Twenty-First Day of Lent - Wednesday - Mar 26
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Meditation
The Twenty-First Day of Lent narrows the lesson to following Jesus. After the feast of Tabernacles was well into the week’s celebrations, Jesus enters the Temple and begins to teach. The hearers are stunned because this unschooled-carpenter expressed complex theological thinking and details of history that most people thought only well-schooled church leaders could claim.
Jesus humbly says he doesn’t come by the information because of what he studied or because of his cleverness, but because of the one who sent him. When the master informs the apprentice, the skill reflects the master’s work. Jesus takes no credit, but gives it all to God.
We are given his example to follow. Let’s not get caught up in following teachers or clever preachers, but giving glory to God—always.
He gives God the credit for the miracles he did, too. In the New Testament gospel, instead of being excited that this young man speaks profound understanding of the Scriptures, they look for ways to kill him. To kill him. That is the seriousness of their rage. They want to kill him, but they don’t do it—not for lack of trying. They try to lay hands on him but can’t. I chuckle at my mental video of these leaders grasping at Jesus but their hands fall short and they grab air…nearly toppling over on themselves. Foolishness. Their own actions become foolish.
More frustrating for them, is that people believed him. They saw him teaching in the open and wondered why, if the leaders claimed he was false, didn’t they do something to stop him? Again, the leadership failed. But the people asked the basic question: Doesn’t he fit the bill of being the Christ? The Messiah? Would another man do more miracles than this one? They recognized him as the Christ.
The Old Testament lesson refers to those in Israel who, knowing the many ways that God had provided for them, still turned to other gods—gods without power, who could do nothing for them. People, who choose to follow false gods, can become angrier, when they are confronted by truth.
As we live our lives for God, we may encounter hostility. But what we do belongs to God and we can count on God to give us the words to say and to protect us from the wiles of those that would want to hurt us. Just as Christ was protected from those who would kill him, we can be protected while we are doing God’s work.
It gives us confidence that we can serve, knowing that nothing is stronger than the power of the mighty God, who is sovereign in our lives. We don’t need to be nasty or hostile. We can speak with a peaceful, calm presence in this world of turmoil.
Thanks be to God.
All Scriptures printed below are in King James Version for copyright purposes. However, clicking on the verse locations will take you to Biblegateway.com where the text is linked to more contemporary versions.
Prayer: Almighty God, Open my eyes that I might see. Open my mind that I might understand. Open my heart that I might make your words a part of me. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Amen
Season of Lent Bible Readings
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm 81;Jeremiah 2:4-13;John 7:14-31, 37-39&version=NCV;ERV;GNT;NIV (multiple versions)
Twentieth Day of Lent
Psalm 81
Jeremiah 2:4-13
John 7:14-31 | John 7:37-39
Daily Bible Verses to Memorize for Meditating
The “Traveler’s Psalm” is worth memorizing in its whole, but at least verses 1 & 2.
Psalm 121
King James Version (KJV)
121 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
Single Bible Study chapter to study
John 7:14-31; 37-39
King James Version (KJV)
14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.
15 And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?
16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?
20 The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?
21 Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.
22 Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.
23 If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?
24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
25 Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?
26 But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?
27 Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.
28 Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not.
29 But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.
30 Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.
31 And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
OBSERVE:
Take a moment and write three observations of the verses. What strikes you? An observation is an observable fact from the Word.
1.
2.
3.
INTERPRETATION:
What do you interpret these verses to mean for you today?
APPLY:
Today, I learned _____________________________________and apply it to my life.
Prayer of Encouragement
Dear God, Jesus shows us how to do your work in the presence of those who would do us harm. Empower us and give us the courage to serve you without fear. Protect us from those who wish to hurt us. Help us to spread the good news with love. In Jesus name. Amen.
Conclusion
The Twenty-First Day of Lent brings the shame of those who would turn away from God—those in the Old Testament lesson who sought false gods and those in the New Testament lesson who turned from the profound insights that Jesus taught in the Temple (shocking them with his knowledge) and sought to kill him. It sounds crazy—to think people want to kill someone, who shows a gift of knowledge of the history of the Jewish people. But, their hearts were not in sync with God. They might have appeared as religious leaders, but Jesus (who knows) saw them as false. Jesus spoke the truth and people followed him. That is our task. To speak the truth and people will come to saving knowledge of Christ.
Go out and be ready for God to do mighty things in your life.*
Thank you for visiting ChapLynne’s Daily Encouragement and Bible Study. God bless you.
*If you do not know the Lord as your personal Savior and you are seeking, please contact me. A genuine and simple prayer, asking God into your heart for the forgiveness of your sins will also do.
The Twenty-First Day of Lent narrows the lesson to following Jesus. After the feast of Tabernacles was well into the week’s celebrations, Jesus enters the Temple and begins to teach. The hearers are stunned because this unschooled-carpenter expressed complex theological thinking and details of history that most people thought only well-schooled church leaders could claim.
Jesus humbly says he doesn’t come by the information because of what he studied or because of his cleverness, but because of the one who sent him. When the master informs the apprentice, the skill reflects the master’s work. Jesus takes no credit, but gives it all to God.
We are given his example to follow. Let’s not get caught up in following teachers or clever preachers, but giving glory to God—always.
