CHRIST SAID IF I BE LIFTED UP

PROCLAMATION

 “Jesus answered and said, ‘This voice came not because of Me, but for your sakes … And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.’ ”  John 12:30-32 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, according to the Apostle John and were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this chapter John begins the recording of the events surrounding the last seven days in the earthly life and ministry of Jesus.  After He had raised Lazarus from the dead, the chief priests and the Pharisees came together plotted to kill Jesus and Lazarus. (John 12:9-11)  The next day He entered Jerusalem riding on a young donkey with the people shouting “Hosanna” as they placed palm tree branches on the road in front of Him. (John 12:12-18)  Many people wanted to meet Jesus and they approached His disciples with their requests.  When they told Jesus this, He replied to His disciples and predicted His own death. (John 12:20-26)  Jesus said, "Father, glorify Thy name."  And there was a loud voice from heaven which the people heard as thunder.  Then Jesus told the crowd how He was going to die and the results which would follow His death. (John 12:28-33)  He told them that He would be with them a little while longer, and that they should believe in Him and become children of the light but many of them did not believe. (John 12:34-37)  Then John quoted the prophet Isaiah who said that the people would not believe the message, and that their eyes had been blinded and their hearts hardened. (John 12:38-41)  Some people believed in Him but were afraid to openly acknowledge it. (John 12:42-43)  John ends the chapter by quoting Jesus who said that whoever believes in Him, believes in He who sent Him.  He said that He did not come to judge the world, He came to save it, but judgment day is coming for those who reject Him. (John 12:44-50)

 

APPLICATION

Jesus, The Christ, said: “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” (John 12:32)  Initially, the Roman soldiers lifted Him up.  The soldiers nailed Jesus to a cross while it was lying on the ground, and then they lifted Him up physically so that the cross stood upright.  Today, we can praise His name publicly and lift Him up figuratively.  If we lift Him up, He will draw the people unto Himself.  His death on the cross and His subsequent resurrection has been spread throughout the world through the preaching of the gospel and large numbers of people have come to believe in Him.  Those who believe will be saved, and those who reject Him will be lost. (John 12:44-48) As believers, we just have to do our part.  So, lift Him up, lift The Savior up.

CHRIST SHOWS HIS POWER OVER DEATH

PROCLAMATION

“… And Jesus lifted up His eyes, and said, ‘Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me … but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that Thou hast sent Me.’  And when He thus had spoken, He cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth.’  And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes; and his face was bound about with a napkin.  Jesus saith unto them, ‘Loose him, and let him go.’ Then many of the Jews … believed on Him.”  John 11:41-45 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, according to the Apostle John and were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this chapter John recorded the events around the seventh public miracle which Jesus, The Christ, performed, the raising of Lazarus from the dead.  Jesus got word that His good friend Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, was sick. (John 11:1-5)  However, Jesus did not go immediately to see about him.  He waited two days before beginning the journey back to Judea. (John 11:6-7)    When Jesus arrived there, Lazarus had already been dead for four days. (John 11:17)  Martha said to Jesus, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21)  Jesus told her that her brother would rise again, and she said he would rise again in the resurrection.  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:23-25)  After that they took Jesus to the place where Lazarus was buried.  He told them to take away the stone which sealed the entrance, and then He prayed. (John 11:41-42)  Then He called Lazarus from the grave and he came out wrapped in strips of linen from head to toe.  After this, the Pharisees again plotted to kill Him. (John 11:47-53)  Jesus withdrew to near the wilderness to the city of Ephraim.  It was near the time for the Jewish Passover festival and many people went to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover.  Many were looking for Jesus, but the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where He was should report it to them so they might arrest Him. (John 11:54-57) 

 

APPLICATION

The miracles which Jesus, The Christ, performed caused some people to believe that He was The Son of God as He said.  However, the miracles caused some people to hate Him even more. (John 11:43-50)  Even today, some people who hear and learn about Christ believe and love Him, while others refused to believe.  Once we have heard The Word of God, each of us must choose for ourselves where we stand with respect to belief in Jesus, The Christ.  If we believe in Him, then we will be saved; (John 3:16) and if we don’t, we won’t.

