Chanukah in John Pt. 10. - The Eighth Light

Eight is the number of new creation and of re-dedication. The menorah is now fully lit and reveals its full glory. Clearly, the eighth light in John must do the same, which, of course, it does.

Copyright  G. I. Goodson 2013

John 20:24 - 29 ESVUK
Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin,^[a] was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
²⁶ Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” ²⁸ Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Footnotes:

Copyright G.I.Goodson 2013


1. John 20:24 Greek Didymus    

The locked door, the quoting of words spoken when Jesus was not present and the presence of Jesus complete with wounds, not to mention all that Jesus had told them on other occasions finally convinced Thomas and he is the first to confess what has become increasingly obvious, " My Lord and my God!"

Copyright G. I. Goodson 2013.

John 20: 30 -31 ESVUK 

³⁰ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; ³¹ but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

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Chanukah in John Pt.9 - The Seventh Light.

As the glory of the Chanukah menorah is nearly full, so the glory of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus the Christ, is nearly manifest in John's Gospel.

It is worth noting that the Jewish authorities (John calls them 'The Jews') were present for this significant funeral.

Our seventh light is Martha. She gets all the bad press over being anxious, but here she shines. Personally, I love her. She gets dinner on the table and when a real crisis comes she is present and correct.

And this year, my wife pointed out something that I've never noticed before, nor have I heard anyone preach on. 

Martha  says to Mary, " The Teacher is calling for you". In fact, Jesus is not recorded as saying that. What is going on here?  Martha has realised exactly Who Jesus is and understands  that Jesus is always calling for those He loves.She does not need a specific instruction. How many Christians are waiting for a call when the command to go is implicit in becoming a believer?

In John 10, Jesus had spoken out at the feast of Dedication (Chanukah).  He had identified Himself with the Father and called Himself the Son of God. He also said that He would do the works of the Father.

In John 11 we get two of the oddest sentences in the Bible. You have to read it twice. Verses 5 

& 6.

⁵ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶ So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

Does anybody else do that? Really?

Our key verses are John 11:25 - 27  :

²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, ²⁶ and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” ²⁷ She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

That ' I am' in the Greek is 'ego eimi ' which means 'I, I am'. It is the equivalent of YHWH.

Note, 'Who is coming into the world' - this takes us right back to John 1:9

It is another Chanukah reference. Jesus is the Servant light.

Copyright G. I. Goodson 2013

At this time of resurrection back to this life, pray for all those who need healing of any sort and especially those who grieve.

Chag Sameach.  

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Chanukah in John Pt.8 - The Sixth Light

Having claimed to be the Light of the World, Jesus now proves it by healing a man born blind. You should really read the whole chapter of John 9. It is full of drama, betrayal and tension as well as love, power, compassion and a witness as to whom Jesus is. You must also remember that the term, "The Jews" refers to the authorities. Everyone in this story is a Jew.

If you read it fairly quickly, it's a bit like a farce. There is a certain element of comedy in all the to-ing and fro-ing as people seek to avoid saying the obvious. I've met people like these, sadly.

It starts with the healing of the blind man. Jesus makes a clay from the dust of the earth. There are all sorts of theories about this, but you just need to ask yourself, "Where have I seen this before?". The answer is Genesis 2:7 . Jesus is conducting a small repair job on a man who is the casualty of a fallen world. A casualty that has been permitted, by God, so that the man would become a witness to the works of God manifest in him. Conclusion, Jesus has done this before! All those many years ago. 

Then there is the whole inquest that debates who Jesus is,finds the former blind man confuting the experts and being put out of the synagogue for his pains. Following Jesus is costly, even the man's parents are distant.

When the man meets Jesus as a healed man, he shows that his understanding is not just in the head. He has received spiritual sight as well.He believes Jesus is the Son of Man (Daniel 7:13 - 14).

The man, publicly, worships Jesus. The sixth light is about the Son of Man. Six is the number of man as we were made on the sixth day of creation.

Copyright G. I. Goodson 2013

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More Chanukiah secrets

Lighting the last candle first and the first candle last reminds us that the last shall be first and the first shall be last.

When we lit these candles today, the orange one struggled to remain alight, but the heat from the other candles melted enough wax for the dying spark to burst back into flame. We need each other. 

Isaiah 42:3 

English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)

a bruised reed he will not break,
    and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; 

    he will faithfully bring forth justice.

May the LORD continue to bless you this Chanukah.

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Chanukah in John Pt.7. The Fifth Light

The first four lights of John's hidden Chanukiah started with the beginning of Jesus' ministry. The second four lights belong to the closing part of His ministry on earth. This fifth light is lit on the day before His circumcision. Jesus was born at the beginning of Tabernacles, so it follows that He was circumcised on the eighth day according to the Law.

Psalms 113 - 118 inc. were sung after the Water-drawing ceremony. They comprise the Great Hallel. There was a great desire for the latter rains (Autumn rains) and for the Messiah. Furthermore at Tabernacles the Temple was brilliantly illuminated as a sign of God's light to the Israel and the Gentiles.

According to Edersheim's book, "The Temple", the Talmud states that the water drawing ceremony signifies the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the Messiah, He is the Light of the World and He will baptise with the Holy Spirit. He could hardly keep silent as these prayers were being offered.

John 7:37-52

English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)

Rivers of Living Water

³⁷ On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. ³⁸ Whoever believes in me, as^[a] the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” ³⁹ Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Division Among the People

⁴⁰ When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” ⁴¹ Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? ⁴² Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” ⁴³ So there was a division among the people over him. ⁴⁴ Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
⁴⁵ The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” ⁴⁶ The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” ⁴⁷ The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? ⁴⁸ Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? ⁴⁹ But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” ⁵⁰ Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, ⁵¹ “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” ⁵² They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”

Footnotes:

1. John 7:38 Or let him come to me, and let him who believes in me drink. As

The confession,  "This is the Christ" is almost swamped in the dispute, but nonetheless, some believed. The Enemy loves to try and swamp witness with dispute.

Copyright G. I. Goodson 2013

Jesus' claim, "I, I am  the Light of the World", will lead us to our next light, but more of that tomorrow.

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Chanukah in John Pt.6 - The Fourth Light

Some people, Jews included do not believe that a miracle of provision took place at the re-dedication of the Temple. The Old Testament has plenty of examples of such miracles. Two that are particularly relevant to the fourth light are the manna from heaven in the desert and Elijah's provision of oil for the Widow of Zarephath. ( 1 Kings 17:7-16) Notice that here there is both flour (bread) and oil.

God through Moses has provided manna in the desert and through Elijah both flour and oil. 

In John 6, Jesus provides bread and fish, but then talks of Moses, of eating flesh and drinking blood ( Communion bread and wine) and finally of the spirit.

Eventually, Jesus questions the twelve and Peter declares ,"...you are the Holy One of God." This is the Fourth light and we are beginning to see dissent, even among those who have followed Jesus.

 Even the Enemy recognises and hates all the symbols of light.

Perhaps the greatest shock is that Jesus says that one of His own is a devil.It is so easy to live in the presence of goodness and yet to choose evil.

Copyright G.I. Goodson 2013

ESV John 6:60 - 71.

The Words of Eternal Life ESV

⁶⁰ When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” ⁶¹ But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offence at this? ⁶² Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? ⁶³ It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. ⁶⁴ But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) ⁶⁵ And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
⁶⁶ After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. ⁶⁷ So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” ⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, ⁶⁹ and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” ⁷⁰ Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” ⁷¹ He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the Twelve, was going to betray him.

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