March 8 – A Prayer for Justice

March 8

Lesson 2 (KJV)

A Prayer for Justice

 

Devotional Reading: Psalm 73:1–3, 21–28

Background Scripture: Habakkuk 1

Habakkuk 1:1–4, 12–14

 

1. The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.

 

2. O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!

 

3. Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.

 

4. Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.

 

12. Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O Lord, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.

 

13. Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?

 

14. And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?

 

 

Lesson Aims

 

After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:

 

1. Summarize Habakkuk’s two complaints.

 

2. Explain the specific issue of justice with which Habakkuk was wrestling.

 

3. Watch and pray to see how God is working in difficult situations this week.

 

 

HOW TO SAY IT

 

Asaph

Ay-saff.

Assyrians

Uh-sear-e-unz.

Chaldeans

Kal-dee-unz.

Habakkuk

Huh-back-kuk.

Nineveh

Nin-uh-vuh.

 

Introduction

 

1. What a (Sometimes) Wonderful World

 

Years ago the great jazz musician Louis Armstrong popularized a song entitled “What a Wonderful World.” With his trademark raspy voice, Armstrong sang of the beauty of creation. Most would agree with Mr. Armstrong’s sentiments‌—‌there is much about this world that makes it wonderful indeed: the people we love and the sights and sounds that add so much to our lives on a daily basis.

At the same time, there is much in this world that causes us great sorrow and pain. Some things are not wonderful in the least. As followers of God and readers of His Word, we understand that this heartache is the result of the curse brought about by humanity’s sin. That does not ease the hurt we feel. It can even cause us to question God and His purpose for the difficult circumstances that we or those we love endure. Our faith can be shaken to the very core.

 

1. Lesson Context

 

Habakkuk is another of the 12 books at the end of our Old Testament, which we call the Minor Prophets (see Lesson Context in lesson 1). Unlike the prophet Amos (see lesson 1), Habakkuk mentions no kings of either Israel or Judah in his book. One benefit of this decision is to make the book more universal. Instead of being very obviously tied to a situation concerning this or that king, the book can be applied more generally to any similar situation.

Habakkuk is a challenging book to date. A key to placing this prophet historically is found in Habakkuk 1:6. There we read of God’s promise to raise up the Chaldeans from Babylon (compare Ezra 5:12; Isaiah 13:19) to inflict judgment on the wayward nation of Judah (the southern kingdom). The Chaldeans are described as a cruel and vicious people who let nothing stand in their way as they swallow up peoples and territories (Habakkuk 1:6–11, not in today’s text). Since the northern kingdom of Israel had been conquered by Assyria in 722 BC, Habakkuk’s complaints and God’s responses must concern the southern kingdom of Judah.

The Chaldeans had replaced the Assyrians on the center stage of world history by first gaining independence from the Assyrians in 626 BC and then eventually dismantling Assyria’s remaining control in a series of battles from 615 to 612 BC. Thus Habakkuk’s prophecy should likely be dated within the latter years of the seventh century BC as the Chaldeans’ growing dominance over the ancient Near East became clear. This puts his ministry in the same time frame as Jeremiah’s (see lessons 12 and 13). Both prophets interpreted the Chaldeans’ rising to power as ordained by God, to be used to judge Judah for its wickedness (compare Jeremiah 22:25).

 

1. Dilemma

(Habakkuk 1:1–4)

 

These verses introduce Habakkuk and his complaint to the Lord. In his rather heated exchange with the Lord, Habakkuk’s manner of speaking resembles Job’s words when he expressed his own frustration with the Lord. Yet the reasons for these men’s questions toward God are grounded in different circumstances. Job’s anguish was rooted in the tragedy of his personal suffering (Job 1; 2). Habakkuk’s concern, however, is much broader in scope.

 

1. God’s Inaction (vv. 1, 2)

 

1. The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.

 

Burden translates a Hebrew word that can refer to loads carried by animals (2 Kings 5:17; 8:9; etc.) or people (Numbers 11:11, 17; etc.). The word is used frequently to introduce prophetic messages that are threatening or ominous in nature (examples: Isaiah 13:1; Nahum 1:1; Zechariah 9:1; Malachi 1:1). Such messages may be seen as burdensome‌—weighing heavily on the prophet’s mind. He must speak them in order to relieve himself of the burden that he feels.

