Seeking

Seeking to Kill

What is Going On?

So Jesus is at the Festival of Booths (still celebrating the faithfulness of God in the Exodus). Jesus is still speaking openly and boldly despite the opposition. We learn in this verse that the Jews are beginning to seek to kill him, but the authorities are still acting timid on it but the crowds are calling for action.

Theology Points

Hate causes us to seek harm to others.

Proverbs 10:12 ESV

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.

Hate does not accomplish anything good, but stirs up trouble.

1 John 3:15 ESV

Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

Murder is not a characteristic of those who inherit eternal life. If you are a unrepentant murderer, hell fire awaits you. Scripture says hate is the same as murder.

A person characterized by hate is not a godly person.

The world seeks to kill the truth.

Hebrews 4:12 ESV

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

The truth of God makes people uncomfortable.

When people are uncomfortable the are going to respond in one of two ways, in a beneficial manner or harmful manner.

Application

Seek resolution when disagreement comes up between you and others.

Reflect on why you feel bitterness.

Ask for forgiveness for your hateful actions and thoughts.

Ask for God to reveal to you why some scripture makes you uncomfortable.

Seeking to Discredit

What is Going On?

So a couple of weeks ago we saw that the Jews were trying to discredit Jesus for supposedly working on the Sabbath by healing a man, but Jesus rebuked them and pointed out the error of their accusation. So now they are trying to find another way to discredit Jesus. Now they are tying to discredit Jesus by where he came from. Jewish tradition (not Scripture) taught that the Messiah would just appear, His origins would not exactly be known. Scripture makes it clear though Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. Then we see Jesus was raised in Nazareth. What you know about Nazareth? John 1:46 lets us know the people of Nazareth did not have a good reputation. They feel like they really had a twofold discrediting of Jesus.

Theology Points

The devil always has multiple plans of attack.

The devil likes to take a truth and twist it.

Your past does not have to define who you are.

Application

Never let your guard down. Remember you are always learning. You will never know everything. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or to ask for help.

Pay attention to the small details in scripture.

Share your testimony.

Don’t let shame control you.

What Are You Seeking?

What is Going On?

Jesus responds again to those seeking to stop him. Jesus tells them you may know a part of my earthly story, but you don’t know my spiritual story. God the son is saying God the father has sent him to do something special within creation. They get aggravated at Jesus’ response so they further seek getting him arrested. But they were not able to because God said it was not time for that part of the plan. But not all disliked Jesus. Some actually came to believe in Jesus after realizing the extent of His power.

The religious leaders were the ones pushing hard for his arrest. They were biblical law experts.

Matthew 23:27 ESV

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.

They knew a lot about the Bible, but their attitude and heart stunk.

Jesus baffles then baffles them by telling them he will soon be gone to a place they cannot follow to

Theology Points

Their is more to this life than the physical, their is a spiritual aspect to life

Their is spiritual things going on that we can’t see, but can see the effects and feel the effects. If you are saved you feel the working of the spirit. Roe v. Wade stuff, Hitler stuff, court room story, etc. Demon possessions are real. Voodoo is real.

God has a mission for all of us in this life.

In the chaos, God still has control.

Many will reject Jesus, but many will also accept him.

Everybody is seeking, but most are looking in the wrong spots.

Knowledge does not equal salvation.

Christ equips us to follow Him to where He is.

Application

Take time daily to prayerfully reflect on the day.

Seek God’s will in all things.

Don’t let panic and fear make you decisions, step back for a minute when need be and breathe and pray.

Don’t let 1,000 rejections keep you from persevering for the 1.

Seek for truth in the Bible, not in the world.

Surrender to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.