In this next chapter of John, we find Jesus again meeting individually with someone – knowing where they were coming from, what they were searching for and how to help them find it. Just as he did with Nicodemus, Jesus used a simple everyday concept the Samaritan woman could understand to help her discover a much deeper truth. Just as Jesus knew what Nicodemus was searching for and what he needed, Jesus knew the situation this woman was coming from and how thirsty she was for something different in her life.

Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.

“But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?” – John 4:5-12

An everyday concept – “dead” water is the term they used to describe stagnant or standing water, such as a cisterns that caught and stored the winter rains and wells that tapped into underground water tables. “Living” water described sources such as a river or spring or rainfall – water that was fresh and considered to be coming straight from God. So when Jesus said, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water,” he had the woman’s attention. She knew there were no rivers nearby. How could Jesus offer her such a thing?

“If you only knew the gift God has for you” – this must have also gotten the woman’s attention. Because she was a Samaritan, she was considered a lower class citizen. Because she was a woman, she was considered more of a possession than an individual. Because of her past experiences with men, she was considered an outcast and unwanted, which is probably why she was coming to the well alone at that time of day. Yet here Jesus was saying that God had a gift for her – something as valued as “living water.”

Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

“Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water!” Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come her to get water.” – John 4:13-15

Can you hear the desperation in her voice? Can you sense how deep her need is for salvation? My heart goes out to this woman who had been used by men and shunned by women. But God had a gift for this lonely child of His – an encounter with Jesus that would forever change her life.

“Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her.

Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband – for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!” – John 4:16-18

Jesus knew her situation and he knew her need. Out of love for this woman, he offered her “living water” – the same thing he offers us today. We don’t have to remain stagnant. Life does not have to be the way it has always been. We can walk away from the place our decisions have left us and choose a new, fresh way of life. If we drink of the living water that Jesus offers us, we will never be thirsty again – we will never be left desiring more. God’s gift to us will become a fresh and bubbling spring within us, giving us eternal life.

In order to help us understand spiritual truths, Jesus would often take something that could be easily understood and use it to explain something harder to grasp. He did this when he was talking with Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. Nicodemus had seen and heard of the miraculous signs that Jesus was doing and he understood them to be evidence that God was with Jesus (John 3:2) – that God was the source of what Jesus was accomplishing.

Jesus seemed to know what Nicodemus was struggling to understand. Without really explaining why he had come to Jesus and why he had chosen after dark to do so, Jesus knew what Nicodemus was searching for and the decision he would have to make between darkness and light. Jesus went on to explain what needed to happen in order for Nicodemus to find what he was looking for – the Kingdom of God.

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit” (John 3:3-8).

Nicodemus still did not understand and Jesus knew that the reason he could not understand was because he was struggling to believe. Nicodemus was a very intelligent man but this was going to require more than just head knowledge, this was going to require a response of the heart. Jesus knew Nicodemus was going to have to choose between remaining in the dark or stepping into the light by believing not only that God was with Jesus, but that Jesus was sent by God. Jesus went on to explain this to Nicodemus.

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent His Son into the world not to judge him, but to save the world through him.

“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants” (John 3:16-21).

If you want to experience the Kingdom of God you are going to have to step out of the darkness and believe in who Jesus is. The price has already been paid – the Light of the World has already come to save us. We must choose to step into the light, allowing our sins to be exposed. When we come to Him believing, the Light of the World does not judge those sins but instead saves us from them.

John the Baptist believed in Jesus and with that came an understanding of what it meant to be born again or born of the Spirit. John knew that the miraculous signs were more than just evidence that God was with Jesus – He knew that God had sent Jesus. John explained this to his disciples.

“He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them! Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true. For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit. The Father loves His Son and has put everything into his hands. And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment” (John 3:31-36).

I have friends who seek to understand the Bible, to understand spiritual truths, but they want to understand before they will believe. The problem is that human understanding is not going to come as long as we choose to remain in the dark. It is in believing and stepping into the light, experiencing the re-birth of the Spirit, that spiritual truths begin to make sense.

Today’s Jesus Calling devotional: I am the Light of the World. Men crawl through their lives cursing the darkness, but all the while I am shining brightly. I desire each of My followers to be a Light-bearer. The Holy Spirit who lives in you can shine from your face, making Me visible to people around you. Ask My Spirit to live through you, as you wind your way through this day. Hold My hand in joyful trust, for I never leave your side. The Light of My Presence is shining upon you. Brighten up the world by reflecting who I AM. – [Jesus Calling, Sarah Young, 2004]

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”

“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:1-5).