The Hebrew word behind the translation see is frequently used to describe the prophetic experience (Isaiah 1:1; Amos 1:1; etc.). The word can indicate that visions are seen or simply that a message is received from the Lord. It indicates that the prophet is a man of unique spiritual vision or insight; he sees with a vision that is empowered by the direction of the Holy Spirit (compare 2 Peter 1:20, 21).

 

2a. O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear!

 

Habakkuk wastes no time in getting to the heart of his burden. This is a prophet who is deeply troubled and believes that the Lord has ignored his concerns (compare Jeremiah 14:9). The phrase how long shall I cry indicates that Habakkuk has voiced these concerns to the Lord repeatedly (compare Psalms 6:3; 13:1, 2). The prophet fears that the only explanation for God’s apparent lack of concern is that He is choosing not to hear Habakkuk (compare 22:1, 2).

 

What Do You Think?

On a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high), what is your tolerance for waiting in line at a store compared with waiting for answers to prayer? What does this say about you?

 

Digging Deeper

What has to happen to get your tolerance for waiting on God’s answer up to a 10?

 

2b. Even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!

 

Habakkuk rightly assumes that the just and righteous God cares deeply when violence goes unchecked (see Genesis 6:11–13). Furthermore, the Lord is known as a God who will save His people when they call on Him (2 Chronicles 20:9; Psalm 107:13, 19; etc.).

 

1. The World’s Iniquity (vv. 3, 4)

 

3a. Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance?

 

This half verse introduces us to two of six words Habakkuk uses to describe the chaos he sees everywhere he turns (see verse 3b). Chaos stands in opposition to the order that God created in the world (see Genesis 1; 2; John 1:1–5; Acts 17:24–28). For this reason, the existence of chaos, especially in the land God promised to His people, is deeply problematic for Habakkuk (compare Job 9:23).

Habakkuk, like Job before him, asks questions of the Lord that presuppose God’s character (Job 3:11, 12, 20, 23; compare Habakkuk 1:13, below). Habakkuk’s questions are not primarily about why he sees iniquity and reasons to be grieved. The answer to that question is quite simple: people are sinful, and so Habakkuk sees sin around him. The subtext of this question, rather, is why the Lord has not put an end to these things.

Thus the questions are based in the assumption that God is holy and good. Given this fact, it makes no sense to Habakkuk that God is not acting to right the horrible wrongs that the prophet witnesses.

 

What Do You Think?

In what circumstances should you ask the same kind of “why” question that the prophet asks? What should be the motive for asking?

 

Digging Deeper

How can we keep our questions from crossing a line that results in God’s rebuke, as in Job 38?

 

3b. For spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.

 

Spoiling might be associated with warfare and the taking of plunder from others (examples: Isaiah 16:4; Hosea 10:14; Amos 5:9). When paired with violence, it emphasizes the horrible results often associated with war and violence (examples: Jeremiah 6:7; 20:8; Ezekiel 45:9; Habakkuk 2:17).

Strife and contention add explicitly chaotic overtones to Habakkuk’s description (compare Jeremiah 15:10). Taken together, Habakkuk longs for the order that the Creator has graced the world with.

 

4a. Therefore the law is slacked.

 

In an environment such as Habakkuk describes, there is clearly no respect whatsoever for authority or law (compare Isaiah 1:23; 29:21; Ezekiel 9:9). The Hebrew word translated slacked elsewhere refers to being made feeble (Psalm 38:8), and that is the sense here. The law is inactive and essentially lifeless. By pointing this out, Habakkuk hopes to see God move to action (compare 119:126).

 

4b. And judgment doth never go forth.

 

In parallel to the weakened law, judgment is also powerless. The word judgment is often paired with the word justice as similar concepts, and that is the sense here (compare Jeremiah 22:15; 23:5; Ezekiel 45:9). The situation is similar to the time of Amos, who expressed God’s desire that judgment and righteousness flow like a mighty stream (Amos 5:24; see lesson 1). Those qualities are as absent in Habakkuk’s surroundings as they were in Amos’s.

 

What Do You Think?

What problems may a person avoid by not using an absolute word like “never” in a prayer?

