Daily Bible Devotionals

“So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, ‘What are we going to do since this man does many signs?  If we let Him continue in this way, everybody will believe in Him!  Then the Romans will come and remove both our place [the Temple] and our nation.’”  John 11:47-48 (HCSB)

In the days of Jesus, the common misconception concerning Messiah was that He would be a political and military leader.  That was not just the inclination of the uneducated commoner.  It was also the opinion of educated religious leaders.

So, when the Pharisees and Sadducees rejected Jesus, they were not rejecting the idea that He would atone for sin.  They rejected the notion that He would be a victorious military leader.  No doubt, passages like Isaiah 53, the “suffering servant,” were mysterious to them.

According to their testimony, the religious leaders feared that Jesus would draw the people to Himself and that attention would draw undue Roman persecution aimed at the entire Jewish community.  In their disbelief (that Jesus was Messiah), their main concern was that the Romans would disturb/damage the Temple and that its priests would become victims of collateral damage.

“One of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, ‘You know nothing at all!  You’re not considering that it is to your advantage that one man should die for the people rather than the whole nation perish.’  He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, not for the nation only but also to unite the scattered children of God.  So from that day on they plotted to kill Him.”  John 11:49-53 (HCSB)

Two High Priests are mentioned in the gospels during the trial of Jesus: Caiaphas and Annas.  This is odd because the High Priest was to serve for life.  According to the Jewish historian Josephus, Caiaphas was Annas’ son–in–law.  Annas had been deposed as High Priest by the Roman government for spreading messages of sedition and was replaced by his more compliant (in the opinion of the Romans) son-in-law.  This explains Caiaphas’ attitude concerning the preservation of Israel as a nation.

As in the Old Testament instances of sinful king Saul and Balaam prophesying amid their unbelief, Caiaphas also prophesied.  Because his heart was not seeking the truth, Caiaphas could not understand God’s revelation, although he spoke it from his mouth!

When you read God’s word, lay aside your personal agendas.  Ask Him to reveal His “Way” so that you may walk in it, and lead others on the path of righteousness.  (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of John 10. Click the links below to watch or listen.

“As He was passing by He saw a man blind from birth.  His disciples questioned Him: ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’  ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ Jesus answered.  ‘This came about so that God’s works might be displayed in him.’”  John 9:1-3 (HCSB)

Imagine Jesus, if you will, as a Master artist.  It’s not much of a stretch; He authored Creation, after all!  So, this Master artist and His protégés are strolling through His studio one day, and they pass by a work of art that doesn’t look quite right.  One of the Master’s students asks what was wrong with the clay that the sculpture would appear so odd.

The Master replies, “Nothing is wrong with the clay.  I left this piece unfinished so you can observe the Master’s work.”  That’s pretty much the scenario of today’s passage.

“We must do the works of Him Who sent Me while it is day.  Night is coming when no one can work.  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”  John 9:4-5 (HCSB)

By choosing the word “WE,” Jesus intimated that His disciples would have an active Spirit-directed role in completing the Father’s “works,” as well.  That same “limited participation” in the salvation/discipleship of men is a role extended to us, even today.

It helps to remember that Jesus created humanity by breathing the life of His Spirit into the “dust of the earth.”  Notice the contrast to His writing names of unbelievers in the dirt in Chapter 8.  Here in Chapter 9, Jesus demonstrates that “water/saliva” flowing from His mouth transforms dirt into an agent of healing!  

Ponder that idea for a moment: From the mouth of the Lord comes the Spirit-filled Word of the Lord.  When God’s Word and His Spirit are applied to a person’s unbelief, healing takes place!  That healing brings “sight,” i.e., understanding of the things of God.

“After He said these things, He spat on the ground, made some mud from the saliva, and spread the mud on his eyes.  ‘Go,’ He told him, ‘Wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means “Sent”).  So he left, washed, and came back seeing.”  John 9:6-7 (HCSB)

Before healing was established, Jesus SENT the man on a mission.  Healing was dependent on the man’s response to God’s call.  People are not saved by hearing the Gospel only but by faithfully responding to it.  

The Hebrew word “Siloam” means “sent.”  The term “apostle” also means “to be sent on a mission.”  We are healed so that we may do Kingdom work.  Once he received healing from his blindness, this man began the work of restoring sight to others by exposing their spiritual and Scriptural “blindness” and testifying of Jesus’ power to heal all who would receive Him.

“But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.  So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.’  And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.  Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last.  And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.  When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, ‘Woman, where are those accusers of yours?  Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.’”  John 8:6b-11 (NKJV)

I have heard many pastors give reasons and assumptions about what Jesus was doing, writing in the dirt.  I have yet to hear any of them quote Jeremiah.  I believe that Jesus’ actions fulfilled Jeremiah’s prophecy, indicting Israel’s spiritual leaders for “spiritual adultery.”  Being Torah scholars themselves, the Temple leaders eventually caught on to the significance of Jesus’ actions.