 

 

JESUS THE CHRIST IS THE GOOD SHEPHERD

PROCLAMATION

“I am The Good Shepherd;  The Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.”  “I am The Good Shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known of mine.”  John 10:11 and 14 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, according to the Apostle John and were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this chapter, John records the remainder of the conversation with the Scribes and the Pharisees which Jesus began in the previous chapter. (John 9:39-41)  They were upset that Jesus had implied that they were blind, and now He was referring to them as robbers and thieves. (John 10:1-5)  They did not understand the parable which He spoke so Jesus explained it to them. (John 10:6-10)  Then He said, “I am The Good Shepherd.  The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)  He said the hired hand will not die for the sheep; he will run away and abandon them in the face of trouble. (John 10:12-13)  Throughout this conversation, Jesus continued to refer to God as His Father. (John 10:15, and verses 17, 18, 25, 29, 30, 36, 37, and 38)  However, when He said, “I and The Father are one” they again picked up stones to stone Him. (John 10:30-33)  They tried to seize Him, but He escaped their grasp. (John 10:39)  Then He went back to the place where John had baptized Him and stayed there.  Many people came to see Him there, and many believed in Him. (John 10:40-42)

 

APPLICATION

We ought to really love The Lord.  He knows each of us by name. (John 10:3 and 14)  He also knows everything about each and every one of us intimately, and He still loves us.  He willingly laid down His life for us and paid the debt for our sins.  Some people have trouble believing in Him.  He causes division among the people, between the saved and the unsaved, between believers and non-believers.  He also causes division within each of the believers, between our sinful human nature and our Christian nature.  The devil has the ability to influence people and things, but The Lord God has the ultimate control over everything.  He has all power in heaven and earth. (Matthew 28:18)  He provides for us, He protects us, and He preserves us.  That is why we can say, “The Lord is my Shepherd ...” (Psalm 23:1)  The Lord is The Good Shepherd, and gladly, we are His sheep.

 

 

FOR THE GLORY OF GOD

PROCLAMATION

“And as Jesus passed by, He saw a man which was blind from his birth.  And His disciples asked Him, saying, ‘Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?’  Jesus answered, ‘Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents; but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.’ ”  John 9:1-3 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, according to the Apostle John and were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Here, John records the events surrounding the fifth public miracle that Jesus performed, giving sight to a man who was born blind.  Jesus, The Christ, told His disciples that this man was born blind so that the works of God could be manifested in him. (John 9:1-3)  This situation occurred so that The Lord God could be glorified.  Jesus spat on the ground, made some mud with His saliva, and put it on the blind man’s eyes, then told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. (John 9:4-9)  The blind man did as he was told to do and he gained sight in his eyes.  When the Pharisees learned of this, they did not believe it.  They repeated questioned the man, and they even questioned his parents to verify that he was born blind. (John 9:13-34)  The main reason that they were upset was because Jesus had again performed a miracle on the Sabbath. (John 9:14-16)  When the Pharisees again questioned the man who had been given his sight, he responded that the man who gave him his sight must have been of God, and they cast him out of the temple. (John 9:30-34)  Then Jesus hear about it and found him, and asked him if he believed in The Son of God.  The man responded by asking, “Who is he, Sir?”  Jesus said to him that He is talking to Him now.  The man said, “Lord, I believe.” (John 9:35-39) 

 

APPLICATION

Sometimes bad things happen to good people.  As part of God’s permissive will, things happen that leave us helpless so that He can get the glory when He makes a way out for us when there appears to be no way.  We may at times be helpless, but we are never without hope.  Our hope is in The Lord God. (Psalm 31:24 and 33:18)  We may not understand why things happen, but we know that all things work together for our good. (Romans 8:28)  So, whatever happens, to God be the glory. (Jude 1:25)

 

 

NOT OF THIS WORLD

PROCLAMATION

“Then said Jesus again unto them, ‘I go my way, and … whither I go, ye cannot come.’ … And He said unto them, ‘Ye are from beneath; I am from above;  Ye are of this world; I am not of this world.’ ”  John 8:21-23 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, according to the Apostle John and were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  John begins this chapter with Jesus, The Christ, in the temple in Jerusalem teaching when the scribes and Pharisees brought in a woman who was caught in the act of adultery. (John 8:1-4)  They recounted the law to Him and then asked Him what His opinion was, so that they could trap Him and have a basis for accusing Him.  If He agreed with the law of Moses, they would accuse Him to the Roman governor for taking it upon Himself to condemn a person to death.  If He disagreed with the law of Moses, they would accuse Him to the Jewish people as being an enemy of Moses.  Jesus did neither and said to them, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” (John 8:5-7)  Being convicted by their conscience, those who brought the woman left, (John 8:8-11) and Jesus resumed teaching.  However, the Pharisees within the crowd in the temple challenged Him with respect to His authority. (John 8:13)  In His explanation of who He was, Jesus said that He was not of this world. (John 8:14-23)  Later, He told them that they were children of the devil and not of God. (John 8:44-47)  They claimed to be the children of Abraham and asked Jesus if He was greater than Abraham. (John 8:52-53)  To this Jesus responded, “Before Abraham was, I Am!” (John 8:58)  Hearing this, they picked up stones in order to stone Jesus, but He slipped away passing through the midst of them. (John 8:59)

 

