February 4

JOHN 7
10 But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. 11 The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?” 12 And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, he is leading the people astray.” 13 Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.14 About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. 15 The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?” 16 So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. 17 If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. 18 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. – John 7:10-18

JOHN 7 THE WISDOM THAT COMES FROM ABOVE
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When we seek the truth that only comes from God’s word
We begin to unlock and discern the systems of this world
The wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure
It is peace-loving, gentle and open to reason
It is full of mercy, abounding in good fruits
This wisdom is sincere and shows no favoritism.

In this account, we witness how Jesus went up to the feast of Booths. He did it secretly in order not to make a commotion since the Jews were already looking for him. He had the wisdom not to follow his brothers’ suggestion to make himself known publicly in a big feast and make a spectacle of himself. Instead, Jesus went to the temple to teach. The Jews were shocked by his teaching, his confidence and authority. They couldn’t understand how a man who never went to school could teach with such authority.
Jesus’ response to their amazement is by humbly saying that his wisdom comes from his own Father. It is very different from human wisdom which the book of James talks about in chapter 3:15. Human wisdom is earthly, unspiritual and demonic.

REFLECTION
• How can a believer reach a point of having wisdom from above?

February 3

JOHN 7
After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. 2 Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. 3 So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4 For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For not even his brothers believed in him. 6 Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. 8 You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” 9 After saying this, he remained in Galilee.
– John 7:1-9

JOHN 7 JESUS’ BROTHERS PROD HIM TO GO PUBLIC
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
Jesus will never go against his Father’s timing and plan
Even when his own brothers prodded him to go to Judea
They wanted him to show off his signs to the world and go public
They didn’t believe that Jesus will only do what the Father tells him.

In this account, we hear of the Feast of Booths. The “Feast of Booths,” also known as Sukkot in Hebrew, is a major Jewish holiday where people build temporary shelters called “sukkot” and live in them for a week, commemorating the 40 years the Israelites spent wandering in the wilderness after the Exodus, living in makeshift booths made of branches; it’s a time to remember God’s protection and provision during their journey to the Promised Land. One can understand why Jesus’ own siblings want to take the opportunity for Jesus to be publicly seen in this feast since there will be a lot of people present in it. They truly didn’t believe that their brother is the Son of God or they wouldn’t have prodded him to go to this feast. I think it is an insult for them to do so because it only shows that they were mocking their own brother for thinking that he is truly from above. Their limited minds didn’t have that understanding that God can use anyone and anything to bring glory to himself. We witness Christ’s total submission and surrender to God’s plan and his timing. He will never go against God’s will.

REFLECTION
• Why do humans make a spectacle to prove who they say they are?

February 2

JOHN 6
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.
– John 6:66-71

JOHN 6 MANY DISCIPLES ABANDON JESUS
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When Jesus declares truth and the cost of being a disciple
Many of his followers cringed at the required commitment
When Peter was asked if he also wanted to leave
But Peter replied that only Jesus can he have eternal life.

In this account, we witness how many of Jesus’ disciples turned their backs on him. Why would these people who were so obsessed to follow Jesus come to a point when they gave up and left? Could it be that they weren’t really following Jesus to glorify him? Could it be that those who left Jesus were only after some things that Jesus didn’t offer?
Not all believers take seriously the cost of being a follower of Jesus. In Luke 9:23, Jesus’ requirement for being a disciple was “to deny oneself and take up his cross daily and to follow him. These requirements are totally opposed to the world system where everything is focused on self-gratification, comfort and pleasure seeking. To deny oneself would mean to suffer and give up the cravings of the flesh. To take up one’s cross means that we do not grumble but endure all kinds of sufferings and trials. To follow Jesus would mean to give up pride, control and the desire to be looked up to. It means to live a life of humility, obedience, trust and commitment to Jesus. To be a disciple is to give up even the most beloved people or things in our lives because Christ should come first. If we love them more than God, we cannot be a true follower of Jesus.

REFLECTION
• What hinders us from totally committing to live for Christ?

January 31

JOHN 6
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
– John 6:35-44

JOHN 6 BELIEVING COMES FROM THE FATHER
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
The Jews couldn’t fathom truth that Jesus declared
Their limited minds cannot receive it because of unbelief
They grumbled among themselves to make sense of it all
But they fail to understand that faith comes from the Father above.

The human mind cannot totally fathom what “believing” means. To believe is to accept something as true. The Jewish leaders could not understand what Jesus was saying because they live in a mindset. This mindset is gauged on what they know and the rules they have been enslaving themselves and others to follow. They are living in a box of rules and knowledge. They cannot hear the truth because that would mean giving up their knowledge. What they didn’t know is that “faith” is a gift from the Father. No one can manufacture faith on their own. It is a gift that God gives to whomever he chooses and the only way they receive it is also because God has elected them to accept it. The reason the Jewish leaders couldn’t believe is because they weren’t given the gift of faith.

REFLECTION
• How do false religions thwart the gift of faith that only comes from God?