 

Digging Deeper

How will you guard against such problems?

 

4c. For the wicked doth compass about the righteous.

 

It is not hard to imagine that in the conditions described, the wicked appear to be in complete control. They compass about the righteous‌—‌surrounding them to suppress any effort the righteous put forth to express their concerns (compare Psalms 17:9; 22:16). Again, the situation is reminiscent of how Amos described his environment: “The prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time” (Amos 5:13). David also pondered the prevalence of wickedness (Psalm 11:1–3; compare Job 21:7–13). The reader might be reminded of the sad moral climate that prevailed during the time of the judges in Israel, when everyone did whatever they thought best (Judges 17:6; 21:25).

 

4d. Therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.

 

Wrong judgment becomes the norm under such conditions. This is a perversion of what God intends for His covenant people to maintain in their courts (Deuteronomy 16:18–20; compare Isaiah 5:20).

 

1. Deliberations

(Habakkuk 1:12–14)

 

In Habakkuk 1:5–11 (not in our printed text), the Lord responds to Habakkuk’s concerns. God intends to do things that Habakkuk could not believe even if the Lord revealed His plans to the prophet (1:5). The Lord tells the troubled prophet that He will raise up the violent Chaldeans to administer the Lord’s disciplinary measures to His wayward people (1:6, 9; see commentary on 1:12b). Thus God will respond to the violence in Judah by bringing the violence of the Chaldeans against it.

 

1. Unmatched Sovereignty (vv. 12, 13a)

 

12a. Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die.

 

Habakkuk speaks again, reacting to the Lord’s planned discipline of His people. The prophet ponders what he knows to be true of the Lord. The phrase mine Holy One is unique in the Old Testament, occurring only here. Similar phrases emphasize God’s relationship with all Israel, not with one individual (Isaiah 31:1; 37:23). Habakkuk appears to be alone in referring to the Lord as his personal holy God. This confidence in his relationship with God probably explains Habakkuk’s frank speech.

God’s eternal nature seems to be the basis of Habakkuk’s assertion that God’s people shall not die. Because God is everlasting and has made everlasting promises, the prophet feels confident that God cannot really intend to destroy His people utterly (compare Psalm 118:17). Yet the situation around Habakkuk suggests that his confidence might be misplaced (contrast Isaiah 10:5–7).

 

12b. O Lord, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.

 

Habakkuk acknowledges the decision of the Lord in order to set up the prophet’s question in Habakkuk 1:13b, below. Them refers to Babylon. The facts as Habakkuk sees them are that the people are marked for judgment and correction, even though they would be the instrument to bring correction to Judah.

The Hebrew behind the word mighty is also translated “rock,” implying firmness, security, and changelessness (examples: Deuteronomy 32:4; 1 Samuel 2:2). God’s history of interactions with His people has proven that He really is faithful and consistent. His decision to correct them seems to contradict His character to some degree.

One should note that Habakkuk has no reservations whatsoever about God’s people deserving to be punished for their many transgressions. The way they have trashed the Lord’s covenant with them and trampled on His law in the manner already described is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated (Habakkuk 1:2–4). But using the wicked Chaldeans to carry out the punishment certainly does not seem a fair or just punishment to Habakkuk.

 

13a. Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity.

 

Habakkuk’s words reflect once again his understanding of the holy, righteous character of God. God’s purity in regard to sin does not even allow Him to behold evil, meaning not that God does not see but that He does not see without action (see Psalm 18:26; Lamentations 3:34–36). How can the Lord who cannot tolerate the presence of any kind of iniquity allow the obviously despicable Chaldeans to overpower the people of Judah (contrast Psalm 25:1–3)?

Turning a Blind Eye

The idiom “turning a blind eye” has an interesting origin. Admiral Horatio Nelson (1758–1805) was a hero of the British Royal Navy. Nelson was known as a bold and unconventional leader. His tactics led to some decisive British naval victories, most famously at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, where he was killed in action. Before that he had been wounded several times in combat, one wound resulting in blindness in one eye.

