John - Week 26

No Demon in Me 

READ 

John 8:48-51 

48 The people retorted, “You Samaritan devil! Didn’t we say all along that you were possessed by a demon?” 

49 “No,” Jesus said, “I have no demon in me. For I honor my Father—and you dishonor me. 50 And though I have no wish to glorify myself, God is going to glorify me. He is the true judge. 51 I tell you the truth, anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!” 

The people came close to cursing Jesus. To call Him a “devil” would have been enough, but in their culture to call Him a “Samaritan devil” was the worst thing they could think of to call him. Even though verse 48 has “devil” and verse 49 has “demon,” the word in both instances is “demon” in the original language. There is only one devil, but there are many demons. Jesus again emphasizes that it is the one who obeys His teaching that shows he is a true disciple. But never die? That was too much for them to believe. 

REFLECT 

The language one uses can show contempt of someone else. Think about terms you use that might be offensive to some. Be sure that if you offend, it is because of the Gospel and not something you have done or said. 

RESPOND 

Read Proverbs 12 and notice the seven times it refers to “words.” Make some notes of some lessons you have learned from this that you can use in your own life. 

Greater Than Abraham 

READ 

John 8:52-53 

52 The people said, “Now we know you are possessed by a demon. Even Abraham and the prophets died, but you say, ‘Anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!’ 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?” 

Father Abraham was a revered ancestor of the Jews and they did not like anyone mischaracterizing anything about him. They admitted that he and the prophets had died so how could Jesus be promising anyone life that would never end? Typical of human reasoning, they could not distinguish between physical death and spiritual life. In John 3, Nicodemus had a hard time understanding the distinction between physical birth and spiritual birth. 

REFLECT 

Think of ways you can make your witnessing clearer by more fully expressing what you mean by the terminology you use. It is lost time if people don’t know what you are really saying.  

RESPOND 

Read Genesis 12:1-3 and 15:1-6 to learn key things about Abraham. Knowing more about the Old Testament will help you to better understand the New Testament. 

Looking Forward to Jesus 

READ 

John 8:54-56 

54 Jesus answered, “If I want glory for myself, it doesn’t count. But it is my Father who will glorify me. You say, ‘He is our God,’ 55 but you don’t even know him. I know him. If I said otherwise, I would be as great a liar as you! But I do know him and obey him. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad.” 

Jesus was clear and bold in telling these in the crowd that they did not know His heavenly Father. Although they claimed the special privilege of being related to Abraham, these unbelievers were inconsistent because Jesus said Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to His coming and they were not. They were going contrary to Abraham whom they claimed to revere. 

REFLECT 

To Jesus, knowing the heavenly Father and obeying Him went hand-in-hand. One could not really claim to know Him unless he was willing to obey Him. 

RESPOND 

Read James 2:14-17 to see that one who says he has faith but has no resulting works is relying on the wrong kind of faith. That kind of faith does not save anyone. Help others understand this as you talk to them about Jesus and the need to have faith in Him that will result in obedience to what He taught. 

I Am 

READ 

John 8:57-59 

57 The people said, “You aren’t even fifty years old. How can you say you have seen Abraham?” 

58 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I am!” 59 At that point they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden from them and left the Temple. 

The people challenged Jesus immediately in claiming He had seen Abraham when Abraham had been dead for many years. Then here we have one of the great “I am’s” of the Bible. This was the claim of Jesus to be the great I AM of Exodus 3:13-15. God is the ever-existent one. This relates to the English word “Jehovah” that in most English translations is seen in the word LORD in all caps.  

REFLECT 

Think of the great God you serve. He is eternal because He has always existed and always will exist. And think of the comfort it brings realizing He will never leave or forsake you, as Hebrews 13:5 says. 

RESPOND 

Be prepared to answer those who do not think that Jesus is Jehovah. Compare John 1:23 with its prediction in Isaiah 40:3 where the word for “Jehovah” is used. Jesus clearly fulfilled this promise so it can be said, “Jesus is Jehovah.”  

Blind from Birth 

READ 

John 9:1-3 

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 2 “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” 3 “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. 

Since the beginning of time, it seems, there have been those who think that suffering is only because of sin. The book of Job reveals that his three “friends” thought this was the reason for his suffering. It is true, that suffering could be for the purpose of the Lord discipling one of His own, as Hebrews 12:7-9 indicates, but this is not always so. And Jesus specifically said this was not the case of the man born blind. It was not because of his or his parents’ sin but so the power of God could be evidenced through him. 

REFLECT 

Do not be quick to interpret why someone may be suffering. Only God really knows the reason.  

RESPOND 

Read 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 to see the apostle Paul’s reasoning about the suffering through which he was going. How can this apply to your own life?