John 13:27-30

John 13:27-30 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. “What you are about to do, do quickly,” Jesus told him, but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night

And it was night. Such a bitter indictment of a soul gone astray, a heart in darkness, fallen from the source of all goodness, mercy, and light. How dark the human soul becomes, how far mankind falls when we walk away from the Lord of Light to engage in the pleasures of sin for a season to feed our greedy impulses, to seek all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, that which we know is not of the Father, but is of the world. (1 John 2:16 KJV) To embrace fully the ways of the world or to set our hearts to follow the pathway of sin is to abide in darkness. A self-absorbed, inconsiderate, and wayward life is a betrayal of God's plan for those He died to set at liberty. In Genesis God asks, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from? Adam and Eve rebelled, questioning God's authority and overstepping his lordship by partaking of the Tree of Knowledge, allowing darkness to overcome the light in their souls. They left God no alternative but banishment from the Garden, separation became their only possible reality. God placed them in a garden with freedom to eat from any tree in the garden, but they quickly lost focus when Satan planted the seed of doubt: Did God really say, "You must not eat from any tree in the garden?" God gave them the same choice He gave mankind throughout the ages, the choice He gives to us each day: "Obey, serve me, and live abundantly in my presence in the light of my light and love. Reject my ways, and the wages of sin is death both now and forevermore."

Judas sought the affection and approval of others and the wealth and power of the world when he betrayed Christ for money with no eternal or lasting value. He thought his decision to abandon Christ would capture security, peace of mind, and lasting happiness; yet the exact opposite occurred. Just as the God banished Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden to work the soil from which they were taken and set a flaming sword to block the entrance, darkness entered the soul of Judas: Satan entered into him. He cut himself off from God, and he found himself no longer in intimate relationship with God the Father through Christ the Son. The weight of his sins alienated him more than at any other time in his life. He had closed the door to peace, hope, and freedom, for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12) When the weight of his horrific deed caused Judas to take his own life, the praise and acceptance of the religious elite who tempted him and led him to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver meant nothing to him, offered him no hope. In today's economy, those coins would be worth thousands of dollars, but he realized too late that they could never buy back what He had lost: the meaning of life, the essence of his existence, his reason for being. The Good Shepherd had called his name and made him his own, yet Judas followed the deceiver's voice. If we reject God's best and final plan, there is no Plan B: Jesus is the only Way!

Judas walked along the roads of Galilee with Jesus: he ate with him; slept near his side; absorbed his teaching; touched his face, hands, and feet. Yet in the end, Judas rejected his loving and faithful Lord, the One who called him, served him, and promised never to leave or to forsake him and was willing to suffer and to die for him and to give his life freely. Judas left Jesus' side to betray him: turned aside from the straight and narrow path in an attempt to rid Christ from his life, basically saying, "I do not know this man; I am not one of his." His betrayal of the One who took him under his wing meant certain death for Jesus. Judas understood this when he agreed to play his part in the capture and the death of Christ. Judas probably tried to convince himself he was doing good by helping destroy this false prophet, this impostor, but we know he could not have known any peace in his heart.

The Word is clear: It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. (Hebrews 6:4-6) Judas may have thought he could eradicate Christ by sending him to the cross and continue to prosper as a human being. He was wrong. When people openly renounce Christ by turning their backs on him, wanting no part of him and having no place for him in their lives; this decision to crucify Jesus twice brings sudden darkness and destruction to the heart and the soul. Thankfully for those who believe, Paul goes on to say, Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case — things that accompany salvation. God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. (verses 10-11) Yes, far better things are reserved by grace through Christ for every child of God who endures to the end, who runs the race with courage and fights the good fight through faith in Christ our risen Lord. He is the Lamb, worthy of all honor and praise! Bless you dear ones.

John 7:1-9

John 7:1-9 After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life. But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, Jesus’ brothers said to him, “You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” For even his own brothers did not believe in him. Therefore Jesus told them, “The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come.” Having said this, he stayed in Galilee.

Matthew 13:54-58 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” And they took offense at him.

But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” AND HE DID NOT DO MANY MIRACLES THERE BECAUSE OF THEIR LACK OF FAITH.