Nelson turned this disability into an asset at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801. During the battle, Nelson’s commanding officer, who was on a different ship, signaled him to disengage the enemy. When Nelson’s crew pointed him to the signal, he lifted his telescope up to his blind eye. He told the men he did not see the signal and continued to fight. The result was a British victory. When Nelson’s superior was recalled, Nelson was promoted. And “turning a blind eye” has come to mean “intentionally ignoring undesirable information.”

When the Lord revealed that He was going to allow the ruthless Chaldeans to execute judgment on His people, Habakkuk was incensed! How could the righteous God turn a blind eye to the sins of a nation that was more wicked than faithless Judah? Yet God had already taken that fact into account (see Habakkuk 2:4–17).

God has no blind eye. He sees all. Any seeming defect in how He should act is our own blindness, not His.

—J. E.

 

1. Unexplained Silence (vv. 13b, 14)

 

13b. Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?

 

Habakkuk is incredulous as he considers the people whom God has chosen to chastise Judah. The Chaldeans are described with exceptionally derogatory language by the Lord himself (see Habakkuk 1:6–11). How can they be the ones whom God will use as the rod of discipline? To Habakkuk, to do so seems to compromise qualities that the Lord is known for.

True, the people of Judah deserve the Lord’s judgment, but so do the Chaldeans. Habakkuk, knowing his own people’s evil as he does, contends that Judah is more righteous than the Chaldeans. At least those in Judah are part of God’s covenant people; the Chaldeans are wicked idolaters. Habakkuk has not hesitated to voice his dismay over the Lord’s inaction toward Judah’s wickedness and His proposed course of action using Babylon to deal with that wickedness. Yet the Lord seems to hold His tongue and remain unmoved by what the prophet sees as obvious injustice (compare Job 21:7–13).

 

What Do You Think?

What methods can we use to keep from misinterpreting God’s silence?

 

Digging Deeper

When God seems to be silent, how do you know whether He wants you to do something rather than wait on Him—or vice versa?

 

Habakkuk and Jonah are an interesting prophetic pair: Habakkuk questioned God for using a pagan nation to punish His people, while Jonah questioned God for forgiving a pagan nation on the verge of facing His judgment. Jonah’s objections were the product of seeing the Assyrian people in Nineveh accept his message, repent of their sins, and thus escape the Lord’s wrath. He resented the Lord’s compassion toward the Assyrians, insisting that God ought to punish them instead of showing them mercy (Jonah 4:1, 2).

 

14. And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?

 

When God created the first man and woman, He gave them dominion over all other created beings, including the fish and all creeping things (Genesis 1:26). Habakkuk, in his bewilderment over God’s dealings with His people, wonders whether the Lord is treating human beings as no more than fishes and other creatures that are allowed to be captured and killed at random. Apparently there is no ruler to hold the Chaldeans accountable, or at least it appears that way to Habakkuk.

In the remaining verses of chapter 1 (not in this lesson), Habakkuk continues his marine metaphor by comparing the wicked Chaldeans to a fisherman who gathers fish in nets and takes great pleasure in doing so. The Chaldeans are portrayed as worshipping their net; that is, they are congratulating themselves and their ability to overpower whomever they please. They are as suited to violence as the fisherman is to fishing.

Power in Numbers?

Fish benefit from being a part of a school. Together they are able to detect nearby predatory animals, find food, or locate potential mates. But as every fisherman knows, schools of fish are easy targets for human predators. Productive fishing happens in places where fish are found in a group. Fishermen can lure and hook one after another! Those fishing with nets can lower them into a school, capturing dozens of fish at once. Lacking an alpha leader, fish swim around without leadership, almost begging to be caught!

Habakkuk used such imagery to compare Babylon to a fisherman and describe the nations they conquered as helpless fish. Just like fish that have no ruler are easily hooked or captured in a net, weak nations are easy prey for the strong and ruthless. So too a “school” of people suffer without the leadership of a knowledgeable teacher. How does your community stay connected to our great teacher and leader Jesus?

—J. E.

 

Conclusion

 

1. The Prophetic Job

 

Habakkuk’s nation, Judah, was in a spiritual free fall, ripe for the judgment of almighty God. God’s method for providing that judgment was not at all wonderful in Habakkuk’s eyes. The prophet did not view it as an acceptable solution to the problem. Habakkuk struggled to reconcile his understanding of God with the uncertain world around him.

