Looking for Jesus according to John

[JLG]

20) Jesus vs the religious leaders


John 10: Jesus tells about the hired man who is not a shepherd and to whom the sheep do not belong!


- When he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and flees!


- Then the wolf snatches them and scatters them!


- THE SHEPHERD vs no shepherds at all!


- THE SHEEP BELONG TO THE SHEPHERD!


- WHEN THE WOLF IS COMING THE HIRED MAN ABANDONS THE SHEEP AND FLEES!


- He is a HIRED MAN and DOES NOT CARE FOR THE SHEEP!


- THE HIRED MAN / ABANDONS THE SHEEP / FLEES


- It is difficult to be more clear!


- Do you need the real SHEPHERD or the HIRED MAN!

 

[JLG]

21) Jesus vs the religious leaders


John 10: The Jews are divided because of Jesus’ words!


- Some think he has a demon, whereas others he has not!


- It is not something new!


- And it keeps going the same way!


- It is the same with Bible translations!


- It seems there are many Bibles!


- That’s why it is important to keep in mind the original text!


- Jesus said many would come in his name and turn his message into something else to mislead the majority!


- Thus we must be careful!


- Thus we must check everything!


- Thus we must take time on a daily basis to learn about the Bible!


- It is like a trip that will never end!


- The more we understand the more we want to learn!


- And it is not possible to stop!


- But you can’t postpone this trip!


- It is a question of life and death for each one of us!


-If you think you don’t have the time, what do you think that Jesus will say when he comes back regarding you?

 

[JLG]

22) Jesus vs the religious leaders


John 10: Then the Jews surround him and begin to say to him: “how long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”


- They are not serious!


- Better said, they are ridiculous!


- How is it possible to say such words?


- Everybody is speaking about Jesus’ miracles!


- And they can hear his teaching even if they don’t want to listen to it!


- The way you ask questions shows who you are and if you are really interested!


- You can act with bad faith!


- But you can’t cheat people except if they want it!


- The way you act and speak gives many indications of who you really are!

 

[JLG]

23) Jesus vs the religious leaders


John 11: Jesus has waited for Lazarus’ death to resurrect him. When he sees Lazarus’ sisters weeping, he can’t avoid weeping too even if he is going to resurrect him. But Jesus is sensitive, he feels something when people suffer. And he goes to the tomb and before resurrecting Lazarus, he prays to God. As a consequence, many of the Jews put faith in him.


- We know that Jesus cured many people!


- Even among the Jews, many could see his miracles!


- Some put faith in him, others no!


- Those who didn’t put faith in Jesus knew he was the Christ!


- But they preferred to keep their positions!


- They looked for their personal interests!


- Those who put faith in Jesus had a better disposition of the heart!

 

[JLG]

24) Jesus vs the religious leaders


John 12: Jesus goes back to Bethany where he resurrected Lazarus. There is an evening meal at the house of Lazarus, Martha and Mary. Mary puts an expensive perfumed oil on Jesus’ feet and wipes his feet dry with her hair. Many Jews come to see Jesus and Lazarus. The chief priests conspire to kill Lazarus because many Jews put their faith in Jesus. The next day Jesus is received in Jerusalem as king of Israel. His disciples will understand what was written about him after his death. Jesus tells his disciples that the time has come for him to die and be resurrected. The Jews want to know why according to the Law the Christ must remain forever and Jesus says he must be lifted and they also want to know who the Son of man is. But the Jews don’t want to put faith in him. Many rulers put faith in Jesus but they don’t want to acknowledge it because of the Pharisees.


- Again the Jews know who Jesus is but they don’t want to put faith in him because they want to keep their power!


- Those who put faith in him don’t acknowledge it because they want to keep their power!


- It is always the same story!


- The religious leaders prefer to sell themselves to keep their power!


- They don’t belong to God!


- It is always a personal choice!


- Looking for God or for power!


- The religious leaders usually prefer power!


- This world is superficial and the majority prefers superficiality!


- They think they can get everything without doing anything!


- But it has never worked like that!


- God’s word is not man’s word!

- But anyone receives his own reward on time!


- God’s law always applies!


- It is only a question of time!


- When it’s too late, it’s too late!


- There is no surprise!


- It is written and it has been written for so long!


- It is only necessary to open the Bible and read it carefully again and again!

 

[JLG]

25) Jesus vs the religious leaders


John 13: Jesus tells his disciples that if, being the Lord and teacher, he washes the feet of one another, they should also do it!


- Every religious leader wants to become the top leader!


- It is the same in politics and business!


- Power is not to share!


- It is so different from Jesus!


- Only wolves!


- God’s world is going to be totally different!


- We can’t imagine how it is going to be!


- It is necessary to prepare now to be able to adapt!


- We must prepare our mind!


- Only one leader, God and nobody will be able to oppose him!


