Iron Girls Bible Study ~ John 19 - 21 Notes

                                          "Fulfilled, Blessed & Full"
John 19:5

“Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, ‘Behold the Man!’”

There is something so humbling about this verse, that had I been witness to the scene, I would have looked away.
Our Savior, a man of sorrows, exhibited such veiled strength in this moment. He had left his rightful place in the Heavenlies for us – for each of us as individuals. He took upon Himself the form of man so that we might be reformed in Him.
I imagine that as he wore the symbols of mockery on His shoulders and His head– the robe and the thorny crown – He wore His heart of love for humanity on His sleeve.
Pierced in His side, the blood and water flowed…symbols of redemption and a fulfillment of prophecy - the fulfillment of God’s plan.
Jesus fulfilled God's plan and finished the work.
For God so loved the world that He sent His Son to wear a purple robe and a crown of thorns so that we might be robed in righteousness and crowned with loving kindness.

John 20:29
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

This has become a life verse for me. In the spring of 2010, I had begun running again. I usually ran in the evening and it was a season in which I wrestled with many things. I remember the night that I was returning home from a 3 mile run in the dark. As I turned the corner of my street, I told God, “Even though Andrew did not receive healing in our present time, I still believe You are the Healer.” Tears mixed with my sweat as I neared home and as I was almost to my mailbox, I heard this word gently whispered to my heart, “Blessed are those who have NOT seen and YET have believed.”
Healing began.

John 21:5-6

Simon Peter and company fished all night in the Sea of Tiberias and "that night they caught nothing." But with the morning sun, came the Son of the morning standing on the shore.

“Then said Jesus, ‘Children, have you any food?’ They answered Him, ‘No.’ And He said to them, ‘Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.” (verses 5,6)

Sometimes even seasoned fishermen come up empty. But when God gives the command, the fish start jumping! This verse ‘jumped’ out at me this morning.
You see, my nets have been empty for a while. And I’ve gotten discouraged. Perhaps you, too, have experienced a "night of empty nets.” Be encouraged that when Jesus “shows Himself” (v. 1), and speaks in your season of emptiness, the fish will start jumping and your nets will be full!
And just to further convince you that God is in the details, verse 11 records the exact number of how many fish filled the nets – 153!

What a picture to end my personal study of Jesus in The Gospel According to John.
Because Jesus Christ fulfilled God's plan, I am blessed and my nets will be full.

Know Jesus more and better and carry on

Iron Girls Bible Study ~ John 18 Notes

                                                    "Tried & Found Faithful"

 (John 18 Notes)

 

The trials (6) of Jesus, 3 before the Jewish religious authorities and 3 before the civil authorities were a mockery. There was no truth seeking in them. And they were all illegal according to the Jewish document called the Mishnah. These laws were governed by the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin.

It was illegal to:

• hold a trial at night
• have no witnesses (needed 2)
• abuse the accused during the trial
• bring no charges
• have an improper vote
• to keep someone in custody after having been found "not guilty"
• to be questioned in order to testify against oneself
• to be declared "not guilty" and yet condemned

Yet we know that God uses the decisions of man to carry out His sovereign plans.
When Jesus responds to the soldiers come to arrest Him, his reply, "I am He," holds his unleashed power. And in that moment when Divine Power meets Divinely Ordained Destiny, that small army lead by Judas, can do nothing but fall to the ground.
And one day every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. He is the I Am.

These words of Jesus encourage my own heart as I seek to do God's will:
"Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?"  (v. 11)

Regardless of the illegal circumstances of the arrest and trial of Jesus, His life is not taken, He willingly lays it down. For you. For me. Bless His Holy Name.

Follow His plan and carry on!

Iron Girls Bible Study ~ John 17 Notes

Chapter 17 is such a beautiful portrayal of the character and passion of Christ for the Father and for us!

Verse 3
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

According to Jesus Christ, knowing God through Himself, is eternal life.

Paul wrote to the Philippians, “…that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings...” (3:10)

In John 17:1-5, Jesus prays for three things:

• That He might be glorified
• That the apostles may be sanctified
• That the church may be unified

 The footnotes in my Bible suggest that verses 1- 5 might be better named The Lord’s Prayer, rather than the passage in Matthew 6:9-13.

Jesus went on to pray this way, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word: that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You: that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” (20-21).

