Day by Day with Jesus - Good Friday - His Death and His Rest - Part Three

In the darkness we find the Light of the World. We need an anointing to learn rest - which is trust, rather that waiting which can wear you down.

 https://www.facebook.com/gian.goodson.5/videos/270424150649233/?t=4

I, I AM the Man Born Blind. One of the other I AM sayings in the Gospel of John

My apologies for being so long away from my blog. I hope the following will help to make up for it.

At Bible College and the like we are rarely, if ever, told that there are other I, IAM sayings in the New Testament that are not from the mouth of Jesus.

It sounds almost like heresy so what does it mean? A full documentation of the I, Iam sayings in the New Testament can be found here. So it's prepared by a Jesuit? It still checks out.

My concern is why it is in the mouth of the Man Born Blind. The answer is that the whole chapter 9 of John is a microcosm of Church history. When Jesus says that 'We must work the works of Him who sent me...' He was not talking to the disciples.

The Powerpoint below outlines this claim.

You can read the text of John 9 here.

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

_____________________________

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.

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six
Part Seven

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.

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six


 

Chanukah in John Pt.2 The Servant Candle, Light of the World.

The Chanukiah differs from the standard menorah as it has eight branches instead of seven. Yes, I know, it has nine but the ninth doesn't count. How did that happen? It all has meaning.

Copyright G.I.Goodson 2013

And now for the meaning:

The Servant Candle (Shamash) is separate from the others. It does not recall the miracle of provision ( See part one, link below). It can be used as an every day light and to light other things.

Some Chanukiah (Hanukkah menorah) put the servant candle to one side.

There are many designs for Chanukiah. Google them and see. It is all very creative.


The Servant Candle is two things.
Firstly, it does not count - despised and rejected, anyone? Isaiah 53.
Secondly, it provides light for the world. John 8:1

Jesus call Himself "the Light of the World" at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles (see John 7:37 ff).

The story of the woman caught in adultery ( John 7:53 ff) interrupts the narrative. Nevertheless, it shows clearly, why Jesus came into the world, to save sinners and not to condemn them. John 3:16 - 21. If you read the text, you will see that in verse 19 Jesus refers to Himself as the Light.

 As Jesus was born at Tabernacles, it follows that the Incarnation took place at Chanukah.

You may find the following links of interest:

http://thealmondrod.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/when-was-jesus-born-its-all-in-daniel.html

http://thealmondrod.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/chag-sameach-and-merry-christmas.html

http://thealmondrod.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/when-was-jesus-born.html


I will also be posting more on the birth of Jesus in the near future.

As Mary was remembering the rededication of the Temple, and possibly lighting the Chanukah lights, the Angel Gabriel appeared to her. Luke 1:26 - 38

As she dedicated herself to God's service, she became, for nine months, the dwelling place of the the Second Person of the Trinity, in other words, a living Temple.

Have you noticed that an Chanukiah has nine lights?

Copyright G.I.Goodson 2013

The Chanukiah has some more secrets to reveal, of which more later. Tomorrow, the first light of John's Chanukah menorah.
__________________________

Part One