Don’t we ask this same question all the time – Why has this happened? How could God allow this? Why is this person going through such a difficult time? Our hearts break when we watch those we love get sick; we fall to our knees when a diagnosis changes our lives forever. What did we do? Why has God allowed this suffering? We can’t see the road ahead of us through the pain and tears. What is ahead appears so dark; it’s not a journey we want to walk and we beg God to take it away!

Jesus says – I am the light of the world. I will shine my light in the darkness that surrounds you. This has happened so the power of God can be seen in him – in you!

Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing (John 9:6-7).

Later, after the man had been questioned by the Pharisees, Jesus found him and asked him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment – to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind” (John 9:35-39).

How often do we think our faith is strong until something tragic happens and then we realize we don’t have enough faith to get us through this difficult time – we realize we are blind and we need Jesus, the Light of the World, to give us sight. We want to believe – Lord, help us to believe! Strengthen our faith and shine your light into our situation.

Mary and Martha asked similar questions of Jesus when their brother died. They were grieving and begging Jesus to explain himself – to do something!

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask” (11:21-22).

When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died” (11:32).

Before arriving, Jesus had told his disciples, “Lazarus’ sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this” (11:4). Later, at Lazarus’ grave, Jesus said, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a head cloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!” (11:40-44).

Why? So that we can see – so that we can see the Light of the World and believe, so that we can see the glory of God! Perhaps this prayer is for you today:
Heavenly Father, thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me but sometimes I need to remind myself that You are listening, that you love me and have not abandoned me. God, I feel like the darkness is closing in around me and my heart is breaking. Please give me sight! Light of the World, wrap Your arms around me so that I can see You in the midst of all of this. Show me Your glory! Please do something so miraculous that it can only be explained as You and Your power and to Your glory! Help me to believe, give me the miracle of sight today. Amen.

“Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do?” This was the ridiculous comment the crowd said to Jesus just after he had fed the 5000 with only five barley loaves and two fish. They were following Jesus that day because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick (John 6:2,30). Then God provided for their physical needs in an amazing way, similar to when He provided the manna from Heaven for their ancestors. But apparently healing the sick and feeding 5000 people with a child’s sack lunch were not enough for this group. They wanted more.

They wanted more – this is where we come in. How often does God provide over and over again for us, yet we sit back and say, “I’ve never experienced a miracle” or “I wish God would move in a mighty way.” God provides for our needs every day yet we desire more. We look at what others have around us and see what we do not have, rather than focusing in on what God has so generously given us.

Jesus calls us out to us today just as he did to the crowd in John 6:35: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” He says to stop getting caught up in the perishable things this world has to offer – these things do not even last. “Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you” (John 6:27).

Then, it wasn’t enough that the crowd was able to witness miraculous signs in the lives of others, they wanted the ability to perform these miracles themselves – they wanted power and glory.

They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”
Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent” (6:28-29).

At times our focus is on the desire for God to do something great and mighty through us for others to see, just as this crowd requested the ability to perform God’s works. But God’s response to us may be the same as it was to the crowd – to first seek Him, consume Him, believe in Him and fully experience life through Him.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh” (6:47-51).

“I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever” (6:53-58).

It is as if God is saying – I can answer your prayers and provide for your needs here on earth, I am capable of that. I can once again show you my generosity and you can experience the miracle of My provision, but I want to provide you with so much more than what you are asking for. I can heal you of your physical problems or diseases but you will still die eventually. I am offering you something so much greater – I am offering you eternal life!

Perhaps the miracle is not in the provision but in the satisfaction. We know that God is able to provide – the moment of surprise is when we rest in His care, trusting and believing in Him whether or not He provides as we have asked. The miracle is in our satisfaction with what God has done and will do according to His will. Consume the Bread of Life and you will experience the miracle of satisfaction.

The Jewish leaders tried to make this next miracle about timing but Jesus corrected them, letting them know this was not about “when” but about “who” – not about the physical healing but about spiritual healing.

Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people – blind, lame, or paralyzed – lay on the porches. One of the men lying there had been sick for 38 years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”

The man didn’t know, for Jesus had disappeared into the crowd. But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.” Then the man went and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had healed him (John 5:1-15).

Crowds of sick people all around and Jesus approached one man, knowing this man had been ill for a very long time. He knew this man, knew his situation and his need – not only for physical healing but for spiritual healing. Jesus’ desire was for this man’s life to change. For 38 years he had been sick but Jesus had more than just physical healing in mind to change this man’s situation. Jesus wanted to give this man life – eternal life!

