Pastor Billington's Blog

John 11

This raising of Lazarus is an illustration for John 9:1-3. God does things in His own time, in His own way, and for His own purposes and glory! That’s why He waits…

“As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘This man didn’t sin, nor did his parents, but that the works of God might be revealed in him.’ “

Jesus is the light, and He reveals spiritual truth to His disciples. His disciples, however, are a little dense (12), so Jesus clarifies what He means. Martha is in pain and lashes out, even though she has faith in Jesus (21-22). Jesus tells her that Lazarus will live again, and she thinks that He is talking about a future resurrection:

Isaiah 26:19 (WEB) “Your dead shall live. Their dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust; for your dew is like the dew of herbs, and the earth will cast out the departed spirits.”

But Jesus is talking about now! This is the 5th “I am” statement, and Jesus identifies Himself as “the resurrection and the life” (25). He reminds us that, for believers:

• Death isn’t something to be feared (1 Corinthians 15:55)
• Death is an illusion (Psalm 23:4)
• Death can only destroy the body (Matthew 10:28)
• Death is a gain (Philippians 1:21)

Right before He calls Lazarus out of the tomb, Jesus weeps. This is often considered to be one of the most comforting verses of the Bible. But why does He weep? I believe that He weeps because of the sin that brings death. He weeps because of people’s refusal to believe in God’s promises. He weeps because people are so tied to this world. He weeps for a nation that refuses to accept their Messiah. He weeps because people refuse to believe in the one who is the resurrection and the life.

The religious leadership wasn’t too upset about Roman governance. They had the ability to worship freely and take care of many of their own matters. One of the only things that they couldn’t do is impose the death penalty. They didn’t want someone upsetting the balance, and they worried that a popular figure who could do miracles would be proclaimed the Messiah. Since the leadership and the people were thinking in terms of a political and military leader, the leadership was afraid that Rome would see a Messiah as the precursor to a rebellion and impose significant restrictions on the Jewish people. They conclude that the best thing would be to have Jesus put to death. The high priest makes such a remark, not realizing that the Holy Spirit was using him to utter a profound theological truth: “You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is advantageous for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.”

Thought for the day: Thankfully, Jesus is going to go to Jerusalem for the Passover. He has a mission to fulfill. The time has come!

Hebrews 2:14-15 (WEB) “Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in the same way partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might deliver all of them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”

John 10

Here are the 3rd and 4th “I am” statements in the gospel of John. Jesus is “the bread of life” (6:35), “the light of the world” (8:12), “the door of the sheep” (10:7), and “the good shepherd” (10:11). Not only do the statements remind us of Jesus’ deity, but they also tell us something about His nature and the nature of salvation. Being the door (1) means that He is the only way to be saved. He is also the shepherd (2), and as the shepherd He is the only one who can bring the sheep in and out, because the sheep recognize His voice (3). As the good shepherd (11), He lays down His life for the sheep. He does it willingly (15, 17), yet He is also able to take it back again (18). What a reference to the resurrection! Of course they don’t understand (6), nor do they understand that He is doing this not just for Israel, but for everyone (16). He is the savior of all!

Is there also a reference to the perseverance of the saints here? “They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him; for they don’t know the voice of strangers” (5)? Perhaps John sheds some light on this in another place:

1 John 2:19 (WEB) “They went out from us, but they didn’t belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have continued with us. But they left, that they might be revealed that none of them belong to us.”

Generally speaking, those who believe in Christ will follow Christ. We may have times when we “backslide” and seem to be pulling away, but we’ll come back. The Holy Spirit won’t let us get too far away!

The “Festival of Dedication” is also the “Festival of Lights” or “Hanukkah.” It commemorates the re-dedication of the Jewish temple in 164 B.C. after its desecration by Antiochus Epiphanes. While there for the feast Jesus is confronted by the Jewish leadership. They want to know plainly if He is the Messiah. He doesn’t answer directly, but points to the works that He does and says that His followers will recognize Him by those works. They are His sheep, and they will follow Him forever because the Father gives them to Him. He then says that He and the Father are one, and the leadership wants to stone Him because He is claiming to be God!

Jesus doesn’t actually deny it, but points to a flaw in their logic. If human rulers can be called “gods” in Psalm 82:6, why couldn’t He? In truth, the designation is even more appropriate with Him. And He continues to do things that point to Him as God’s representative, as well as the Messiah, and as God Himself! They try to seize Him again, but He escapes and goes back to where it all began. It is here that we see how our ministries mimic John the Baptist. Although we don’t do the miracles that Jesus did, we can still point people to the Messiah. Then, when the Spirit does a miraculous work in their lives, they believe too!

