It's Day 9 and we're in John 4.
Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 14 - "a well of water springing up to eternal life" - Nice image - I like the idea of God being within us and flowing out of us.
- Verse 34 - Is that what satisfies me?
Help:
- Verses 48, 50 - Jesus speaks those challenging words in verse 48, but then the man shows that he is willing to take Jesus by faith (and not by signs) by walking away without having seen the miracle.
If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.
If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.
Your Comments and Questions:
- John 2: "As I was reading verses 20-21 it occurred to me that this may be referencing our human aging? It takes us years to 'contaminate' or harm our bodies but Jesus can cleanse us and raise our temple back? Am I on the right track?" - The immediate context of the verses is that Jesus tells them He can raise up the Temple in three days (v. 19). They think He's referring to the Temple building so they reply in v. 20 that it's taken 46 years to build the Temple so there's no way one person could build it back in three days. But Jesus wasn't referring to the Temple building. He was referring to the "temple" of His body, which would be killed but then raised three days later. This is a proof that Jesus knew what was coming as He went through His ministry. He knew that death and resurrection were the ultimate goals. Now, regarding your questions, it is true that we as believers are called "God's temple" (1 Corinthians 3:16). This is because the Holy Spirit dwells within us. Although the John 2 verses are specifically referring to Jesus' body, it is also true that Jesus does intend to make us into places where the Holy Spirit can comfortably dwell by working within us to get rid of sin.
- John 1: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us ..." He's here and he likes us.
- Psalm 135: "Where the Scripture Spoke to Me: Verses 15-16. How: In this segment, Scripture is talking specifically about man made idols which shows what even the most hardened atheist knows: man is innately religious. You are going to worship something, like it or not, because we’re fashioned that way. Verse 18. This verse is short but shrewdly psychological: 'Those who make them will be like them.' If you worship money, you’ll become greedy. The 'there is never enough' through process will begin. If you’re after fame, generally scandal will follow. If you worship physical beauty, no matter how many face lifts or hair plugs you put in, no one is exempt from time. I have never seen a beautiful corpse. If you worship power, at some point others worshipping power, will take it away. Man, without God, trusts in these things but it’s futile because they have no everlasting qualities. Only God remains."
- Where God Spoke to Me: "17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.18 The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." Comment: "This verse used to seem contradictory to me for several reasons despite what’s right before me in the above. We are judged. In Revelation, we’re told that the book will be opened and everyone will be judged according to his deeds. If it is for the Christian only, it’s what fruits have been produced since conversion. If it’s the Great White Throne Judgment, you’re sunk. In the above text, Jesus is not judging us, but God will. Jesus has not come to save us from hell but from God’s wrath. I don’t know all the Hebrew ramifications of the word “judged” but in Verse 18, I read this as “the one who believes in Him is not judged (condemned) but the one who does not believe has been condemned already. There’s a difference between judgement and condemnation. Judgement has some leeway; condemnation is final."