- Only two options: accept God’s authority or die!


- Those who think to behave like the Israelites will be eradicated straight away!

 

[JLG]

26) looking for Jesus


John 2: So after making a whip of ropes, he drives all those with the sheep and cattle out of the temple, and he pours out the coins of the money changers and overturns their tables!


- And he tells those selling the doves to take it away from the house of his Father!


- And his disciples recall that it is written: “The zeal for your house will consume me.”


- Man’s tradition against God’s word!


- Think of that: the Jews have no shame!


- They let the merchants sell animals inside God’s temple!


- You just think of that and you understand that they only teach man’s tradition which opposes completely God’s word!


- Then you may understand Jesus’ anger!


- They don’t even respect God’s house!


- Shame on them!

 

[JLG]

27) looking for Jesus


John 3: Jesus asks him how he can be a teacher of Israel and he doesn’t know these things!


- Jesus speaks about what he knows and he bears witness about what he has seen but they don’t receive the witness he gives them!


- How will it be possible for them to believe heavenly things if they don’t believe earthly things?


- Think of that : Jesus tells a teacher of Israel and he doesn’t understand him !


- When he is with his disciples, he uses progressive teaching, yet they don’t understand him !


- They need him to die and go away and then they start to understand !


- Moreover, they receive holy spirit to help them understand !


- Do you understand Jesus’ message about what we have to do to understand his message ?


- We can’t let others do the job ?


- We need to work hard individually !


- And nobody knows better !


- It’s just a question of working hard !


- If you don’t do it as when you eat and drink and sleep daily, how can you work hard ?


- How will you understand ?


- Jesus used to teach every day !

 

[JLG]

28) looking for Jesus


John 4: Jesus asks a Samaritan woman for a drink!


- She is surprised because the Jews don’t do that!


- Then he starts to speak with her and teaches her about everlasting life!


- And he tells her about the five husbands she had and the last man she is with is not her husband!


- So she understands Jesus is a prophet!


- He tells her that the hour is coming when the true worshipers will worship God with spirit and truth!


- Then he tells her he is Messiah!


- Then the disciples arrive and they don’t understand why he is speaking with a Samaritan woman!


- The woman comes back with more men to be taught by Jesus!


- Then he tells his disciples that teaching and doing God’s will is more important than eating!


- Many Samaritans put faith in Jesus and they ask him to stay with them and he stays for two days. And more Samaritans put faith in him!


- Jesus decides to speak with this Samaritan woman because he knows her heart!


- He knows she has been married many times and that she now lives with a man who is not her husband!


- But he has nothing to do with prejudices!


- And in fact, she accepts his message and she helps others to accept his message!


- The disciples can’t understand because they see with man’s eyes!


- Jesus will have a lot of work to do with them but he knows their hearts too!


- He has come for the Jews but in this case he makes an exception!


- He always can adapt to the situation!


- A lot to learn from his attitude!

 

[JLG]

29) looking for Jesus


John 5: A man is there who has been sick for 38 years!


- He can see the man lying and is aware that he has already been sick for a long time!


- So he asks him if he wants to get well!

- Jesus is conscious of man’s pain and sufferance!

- He is also conscious that he has spent a lot of years ill!

- Now participating in God’s creation is one thing!

- But coming down the earth and living as a human being is something else!

- Jesus could feel directly and personally human pain and sufferance!

- He could see it with his own eyes and through human eyes!

- He could also share their pain and sufferance!


-There is nothing better than participating!

 

[JLG]

30) looking for Jesus


John 5: Jesus tells him to pick up his mat and walk!


- And the man immediately gets well, and he picks up his mat and begins to walk.


- Jesus did many miracles!


- Every time he was precise!


- He knew exactly what he was doing!


- He is a perfectionist!


- He has learned everything from his Father!


- Through a deep collaboration!


- His teachings and his actions are perfect!


- Everything at the right time!


- And he shows us the way!


- But it will never be man’s way!


- Only God’s way!


- And he told us that God’s word was going to be corrupted!


- And we can trace this corruption since the beginning!


- The devil told Adam and Eve that they would not die but they died!


- And the Israelites went after other gods!


- And they mixed God’s word with man’s word!


- And through man’s history, man has been doing the same mixing God’s word with man’s word!


- It is so different from “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”


- Maybe it is too simple so man prefers man’s corrupted word!

 

[JLG]

31) Looking for Jesus


John 5: But he answered them: “My Father has kept working until now, and I keep working.”


- When we look at the universe, “rest” doesn’t mean anything!


- Everything is always in movement!


- Constantly renewing itself!


- There is continuity!


- Thus “God has kept working until now”!


- God doesn’t need to eat or to drink or to sleep!


- And Jesus does the same, he keeps working!


- Once again we must be careful to a translation because it may not mean what we are used to!