Thought for the day: Aren’t you glad that, when we’re His, we’re His?!?!

1 Peter 1:3-5 (WEB) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that doesn’t fade away, reserved in Heaven for you, who by the power of God are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

John 9

Apparently, the disciples were of the mindset that if something bad happened to you it was your fault! While that can be true, it’s not always true. Sometimes bad things happen and it’s so God can use them to do a work in our lives. Perhaps it’s a work of maturity (Romans 5:2-4), perhaps it’s a work of empathy (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) or perhaps it’s a way to display His glory, as it is here.

Whenever we encounter someone who has a problem we can respond in one of three ways: we can revile, we can reflect (as the disciples initially do), or we can respond.

Jesus responds to the blind man’s need with love, and reveals in a very real way that He is the light of the world! He also reveals that He is creator and God. Just as God formed man out of the dust of the earth, so Jesus takes mud and gives a man back His eyesight. But Jesus wants the man to display faith and obedience, so He has him go and wash His eyes, and it’s then that He gets His sight back (reminiscent of 2 Kings 5:1-14). The people are amazed! They drag Him before the Pharisees because it’s the Sabbath, and the Pharisees end up arguing among themselves. Some think Jesus has to be a sinner. Some think He can’t be to do such a sign, so they end up asking the man. The man, perhaps simply because of the miracle, or perhaps because of the similarity to what Elisha did in the Old Testament, calls Jesus a prophet.

Although his parents are fearful of the religious leadership, the man born blind was much more forceful and antagonistic, probably because he could now see! In fact, He throws some of the leaderships assumptions about Jesus back in their faces, and has some Biblical support to do so:

Psalm 66:18 (WEB) “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.”

Proverbs 15:29 (WEB) “The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.”

The leadership is so upset that they apparently excommunicate the man, which is just what his parents were afraid of (34, 22).

Jesus then comes to the man, reveals Himself as the Son of Man (which is Messianic), and the man worships Him. Jesus then says two of the most profound statements in Scripture. He first says: “I came into this world for judgment, that those who don’t see may see; and that those who see may become blind.” The Pharisees, perhaps suspecting that Jesus is talking about them, ask, “Are we also blind?” Jesus responds by saying: “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.”

They were satisfied that their darkness was light, so they were guilty. If they could admit that they were in spiritual darkness, then their guilt would be removed and they would see!

Thought for the day: Chances are you will be confronted with a situation today where you can choose to revile (like the Pharisees), reflect (like the disciples), or respond (like Jesus). What will you choose to do?

Matthew 9:36 (WEB) “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.”

John 8

Should 7:53-8:11 be here? Consider these facts:

• It’s in about 1500 manuscripts.
• It’s also in 500 lectionary texts (daily reading manuscripts in the early church).
• It’s missing in 269 manuscripts, sometimes because they were copied off an earlier manuscript that omitted it.
• Augustine though that it was “omitted because of the prudish fear that it would encourage adultery.”
• Jerome (347-420) said, “in the Gospel according to John in many manuscripts, both Greek and Latin, is found the story.”
• Eusebius (an early historian) mentions that Papias (ca 100) seems to reference the story.

Some believe that the gospel reads better if this passage is omitted, but this is how it fits:

• 7:37 – It’s the last day of the feast
• 7:53 – “Everyone went to his own house”
• 8:1 – Jesus stays in Jerusalem
• 8:2 – Jesus goes back to the temple to teach
• 8:2 – It’s very early in the morning
• 8:3 – The woman is brought into outer court
• 8:11 – The woman leaves temple going east (into the sunrise)
• 8:12 – Jesus says “I am the light of the world…”
• 8:12 – The text says Jesus spoke to them “again”!

The main point of the passage is that grace and forgiveness are a priority! How does Jesus get the crowd to realize this? He says, “he who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her,” and writes something on the ground. What does He write? Twelve manuscripts read, “the sins of each one of them.” Others think that He may have written a Scripture passage on the ground, like:

Exodus 23:1 (WEB) “You shall not spread a false report. Don’t join your hand with the wicked to be a malicious witness.”

Exodus 23:7 (WEB) “Keep far from a false charge, and don’t kill the innocent and righteous; for I will not justify the wicked.”

But, perhaps most likely, He is just scribbling in the sand to take up some time and to give His words time to sink in.

The rest of our chapter reminds us that personal belief is what saves. Your lineage, history, and heritage can give you some advantages, but it can’t save.

