Friday, October 31, 2003
Fri Oct 31 - John 7:33-9:41
On Chapter 8, Matthew Henry wrote, "In this chapter we have,
I. Christ's evading the snare which the Jews laid for him, in bringing to him a woman taken in adultery, ver. 1-11.
II. Divers discourses or conferences of his with the Jews that cavilled at him, and sought occasion against him, and made every thing he said a matter of controversy.
1. Concerning his being the light of the world, ver. 12-20.
2. Concerning the ruin of the unbelieving Jews, ver. 21-30.
3. Concerning liberty and bondage, ver. 31-37.
4. Concerning his Father and their father, ver. 38-47.
5. Here is his discourse in answer to their blasphemous reproaches, ver. 48-50.
6. Concerning the immortality of believers, ver. 51-59. And in all this he endured the contradiction of sinners against himself."
Clarke wrote: "It is allowed that adultery was exceedingly common at this time, so common that they had ceased to put the law in force against it. The waters of jealousy were no longer drunk, the culprits or those suspected of this crime, being so very numerous; and the men who were guilty themselves dared not try their suspected wives, as it was believed the waters would have no evil effect upon the wife, if the husband himself had been criminal...." (More from Clarke's Commentary)
Comments-[ comments.]
On Chapter 8, Matthew Henry wrote, "In this chapter we have,
I. Christ's evading the snare which the Jews laid for him, in bringing to him a woman taken in adultery, ver. 1-11.
II. Divers discourses or conferences of his with the Jews that cavilled at him, and sought occasion against him, and made every thing he said a matter of controversy.
1. Concerning his being the light of the world, ver. 12-20.
2. Concerning the ruin of the unbelieving Jews, ver. 21-30.
3. Concerning liberty and bondage, ver. 31-37.
4. Concerning his Father and their father, ver. 38-47.
5. Here is his discourse in answer to their blasphemous reproaches, ver. 48-50.
6. Concerning the immortality of believers, ver. 51-59. And in all this he endured the contradiction of sinners against himself."
Clarke wrote: "It is allowed that adultery was exceedingly common at this time, so common that they had ceased to put the law in force against it. The waters of jealousy were no longer drunk, the culprits or those suspected of this crime, being so very numerous; and the men who were guilty themselves dared not try their suspected wives, as it was believed the waters would have no evil effect upon the wife, if the husband himself had been criminal...." (More from Clarke's Commentary)
Thursday, October 30, 2003
Thu, Oct 30: John 6-7:32 - - Also see: Life & Times of Jesus
Firsthand accounts of Jesus included memories of his doing impossible things. He could heal sick people. He could feed 5,000 men with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. He could walk on water without sinking. How much can you trust a person who does the impossible?
Many people - intrigued, entertained, and fed - came to Jesus for the wrong reasons. He demonstrated God's power, then challenged people to stop judging by appearance and to start seeking deeper meanings. "How can we work the works of God?" they asked. "The work of God is this," he said, "to believe in the one He has sent." It's more important to get what Jesus says than to understand, say, Einstein's theory of relativity.
Back in Jeremiah we read about God's plan for a new covenant. God said, "I will overthrow what I have built and uproot what I have planted throughout the land." (Jer 45:4b) And as Jesus began establishing the new covenant, he became controversial. Did the religious leaders think God would ask for their input, their agreement, their understanding for the new covenant? Jesus taught. They grumbled. They argued. They were offended. They hated him. His brothers misunderstood. The crowd whispered. Where would this all lead?
Possible memory verse (John 7:18) -
"He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him."
Comments-[ comments.]
Firsthand accounts of Jesus included memories of his doing impossible things. He could heal sick people. He could feed 5,000 men with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. He could walk on water without sinking. How much can you trust a person who does the impossible?
Many people - intrigued, entertained, and fed - came to Jesus for the wrong reasons. He demonstrated God's power, then challenged people to stop judging by appearance and to start seeking deeper meanings. "How can we work the works of God?" they asked. "The work of God is this," he said, "to believe in the one He has sent." It's more important to get what Jesus says than to understand, say, Einstein's theory of relativity.
Back in Jeremiah we read about God's plan for a new covenant. God said, "I will overthrow what I have built and uproot what I have planted throughout the land." (Jer 45:4b) And as Jesus began establishing the new covenant, he became controversial. Did the religious leaders think God would ask for their input, their agreement, their understanding for the new covenant? Jesus taught. They grumbled. They argued. They were offended. They hated him. His brothers misunderstood. The crowd whispered. Where would this all lead?
Possible memory verse (John 7:18) -
"He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him."
Wednesday, October 29, 2003
Wed, Oct 29 reading: John 4-5
B. W. Johnson's Commentary on John for Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 explains step-by-step and verse-by-verse why Jesus left Judea, stopped a few days in Samaria, and continued on to Galilee. By the time Jesus reached Jerusalem (Chapter 5), he was well known among the people for things he had said and done. Many people acknowledged that Jesus could heal the sick, whether they believed all he said or not.
But in Jerusalem, some Jewish leaders were so offended by Jesus healing a man on the Sabbath that they ignored the healing and focused upon the Law and traditions. After all, they weren't sick. Except for a few like Nicodemus, they couldn't see what he could do for them. They thought Jesus was breaking the Law, must not be believed, and must be stopped. Jesus spoke with such authority, and even claimed that God was his Father, showing him what work to do. This infuriated some of the Jewish leaders all the more.