APPLICATION

Here are four of the many points to remember that are presented in this chapter.  First, people who live in glass houses should not throw stones.  The reason that the people who accused the woman of adultery could not stone her was because all of them were guilty of sin themselves. (John 8:7-9)  We should not go around accusing others of sinning when we are guilty of sinning ourselves, although maybe of committing a different sin.  Secondly, as believers we have The Holy Spirit of God within us; and since God is not of this world, we are not of this world.  We are just strangers here passing through on our way to our home in heaven.  Thirdly, the devil is a liar and the truth is not in him.  He is the father of lies. (John 8:44)  It is not Christ-like to tell a lie or to intentionally deceive others.  Fourthly, the people of God hear the voice of God. (John 8:47)  We recognize and know His voice, (John 10:27) even if we do not always obey it. 

MY TEACHING IS NOT MY OWN

PROCLAMATION

“Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.  And the Jews marvelled, saying, ‘How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?’  Jesus answered them, and said, ‘My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me.’ ”  John 7:14-16 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, according to the Apostle John and were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Here, John records the teaching of Jesus, The Christ, at the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles and His dialogue with the Jews who did not believe Him.  Jesus went to the feast in secret because there were those there who sought to kill Him. (John 7:1 and 7:10)  The people there murmured about Him, some saying that He was good, and others saying that He was a deceiver. (John 7:12-13)  During the festival Jesus went up to the temple courts and began to teach. (John 7:14)  The Jews were amazed at His teaching since He had not been taught.  He told them that His teaching was not His own, it came from God, The Father, who sent Him. (John 7:15-18)  Jesus told them that they do not keep the law which Moses gave them, yet they want to kill Him for His healing of the lame man on the Sabbath. (John 7:21-24)  Then He repeated that He was not there on His own authority but that God, The Father, had sent Him there. (John 7:28-29)  After that, He said that soon He would leave them and return to God, The Father, who sent Him. (John 7:33-34)  The remainder of the chapter John records the discussion of the people in the crowd who argued among themselves as to who Jesus was, whether or not He was The Messiah. (John 7:39-53)

 

APPLICATION

When we present The Word of God to others, whether it be by telling them, teaching them, or preaching to them, the purpose is to glorify God and not self.  We are presenting His Word to His people as He gives us understanding of it.  We are not to seek personal glory; we are to give God the glory.  Whether we try to console or encourage someone by quoting a verse from The Bible, or if we preach a sermon, we present the will of God to the best of our understanding.  It is only after prayerful consideration that we spread The Word of God or share God’s Word with others.  We must always be mindful of the fact that it is not about us, it is all about Him.

 

 

JESUS FEEDS THE FIVE THOUSAND MEN

PROCLAMATION

“When Jesus then lifted up His eyes, and saw a great company come unto Him … Andrew … saith unto Him, ‘There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes; but what are they among so many?’  And Jesus said, ‘Make the men sit down.’ … in number about five thousand … And Jesus then took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as the would.  When they were filled … His disciples … gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves …”  John 6:5-13 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, according to the Apostle John and were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this chapter, John records the feeding of the crowd of five thousand men. (John 6:1-13, this is also recorded in Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:32-44, and Luke 9:10-17)  This is the fourth public miracle that was performed by Jesus, The Christ.  Jesus used a poor boy’s lunch, He blessed it, gave it to His disciples who distributed it among the crowd, and they fed five thousand men in addition to the accompanying women and children. (Matthew 14:21)  When all of them had eaten what they wanted, the disciples gathered up the left-over food and collected twelve baskets full. (John 6:13)  That was more than they had when they began.  They collected that which was left over so that nothing given from God would be wasted. (John 6:12)  Jesus then went up onto a mountain to be alone, and His disciples went down to the sea, got into a ship, and sailed out towards Capernaum. (John 6:14-17)  Later He walked on the sea to join them. (John 6:18-19)

 

APPLICATION

The Lord God has the power to provide all that is needed.  In the beginning He made something out of nothing. (Genesis 1:1-31 and John 1:1-4)  A little in the hands of Jesus, The Christ, is more that a lot in the hands of others.  Here Jesus multiplied the contents of a boy’s lunch and fed a crowd of more than five thousand.  He fed this group physically, then later declared that He was the bread of life (John 6:35, 6:41, 6:48, 6:51, and 6:58) in order to feed them spiritually.  The Lord God has all power.  After He feed the five thousand, He walked on the water across the Sea of Tiberias in the midst of a storm, and He also allowed the apostle Peter to walk on the water. (Matthew 14:26-32)  Just like Peter, we will do fine as long as we keep our focus on Him.  We will only start to sink, as Peter did, when we focus on our situations and not on Him.  He is our provider and our protector.  He is truly all that we need.