All posts by Luella Campbell

JOHN’S GOSPEL… THE SHEPHERD AND HIS SHEEP – 17

Bible Study,

In the narrative of John’s gospel, conflict with His enemies presented its own opportunity. Some of Jesus’ most profound lessons came out of His battle with His opponents.

John 10 is an example of teaching so clear and deep that, without it, we as God’s children, would be much poorer.

Jesus’ announcement…

John 10:11 NIV
[11] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”…

…links to the prediction of Ezekiel 34, spoken centuries before.

God had a serious quarrel with the shepherds of Israel. He had appointed them to care for His “sheep”. Instead, they had failed in their commission, abused the sheep, and enriched themselves at the expense of God’s people.

Ezekiel 34:2-4 NIV
[2] “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? [3] You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. [4] You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.”

So, the sheep had suffered at the hands of their cruel “shepherds”.

Ezekiel 34:5-6 NIV
[5] “So, they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. [6] My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.”

God’s solution was His promise to take over the shepherd’s task to care for the sheep Himself. When Jesus uttered His words, “I am the good shepherd,” His people would probably have made the connection, but did they understand the implications? What was He saying?

Once again, Jesus was not merely making a random statement. He was declaring, not only that He was fulfilling God’s promise to be their shepherd, but that He was also the God who had promised to come in person to care for His sheep.

Ezekiel 34:15-16 NIV
[15] “I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. [16] I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.”

Look what Jesus had to say about the shepherds of Israel in His day. They were not true shepherds. They were “hirelings”, mercenaries doing the job for money, not for love of the sheep.

John 10:8, 12-13 NIV
[8] “All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them…
[12] The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. [13] The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.”

This was not an indictment against the devil. This was an exposure of Israel’s spiritual leaders, the Pharisees and religious leaders. They were in it for what they could get out of it, for personal gain, not for love of the Father and His sheep.

So, Jesus stepped into the gap, offering the stability of a life anchored in Him. He made big promises…

  1. He is the way into the safety of the sheepfold.

John 10:7, 9 NIV
[7] “Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep…
[9] I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.”

What is this sheepfold of which He is the gate? Could He be speaking, in picture language, of the kingdom of God? In the other three gospels, Jesus announced, with great enthusiasm, the re-entry of God’s reign on earth, after centuries of the rebellion of His own people against His rule. So, as Israel’s own true shepherd, entry into the kingdom of God was through Him alone.

John 14:6 NLT
[6] “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

There is a place of safety and security within the boundaries of God’s rule that promise protection in this life and an existence in the presence of the Father in the life to come. The only way to access this realm is through Jesus. He provided the way through His own death which forever removed the barrier of sin that blocked the entrance to eternal life.

  1. Unlike the hired hands who have no interest in the wellbeing of the sheep, Jesus takes personal care of every sheep within His flock.

John 10:3-4, 9 NIV
[3] “The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. [4] When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice…
[9] I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.”

  1. Jesus has a personal relationship with His sheep. They recognise His voice. They follow His leading. He protects them from all harm.

John 10:14, 27 NIV
[14] “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—…
[27] My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me…

  1. The care Jesus gives to His sheep extends beyond this life. He gave His own life to save them from eternal death.

John 10:15b, 17-18, 28 NIV
[15] “… I lay down my life for the sheep…
[17] The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. [18] No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”…
[28] I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”

David’s well-loved psalm, 23, paints the picture of his experience as a sheep in the care of the true shepherd, every need met, every blessing lavishly provided, the future secured because the Lord Himself has pledged to be the shepherd of His people.

It’s this picture that Peter uses to urge his fellow elders to be faithful shepherds of God’s flock, following the example and instruction of the Great Shepherd…

1 Peter 5:2-4 NLT
[2] “Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. [3] Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. [4] And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.”

Likewise, the same imagery of the Great Shepherd, the one who laid down His life for the sheep, dominates the benediction blessing and prayer of Hebrews 13:20-21…

Hebrews 13:20-21 NLT
[20] “Now may the God of peace— who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood— [21] may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.”

Our Great Shepherd not only signed the New Covenant in His own blood, but He also provides every good thing we need to do His will and produces in us every good work that pleases Him.

