May 11 - 27 New Testament

Lots goes on in the past couple of weeks worth of reading for John. We go all the way from John 6:43 - 16:33 pretty powerful first day where Jesus tells the people of Capernaum "I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. Yes, I am the bread of life! Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh." Everyone was confused and couldn't understand. His disciples start complaining and Jesus is aware they don't understand.
Jesus said to his disciples "Does this offend you? Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend into heaven again? The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life."
Jesus travels around some more speaking in parables and teaching his disciples. The bible says that on the last day of a festival Jesus stands and shouts to the crowds, "Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.'" (When he said "living water," he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)
The Pharisees continue to be critical and Jesus continues to speak and some believe he is the Messiah others rat him out and claim he speaks blasphemy and others just think he's nuts.
Jesus spoke to the people again "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life."
Later Jesus tells the people he is going away and where he's going they can't follow. They're wondering if he's going to commit suicide. "You are from below; I am from above. You belong to this world; I do not. that is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I Am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins."
"When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I Am he."
He continues to point out flaws in what the people are saying and tell them "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. so if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill me because there's no room in you hearts for my message. I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father."
"Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of god. But you don't listen because you don't belong to God." Ya that statement fired the people up saying Jesus is a devil and possessed by a demon.
Jesus does incredible miracles but the people still don't believe he is the Messiah. He heals a blind man who has been blind his entire life. His disciples ask "why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents' sins?"
"It was not because of his sins or his parent's sins," Jesus answered. "This happened so the power of God could be seen in him." This is just like Exodus where God saved the Hebrews from Egypt. God wanted to show His power. Yet they refuse to believe Jesus was the Messiah. The Pharisees hear about this healing and investigate. The parents of they guy healed are afraid to say Jesus is the Messiah they tell them to talk to their son. The sons answer is classic......
For the second time the Pharisees called in the man who had been blind and told him, "God should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner."
The blind man replies "I don't know whether he is a sinner, But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!" It's the same when you come to Christ. Until I actually realized he is our connection to God and died for our sins I was blind....now I can see!
Jesus gave his life for us. He says in John 10:18 "No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my father has commanded." That's pretty awesome!
Jesus''s friend Lazarus lives in Bethany and becomes sick. Jesus heard about it and said, "Lazarus's sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this." Jesus stayed where he was for two more days. Martha and Mary, Lazarus's sisters, wished he was in Bethany so he could heal Lazarus like he had done so many others. But this was going to be a much bigger miracle. Jesus goes the Bethany and tells Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this Martha?"
"Yes, lord," she said. "I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God."
Jesus has people roll the stone back from Lazarus's tomb and shouts "Lazarus, come out!" And he did, hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Many of the people who were there believe in Jesus when they saw this happen. Some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.
Jesus continues on teaching and heads to Jerusalem. The people shouted,
"Praise god! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hail to the King of Israel!"
Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said:
"Don't be afraid, people of Jerusalem. Look, your King is coming riding on a donkey's colt." His disciples didn't understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy.
Jesus says "Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. but its death will produce many new kernels-plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity."
"Now my souled is deeply troubled Should I pray, 'Father, save me from this hour? But this is the very reason I came! Father, bring glory to your name."
then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, "I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again." When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him.
Jesus told the crowd, "The voice was for your benefit, not mine. The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself."
Jesus and his disciples gather for the last supper. Jesus gets up from the table, takes off his robe and wrapped a towel around his waist and begins to wash the disciples feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.
After washing their feet, he put on his robe and sat down and asked, "Do you understand what I was doing? You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord," and you are right, because that's what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other's feet. I have given you an example to follow. do as I have done to you."
Jesus breaks bread and Satan enters Judas Iscariot. Jesus tells Judas "Hurry and do what you're going to do." Judas leaves.
Jesus says "The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will soon give glory to the Son. Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can't come where I am going. So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved, you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."
"Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me." Jesus tells Thomas one of his disciples "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. Form now on, you do know him and have seen him!"
Things that make you go hhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Jesus goes on to say "If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you." So when Jesus died and rose to heaven the Holy Spirit was sent in his place! That hole you may feel in your heart.....I'll bet the puzzle piece that fits EXACTLY is the Holy Spirit which you can have by accepting Jesus into your heart.

Jesus's commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends.

Not a bad way to live I don't think!
We finish up today with John 16:1-33 "The worlds sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged..........At that time you won't need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven't done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.........I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world!"
You really should read the entire section I just tossed out some of the strong points:) I truly believe that my life is saved because Jesus gave his on the cross. Just like he says I have trials and sorrows but I also have peace in him and believe that if your struggling, searching for some sort of answer you can have peace in the truth too..........That's the way I see it.:)