Scripture

Jesus gave them his answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can only do what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does, the Son also does.”

Observation

The Jews are trying to find reasons to have Jesus killed, and they are offended by His references to God as His Father.

Jesus tells them He can only do what the Father does. Just as the Father raises people from the dead, the Son will do this too.

Whoever hears Jesus’ words and believes Him has crossed from death to eternal life. The time is coming when all who are in graves will come out- the righteous to eternal life, the wicked to be condemned.

Application

In Jesus we have a perfect representation of God. He and the Father are one, totally united in love.

Jesus only does what He sees the Father is doing. The deeds of Jesus are the deeds of the Father.

In Jesus we see a God who heals the sick, raises the dead,forgives sinners who repent, has compassion on the poor, loves everyone (especially the outcasts), and speaks out against all forms of evil.

As followers of Jesus- imitators of Christ- we should do the same kinds of things.

We can’t be like Jesus unless the Holy Spirit teaches us and empowers us to do the things Jesus did. Of course everyone who is a true disciple has the Holy Spirit living in them, transforming them to be like Jesus.

So Jesus does the work of the Father. The Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to imitate Christ and so to do the deeds God has called us to do.

Prayer

Lord, you are awesome! You show us in Christ what it means to live a life in communion with you, and you give us your Holy Spirit to enable us to do this. Thank you. Amen.

Scripture

The Jewish leaders said to the man who was cured, “You can’t work on the Sabbath! The law does not allow you to carry that sleeping mat.”

Observation

Jesus goes to the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem where scores of people wait for the water to bubble up so they can be healed. He meets a man who has been sick for 38 years. He has no hope of being healed because he has nobody to help him get into the water.

Jesus tells the man to get up, pick up his may and walk. The man is instantly healed.

As he walks away, the Jewish leaders rebuke the man for carrying his mat on the Sabbath. He tells them that the man who healed him had told him to do this, but he didn’t know who he was.

Application

When your whole vision of being holy boils down to rules, you will miss the amazing works of God when He steps out of the box you constructed for Him.

The Jewish leaders could not see the miracle of healing because they were obsessed with the man’s behaviour after the event.

Christians can be like that sometimes. An evangelist can win thousands of people to the Lord, but we get annoyed by his tattoos. Somebody is healed miraculously, but some believers can’t see it because their theology is that miracles don’t happen any more. A prostitute or alcoholic is rejected by a church because they are afraid their past sins might contaminate the congregation

We are not made holy by the outward observance of rules and regulations. We are made holy by the indwelling presence of God’s Spirit.

When people’s lives are changed by God in ways that run against our understanding then it is we who need to change, not God.

Prayer

Lord you save people when we least expect it. Your grace is wider than we imagine. So Lord please expand my way of thinking to embrace all that you want to do. Amen.

Scripture

“Those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh bubbling spring within them, giving eternal life.

Observation

Returning from Judea to Galilee, Jesus passes through the Samaritan village of Sychar. He stops to rest at Jacob’s well. A Samaritan woman comes to draw water.

Jesus tells the woman about the living water He has which can become a spring that bubbles up within and gives eternal life.

Application

Jesus is the water of life, the source of eternal life.

The water He offers is not just a refreshing drink on a hot day- a drink that is soon forgotten.

Jesus’ water is eternal life. When we drink deeply from Him, He refreshes our soul. He gives us resilience , the strength to live with joy through the trials of life.

The water that Jesus gives enables us to live forever. This water cleanses us from sin and restores our relationship with God.

This eternal life, sustained by dwelling in Him, becomes a source of life for others. A spring bubbles up within us.

That living water must flow out to others. The life that Christ gives to me is meant to be shared. A spring that is blocked up is no longer a spring.

We share the living water by bringing Christ to others through our testimony. We are called to witness to others about the powerful change Christ has brought to us.

We also share Christ by sharing the incredible love He has for all people. Acts of love, deeds of kindness, reconciliation of relationships, bring life to other people and point them to Christ.

Prayer

Thank you Jesus for being living water to me. Show me who to share your life with today and every day. Amen.

