Fri, Jun 20th - 12:53PM
Book of John
5:31-39
"If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. There is another that bears witness of Me; and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. You sent to John, and he bore witness to the truth. But I do not receive testimony from man: but these things I say, that you might be saved. He was a burning and a shining light: and you were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father has given Me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. And the Father Himself, which has sent Me, has borne witness of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His shape. And you have not His word abiding in you: for whom He has sent, Him you do not believe. Search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are that which testify of Me."
There are five witnesses to Jesus authority. Witness within: the Holy Spirit. Witness of John the Baptist. Witness of miraculous works. Witness of God Himself. Witness of the Scriptures. Within a judicial system a man's testimony needs to be supported by other witnesses and at least two are required. It is pretty much a fundamental law of society worldwide. In American judicial system, witnesses are required to swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. It is a reflection of how untrustworthy people are. We must be forced to tell the truth. Note that Christ needed no person to force Him to tell the truth. He did so willingly. He is seeking after people and uses every method to convince them so that they might be saved from their sin.
John the Baptist had been asked by the religious rulers about his witness. John told them the truth. He was preparing the way for the Christ, the Lamb of God. John's words were the truth but they also bore witness to the Truth, Christ Jesus. The works of Christ Jesus were a greater witness than those done by John the Baptist. Jesus was the One appointed by God to carry out the miracles, the One empowered by God to do these works. What Jesus did no other mortal person had ever done nor would any other mortal person ever do in the future.
Everything that God had done down through the centuries and had revealed in the Scriptures bore witness of Himself. Everything that God did was to prepare the way for Jesus, and every act bore witness that He was sending His Son. Galatians 4:4-6 reveals to us that God has a plan and when the planned time arrived, Jesus was sent into our world. The way was being prepared every time God spoke, appeared, and acted.
In order for you and I to know God in a personal way we must accept that the Word of God comes from God; it must be accepted as truth, as fact, as gospel. The Word of God must then be abiding within a person, not just around them. It means that the Word of God is living, moving, ruling, and reigning in our lives and hearts. It means that it is stirring, convicting, and challenging us. It means that it is leading to confession, repentance, growth, and maturity in us. It means that it is teaching us love, compassion, forgiveness, goodness, and just behavior. It means that it is causing us to believe and trust God's Son, Christ Jesus, as our Savior and Lord.
How then do we approach using the Scriptures? Do we search them trying to find eternal life? Or do we search them trying to discover Jesus and to learn more about Him? Yes, the scriptures do proclaim the message of eternal life, and show us how to secure said eternal life. But the scriptures do not give us eternal life. Only Jesus can give us eternal life. Memorizing all of the Bible does not give me eternal life. Doing good works does not give me eternal life. Being religious does not give me eternal life. By studying the Bible I do not get eternal life. Only by believing and giving my heart and life to Christ Jesus do I receive eternal life. Consider Luke 24:27 and I Peter 1:10-11. Jesus was prophesied to come hundreds of years before His birth. The Old Testament prophets searched the scriptures to try and figure out when He was going to come into our world.
Jesus is real. He came and died to pay for all of our sins, He who was without sin. He was put within a tomb and on the third day He rose in newness of life. Born again, having a glorified body. Demonstrating to us that we would receive from Him that which He has promised. Do we believe? Do we accept God's Word as the truth? Do we trust God?
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Mon, Jun 16th - 8:48AM
Book of John
Chapter 5:17-30
"But Jesus answered them, MY Father works and I work. Therefore the Jews sought even more to kill Him, because He not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. Then answered Jesus and said to them, Verily, verily, I say to you, The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do: for whatever things He does, these also the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that the Father does: and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises up the dead, and quickens them; even so the Son quickens whom He will. For the Father judges no person, but has committed all judgment to the Son: that all people should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that does not honor the Son does not honor the Father which has sent Him. Verily, verily, I say to you, He that hears My word, and believes on Him that sent Me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death to life. Verily, verily, I say to you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of god: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father has life in Himself; so has He given to the Son to have life in Himself; And has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, And shall come out; they that have done good, to the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, to the resurrection of damnation. I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I do not seek my ow will, but the will of the Father who sent me."
To all those people who still claim that Jesus never, ever said that he was equal to God; please read this passage very, very, carefully. Jesus very carefully showcased what true obedience to God must look like. Only do what God tells you to do, only do it the way God tells you to do it, and only do it when God tells you to do it. I can no longer do whatever I feel like doing. I have been purchased by the shed blood of Christ. He owns me. I am His bond servant. I must now learn obedience. Jesus was not just a man. He was God made manifest in human flesh. He showed us the way to live, to treat others, to lovingly correct those whose thinking about serving God was wrong. He never ever was permissive when it came to confronting sin in people. He never said that we ought to be confrontational or aggressive or verbally abusive to others. Jesus was not a political radical. He came to bring spiritual freedom and rebirth to everyone.
Jesus came to do His Father's work. This does not mean that Jesus was subservient to the Father. That type of assumption only reveals how limited our creature thoughts are. The Godhead (Trinity) consists of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All work as God. All are in total agreement concerning anything that God does. Jesus never was late for anything since He knew everything from before the world was created. He was on time for meeting each person we see in the New Testament accounts. He new when Lazerus would die, and He waited before going to resurrect him from being dead.
We see here that Jesus was in complete unbroken communion with God. He was of the very same nature and person as God. He acted as God because He was God. All that Jesus did were the very things which the Father did. When Jesus said that the Father was going to show Him greater things to do: controlling the forces of nature, multiplying food, raising the dead, creating people anew, healing people.
Only God can give life. Jesus gave life back to Lazarus. Jesus is not constrained nor restrained. "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All power is given to Me in heaven and in earth"(Matthew 28:18). "But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwells in you"(Romans 8:11). The key here is: does Christ dwell in you?
Another point that many people are confused about is who is going to judge mankind? The Father or the Son? This passage makes it very clear that the Son is the one who has been given all authority over the judgment of mankind. Jesus is our Judge. Each of us will appear in the Supreme Court of the Universe before the bench of Christ Jesus. Why has God the Father done this? He has willed that all people honor the Son just as they honor Him. Therefore anyone who does not honor Christ Jesus does not honor God. People need to be careful of how they talk about Jesus. Is He the only way to heaven? If people do not worship Christ Jesus they do not worship God. This thought carries through in i John 2:23, Mark 8:38, i John 2:22.
How one lives matters a great deal. The person who professes and lives for God takes part in the coming resurrection of life. They who have done evil, who have denied Jesus is real or that he is God, take part in the resurrection of damnation. All of the dead shall be called from out of the grave. If you have lived a godly life you will experience the resurrection of life.
To some who read this post it will be reassuring but to others perhaps it will be troubling. Settle your differences with Jesus now, do not wait. You do not know when you will die. Peace of God be with all of you!
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Name: Eric Rajaniemi