“Lord, the hope of Israel, all who abandon You will be put to shame.  All who turn away from Me will be written in the dirt, for they have abandoned the Lord, the fountain of living water.”  Jeremiah 17:13 (HCSB)

Jeremiah’s prophecy combines the images of the New Testament “writing in the dirt” and “woman at the well” passages.  If you recall, in John 4, Jesus told the woman at the well, “If you knew who I was, you would ask Me, and I would give you Living Water.”

Both the woman at the well and the woman in today’s passage were guilty of adultery, yet they were forgiven when they believed in Messiah Jesus by faith.  They are seen in sharp contrast to Israel’s spiritual leaders, who refused to acknowledge their spiritual adultery and repent.

“My people have committed two evils: They have abandoned Me, the fountain of living waters, to carve out cisterns themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that do not hold water.” Jeremiah 2:13 (NASB)

We are created to worship, designed for a personal spiritual relationship with God.  We may reject the Lord, but we cannot abandon our created purpose.  People who reject God always adopt some form of false religion, even if that form is atheism.

God is willing to forgive and restore anyone who truly repents, and He is determined to judge and punish all who reject Him.  So, is your name written in the “dirt” or the Lamb’s Book of Life?

“After this, Jesus traveled to Galilee, since He did not want to travel in Judea because the Jews were trying to kill Him.  The Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near, so His brothers said to Him, ‘Leave here and go to Judea so Your disciples can see Your works that you are doing.  For no one does anything secret while he’s seeking public recognition.  If you do these things, show yourself to the World.’ (For not even His brothers believed in Him.)” John 7:1-5 (HCSB)

One of the basic human needs is to be “known.” Knowing someone is more than acknowledging their presence or even spending some time together; it is more profound.  In a sense, the best example of personal relational “knowledge” was displayed in the garden of Eden.  Adam and Eve were naked and yet not ashamed.  They knew everything about each other, had nothing to hide, and were completely at peace with themselves and God.  That era didn’t last very long, for sin entered the World.

Since that time, every human being has been conflicted with the desire to be “known” enough to be “accepted” yet not “known” so much as to be rejected for being “shameful.”

Jesus had nothing to be ashamed of.  Still, it must have been frustrating and saddening for Him to know that His own brothers didn’t (at that time) understand Who He was or what He had come to do.  They were summoning a sign from Him to see if He would usher in their expectations of the Messianic age.

They believed Messiah would throw off Roman oppression.  Their theology did not expect that Messiah would be crucified or that His death was intended to accomplish the opposite of their expectations.  Victory would include the salvation of many of their enemies, not their enemies’ destruction.

The age following Jesus’ resurrection was designed (By God) to throw off the Jewish religious rule in Jerusalem as judgment for their spiritual misleading.  Not only were the Romans not going to be overthrown by some “Christian army,” but God used the Romans as a tool of His judgment against Israel’s spiritual pride for having rejected the Messiah.  Jesus knew this was not an era to be “ushered in” lightly!  Isaiah even prophesied against Jesus’ brothers’ mindset.

“Woe to those who drag wickedness with cords of deceit and pull sin along with cart ropes, to those who say, ‘Let Him hurry up and do His work quickly so that we may see it!  Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel take place so we can know it!’ Isaiah 5:18-19

Just as Jesus’ mother could not usher in the beginning of His earthly ministry, his brothers could not hasten the completion of it.  Similarly, I hear some believers speaking in such terms concerning aiding religious Jews, specifically Chaim Richman’s “Temple Institute,” in efforts to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem today.  They believe the rebuilding of the Temple will usher in Messiah’s return.  

To them, I say, “Be warned!” We know that once the Temple in Jerusalem is rebuilt, it will not be an era of joy but blasphemy and tribulation.  We should not seek to usher the Lord anywhere.  Instead, we should simply pray as Jesus taught us: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done.”

“‘The Spirit is the One who gives life.  The flesh doesn’t help at all.  The words that I have spoken to you are Spirit and are life.  But there are some among you who don’t believe.’ (For Jesus knew from the beginning those who would not believe and the one who would betray Him.)  He said, ‘This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless it is granted to him by the Father.’  From that moment many of His disciples turned back and no longer accompanied Him.  Therefore, Jesus said to the Twelve, ‘You don’t want to go away too, do you?’  Simon Peter answered, ‘Lord, who will we go to?  You have the words of eternal life.  We have come to believe and know that You are the Holy One of God!’  Jesus replied to them, ‘Didn’t I choose you, the Twelve?  Yet one of you is the Devil?’  He was referring to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son, one of the Twelve, because he was going to betray Him.”  John 6:63-71 (HCSB)

When most people think of Jesus’ disciples, they only consider the “twelve.”  In actuality, there were, at times, thousands of people following Him around.

After feeding the five thousand, many of those people sought out Jesus the next day.  Jesus took this occasion to compare the bread that He had provided the day before with the bread (manna) Moses provided.  His point is that earthly bread cannot eternally sustain life.