Jesus starts out by saying that He is the light of the world and He brings life and illumination (12). The Pharisees call Him a liar, and Jesus points out that they don’t even know Him, so they aren’t really in a position to judge Him (13-15)! Jesus says that His testimony is supported by the Father, and that the Father testifies of Him. Unfortunately, they don’t have any idea who the Father is (16-20), and they will die in their sins because they don’t believe in Jesus (21-24).

Jesus, however, knows the Father, because the Father is with Him. He does exactly what the Father wants and says what the Father says. His crucifixion will prove it, probably because of the resurrection that follows (25-30)!

Jesus continues by saying that His teaching will set them free if only they will believe. It’s not enough to be descendants of Abraham – they need to be set free from sin. They are really doing the deeds of their true father, the devil! If they truly were spiritual descendants of Abraham they would follow His teaching and believe in Him. In that way they would show that they belong to God and would never see death (31-51). The Pharisees think that He must be possessed. Everyone dies, even Abraham! Jesus says that Abraham saw His day coming and was glad. How could that be possible? Because Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise given to Abraham, the embodiment of the hope that God gave to Israel, and is God Himself (52-59). He is “I AM!”

Thought for the day: If Jesus took a moment to scribble so that others could think about what He said, we should certainly take a moment each day to dwell on His words to us.

2 Timothy 2:7 (WEB) “Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.”

John 7

Some find a moral conundrum in this passage. How could Jesus say definitively that He wasn’t going, then turn around and go? Well, there is a variant reading that may shed some light on the passage. The vast majority of manuscripts say, “I am not yet going” (7:8). I believe that properly summarizes the intent here. Jesus is saying, “You can go up the feast now because no-one is trying to kill you. I’m not going up yet. I’ll come later.” The fact that His brothers didn’t believe in Him (7:5) explains the tone of their comments. They are trying to goad Him into going to the feast!

When Jesus does go, He teaches in the temple courts. The Jewish leaders are astonished at Him because He hasn’t had any formal teaching. Jesus points out that He’s merely teaching about God and seeking God’s glory, which they would understand if they really knew God! And if they truly knew God, they wouldn’t want to kill Him! Either they deny it or the crowd doesn’t fully understand, so Jesus explains Himself. It goes back to His healing of a man on the Sabbath. The religious authorities are willing to break the Sabbath command in order for a child to be circumcised, so how can anyone be upset when Jesus makes a man well? They don’t understand because they are judging superficially, without taking into account why Jesus did what He did when He did it.

Jesus continues to teach about His relationship with God, about His upcoming ascension into heaven, and about the future ministry of the Spirit. Some are amazed and are ready to accept Him as the Messiah, but many more are confused. They misunderstand Jesus’ own lineage and birth, and they have a different idea about the origins of the Messiah. In the midst of all the confusion Jesus manages to stay free, perhaps with some supernatural help, but certainly because the soldiers themselves are amazed at His teaching. Nicodemus attempts to defend Jesus to his contemporaries but is ridiculed by them.

This all happens during the Feast of Tabernacles/Booths. This is a seven-day feast that celebrated the fact that God led the Israelites for 40 years during their wilderness wanderings, where He sustained them with mana, quail, and water while they lived in tents. There was a tradition that, during the time of Jesus’ ministry, a golden container of water was carried from the pool of Siloam in the south side of the city up to the temple mount in the north. As the procession came into the inner court, three trumpet blasts rang out to mark the joy of the occasion and people recited a specific scripture passage:

Isaiah 12:2-3 (WEB) “Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust, and will not be afraid; for Yah, Yahweh, is my strength and song; and he has become my salvation. Therefore with joy you will draw water out of the wells of salvation.”

Thought for the day: Think of this context combined with Jesus words and be in awe!

John 7:37-38 (WEB) “Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.’ ”

John 6

Because of John’s repeated mention of the Passover, we understand that Jesus’ ministry lasted a few years rather than a few months (6:4). John also emphasizes Jesus’ foreknowledge and understanding (6:6). When Jesus asks a question there is a specific reason, and much of the time it is actually a test.

We have a verification here of what was mentioned yesterday. People really are looking for a prophet like Moses, as was foretold in the Old Testament (6:14).

What is neat here is that Jesus literally says, “I am. Do not be afraid.” This is a reference to His deity, because the expression is used by God to describe Himself:

Exodus 3:14 (WEB) “God said to Moses, ’I AM who I AM.”’

