Sorry I could not post yesterday, just could not find enough time in the day.
John, chapters 7-12 has a lot to cover in it. So sorry if I miss something, but I’ll do my best to recall most of what God taught me over the last couple days.
By chapter 7 Jesus is staying away from Judea because he knows that the Jews are there, ready to take his life. He decides to go to the Feast of Tabernacles, which is a feast celebrating the completion of harvest and what God had provided that year. Through out this chapter I kept reading about people questioning Jesus and asking him over and over who He was. I could not help but think “duh! You guys don’t see it yet?!” But was taken back when I was hit with a sense of conviction that I to did when coming to Christ. These men we read about in the bible were real me, they made the same mistakes we make today and Jesus still loved all of them for it.
In chapter 8 Jesus really validates his testimony, reading it this time, I felt connected to Christ as he defended who he was, just like He does today. He never once sought to bring glory or honor to himself, only to God. Why would a false profit try to become a servant, wash others feet, or give glory to anyone else but himself. Jesus however sought only to glorify God, thus the validity of who Jesus really was.
Chapter 9, Jesus shows more of His love for everyone when He passes a blind man and heals him. The pharisees used to blame a parents for sinning if a child was ever to be born not normal. I got from this passage that the man was born blind in order for Jesus (God) to heal him. I get this by verses 3-5. This blind man was born blind in preparation for Jesus to heal him so the he and is family and friends may believe.
In Chapter 10 Jesus uses the flock of sheep parable and the thought that came to my mind was that I could not believe how lost I was without the God in m life. This passage is a great one to reflect on ones priorities and really think about who or what leads our lives today…
I chapter 11 we really see how much of a person God made himself in Jesus when his best friend Lazarus dies. Jesus knows this is going to happen, but when he hears the news from Lazarus’ family, the bible tells us He “wept”. One interesting thing to note is the greek word used here translated as wept, but really meant like a tearing, or swelling up with tears type of weep.
The Triumphal Entry is recored in chapter 12, Jesus fulfills yet another prophecy foretold about Him in the old testaments. This not only made more Jews believe in Jesus, but it validates who Jesus really was for me and my belief. A prophet foretelling of a King riding in on a donkey hundreds of years before it happening, it would be crazy to call that kind of detail a coincidence…