Then, Jesus identifies Himself as the “Bread of Life,” …different from Moses’ manna.  Interesting, He was born in Bethlehem.  In Hebrew, “Bethlehem” translates as “House of Bread.”  This message was offensive and arrogant to many Jews because Jesus was elevating Himself above Moses.  Beyond miraculously imparting earthly bread, Jesus personified the spiritual bread.  

Jesus communicated that the Spirit gives life.  Therefore, eternal life can only be obtained spiritually.  Salvation cannot be obtained by earthly means.  In short, salvation is by God’s grace and not through the works of the law.  (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Something at the core of a man makes him want to earn his salvation.  That “something” is called Pride.  It is in direct opposition to receiving salvation by God’s grace.  This is true for us today and was true in Jesus’ day.  So much so that when the crowds heard this teaching, they left Him.  

There is a difference between following Jesus and simply following Him around.  Many will affiliate themselves with Jesus, but all the while, they refuse to prostrate themselves before Him.  In the end, Jesus is either Lord of all, or He’s not Lord at all.  (By the way, He IS Lord, and we should worship Him as such!)

“I do not accept glory from men, but I know you – that you have no love for God within you.  I have come in My Father’s name, yet you don’t accept Me.  If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.  How can you believe?  While accepting glory from one another, you don’t seek the glory that comes only from God.  Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father.  Your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope.  For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, because he wrote about Me.  But if you don’t believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”  John 5:41-47 (HCSB)

I admit it.  I’m not a very smart guy; I went to public school in Arkansas.  But even I know that Moses is BIG for Judaism!

I have mentioned before that my wife and I try to visit Israel as often as possible.  People ask me if it ever gets old seeing the same sights.  To be honest, there are only two sites in Israel that I’m excited about seeing anymore: People experiencing Israel for the first time and seeing Israelis understanding the Gospel.

A young lady who attended my Riverside Bible study once shared a conversation she had with a Jewish schoolmate.  She invited her Jewish friend to Bible study, but her friend said, “You can’t be Jewish and believe in Jesus.”  

Essentially, this girl was saying, “Moses and Jesus don’t mix.”

This is a misconception that Jews have, as well as many “Christians.”  The standard Jewish argument is that you have to be either Jewish or “Christian.”  I could argue this point all day, but the truth lies in Jesus’ words, not mine.

Jesus is telling Israel’s religious leaders (and us today) that the most Jewish thing they could do is to believe in Him - the Messiah!  To further prove His point, Jesus adds that it will be Moses who judges the Jews who refuse to believe in Jesus as Messiah.

He is also saying that if Jews don’t follow Him, then not only do they not receive His atonement, but they don’t even understand Moses!

My advice to the girl in our study (the one with the Jewish friend) was that she continued to share her faith, even though her friend has articulated a so-called “intellectual conundrum” about reckoning her Jewishness with following Jesus.    The most anti-Semitic thing you can do is withhold Messiah from a Jewish person.  Press on with the Gospel in truth and love.  Pray the Spirit will open the eyes of the hearts of the Jewish community (and beyond!).  Furthermore, pray for revival among all people in our day!

“A woman of Samaria came to draw water.  ‘Give Me a drink,’ Jesus said to her, for His disciples had gone into town to buy food.  ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?’ she asked Him.  For Jews don’t associate with Samaritans.  Jesus answered, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would ask Him and He would give you living water.’”  John 4:7-10 (HCSB)

We don’t have to wade very deep into Scripture to understand that Jews and Samaritans did not like each other.  For one thing, Samaritans were half-breeds.  That is, they were part Jewish and part Gentile.

Historically, the Kingdom of Israel had been split after the death of King Solomon.  As a result of the tragic apostasy of Solomon’s leadership in the latter years of his rule, God removed the national unity from the tribes of Israel.  Judah and Benjamin (aka Judah) called Jerusalem their capital, and the remaining ten tribes (aka Israel) considered Samaria to be their capital.

The men of “Israel” in Samaria not only took foreign wives, but their wives also enticed them to worship pagan gods.  The prophet Jeremiah wrote about it.

“‘Has a nation ever exchanged its gods, though they are not gods at all?  Yet My people have exchanged their Glory for useless idols.  Be stunned by this, O heavens; be shocked and utterly appalled,’ declares the Lord.”  Jeremiah 2:11-12  (BSB)

“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.”  Jeremiah 2:13 (NKJV)

Jesus’ use of Jeremiah’s prophetic “living water/broken cistern” imagery was intended to remind the woman of Samaria’s past sin, which caused the division of national Israel and the Northern Kingdom’s separation from God.  The woman’s sexual sin past also symbolized Israel’s (the Northern Kingdom) nationwide spiritual adultery.

By asking the woman for water, Jesus shows His willingness to forgive both spiritual and sexual adultery (commandments 3 and 7) on the basis of faith.  His offer of grace and mercy brings to recollection a proverb:  

“A generous person will be enriched, and the one who gives a drink of water will receive water.”  Proverbs 11:25 (HCSB)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of John 3. Click the links below to watch or listen.