The message that Jesus is giving is one that has been consistent throughout the whole book of John, and it will continue to be. He is the only way in which mankind can be saved. The Pharisees were putting it off as their way was the way. You need to uphold the law perfectly. It was works based. Jesus insists upon Himself being the way. To the original audience, this would have proven a significant...

There are a lot of connections to historical references in this passage. However, the immediate context provides an interesting angle for how this conversation is taking place. Just prior to this discourse in John 10, Jesus heals a blind man. Due to the testimony the blind man gives to the Pharisees, they kick him out of the synagogue community. What Jesus is speaking challenges their authority on...

In this section, Jesus is continuing his discourse with the Pharisees from the man who was blind being healed. He makes some clear statements that place the opponents of Jesus face-to-face with the consequences of such a decision. Let's go through it.Jesus begins by giving a parable. Those who enter the sheepfold by any way other than the door is a thief and a robber. They are not genuine. It is t...

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep fol...

I want to encourage us to pray that our eyes and ears would be opened and we would see and hear what the Lord is doing. We as believers have the responsibility to be attentive to the Lord and believe upon Him. Pray that our faith would increase and our faithfulness would follow suit. Finally, give thanks to the Lord for the work He has been doing in your life. Delight in Him.......

There is a very tough challenge in the application of this practice. The Christian skeptic has been so highly elevated in our churches today that we are almost more commended for finding a natural answer to spiritual problem. There are two major applications I am currently undertaking that I believe the Lord is confirming by this series of devotions.1. I am seeking to restore a genuine supernatura...

It is unfortunate how quickly pride can come in and interrupt belief. As it did for the Pharisees is how it happens for us today.  The ironic part of it all is that I have so many "opening my eyes" kind of moments wrapped up in my testimony and still have the ability to doubt. There is power in testimony and I think we often neglect that fact. I know I do. Was it not the confession of the man's te...

The contrast between belief and unbelief, and the contrast between sight and blindness would be prominent to the reader of the time. It is a very clear message all throughout the Old Testament. Consider these following passages knowing the the audience of the time would likely have reflected over this.9      And He said, “Go, and tell this people:    ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;    Kee...

To the larger context, John is speaking into the narrative of Jesus fulfilling the role of the Messiah and the war between belief and unbelief. It is important to remember what John's goal in writing this book is.31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.-John 20:31The core place where John is coming fro...

After Jesus heals the blind man, this passage follows the reaction of the people as a result of this healing. People recognized the man and knew him as one who used to beg. He was poor and dependent as a result of his condition. Despite having not directly witnessed the miracle Jesus performed, they saw the state of the man after the fact and recognized that the man had been healed some how. When ...

8 Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?”9 Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.”He said, “I am he.”10 Therefore they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”11 He answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and wa...

Let pray for one another in our sufferings. Intercede on behalf of your brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray for strength. Pray for endurance. Pray for healing. If you are in need of prayer, I encourage you to reach out to other fellow believers and share those prayer requests. We join together in the midst of suffering.......

It is a fact that comfort is comfortable. It is easy to get caught up in comforts and become distressed when things get uncomfortable. I have been challenged many times over to pray differently when suffering hits. I can very quickly pray for removal of the difficulty or that the suffering would come to an end. I am challenged to instead pray for endurance and strength to whether the trial.I think...

Scholars and apologists have long studied the Scriptures in the pursuit of answering the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" There are a myriad of answers to this question and many have found places of solace to land. John Lennox draws a fantastic observation in light of this question. In addressing the problem of suffering, Lennox appropriately highlights the discomfort of this i...

Aside from the clear point John is making of Jesus being the Messiah, there is also the challenge of the previously held tradition that blindness was the direct result of sin. It was a widely held belief among Jews and Gentiles alike. Jesus challenges the notion by asserting the man is not blind by the result of his sin or his parents' sin. Rather, his blindness is there to demonstrate the power o...