Day 8- Jesus Makes Himself Equal with God
Day 8- Jesus Makes Himself Equal with God
The multitudes love Jesus. No prophet has ever said and done what He is doing. Everywhere He goes He preaches and teaches in unequaled power and wisdom and heals all who are brought to Him. But not everyone is embracing this miracle worker from Nazareth. His popularity is causing a stir among the religious leaders, the Pharisees and Sadducees. His ministry and message is undermining and threatening their hard-earned status and influence over the people. Jesus decides to make a trip up to Jerusalem, the center of the Jewish faith and stronghold for the religious leaders, and on a Sabbath day heals a man who had been sick 38 years. The religious leaders harass Him for breaking the Sabbath rules. “But Jesus replied, ‘My Father is always working, and so am I.’ So the Jewish leaders tried all the harder to find a way to kill him. For he not only broke the Sabbath, he called God his Father, thereby making himself equal with God.”
The multitudes love Jesus. No prophet has ever said and done what He is doing. Everywhere He goes He preaches and teaches in unequaled power and wisdom and heals all who are brought to Him. But not everyone is embracing this miracle worker from Nazareth. His popularity is causing a stir among the religious leaders, the Pharisees and Sadducees. His ministry and message is undermining and threatening their hard-earned status and influence over the people. Jesus decides to make a trip up to Jerusalem, the center of the Jewish faith and stronghold for the religious leaders, and on a Sabbath day heals a man who had been sick 38 years. The religious leaders harass Him for breaking the Sabbath rules. “But Jesus replied, ‘My Father is always working, and so am I.’ So the Jewish leaders tried all the harder to find a way to kill him. For he not only broke the Sabbath, he called God his Father, thereby making himself equal with God.”
Major Events
Major Events
- Jesus calls Matthew to be His Disciple (Matt; Mark; Luke)
- Jesus goes to Jerusalem to observe the Feast of Tabernacles (John)
- While in Jerusalem
- Jesus heals a cripple at the Pool of Bethesda (John)
- Jesus defends His identity and authority (John)
Major Topics
Major Topics
- Feast of Tabernacles
- Fasting
- Authority
- Disciples
- Pharisees
- Divinity of Christ
- God the Father
- Son of God
- Son of Man
- Believe
- Resurrection of life
- Resurrection of judgment
Videos
Videos
Matthew 9
Matthew 9
Luke 5
Luke 5
John 5
John 5
Key Verses & Words
Key Verses & Words
The Story
The Story
- Matthew 9:9 As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector's booth; and He *said to him, "Follow Me!" And he got up and followed Him.
- Mark 2:15 "...many tax collectors and sinners were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him.
- John 5:1 After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
- John 5:18 "...the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.
The Teachings of Jesus
The Teachings of Jesus
- Matthew 9:13 "...for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
- Mark 2:22 "No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins."
- John 5:19 Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.
- John 5:24 "...he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
- John 5:38-40 "You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. 39 "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; 40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.
Questions for Reflection
Questions for Reflection
The Healing at the Pool on the Sabbath (John)
- When have you felt that God was waiting too long to do something you'd trusted Him to do?
- On what in life, other than God, do we sometimes depend?
- Why do we attempt to take matters into our own hands, rather than trust God to work them out?
- In what ways has Jesus made you well?
Jesus defends his authority (John 5:16-30)
- In what ways does the world persecute Christians today?
- How have you been persecuted as a believer?
- Why does the world persecute Christians?
- How can we know for sure we have eternal life?
- In what ways is Jesus an example for us to follow?
Jesus defends his authority (John 5:31-47)
- Why do you believe in Jesus?
- How could someone study the Scriptures and still not believe in Jesus?
- In what do you find your significance and security in life?
- What should we do to gain the praise of God?
- How can you make your study of Scripture more Christ-centered this week?
Digging Deeper:
Digging Deeper:
- David Guzik commentary Matthew 9, Mark 2, Luke 5, John 5
Curious Christians
Curious Christians
- Who was Matthew? Here is a brief article telling us what we know of Matthew, the tax-collector, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus.
- What is fasting all about? Here is an article giving the basic nuts and bolts of fasting and why we should practice it.
Living the Lesson
Living the Lesson
Here is where the Holy Spirit has opportunity to bring great revelation and transformation in your life--in reflection and obedience to what you have been reading and studying in God's Word today. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how you can respond in obedience to the devotion today. Use the following questions to prompt you.
Is there a...
- SIN to confess?
- PROMISE to claim?
- ATTITUDE to change?
- COMMAND to obey?
- EXAMPLE to follow?
- PRAYER to pray?
- ERROR to avoid?
- TRUTH to believe?
- SOMETHING for which to praise God?