Sunday: Is This the Christ — John 7:11-31
When Jesus taught in the temple the people were amazed at His knowledge of the scriptures. But they were puzzled as to how He could have such knowledge without having studied at one of the rabbinic schools. He taught with boldness and authority. He proclaimed to them the miracles He had done. He rebuked them for their hypocrisies. Some of the temple-goers actually began to wonder if Jesus was indeed the Messiah. But then they reasoned that He was human—the carpenter’s son—therefore He couldn’t be the Christ.
Monday: Living Water — John 7:32-52
Jesus told the temple-goers that soon He would be leaving them and going to a place where they could not follow. The religious leaders heard this and misunderstood. They thought Jesus was planning to live among the Greeks. But Jesus was referring to His death and ascension. Using a comparison to the symbolism of water, which was poured out on the altar each day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus gave an open invitation to come to Him and be filled with the living water of the Holy Spirit. But because of their spiritual blindness they were unable to perceive the truth of what He was saying.
Tuesday: Forgiven Adulteress — John 7:53-8:11
The Pharisees brought before Jesus a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. Why did they do that? They didn’t place any authority in Jesus. They brought her before Him in order to trap Him. They had already seen His great compassion and they likely assumed that He’d reject the law of Moses and forgive the woman, instead. Jesus acted as if He didn’t even hear the accusation. He bent down and wrote on the ground. We can only speculate as to what He wrote, but whatever it was, it convicted them, and one by one they left.
Wednesday: Light of the World — John 8:12-20
In today’s passage, Jesus declares Himself to be the light of the world. The reference symbolically related to the lamp-lighting ceremony that took place each evening of the Feast. Within the setting of this festival, which proclaimed God’s deliverance of Israel, Jesus was stating that He was God’s deliverance for the world. Just as Israel followed the light from the pillar of fire, those who followed Jesus would be following the light of the world.
Thursday: Departure Predicted — John 8:21-30
When Jesus again mentioned His death to come, those who heard Him thought He was contemplating suicide. But Jesus was referring to His divinity. The people were still trying to figure out if Jesus was a prophet or the Messiah. They saw Him as just a man, but He was bearing witness to them that He was more than that…He was the Son of God, manifest in the flesh.
Friday: The Truth — John 8:31-36
Jesus promised that we would be free, but notice there are conditions placed on that promise. So often these verses are quoted, but the requirement of the verse isn’t emphasized or is ignored altogether. Jesus says that to be free, we have to know the truth and to know the truth we need to be His disciples: learning His word, practicing His word, adhering to His word. If we follow His teachings, then we’re His disciples. If we follow His teachings, then we know the truth. And it is in that act of obedience that we become free.
Saturday: Abraham’s Seed — John 8:31-59
The temple-goers tell Jesus that Abraham is their father. Through that claim, they are also claiming that God is their father. Jesus responds that how they are acting reveals who their father really is.