What a great Shepherd we have!

JOHN’S GOSPEL… IMPOSSIBILITY OR OPPORTUNITY – 16

Bible Study,

Jesus and His men were on the road again. They encountered a blind man on their way, sitting beside the road, clutching his ragged cloak around him and reaching out his hands for a few coins, a pathic picture of hopelessness and dejection.

Jesus stopped in his tracks. Once again, He saw opportunity. His disciples, ever theoretical and religious, asked Him a theological question? Perhaps their rabbi could finally put an end to this puzzling debate. Whose fault was it, this man or His parents’? If they knew the right answer, they would know who to blame.

John 9:2 NIV
[2] “His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

Jesus intervened with a complete change of perspective. “This tragic situation is not about who is at fault. It’s not about who is to blame. It’s not about settling a theological argument. This is about a man being blind from his birth. He has never seen anything and never will unless…”

Jesus looked intently at them. “Don’t you understand? This is an opportunity for the Father to do something so wonderful for this man that He will get the glory.”

Every time the disciples bumped into an impossibility, Jesus intervened to show them an opportunity. Time and again He used an impossible situation to reveal the Father’s glory by turning a tragedy into a victory. For too long, the Father had been given a bad reputation because of the wicked lives and hypocrisy of His representatives. For the Pharisees, God was a strict disciplinarian who jumped at every opportunity to punish those who stepped over the line. For Jesus, everything was about His Father, showing off to the people around Him who He really is, compassionate and merciful.

Eugene Peterson, in “The Message” paraphrase, expressed Jesus’ sentiment in these words,

John 9: 3-5
[3-5] “Jesus said, “You’re asking the wrong question. You’re looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do…”

What a way to look at life! A literal way to embrace God’s promises, every obstacle an opportunity to put God’s glory on display! How different our lives would be if we took Jesus’ words seriously. Instead of bellyaching about every little interference in our trouble-free lives, we would grab the opportunity to involve our Father in our issues.

Jesus did exactly that and look at the outcome.

John 9:6-7 NIV
[6] “After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. [7] “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.”

Jesus never failed to stick His neck out, anticipating the Father’s response because they were in partnership in this mission to reveal the Father’s glory to the world.

Jesus identified this “work” as His mission in the world.

John 17:4, 6-8 NIV
[4] “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do…
[6] “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. [7] Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. [8] For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.”

Every miracle, every expression of mercy, every life transformed by grace, shone the light on the Father’s character, the God who revealed Himself to Moses as…

Exodus 34:6-7 NIV
[6] …“The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, [7] maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin…”

Not only did Jesus heal this man of blindness, He also delivered him from the tyranny of the Pharisees. When the Pharisees couldn’t get the better of him, they threw him out …into the arms of Jesus. So, the story concludes…

John 9:24-29, 34-38 NIV
[24] “A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.” [25] He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” [26] Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” [27] He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?” [28] Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! [29] We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from…”
[34] To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out. [35] Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” [36] “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” [37] Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” [38] Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.”

Life has the habit of throwing obstacles in our way. What if we, like Jesus, confronted them from a different perspective? What if, instead of bemoaning our lot, we grabbed the opportunity to involve our Father in our dilemma? What if we, instead of asking the usual frustrating question “Why?” and never getting an answer, we engaged God’s intervention with, “Let’s see what God can do!”

Surprising miracles can happen!

JOHN’S GOSPEL… WRITTEN IN THE DUST – 15

Bible Study, ,

The events that unfolded in John 8, though in parethesis because they do not appear in the earliest manuscripts, directly follow in John’s narrative in chapter 7. The enraged Pharisees devised a plot to trap Jesus, a perfect plan, they thought, to force Him to act against the law. Oh, if only they could catch Him off guard!

We know the story well. They conveniently discovered a couple committing adultery. They dragged the woman, probably half naked, out of the house, down the road, and unceremoniously threw her down in front of Jesus. “What shall we do with her?” they sneered. “What’s your verdict, rabbi?”

Jesus said nothing. He simply looked at them. Then slowly, deliberately, He bent down and began to trace letters on the dusty ground. The more He wrote, the more they taunted Him. “What’s your answer, rabbi?” they demanded, ignoring the words His letters were forming until…, one, then another began to recognise their own names in the letters He wrote.