When we are at our worst; when we are the most fearful; when we are facing difficult circumstances; we need to remember that God is watching over us and we don’t need to be afraid anymore (6:20). He brings us safely to shore (6:21).

We see the people continuing to “stalk” Jesus (22-24)! This reminds us of why He doesn’t always want His ministry broadcast. Sometimes He needs rest. Sometimes He has to be somewhere else. Sometimes He is avoiding the Jewish leadership. He always has a reason and a plan for what He does, even when we don’t always understand.

Jesus accuses the crowd of coming to find Him simply because they were fed! It brings up an interesting point. We understand that He did a miracle with the loaves and the fish, but how many outside of the circle of disciples would know? Jesus encourages them to not just look for literal food, but spiritual food: the food that only He can provide. They want Him to be the prophet like Moses, and to perform a miraculous sign like the manna. Were they looking for daily feeding, or for something more spectacular than loaves and fish? Either way, Jesus cautions them that it was God who actually did the miracle, and He was currently doing another one in their midst. They just need to believe that Jesus is the bread of life!

This is the first of the official “I am” metaphors in the book of John. Not only is Jesus claiming deity here, but He is sharing with them that He is the giver of eternal life. They need to believe in Him (eat of His flesh), because He is going to give His body on the cross for the sake of mankind. If they believe it’s because the Father brings them through the Spirit, and Jesus will accept them because that is the Fathers will. Once they are accepted they will be His for eternity and will participate in the bodily resurrection at the end of the age!

Some of the crowd find this hard to understand. They take his metaphor literally, and don’t understand that He is foreshadowing His death on the cross. They quit following Him at this point, but the disciples understand that Jesus has “the words of eternal life.” However, there is one among the 12 who does not believe. John makes sure to record Jesus comments about Judas here to again emphasize that Jesus knows and understands all things, and that what was foretold in the OT must take place.

Thought for the day: There are four statements here that remind us that once we know Jesus, we’re His forever!

John 6:37 (WEB) “He who comes to me I will in no way throw out.”

John 6:39 (WEB) “all he has given to me I should lose nothing”

John 6:47 (WEB) “Most certainly, I tell you, he who believes in me has eternal life.”

John 6:58 (WEB) “He who eats this bread will live forever.”

John 5

Isn’t it interesting that this man doesn’t come to Jesus for healing? He doesn’t even know who Jesus is! What a perfect example of grace. The man wants to be healed, and apparently believes that when the water is stirred it’s an indication that the first one in will be cured (this is made even more explicit in 5:4, which some newer translations don’t include). The fact that Jesus chooses him out of all those waiting is another indication of grace, and the fact that he has been disabled for 38 years speaks to the magnitude of the healing. No water or angel is necessary. Jesus just commands that he take us his bed and walk, so he does!

Now, since work was prohibited on the Sabbath day, the religious authorities had come up with specific definitions of what work was, and had 39 different categories of work. Carrying something from one place to another was one of them. The Jewish leadership doesn’t care about the circumstances. They just care about the appearance and the action. In truth, by carrying his bed the healed man was engaging in an act of worship and obedience! Rather than rejoice that the man was healed, the authorities want to learn who had the temerity to tell him to carry his mat! The man can’t even tell them that.

Jesus comes to him in the temple and gives him a warning. It’s not necessary to believe that the man had sinned before and caused his own suffering. It’s quite possible that Jesus is just making sure that the man understands that even worse things could happen to him if he isn’t willing to obey. We often look at God’s commands as His way of keeping us from having any fun. In reality they are there to keep us out of trouble!

Once the man can point Jesus out to the religious leadership, he does. We might think that’s not a great way to show his gratitude, but I don’t think the man has any concept of why it’s a problem. He simply knows that Jesus healed him, and that he can now point out his Savior to others!

Jesus is always a stumbling block (1 Corinthians 1:23). In our chapter it starts because of what He does, but soon becomes worse because of the testimony of who He is. Some Jewish authorities thought that God’s rest on the Sabbath was absolute and continual. Jesus points out that God continues to work, and that He is joining God in that work. He obeys the Father and does His will, but He also claims authority and equality with the Father. The Son has the ability to judge, to grant life, and to raise the dead, both literally and figuratively. Figuratively, those who are willing to listen and believe obtain eternal life. But there is also a literal and real physical resurrection that will happen for those who believe and follow, and doing what is good comes naturally for those who believe.

Ephesians 2:10 (WEB) “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.”

The religious leadership won’t believe because they refuse to accept both the testimony of John the Baptist and the Scriptures themselves! The law reveals that we are sinners. The sacrificial system points to our need for a Savior. The prophets predict the coming Messiah. All of Scripture points to Jesus, but they refuse to believe, so they stand condemned.