Scripture

There is no judgement against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him had already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.

Observation

God loved the world so much that He sent His one and only Son so that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. Jesus came into the world to save us not to judge us.

Anyone who trusts in Jesus is saved, and there is no judgement against them. The judgement is this- God’s light came into the world and people preferred the darkness.

Application

No judgement against believers!

I talked to a distressed pastor the other day who said something like, “I’m afraid that God will say to me ‘You should have pushed harder, got more people saved.’” Even among pastors (especially among pastors!) there is a fear of God’s judgement because we are not good enough or not doing enough.

There is no judgement for those who trust in Jesus. God will not confront us for our sins. That is all dealt with in the blood of Jesus.

The judgement christians face is the sheep and goats judgement, the division between believers and unbelievers.

We already have our “boarding pass”! We have already been judged as sinless because it’s all covered by the cross.

What about the verses that say things like “You will be judged for every idle word”? The judgement is on unbelievers not the believers. Every sin will be accounted for, but every sin that christians commit is covered by the blood of Christ.

Does this mean that we should be complacent or lazy or just live according to what we want to do? Of course not! Having received such love from our Holy Father God, how can we trample it on the ground or take it for granted? To believe Jesus is to follow Him in a life of holiness.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for the blood of Jesus that covers every sin. Amen.

Reflection on John 3:1-15

Scripture

“Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.”

Observation

A Pharisee called Nicodemus comes to see Jesus at night time. Nicodemus says that he can see that Jesus’ miracles are a sign that God is with Him. Jesus tells Nicodemus that he needs to be born again in order to see God’s kingdom.

Nicodemus can’t understand this phrase, so Jesus explains that we must be born of the Holy Spirit to have spiritual life. Just as we can’t see what drives the wind, we cannot see how the Spirit works. As Moses lifted up the bronze snake in the wilderness, so too will Jesus be lifted up to bring eternal life to people.

Application

We can only enter into eternal life by being born again. People can reproduce biological life, which is quite a miracle in itself. But spiritual life, eternal life, can only come through the Holy Spirit.

This means that we cannot force anybody into the Kingdom. It is between them and the Holy Spirit. Clever selling techniques, evangelism programs, incentives to attend church services, and the like will bear no fruit unless a person is born of the Holy Spirit.

It also means that we cannot force our own way into the kingdom. Whether by determination, good works, or by playing the role of the good christian, we cannot prove ourselves worthy of eternal life. Our spirits must be born of the Holy Spirit.

At the heart of salvation we must have a relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. This is what it means to be born again.

Prayer

Thank you Father for the gift of eternal life. Thank you for causing me to be born of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Scripture

But Jesus didn’t trust them because he knew human nature. No one needed to tell him what human nature was really like.

Observation

Jesus goes to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. He sees the merchants selling animals for the sacrifices and the money changers. He makes a whip and chases the animals and the traders out of the Temple.

The disciples remember the Scripture that says, “Passion for your house consumes me.”

The leaders demand a sign that Jesus has done this under God’s authority. He tells them if they pull down the temple, he will rebuild it in three days. They don’t realise that he is talking about His body.

Application

Many people were claiming to trust in Jesus, but He didn’t trust them. He knew human nature.

People claim to be disicples of Jesus for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes it is for social standing or to make business contacts. Sometimes it is out of a religious spirit.

There are many people who, to all outward appearances, are dedicated christians. They believe the gospel, and may even do many good works in the church. For some reason the head knowledge of the facts of the gospel does not translate to the heart. When pressure comes on, they don’t cope as we might expect, because the outward behaviour has changed but their heart has not changed.

When Jesus comes in He changes our heart. Our life is changed for ever from the inside out.

Nobody can live the christian life out of their own strength. We need the new heart and the new mind that only Jesus can give through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Prayer

Lord, I thank you for not just forgiving my sins but for giving me a new heart. You are making every part of my life new. Thank you. Amen.

Scripture

This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

Observation

Jesus and His disciples are invited to a wedding celebration in Cana in Galilee. The wine runs out, and Mary, Jesus’ mother, tells Jesus. She then instructs the servants to do whatever He tells them to do.

