...because his hour had not yet come.

John 8

...because his hour had not yet come. v20

God's timing is something that we need to be aware as we too often (I know I do!) want something when we want it.

This shows up elsewhere in scripture:

Ecclesiastes 9:12
Matthew 25:13

Of course the above verses not only apply to when we ask for something but more importantly the need for our readiness for Christ's return.  We must be ready and we must live with the end in mind.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are indeed a great God full of love and compassion for me yet I am not deserving of such love and passion. I am impatient, I lack compassion for others, I am selfish, angry, I worry, etc.  Thank You that You love me anyway Jesus but please forgive me.  Help me turn from such sin and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as Yourself.  Help me grow in my faith.

"You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one".

John 8

"You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one". v15

It is imperative that we recognize that we are not God and God is beyond what we can comprehend - His power, greatness, love for us, compassion, patience, are not defined in human standards.  He is His own standard.

This recognition is the starting point for us to establish a daily dependence on Jesus Christ for all things.

Case in point: the first verse of the sermon on the Mount:

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are indeed great - I have seen Your creation, and Your miracles in the lives of my brothers and sisters in Christ.  I have seen miracles in my own life.  I am not worth such blessings!  I continue to be quick to anger, slow to listen, impatient, selfish, etc.  Thank You that You love me anyway Jesus but please forgive me.  Help me turn from such sins and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as myself. Help me grow in my faith. 

"Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."

John 8

"Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” v7

On the topic of sin, Jesus reminds us that our sin is no less than others' sin so we need to avoid inappropriate judgement. 

Other places in scripture there is guidance about appropriate judgement of sin:
John 7:24
Matthew 18:15-17

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are pure, holy and blameless.  You came to earth for me..led a perfect life and then You willingly suffered and died on my behalf.  All so that I could have forgiveness for my sins and eternity in heaven with You.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love and blessing Jesus...I am full of anger, impatience, judgement, arrogance, pride, etc.  Please forgive me for such sin and help me turn from such sin and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as myself.  Help me grow in my faith.

No one ever spoke the way this man does

John 7

No one ever spoke the way this man does.  v46

There is no doubt no one speaks the way Jesus speaks, yet this does not mean Jesus does not speak through others.

...[D]o not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.  Matthew 10:19-20

My Prayer: Jesus, You are indeed great and Your words are indeed power...and truth.  Without Your word I am lost.  Your word heals me, protects me, feeds me, encourages me, etc.  I am not deserving of such blessing - I am full of anger, I am impatient, and I worry...constantly.  Thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as myself...and help me grow in my faith.

"Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”

John 7

"Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.” v24

As Jesus is teaching in the temple courts, He admonishes the crowd that focuses on following the law of Moses.  Jesus correctly is concerned about our heart condition.

Above all else, guard your heart,

    for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23

While our external behavior is important, what is most important is our heart condition and the extent to which we believe and love Jesus and love others as ourselves - see also my post from a few days ago.
My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are indeed great and everything You about amazes me and I am so blessed that You love me.  I am blessed beyond what I deserve.  I am quick to anger and slow to listen.  Thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me and help me turn from these sins and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength, and help me help me love others and myself.  Help me also grow and mature in my faith.

But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders.

John 7

But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders. v13

The question for me is...am I willing to publicly proclaim my love of Jesus despite fear of consequences.  I hope so...

My Prayer: Lord, You are great, Your Word, Will, and Works are all great...and perfect. I have seen with my own hands in my own life.  Thank You Jesus for all that You do to bless me well beyond what I deserve.  Forgive me for my anger, impatience, selfishness, etc.  Help me turn from such sin and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as myself.  Help me grow in my faith.

On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”

John 6

On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” v60

Believers in Jesus cannot make distinctions between His teachings that are worth following and those not worth following...we must obey all His words.  God recognizes that we cannot do this (Romans 3:23) but that does not mean we should not mature in our faith (see post yesterday).

All of God's words are perfect...see post here and here.

My Prayer: Lord You are a great God beyond all description.  You love me and You suffered and died for me...and if that was not enough You continue to be an active powerful force in my life daily for my good.  Thank You Jesus!  Forgive me for my worry.  Help me turn from such sin and towards You.  Help me love with You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength, help me love others as Yourself and help me mature in my faith.

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

John 6

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” v28-29

The disciples question here is one that many people ask, including myself.

Jesus makes it easy with His response - believe.  Elsewhere in scripture there are other clues for what He desires in our relationship with Him:

‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  Matthew 22:37-40

The above needs no further explanation.

 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature,who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Hebrews 5:13-14

The above needs at least a bit more explanation - we must grow in our faith...for me I can lean on resources such as the following from James Bryan Smith and from an organization Renovare.

There is more work to do...help me Jesus.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what a great God You are that were willing and able to die in my place so that I could have forgiveness from my sins and eternal life in Heaven with You.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love and blessing.  I am quick to anger and very impatient...I am not nice to my wife and I continue to worry.  Please forgive me for these sins and help me turn away from them and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength...help me love others as myself and help me grow in my faith.

Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you

John 6

Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. v27

For me this verse provides yet another clarification regarding how I should focus - pleasing and glorifying him...always.  Too often I work to please and glorify myself.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are great beyond my description...one being that You forgive me...I know Your patience is not unlimited but it seems like it is.  Thank You Jesus.  Please forgive me for my anger and lack of patience.  Help me be a better man...help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

John 6

Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. v15

Jesus knows all things and He is all powerful.  He knows our hearts and what is good for us.  I must submit to Him and focus on loving Him with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength...and then I must focus on loving others as myself.

 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You indeed are great and worthy of my worship.  You have blessed me well beyond what I deserve and what man can accomplish.  I know You are real, and You are an active God that loves me daily.  This is even more amazing given I continue to sin - impatience, anger, arrogance, pride, etc.  Thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me Jesus. Help me turn from such sin and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

“Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”

John 4

“Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.” v48

Faith is defined by MW as a "firm belief in something for which there is no proof; complete trust."  I don't agree with the "no proof" but there is a leap one must make to have faith in Christ.  Part of this is an awareness of how God works.  God works when one submits to Him.  This in turn implies humility...that we are NOT God.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus what a great God You are!  I know You are real and You work daily in life to bless me beyond what I deserve. I continue to be impatient, quick to anger, and to be worrisome. Thank You that You love me despite my sin but please forgive me - help me turn from my sin and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength. 

And because of his words many more became believers.

John 4

 And because of his words many more became believers. v41

Words are powerful and we should not underestimate their power.  If we allow it, Jesus can speak through us.  See also my post here from Luke 4.

My Prayer: What a great God You are that You provide Your words to me...guidance, love, compassion, etc.  I am not worth such love and blessing.  I am impatient and quick to anger.  Thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me Jesus.  Help me turn from such sin and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work."

John 4

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." v34

Jesus challenges us here that what sustains is not food and water but doing the work of God.  

Further explaining Himself, Jesus says:

Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”  v35-38

He not only challenges us with regard to what should drive us but also that there is always work to do...that the we need to be more aware of how the needs of others is all around us.  He also explains how some of us "sow" and how some of us "reap".  God orchestrates all it and we should not be concerned about doing everything...if we called to "sow" then do that...and if we are called to "reap" then do that.  

I should just focus my energies on serving Jesus and pleasing Him.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You love me and bless me despite my sin...I am selfish, impatient and that is not of course the extent of my sin!  Thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me Jesus.  Help me turn from my sin and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.