Habakkuk’s concern has been voiced repeatedly through the years. For example, Asaph, the author of Psalm 73, was deeply troubled over what he saw as God’s unfair treatment of the wicked. They appear to prosper and live carefree lives while completely oblivious to God and His ways. Psalm 10 begins by expressing similar disappointment in God’s seemingly uncaring attitude about injustices in the world. The wicked do just as they please and benefit from their evil while their victims suffer. Doesn’t God see? And if He does, doesn’t He care?

 

What Do You Think?

How do we know when it’s appropriate to cry out to the Lord (Psalm 22:2) vs. when we should keep silent (Habakkuk 2:20)?

 

Digging Deeper

Are you more likely to cry out when you should keep silent, or the opposite? What’s the cure?

 

This is a struggle with which nearly all of us can readily identify. When we find ourselves questioning God or His purpose for the circumstances we are confronting, we are in good company. Prophets like Habakkuk and righteous people like Job were some of the most outspoken in their questions and accusations directed toward the one who called them to His service (compare Numbers 11:10–15; 1 Kings 19:4; Psalm 13:1–4; Jeremiah 20:7, 8; Matthew 11:1–3).

 

 

Indeed, sometimes He even chooses to engage our questions, though the answers may not be what we hope to hear. With Habakkuk, our knowledge of the Lord can lead us to conclusions that seem correct but in the end require correction from God (compare Job 38:1–40:2).

In all of life’s circumstances, but especially in times of discipline, let us rest in the knowledge that God does not change (James 1:17). He is working in our world to accomplish His purposes for us and through us.

 

1. Prayer

 

Father, our times often resemble those of the prophet Habakkuk. Many solutions are offered to address such problems, but most ignore Your wisdom and fail to see situations through Your eyes. Empower Your church by Your Holy Spirit to speak forth with courage and clarity the love of Christ and the power of the gospel. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

1. Thought to Remember

 

Even when God seems far away, He is always working in our circumstances.

 

 

KID’S CORNER

Encouraging Words for the Lost

Sunday March 8, 2020

John 6:35-46

 

 

 

John 6:35-46

(John 6:35) Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.

 

Jesus told those who sought Him that their focus should not be on physical bread or physical drink or physical “things” that He could give them. Instead, their focus should be on Him, on personally receiving Him into their lives, for He is the bread or sustenance of spiritual and eternal life.

Jesus began His statement with the two words, name, or title “I am,” which is the Name of God that God gave Moses at the burning bush (see Exodus 3:14). From the seven ways Jesus used “I am” in the Gospel of John, we can see another way that Jesus rightly made himself equal to God (see John 5:18). In the coming weeks we will discuss more deeply these seven ways:

 

1. “I am the bread of life” – John 6:35, 41
2. “I am the light of the world” – John 8:12, 9:5
3. “I am the door of the sheep” – John 10:7, 9
4. “I am the good shepherd” – John 10:11, 14
5. “I am the resurrection and the life” – John 11:25
6. “I am the way, the truth and the life” – John 14:6
7. “I am the true vine” – John 15:1, 5

 

As the great “I AM,” Jesus offers himself to us, not something other than himself. The question remained for the crowd (and for us), “Would they receive Him?” Jesus is the Gift of God. Jesus is the Bread of Life. Nothing that God has ever sent into or given to the world is more important than Jesus, the Son of God. Knowing Jesus personally, believing in Jesus, believing the teachings of Jesus, having an eternal relationship with Jesus and God the Father should be our focus—not possessing “earthly things” or “spiritual things”—but on knowing and being known and possessed by Jesus our Lord and Savior and God our Father.

 

(John 6:36) “But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe.

 

Jesus revealed himself to the crowds through His signs and teaching about himself. He showed forth the compassion, forgiveness, and love of God by healing people of all their diseases—while they were still sinners. They saw who Jesus was by His works. Yet, despite all Jesus did, they did not believe what He said about himself and His Father. They focused on what they wanted, and ignored what Jesus came to give them. They wanted a political Messiah who would give them everything they wanted for free; just like He had fed them loaves and fishes on the mountain. But no matter what the crowd wanted, giving people free loaves and fishes were not Jesus’ goals. Jesus’ gifts of physical food were signs of His ability to give people what really mattered, spiritual food, eternal life, if they would only receive Him.