- And here I am not speaking about the corruption of God’s word through man’s word or tradition!

 

[JLG]

32) Looking for Jesus


John 5: This is why the Jews began seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath but he was also calling God his own Father, making himself equal to God.


G2470

isos (Key) = adjective

Probably from εἴδω (G1492) (through the idea of seeming)

equal, in quantity or quality

ἴσος ísos, ee'-sos; probably from G1492 (through the idea of seeming); similar (in amount and kind):—+ agree, as much, equal, like.

- Jesus speaks about God as his Father!


- It tells about a strong relationship between God and Jesus, between Father and son!


- They are equal and of the same nature!


- Jesus comes from Heaven!

 

[JLG]

33) Looking for Jesus


John 5: Jesus answers them that the Son can’t do a single thing of his own initiative but only what he sees the Father doing. He does like his Father!


- When we think about a father and his son, when the son is young, he tries to copy his father and gradually he wants to become independent and act as it pleases himself!


- It is completely different from the relationship between God and Jesus because Jesus doesn’t want to become independent, he wants to do like his Father in like manner!


- They have spent so much time together!


- They have made so many things together!


- He has sent his son to the earth to die for men!


- he will come back on earth to make his Father’s will!


- Thus it is difficult for men to understand such a deep relationship!


- With men, nothing lasts!


- Usually fathers and sons have difficulties understanding each other!

 

[JLG]

34) Looking for Jesus


John 5: For the Father has affection for the Son and shows him all the things he himself does, and he will show him works greater than these, so that you may marvel. For just as the Father raises the dead up and makes them alive, so the Son also makes alive whomever he wants to. For the Father judges no one at all, but he has entrusted all the judging to the Son, so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.


- definition of affection: a feeling of liking and caring for someone or something : tender attachment : fondness She had a deep affection for her parents.


- God and Jesus care for each other!


- “God shows the Son all the things he himself does”!


- Here again there is a big difference because the Father shows the son ALL the things he himself does!


- It is so different from a normal father son relationship that people can’t understand it!


- Probably because men are used to making gods in their own image like the ancient Greek!


- But this is no Greek philosophy!


- It goes far beyond basic human philosophy!

 

[JLG]

35) Looking for Jesus


John 5: Most truly I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes the One who sent me has everlasting life, and he does not come into judgment but has passed over from death to life.


- First we need to hear Jesus’ word!


- Then we must believe the one who sent Jesus!


- Then we can get everlasting life!


- We can speak about a summary!


G191

akouō (Key)

to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf

to hear

1. to attend to, consider what is or has been said
   
2. to understand, perceive the sense of what is said
   

2. to hear something
   
   1. to perceive by the ear what is announced in one's presence
      
   2. to get by hearing learn
      
   3. a thing comes to one's ears, to find out, learn
      
   4. to give ear to a teaching or a teacher
      
   5. to comprehend, to understand
      

G4100

pisteuō (Key)

to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in

1. of the thing believed
   
   1. to credit, have confidence
      
3. in a moral or religious reference
   
   1. used in the NT of the conviction and trust to which a man is impelled by a certain inner and higher prerogative and law of soul
      
   2. to trust in Jesus or God as able to aid either in obtaining or in doing something: saving faith
      
   3. mere acknowledgment of some fact or event: intellectual faith
      

1. to entrust a thing to one, i.e. his fidelity
   
   1. to be entrusted with a thing
      

- IT MEANS FAR MORE THAN JUST ONE WORD!

 

[JLG]

36) Looking for Jesus


John 5: “Most truly I say to you, the hour is coming, and it is now, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who have paid attention will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted also to the Son to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to do judging, because he is the Son of man. Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, and those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment.


- Hear!


- Pay attention!


- God has given Jesus authority to do judging!

 

[JLG]

37) Looking for Jesus


John 5: I cannot do a single thing of my own initiative. Just as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is righteous because I seek, not my own will, but the will of him who sent me.


- So powerful!


- And each relationship between God and men such as Job, Daniel, Samuel and others is special!


- But it can’t be compared to the one between God and Jesus!


- Jesus cannot do a single thing of his own initiative: Do you understand what it means?


- He seeks, not his own will, but the will of his Father: can you believe it?

 

[JLG]

38) Looking for Jesus


John 5: “If I alone bear witness about myself, my witness is not true. There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the witness he bears about me is true. You have sent men to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. However, I do not accept the witness from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. That man was a burning and shining lamp, and for a short time you were willing to rejoice greatly in his light.


- John the Baptist bore witness about Jesus!


- Jesus calls him a burning and shining lamp!

 

[JLG]

39) Looking for Jesus


John 5: But I have the witness greater than that of John, for the very works that my Father assigned me to accomplish, these works that I am doing, bear witness that the Father sent me.


- But most important, Jesus’ miracles bore witness to Jesus!


- And he made so many again and again!