I am challenged in this passage to be a seeker of unity within the body of Christ. Personal differences in style, approach and practice of non-essentials, should not affect my support of my spiritual brothers and sisters. If my aim and your aim is to know Christ and make him known in the world, I must not give into the temptation for separation and division based on the petty stuff.

My failure comes when I cease to pursue peace and unity. But I don’t plan to stop the pursuit and therefore fail. I choose to participate in the fulfillment of Christ’s prayer for me:
“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me” (22-23).

My desire remains to “know Jesus more and better,” and the results of that are:

• Jesus is glorified.
• We, as individuals, are sanctified.
• And the church is unified.

Walk in unity and carry on!

Iron Girls Bible Study ~ John 16

                                      "Grapes, Olives & Peace"

Verse 33

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Tribulation, thlipsis; Strong’s #2347: Pressure, oppression, stress, anguish, tribulation, adversity, affliction, crushing, squashing, squeezing, distress.
The word is used of crushing grapes or olives in a press.

There is nothing worse than spiritual darkness. Its result is spiritual death.
Without relationship to and in Christ, we are hopeless. As Jesus prepares the disciples for his physical absence from them, He senses their impending anguish and despair. After all He knows what it’s like to feel forsaken, alone. It was on the cross, he cried out to the Father, “My God, My God, Why have You forsaken Me?”

And so Jesus provides the answer for the disciples' approaching distress when His hour is about to come.
“Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy” (v. 20).
“Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you” (v.22).

Have your hopes ever been crushed? Been squeezed lately?
Have your tears run out like oil pressed from the olive?

Jesus tells us that we will have tribulation. That is a fact. But then He leaves us with Truth. “…In Me you may have peace.”

Though pressure, anguish and affliction are a reality in this life, the Truth speaks of peace in the person of Jesus Christ and that is cause for some good cheer.

Cheer Up and Carry On!

Iron Girls Bible Study ~ John 15 Notes

        "The Purpose of Pruning"

John 15 Notes

“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away (lifts up); and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

Pruning is to cut or lop off superfluous (unnecessary or excessive) or undesired twigs, branches, or roots.

While a tree may not experience pain during the pruning process, a person certainly does.
At is lowest level, pruning is uncomfortable and at the opposite end of the spectrum, the pain is at a “10.”

Pruning:

• shapes the growth of a tree
• allows for more fruit to be produced
• takes care of the rogue branches that threaten the health, purpose and beauty of the tree

God created us in His image and it remains His intent that we be formed into the image of His Son (Genesis 1:26, Romans 8:29).
When He created us, He formed and He built us. And then He breathed life into us (Genesis 2:7)
As He continues to mold and form us into the image of His Son, we feel the pressure from without and within, yet still the breath of the Spirit revives and restores life.

Breathe in; Breath out and carry on!

Iron Girls Bible Study ~ John 14 Notes

                       "HE IS Peace"

Verse 1
Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.”

Let not, “Do not yield.”
“let” Strong’s #863 carries the idea of “not yielding”

Heart, kardia, Strong’s #2588: The physical organ for the body, but also the center of one’s personality and contains both rational and emotional elements. It is the seat of feelings, desires, joy, pain, and love. It is also the center for thought, understanding, and will. The human heart is the dwelling place of the Lord and the Holy Spirit.
The Lord sees into the innermost being where all decisions concerning Him are made.

Troubled, tarasso (tar-as-so); Strong’s #5015: To unsettle, stir up, agitate, disturb, trouble. The word is used in a physical sense (John 5:7), but its primary use in the NT is metaphorical. It denotes mental agitation from fear or perplexity (Matt. 2:3; 14:26); an upheaval in the spirit (John 11:33; 13:21); stirring up a crowd (Acts 17:8, 13); confusion, resulting from false doctrine (Acts 15:24; Gal. 1:7; 5:10).

Do not yield your thinking and feeling to upheaval. Believe in Jesus.

In the midst of turmoil, testing or tragedy, "Let not your heart be troubled" is easy to say. Harder to practice. I believe it takes discipline. I am living out this disciplining of the mind and the emotions and also the body.

Verse 27
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

The Peace Christ Jesus gives to us is Himself – every aspect of Who He Is.
That is why we can have peace in the midst of turmoil. We have Christ. He is not just a feeling. He is Almighty God – the One who keeps His promises and He promised us His Peace. “…My peace I give to you…” (v 27).

Peace and carry on!

Iron Girls Bible Study ~ John 13

Peter’s immaturity is highlighted in this chapter.