 

(John 6:37) “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.

 

Jesus used the word “everything” instead of the expected word “everyone,” because “everything” includes all created existence. What the Father can give Jesus is without limit and includes everything. Within created existence are “everyone.” Without exception, everything and everyone the Father gives Jesus will come to Him. But how do we know if we are included in that number? Jesus anticipated that question and all questions about what He taught. We do not need to know or wait for an answer to that question. Jesus promised that anyone who comes to Him He will never drive away. Jesus will receive anyone who will come to Him. Jesus’ invitation was to everyone in the crowd and is to everyone throughout subsequent history. Jesus still invites everyone to come to Him today.

 

(John 6:38) “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

 

From the gospels of Matthew and Luke, we know how Jesus came down from heaven. Jesus never told the crowds how He came down from heaven, but Mary knew (and His disciples learned) the answer to that question. To have told the crowds how He had come down from heaven would have unnecessarily endangered His mother and subjected her to ridicule both before and after His crucifixion and resurrection. Jesus came to do the will of His heavenly Father, with which He perfectly agreed in all particulars every moment according to His words to Nicodemus in John 3:16.

 

(John 6:39) “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.

 

Jesus’ purpose in coming is cosmic and not just related to individuals and their personal salvation. Jesus came to eventually fulfill these words from the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 65:17, “For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind.” Seeing the future Jesus revealed to him, in Revelation 21:1, John wrote, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.” It is the will of our heavenly Father that Jesus will not lose anything or anyone that the Father has given Him, and when the last day comes, everyone the Father has given Him will be raised with glorified human bodies—Jesus will make everything new. God the Father will make certain that everything Jesus came to do and will do in the future will be done. Jesus can be trusted absolutely, and so can our heavenly Father, to do what they say.

 

(John 6:40) “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

 

Remembering John 3:16, for the second of three times in our study of these verses, Jesus spoke about “the last day.” No matter what the Jews (or anyone else believed about Jesus); no matter what the Jews (or anyone else did to Jesus), before “the last day” Jesus would be raised from the dead to reign forever as King of kings in heaven, and from heaven Jesus will bless everyone who believes in Him. In John 5:29, Jesus said everyone will be raised from the dead: “and [they] will come out (from their graves)—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” In these verses, Jesus emphasized how anyone can avoid the “resurrection of condemnation” and receive the “resurrection of life.” To receive eternal life, one needs to “see the Son” or learn the truth about Jesus and “believe in Him” or believe the truth they have learned about Jesus and “come to Him” (see John 6:37). Jesus’ teaching continually points us back to John 1:12, “But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.” Today, “to see” Jesus does not mean to have or to seek a vision of Jesus, or to see Jesus with our eyes as His listeners could see Him. Remember what Jesus told “Doubting Thomas” in John 20:29, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” Today, if we learn about Jesus, receive Jesus, believe in Jesus, and come to Jesus, we will be blessed!

 

(John 6:41) Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, “I am the bread that came down out of heaven.”

 

Even today, some complain or grumble about what Jesus said and some even try to explain away the meaning of Jesus’ words about himself and want to make Jesus simply a great prophet, a miracle worker, an ethics teacher, or a moral example. But Jesus said He is the life-giving Person who came down from heaven to give eternal life to all who will believe Him and believe in Him. By combining two statements of Jesus, for a second time we read about Jesus saying, “I am the bread of life that came down from heaven,” which those complaining about Jesus refused to consider after they heard Him say so.

 

(John 6:42) They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, ‘I have come down out of heaven’?”

 

After Jesus left Nazareth, Jesus made His home in Capernaum (see Matthew 4:13). The Galileans and the Jews knew Jesus “complete” ancestry, as they supposed, because keeping genealogical records was important prior to the coming of the Messiah—so the Jews would know who was and was not of the line of David, and who qualified and did not qualify to be God’s promised Messiah. Since they knew Jesus’ father and mother (Joseph had adopted Jesus as his son), they did not understand how Jesus could have come down from heaven. Knowing all the possible consequences and because Jesus knew what was in every person, Jesus did not explain the nature of His miraculous birth to them (see Matthew 1:18-2:12 and Luke 1:26-38 and Luke 2:1-21).

