John Devotional | Week 6 | Feb 6-10

• • Read John 7:1-13.
    • What is the setting of this chapter?  eg) Where is Jesus? Why is he in this location? What Jewish holiday is about to be celebrated?
    • What conflict sets the action in motion? (v 3-5)
    • How would you describe the rising action? How does the tension of this text develop?
    • What information does John give us about the mood of the crowd in Jerusalem?

  Pray today in supplication: That people you know would not be mistaken about Jesus’ identity or motivations. Pray that they would see Jesus for who he is, and be willing to investigate their own hearts and works.

• • Read John 7:14-24.  
    • As Jesus appears in Jerusalem, what do people marvel about?
    • How does Jesus answer their initial question?
    • In John 7:19, Jesus turns the tables and questions the crowd. What two accusations does Jesus level at them? 
  • What “work” is Jesus referring to in verses 21-24? (eg. What riled up the people last time he was in Jerusalem? If you need a hint, look back to John 5:1-18)

  Pray today in adoration and confession.  Jesus came to earth to do God’s will, and to seek God’s glory not his own!  How can you pattern your life after his?

There are 6 references to the feast in these 24 verses, therefore it must be important to the narrative! Lets see what we can learn about the Feast of Booths today. 

• Read Leviticus 23:33-44.  
  • When does this feast take place? How long does it last? And what does it commemorate?
  • What should they do on the first day?
  • What should they do on the subsequent days?
  • What should they do on the last day? 
• Read Zechariah 14:16-19.  
  • How important is it to God that people celebrate this feast?  ‘
  • With the warnings of Zechariah 14 in mind, what do you think Jesus’ brothers would have thought when Jesus said he wasn’t going to Jerusalem?

Pray today in confession as you think about your own participation in Christian “feasts”.  How much time do you spend commemorating God’s faithfulness at Christmas and Easter and other times of celebration?

• • At various times in the gospel, Jesus warns his disciples that they may experience conflict in their own family as they chose to follow him.  In today’s text, we see that Jesus experienced this too.  Read the following texts to see what else you can learn about Jesus’ family: 
    • Matthew 12:46-50, Luke 8:19-21
    • Mark 3:20-21; 3:31-35
    • Acts 1:12-14
  • James, one of Jesus’ brothers is mentioned several times later in the New Testament. Note what you learn about him in these texts:
    • Galatians 1:18-19. Who did the Apostle Paul check in with the first time he went to Jerusalem?
    • Galatians 2:7-10.  How is James described in this text? (If you want more background on what Paul is describing here, read Acts 15:1-21).
    • 1 Corinthians 15: 3-8. Who did Jesus appear to?
    • James 1:1. How does James describe himself?

  Pray today in thanksgiving.  Although Jesus’ brothers didn’t believe in him in John 7, it appears that they eventually did!   You may know people who don’t believe today, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t in the future.  Keep on praying for those who don’t yet believe!

Read John 5:16-47 for the last time today. In this passage Jesus responds to those who stand in opposition against Him. 

• What mindsets and views do you think keep people from accepting Jesus as God today?
• Are you convinced of Jesus’ identity? What reasons do you have for what you believe? How does Jesus’ response to his opposition help you? How could it help you respond to those who think Jesus was just a teacher or prophet? 
• Vs 44 says that the Jews in opposition to Jesus sought glory from one another rather than God. Reflect on where you seek glory. How does this affect how you interact with unbelievers? 

Pray today in confession and supplication. Confess times when you are not seeking God’s glory in your life, pray that God would help you to seek His glory alone. Pray in supplication for those who are questioning the Christian faith. Pray that they would see the truth of who Jesus is and be convinced He is who He claims to be.