Monday, April 30, 2012

The Bread of LIfe (05/06/2012)

May 6, 2012 Background Scripture: John 6 Lesson Passage: John 6:22 – 35 In today’s lesson, we have a multitude looking for Jesus. They have gone to great length to find him. In fact, they entered boats and crossed the Sea of Galilee in search of him. When they found him—a day after the search began—they questioned him as to how and when did he arrive on that side of the sea. Rather than explain to them that he walked most of the distance on top of the water the previous night, Jesus instead rebuked them for going through all that trouble for the wrong reason. He ignored their question because he clearly understood their motive for seeking him. Jesus told the multitude that the only reason they were seeking him was because he had given them food the day before. They were not coming to him just to be in his company nor to hear more of his teaching. They had an altogether different motive which was quite selfish. They only wanted some free food. So Jesus told them quite plainly, Stop putting out so much effort for the wrong things in life. They had gone to great length just to try to get another meal out of him. But just like yesterday’s free meal, if he fed them again they would again get hungry and seek for another meal from him. Their priority was to take care of their physical needs. Put another way, they spent a lot of time to make sure their physical bodies received the nourishment it craved. Unfortunately, they were ignoring the needs of their spiritual person. Their spiritual persons were malnourished while their physical bodies were merely hungry. Therefore, Jesus told them that they should strive to receive spiritual food that would be satisfying to them more so than the physical. To this they wondered how they could accomplish such a feat. They wondered what it would take for them to do the work that God required. Jesus told them that all that God required was for them to believe in His son. This piqued their curiosity but they wanted Jesus to show them a sign to prove his authenticity. After all, the fish and bread were yesterday’s news so they requested another sign. They even gave Jesus a hint as to what would work. They referred to God making provisions for their fore parents by providing manna in the wilderness for them to eat. (Perhaps this was their way of trying to get another meal from Jesus.) Jesus explained that the manna in the wilderness was not the true food from heaven but only a temporary provision for their day to day physical nourishment. Jesus was offering them something much better. The spiritual food Jesus offered would not need to be replenished on a daily basis. One meal of the true food from heaven was all that was necessary. This heavenly-sent food will satisfy your spiritual hunger forever. This is the food that Jesus called the true bread from heaven. This is the life-giving bread that he was offering them so that they could change their priorities and line up with God’s will for them. Jesus declared that he was in fact that true bread that had come down from heaven. Jesus is the bread of life. Robert C. Hudson April 25, 2012

Monday, April 23, 2012

Blind Man Receives Sight

April 29, 2012 Background Scripture: John 9 Lesson Passage: John 9:1 – 17 The Gospel of John gives many details surrounding the incident of Jesus healing a blind man and his subsequent excommunication from the synagogue by the religious leaders. According to John’s account, as Jesus was passing by he observed the blind man. It is worth noting that all of us start out in the same predicament as this man. Jesus looked upon a man who could not see him. Likewise, Jesus was watching us although we were spiritually blind and could not see him. Whereas Jesus looked upon the man with pity, Jesus’ disciples blamed the sinful actions of either the man or his parents for the situation he was in. Again, people often give us too much credit for being able to completely control our own circumstances. We cause plenty of trouble for ourselves but some situations are set-ups for the glory of God to be openly displayed in our lives and for the benefit of others. Jesus explained this to his disciples and then he healed the man. When those who had previously known him saw him, they debated as to whether this was indeed the same person. Some were only persuaded after the man testified for himself that he was the one who was previously a blind beggar. Some of those who marveled at the change in the man’s condition took him to the Pharisees. It seems as though the Pharisees and Sadducees were often challenged to prove the validity of their doctrine against that of Jesus who they constantly criticized. Yet the people could readily see that Jesus supplemented his teaching with action. Rather than trying to learn more about Jesus, the religious leaders erred by continuously looking for ways to condemn him. They could not accept that this man, Jesus, who had not been taught by them, could do such things. They went about their customary evidence gathering activities of interviewing all involved so that they could point out the error of the people in following one such as Jesus. Fear fell upon those who suddenly found themselves in the Pharisees’ crosshairs. Unfortunately, fear prevents many of us from celebrating God’s work in this world. So rather than testify to what we know, many seek to deflect the attention away from themselves to others. The man’s parents were afraid because the Pharisees had made it known to the people that they would excommunicate from the synagogue anyone who believed in and followed Jesus. The cured man was still relishing God’s work and did not mind giving his testimony. (A testimony is better than an opinion because it is based on facts whether others choose to accept it or not.) The Pharisees excommunicated the man from the synagogue because of his testimony which he refused to change to suit them. Even here we see that others will sometimes be offended (convicted) by our testimony. However, after they kicked him out, Jesus came to him again and fully accepted him. This is wonderful news to anyone who has ever been concerned about sharing a personal testimony about what God has done in their life. Even though others may reject you, Jesus still reaches out and pulls us closer to him. Whereas the Pharisees persisted in their spiritual blindness in not accepting Jesus, the cured man readily accepted Jesus and received both physical sight and spiritual insight. Robert C. Hudson April 20, 2012

