APRIL 15 READING… JOHN 7
What if the people closest to you did not believe in you? Sadly, I have known far too many people…adults, teens, and children that have had to live their lives with the people closet to them, refusing to believe in them. Jesus had that issue with His family…particularly His brothers. Something had to change in them in order for them to believe…it was the crucifixion, the Resurrection, and the Holy Spirit. We see the result of this change in two of the half brothers of Jesus, James and Jude, who penned two epistles in the New Testament. It is a powerful thing to believe in Jesus. It is also a powerful thing in the lives of others to express to them that you believe in them. Not in the way we believe in Jesus, but in the way we see something special and unique in them, and as people of great worth.
The rest of chapter 7 records for us the conflict of Jesus with the people and the religious authorities. The people marveled at Jesus’ knowledge and wisdom, for He had not been to their religious schools. They did not know, nor could they understand that He is the author of that which they had that was true. Some began to wonder if Jesus could possibly be the Messiah. There was continued conflict with the religious leaders who rejected Jesus. He told them of the work of the Holy Spirit which they missed completely. Finally, they went to the Scripture to prove that Jesus could not be Messiah, saying there is no scripture that teaches a prophet would come out of Galilee. They were ignorant of where Jesus actually came from…Bethlehem in Judah. We know these things about Jesus…my only question is do you reject Jesus as Messiah, or do you believe?
Please share your thoughts from today’s reading.
MONDAY’S READING… JOHN 8
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