Jesus tells the servants to fill with water the jugs used for ceremonial washing. They do this, and when the water is sampled it is found to have been changed into wine, in fact the best wine.

This is the first sign in which Jesus showed His glory.

Application

In the first chapter, the story is about people testifying about Jesus. Now the focus changes to be about signs and glory.

Jesus revealed His glory through changing water into wine. That is, the miracle pointed to the fact that Jesus is God, not just a human religious leader.

Wine is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, for the joy and peace that come from the presence of the Spirit in us. Jesus is the one who gives the Holy Spirit to His disciples.

The wine is literally new wine and is a sign of the new things that God is doing in His kingdom.

Turning water into wine without the benefit of grapes is truly a miracle, and shows that Jesus is the Lord over creation.

All of this takes place at a wedding, the symbol of God’s ongoing love and commitment for His people.

Jesus is Lord of all creation. He is the giver of the Holy Spirit and the bringer of God’s Kingdom.

The disciples believed in Him as a result of this sign. Perhaps they previously accepted that Jesus is the Messiah, a human being anointed by God for the restoration of Israel. But after this, they believed in their hearts that Jesus really is God’s Son.

Prayer

Lord, you take the ordinary things of life and make them extraordinary. May my life today be a sign of your glory. Amen.

Scripture

Then John gave this testimony, “I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have baptised him, except that the one who sent me to baptise with water told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit.”

Observation

The Jewish leaders send some priests and Levites to find out if John is the Messiah. He denies bring the one.

Then Jesus comes by, and John testifies that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. John says that he saw the Holy Spirit descend and remain on Jesus, and the Lord had told him that Jesus is the baptiser in the Holy Spirit.

Application

Jesus is both the Lamb of God and the baptiser In the Holy Spirit,

The Lamb of God takes away the sins of the world. He has died to bring atonement- forgiveness and reconciliation with God.

Jesus is also the baptiser in the Holy Spirit. He is the one who makes it possible for us to walk in the power and grace of the Holy Spirit.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:7-11) are available to every believer. We can minister to others in the same power that Christ had. Even the Old Testament prophets had nothing like the power that is available to every ordinary follower of Jesus.

The fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) are also available to every believer. The fruit produces in us the character of Christ, It is the outward, visible sign of the grace of the Holy Spirit at work in us.

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is not a one-off event, but a daily filling, a daily relationship. As the power and grace of the Spirit pour into us, they are meant to overflow into the lives of the people around us, enabling us to be faithful witnesses of Christ.

Prayer

Holy Spirit fall afresh on me. Let me be so filled with you that everywhere I go, people are touched by your presence. Amen.

Scripture

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

Observation

In the beginning was the Word who was with God and was God. The Word made everything, and His life is the light that shines in the darkness.

The Word came into the world, but the world rejected Him. He came to His own people, but they rejected Him. But to all who receive Him, He gives the right to become children of God.

Application

Jesus is the Word of God who brings eternal life. He gives us the right to become children of God.

In the beginning, we were created in the image of God. Human beings are meant to be like God in character and in motivation. Sin has defaced that image, so that, far from being God’s children, we are like rebels living as if we control our own destiny.

We were created to be God’s children, but we have run away from home and rejected our Father’s blessing.

Everyone who receives Jesus the Word and believes in His name now has the right to be called a child of God. This is restoration of our birth right.

John says that we must believe in the name of Jesus. This means we must trust in Jesus, own Him as Lord and follow in His path. It is not as simple as saying a prayer. It is wholesale dedication to serving Jesus, recognising that nothing else will save us.

We were drowning in the middle of the ocean, but a life vest floats past us. The only way to be saved is to receive that life vest and believe that it can hold us safely in the water.

Everyone who receives Christ, who makes Him their Lord, will be saved. Everyone who trusts in Him is adopted into God’s family. To be saved is to come home to the place of safety, warmth and love.

Prayer

Thank you Jesus for dying for me. Thank you for this awesome promise that if I give my heart to you, you will make me a part of your family. What a promise! Amen.