Monday, April 16, 2012

Samaritan Woman finds Living Water

April 22, 2012


Background Scripture: John 4:1 – 42
Lesson Passage: John 4:7 – 15, 21 – 30

Do you know the one you worship? I believe that many who consider themselves to be religious would find this question somewhat offensive. On the other hand, if this was a statement rather than a question, I am sure that many religious people would find offense in such an allegation. Yet, this is precisely the statement that Jesus made to a Samaritan woman he talked with. To add insult to injury, this was the statement of a Jew directed at a Samaritan—one of those who were despised by the Jews. This was obviously not the starting point of their dialog or it would have been more of an argument than a conversation. While traveling through the land of Samaria, Jesus became tired and sat down next to a deep well. The woman approached the well with a water pot so that she could draw some water for herself. Jesus asked her to give him some water to drink. Certainly her response should have been expected by any Jew. She responded based on the Jewish practice of not sharing drinking or eating utensils with non-Jews. Since she responded negatively to Jesus’ request, then Jesus told her about a different kind of water that she had never experienced that he could give her. Then she requested that he share this special water with her. At this point the conversation took a turn that may have been embarrassing to her. Jesus revealed to her that he was aware of her past and present relationship issues. She sensed that Jesus was no ordinary Jewish man if he knew this about her. She started a theological debate with Jesus about the proper place where one should worship. This longtime debate had become a standoff between the Jews and Samaritans. Neither side had yielded over the many years since their split. Jesus declared that both groups had the wrong concept about worship and locations. It is only through the ministry of the Holy Spirit that one can be led into proper worship of the one and true living God. The Jews, to their credit, knew the one they worshiped whereas the Samaritans did not. Furthermore, God would use the Jews to offer salvation to the entire world. The woman then referred to the Samaritan’s tradition of looking for the Messiah or Christ of God to come and reveal the truth to them. Jesus told her that he is the Christ of God who had indeed come into the world as prophesied. When her excitement became more than she could bear, she left her water pot and went back to the village to tell the others about her encounter with Jesus and she invited them to follow her so that they too could meet the long awaited Messiah. Her actions proved that Jesus had given her a portion of the living water he had talked about. It was such that she could not keep it to herself but she readily shared it with others who followed her back to the well. Then Jesus did the unthinkable for a Jew, the Samaritans invited him to stay with them and he accepted their invitation and stayed with them for two days—no doubt eating and drinking what they provided. While the Jews in Jerusalem were yet rejecting Jesus and looking to find fault in him, the Samaritan villagers gladly welcomed him and were rejoicing over the living waters given to them by the Messiah.


