to be willing to confess Him before others. But what type of confession is He referring to in these verses?

This passage is sometimes cited to show that confession precedes baptism as a requirement for salvation. It is certainly true that one must confess his faith in order to be saved (Romans 10:9-10) and that this confession comes before one’s baptism into Christ (Acts 8:36-37). But this is not the type of confession that Jesus is talking about here.
Continue Reading

Filed Under: SERIES: Daily Notes & Observations Tagged With: ,
October 11, 2012

The Centurion’s Great Faith (10/11)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Matthew 8:1-13; Luke 7.

When Jesus was informed of a centurion’s servant who was near death, He headed to the man’s house. But before He arrived, the centurion sent a message to Him. His message to Jesus proved to be a great expression of faith.

“Now Jesus started on His way with them; and when He was not far away from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, ‘Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof; for this reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man placed under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, “Go!” and he goes, and to another, “Come!” and he comes, and to my slave, “Do this!” and he does it.’ Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, ‘I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith’” (Luke 7:6-9).

Notice some characteristics of the centurions “great faith“:
Continue Reading

Filed Under: SERIES: Daily Notes & Observations Tagged With: , , ,
October 8, 2012

"The One Who Accuses You Is Moses" (10/8)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from John 5.

Despite the evidence that was being presented to prove that Jesus was the promised Messiah, many of the Jews rejected Him. So Jesus, rather than accusing them Himself of rejecting the Christ, used those things which had been written by Moses.

“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. 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?” (John 5:45-47).

Moses was held in high regard by the Jews because he was the one who delivered the law from God. So Jesus used their regard for Moses to try to make them think. They rejected Jesus but claimed to accept Moses. But Jesus said, “If you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me.”
Continue Reading

Filed Under: SERIES: Daily Notes & Observations Tagged With: , ,
October 6, 2012

"We Have Heard for Ourselves and Know" (10/6)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from John 2-4.

When Jesus stopped at a well in Samaria and spoke with the woman who came to draw water, it triggered a spiritual awakening in that city.

“From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, ‘He told me all the things that I have done.’ So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. Many more believed because of His word; and they were saying to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world’” (John 4:39-42).

At first, the woman who spoke with Jesus told the men of the city about the conversation she had with Him: “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?” (John 4:29). Many of the Samaritans believed in Christ because of her testimony.
Continue Reading

Filed Under: SERIES: Daily Notes & Observations Tagged With: , ,