Wednesday after Jubilate

Scripture: St. John 7:14-24 (NKJV)

7:14 Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. 15 And the Jews marveled, saying, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?”

16 Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. 17 If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. 18 He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him. 19 Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?”

20 The people answered and said, “You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?”

21 Jesus answered and said to them, “I did one work, and you all marvel. 22 Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? 24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

Devotion

Jesus ended up attending the Feast of Tabernacles, but not to make a big show or to dazzle the people with miracles. He went to teach, although He did perform one miracle while He was there: He healed a man on the Sabbath. The authority of His teaching amazed His listeners; His audacity to “work” on the Sabbath made them angry; and His claim to have been sent by God to teach and to work made them ready to kill Him.

But He gave them a test to know if He was telling the truth: “If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority” (John 7:17). Do you want to do what God wants? Keep the Law of Moses! But if you devote yourself to keeping it, you will find that you don’t keep it. You’ll find that you’re a sinner in need of a Savior—a Savior who is human like you, but righteous; a Savior who is God, so that He can win you back from sin, death, and the power of the devil.

Yes, if you want to do what God wants, you will see that Jesus is telling the truth, and that the prophets, including Moses, all point directly to Him and testify that in Him alone is salvation.

Prayer: Father in heaven, You have brought us to believe that Jesus came from You in order to reveal You to us, including Your gracious plan of salvation through faith in Him. Open our hearts to believe everything He teaches and to put it into practice, with faith toward You and with love toward one another. Amen.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.