Robert C. Hudson
April 16, 2012

Monday, April 9, 2012

Temple is Cleansed

April 15, 2012


Background Scripture: John 2:13 – 25
Lesson Passage: John 2:13 – 22

According to the gospel accounts, Jesus spent much of his time in ministry helping people set right priorities. It is so easy to begin to do something that makes a lot of sense only to end up engaged in activities that don’t even reflect the spirit of what was initially being done. This may very well be the case of the merchants who were set up in the outer courts of the temple. The Law stipulated that individuals who had to travel a great distance could redeem their animals to be sacrificed for money in their home country and exchange the money for a sacrificial animal in the region where the temple (tabernacle) was located. It seems reasonable then that someone would figure out that for that system to work there needed to be someone in the region of the temple to offer such services. However, even the best intentions will often go awry if we fail to be diligent in seeking to do things that God would find pleasing. For instance, to be located in the region of the temple does not suggest nor mandate that the exchange activities need to take place inside the temple complex. Nor is there a suggestion that because God’s people needed to be able to do an exchange of money for animals that someone else should be profiting from their need. In addition to the need to purchase animals to be sacrificed, some individuals may also need to exchange their regional currency for some currency that would be accepted locally. For thousands of years, manmade economics has dictated that whenever an exchange of goods or services takes place, there should be a skimming of money in the process. This skimming may take the form of taxes or profits or both. This process is independent of the economic ability of the ones involved to be able to support it. In other words, the ones who can afford it the least are often hit the hardest by it. This very concept goes counter to God’s plan for how a society should treat its poor. To add insult to it all, this very process was taking place in the temple that had been dedicated to God’s purpose. When Jesus entered the temple, he began to drive those involved in the bartering out of the temple along with their livestock. The money of the currency exchangers was poured out and he demanded that they leave the temple. Was Jesus not in agreement with the provision in the Law to allow relief for those who traveled great distances? Certainly he was. He disagreed with them changing the focus or purpose of the temple from a place for prayer to a place for merchandising. He was not questioning their intentions of assisting those travelers from afar. Some, no doubt, were more concerned with commerce than God’s commandments. Merchandising activities should never exceed prayer in the temple. In the other gospel accounts where he apparently cleansed the temple a second time, Jesus further emphasized that the exchangers were stealing from the people. Their wrong priorities had made God’s house a den of thieves. Even this action by Jesus endeared many to him when they saw the zeal he had for his Father’s house. This zeal they saw when Jesus cleansed the temple.


Robert C. Hudson
April 4, 2012

Monday, April 2, 2012

Jesus Lives!

April 8, 2012


Background Scripture: John 20:1 – 23
Lesson Passage: John 20:1 – 10, 19, 20

Jesus Lives! This is not only good news but it is indeed GREAT news for all believers. What an incredible revelation to Jesus’ first century disciples. No one had ever done this before. People were indeed raised from the dead during the times of the Old Testament as well as during Jesus’ ministry in the first century. That’s not the good news that we proclaim. We declare that Jesus was raised from the dead by the power of God in him. No one spoke any words over him or waved their hands around him. Jesus had declared that “I have power to lay my life down and I have power to pick it up again.” This display of power was never before seen nor has it been seen since that resurrection morning. With all due respect to other organized religions, you can’t touch this. This simple two word statement is what sets Christianity apart from all other religions or beliefs. All other founders of religions died and have not been heard from since. Jesus lives and continues to speak to the hearts of believers every day. His words are just as loud and powerful today as ever. He continues to work miracles through the lives of those disciples that walk after him today. In addition to this, he continues to make intercession for the saints today. I know that many of us are skeptical when we first hear the news concerning Jesus. That skepticism quickly disappears when we experience his presence in our life. It is one thing to hear the good news but it is something entirely different to experience the good news as a result of believing the word that we have heard. Once we believe, then seeing becomes possible. It is unusual for one to receive or perceive the presence of Jesus in one’s life until he first believes the good news that he hears. Believing in the good news is what engenders faith in us. It is through faith that we can receive all things that are good. This is one of those things that makes Easter special to saints. Easter is not about bonnets and new suits but instead about the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. I can only imagine how confused Jesus’ disciples must have been. They had watched him be crucified and die on the cross. They know that his dead body was taken from the cross and placed in a tomb which was secured by a large stone and guarded by soldiers. How could they accept that the tomb was now empty without thinking the obvious? Surely somebody took his body to keep his followers from making a religion or idol of it. But there was more to it than that. There were eyewitness accounts that Jesus had been seen and he was alive and well. Thomas is often picked on for doubting the reports of the eyewitnesses but many of us can identify with Thomas’ thoughts as expressed through his words: Unless I put my finger in the nail prints in his hands and put my hand in his side where the spear pierced him, I will continue to mourn his untimely death. But those who could recall Jesus’ own words before he was arrested could believe without such physical evidence. Jesus declared that those who believe because they have heard would be the ones truly blessed. Those blessings continue to flow even today. We hear the preaching of the gospel and we decide to believe God because He is God and He blesses us because of our faith. So we too can join in the chorus that declares: Jesus Lives!

Robert C. Hudson
March 30, 2012