• Impulsive “You shall never wash my feet!” (v. 8)
• Dramatic “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” (v. 9)
• Impatient  “Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke.” (v. 24)
• Self-focused “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.” (v. 37)

While I would not consider myself as having a “Peter Personality,” I can relate to each of these descriptive adjectives.

What I am learning about being:

• Impulsive – When in an emotionally charged state of mind, beware the “nevers.”
• Dramatic –  Resist allowing the drama of a moment to overshadow the truth.
• Impatient – God is never in a hurry. However we are often hurried, if not in the outward physical sense, then in an interior way.
• Self-focused  –  God often hints at what is possible and if we are not careful, we charge full speed ahead to take it in our own strength.

 Oswald Chambers writes, “We always have visions, before a thing is made real. God gives us the vision, then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of the vision...”

We know from the passage in Luke 22, that Satan asks to sift Peter. Jesus prays that Peter’s faith should not fail. And although Peter gives into temptation and three times denies the Lord, we also know that unlike Judas, Peter repents and is restored. Peter’s faith matures and he grows:

·        Determined

·        Disciplined

·        Dedicated

·        God-focused

Iron Girls Bible Study ~ John 12

                                    "Heart Light”

John 12 Notes

Verses 1 – 2

Lazarus “who had been dead…was one of those who sat at the table with Him.”

At the beginning of chapter 12, I love the picture of Lazarus, who once was dead in the tomb, now dining at the table with Jesus.

Verses 4 – 8

At face value it would appear that Judas is truly concerned for the poor. At the time of the occurrence, no one but Jesus knew that Judas had been steeling from the money box. But John has written the Gospel of John around 70 A.D.

Judas’ indictment against Mary using the expensive oil on Jesus’ feet was not out of concern for the poor. He spoke out of the abundance of his heart of greed.

Jesus sees beyond appearances to the heart of a man and woman. What a stark contrast between Mary’s service and Judas’ subterfuge.

“For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” 1 Samuel 16:7

Verses 10 – 11

“But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.”

I have never noticed that verse.

Not only do the chief priests want to get Jesus out of the way, they also want to dispose of the evidence of His power over death. 

Verse 35

“…he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.”

I think of the multitude of people who believe that all roads lead to God. They are lost without the light of the Truth. They are deceived and, in turn, deceive others. Either the light of the Truth of Christ has not yet penetrated their darkened minds or they have rejected the Light. One thing is true: All roads do lead to God and judgment. But only one road leads to God and Eternal Life in His presence. What each of us believes about Jesus Christ, determines where we spend Eternity.

If we look back to verses 28 – 30, we see Jesus speaking directly to the Father, “ ‘Father, glorify Your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘I have glorified it and will glorify it again.’ Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to Him.’ Jesus answered and said, ‘This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.’”

Jesus always keeps to His purpose. He testifies of the Father and the plan of salvation. Believe Him who sent Christ and believe in Christ, the Light “that you may become sons of light” (v.36).

I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness" (v. 46).

Walk in the Light and carry on!

Iron Girls Bible Study ~ John 11

                      “A Cloud & A Bridge to Freedom”

Verses 41 – 42

“Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.’”

Jesus lifted up His eyes when He spoke to the Father.

Such a human thing to do! Often when I pray outside I look up to the sky. When I run and talk to God, I often gaze at the cloud formations. Think of how often in the Bible a “cloud” is associated with God.

• God set His “rainbow in a cloud” as a sign of the covenant.
• God was present as the Israelites wandered in the desert, manifesting His presence in a “cloud by day.”
• God called to Moses out of the “midst of a cloud” and spoke to Moses for 40 days and nights.
• The Lord descended in a cloud and stood at the door of the tabernacle and talked with Moses.
• On the Mountain of Transfiguration, a “bright cloud overshadowed them” and God’s voice spoke from the cloud, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”
• When Jesus returns, He will come “in a cloud with power and great glory.”
• When Jesus ascended to Heaven, “He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.”

Jesus’ opening of His prayer is for our benefit. He is teaching us.

• Jesus knows God hears his every prayer; He wanted those observing in that day and us in our day to know that God hears when Jesus prays.

Now you might have thought that I was going to conclude that therefore God hears our every prayer. But what I primarily see in this is the role of Jesus as our Mediator.

• Jesus was sent as a type of “middle man” between God, the Father, and us. He was the “go between,” our “bridge” to Eternal Life.  “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” 1 Tim. 2:5.
• He is seated at the right hand of the Father, always interceding for us!

