John 6:1

 

 John 6:1 says, After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias.  Jesus went across the sea of Galilee, which was called the sea of Tiberius, in honor of the emperor by the same name.  Jesus did not cross over to the city but went further up the coast from where He had been.  Verse two adds, And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.  If He planned to go away from the crowd of people for a while, it didn’t work.  Great multitudes followed Him because of the miracles He had done. There ar some people today who follow Jesus   because of the miracles He has done, and if they see no miracle in their life, they turn away.  Verse three continues, And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.  Jesus had gone up on the mountain with His disciples, and He looked up and saw the multitude coming to Him.  Notice He did not say something like not now, I am tired or busy or hungry.   We may at times need to get away, but if God leads someone to us, we should not turn them away.  Verse four states, And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.  Verse five adds, When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? Since the Passover was near, Jesus asked Philip, who had been with Him from the beginning of His ministry, and had seen many miracles, where could they buy enough bread to feed the multitude.  Verse six continues, And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.  Jesus did this to prove Philip’s faith. He did not do it to tempt him.  God will never tempt us, but He may sometimes test our faith.  Verse seven concludes, Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.  Philip said two hundred penny worth of bread was not enough for them to have just a little. How often do we look at the task God has set before us and say that it is impossible?  We have seen firsthand, if we are indeed His followers, the miracle of salvation, but still doubt His ability to provide for us.  We look at the facts and not the Creator of it all.  Philip needed to look to Jesus and not at the masses, and so must we always look to Him first.  Sometimes we would be better off looking at what we have instead of what we don’t have. 

John 5:39

In John 5:39 says, Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.   Then, Jesus said they had the witness of the Scripture.  They were waiting His coming because God's Word said He was coming.  We have not just the Old Testament that foretold His coming, but also the New Testament that tells of His dying for us and His coming again to receive His followers to Himself.  We today also have the witness of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter sent to be with us until Jesus returns.  We can either acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God and our redeemer, or one day face Him as our accuser.  Jesus continues to speak of the Jews belief in the Scripture. Jesus' life was the very fulfillment of the Scripture that they would use to condemn Him.  If anyone today begins to proclaim that something is right that the Scripture, the Bible, says is wrong, we can be sure that they are wrong.  Jesus pointed the Jews to the truth of the Scripture, and we can point the world to the same truth. When we hear that we cannot legislate morality and pass a law based on that assumption, then I guess we would have to say that we can legislate immorality.  The Scribes and Pharisees had hundreds of laws, but they did not recognize the truth of the Scripture when Jesus was standing in front of them.  Verse forty says, And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.  Verse forty-one adds, I receive not honour from men. Again, He wasn't what they were looking for. Jesus then said they would not come to Him that they might have life and that He received no honor among men.  The same is true today.  Verse forty-two continues. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.  Jesus was talking to the scribes and Pharisees, the religious leaders, and He said they had no love for Him.  If we would be saved, it doesn’t matter what position we may hold in the church if we do not accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Those who will not come to Him to receive everlasting life certainly do not honor Him.  They may simply ignore Him, or they may ridicule and persecute those who believe in Him.  Verse forty-three states, I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.  Jesus came in the Father's name, and they didn't believe Him, but if one came in his own name, they would believe.  Verse forty-four adds, How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?  Jesus asked how could they believe when they sought only their own honor and not the honor of the One sent from God.  We cannot put our faith in Jesus and think only of our own honor and glory.  Look at the religions today based on the teachings of those who came in their own name, and we can see this is true. Verse forty-five says, Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.  Verse forty-six continues, For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me.  Verse forty-seven concludes, But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?  Then, He said not He, but Moses, would accuse them before the Father, because they did not believe Moses, because if they had, they would have believed Jesus, since He was the One Moses wrote about.  They were condemning Him for not believing the Law of Moses, and Jesus said Moses himself would condemn them before the Father. When anyone tries to use the Bible, or even just the Old Testament, to point to anyone other than Jesus as the Savior, then we can be sure they are wrong.  Jesus also said that hey didn’t believe Moses, so how could they believe Him.  If we don’t believe the scriptures, which all point ot Jesus, we will not believe that He is Who He says He is. 

 

John 5:31

John 5:31 says, If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true   Jesus declares His witness alone to His being the Son of God might not be true.  He set aside His own witness, which should have been enough.  If we refuse to believe the word of God, which Jesus witnessing to His being the Son of God was, Jesus told the Jews opposing Him that there were other witnesses to Who He was and is.   Verse thirty-two adds, There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.  The Father Himself had born witness to Jesus at His baptism.  As God's chosen people, they might not recognize Jesus when He declared Himself the Son of God, but they had to acknowledge the declaration of the Father.  We have a record of his witness in the Bible, allowing us to look back on the truth of Who Jesus is.  Verse thirty-three continues, Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. They also had the witness of John the Baptist, who the Jews saw as a great prophet.  Verse thirty-four states, But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.  Jesus said He really didn’t need the testimony of men, but only spoke of it so they might be saved.  No matter what people say, Jesus will always be Who He is just because He is.  Verse thirty-five adds, He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.  John was a shining light that they followed for a while.  He was not the One they were looking for, but they were more than willing to follow Him.  We have the witness of all the great man of God since Jesus came to redeem us.  Verse thirty-six says, But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.  Jesus then stated that His works, given to Him by the Father, witnessed to the fact that He was Who He said He was.  We know the greatest work He was given was to be the Redeemer of mankind.  Verse thirty-seven adds, And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.  Verse thirty-eight continues, And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.  Jesus again spoke of the Father, Whom they had never heard His voice nor seen His face, bearing witness to Jesus, Whom they had seen and heard.  Jesus said if they didn’t believe the Father had sent Him that they didn’t have His word abiding in them. 

John 5:25

 John 5:25 says, 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.  Jesus was not speaking of those who are physically dead, but of those who are spiritually dead.  If we do not accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord in this lifetime, there will be no other opportunity once we are dead.  Verse twenty-six adds, For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; Jesus said just as the Father had life in Himself, so did the Son.  Jesus is dependent on no one for life.  Just as the Father has life in Himself, so does the Son, Jesus Christ.  Verse twenty-seven continues, And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.  Jesus said He had been given the authority to judge by the Father, and one day we will face Him either as Judge or Savior.  Verse twenty-eight states, Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, Jesus said the hour was coming when the dead would hear His voice and live.  Some use this verse to justify praying for the dead or even being baptized for the dead, but Jesus was speaking of the spiritually dead, not the physically dead.  That is why we must reach people with the gospel while they are living. Verse twenty-nine adds, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.  As Judge, He will also one day call forth all those in the grave and they will be judged by their faith.  Those that have done the will of God and accepted the salvation Christ alone provides, whether looking forward to Christ or back on Him, will be with Christ, and those who didn't will be eternally separated from Him. They will not be separated by deeds, but by their faith in God and the Redeemer Who was either to come or already is here. Works have never saved a person.  Verse thirty continues, I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.me.  Then, Jesus states that He has the authority to act as Judge.  He alone is authorized to do so.  We can never be the judge of the salvation of others, though some churches claim to hold that authority.  Christ alone is worthy to judge.