You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me.

John 8:12-8:20

You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. John 8:15-16

I continue my study of John and today I focus on John 8:12-8:20, where Jesus continues to teach in the temple in Jerusalem after the Feast of Booths, and he is once again challenged by the Pharisees.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method. 

• What do we learn from the text about God?: Jesus is the light of the world - v12.  Light allows one to find what they are looking for, and in contrast without light (darkness), we are limited in our ability to find what we seek, and we are trapped. Light is also hope.  When challenged by the Pharisees (that His testimony is false), Jesus issues His own challenge to them by sharing that He was sent by the Father so both He and the Father bear witness to Him (vv17-18), and by standards set in the Old Testament (see Deuteronomy 17:6, 19:15, and Numbers 35:30), Jesus is who He says He is. Jesus also challenges the Pharisees that they judge by the flesh and He does not judge by Himself, but with the Father and their judgement is true (of course because they are all knowing).  We also know that from scripture elsewhere that Jesus judges the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).  In v20 Jesus responds to the Pharisees - who ask Him where His Father is (v19) - by challenging them about their lack of knowledge of both Him and the Father - which is quite damning (literally) because if they truly knew the law they would see Him as the Promised Messiah. Once again, we see how nothing can stop God's plan because even though He is in the temple and the chief priests, scribes and Pharisees sought to arrest and kill Jesus, they were unsuccessful because "his hour had not yet come" (v20). 
• What do we learn from the text about people?: The Pharisees do what people often do, they judge without taking the time to understand - this is in contrast to Nicodemus (who was one of them) - see also John 7:50-51.  
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Avoid judging - this is God's role - seek to understand one's heart condition.  Claim the promise that if we seek Him with all of our heart, we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).  Follow Nicodemus' example to get to know God - go to God daily in study and prayer.  

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves!  You are the light of the world and Your Word is lamp to my feet - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You save and for the light You provide. My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

For God does not show favoritism.

Romans 2

For God does not show favoritism. v11

In Romans 2, Paul addresses those of the Jewish faith who demonstrated hypocrisy, as many claimed to be righteous yet sinned equally in God eyes.  According to John Piper, "[God] sees through [external appearances] and goes to the heart of the matter and is not partial to appearance and circumstance. Nobody breaks the rules and gets away with it, no matter how powerful or clever or wealthy or networked. All are judged by the same measure."

Core to addressing hypocrisy - and our faith for that matter - is our heart condition.  We must focus on getting a "new" heart - one that is softened and transformed more into the likeness of God. God of course does this for us when we draw near to Him.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You have given me a new heart and a new life - thank You Jesus!  I am grateful.  Yet I am undeserving.  I am selfish and I have much more sin.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.   

Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.

John 7

Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. v16-18

In John 7, the disciples encouraged Jesus to go to Judea for Sukkot or the Festival of Tabernacles (v1-9).  Jesus went in secret and taught in the temple (v10, 14).  The Jews there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?” (v15)

Jesus invites (and desires) us to have a personal relationship with Him so that He can teach us directly through daily study and time with Him.  While it is often helpful to have others teach us God's word - there is no replacement for our own personal time with God.  If we surrender to Jesus, He will transform our thoughts (Romans 12:2) and work through us.  

On a related note, John Piper encourages us by sharing how God helps give us words to say in our defense of Jesus and other difficult circumstances.

Also in this story in John 7 where Jesus teaches us the Festival of Tabernacles, Jesus challenges the Jews to focus on people's heart condition and not on external behavior.

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

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God who loves me and and who saved me (while still sinning!) - thank You Jesus!  I am undeserving of such love and salvation.  I worry and I have much sin!  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.

Micah 5

He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.  And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. v4

Micah 5 promises a ruler from Bethlehem, a town, according to the MacArthur Commentary, which was "small in size but not in honor".  In the same way, we have a God who focuses on our heart condition, not on external appearances.  We are called to strive to be more like Jesus - to be holy because He is holy.  If we focus on our heart, through daily time with Him and other spiritual disciplines, God can our renew our heart and mind.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

Subsequent verses in Romans 12 also point us to humility.  We exist not for our own desires, but to serve and glorify Jesus.

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:3-5

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who came not be served but to serve.  Thank You Jesus for the cross, the Holy Spirit, Your Word, and all that You are and do.  I am not worth such a God.  I daily miss the mark.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.

Isaiah 11

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. v3-4

We know that Isaiah gives us a vision and prophecy of the coming Messiah - Immanuel - and in chapter 11 we understand more of His character - a righteous God who judges the heart. 


But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

Whatever God does is for His glory and our good.  God is not random, nor is He angry or full of wrath.  Instead, He is slow to anger and abounding in love, and His justice is perfect.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God whose justice is perfect, who knows everything about us yet loves us anyway, and who is slow to anger and abounding in love. You are all of this and more...thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such a God.  I worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Please help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.