Lesson 1058

(Lesson 1058)(08-08-14) John 5:25-27

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man."

In this text, Jesus clearly identifies Himself to be the Son of God, the ultimate authority over all life on earth. He also establishes that He is God born of man. He establishes that ultimate judgment and power over all things in the earth is born with Him .

This was a totally new concept for the Jews of that day because their relationship with God had always been through one of the chosen prophets. Never had God made Himself available to man, one on one. This transition proved to be virtually impossible for those Jews.

Jesus established a one on one relationship between God and man since He was God in human form, "For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because HE IS THE SON OF MAN."

This lesson, like all others in the bible, is very important to us in that through the sacrifice of Himself (God) through His only begotten (born in the flesh) Son, we are given the power to become the children of God.

What a mighty, glorious, and blessed God we serve.~

Lesson 1057

(Lesson 1057)(08-07-14) John 5:1-18

"After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk. Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.

Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole. And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

In today's quote, Jesus heals the man by the pool called Bethesda and is called out and accused by the leaders of the Jews for working on the sabbath.

After explaining the divine authority given Him by God, His Father, Jesus explained the operation of God as it pertained to Him and the means by which one can receive "everlasting life".

In the final verse of today's quote, Jesus said; "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and SHALL NOT come into condemnation; but IS passed from death unto life."

We should carefully analyze that statement so as to positively and surely understand it.

Note that Jesus first makes reference to who can receive everlasting life. He said those who "HEAR" my word, and (also) "BELIEVETH" on Him that sent me (''Him" being God the Father) will have everlasting life.

To "hear" means to understand and accept. To "believe on" means to regard as authoritative beyond all doubt.

Therefore, those who accept the gospel (word) of Jesus and believe that God is the ultimate and authoritative Master of all things, WILL receive everlasting life. (Salvation, or an eternity with God in heaven.)

After a person has heard and believed, he/she is assured by what Jesus said in the last part of the statement, that he/she will NEVER lose that everlasting life. Jesus said, "and SHALL NOT come into condemnation; but IS PASSED from death unto life."

The phrase "shall not come into condemnation" is a promise straight out of the mouth of Jesus that those who hear and believe will NEVER ("shall not") suffer condemnation, under any circumstance. No man can bring one back into condemnation after that one has believed, nor will God ever re-condemn the saved.

The statement goes further to promise that those who hear and believe are already "PASSED from death unto life". The word 'is' is present tense and means that the passing has ALREADY occurred. Therefore there is no waiting period for salvation, it occurs the moment the lost soul accepts the saving grace of God through Jesus Christ. This quote also means there will be no judgment for the souls of the saved, seeing that they have already been "PASSED" from death unto life.

I hope those who mistakenly believe that after placing their faith in God through Jesus Christ one can lose his/her salvation and that there are other steps to receiving it, will study today's lesson very carefully since it very clearly establishes that once a person is saved, they remain saved throughout eternity, no matter what they do here on earth. The newly saved person IS PASSED from death unto life everlasting.~

　

　

　

　

Lesson 1056

(Lesson 1056)(08-06-14) John 4:44-54

"For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country. Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast. So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house. This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee."

In today's quote Jesus performed His "second miracle" by healing the son of a nobleman.

This lesson demonstrates to us how quickly Jesus responds to prayer requests made by those who truly have faith in Him.

The nobleman, referred to in today's quote, had no doubt that Jesus was able to heal his ailing son. Therefore, through his unwavering faith, the boy was immediately healed.

Just as it is for us today, the nobleman was required to ASK before he could receive.~.

　

　

　

Lesson 1055

(Lesson 1055)(08-05-14) John 4:31-43

"In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee."

In today's quote, Jesus told His apostles of the awesome work that laid ahead of them. He said, in essence, that those who would take on the duties of His disciples by spreading His word would sometimes testify and see no immediate results of their testimony but that there would be others who would see the benefits of their labor.

This quote tells us that the testimony of the woman from the well caused many Samaritans to believe in Jesus. It tells us also that the presence of Jesus among the Samaritans caused many more to believe.

This lesson should inspire us all to teach the wonderful soul saving gospel of Jesus Christ to whomever we find willing to listen. Even if it appears we might not be doing any good at all, others, at another time, might see the fruits of our labor.

I believe good will come from every word that is spoken on behalf of Jesus Christ.~

Lesson 1054

(Lesson 1054)(08-04-14) John 4:5-30

"Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?

