Freedom through Jesus ~
the "I AM"
Light of the World Door
of the Sheep Good Shepherd!
Intro: This week's readings begin with Jesus' instruction to
"abide" in His Word. From now on, Jesus' teaching is specially directed
towards what it means to truly follow Him. The freedom He promises to give those
who love and obey Him is the freedom to live His kind of life with the Father!
Think of the miracles we have already read about – food for the hungry, the
wine of joy in our human experience, healing for the sick, calming the storm –
and now sight for the blind! This is the door that Jesus opens for us as we
follow and obey Him!
Day 1: John 8:31-47
Jesus says that true disciples will 'abide' in His word. 'Abide' is also translated to 'live in', 'dwell',
'inhabit', 'have your home in', 'stick with', 'continue in'. As we stick with Jesus and His word, then we will
be set free by knowing God's truth – having heart knowledge about Who our
Father is, what Jesus has done for us through His death and resurrection, and
what God says about us, His children! Free to live as sons and daughters of the
living God. How can we follow Abraham's example? See Galatians 3:6-9. Note how
Jesus describes the devil in verse 44. As we choose to live by faith in Jesus
and His word, trusting and relying on Him in every circumstance, He will be
setting us free from the lies and entrapments of the devil and we can be
assured we will hear His voice.
Day 2: John 8:48-59
Jesus, Who honours His Father and is continually faithful to
Him, is accused of having a demon! In Genesis 1:26, God said "Let US
make man in our own image!" Jesus was there with the Father and the Holy
Spirit before the world began and certainly before Abraham was born. He Himself
is the fulfilment of what God promised Abraham in Genesis 12:3, that all the
families of the earth would be blessed through him. The Jews cannot grasp with
their natural minds that Jesus, the "I AM", God Himself, is standing
before them and they want to stone Him for blasphemy! Jesus slips away through
the crowd – it is not His time yet. Let us honour and love and worship our
Jesus, that He came and went through all this so that we might believe in Him,
love Him, obey Him and live for ever!
Day 3: John 9:1-12
Jesus is making His escape from the fury of the unbelieving
Jews, but stops for a blind man! Read through the story again and watch how Jesus'
compassion shines through. The blind man has been blamed all these years for
either his parents' or his own sin, rejected, living in a dark world, a street
beggar. Then Jesus comes along! Look how the blind man obeys Jesus implicitly.
And his eyesight is restored! The crowds are totally amazed and cannot believe
it is the same man they knew! He answers their questions and finishes with:
"Then I went and I washed and now I
can see!"
But he cannot tell them where Jesus is. When we
tell others what Christ has done for us, it can be so simple. "This is
what He did for me!" We do not have to know all the answers about God!
In verse 5, Jesus says "While I am in
the world, I am the light of the world." Who is the light of the world now?
Look up what Jesus says in Matthew 5:14. He has taken us out of darkness into
His wonderful light, opened our blind eyes, so that we can shine for Him wherever
we are!
Day 4: John 9:13-34
Incredibly, it was the Sabbath again! Jesus
just loved to use God's holy day to show His Father's glory, and bring true
rest, His wholeness and peace, to the sick and sad and broken. But the Pharisees
are mad! The now-seeing man, who must be absolutely mesmerised by the colours
and shapes and beauty around him, has to defend himself to them. His parents
opt out. But their son declares, as he is questioned again, "One
thing I know, that once I was blind, but now I can see!" The
radiant young man begins to preach to them! "If this man were not
from God, He could do nothing!"
Listen to their condemnation – "You were born entirely in sin!"
They are stunned at his 'impudence', and throw him out.
Day 5: John 9:35-41
Jesus hears, Jesus comes, Jesus meets and speaks with the
healed but rejected young man. When we are misunderstood, or scorned or
rejected, Jesus will always come! When Jesus introduces Himself, the man
believes and WORSHIPS! Today, think of what Jesus has done for you, and
come and thank and worship Him! The once-blind man has a heart soft to receive,
quick to obey, warm to worship. Let's
ask God for hearts to receive His love today, and for our spiritual eyes to be
opened to see His truth and understand His will for us.
Day 6: John 10:1-10
"I AM the Door of the sheep!" In Jesus' time, a shepherd
would lie across the door of his sheepfold at night, to protect His sheep. He
would call them to come in and go out, and they would follow, knowing they were
safe with the one whose voice they knew and trusted. We have such a wonderful
confidence given us here by Jesus, that, as we stay close to Him, we will KNOW
His voice and will discern false leadings and callings in our lives. Jesus will
call us by name and we will recognise the grace-filled tender character of
Jesus, even when He is taking us through a hard place! He knows your name – He
knows you! All that the enemy has done in our lives to steal and kill and
destroy – hopes, dreams, relationships, security, health, family - Jesus comes
to give instead abundant life, restoring and healing, with overflowing
forgiveness and blessing!
Take time today to read
Psalm 23 as well. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you His precious promises for
you personally.
Day 7: John 10:11-18
"I AM the GOOD Shepherd!" Here is Jesus, our Shepherd,
Who has laid down His life for us. Read verse 12. Think of the opposite – the
Good Shepherd will see the wolf and defend and protect His sheep! The Good
Shepherd cares for His sheep and loves them, and gathers them into one flock. Jesus
had authority even over His own life. He was in the world to die in our place.
He would freely give His life when the time came, but the men trying to kill
Him had no power till such time as He freely gave! He chose to die for you and
me! Thank Him and read Psalm 23 again!
Summary: Continue in the Word – FREEDOM in Jesus
Christ, Who is
our Light – Revelation of the Father
and His love
our Door - Opens the way into all the fullness of abundant
life
our Shepherd - Leads, guides, cares, feeds, heals and protects
What
a Friend we have in Jesus!
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