Verses 43 – 43

“Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth!’ And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Loose him, and let him go.’”

John is the only Gospel writer who records this miracle. Let me share this information from one of my resources (Every Miracle in the Bible by Larry Richards).

“Jesus had already restored the life of a widow’s son (Luke 7) and Jairus’s daughter (Luke 8; Mark 5). Each of these restorations occurred immediately after the person had died.  The custom in first-century Judaism was to bury an individual on the day of his death. But the Jews were aware of the possibility of a coma, so they would check a tomb for three days after the burial to see if the victim had revived. After three days, all hope of awakening from a coma was gone, and the body would have begun to decay.

The raising of Lazarus was significant because it took place the full three days after he had died, plus one extra day (John 11:39)! There could be no doubt in anyone’s mind that Christ had restored a person who was truly dead.”

“He cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth!’

Jesus said to them, ‘Loose him, and let him go.”

• Jesus came that we may have life: “Come forth!”
• And that we may have it more abundantly: “Loose him and let him go.”

Go forth in freedom and carry on!

Iron Girls ~ John 10

       

“An Extraordinary Stone”

Verses 31

“Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.”

I know this is an odd verse to settle on from chapter 10. It stood out to me. I skipped over it but came back.

 The following struck me about verse 31.

• Jesus is the stone that the builders rejected. (1 Peter 2:4-8)
• That scripture is so ironic to me: They wanted to stone THE STONE.
• The Pharisees are not interested in TRUTH.
• They continue to repeat their patterns as they intercept Jesus, and take up stones “again” to stone Him.

I don’t want to be guilty of taking up “stones” whether it is in attitude or action and throwing them at a work of God. I may not understand the viewpoint or be privy to the background of another, so I must guard myself from sinful attitudes and wrong assessments.

Verse 39
"Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand."
God's plan and His timing are perfect. There is a "set time" for His sovereign acts. 

Verses 40 - 42
"And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed. Then many came to Him and said, 'John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true.' and many believed in Him." 

Again, those who had ears to hear believed on Jesus.The Light of Truth penetrated their hearts and they believed in Him.
And to those who believe He promises life and that more abundantly (more than enough, more than sufficient, extraordinary, above the ordinary). 

THE I AM is my sufficiency and the EXTRA in my ordinary. 

Live abundantly and carry on!

Iron Girls ~ John 9 Notes

  

Verses 5 – 7, 39 - 41

“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

When he had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.”

• He who participated in the creation of man (Let Us create man in Our image…), forming man from the dust of the ground and breathing life into him,
• took earthy substance and mixed it with His own DNA.

•  He smeared the clay mixture on the blind man’s eyes, he himself as we, a jar of clay (2 Cor. 4:7),

•  and told him to go and wash in a pool whose name is translated “Sent.”

“So he went and washed, and came back seeing.”

My take away:

• I am made in God’s image yet I am made from dust.
• Anything good in me is of God. The knowledge of God through Christ Jesus is the treasure contained in my jar of clay.

I first learned the scripture in 2 Cor. 4:7 in the NIV translation which reads, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”  

I never hear this scripture or the phrase, “jars of clay” without thinking of the day my husband and I rode the grounds of Serenity Gardens in a golf cart with a representative of the cemetery. I never imagined we would have the heart wrenching task of choosing a piece of ground in which to place one of our children. I heard myself say over and again as tears streamed down my face, “Our bodies are just jars of clay, just jars of clay…just jars of clay.”

Interestingly, verse 6 of 2 Corinthians 4 ties into John 9:5. It reads, “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

• My “jar of clay” is cracked—weak and fragile. Just when I think that I am making some progress and reach around to “pat my own self on the back,” I am made aware of my blind spots!

Thank God that He cares for me and shows me that without Him, I am blind. Without His perspective, I really cannot see very far in front of my own nose. It’s when I choose my shortsightedness over His Eternal and perfect perspective that I begin to analyze things and make judgments based on my own limited and clouded vision.

Verses 39 – 41

“And Jesus said, ‘For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.’”

 “Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, ‘Are we blind also?’”

Talk about a rhetorical question!

• Pride blinds us to truth.
• I must be on guard to put down pride in my own life.

“Let not the foot of pride come against me…” (Psalm 36:11) for “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

I need the Word of God to bathe my eyes in the salve of Truth, to be washed over by the Word. It is to the extent that I keep Truth before my eyes, in my heart and on my tongue that I am Sent.

