BORN TO REIGN

John 7:45-53 The Contention About Christ John 7:45-53 MKJV    Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees. And they said to them, why have you not brought him?  (46) The officers answered, never did any man speak, as does this Man.  (47) Then the Pharisees answered them, Also, have you not been deceived?  (48) Is it not true that not any of the rulers or of the Pharisees have believed into him?  (49) But this crowd, not knowing the Law, is cursed.  (50) Nicodemus said to them, (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them),  (51) Does our law judge the Man before it hears Him and knows what He does?  (52) They answered and said to him, are you also from Galilee? Search the scriptures and see that a prophet has not been raised out of Galilee.  (53) And they each went to their own house. The envious Pharisees have found their “theological point”: “He is from Galilee, the Christ is from Bethlehem, that settl...

John 7:40-44 The Identity of Jesus John 7:40-44 MKJV    Then when they heard the Word, many of the people said, Truly this is the Prophet.  (41) Others said, “this is the Chris but others said, Does the Christ come out of Galilee?  (42) Has the Scripture not said that Christ comes from the seed of David and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?  (43) So a division occurred in the crowd because of Him.  (44) And some of them desired to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him. Two groups are found in the crowd – those that “heard the Word” (v 40) and cried out that He was the Prophet or the Christ (v. 40-41); and those who “judged the Word” by coming up with theological, quibbles about Jesus’ birthplace and dividing the crowd (v. 41-44). The Jews knew that Jesus was someone of spiritual authority so they tried to find the appropriate spiritual category to place Him in – Elijah (the prophet), the Christ/Messiah, a madman with a demo...

John 7:37-39 Rivers Of Living Water John 7:37-39 MKJV    And in the last day of the great feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  (38) He who believes on Me, as the Scripture has said, "Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."  (39) But He spoke this about the Spirit, which they who believed on Him should receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. What is the relationship between our innermost beings and God? The innermost being is a place of wounds and alienation and neurosis and we are to struggle to fix up our innermost being so it can be made acceptable to God. The innermost being is a dream world where we receive messages from God, but God does not actually dwell there, He is “somewhere outside”. The innermost being is the mind and if we fill it with right knowledge we can know God. The innermost bein...

John 7:31-36 Then I Go To Him Who Sent Me John 7:31-36 MKJV    And many of the crowd believed on Him, and said, When the Christ comes, will He do more miracles than these which this One has done?  (32) The Pharisees heard that the crowd murmured such things concerning Him. And the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to seize Him.  (33) Then Jesus said to them, Yet a little while I am with you, and then I go to Him who sent Me.  (34) You shall seek Me and shall not find Me. And where I am, you cannot come.  (35) Then the Jews said among themselves, Where is he about to go that we shall not find him? Is he about to go to the Dispersion of the Greeks, and to teach the Greeks?  (36) What saying is this that He said, You shall seek Me and shall not find Me, and where I am, you cannot come? It is interesting that the crowd saw Jesus mainly as a miracle-working spiritual teacher. Their two comments about Jesus are: 1)  ” Wh...

John 7:25-30 I Am From Him   John 7:25-30 MKJV    Then some of those from Jerusalem said, Is this not the one they seek to kill?  (26) But lo, he speaks publicly, and they say nothing to him. Perhaps the rulers truly know that this is the Christ indeed?  (27) However, we know this one, from where he is; but when Christ comes, no one knows from where He is.  (28) Then Jesus cried in the temple as He taught, saying, You both know Me, and you know from where I come. And I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.  (29) But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He has sent Me.  (30) Then they sought to seize Him, but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come. Jesus plainly says that He is from God, was sent by God and personally knows God. Jesus also points out that they did not have anything like the knowledge of God that He did with the referential phrase: “ but He who sent M...

John 7:19-24 Righteous Judgment John 7:19-24 MKJV   Did not Moses give you the Law? And yet not one of you keeps the Law! Why do you seek to kill Me?  (20) The crowd answered and said, You have a demon! Who seeks to kill you?  (21) Jesus answered and said to them, I have done one work, and you all marvel.  (22) Because of this Moses gave you circumcision (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers,) and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath day.  (23) If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath day so that the Law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry at Me because I have made a man entirely sound on the Sabbath day?  (24) Do not judge according to sight, but judge righteous judgment. The Jews were proud of receiving the Law, and doubly proud of their mark of circumcision on the eighth day. In these verses Jesus plays one off the other to help deepen the Jews understanding of their faith. Circumcision came from the patriar...

John 6:64-71 The Things Behind John 6:64-71 MKJV    But there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who is the one betraying Him.  (65) And He said, Because of this I said to you that no one can come to Me unless it was given to him from My Father.  (66) From this time many of His disciples went back into the things behind, and walked no more with Him.  (67) Then Jesus said to the Twelve, Do you also wish to go away?  (68) Then Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the Words of eternal life.  (69) And we have believed and have known that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.  (70) Jesus answered them, Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? And one of you is a devil?  (71) But he spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon; for it was he who was about to betray Him, being one of the Twelve. This is the point when many walk away fro...