King James Bible Study – [Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.]
Date: Saturday, November 12, 2022
Chapters: JOHN 17-18
Study: Fiery Trials
Hello My Friend,
My birthday was this past Monday, but since I had to work that day, I had dinner with my family tonight. Instead of making a cake, I made overloaded brownies, that were gluten, grain, dairy, and egg free, and that was quite the challenge, but I won that challenge and they came out pretty good. While I hope I do not have an egg allergy, I came up with the challenge because I have a niece that does and wanted to see if it was possible. I tell you what, God, has done an incredible job with how He designed our bodies to be able to heal themselves, but those infirmities can literally kill us if we do not eliminate the allergens. We can associate a food allergy with our need for Jesus, it does not matter how much good we do, all it takes is one sin to get in and cause some severe damage to our bodies, not to mention our soul. Jesus, is the one who not only removes the sin that defiles our soul to give it eternal life through our faith in the Gospel, He also uses our fleshly infirmities to glorify Himself and us, [1 Peter 4:12-13 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.]
We can certainly associate our infirmities with fiery trials that try our faith, and as much as I know that God works all things out for good, that still does not mean that I do not wonder why or what I did to sin against God. That is when God has to remind me that through my weakness, the grace of His Son is sufficient to give me the strength I need to endure it. Did you know that Jesus prays for you? Well, He does if you are one of His. Jesus, does not pray for those who deny and reject Him, He only prays for His own. As we continue in the reading of the Gospels, John, gives the account of the prayer that Jesus had prayed to His Father prior to His being captured. He begins by reminding Him of His promise to give eternal life to all who receive Him.
[John 17:1-5 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: 2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.]
[that thy Son also may glorify thee:] As I read this I thought, “Am I living a life that glorifies my Father?” When I finish the work that God has given me to do, I pray that I lived up to His expectations. When you think about it, you can truly understand why Paul thought he was the chiefest of sinners, as much as he did for God, nothing could ever measure up to what Jesus did on the cross for us. Then again, is that what we are supposed to be doing? While we surely are to maintain good works to finish the work that God has given us, we must not forget that we are saved by grace and not aiming to measure up to Jesus, but to glorify Him, [Romans 15:5-7 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.]
I swear it took me an hour almost to write those two paragraphs, I just kept rewriting them until God gave me something that made sense. And here we come to Jesus, asking His Father to protect the disciples one He leaves, but notice what He asks Him.
[John 17:8-12 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. 9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. 10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. 11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.]
[and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition;] The son of perdition, those who are beyond the hope of salvation, the reprobates as they are often called. Jesus, would be referring to Judas here, but the son of perdition is one who has no faith in Jesus whatsoever, let alone God, they are hell bound and as Jesus, puts it, children of the devil, [John 8:44-47 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.]
Before a person even asks Jesus to save them, amazingly, He has already seen their hearts open to Him, and He prays for them, literally pleading that they would receive Him. Even more amazing is that the second a person says, “I believe Jesus died to save me from my sins.” they are saved before they even say Amen, and He is with them forever. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can separate us from Jesus, He knows that we are going to be hated because we are not of their world.
[John 17:15-23 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. 20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.]
[And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them;] That glory is eternal life through our faith in Christ, it is the only thing that perfects us, [Romans 3:23-26 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.]
Jesus, came here for one purpose and that was to give His sinless body as the unblemished sacrifice needed in order for God Himself to be satisfied with the offering forever that would redeem those who believe in Him. John, gives the account also of what happened when Judas betrayed Jesus. We are given what took place as soon as Jesus stops praying and the band of men that Judas brought with Him who would capture Jesus.
[John 18:1-6 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples. 2 And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples. 3 Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? 5 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. 6 As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.]
[they went backward, and fell to the ground.] You have to wonder why Jesus asked them who they were seeking, but I tell you what, they were scared to death when He said, “I am”. Does that remind you of something? God, Himself, [Exodus 3:13-14 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? 14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.] We do not need to ask God who He is, “I AM”.
At any point, Jesus, could have saved Himself, but He submitted to them because He knew that His sacrifice was the only price that would pay for their redemption. From John, we do learn that Peter is the one who tried to stop them from capturing Jesus.
[John 18:10-15 Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. 11 Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? 12 Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him, 13 And led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year. 14 Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people. 15 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest.]
[and smote the high priest’s servant,] Peter, the one who would deny three times that he knew Jesus, was quite ready to fight, just like Jesus had warned them about. However, Jesus did not tell them to bring their swords to fight them from capturing Him, He did it to keep them from capturing them. Why? Their sufferings would be thought to have been a part of the price of redemption. Jesus, was about to suffer for His disciples and all believers, and therefore, it was not the time for them nor was it proper that they should suffer with Him, [Luke 17:24-25 For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. 25 But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.]
When Jesus was captured, Peter followed Him for a little bit to see what they were going to do to Him, but got scared and denied that he knew Jesus. Someone else followed Him from His being captured through His crucifixion, and that was John, known as the other disciple. They were actually familiar with John, but did not seem to mind that he was there among them. Now, after they took Jesus they brought Him to Annas first.
[John 18:19-24 The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine. 20 Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing. 21 Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said. 22 And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so? 23 Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me? 24 Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest.]
[behold, they know what I said.] I can hear Jesus when He was speaking to him, I imagine He was like we get when people are just being ridiculous and asking questions they already know the answer to. Oh yes, they knew exactly what Jesus taught the entire time, and every bit of it was written in the Scriptures, which is why they tried to kill Jesus from the start. Do you ever notice that it is the most evil people that get others to do their dirty work for them? Well, this man who called himself the high priest was supposed to be representing God, and yet he was the leader of the pack that led to their crucifying Jesus. They were too spineless to kill Him themselves, they sent Jesus to the governor, Pilate.
[John 18:28-32 Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover. 29 Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man? 30 They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee. 31 Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death: 32 That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die.]
[but that they might eat the passover.] Really? Now they want to follow, “The Law”. They actually proved that they were in the wrong because they attempted to get Pilate to do their dirty work. That is exactly what Satan does, he uses the wicked in an attempt to overthrow God, and keep them away from Christ to do what he is too cowardly to do. Notice that they said to judge Jesus according to the law of the land, but Pilate said to judge Him according to the Scriptures. They accounted Him as one of those who were guilty of crimes that were not even existent. Let me tell you, Satan makes up all kinds of garbage in order to overthrow the Scriptures and those who live by them. Nevertheless, he will never prevail, and while unfortunately many will go the way of Satan, a few will, in fact, find Jesus in the midst of their own trials, [Romans 8:27-28 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.]
Today’s Prayer: God, I want to thank You for sending Your Son to save me, I am trusting fully in Him for eternal life with You. While I humble myself to You, help me to submit solely to You, with all the joy, peace, and comfort that only comes from Christ who is mine. Lord, just as You are the example that I need to follow let me be the example for someone else to follow in hopes that they too can find peace in the Saviour. And even though I must face lots of reproach and persecution, I know that You are my strength to see me through. I ask this in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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