Thought for the day: Moses even pointed in a very specific way to the coming of Jesus, and to the need to believe Him!

Deuteronomy 18:15 (WEB) “The LORD your God will raise up to you a prophet from amongst you, of your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him.”

John 4

There is a lot to unpack here, but I’ll try to be brief (and some are saying, “That’ll be a first!):

• This is a significant place in Jewish history. This land was not only owned by Jacob, it was given to Joseph and he was buried there (Joshua 24:32).
• That Jesus is willing to talk to a Samaritan woman tells us something about how we should be willing to reach out. He crossed barriers (27)!
• Jesus initiates a conversation so that he can share the gospel.
• We see the issue of confusion again, like with Nicodemus. Jesus is talking about salvation when he talks about living water. The woman thinks that He is talking about moving water!
• Jesus shares that salvation is a gift that can only come through Him (14).
• Jesus wants her to understand who He is, so He asks her a question that leads to Him revealing His divine knowledge.
• The woman finally begins to think spiritually, and asks Him the most important question of the time: “Who is right about where the temple belongs and where we should worship? Jews or Samaritans?”
• Jesus tells her that the Jews are right, since salvation is coming through them. But she is really asking the wrong question. It’s not where you should worship, but who you should worship!
• Worshiping in spirit and in truth is worshiping Jesus! The Spirit reveals Jesus, who is the truth. He is the Messiah!
• The woman runs to get others, seemingly not yet convinced. Perhaps she wants to find out what others think?
• Jesus reminds the disciples (and us) how important outreach is, and that it’s a group effort (36-38). We all have a part to play, and one isn’t more important than the other.

Although Jesus does perform His second miracle in this passage (39-54), there is also a continued emphasis on the importance of the Word over the miraculous. In John 2:23-24 we saw that many followed Jesus because of the signs, but that He did not “entrust Himself to them.” Here we read that He says, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will in no way believe.” That wasn’t intended as a compliment! And it comes on the heels of the Samaritans believing the word of the woman at the well and then believing “because of His word.” John seems to be preparing us for a new age, where the Spirit works more though the Word than the miraculous. Miracles can encourage true faith, but they are not the be all and end all of belief:

Luke 16:27-31 (WEB) “He said, ‘I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—that he may testify to them, so they won’t also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.’ ”

And Jesus’ ministry foreshadows the coming gospel mission. He starts with the Jews (which is emphasized by His meeting with Nicodemus), but also ministers to the Gentiles (by going to Samaria).

Thought for the day: Once again we are reminded that the gospel is not just for the Jews, but for everyone!

Acts 1:8 (WEB) “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”

John 3

The phrase so often translated as “born again” can also be translated “born from above.” Nicodemus obviously understands it one way, and Jesus accommodates his understanding, but also tries to get him to think more spiritually. To be born again is to be born from above, i.e. born of the Spirit. And to be born of the Spirit means to believe in Jesus Christ. He is the only way to have eternal life. And if you believe in Him you will change, because you are no longer in darkness: you are in the light!

There are various opinions as to when Jesus stops speaking in this passage. Is it after verse 12? Is it after verse 15? Or is it later in the passage? It’s an interesting question because Jesus may be revealing Himself as the Son of Man and giving Nicodemus some important information. I believe that Jesus probably stops speaking after verse 12, and that John is the one revealing the spiritual truth of how to be born from above to his readers. And that truth was actually foretold in the Old Testament:

Numbers 21:4-9 “They travelled from Mount Hor by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. The soul of the people was very discouraged because of the journey. The people spoke against God and against Moses: ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, there is no water, and our soul loathes this disgusting food!’ The LORD sent venomous snakes amongst the people, and they bit the people. Many people of Israel died. The people came to Moses, and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us.’ Moses prayed for the people. The LORD said to Moses, ‘Make a venomous snake, and set it on a pole. It shall happen that everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.’ Moses made a serpent of bronze, and set it on the pole. If a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked at the serpent of bronze, he lived.”

Either way, it’s quite an expose of Nicodemus’ lack of spiritual insight!

John’s joy comes from his ability to point to Jesus. Jesus is from heaven and can testify to more than earthly things. He speaks the Word of God, and He is the only one who has the Spirit without measure. He is our authority, and we need to believe in and follow Him!

Thought for the day: John’s words should echo in our lives as well:

John 3:31 (WEB) “He must increase, but I must decrease.”