The sermon of this week is based on John 8. As you read it, and try to read it several times before Sunday, What are some surprising elements in the events being described? Even if you have read it before, Are you surprised by any particular verse, this time?
Use the section below to share those owls with the rest of us.
It strikes me that Christ did not deny the woman’s sin, but released her from it (vs. 11). Love it.
And something that else that hits me this time is in vs. 30+. These people who “believed” in Him sure seemed to change their position quickly when they were challenged.
Verses 15 & 16 pointed out how often I miss God in my circumstances. I make decisions and judge things based only on what I can see & touch, but it’s cool to see Jesus telling them not to judge out of the narrowness of their experience but out of the reality that we have a Heavenly Father who is above time & space and capable of far more than we give Him credit for!
Verse 5, Moses received Grace from God, giving this law to Israel is not showing that same Grace.
Verses 7-9, what power in the words ofJesus! ” whoever is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her”
Vrs15, 11, Jesus has the power to judge, he didn’t do it with the woman! So many times I judge others without any compassion!
37&39 Jesus makes a difference between Abraham’s descendants & his children!
44 Jesus is not afraid to call them son’s of the devil!
58, 54, 49-58 Jesus is revealing that he is God himself, that he’s infinite!
Not sure where to post for Chapter 9 but here is mine…
I was impressed by the “blindness of all man” without the help of Christ. Not only was the man who Jesus performed the miracle on blind but also the Pharisee’s are described as blind. (vs. 1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.; vs 40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”)
They were not just visual impaired…It wasn’t that with the help of glasses or contacts, they could see a little but completely blind. Completely unaware of their true condition. Both the man who did not know the Lord and the Pharisee’s whose religious veneer hid the uglyness of their sin inside.
The Pharisee’s
* were so sure of themselves, they weren’t open to receiving anything contrary to what they already believed (vs 22 the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue.)
* They used their religion like a sword, cutting others down (vs 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, vs 28 Then they hurled insults at him )
* They were judgemental of everyone else’s sin but their own(vs 34 “You were steeped in sin at birth, vs 24 “We know this man is a sinner.”)
It’s so apparent to us reading the text, the sinfulness of the Pharisee’s but they were completely blind to it. Praying that us that are religious would have the heart of the blind man and that the Lord in his kindness would open our eyes and allow us to see where we are not living as He would have us. That He would open our eyes to where we are so set in our ways and so steeped in our cultural way of doing things that we have developed spiritual blindness.
36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” ….Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
Vrs1 the disciples didn’t show ant grace to the blind man. They just wanted to know who was guilty.
3 how God can use our pain for His glory.
6 it surprises me how God works through the obedience of the blind man. That man was born blind! And it took Jesus to spit on the ground and make mud and put that in the eyes of the man, and order him to go and wash his face in an specific place.
16 the pharisees were more worried about their laws and traditions than showing grace to the needy.
18 how they were focusing in proving that Jesus was false, they brought the parents!
22 his the parents were more worried about being accuse by the pharisees than happy for their child being heal!
25 there was more wisdom and grace in the bling man, who was so humble, poor, and needy, than in all of the rest of the people that appears in this chapter (but Jesus).
28 pride blind us,
38 God receives a humble heart.
41 how Jesus answers with simple but powerful words. Again God doesn’t like our pride, he receives a humble heart.