The doubt and unbelief of Christ's brothers must have caused considerable hurt and pain for Jesus who felt human emotions and was

tempted in every way, just as we are — yet was without sin

. (Hebrews 4:15) In their desire for worldly acclaim, his brothers were willing to place Jesus in danger. Sometimes when we feel mistreated by family and close friends, we might reflect on how Christ's family and most trusted companions treated him. In his humanness, Jesus could have struck back at his brothers for their lack of concern for his welfare: He did not. He simply said it was safe for them to go to the Feast because the world hated him not his brothers.

Having said this, he stayed in Galilee.

His brothers lacked compassion for his needs and understanding of his identity and purpose: He was just Jesus with his grandiose ideas, a

carpenter’s son. They probably wondered where he got his ideas, like the people from their hometown.

We do not know but the word says as they pushed him to show off his powers,

even his own brothers did not believe in him.

Jesus was just a man to them who could do very little except

make show of himself at the Feast of Tabernacles and maybe gain a little status for the family or

perhaps wrest a some power from the temple authorities. If He accomplished that, they might even earn a bit of a living for them from his magic tricks. But Jesus could do no eternal work in their hearts or the hearts of anyone unless they believed in him as the Son of God, the Light of the world.

Christians today often struggle the most in sharing their faith in their own neighborhoods or with their relatives. Lifelong friends say, "Don't give me that religion stuff. Don't get all holy holy with me. I've known you since you were a little kid. You are just like I am. You can't kid me. Is this some kind of joke? Now you suddenly got Jesus? Right, give me a break." And you calmly say, "Yes, I've done some pretty bad and crazy things. I was blind and now I see. I was lost, and now I am found. I was heading west, and now I am going east. I was so sick; then He touched me and made me well. I was without hope and had no peace: now He is my hope and my peace. Please let me tell you about Jesus: the Way, the Truth, and the Light, in a very dark and sinful world, the world where you and I have lived for so long." Sometimes that friend or relative will stop and listen for a while. Oftentimes they laugh or swear or ridicule you. Often they draw others into the fun of mocking you. Yet in Christ you forgive them and with persevering faith you pray for them, love them, and believe for their salvation, trusting that the same God who pursued you will pursue them with the love of a Shepherd who seeks lost sheep with an everlasting passionate love.

We walk with God by faith. Jesus' earthly brothers had no faith in him. The writer of Hebrews gives the quintessential faith treatise in chapter 11, beginning with:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, and moving on to a key verse for today's study:

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Verses 1 & 6 KJV) We

must believe Jesus is Lord of all, the only begotten Son of God, before we can find him and accept him as Savior. If we seek him for any other reason or do not accept him as Lord of our entire lives, we should not expect him to lead and to guide us or to work miracles in our behalf. If we have not placed our faith and trust in him as Jesus Messiah Lord of all, if we are not in living in right relationship with him, and we are not abiding in his sheepfold, then we are not listening to his voice. Many people say they are Christians, yet they live mostly out in the world, doing their own thing; and once in a while they holler over to Jesus, "Hey, brother Jesus, I have been thinking about going to the Feast, and I would like you to go along and do a couple of miracles for me. I need some cash. I need some help here. I am in trouble; can you perform one of those magic tricks of yours? I know we've been pretty much out of touch lately, but remember that grace stuff and how you are supposed to love me? Come on, give me a break. I'm a pretty good person compared to some."

And the amazing thing is: He does hear us, He comes to our side, and He tries to bring us back to the sheepfold. He does not answer our prayers exactly like we thought He would: He says,

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30 KJV)

He tenderly whispers, "Come on home, little one. Come on home to your Father. Come on home to the Son. Come on home to the Spirit. I have won." Faith opens the door to eternal life. Without a dependency on Jesus and his righteous works, we wallow in the mud of our own inconsistencies, our own willful ways, our own sins and the sins of others. Freedom in Christ brings abundant life, a change from the inside out, the ability to think and to act differently as new creatures because this world no longer holds us down. Christ becomes our best friend, a trusted advisor, a wise teacher, and yes, even a miracle worker: our EVERYTHING! As the Spirit revealed to Paul:

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20) AMEN!