 

(John 6:43) Jesus answered and said to them, “Do not grumble among yourselves.

 

Once again, Jesus told them not to complain or grumble among themselves. There are still too many who seem to spend their time complaining and grumbling about Jesus and the Bible in order to lead people away from the truth. They grumble about truths they do not want to believe because their deeds are evil, as Jesus explained to His brothers in John 7:7, “The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify against it that its works are evil.” One of Jesus’ approaches to such people was to simply say, “Stop complaining,” because Jesus knew why such people grumble about whether the Bible or what He said is true or not. Jesus considered how best to use His time when speaking to people; so, He told people the truth or refused to answer some questions without becoming argumentative or belligerent.

 

(John 6:44) “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.

 

From what we have studied in the Gospel of John so far, we have seen how the Samaritan woman and the people in her town were drawn to Jesus and believed in Him as the Savior of the world. We have also seen how a royal official was drawn to Jesus, how he traveled twenty miles from Capernaum to Cana to ask Jesus to heal His son, and how he and his whole household came to believe in Jesus. Without giving many details, Jesus told those complaining and grumbling about Him that those who come to Him are drawn to Him by the Father. None of those complaining about Jesus will come to Him unless His Father draws them to Him. What is one lesson for everyone here? If we are complainers about Jesus and the Bible (or perhaps anything else?), we need to stop complaining and start praying. Why is this important? When we start praying, we come to God, where we can find Jesus and believe in Jesus; then, Jesus will raise us up on the last day. How do we know this? God spoke through Jeremiah, and in Jeremiah 29:13, God promised, “When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart.” In Matthew 7:7, Jesus promised, “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.” If we will do what Jesus and the Bible have taught, we will know that our gracious heavenly Father has drawn us to Jesus to receive eternal life.

 

(John 6:45) “It is written in the prophets, ‘AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT OF GOD.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.

 

In Isaiah 54:13, God promised, “All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the prosperity of your children.” Jesus used the divine “I am” title for himself earlier in John 6:35 (see also 6:41). Now, Jesus  tells the complainers and the crowd (with His disciples listening) that in, by and through His teaching they were being “taught by God.” Jesus told them that with His coming and by His teaching, people were learning directly from God, directly from God the Father. When Jesus taught, the complainers and the crowd were hearing God teach them, but many were not truly listening and learning. Complainers can read the Bible, but not hear God and learn from God. In John 14:10, Jesus told His disciples, “The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works.” If the Jews had rightly read the Scriptures, they would have heard and learned from the Father and they would have come to Jesus to hear directly from God. The same is true for all who will learn how to rightly read the Bible—they will come to Jesus.

 

(John 6:46) “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father.”

 

Because Jesus had come down from heaven and had been sent directly by the Father into the world, He had seen the Father (John 6:38). Jesus was sent into our world directly from God to do the will of God and teach the word of God. This was not the way God had sent Moses to the Hebrews or the way God has sent any prophet to His people. Only Jesus has seen and known God the Father completely. Jesus, the Son of God, was with God in the beginning. Remember John 1:1-2, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” For this reason and others, everything Jesus taught about God, about the Father, about himself, about the Holy Spirit, about what God requires of us, about the future, about the last day, can be trusted as the Word of God to the world “so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16).

 

 

 

Encouraging Words for the Lost

Sunday March 8, 2020

John 6:35-46

 

All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out (John 6:37—KJV). All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out (John 6:37—NASB). Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away (John 6:37—NRSV).

 

Jesus’ words should encourage everyone. Jesus has promised us that if anyone comes to Him, He will never drive them away. We need to let that truth sink deep into our hearts and minds whenever we feel too unworthy to pray or too sinful to go ask Jesus to forgive us. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus invites everyone, no matter how big their problems or disgusting their sins: “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” The Samaritan woman, shunned by her neighbors because of her sins, went alone to Jacob’s well in the heat of the noonday sun. Why did she go there at that day and hour? In John 6:44, Jesus has given us the answer: His Father drew her to the well to meet Jesus. Every person the Father gives Jesus will come to Jesus and receive His warm-hearted welcome; therefore, if anyone is inclined to go to Jesus, if they go to Him, Jesus will not drive them away. When someone turns away from the ways of this world and comes to Jesus and believes in Him, it may indicate that our heavenly Father has given them to Jesus, and Jesus will not reject His Father’s gifts. In the Bible, Jesus gives us even more good news: God the Father has willed that Jesus will not lose anyone or anything that the Father has given Him. Not only will Jesus never lose us, but Jesus will raise us up and give us glorified human bodies on the day He returns to make all things new as He promised.