Jesus stood up, looked into their faces again, and stared into the eyes of one specific man. Her guilty partner? Then He spoke…

John 8:7-8 NLT
[7]… “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” [8] Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.”

What did this gesture mean? How well Jesus knew the Scriptures.

Jeremiah 17:13 NIV
[13] “Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water.”

Suddenly, the words these religous experts knew so well burned in their minds like fire. Their own names were appearing in the dust at Jesus’ feet, exactly as Jeremiah had predicted. They had made their choice. They had rejected God’s offer of living water. They had chosen their destiny. All too real was the prophetic picture unfolding before their eyes.

The gentle breeze slowly began to blow over the dust. Little by little, their names blurred and then…they were gone, obliterated by the wind until not one letter remained in the sand. Angry, embarrassed, and ashamed, the guilty men slunk away to what? To repent of their wickedness? No, to persist in their plan to eliminate Him, leaving Him behind at that moment, to be who He was, to forgive, not to condemn, but to save sinners. The witnesses against her were gone. He was free to show her mercy.

John 8:10-11 NIV
[10] Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” [11] “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

So, Jesus seized another opportunity, fashioned out of evil, hatred, and conflict, to be the merciful Saviour of sinners.

JOHN’S GOSPEL… A LINE IN THE SAND – 14

Bible Study,

The final day of the festival had come, the final ceremony of the high priest performed, a jar of water poured onto the ground, slowly disappearing into the dusty ground of the temple courtyard… What did it mean?

Google says

“During the Jewish festival of Sukkot, a water libation ceremony took place where water was drawn from the Gihon Spring and poured out on the ground in the Temple courtyard, accompanied by great joy and music. This symbolized drawing water from the “wells of salvation” and rejoicing in God’s mercy.”

However, like the Old Covenant, the water poured out did nothing to quench the thirst of the thirsty souls of God’s people.

Jesus stepped forward and began to shout, above the buzz of the crowd…

John 7:37-38 NLT
[37] “On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! [38] Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”

What was Jesus doing? In the face of growing hostility? In the glare of dangerous hostility… In the threat of arrest by the temple guards? They were already there, in the crowd, poised to strike…

John 7:32 NLT
[32] “When the Pharisees heard that the crowds were whispering such things, they and the leading priests sent Temple guards to arrest Jesus.”

Jesus didn’t care…Opportunity! He had a message for His people they needed to hear, and a perfect moment to declare it. The source of the” living” water His people so desperately craved was right there, standing among them, and He must tell them.

This symbol of God, the fountain of living water, was well known to God’s people. Isaiah, the great prophet who foretold, centuries before, the coming of Messiah, predicted…

Isaiah 12:1, 3-6 NLT
[1] “In that day you will sing: “I will praise you, O Lord! You were angry with me, but not any more. Now you comfort me. [2] See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.” [3] With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation! [4] In that wonderful day you will sing: “Thank the Lord! Praise his name! Tell the nations what he has done. Let them know how mighty he is! [5] Sing to the Lord, for he has done wonderful things. Make known his praise around the world. [6] Let all the people of Jerusalem shout his praise with joy! For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.”

Despite His many promises, God’s people had rejected His offer of living water. He lamented, in the words of Jeremiah…

Jeremiah 2:13 NLT
[13] “For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me— the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!”

So, Jesus called out, “Come to me. I will give you the true, living water that will quench your thirst forever.”

What a stir His words caused in the crowd! Their opinions were divided…

John 7:40-41, 43-44 NLT
[40] “When the crowds heard him say this, some of them declared, “Surely this man is the Prophet we’ve been expecting.” [41] Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others said, “But he can’t be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee?…
[43] So the crowd was divided about him. [44] Some even wanted him arrested, but no one laid a hand on him.”

The temple guards returned to the religous leaders empty-handed. “Where is He?” they demanded. Their answer enraged the leaders. So impressed with His words were the guards that they had no stomach to arrest Him.

John 7:46 NLT
[46] “We have never heard anyone speak like this!” the guards responded.”