For God loved the world so much that he have his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life – John 3:16. This was a miracle of life that Jesus was offering. The physical touch was for the purpose of this man believing in Jesus and choosing obedience. Jesus told this man to do two things: “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” and “stop sinning”. The first required a moment of faith and obedience. He had been sick for such a long time. He had to believe in Jesus enough to stand up. The second required a life of faith and obedience, a healing of the heart that would change the way this man lived the rest of his life – holy and set apart for the One who had healed him.

While the Jewish leaders focused in on the timing of the miracle, Jesus tried to point out to them the source of the miracle. Jesus had come to bring life and they were missing out on this miracle that was available for them also because they were too caught up in the legalism of when the miracle had taken place. What it is that has us so distracted that we are missing out on the miracle of life that God is offering?

For just as the Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants (5:21).

I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death to life. And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice – the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live. The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son (5:24-26).

You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life (5:39-40).

The miracle of life is what Jesus was offering at the pool of Bethesda and it is what He is still offering us today. This miracle comes from the love of a God who would send His one and only Son to die for our sins so that we might believe and experience eternal life. This miracle of life is available to all of us – it requires a moment of faith and obedience, as well as a life of continued faith and obedience. The purpose of all of these miracles performed by Jesus were to prove that He was sent by God so that we might truly believe and experience eternal life (5:36).

John 3:23 says that Jesus performed miraculous signs while in Jerusalem but John does not give us details regarding those miracles. He does give us the results of those miracles – many began to trust in him. John goes on to tell us in detail about the second miracle Jesus performed in Galilee after leaving Jerusalem.

As he traveled through Galilee, he came to Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die.

While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well. He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, “Yesterday afternoon at one o’clock his fever suddenly disappeared!” Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” And he and his entire household believed in Jesus. This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did in Galilee after coming from Judea (John 4:46-54).

God’s timing is a beautiful thing! It is often in the timing of an event or miracle in our lives where our faith is strengthened the most. The miracle itself is incredible but it’s the timing of the God’s movement that confirms that it is God Himself at work.

I see two elements of timing in this account of John’s: 1.) at the time when the government official’s son became very sick, Jesus was arriving in nearby Galilee, and 2.) the boy was healed at the very time when Jesus had said the words, “Your son will live.”

For most of my life, I have heard the saints in the church say, “God is always on time. He’s never late and He’s never early.” I have found that to be true in my own life but I must admit it is not always easy to patiently wait for God’s timing. But it is in the waiting that God has our attention and it is in His perfect timing that we learn to trust in Him and our faith grows.

There’s another miracle John describes in 6:16-21 that is a miracle of timing: That evening Jesus’ disciples went to the shore to wait for him. But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum. Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew rough. They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination.

Mark’s account of this miracle says: They climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed… (6:51). Matthew’s account is similar: When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed (14:32-33).
The moment Jesus stepped into the boat, the storm calmed – a miracle of timing. The timing of Jesus action was beautifully choreographed and their faith was strengthened.

What is your story of God’s perfect timing in your life – timing that confirmed God was at work rather than simple coincidence? Perhaps you are in the midst of the storm right now, rowing until God chooses to calm the waves and winds. Notice Jesus did not calm the storm after the disciples had rowed one mile. They rowed three or four miles before Jesus made His presence known to them. The disciples were never alone, Jesus had not abandoned them in the storm. He was there all the time, waiting for the perfect moment to say, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!”

My prayer for you this morning is that you will hear the words of Jesus today. I pray you will know without doubt that He is with you and that you will trust in His perfect timing. Remember, God is never late and He is never early – He is always on time!

The disciples began to worship Jesus when He stepped into the boat and the storm calmed. Let’s choose to worship Him while still rowing through the storm, praising Him in confidence for what He is going to do and for His presence in the midst of the waves and wind.

The book of John records seven miracles that Jesus performed. John refers to them as “dunamis” or a “sign” – an event that has a deeper meaning. This morning I looked closely at Jesus’ first miracle, praying that God would show me a deeper meaning. Many people look to this account of Jesus turning the water into wine and make it about the wine. I am searching for a deeper purpose and a deeper meaning to what Jesus did for this bridal party.

The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, “They have no more wine.”

After the wedding he went to Capernaum for a few days with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples (John 2:1-12).

It sounds to me like very few people at the wedding even knew about the miracle. The servants obviously knew where the wine had come from – they knew better than anyone else. This group whom society devalued had a front row seat to the Messiah’s first miracle. John does not clearly state the impact this had on the servants but I can only imagine their lives were never the same.