“For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure” (John 3:34).

As believers whose spiritual eyes have been opened, we also are sent of God, speak His words and contain the Spirit in jars of clay.

Iron Girls ~ John 8

"Freedom"

  

Verses 1 – 12

I believe the Pharisees are searching for various ways to trip Jesus up. They mean business in destroying His witness, His influence and His person. Of course we know as we read that they can do nothing without it being a part of God’s timing. 

God uses the decisions of men and women to accomplish His purposes. 

It behooves me to be on the positive side of that!

V. 9 “Then those who heard it (“He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”), being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last.”

I’ve heard that the order of leaving – oldest to youngest – represented the years of sinning. The older one is, the more time in which to have sinned!

They left until Jesus, alone, was standing, He being the only One without sin.

And the woman, who so desperately needed a Savior, remained.

Jesus does not condemn the adulterous woman for He came not into the world that the world might be condemned but to save us.

Jesus’ encounters with women are so encouraging. He does not discriminate. And although there was plenty of discrimination toward women in those days, He does not share in that attitude nor behavior. In fact, Luke 18:9-12 records a traditional Jewish prayer of men which thanks God that he is not like “other men.” Research shows me that the prayer is often recited: 

“Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, the King of the world, that thou hast made me an Israelite; (in some books it is, as before, that thou hast not made me a Gentile;) blessed art thou, O Lord our God, the King of the world, that thou hast not made me a servant; blessed art thou, O Lord our God, the King of the world, that thou hast not made me a woman.”

I love that Jesus set women free! 

Paul writes to the Galatians, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” Galatians 3:27-28.

Verses 13 – 20

V. 15 “You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.” 

I think how many times in my life that I have misjudged someone by what I have seen or heard (by the flesh and in the flesh). We are to judge a tree by its fruit. But I have been guilty of judging another by MY fruit! 

In other words, my fruit was jealousy or pride and so my “judgment” was skewed. I know that any time my judgment is rendered when my own heart condemns me, then my judgment is not of truth. I must stay in the Word so that I more clearly see my own heart before I judge the heart of another. 

I’ve heard it said that we often judge ourselves by our intentions while judging others based on their actions!

Ouch.

The crux of this chapter for me is portrayed in these words of Christ Jesus:
"If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" John 8:31-32.

Walk in freedom and carry on!

Iron Girls ~ John 7 Notes

"To Everything There is a Season"

Verses 1 – 9

V. 8 “…for My time has not yet fully come.”

• Jesus knows the times and seasons of His ministry.

• You simply cannot rush Your destiny and God’s ordained timing.

Verses 10 – 18

V. 14 “Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught.”

• Jesus walked in His purpose no matter what. He never rushed and never lagged behind.  Always on time.

V. 18 “He who speaks of himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.”

• Jesus speaks of the Father just as the Holy Spirit speaks of the Son. 
• God the Father introduced the Son to us. 
• The Son points us back to the Father and the Holy Spirit testifies of the WORD, Jesus Christ.

Verses 19 – 24

“…are you angry with me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?”

Jesus is the fulfillment of the Sabbath. Mark records Jesus’ words, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath” Mark 2:27 – 28.

It is in Him that we “enter that {Sabbath} rest” Hebrews 4:11.

The Pharisees could not see what was under their noses. Under the government of the Roman Empire, they were afraid of anyone coming along who might knock them from their place of power. 

They could not fathom that this man, Jesus from Nazareth, was the Messiah of the prophecy. They feared Him because of His following. If the thousands who believed on Him were to revolt against the status quo and try to make him their leader (earthly kingdom), who had the most to lose? The Pharisees and the Saducees. 

They did not have the ears to hear the true message of Christ the Messiah. Their pride, stubbornness and religiosity stopped their ears and hardened their hearts.

V. 19 Jesus asks, “Why do you seek to kill Me?”

V. 20 “The people answered and said, ‘You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?’”

V. 26 “But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ?” 

However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from.’” 

In verse 28, Jesus speaks to both crowds, “You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me.’”

Those who spoke did not really know from where Jesus came. The testimony of John is that Jesus is the Word made flesh.