So, the religious leaders drew their line in the sand. They made their choice. They fell into the category of those who rejected their own God, treating with contempt His offer of living water. True to His righteous judgment, God gave them the choice and they judged themselves worthy of the consequences.

The scene was set for the showdown… They plotted their trap with mathematical precision. This time, their plan was watertight. They had Him! How would He be able to wriggle out of this one…?

To be continued…

JOHN’S GOSPEL… FAMILY CONFICT – 13

Bible Study, ,

John 7:1-5 NIV
[1] “After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him. [2] But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near, [3] Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. [4] No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” [5] For even his own brothers did not believe in him.”

Jesus was no stranger to conflict. It had begun in His own home at a young age. Jesus was different. Of course He was different! In a family of many siblings, He stood out like a sore thumb. As the eldest son, He was responsible for His younger brothers and sisters, according to Jewish culture. He took the rap for their misdeeds, He made decisions for the family, yes, and He inherited a double portion of His father’s estate, a reward for His role…and He dud it all with excellence!

In His early adulthood, Jesus must have been head of the family since there is no Biblical evidence of His father’s presence. Imagine, the sinless Son of God having to take the rap every time a sibling stepped out of line…and He always did it with grace!

This “goody-goody” brother must have really got under His brothers’ skin. He was too nice, and they hated Him for it. Imagine how they must have ganged up against Him and deliberately done things to get Him into trouble. What an opportunity for Him to practise what He preached and to face what was to come!

So, when it was time to go to Jerusalem for the festival, they taunted Him. “Go to Jerusalem, brother. Don’t hide away. You are so popular that everyone’s waiting for you!”

Jesus ignored their taunts. He was used to them. When it was His time, He would go.

John 7:6-8 NIV
[6] “Therefore Jesus told them, “My time is not yet here; for you any time will do. [7] The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil. [8] You go to the festival. I am not going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come.”

However, He eventually went to Jerusalem without fanfare, to watch and listen to public opinion about Him. True to form, people were divided. Some were for Him, others were skeptical. He was, the focus of attention and people were continually discussing and bickering about Him.

When the festival was in full swing, Jesus was noticed. A crowd began to gather around Him. Opportunity! Knowing full well that He was in danger if His presence was known, He did what He did best…He began to teach. Truth was His message and every time people gathered around Him, He taught them truth.

Why did Jesus need to teach truth? His people were in bondage to the false teaching of their teachers…forced to obey endless laws they couldn’t keep. They needed to know the truth that would set them free from their cruel taskmasters. True freedom, not from Rome or any other oppressor lay in believing in Him, the only one who could set them free from sin, the worst of their slavedrivers.

Now, let’s go back to the siblings. They thought Jesus was crazy. The things He was saying and doing! Mark records…

Mark 3:20-21, 31-32 NIV
[20] “Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. [21] When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”…
[31] Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. [32] A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”

So much for family unity! Jesus distanced Himself from their petty sibling rivalry. He was about a much bigger family than hostile brothers and sisters. He was about a global family loyal to a loving Father through faith in Him.

This antagonism continued until… something so dramatic happened that all the early skepticism and false notions about Him exploded! His ememies finally killed Him but He didn’t stay dead! How could these unbelieving brothers ever deny this fact? So, everything He said about Himself and everything He did proved that He was, after all, the Son of God. Just imagine, for 30 years before He left home, the Son of God was living in a normal family, doing ordinary things…and they missed it!

Acts 1:12-14 NIV
[12] “Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. [13] When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. [14] They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.”

The disciples and Jesus’ family finally came together in faith…the nucleus of the church to be born! Traditionally, even James’ letter, written by one of His brothers, was included in the canon of Scripture.

What a revelation! Their own brother, alive from the dead! What a transformation! From skeptics to believers! Don’t you love what James wrote…gone the taunting and disrespect! Gone the hatred! Gone the jealousy!

James 1:1 NLT
[1] “This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ…” A slave? Of his own brother? His Lord and Saviour? How did this happen? A light-bulb moment, an “aha” awakening, when Jesus rose from the dead, changed everything.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 7 NLT
[3] “I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. [4] He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said…
[7] Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. “

Seen by James…

It all happened in a flash when Jesus walked out of the tomb. In the unforgettable event, faith was born!