John 5:30-47
Be Still: Jesus - as I open your Word, please teach me something new or remind me of something true about who you are today. Amen
Read: John 5:30-47
You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. (vv39,40)
Encounter: As someone who loses a lot of things, I also spend a lot of time looking for things. I love the joy of finding the item; but the one time it isn’t so joyful is when the thing you were looking for is right in front of you. It’s so frustrating - how on earth did I not see it?
This is exactly what we see happen in today’s passage - the Jewish leaders are looking for something, but they're missing the fact that the One they are looking for is right in front of them. They would have spent years studying the Scriptures, waiting for a Messiah to come, and now Jesus is here in front of them, they can’t see him for who he is. Why not? They let too much other stuff get in the way. They were too focused on Jesus saying and doing things they didn't expect. The miraculous healing they have just witnessed of the man by the pool - well, it didn’t happen quite how they had in mind. Their rules, their preconceived ideas, their own expectations, all get in the way of them seeing who is in front of them.
Apply: Is Jesus telling us to not study the Scriptures? Absolutely not - keep going with your Bread journal! But he is reminding us how easy it is for us to miss seeing him. The Jewish teachers thought they were doing the right thing, but ultimately, they were missing the revelation of Jesus. How often do we do the same? Maybe not quite as extreme, but how often do we miss an encounter with Jesus because we’re so focused on our expectations, our plan, and our version of the outcome.
Devote: Jesus, I’m sorry for where I ‘miss’ you. I’m sorry for where the busyness of my life and my routines and habits get in the way of what you want to say to me. Please reveal yourself to me again today.