Verses 32 – 39

“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

From my footnotes: Each day during the Feast of Tabernacles a joyous celebration was observed in which the priests brought water (symbolic of the water supplied from the rock in Ex. 17) to the temple from the pool of Siloam in a golden pitcher. During the procession the people recited Is. 12:3,“Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”

The water was poured out on the altar as an offering to God, while the people shouted and sang. Jesus was the fulfillment of all that the ceremony typified. “…For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.”

Jesus reveals to those who will hear Who He is. He continually draws upon the word (for us what is the OT) in order to testify of Himself. In Him the Old Testament is fulfilled.

My teacher, from many years ago (who was Egyptian), taught us in our Survey of the Old Testament class that the New Testament is hidden in the Old Testament and the Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament.

And for a final quick notation: In verse 50 we see Nicodemus whom Jesus called a teacher of Israel. At our first introduction, he came by night and now here we see him in the light of day standing for the cause of Christ. 

 Rest in His timing and carry on!

Iron Girls ~ John 6 Notes

Verses 5 – 9

Jesus is teaching the multitude but also teaching His disciples how to be His disciples.

Five thousand men and their families had gathered on the hillside. Jesus asks Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?”

Verse 6, “But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew shat He would do.”

The word “test” here is the word “peirazo” (Strong’s #3985) and means to examine or prove. It describes the testing of the believer’s loyalty, strength, opinions, disposition, condition, faith, patience, or character. Peirazo determines which way one is going and what one is made of.

I think it’s interesting to see the differences in the disciples’ personalities. We all have one! 

Philip begins to calculate the costs of purchasing enough food, while Andrew scans the crowd for what may be at hand.

Verses 14 – 15

Those who believed that Jesus was the Messiah thought the kingdom he had come to establish was an earthly kingdom. When they saw that He fed the multitudes, their minds went to Moses who had led them when God fed them daily manna in the wilderness. Once again, God’s Chosen people were under a type of servitude as they were ruled by the Roman Empire. 

Imagine 5000 men preparing to forcibly take Jesus and lift Him up as their “Bread – Messiah.” After this sign of feeding over 5000 with a few loaves and fishes, they began discussing how they could remove the present government and make Jesus their king.

Verses 28 - 68

But Jesus “departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.”

Jesus continued to teach those who had ears to hear that:

1)      Rather than looking for signs, He wanted the focus to be on believing and trusting in Him.

2)      Just as He told the Samaritan woman that He could give her living water and she would never thirst again, He teaches that He is the Bread of Life and in Him they will have eternal life.

3)      He continues to teach them eternal truths rather than temporary solutions.

Even though the inner twelve are challenged to understand Jesus’ deeper meanings, still Peter sums up their devotion with, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” 

Go with God and carry on!

Iron Girls ~ John 5 Notes

Notes on John 5:30 – 39             
In this passage we see that there are 4 witnesses of Christ:
V. 33 ~ John the Baptizer witnessed of Christ
He was the voice in the wilderness, "a burning and shining lamp..."
Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:19 that the prophetic word is as "light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in {our} hearts..."


V. 36 ~ Jesus' own works testify of Himself.
"...for the works which the Father has given Me to finish--the very works that I do--bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me." 

V. 37~ The Father has witnessed of Christ.
Upon Jesus' water baptism, the Father spoke, "And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' " (Matthew 3:17)
Although the baptism of John was of repentance, Jesus had no need of repentance. This is why
John, at first, refused to baptize Jesus saying, "I have need to be baptized of You, and You come to me.?"
But there are 2 aspects of this water baptism to realize:
1) Priests were purified by water just before representing the people before God in the Most Holy Place.
2) Jesus' cleansing by water marked the beginning of his public ministry and the pursuit of His call.

V. 39 ~ The Scriptures testify of Christ.
"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me."

Thoughts on John 5:7
Jesus asks the disabled man, "Do you want to be made well?"
The man replies, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before. Me." 

A few years ago I spoke on a Sunday morning in my church on this passage. What impressed me from the scripture in verse 7 was the reply of man on the mat, "I have no man..."
I thought of how we often look for someone else to help us out. We look for someone to give us a break. We look for a mentor or a teacher and that is fine because mentors, teachers and helpers can be of great assistance. And there are seasons when we are stuck in a "lame" position because we feel we just need someone to give us a hand to get from one point to the other. I've been there. I lived for a few years of my life waiting for someone to tell me I had been called of God, that I had a gift. The truth is each of us are called and each of us has been gifted in some way to glorify God and serve the Body of Christ. I realized as I studied this passage a few years ago and as the Holy Spirit illuminated this specific phrase: "I have no man..." that I was "disabled" so to speak.
I kept waiting around for someone to validate me when all along Christ was standing and asking me, "Do you want to get up and walk?"

