Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. John 12:31-32 NET Up to this point in the gospels, Jesus had been looking ahead to his coming crucifixion and preparing his disciples for it. But just before this passage, he changed to the present tense: “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” (John 12:23). Within just a few days, Jesus would be betrayed, crucified, buried, and resurrected, just like he had been telling his disciples. The people in Jerusalem for Passover ..read more

Then the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people. Look what a stiff-necked people they are! So now, leave me alone so that my anger can burn against them and I can destroy them, and I will make from you a great nation.” Exodus 32:9-10 NET The second of the Ten Commandments prohibited creating images to worship (Ex. 20:4-6). The people agreed to abide by the terms of God’s covenant, including the prohibition against making images (Ex. 24:7). Then Moses went up Mt. Sinai for 40 days, receiving additional instructions from God. And, while he was gone, Israel broke this second commandment ..read more

For judgment I have come into this world, so that those who do not see may gain their sight, and the ones who see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and asked him, “We are not blind too, are we?” Jesus replied, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin, but now because you claim that you can see, your guilt remains. John 9:39-41 NET This chapter of John opens with a man born blind and a question from Jesus’ disciples about the cause of his blindness. Jesus told them that this man was born blind, not because of sin, but so that God’s work would be r ..read more

There I will meet with the Israelites, and it will be set apart as holy by my glory. So I will set apart as holy the tent of meeting and the altar, and I will set apart as holy Aaron and his sons that they may minister as priests to me. Exodus 29:43-44 NET Earlier in this chapter, God gave instructions for dedicating the Tabernacle, the Altar of Burnt Offerings, and the priests. As each was properly dedicated, God declared them to be holy, set apart for his use. The ritual described in the early part of the chapter was a human activity. Moses and the people dedicated the Tabernacle, the alta ..read more

You are to speak to all who are specially skilled, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, so that they may make Aaron’s garments to set him apart to minister as my priest. Exodus 28:3 NET The topic of spiritual gifts is raised periodically. When it is, we often look to 1 Corinthians 12 or one of the other passages that refer to the gifts given by the Holy Spirit. But many read those passages and come away with the mistaken impression that they have no spiritual gifts. But just what is a spiritual gift? Is it just preaching, teaching, speaking in tongues, or one of the other abilities ..read more

Jesus replied, “I tell you the solemn truth, you are looking for me not because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate all the loaves of bread you wanted. John 6:26 NET Jesus had fed a crowd of 5,000 men and then crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. When the crowd realized he was gone, they went searching for him. When they finally found him on the other side, they asked how he had gotten there. Jesus did not answer their question. Instead, he challenged them concerning their motivation for following after him. He accused them of looking for him because he had fed them all ..read more

Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand firm and see the salvation of the LORD that he will provide for you today; for the Egyptians that you see today you will never, ever see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you can be still.” Exodus 14:13-14 NET God had delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt. They were a free people, headed toward the land of promise. The land promised to their ancestors–to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It was an exciting time for Israel. But then, a bump in the road. They found themselves between the proverbial rock and a hard place. On one side was the sea. On ..read more

“I tell you the solemn truth, the one who hears my message and believes the one who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, but has crossed over from death to life. John 5:24 NET What the NET translates as “I tell you the solemn truth” is a double word–“amen, amen,” or “truly, truly.” This is a way of stressing the importance of what follows. It is not just true; it is very true. It is of the utmost importance–a matter of life and death. Jesus tells us that the one who does two things has eternal life and will not face judgment. First, we need to hear Jesus’ message. The word tra ..read more

I will meet with you there, and from above the atonement lid, from between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will command you for the Israelites. Exodus 25:22 NET The 25th chapter of Exodus details the furnishings for the Tabernacle, including the Ark of the Covenant Law and the Atonement Lid or Cover. This cover was solid gold and had a pair of cherubim, one at either end with their wings overshadowing the lid. God was said to symbolically dwell in the space between the cherubim (1 Sam. 4:4). And this was where the blood of the a ..read more

The one who believes in the Son has eternal life. The one who rejects the Son will not see life, but God’s wrath remains on him. John 3:36 NET John has made it clear that Jesus is the incarnate Son of God (John 1:14). And God sent him so that whoever believes in him would have eternal life (John 3:16). This divides humanity into two groups. Those who believe in the Son. And those who reject the Son. There is no middle ground. John tells us here that the one who rejects the Son remains under God’s wrath. While this has a future component, remaining under God’s wrath also describes a current c ..read more