He gives God the credit for the miracles he did, too. In the New Testament gospel, instead of being excited that this young man speaks profound understanding of the Scriptures, they look for ways to kill him. To kill him. That is the seriousness of their rage. They want to kill him, but they don’t do it—not for lack of trying. They try to lay hands on him but can’t. I chuckle at my mental video of these leaders grasping at Jesus but their hands fall short and they grab air…nearly toppling over on themselves. Foolishness. Their own actions become foolish.
More frustrating for them, is that people believed him. They saw him teaching in the open and wondered why, if the leaders claimed he was false, didn’t they do something to stop him? Again, the leadership failed. But the people asked the basic question: Doesn’t he fit the bill of being the Christ? The Messiah? Would another man do more miracles than this one? They recognized him as the Christ.
The Old Testament lesson refers to those in Israel who, knowing the many ways that God had provided for them, still turned to other gods—gods without power, who could do nothing for them. People, who choose to follow false gods, can become angrier, when they are confronted by truth.
As we live our lives for God, we may encounter hostility. But what we do belongs to God and we can count on God to give us the words to say and to protect us from the wiles of those that would want to hurt us. Just as Christ was protected from those who would kill him, we can be protected while we are doing God’s work.
It gives us confidence that we can serve, knowing that nothing is stronger than the power of the mighty God, who is sovereign in our lives. We don’t need to be nasty or hostile. We can speak with a peaceful, calm presence in this world of turmoil.
Thanks be to God.
All Scriptures printed below are in King James Version for copyright purposes. However, clicking on the verse locations will take you to Biblegateway.com where the text is linked to more contemporary versions.
Prayer: Almighty God, Open my eyes that I might see. Open my mind that I might understand. Open my heart that I might make your words a part of me. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Amen
Season of Lent Bible Readings
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm 81;Jeremiah 2:4-13;John 7:14-31, 37-39&version=NCV;ERV;GNT;NIV (multiple versions)
Twentieth Day of Lent
Psalm 81
Jeremiah 2:4-13
John 7:14-31 | John 7:37-39
Daily Bible Verses to Memorize for Meditating
The “Traveler’s Psalm” is worth memorizing in its whole, but at least verses 1 & 2.
Psalm 121
King James Version (KJV)
121 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
Single Bible Study chapter to study
John 7:14-31; 37-39
King James Version (KJV)
14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.
15 And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?
16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?
20 The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?
21 Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.
22 Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.
23 If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?
24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
25 Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?
26 But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?
27 Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.
28 Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not.
29 But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.
30 Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.
31 And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
OBSERVE:
Take a moment and write three observations of the verses. What strikes you? An observation is an observable fact from the Word.
1.
2.
3.
INTERPRETATION:
What do you interpret these verses to mean for you today?
APPLY:
Today, I learned _____________________________________and apply it to my life.
Prayer of Encouragement
Dear God, Jesus shows us how to do your work in the presence of those who would do us harm. Empower us and give us the courage to serve you without fear. Protect us from those who wish to hurt us. Help us to spread the good news with love. In Jesus name. Amen.
Conclusion
The Twenty-First Day of Lent brings the shame of those who would turn away from God—those in the Old Testament lesson who sought false gods and those in the New Testament lesson who turned from the profound insights that Jesus taught in the Temple (shocking them with his knowledge) and sought to kill him. It sounds crazy—to think people want to kill someone, who shows a gift of knowledge of the history of the Jewish people. But, their hearts were not in sync with God. They might have appeared as religious leaders, but Jesus (who knows) saw them as false. Jesus spoke the truth and people followed him. That is our task. To speak the truth and people will come to saving knowledge of Christ.
Go out and be ready for God to do mighty things in your life.*
Thank you for visiting ChapLynne’s Daily Encouragement and Bible Study. God bless you.
*If you do not know the Lord as your personal Savior and you are seeking, please contact me. A genuine and simple prayer, asking God into your heart for the forgiveness of your sins will also do.
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Replies
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OBSERVE:
Take a moment and write three observations of the verses. What strikes you? An observation is an observable fact from the Word.
1. “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?”
2. “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me..."
3. “When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?”
INTERPRETATION:
What do you interpret these verses to mean for you today?
Everything Jesus know and teaches us, He learned from His Father.
APPLY:
Today, I learned ___I can learn everything from Jesus as He learned from His Father__and apply it to my life.
Prayer of Encouragement
Dear God, Jesus shows us how to do your work in the presence of those who would do us harm. Empower us and give us the courage to serve you without fear. Protect us from those who wish to hurt us. Help us to spread the good news with love. In Jesus name. Amen.0 -
It is so hard at times to be a Christian at this day and age. It's almost embarrassing for some to admit they believe in God. There is persecution of the church...some of which is the church's own doing. But we must never be ashamed of the gospel of Christ. If Jesus were among us in the flesh today, people would still be trying to kill Him. He even admonished Pontius that Jesus was not there to be crucified because of anything that Pontius could or could not do to prevent His crucification. Pontius had no control over what was happening. Jesus CHOSE to be there. Thank God for it!
Lord, help me to remember that I have no control over my own life; that I have no life without You! Thank you, Jesus for your loving kindness and tender mercies in my life!0