You see, THE MAN is Jesus. Each of has THE MAN. I think of the Samaritan woman who called out, "Come, see a Man..."

There is a man and His name is Christ Jesus. He validates us. He calls us. We really don't have to wait around for someone else. There is something you can be doing right now to use the gift you have been given.
After my son went to Heaven, I said I would never stand before a group and speak or teach again. But God poured in the oil and began to massage my wounded heart and gave me a new message. And although I have had several opportunities to speak since the fall of 2010, I have nothing else scheduled at this time, except a tentative date in the fall. Rather than giving into the excuse of "I have no man..." I am going to busy myself learning more, studying more, memorizing more Scripture and "showing up" in the prayer closet and in the Word so that I can keep "growing up" and maturing in Christ.

I have a Man. His name is Jesus.
Take His hand and carry on!

Iron Girls ~ Notes on John 4

I have so many thoughts on this chapter, especially as it relates to the Samaritan woman.

John 4, verses 3 and 4 tells us that Jesus is leaving Judea and going again to Galilee but that He needs to go to Samaria. You see He had a divine appointment with a woman at a well. There are moments in our lives that start out for us as typical and routine in our day. We do not yet realize that our names have been written in God’s day planner – day, time, and place.

Jesus needed to go through Samaria because He had a divine appointment with a Samaritan woman. Samaritans were a mixed breed of people and although the Jews and Samaritans did interact and share commerce, the Jews did not share eating or drinking vessels.

A Samaritan woman approaches the well where Jesus sits. Verse 6 tells us it was about the sixth hour which, by Jewish reckoning, is 12 noon. Because of this woman’s lifestyle she fetches water at the hottest time of the day, rather than face the other women who would come in the cool of the early evening.

And what can I say here?

I can tell you that right away, at the beginning of her story, I relate to this woman ~ a woman, who out of fear, avoids the group. I believe that most issues in our lives are rooted in fear. They may display as anxiety, anger or avoidance but I believe if you dig deep enough, the root is fear.

In response to Jesus’ talk of living water that springs from a fountain into everlasting (perpetual, unchanging, of unlimited duration, eternal, age-long, unending) life, the woman responds, “…‘Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.’”

 

I believe at this point her interest lies in a source of water that  

1) satisfies her immediate thirst and 2) allows her to continue avoiding the group at Jacob’s well (verse 12), a group that reminds her of what she does not have and who she has become.

When Jesus tells her to call her husband, she answers honestly. It is at this time Jesus reveals her past and she sees the truth in Him, changing her present and her future.

There is so much more richness in this passage, but what I want to share is this:

1)      Jesus will leave the group to find one soul. (“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?” ~ Luke 15:4)

2)      Often times we see where the temporary things of the flesh are used as a tool leading us to the eternal. In chapters 2 and 4 we see thirst (wine & water) leading to a miracle of water to wine and in chapter 4 a miracle of sinner finding her Savior. 

June 16 - 17 ~ Let's REST in John 5.

Encouragement for Iron Girls (The Bible Study Group)

 

A word of encouragement for Iron Girls ~

In the past two and a half years I’ve experienced harsh, savage, difficult, dangerous, painful, fierce, grievous, and hard to deal with days. All of those descriptions define the word “perilous” - the word Paul uses to describe the “last days" (2 Timothy 3). Perilous times picture a society with plenty of vices and few virtues.

How about you? Had any “hard to deal with,” difficult or perhaps even dangerous days of your own lately?

In perilous times, we women of God have to get strong, stay sharp and remain aware of the schemes of the devil. I’ll be blunt. He hates us. He targets us and does not play fair. He’ll even kick you when you’re already down.

Getting in God’s Word - studying, memorizing and meditating on it, helps us build spiritual muscle, keep our edge and be on guard.

We do not want to be of the sort of women who are made captive due to their gullibility, loaded down with sins and led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of truth. (2 Timothy 3:6-7)

No!
We are women who are strong and courageous, protecting our households through prayer, standing in the gap for those who are in need, serving one another through grace with humility.
We are women who know the Truth and believe we are set free in the knowledge. We do not shrink back in our faith but push forward with every ounce of strength.
We are not perfect and sometimes we grow weary.
But the good news is we don’t have to be perfect because we are loved perfectly and perfect love casts out fear. And when we are weary, we don’t need to worry that our lives will come undone. For in our weakness, His strength is made known.
That same strength was made known to a group (including women) facing perilous times. Hebrews 11 writes that the faithful “out of weakness were made strong…” (Hebrews 11:34).