January 30

JOHN 6
27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
– John 6:27-34

JOHN 6 WORK FOR FOOD THAT DON’T PERISH
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
We live in a world that almost everything dies
We focus our lives on things that also do not last
But Jesus came to give us that food that do not perish
He is the true bread from heaven that frees us from sin
If we believe in him, we will have food that is everlasting
We do not have to settle for nourishment that passes away.

What did Jesus mean when he said he is the bread of life? We know in those cultures that their staple food is bread. Without it, their bodies wouldn’t be properly nourished. As actual bread is to physical sustenance, the bread of heaven (who is Jesus) is to our spiritual nourishment. We are not just made of physical substance, but we also have a mind, soul and spirit.
The purpose for every man’s life is clearly stated in Ephesians 1:11-12 which says that we have been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. It is to bring God the glory which means we need to spiritually nourish ourselves with God’s word and laws.

REFLECTION
• What happens to us when we only nourish our bodies and not our spirits?

January 29

JOHN 6
22 On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.
– John 6:22-26

JOHN 6 SEEKING TO GET SOMETHING
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
Our sinful nature wants to satisfy our human desires
It always seeks to cater to our needs and hungers
Without the Holy Spirit, we will always feed our flesh
Without God, we will always be preserving ourselves
Only when we receive the steadfast love of the Lord
Will we begin to let go of the systems of this world.

In this account we see how those people Jesus fed were all clamoring to get more from him. They didn’t really chase him for who He was. Although they have been waiting for a Messiah for a long time, they didn’t really know how to receive that life that Jesus was offering them. They were so much in bondage to sin. They could not even recognize what they really needed. They think they only want the basic needs in life such as food. They had no clue that their hearts long for God. Their poverty is not just physical but more spiritual. They didn’t know what Jesus was offering because they are so used to living transactional lives. They only care to get their wants and needs met. They didn’t know they were poor in spirit. They didn’t know they needed a Savior because they couldn’t see their sinfulness. They were consumed by their needs and desires to have a better life. They didn’t see the eternal life that Jesus came to give them.

REFLECTION
• What makes man engage in transactional relationships rather than loving ones?

January 28

JOHN 6
16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going. – John 6:16-21

JOHN 6 JESUS APPEASES OUR FEARS
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
What are we afraid of that shifts our focus from the Lord?
Is it fear of being unable to live the standards of this world?
Are you frightened that you will be rejected or be unloved?
Or has someone neglected, devalued, abused or abandoned you?
Living in a corrupt world poses many obstacles against love and peace
Take comfort knowing that our Lord watches over us and appeases our fears.

In this account, we witness how the disciples became fearful as the strong wind blew their boat. Aggravating their fear was that they didn’t know where Jesus was. We certainly feel the same way when forces beyond our strength and understanding hit us. We feel like God has abandoned us and we are all alone. We cannot feel his presence because we are so preoccupied by our quest to escape the fear and discomfort that we face.
Notice the shift of the intensity of their fear when they saw Jesus walking on the water. I am wondering if they recognized Jesus right away or were they also fearful who this person was approaching their boat. When we are in panic mode, we can not think of anything else but how scared we are and how overwhelming it is. Our fear turns into anxiety which feels like the gusty wind tossing the water here and there. We get sucked into the vortex of helplessness. The irony is that in the fiercest storms we face, God is always watching over us and allowing us to reach out our hands to him so we can be soothed and calmed down by his strength and loving kindness.

REFLECTION
• How do you react to fearful situations? Do you reach out to God?

January 25

JOHN 5
39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 41 I do not receive glory from people. 42 But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. 44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”
– John 5:39-47

JOHN 5 THE SCRIPTURES POINT TO JESUS
In this account, Jesus further addresses the religious Scribes and Pharisees. This discourse of Jesus towards their claim that they know Scriptures is so brilliantly revealed to John. Jesus didn’t argue with them as they engaged him to prove his claim as God. Jesus reveals their minds and exposes their phoniness regarding being knowledgeable of the word that they have studied so well. Since they have spent years studying the Scripture, they think they know it and are experts at understanding them. According to Barclay’s commentary “The scribes and Pharisees desired the praise of men. They dressed in such a way that everyone would recognize them. They prayed in such a way that everyone would see. They loved the front seats in the Synagogue. They loved the deferential greetings of men on the street. And just because of that they could not hear the voice of God.”
The Pharisees and Scribes were outrightly exposed here. They love themselves so much and are obsessed with being adored by men. They weren’t truly searching for truth. They were using the word to argue with others and show off how much they know. If they study to discover truth, they would not have missed that the Scriptures pointed to Jesus. Because of their obsession with accolades, they missed the revelation. They would have recognized Jesus if they humbly accepted the word without ulterior motives, because Jesus himself is the Word. They didn’t believe him so their minds were shut and unable to see the glory of God. They were too busy claiming honor and glory for themselves.

REFLECTION
• What caution should we take when reading and studying the word of God?