"Who is this man?" they thought. "What is truth?" one would eventually ask. The conflict intensified over what was true and what to believe about Jesus.
Who knew and was telling the truth - Jesus or the religious leaders?
Comments-[ comments.]
B. W. Johnson's Commentary on John for Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 explains step-by-step and verse-by-verse why Jesus left Judea, stopped a few days in Samaria, and continued on to Galilee. By the time Jesus reached Jerusalem (Chapter 5), he was well known among the people for things he had said and done. Many people acknowledged that Jesus could heal the sick, whether they believed all he said or not.
But in Jerusalem, some Jewish leaders were so offended by Jesus healing a man on the Sabbath that they ignored the healing and focused upon the Law and traditions. After all, they weren't sick. Except for a few like Nicodemus, they couldn't see what he could do for them. They thought Jesus was breaking the Law, must not be believed, and must be stopped. Jesus spoke with such authority, and even claimed that God was his Father, showing him what work to do. This infuriated some of the Jewish leaders all the more.
"Who is this man?" they thought. "What is truth?" one would eventually ask. The conflict intensified over what was true and what to believe about Jesus.
Who knew and was telling the truth - Jesus or the religious leaders?
Tuesday, October 28, 2003
Tue, Oct 28 reading: John 1-3
"We are at the outset of a story that will reveal to us the most profound mysteries of life. This story is simply about God, the glory of his character, the nature of his life and his desire to share that life with his creatures. It is about God come amongst us and the mixed response he received to his offer of divine life."
More from the Bible Gateway Commentary of JOHN
Other resources on John:
Worldwide Study Bible
Daily Bible Study (quiz yourself)
Comments-[ comments.]
"We are at the outset of a story that will reveal to us the most profound mysteries of life. This story is simply about God, the glory of his character, the nature of his life and his desire to share that life with his creatures. It is about God come amongst us and the mixed response he received to his offer of divine life."
More from the Bible Gateway Commentary of JOHN
Other resources on John:
Worldwide Study Bible
Daily Bible Study (quiz yourself)
Monday, October 27, 2003
Mon, Oct 27: Jeremiah 51:27-52:34
"This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says,
'The Daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor at the time it is trampled; the time to harvest her will soon come.'"
(Jer 51:33)
Stamps' "The Full Life Study Bible" comment:
"Time to harvest her will soon come. Babylon had sown seeds of cruelty, idolatry, and immorality; now she would reap the harvest of God's judgment. We must remember that sins are seeds from which a large and terrible harvest will eventually spring. "Do not be deceived; God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." (Gal 6:7)"
Comments-[ comments.]
"This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says,
'The Daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor at the time it is trampled; the time to harvest her will soon come.'"
(Jer 51:33)
Stamps' "The Full Life Study Bible" comment:
"Time to harvest her will soon come. Babylon had sown seeds of cruelty, idolatry, and immorality; now she would reap the harvest of God's judgment. We must remember that sins are seeds from which a large and terrible harvest will eventually spring. "Do not be deceived; God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." (Gal 6:7)"
Sunday, October 26, 2003
Jeremiah 50:5, from Clarke's Commentary on the Bible -
"Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord. - Religion is a social principle, and begets a social feeling in the soul. No man who feels his own sore, and the plague of his heart, wishes to venture alone in the way to heaven. He feels he wants counsel, support, comfort and the company of those who will watch over him in love. Like David, the true penitent is a companion of all those who fear the Lord. These heavenly feelings come from one and the same Spirit, and lead to the same end; hence they say, 'Let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant.'
"It is said, that to be undecided, is to be decided. They who are not determined to go to heaven, will never reach it. If the heart be not laid under obligation, it will do nothing. "I hope I am in earnest; I trust I shall be in earnest about the salvation of my soul, it is very proper I should be so;" and such like, show an irresolute soul. Such persons are ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Let us therefore bind ourselves. We have trifled too long; been indecisive too long; have halted too long between two opinions. We know now that Jehovah is God; let us, therefore, enter into a covenant with him. Let this covenant be a perpetual one: let us not make it for a day, for any particular time, but for ever; and let it never be broken. Let our part be kept inviolable: we ARE and WILL BE thy people; and God's part will never fail, I AM and WILL BE your God.
The covenant requires a sacrifice. - Hence tyrb berith signifies both.
Christ crucified is the great covenant sacrifice. By him God becomes united to us, and through him we become united to God."
About Israel, God says: "For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken by their God, the LORD Almighty, though their land is full of guilt before the Holy One of Israel."
Jer 51:5
Saturday, October 25, 2003
* Jeremiah:
Commentaries and quiz yourself
* John:
Commentaries and quiz yourself
Sat, Oct 25: Jeremiah 47-49
Sun, Oct 26: Jeremiah 50-51:26
Mon, Oct 27: Jeremiah 51:27-52:34
Tue, Oct 28: John 1-3
Wed, Oct 29: John 4-5
Thu, Oct 30: John 6-7:32
Fri, Oct 31: John 7:33-9:41
Sat, Nov 1: John 10-11
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