 

 

 

Thinking Further

Encouraging Words for the Lost

Sunday March 8, 2020

John 6:35-46

Name _____________________________

 

1. In what way did Jesus say He was necessary for life?

 

 

2. In these verses, what are some benefits of believing in Jesus?

 

 

3. What will not happen to the person who comes to Jesus?

 

 

4. What did Jesus say was the will of His Father?

 

 

5. How can a person be taught by God?

 

 

 

Discussion and Thinking Further

 

1. In what way did Jesus say He was necessary for life?

He said He was the bread of life, and we know bread is the most basic food for sustaining physical life. Believing in Jesus is essential for us to have spiritual life, the most basic necessity for sustaining spiritual life. No other spiritual food can take Jesus’ place as the Giver of eternal life.

 

2. In these verses, what are some benefits of believing in Jesus?

We will not be spiritually hungry or thirsty.

We will be raised on the last day.

We will have eternal life.

 

3. What will not happen to the person who comes to Jesus?

Jesus will not drive them away.

 

4. What did Jesus say was the will of His Father?

God’s will is that all who see and believe in Jesus may have eternal life and be raised on the last day.

 

5. How can a person be taught by God?

By reading the Bible and by believing the teachings of Jesus and the Bible.

 

 

Word Search

Encouraging Words for the Lost

Sunday March 8, 2020

John 6:35-46

Name ______________________________

 

L C G J W I E D S O D X A V C

Y T P M C H L Q P K A B N R F

R E S K N I O S J T E I L S E

A V B A R E D E A Y R W E K F

I E T K L A Q T V P B N C Y I

S R N H Y D W R W E T O F Z L

E Y E J I G E U M Y R A G P F

N T V W E R C B K P M N I T J

L H A J F S S R E G F Y R H O

Z I E R T Z U T F L M O K X J

U N H V W F X S Y T I N T Z R

V G Y I P Q N Q E V Q E G J Y

T J L N I A L P M O C D V N M

Y L R H U N G R Y X L X W E A

V W G J V H P E L W F G T C S

 

Bread

Life

Whoever

Hungry

Thirsty

Believes

Everything

Anyone

Heaven

Will

Sent

Raise

Last

Day

Complain

 

 

 

True and False Test

Encouraging Words for the Lost

Sunday March 8, 2020

John 6:35-46

Name _______________________________

 

Circle the True or False answers. Correct the False statements by restating them.

 

1. If we come to Jesus and believe in Jesus, we will never be spiritually hungry or thirsty. True or False

 

2. Jesus gave eternal life to all who saw Him during His ministry.

True or False

 

3. Not just people, but everything the Father gives to Jesus will go to Him. True or False

 

4. Some who come to Jesus will have such an unworthy past that He will drive them away. True or False

 

5. Jesus came down from heaven into our world. True or False

 

6. Jesus came into the world to do the will of His Father who sent Him.

True or False

 

7. Occasionally, when no one was looking, Jesus did whatever He wanted to do without thinking of the Father. True or False

 

8. Jesus’ Father wills that Jesus raise up on the last day all who believe in Him. True or False

 

9. The Jews complained when Jesus said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” True or False

 

10. Those who come to Jesus are drawn to Him by the Father and Jesus will raise them up on the last day. True or False

 

 

 

True and False Test Answers

 

1. True
2. False
3. True
4. False
5. True
6. True
7. False
8. True
9. True
10. True

 

 

Prayer

 

Father, our times often resemble those of the prophet Habakkuk. Many solutions are offered to address such problems, but most ignore Your wisdom and fail to see situations through Your eyes. Empower Your church by Your Holy Spirit to speak forth with courage and clarity the love of Christ and the power of the gospel. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.