The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him."

In today's quote Jesus identifies Himself to the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well and admits to her that He is the Christ, the prophesied Messiah.

Although it was not the tradition of the Jews to associate themselves with the Samaritans Jesus took the time to explain that even though the Samaritan woman worshiped a non-existent god, she too would soon be able to receive eternal life through Him.

Speaking of the difference between the Samaritans and the Jews, Jesus said; "Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for SALVATION IS OF THE JEWS. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the TRUE WORSHIPPERS (Those who accepted and placed their faith in Christ) shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him."

In this statement, Jesus made the point that His Father God, was the God of all people and that He, the promised means of salvation, had come from Jewish ancestry as had been prophesied from the beginning.

Jesus went further and made the point that soon the means of salvation that had come by the Jews would be offered to the Gentiles also.~

Lesson 1053

(Lesson 1053)(08-03-14) John 4:1-4

"When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee. And he must needs go through Samaria."

Although what is said in today's quote appears to contain only a time line of events, and where those events took place on a map, this text actually relates some very, very important information.

Note, the text says; "Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John", and then in clarification and in parentheses, it says, in essence, Jesus Himself did NOT baptize, but rather His disciples did.

(The term baptism, and it's grammatic variants, as they are applied in this text are all in reference to water "baptisms".)

We know Jesus would eventually offer a soul saving "baptism" but that could not be until He was sacrificed for the sins of the world. We know too that the baptism Jesus offered was (and still is) a baptism of the spirit, NOT of the flesh.

This information is very important in that it helps clear up the confusion some have concerning the reason those first followers of Jesus underwent and performed water baptisms.

As we have discussed before, water baptism was borne out of Hebrew law and tradition and was practiced, beginning in Genesis, as a means to prepare an individual to enter the presence of God, whether that be in tabernacle, or temple. As in this example it was done to prepare those early disciples to worship Jesus, the Son of God.

Remember, John the Baptist said "I indeed baptize you with water UNTO repentance". (Matthew 3:11 in part)

Water baptism was NEVER scripturally designated as anything more than a step "unto", or toward, repentance. It NEVER had any purpose other than cleansing the flesh of EARTHLY impurities.

John's statement in itself clearly defines the purpose of water baptism. In the above example it was done as a step "unto" or toward, repentance, and had nothing to do with salvation, seeing that there would be no salvation until Jesus fulfilled the law and remitted the sins of those who would simply believe in Him.~

NOTE: (To repent simply means to deny the old and accept the new, or to change one's mind.)

Lesson 1052

(Lesson 1052)(08-02-14) John 3:27-36

"John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.

He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.

He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.

He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

In today's quote, John drew a clear distinction between himself and Jesus in that he (John) was sent only to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord, whereas Jesus had come to remit the sins of the world and to grant a means by which one could attain eternal life.

John's message, and the water baptisms he performed, were only to prepare the Jews for the eternal redemption that would be made possible by Jesus.

As was noted in an earlier lesson; "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:" (Matthew 3:11) This quote clearly demonstrates that the "baptism of John" was purely a precursor to the soul redeeming baptism Jesus had come to provide, and not an actual requirement of it after the Law of Moses had been fulfulled.

It's also important to note that John clearly said; "I indeed baptize you with water UNTO (Toward) REPENTANCE:" Water baptism only ritually prepared those Jews for disavowing the failed traditions of the Law.

In the latter part of today's lesson, John knowing that Jesus was indeed the Son of God said, "He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all." This statement tells us that the things that John did were "earthly" things, and that they were NOT done with the Godly power with which Jesus was endowed. "A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven." "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand." This meant that the power to save was delivered into the hands of Jesus, not John the Baptist.

The very last verse of today's quote makes it vividly clear that eternal life comes from "believing", nothing else us required. ~

NOTE: It is historic fact that from the beginning of the Law, before practicing Jews could undertake any religious experience such as praying or offering sacrifices, they were required by that law to undergo a water "baptism" (or bath) in running water. This was done in order to ritually cleanse their bodies of the unclean things with which they may have come in contact during the course of their everyday lives.

The practice of water baptism was, and still is, a Hebrew ritual that originated with ancient Hebrew las and was never imposed upon Christians at any point in the ministry of Jesus. The process was not referred to as a water "baptism" until the New Testament text was transliterated from the Greek.