Jesus’ mother knew they were running out of wine and knew who had provided in abundance for this wedding celebration. Jesus had not performed a miracle or miraculous sign yet, but Mary seemed to know what he was capable of. Was she forcing him to do something before it was time or did she simply believe he would be able to do something to help save this special occasion? Was she amazed at what he did? Perhaps this was the day when Mary’s view of her son transformed, helping her understand that Jesus was ready to go about his Father’s business.

I would assume his brothers knew as well but it does not say. We know they struggled to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, some not believing until after he was raised from the dead, so perhaps they did not witness how Jesus transformed the water into wine.

Transformation – I believe that is what this miracle is about. Jesus took six stone water jars each holding 20 to 30 gallons of water and turned them into 180 gallons of fine-tasting wine. It took a simple, everyday beverage (water) and transformed it into a quality, highly-valued drink (wine).

But the transformation was not about the water turning into wine. The true transformation was in the disciples. Curiosity had made them followers, this miraculous sign made them believers. They witnessed the power of Jesus and their lives would never be the same.

Jesus transformed the lives of the disciples, just as He transforms our lives. He takes our simplicity and is able to make us into highly effective tools for Him to use to change the world. He takes our impure, imperfect lives and purifies us, giving us a new quality and new value. We are never the same. The enemy wants to convince us that we have not changed. The world wants to continue to define us by what we used to be. God sees us as His beautiful creation – He is changing and perfecting and filling us with His Spirit.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:17-18).

The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples. As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus. Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them.
They replied, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
“Come and see,” he said. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day.
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus (John 1:35-40).

Here is evidence of one more way in which John the Baptist was able to prepare the way for the Lord. John’s investment in Andrew prepared him for the moment in which he would be given the opportunity to leave everything behind and follow the Messiah. Andrew’s faith was strengthened due to the faithfulness of John and, through Andrew’s faith, his brother Simon Peter faced the One who would see him for what he would become rather than for who he was.

Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”). Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John – but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”). – John 1:41-42

Jesus did not just rename Simon, he redefined him. Jesus knew that Peter was not perfect and he knew that he would one day betray him, yet he also knew that Peter’s faith would grow strong enough to stay true when many others would choose to walk away from Jesus.

Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?”…
At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”
Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:60,66-69).

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come follow me.” Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter’s hometown (1:43-44).

According to my study bible, Philip was Greek. This shows a mix of cultures between the disciples but also shows that Jesus ministry was not going to be to only Jews. The fact that Philip was Greek became a doorway for other Greeks to approach Jesus. Some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration paid a visit to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They said, “Sir, we want to meet Jesus” (John 12:20-21). Each of Jesus’ disciples, and each of us, is created uniquely to draw others to Jesus. There was something about Philip that gave others the opportunity to encounter Christ, just as there is something about us that God desires to use to draw others to Himself. The first person to find Jesus through Philip was a young man named Nathanael:

Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth!”
“Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
“Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied (John 1:45-46).

Nazareth was a small town, not famous enough to be considered a possibility for greatness. Just like today, there was a natural tendency for people to define others by where they have come from, the color of their skin, their family background, etc. Nazareth was not well thought of and yet God chose it as the birthplace of His Son. How wonderful that God sees value in even the small or imperfect places or people!

As they approached, Jesus said, “Now here is a genuine son of Israel – a man of complete integrity.”
“How do you know my name?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus replied, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.”
Then Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God – the King of Israel.”
Jesus asked him, “Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” Then he said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth” (John 1:47-51).

There is a comparison here that I have never caught but that my Study Bible pointed out this morning – or rather a contrast. It wasn’t just that Jesus knew where Philip was before he arrived, he knew who he was. It was if Jesus was saying – just as you know where I came from and want to judge me by my origin, I know where you came from. You are a descendant of Jacob, who was known to be scheming and deceitful, but I know you are a man of complete integrity. And, just as Jacob dreamed of a stairway reaching to heaven with angels of God going up and down the stairway (Gen. 28:12), you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth.

Heavenly Father, just as I came to faith through the faithfulness of others in my life, I pray that my walk with You will help others find You – that they will have the opportunity to hear you say, “Come, follow me.” Thank you for redefining me, just as you did Simon and Nathanael, not according to all the mistakes I have made and will make but by whom You created me to be. You uniquely created me and purposefully placed me in the lives of others. Use me, dear Jesus. Help me to see myself through Your eyes. Amen.

God had a magnificent plan for John the Baptist, yet he remained humble. He was given the role of preparing Israel for the coming of their Messiah, he was given the honor of seeing Jesus revealed as the Son of God and he was given the privilege of introducing the “Lamb of God” to the very people whose sins Jesus would die for.