As you plan your week and live out these next days, don’t neglect your Power Source. Plug into God’s Word. 

Go in strength and carry on!

Iron Girls ~ John 2 "From the Vine to Wine" & "The Word is a Discerner"

 (My personal notes on John 2)

"From the True Vine to the Good Wine"

John 2:6-10

The natural process of making wine is for rain to fall and to be absorbed by the roots of the grape vine, to be drawn up into the grapes, and then to be pressed out of the ripe grapes as “new wine.” Jesus’ miracle began naturally, as he directed the servants to “Fill the pots with water.”

And who is the vine? Jesus says of Himself in John 15:1, “I am the true vine…”

The supernatural is then displayed even as the natural timing of wine making is displaced and Jesus turns the water into wine.

Without Him, we can do nothing. Jesus is the Vine. Our Father is the Vine dresser (the One knows us intimately, cares for us, and prunes us to bear fruit). We are the branches. As we abide (make our dwelling) in Him, we are fruitful. ("And the Word became flesh and dwelt among them..." John 1:14; "Abide in Me and I in you" John 15:4)

The fruit we produce glorifies God, fulfills us and blesses others. If we go back to verse 8, we hear Jesus’ words regarding the wine, “Draw some out now.”

As you live and dwell in Christ, you will begin to hear his unmistakable instruction to take what is in you and give it to others. You will hear Him say, “Draw some out now.”

Is there any area in your life in which you are hesitating to “draw some out”?

The WORD is a Discerner

John 2:23-25

V. 23 – “Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.”

V. 24 – “But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men…”

V. 25 – “…and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.”

The Greek word used for “sign” is this passage is “semeion,” and occurs 77 times in the NT. It identifies an act of supernatural power. It is an authentication of a person “sent of God.”

Verse 23 tells us that many believed in Jesus’ name (name representing oneself) when they saw the signs or miracles He performed. This would not be an unusual outcome – to believe upon seeing. However verse 24 reveals that Jesus did not “commit” Himself to those who believed after seeing a sign. 

(Strong’s #4100 “commit” – to put in trust with)

The disciples already believed in Jesus; the miracles only deepened their faith and trust in Him, as compared to those who believed in His name upon seeing a sign.

Verse 24 elaborates on the idea of Jesus “knowing” man. He knows what is in a man’s heart and mind.

Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Last year as I was only a few months from the passing of our sweet boy, Andrew, I was out running in the dusk of the evening. As I often do, I used that time to talk to God. My heart was overwhelmed with grief and also questions. But that night one very clear word from God that was balm to my wounded heart. As I turned the corner of my street heading home, I told God that even though we did not see Andrew’s healing in our present time, I still believed that He is the Healer. I ran past a few more houses, getting closer to the end of my run and as I approached my driveway, this word rose up in my heart, 

“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

Are you in a place of longing to see a sign? 

Do you need a supernatural intervention? 

Are you praying for a miracle? 

I don’t know what God has in mind for you. But I do know His plans for you are good ones.

Keep believing and carry on!

Iron Girls ~ John 2

Iron Girls 

Bible Study

John 2

Assignment for 6/10 - 6/11 and some of my thoughts:
*Before reading the assigned chapter, take a few moments to pray that the Holy Spirit opens up the passage to you. 

This Bible Study is not so much about my insight or that of anyone else but what the Holy Spirit pinpoints for YOU as you read & study. 

Remember this study is meant to be REST.

*Read John 2.
*Expect (eagerly) that the Holy Spirit will guide you in truth and knowledge.
*Study that portion that comes alive to YOU. For me this happens as a drawing toward a particular section, verse, phrase or single word. Don't stress over this. It's a work of the Spirit. Use Biblical resources (Strong's concordance - there is an online version; Commentaries - I often use John Gill's Commentary, also online www.biblestudytools.com
*Transform your mind as you meditate (ponder, reflect, recite, "to chew upon") on what you have read and especially on the portion you have been led to study.

And don't forget to come back and share your insight.

If you would like to participate in the FB Iron Girls Bible Study, let me know. Because of the nature of FB's comment format, the interaction is much more dynamic.