The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 (John 8:12-10:21)
During The Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus begins to speak more publicly of His deity. Many believe and follow when He shares wisdom on light and points to Himself as a light that will not extinguish. Truth becomes the focus of conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees while others closely observe. Jesus states the Truth will set you free while sin enslaves you. The Pharisees are highly offended because they are sons of Abraham and they have not been slaves since the Exodus. In defense of their obtuse behavior they declare Jesus to be demon possessed, which makes no logical sense whatsoever, but validated their rebellious attitude when Jesus spoke of things eternal and the Pharisees picked up stones to kill Him.
As if by coincidence, a man, blind since birth crossed Jesus’ path following His comments on Light. The disciples asked why the man is afflicted. Is it because of his personal sin or the sin of his parents? Jesus explains, sin is not the cause but shows that every pain is an opportunity to show God’s glory, then He heals the man…..on the Sabbath. Again, the Pharisees are outraged and question Jesus, then the man, and his parents, then the man again. They were bent on discerning the how and why of Jesus’ actions and applying some nefarious motivation. They could not find what did not exist.
Jesus continued His teaching with verses that have become some of the most precious and cherished words in Christendom, John 10:7-18. “I am the Good Shepherd.” Shepherds were well known to the people of Palestine. They knew you don’t drive sheep, you lead them. The Good Shepherd longs to give life in full so He walks closely, provides absolute security, guides to green pastures and still water, gives constant companionship and unfailing love. There is nothing more to wish for.
Jesus has no motive but love, a love so great that it frees and heals and fills the void that the world leaves.
Love,
Gretchen
good morning again Gretchen! I have to say that reading your devotions are becoming a staple to my morning routines! I have to admit that I don’t know what “nefarious” means, but I have a dictionary and will learn. As i look at different situations we all live through, one thing I am learning to keep in mind are the four basic needs people have. I praise the LORD for these four hungers because they explain the motives of the heart. Take for instance the hunger we all have to have our beliefs verified by other people. The sad thing for those who were trying to discredit Jesus is that they thought they were right in keeping their precious law. And while the law was God’s decree, it was an incomplete truth. It wasn’t until Jesus came that the fulfillment of the law came into the picture. Those who had the benefit of seeing the truth and following it instead of discarding it would make the early church thrive. The principle of grace was too much for them so to save face (pride) they felt it was inside their rights to hold on to an incomplete truth and banish those who thought differently. Thanks for your commitment to the Lord dear cousin. phil
Thank you for engaging with me. Those who were willing to settle for the incomplete truth missed that fact that Jesus was always part of the Law. The prophets foretold continuously, but He just wouldn’t meet their expectations. It is so heartbreaking and I still find this resistance today. People have expectations of what God must do for them or they won’t believe. It is frustrating for sure!