John could have thought much of himself but he knew he was also one of those people who needed a Savior and he remained humble. He could have said, “Hey, we’re family – Jesus is my cousin! God has chosen this relative of mine to bring salvation!” But instead he left himself out of the introduction and simply said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

It seems to me that John told half the story of Jesus’ baptism and Matthew told the other half. Therefore, I am going to combine both passages so that we can get an idea of how this took place:

John told them, “I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognize. Though his ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal.” – John 1:26-27

Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.’” – John 1:29-34

The study Bible I am using this morning pointed out that the language John the Baptist used when he referred to Jesus as “the Chosen One of God” and the language God used when He said “This is my dearly loved Son” is the same language used in Isaiah 42:1: “Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will bring justice to the nations.”

Just as God had a plan for John the Baptist who remained humble in carrying out God’s will for his life, we should also remain humble. What God calls us to do, the position He places us in, isn’t about us – it’s about Him – the Chosen One of God, the Dearly Loved Son. It was for our sins that Jesus died and we come to Him as a humble servant, ready to be used however He desires for His glory and not ours.

He was despised and rejected – a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised and we did not care.
Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!
But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.
He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.
Unjustly condemned, he was led away…
And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.
I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels. – Isaiah 53:3-8,11b-12

Now it’s time to make it about me! I’m a rebel – a rebel who humbly enters God’s presence this morning and bows before the Son of God to say “Thank you for dying for my sins. Thank you for carrying my weaknesses and my sorrows, for being pierced for my rebellion, crushed for my sins. I am whole because You were beaten; I am healed because You were whipped. There have been so many times I have gone astray and left Your path to follow my own yet You willingly bore my sins and interceded for my rebellious heart. This morning I submit to Your path and give You all the praise and glory for where this path takes me. Amen.”

God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light (John 1:6-8).

God had a plan for John – a very specific purpose for his life. John’s obedience and decision to walk in God’s plan for his life made a difference in the lives of many people and in the acceptance of Jesus when He arrived. John knew God’s purpose, knew what God had called him to do – He didn’t know every detail or the timing of God’s plan but he knew there was a plan. John accepted this calling on his life with great humility, even when those around him desired for him to be more than who he was.

This was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple assistants from Jerusalem to ask John, “Who are you?” He came right out and said, “I am not the Messiah.”
“Well then, who are you?” they asked. “Are you Elijah?”
“No,” he replied.
“Are you the Prophet we are expecting?”
“No.”
“Then who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?”
John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah: “I am the voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Clear the way for the Lord’s coming!’” – John 1:19-23

In those days, when a King or man of great importance was going to visit an area of the kingdom, they would send men out before him to prepare the way. There, of course, were not nice paved roads like we have now so they would take time to travel the path and clear the road of any rocks or fallen trees, perhaps trimming back branches that would hinder a chariot or horse. Their purpose was to make sure there was nothing blocking the way of this man of great importance.

John the Baptist had a similar role – to “clear the way for the Lord’s coming”; to make sure there was nothing blocking the way of this man of great importance.

We do a similar “clearing” here at our house when we know that company is coming. It is that moment when we look around and see through the eyes of someone else what our home looks like. When it’s just us, we become comfortable. When company is coming, we notice the pair of shoes in the living room; that the couch cushions need straightened, chairs have not been pushed back under the table, shower curtains need closed and blinds need opened. We scramble around the house, clearing and preparing for our special guests.

A couple of days ago, we were shopping at Bergner’s and saw a young mother from our church with her arm in a sling. She explained that she broke her arm several weeks ago when she tripped over the toys of her 3 year old. Her son didn’t do anything wrong, he was simply playing with his toys, yet the scattered objects had hindered his mother’s ability to walk across the room unharmed.

I feel God challenging me this morning to take a look at my life through His eyes; to honestly look and see if there is some “clearing” I need to do. Are there things in my life that are blocking the way of what God wants to accomplish? Are there attitudes I have become comfortable with that I need Jesus to shine His light on and expose? Is there anything that is not clearly a sin but hindering someone else’s walk? Is there a possibility that the conditions of my life will cause someone else to stumble?

I know that, just like John the Baptist, God has a plan for my life – a specific purpose – just like He has for your life. I want to obediently and humbly walk in that plan. Lord, shine your light on my life and show me what I need to clear away. I do not want to hold tightly to anything that might block your way or hinder someone else’s walk. Help me to see myself through your eyes today. Amen.